Glacier National Park, Montana
|
Ptarmigan Tunnel Glacier National Park, Montana |
August 10, 2012 - Day #11
The day begins with sunrise over Mount Grinnell and Swiftcurrent Lake.
The walk begins from the designated parking area at the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, down to a smaller, unadvertised parking lot adjoining the trailhead.
Where we're not headed
Where we are headed
This is what I had anticipated — a stroll in the sun.
Then we unexpectedly enter a pleasant forested area.
The standard Glacier Park lushness is everywhere
Three easy miles of walking get us to a trail junction just past Ptarmigan Falls, which are difficult to see and are not of particular interest. Now the choices are two miles to the left over to Iceberg Lake, or two miles to the right up to Ptarmigan Tunnel.
A verdant spot
Some non-hikers pass by
David glances at the signpost, then at me; yet my decision was made a long time ago. Pointing toward Ptarmigan Tunnel, I plead that this is the only chance I will have, which might be true.
Heading for the tunnel
Great Purple Monkeyflower
Giant Red Indian Paintbrush
Here is some good water on Ptarmigan Creek, should I
need it later
After about a mile, our near-term fate finally is revealed. The destination is at the top of that long, hot switchback up the scree slope. A portion of the tunnel entrance actually is visible if one knows where to look.
Ptarmigan Lake
The lake is even prettier from the other side, and its shape does resemble that of a bird in flight.
Mount Gould, 9957', and Mount Grinnell, 8852'
We can do this; just keep putting one foot in front of the other
Almost there
Success! Without delay, we enter the dark passageway. I count
seventy-one long steps, indicating that the tunnel is about two hundred
thirty feet in length.
Ptarmigan Tunnel – constructed primarily to accommodate horse travel
Oh, my! It's a whole new world over here! What an amazing and unique thing is this passageway through solid rock, connecting the Many Glacier Valley with Belly River country. It's like a wormhole to another galaxy.
The long trail across the red scree leads to Elizabeth Lake
There is so much color on this side of the Ptarmigan Wall. I must amble down the path a bit to see what else might be found.
A trail has been blasted down the shady north wall
A five-minute scamper down this chute brings a whole new mountain scene into view.
Old Sun Glacier hangs onto Mount Merritt, 10003'
One cannot take too many photographs around here:
This is why I go hiking
Prior to 1930, access to the Belly River Basin was available via a number of other mountain passes; but all were more difficult and less scenic than this one. Tunnel excavation lasted three months, and the rock blasted out was used to frame the tunnel doors and build retaining walls along the trail. Steel doors were added in 1975 to close off the passage in the winter season. This structure and the associated parapet wall are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Just below the tunnel
Even without my prescription glasses, I can see some waterfalls streaming from Old Sun Glacier.
A closer look is in order:
Sublime
Back near the tunnel entrance, a panhandling chipmunk plies its trade.
"See my pretty rock? Feed me!"
Heading back through the tunnel
Craig and Sandy from Florida
The trail isn't limited to humans:
Now she's riding...
...now she's walking
Is "panhandling chipmunk" redundant?
Going downhill should be a lot faster than coming up. That is a good thing, because it is starting to become pretty warm out.
David puts his trekking poles to work
Swimming in Ptarmigan Lake
Back at Ptarmigan Falls we give our feet a well-earned rest.
Across the creek, in the pink shirt, is the woman we saw over at Grinnell Glacier
yesterday with her left arm in a sling (recent surgeries). Here she has
temporarily removed her bandage, claiming that it "feels good to take it off".
Creek textures
Bear Grass
Now comes the tough decision. Heading straight back to the trailhead
would make this a 10½-mile day, or we could add another 4-plus
miles and take in a visit to the highly scenic Iceberg Lake. In light of
the fact that David's legs are badly out of shape and I still am nursing some
sore ribs and a big gash on my left shin, both of us seem content to call it
a day. I cannot help wondering when I might be able to return, though.
A last look back
The trailhead is right down there
It's not far now
§: To my knowledge, there is nothing else in the world like the
Ptarmigan Tunnel. Emerging from the northern entrance for the first
time is guaranteed to set your brain spinning.
Under no circumstances should you decline to walk down the
north-side trail for at least a couple hundred yards.
If you don't go there, the best stuff will be missed.
Note: It is possible to visit both the tunnel and Iceberg Lake, and save a good mile of walking in the process, by shortcutting across the thin "Y" pattern formed by the two trails. It would be a good plan to have a GPS programmed with coordinates for a suitable cutoff route mapped from Google Earth. And have your bear spray handy as well.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Personality |  |
| Solitude | |
