Glacier Lake Hike...Maybe

Can you see Glacier Lake?

After much debate Bill wanted to head back out on the Beartooth Scenic Hwy.  This time to hike out to Glacier Lake.  We noticed the lake a few days back and once we could find a phone signal Bill looked up the hike.  It looked doable... similar to a few of our past hikes.  I was not 'feeling it'... high elevation and steep terrain are not my most favorite hikes.  I hoped the views would help pull me up the mountain.

Heading toward the campground

Off we headed bright and early (5:00 AM for goodness sakes)... so early we could have stopped to watch Lamar Valley's wolf pack, but we were on a mission to get there early.  Needed  extra time to drive the 8 miles of dirt/rock road and finish the hike so we could get back to camp before dark.  

Just before the Pebble Creek Campground guess what we saw... another brown black bear heading straight towards the campground.  Now that's a wake up call when you're heading towards the bathroom. Getting up early isn't much fun, but finding animals does help make up for the early hour.

We did manage to stop at the Silver Gate's Log Cabin Café for a hearty breakfast... man are local Montana eggs & bread the absolute best and the red pepper hash browns OMG.  I wasn't too sure I'd be able to hike after eating it... except for a scrap of bread and a piece of bacon that Coop managed to wrangle our plates were cleaned.

Rock Creek created a few obstacles

The review Bill had read said that 'most vehicles' could make it to the end of the road and the trailhead up to Glacier Lake.  Not sure what they meant by 'most' since we didn't make it much further than the last time we drove done this dirt road... over 4 miles from the end.  Way too far of a hike before beginning the actual 4 miles hike up to the lake.  Doomed yet again by our less than adequate ground clearance.  

Parasailing off the Beartooth

 

Cooper stalking his marmot...lower rightside

Disappointed we backed down the road and turned around.  Once back on top of the Beartooth Hwy we tried to determine exactly which cars had made it to the end of the road... looked like a few Excursions, a couple of extended cab 4 x 4 trucks and a Subaru Forester.  Still not sure how since the boulders in the roadway were pretty darn big.  Next car will have to have better than 6 inches of ground clearance... or rent a big wheeled Jeep.

On the return to the Park we happened upon one lonely male Prong Horn.  Gorgeous animal... difficult to photograph well, but simply beautiful.  This guy was all about sticking around and posing for the camera.  After 30 minutes... maybe an hour... who really knows we packed up the gear and headed into town to resupply.  

A beautiful evening so we splurged on a fire for hamburgers, a shower and ice cream.  Not to mention quite a bit of people watching... including those that get way too close to the elk on Charlie's watch.  

Did I mention Charlie?  He wants to hire Cooper by placing a sign on him stating "not to move past me because I am not stupid" to aid him in keeping insane people from getting too close to the resident elk herd.  Never will understand the need to be 5 feet away from a wild animal when the zoom on your camera is as long as my arm.

Flycatcher of some variety

Allowing chipmunks to crawl on them

Stalking along the ridgeline

Watching the Prong Horn