Tiny Shooting stars ( Dodecatheon pulchellum) and a species Saxifrage ( Saxifraga occidentalis?) On the way back I noticed more lovely alpine flowers in bloom: tiny Shooting Stars, Moss Campion, Saxifrage, a variety of buttercup or cinquefoil, far too many unfamiliar flowers and plants for me to be able to identify. This way they didn't have to try to catch the goats a second time to de-collar them. A biologist told me the wooden collars were designed to fall off later in the season after tracking had been recorded. By mid-July the billy goats all had nice new coats, but the nannies were still in the process of shedding their winter coat.
I found out later that the she-goats molt later in the season than the males because they require more nourishment to nurse their young. I wondered what kinds of plants might grow on its banks.Īt the overlook, a collared nanny goat with her baby came very close to where I was standing-other tourists were crowding the poor thing, trying to get photos and she kept backing away, eventually stepping on the tiny ledge you see here. Hidden Lake was beautiful, I would have loved to continue on down and see it at close range-too bad the trail was closed. Funny how most people don't think of a common courtesy like this and put themselves and others in danger. Everyone complied and a dangerous situation was avoided. I became traffic cop and asked the other folks going in our direction to hang back and let the folks returning pass us first and then we could go on.
#HIDDEN LAKE LOGAN PASS PATCH#
I left my pack by a large rock, hoping no one would steal it, and went on.Īt one point in the trail there was room for only one person to go across a steep snow patch and people were trying to pass each other, risking falling down a steep slope. I saw youngsters in sandals ambling through the snow patches, certainly I, equipped with boots, could manage it too. I wasn't about to let this dissuade me-the best thing was to ditch my pack and take only my camera, which was heavy enough as it was, and continue. I hadn't thought to bring my hiking poles-it was hard for me to imagine there would be still be snow here in mid-July, but I was learning. The trail began as a paved walk, then a boardwalk and finally turned into rock.Īfter half a mile or so the trail became steeper and began to cross patches of slippery snow-my backpack felt impossibly heavy. These stunted trees around the treeline are known as krumholtz. Glacier lilies ( Erythronium grandiflora).
White Pasqueflower ( Anemone occidentalis). Fields of yellow-flowered Glacier lilies and other alpine flowers carpeted the meadows dotted with subalpine firs. The overlook was only about 1.5 miles away. Once at Logan Pass, I saw signs for a trail to Hidden Lake Overlook, but the sign said the trail beyond was closed due to bear activity. Oberlin on the left.Įveryone got off at Logan Pass-to continue east over the Continental Divide another shuttle change was necessary.
#HIDDEN LAKE LOGAN PASS DRIVER#
The driver pointed out the Weeping Wall and Haystack Falls as we passed, and I asked about another waterfall visible on the other side of the valley. I was told this was Bird Woman Falls, which drops in two stages from a hanging valley and then down towards Logan Creek for a total drop of nearly 1000 feet.īird Woman Falls with Mt.
Once on board, the road began to ascend rapidly, going through a short tunnel carved in the rock and turning crazily around The Loop-an amazingly steep switchback that is a landmark.Īfter the Loop the view opens up to a grand valley surrounded by snowy peaks, through which Logan Creek flows.Īs I sat in the shuttle, others familiar with the area mentioned some of the trails they were going on that day, and I heard someone talk about "The Garden Wall"-that sounded like the sort of trail for me! It started at Logan Pass, but from the description it wasn't too clear where exactly. At Avalanche Creek we waited for a smaller van (a 12-seater) to take us up the alpine section to Logan Pass. Only glimpses of a good-sized creek on our left were visible through the heavily forested sides of the road. I parked at the west entrance Visitor Center and boarded a bus-sized one at the Visitor Center which dropped us off at Avalanche Creek, a few miles above Lake McDonald Lodge.
#HIDDEN LAKE LOGAN PASS FREE#
The next day, reluctant to tackle the challenging Going to the Sun Road (the only road through the park) in an unfamiliar car, I thought it best to first explore the park on the free shuttles. That might be affordable if you could findĪnother seven persons to share the ride with. That was tempting until I heard the price tag: The rental business also offered helicopter rides around the park. Kevin had suggested that I rent a car for a few of days so I could see more of the park on my own-the perfect solution-we made the arrangements that evening when he picked me up.
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