Two Medicine Trek

My plans were for a low-key drive to Polson, Montana.  Sit on the deck overlooking Flathead Lake, settle some estate business with Dad and sip in the view of water and the MIssion Range and just have an 'old folks' talk.  A simple plan, a simple life.

But with a half-dozen other youthful voices added to the social soup, it was arranged to make a visit to Glacier National Park, just 90 miles up the road for an afternoon of it.  When plans got to being made, it was noted that this being the 100 year anniversary of the National Park Service, that the parks are packed to the gills especially this year.  The trip we always take is the West Glacier, Apgar Village, trip; a drive (or now shuttle) up Going-to-the-Sun Road to Logan Pass and a walk up to Hidden Lake overlook and/or a walk around the Trail of the Cedars.  I lamented we've all done that over and over, let's go for something new.  Brian quickly seconded the motion and pulled out his phone and found some sort of app and let us know the time to get to Logan Pass was equivalent to driving to East Glacier and the Two Medicine area.  Agreed, let us take a Two Medicine Trek!  A breakout from our usual Glacier excursion.

Our car caravan makes a stop in West Glacier where we pay a visit to the Alberta (Canada) Visitor's Center.  They have "nice facilities", Canada is so clean.

At Alberta Visitor's Center
Inga comes face-to-face with a Bear!

At Alberta Visitor's Center
Mom comes face-to-face with a T. Rex!!

Feeling refreshed from the clean Canadian facilities and ready for adventure, our caravan circles around the south end of the Park boundary and heads east and then north again toward East Glacier.  

We will make another stop at the summit of Marias Pass which traverses the Continental Divide.  It was charted in 1889 by John F. Stevens and allowed the Great Northern Railroad to reach the western US (of course the Indians knew about the pass long before Stevens gets credit for charting it).  We stop for a photo op and a selfie with John Stevens before entering Glacier National Park proper.

Inga takes a selfie with John F. Stevens
Prinicpal Engineer with The Great Northern
Marias Pass

Incredible exposure of geologic over-thrusting of

Pre-Cambrian (1,4 Billion Years) sediments

over Cretaceous sediments (65 Million Years)

Our first stop inside the Park proper comes with a short trail to Trick (Running Eagle) Falls, where the waterfall begins in the middle of an outcrop, highly unusual, as every waterfall I've ever seen the water comes over the top of the rock face.  I fell in love with this unique design of 'Trick Falls'.

We will cross that bridge when we come to it.
Trail to Trick Falls

Streambed of red and green Super Belt Pre-Cambrian argillite

Tick or Runnig Eagle Falls

Mark & Sue

Lunch time comes at Two medicine Campground.

A cool Inga with a cold cut sandwich

A crow awaits an invitation to lunch

We form up a hiking party on the shore of Two Medicine Lake.

Brian & Amy - Trail Worthy

Sinopah Mountain at far end of Two Medicine Lake

Inga & Sue check out what's ahead

Some of the wildflowers and forest understory scenery.

Purple Asters

Indian Paintbrush

White Thistle

The selected trail will l lead us to Aster Park, Aster Falls and up the mountain-side to the Vista Point.

Sinopah Mountain from Aster Park Trail

Rising Wolf Mountain

Sinopah Mountain grows larger

Single-log Foot Bridge over Aster Creek

Aster Falls

Inga with a hop, skip & jump at Aster Falls

Top of Aster Falls

Over the brim of Aster Falls

Down coming cataract

Pool above the rim of Aster Falls

Keep your eyes on the rocks beneath your feet - they tell a story. 

Taking a lichen to this stone

Pre-Cambrian Slate

A Satisfying ascent to Vista Point on the Aster park Trail.

Coming up on Vista Point

Mount Henry

Wendy warms ups on the 'summit'

Inga chills out on the 'summit'

Rising Wolf Mountain shoulders Two Medicine Lake
Aster Park Vista Point

Flinsch Peak

The crest of Sinopah Mountain

Rising Wolf Mountain

Mount Henry over our sholder

We come back down off the mountain.  We need a reward for our efforts.  Inga has on her mind that the proper and fitting reward is a Huckleberry Treat.  Grandpa was easily persuaded to buy all around.

You scream, I scream, We all scream for ice cream.
Only Mark, Sue and Inga go for huckleberry shakes.
Thanks Grandpa!

Amy orders a single scoop of huckleberry ice cream

Wendy gets a face full too