Does a Hiker Pee in the Woods?

If she’s hiking in the woods she will.

Today is Saturday, Sept. 3. We went for a beautiful hike to Avalanche Lake, walking beside the creek for a portion of the way. This is probably my favorite hike yet here in the park. The green trees and moss, the red and green rocks, the gorgeous creek and waterfalls.

We were surrounded by Western Cedar, Hemlock, and Cottonwood trees. Too bad Gary’s not here; he could tell us what kind of rocks we saw. They are very vivid colors.

The lake itself was rather low, as the glacier that feeds it is almost gone.

In 1850 there were 150 active glaciers in the area that was to become the park; today there are 25. By the time I breathe my last breath, they will be gone.

What does it take to be an active glacier? Three things:

1)      The ice pack must be at least 100’ thick.

2)      The surface area must be at least 25 acres.

3)      It must move under it’s own power.

Active glaciers are always moving, slowly grinding away at the rock surface beneath it. If it’s not moving it’s called an ice field. This is Jackson Glacier. You can see the rock field below the glacier. That area was once covered by ice.

Tomorrow the forecast is calling for snow at Logan Pass. We’ll drive up there one more time (early, before the crowds arrive) and hopefully get some awesome views. The smoke has cleared considerably, but the cloud cover is obscuring the mountains right now. Consequently, the scenery is different, but still beautiful.

ds