Glacier National Park -Avalanche Lake via Trail of the Cedars
On our last day at Glacier we made another attempt to hike Avalanche Trail. We were up at the crack of dawn and made it to the trailhead at 5:30 am and finally secured a parking spot. Trail of Cedars is the beginning of this 6.5-mile hike. A boardwalk meanders along beautiful cedar trees giving us a small glimpse of what awaits us when we visit the Redwoods in California. Can’t wait.
The boardwalk ends and a dirt trail is our guide through a forest. The trees are tall and the boulders tower over me. We watch the sun rise over the mountain tops and the ray’s peek through the trees. There are so many outcrops which are perfect for picture taking. The trees are the frame and the mountains and streams are the canvas.
Personal observation- there are those happy hikers who greet people with a smile and a hello- we fall into that category. Then you have those who don’t look at you or respond when you say hi. The last category of hikers is those who somehow think they are participating in a 10k and want to win first place. They speed through the hike and don’t stop to fully engulf themselves in their surroundings. The sound of the birds, beautiful foliage and the magnificence of the everything seems to be ignored. It makes me wonder if their lives are the same way – racing to get to some point only to realize later in life enjoying the journey was most important.
Our hikes probably take longer because of two factors. First, I make frequent stops to take pictures of flowers, water, dead wood and anything else I see unique. I also just stop to enjoy the moment, feel a breeze on my face or just sit for a while. Second, I married an adventurer. What does that mean? If there is a space off the beaten path or a challenge, Mitch will explore it, conquer it and move on to the next adventure. I am grateful to him as I would not have had these memorable experiences.
Avalanche Lake was amazing as was every other trail in Glacier. Now I know why it makes it in the list of the top ten most visited national parks.
Today, we remembered to bring our lunch. We wanted to picnic at Lake McDonald. This lake is ten miles long and is 472 ft deep, formed from the glaciers. It was the perfect spot to relax, take in the view and promise to visit again.
