Once you're away from the water, you move at a steady incline through dense forest. There are a lot of large boulders along the trial, which the kids enjoyed climbing. I believe these are from previous avalanches, which is where the lake at the end got its name. It took us about an hour to get down to the lake, the last part of the hike being downhill. We read that this spot is one of the most photographed in Glacier, and it was clear to see why. We didn't have as blue of skies today as the last couple of days, but even with some cloud cover, the lake with the backdrop off the mountains was awesome. You can see 3 different waterfalls coming down off the mountain, which feed the lake eventually. As Ethan said when his legs got tired on the hike, "It will be worth it. It's always worth it." It was.
We had our picnic lunch down by the water, sitting on some rocks and trying to keep our food away from pesky ground squirrels. We heard later that they are the biggest problem animal in the park because people think they're cute and feed them and they are very bold now. Will had to rescue his pack from one when it tried to climb on it. I was able to get a pretty great picture of Eleanor eating her sandwich with a ground squirrel (looks like a chipmunk) looking on. We NEVER feed any wild animals willingly, though, and even the kids know from our trips how bad it is for them. I was sure to remind them loudly, though, in case other tourists near were thinking of feeding them.
The way back was definitely faster, as it was a lot more decline than incline. At one point, someone we passed said that people a ways down the trail said that a bear had just passed across the trail in front of them. They made a lot of noise, though, and it passed and went back into the woods. This made me a bit nervous, but the trail was pretty crowded at this point and I always feel safer then. That, and Will had the bear spray at the ready. I did switch camera lenses, in case we saw one from afar. We didn't. Poor Ethan is desperate to see a bear and has 0 fear of it. We keep reminding him that although they don't really want to hurt us, they can feel threatened (especially a mama with Cubs) and charge unpredictably. I also think he's all talk and the minute he sees a bear he'll be soiling himself. Not sure if we'll ever find out. I wouldn't mind seeing one, as long as it's from a safe distance.
Anyway, the hike back was smooth and bear-less, and we drove to a visitor's center near the entrance to the park. While there, we got to hear a presentation by a ranger about none other than the bears in the park. We learned about how to identify a grizzly versus a black bear (their fur can actually look very similar so better to look at shape of their body and face), as well as what to do if you encounter one. She said that 98% of the time, if you are making your presence known, a bear will not come near you. But, she warned about exactly what we've been telling Ethan, that you need to give them space and do your best not to inadvertently sneak up on one. She also did a demonstration of bear spray. It's basically pepper spray. It sprays 30 feet, and you are to aim it at the bear's feet so the spray floats up to his or her face. A can of bear spray has 7 seconds of spray so you should spray in just 2 second intervals. She said most times, one spray is enough but if it keeps coming at you to spray again. She also said the only time to use it is if it's charging you. If you encounter a bear, you are to speak softly while backing away. Again, I hope never to be that close to have to remember that in my state of panic. The best thing I learned today, though, was that there have only been 10 bear related fatalities since the NP opened 100 years ago. I was actually surprised the number was so low, and I feel like odds are we will not be killed by a bear on this trip. We didn't ask how many near-deaths there were. Ignorance is bliss sometimes!
From the Apgar Visitor's Center, we were going to travel up a road near there and find another small hike, but it was drizzling a bit. We didn't want to get caught on a trail in rain, so we decided to head for home and to the beach. As guests at Ptarmagan Village, we have access to a private beach on Whiltefish Lake. We found it, but it was a bit annoying because you had to use a code to open a gate to be able to park and then walk down a hill. There was a floating pier in the water and a couple of picnic tables. Will and the kids changed, but I remembered we were out of bread so I drove back into town to get some. (I also got a piece of chocolate cake for Will for our anniversary...shhhhh. Chocolate cake has been our anniversary thing ever since he got it in our Beijing hotel for our first anniversary." By the time I was done, they were ready to be picked up.
Back at our place, the kids ate dinner while watching the Angry Birds movie on Netflix. Will and I took turns going for a short run. I ran with my music on full blast from my phone. We are already halfway up a mountain, and the run was mostly uphill, so it was not easy. But we both have had such tight muscles. We do so much walking but we're not stretching after hikes so you get a bit stiff. It felt good to run and then stretch. After, I ate a quick dinner and took the kids to the pool. After seeing the indoor pool facility on my run, I decided to go there. It is a much newer facility than the outdoor pool, plus it as a hot tub. We walked to it while Will put a load of laundry in. The indoor pool was nice, and the kids and I had fun swimming. Eleanor's favorite is to treat me like her own personal dolphin and ride me all around the pool. After 30 minutes or so, I went outside to the very large hot tub. (Dad - you would love it!) The kids joined me after a bit for a few minutes and then it was back home to shower and go to sleep.
Will is pretty tired from the long days and mountain driving. I offered to drive, but that gives him even more anxiety. Ethan and I are both itching to get back up into the higher elevation hikes. I'd really like to do these waterfall hikes, but they are even past Logan Pass, so we will see.
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