Short, but sweet

We were running out of longer hikes in the park, and decided that we might want to try some of the hikes that were commonly done by people that visited our campground. We had a lot of people looking for short, easy hikes to get out and explore a bit of the park without having to be in great shape. So, we tackled two of the more popular hikes.

First, we hiked to Avalanche Lake. This trail goes beside a creek and hikes into a lake where you can see some tall waterfalls coming down the hillside from the glacier above. It is a very busy trail. That was one of the first things we noticed and have to say it is a different kind of experience. It reminded us of Yosemite where things were just so packed with people that it didn't feel like hiking.

With that said, it was an opportunity to see some pretty things without a long hike. It did have rolling hills and was certainly challenging for some.

This is the lake at the end of the hike. It was an overcast day, and in fact did rain on us before we got back to the car, so no brilliant blue sky or water in the photos. It was a nice place to have a picnic lunch, dip the toes, and drink in some scenery. There was a ranger there telling of the days when the glacier above would have been visible there and how he used to go ice climbing there.

A closer look at one of the waterfalls.

An even closer look at the water in Avalanche Creek.

Another popular hike in the park is to the Hidden Lake Overlook. We had tried to put this in the itinerary when we were visiting with Kyle, but parking issues prevented us from accomplishing it at that time. The hike begins at Logan Pass, and takes you through an alpine meadow to an overlook of a hidden alpine lake.

Along the way, we were treated to some mountain goat action. We also had to make our way through some snow even though it was August! We had waited and waited for the snow to melt out and didn't have time to wait any longer. When we first arrived in June, people were heading up this with skis and snowboards to then ski/board back down.

Above is the payoff. The hidden lake. You can't see this from the "Going to the Sun Road" or from the visitor's center at Logan Pass. But, with a short 3 mile round trip walk, what a treat. There isn't a lot of elevation gain, and much of it is actually on a wooden boardwalk. Along the way you pass through wildflower meadows and are surrounded by mountains. This is certainly a great hike for people of all ages and fitness levels.