Page 39 - PureMontana // 2016

GREATER NORTHWEST MONTANA
BEST DAY
HIKES
AVALANCHE LAKE
Find the trailhead for this four-mile loop near Lake McDonald on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The east- ern half of the trail passes through a hemlock and red cedar forest car- peted with ferns and moss. Shortly after departing from the trailhead, it passes by Avalanche Gorge, and then climbs alongside Avalanche Creek into a denser forest. Two miles in, hikers reach the foot of Avalanche Lake. Relax on the sunny, sandy beach area, or continue down the western shoreline to the head of the lake.
HIGHLINE LOOP
Cutting through the Garden Wall above the Going-to-the-Sun Road, this trail gives hikers the most bang for their buck. Relatively at, the hike is more of a long, panoramic traverse. And though it’s called a loop, this 11.8-mile hike is actually a one-way hike, so hikers can tailor their trip, turning around earlier if necessary. It’ll be hard to turn back, however, as the easy access to high-elevation mountain passes also provides vistas not visible from the Sun Road.
ST. MARY FALLS
This two-mile trail sets off from the eastern side of the Sun Road, about 10 miles west of the St. Mary Entrance Station. Gentle and with little eleva- tion gain, the path passes through conifer forest toward the St. Mary River. Hikers press on as the sound of rushing water grows. Soon, the trail bumps up against the 35-foot tall, three-tier St. Mary Falls. Even on the hottest of summer days, the falls cast a cool mist down the gorge, making for a perfect picnic location.
APGAR LOOKOUT
Located near the southwest cor- ner of the park, this is one of the rst hikes visitors encounter after passing through the West Glacier Entrance Station. The seven-mile trip is a steady climb not for the feint of heart, but it winds up a burn area from 2003, meaning you have end- less views the whole time. And when the trail tops out at the lookout, it provides a unique vantage point of Lake McDonald. One of the rst established hikes in the park, the Apgar Lookout trail is a classic.
NUMA RIDGE LOOKOUT
This ve-mile long trail sets out at Bowman Lake, near the small, unin- corporated town of Polebridge. (You’ll want to grab a huckleberry bear claw from the Mercantile rst.) The trail slowly meanders alongside the shore before climbing gently up Numa Ridge. It tracks back and forth across a south-facing aspect, pro- viding mouthwatering views of the lake. From the top, gaze down on Bowman’s glacial teal waters and at the mountains across the small valley, Rainbow Peak and Mount Carter.
Hiking the Highline Trail. GREG LINDSTROM
Bearhart Mountain overlooks Hidden Lake in Many Glacier. GREG LINDSTROM
like the Canadian lynx and grizzly bear. Only the woodland caribou and bison have disappeared since the park’s found- ing over 100 years ago.
Grizzly bears capture the imagi- nation of Glacier’s visitors more than almost any other species. Scientists’ most up-to-date estimates place over 300 grizzlies in the park (along with 600 black bears). ey spend all sum- mer wandering lowland meadows and aspen groves, and then return to the high country for their winter snooze. ey steer clear of humans for the most part, but if you get lucky, you might just see a bruin lumbering up a trail.
Mountain goats are Glacier National Park’s of cial symbol. GREG LINDSTROM
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PURE MONTANA // PureWestRealEstate.com // 2016
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