Avalanche Lake

MarkR37
MarkR37
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4 out of 5
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Editor Pick

Avalanche Lake

  • March 22, 2006
  • Rated 4 of 5 by callen60 from Ozarks, Missouri
Avalanche Lake

We spent one night in Helena on the way north to Glacier, and the pleasant desk clerk/manager at the Wingate Inn was thrilled to hear we were headed there next. She'd grown up in Glacier, her Dad was the Superintendant for a while, and she said this hike was her favorite thing to do in the Park.

With that recommendation, we built it into our plans. It's a popular hike, though, and there was a fair-sized crowd on the trail that day. The path to Avalanche Lake takes off from the short Trail of the Cedars, a well-marked interpretative loop that takes you on a level 3/4-mile jaunt through alpine forest. It's another 2 miles from the far end of Trail of the Cedars out to Avalanche Lake. The route carries you along a stream, by several large cedars, and then turns increasingly uphill.

The elevation gain is about 500feet. I think my nearly-teen daughters discovered just what that means. We had to do some encouragement on the steeper sections, but everyone made it. It probably would have required less coaching if the weather hadn't turned a little after the first mile, it got significantly cooler, and a light rain began to fall. The trees kept it off us most of the way, but we still got a little damp.




When we arrived at the shore of Avalanche Lake, the skies were pretty gray. It's still a beautiful scene, with four streams cascading into the lake's far shore of the bowl-like setting. The trail continues along the southern shore of the lake, and you need to keep going a little bit for the best views. That part of the path was a little marshy and muddy, but still passable.

I wish we could have stayed longer: concern about the weather getting worse made us head back earlier than we might have wished. The footing was a little slick in spots, but not too bad. As we neared the end of the trail, the sun returned, and we had a pretty view back up Avalanche Creek to the mountains beyond. Everyone was all smiles on the way down, and felt pretty good about the 4-mile round-trip.

From journal Alpine America: Glacier National Park

Avalanche Lake

  • January 11, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by LAndrews64 from Spanish Fork, Utah
It was the first we hiked to Avalanche lake. It is 2.0 miles and Scott, 5, lead the way. It was great to come out at the end and see the lake and the falls. We saw our first bear about 2/3 of the way up the trail, it crossed right over the trail and really scared Tami, 15. We saw deer from the car while driving this day. We had lunch before we left on our hike. We started hiking about 2:00. We hung out around the lake for a while and got back to the top at 5:00.

From journal Glacier is the Greatest

Editor Pick

Avalanche Lake Trail

  • July 25, 2003
  • Rated 4 of 5 by books from Houston, Texas
Avalanche Lake Trail

Avalanche Lake Trail is one of the most popular trails in the park since it is one of the easiest ways to reach spectacular scenery. If you are looking for solitude, this trail isn't it.

The trail begins at the Trail of the Cedars trailhead along Going-to-the-Sun Road on the west side of the park. Trail of the Cedars was partially closed in summer 2003 for renovations.

Begin the hike on the boardwalk trail through huge red cedars. The trail divides quickly. Be sure to take the trail on the left to Avalanche Gorge. The creek crashes through a narrow gorge here among rocks bedecked with green moss. Beautiful! Backtrack and take the right turn for a mostly shady two miles to Avalanche Lake.

The trail steadily climbs upward through western hemlocks and dense underbrush. We Texas lowlanders had to stop a few times to catch our breath while our Colorado relatives laughed!

The trail ends up at the beach of Avalanche Lake. The lake is surrounded on three sides with cliffs punctuated by waterfalls. The water I'm told comes from Sperry Glacier, but you can't see it from here. The water is absolutely clear, and the magnificent view is reflected in the lake.

Many people stop here. It's a good place to eat your lunch. The chipmunks were actively soliciting snacks. There were some Harlequin ducks with their babies swimming near the shore. It was great fun to watch them dive completely under the water. Take some time to just soak in the fabulous view.

We continued along the lakeshore to the other end of the lake. Occasionally you have to do some scrambling over slippery rocks and past dead wood. There was a buck in the velvet and a doe about halfway down the lake. They were also very used to people.

We sat on a big log at the far end of the lake to eat our lunch and watch some kids fishing. One little guy caught a nice-sized fish, and another one accidentally ended up in the VERY cold water. On the way back, we took the trail, which cut through the woods above the lakeshore.

Allow at least three hours for the hike and a little time to enjoy the scenery. There are restrooms at the trailhead, and there was an outhouse near the lake. Avalanche Lake is definitely a sight worth seeing even if there is a crowd.

From journal Hiking for Ordinary Folks in Glacier National Park

Avalanche Lake Trail

  • October 28, 2002
  • Rated 4 of 5 by CaverWendyT from Chattanooga, Tennessee
Avalanche Lake Trail

Avalanche Lake Trail takes you past the very beautiful Avalanche Gorge before meeting with the Avalanche Lake trailhead. The trail to Avalanche Lake is approximately 2.2 miles long with an elevation gain of approximately 500 feet. It primarily takes you through the forest, with occasional glimpses of the mountains. Avalanche Lake is a beautiful aqua-colored lake surrounded on 3 sides by mountains and waterfalls. We saw a total of 8 deer on our hike back down the trail.

From journal Beautiful Montana

Editor Pick

Avalanche Lake

  • August 8, 2002
  • Rated 4 of 5 by dawn from Chicago, Illinois
Avalanche Lake

Enter the forest of tall wispy cedars along the flat boardwalk and enjoy the distant sound of rushing water and the whisper of the wind above. The trail starts flat and level enough for wheelchair access, but it won’t remain that way for long!
You’ll start to climb slowly as the sound of rushing water comes closer and the forest thickens around you. I peer at fallen logs that resemble the skeletal remains of some huge beast left to rest awaiting the slow action of decay.

Another wooden boardwalk spans a narrow gully where immense boulders weep with green moss and the water swirls in a white blur below my feet. I close my eyes and feel A narrow sunbeam warm my face as it reached me….somehow…. through the full canopy above
. Breath deep….slowing of the heart…..as the water music enters your mind.
You won’t be able to keep your eyes closed long because the beauty of the gorge pulls At you and begs to be consumed. "This is just the beginning!" you’ll think to yourself! "Onward and upward we go!" back into the forest that now begins to climb and narrow over a dirt path and uneven stones.

We are talking as we walk, not because of any particular bear danger, but because we are totally alone. I stop and laugh, turning around to Ron behind me, and see a deer frozen in the woods no more than 20 ft off the trail. I didn’t see her when I passed….. and wondered if she had magically appeared! We hold our breath grabbing for camera’s afraid that she will bolt too quickly but she stayed with us, eyes full of innocent curiousity. Progressing, we warn approaching trekkers of her location and they do the same for us. The words " Deer on right….200 ft." or "Elk on slope…… left & across the stream." were whispered in anticipation.

After one hour, dehydration had set in, so we took a water break against a boulder where a glacier could be seen across the valley and a trail of waterfalls cascaded over giant steps. I’m pleasantly tired, but anxious to continue, since I know what is awaiting me at the end!
I run on ahead, leaving Ron behind, knowing that the valley would open to a circle of mountains below a glacier. I’ve been here when dozens of ribbon waterfalls wash into the lake called " Avalanche" due to the steep granite walls that contain it. Today there are 6….maybe 7…. as the glaciers have retreated since my first visit in 1981. If you have energy, you can hike around the lake to the glacial skree, but I prefer to sit and absorb the scene while watching the world’s most beautiful Harlequin ducks that happen to breed here in summer.
This is a "Zen moment"…..truly a hidden treasure!

From journal Majestic Degrees of Altitude

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