Iceberg Lake Hike

Today we got to hike the trail that we learn of last week. It was recommended as one of the most beautiful trails in the park. Everyone we spoke with about the trail told it is beautiful but it also has one of the worst reputations with grizzlies. Jan and I have been aware for years that grizzlies were not the best animals to meet on the trails. So today, as usual, we went to the trail early but, we had decided that we did not want to be the first hikers on the trail. Generally the first hikers will be the ones who either scare off the bears or they will retreat and tell the other hikers on the trail. We were about 30 minutes later entering the trail than we normally do. We saw two other folks up ahead of us, so we were relieved. But since they were not always in sight we made sure that we were doing our best at watching for the bears. There were many places that we could not see more than 5-10' off the trail. In one of these places, just of the trail, we saw a shadow move that made both of us jump back. We jumped higher than two sixty+ year olds you have ever seen. Then together we realize that it was nothing but our own shadows. With a sigh of relieve both started laughing, since it appears that we are afraid of our on shadow.

A little further up the trail we encounter a moose(cow) that just stood in the middle of the trail and looked at us. We knew that we did not want upset the moose but we wanted to go by up the trail. Finally she move off the trail but only about 8'. So, like a gentleman, I let Jan go first by the moose. Since the moose didn't bother her I followed bravely. The rest of the trail was uneventful until we reached Iceberg Lake. The eventfulness at this point was how beautiful this lake is. Just as we arrived, we entered meadow that was covered with beautiful wild flowers. Iceberg Lake is a perfect name for this lake. There were chunks of ice all over it. The water was a deep turquoise and surrounded by 1500' shear walls. Even on these walls we looked for mountain goats and we were not disappointed. There is no way of even figuring out how they got to where they were. Our hike back down the mountain was beautiful watching the clouds begin to move in over the peaks. As we met people on the trail we always share our sighting of animals. They shared to us that close to the bottom of the trail that there was female grizzley and 3 cubs. This report kept being given to us until we were near the area and the next hikers were telling us that they saw nothing. Rats, no bear sighting for us.

For those of you back in the Southeastern part of this US of A, I want to share with you that the temperture out here today just barely reached 60. However, the wind has picked up and is somewhere near 35 mph.