Iceberg Lake in Perfect Weather. Sans Tourists!

Okay, okay, okay. I admit I have been slacking. I’ve got this great little hike from way back in mid-May that I need to get out there. Hard to believe we’ve almost capped off the first week of June.

So, I finished training at Lake McDonald for my second year as a red bus driver. The last day of class finished at about 4 PM on a Friday. And I didn’t have to be home until Sunday. Hmmmmm.

 I reached out to the property manager for Beargrass this year and told him I would be driving over Friday evening and checking in early. Of course, I didn’t feel the need to point out that I was checking four weeks early. And from the heavy smell of cannabis, I don’t think he cared.

Stayed up a little too late while arranging my gear and stuff in the cabin I’d call home for the summer. I’ll do a separate post on that. I expect to be as snug as a bug in a rug with my old friend and roommate Captain Kirk.

The weekend weather was looking perfect. Highs in the upper seventies and maybe cresting over to eighty. This is crazy for mid-May. It’s not even Memorial Day yet.

I had a hard time getting out of bed for an early start, which ended up being about eight-thirty. My goal was to do Iceberg Lake on Saturday, and then Ptarmigan Tunnel on Sunday morning before I left for home. I had been gone a full week and a half at this point. In many respects, this was a repeat of last year’s early season. Just about three weeks earlier with less than half the snow.

I was amazed to see only two vehicles at the trailhead. Then I remembered that none of the hotels are open yet. Which means there’s no lodging to be found anywhere. I guess that cuts back on the number of people in the wilderness.

The backcountry is melting out faster than it did last spring. Nevertheless, I was amazed at how much snow was in the main bowl of my old 8770-foot friend, Mt. Henkel.

The Swiftcurrent Valley on a magnificent early spring day. It looked and felt like summertime. Couldn’t ask for anything better.

I kept my eye on the Swiftcurrent Mountain fire lookout. That is definitely on my to-do list every spring. I’m hoping to find my snow route again this season. Maybe even coin a name for it.

Mount Allen to the far back left, with massive Grinnell Point not disappointing. Even with a relatively late start, I still had the trail to all myself.

I start to see Grinnell Mtn proper coming into view to the far left. Panning to the right is the northern Swiftcurrent Glacier complex. I think I’ll be doing lots of scrambling this year. Exploring can be such fun.

Speaking of going off the beaten path, I haven’t been up to Lake Shangri La for a few years now. It’s a beautiful little tarn-like pond up there on the shoulder of Mt Wilbur. Just off to the right of what is called Bullhead Point.

I didn’t have my crampons with me. Thought they were in the car and I thought wrong. Hate having my gear all spread out like this. Getting the Dodge here to stay for the summer and will use it as storage for everything I need on the trail. No more forgetting stuff.

Then came the snowfields I were expecting. They weren’t as bad as last year, but they were long and pretty steep for standard footwear. One was a good thirty yards to cross, and the other at least seventy-five. Because of the steepness of the angle and the fallout to the rocks below, I had to cut and punch in my steps carefully.

Looks like my little furry friends are out early. I only saw a few snowshoe tracks. And they were very old, at least a week or so. Very few boot prints and none of them got by these drifts across the trail.

I don’t bother to follow the trail. It’s buried under the snow anyway. I prefer to follow the contours and bank to the far right. Then cut down to the lakeshore from that side.

There is a lower unnamed melt pond below Iceberg Lake. It is a lot fuller than I would expect for this time of year. I love this approach even more so because you can’t do it in the summertime. Off the beaten path feels wild and alone.

I came in a little bit higher than I needed to, but I did it on purpose and will explain a little bit. Iceberg Lake can’t live up to its name until some of that snow melts. I could almost hear it give me a happy ‘hi’ for being first in for the season.

My landing spot is that tallish alpine fir, to the left along the shore all of the lake. Lots of space and serenity this time of year. It’s amazing how this glacial cirque feels without four hundred people crowding around it.

Nice little panorama. Incredible day with incredible solitude. I set myself up on a nice little rock and just enjoyed the sun. The chirping birds were incredible and made me smile.

The is a lot of snow left in Iceberg Notch. Another item on my climbing list this year. I’ve done it a few times but not since the late 90s. Fortunately, the mountains don’t change. And it’s a really fun route with like-minded friends who don’t mind a little exposure.

At this point, I had some unexpected guests and had to move a couple of hundred feet down the shoreline. Not a big fan of people hoarking in on my solitude.

Just Dave doing a couple of cameos. After all, I’ve got a stick my big nose into these photos for a little scale!

Again, an incredible day that just wouldn’t stop.

But I know there are some of you out there who just like to hear me talk.

All of these willows and the buds on the dormant brush are getting ready to explode. In another three to four weeks, the route I came in would be unpassable suck thick foliage.

I need to take more panoramics. They are great for the header on my main blog splash page. You might notice if you click on whatever the current picture is that it will refresh to a new one. Got to keep my faithful followers guessing! Plus there is some great diversity that randomly pops up.

Starting to turn my attention home. The Ptarmigan Tunnel is just out of view, tucked in the valley back and to the left. With this weather window, I should go after that tomorrow. But my legs are feeling it, and that’s another ten-mile morning with 2500 feet of gain. Ouch.

Reflections in the melt pond below Iceberg Lake proper.

That beautiful skyline bridge walk has been calling my name for years. Nothing like hiking a five-mile ridge in the sky, through one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

I forgot to mention that I met a ranger up there. He snuck up on me. And said thanks for cutting such nice clean steps or he would have never caught me. He was turning around before the lake, so I gave him some beta on any hazards ahead.

Which was all he needed. Then he went back down and left a sign for the tourist. Yeah, I don’t think the NPS wants any liability for people who don’t know their limitations.

Ok, now time for a quick rant. I was one of the first to make it up to Iceberg Lake this season. I passed two guys at Ptarmigan Falls that were NOT dressed or equipped for spring wilderness travel. But they followed me anyway. Assuming I’m another idiot like them.

I used to feel good about enabling people who shouldn’t be out here hiking to enjoy a free ride on my coattails. You know, allow them to appreciate the things I love and enjoy. And guess what my reward was for kicking in steps over a dangerous snowfield for the length of a football field?

Whoops. Got ahead of myself. I’m all set up at the lake, gear out, relaxing in the sun, taking some shots, framing a video, and just relaxing. Along come the twins in their matching Lululemon yoga pants. Since these guys are literally following my every footstep, they come within two feet of me and just stop.

Hmmmmm. Where did you think all of those steps would end? They stand in front of me and struggle in thought for a bit, and then matter of factly plop down less than 30 feet from where I’m sitting. Close enough for me to smell their Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male toilet spray and listen to their in-depth conversation about how global warming just isn’t FAIR.

Really? So I threw my crap back in my pack and walked up the shoreline another hundred yards. Like they should have done.

In the end, I cleared my head and had a nice hike out. Met a LOT of other people who were enjoying the steps I cut over the otherwise impassable and dangerous snowfields. Yep. Looks like I accidentally opened the famed Iceberg Lake trail up for the season.

But I did take some time to walk around the Swiftcurrent Parking lot. And enjoy an unexpected solitude I have never in my life seen before. Empty parking lot? No tourists?

True, this is a mid-May day and none of the lodging opens up for another two weeks (at least). But with the sunny skies and warm temps, it felt like mid-August. Sans people.

I have to imagine this is what the national parks would be like if we did have a good zombie apocalypse situation arise. Or maybe an old-school dose of Spanish Influenza.

It felt surreal seeing everything boarded up. All safe and sound for the coldest days of winter. Knowing in a couple of weeks this front porch will be lined with sunburned tourists telling tall tales about how they have conquered the surrounding trails and peaks. All while sipping an overpriced microbrew and wondering why rooms book out a full year in advance. Hmmmmm.

But on the whole, a great hike and a great day. Despite LuLuLemon! GoatBoy out.