After I completed the hike in my previous post, we learned that the
Going-to-the-Sun Road had reopened up to Logan Pass. (You couldn't previously go that high due to the forest fire on the east side of the park.)We piled in the van and
went up there. What a spectacular drive! You climb and climb and climb, and it
is virtually impossible to take a bad photo. I just kept sticking the camera
out the window and pushing the button, and I ended up with very few shots to
discard.
Once at the pass, we undertook the Hidden Lake Overlook
trail, an out-and-back trail from the visitor center to a spot with stunning
views of a gem of a lake tucked between mountain peaks. The rangers term this a
“gently rising” trail 2.8 miles in roundtrip length, with an elevation gain of
480 feet. We beg to differ with this characterization. The distance is probably
right, but the climb was a doozy. Added to the 5 miles I’d already done today,
well, phew! But it was an amazingly gorgeous hike, and I have many photos to
remember it by. Once my feet stop hurting, I will probably convert the whole
experience into one of the highlights of my trip.
Back in the parking lot, we chatted with a
ranger and razzed her gently about the “gently.” She acknowledged that it is a
good climb, and then said, “But it is gentle relative to the rest of the park!”
We might have pointed out that it’s gentle relative to a climb up Kilimanjaro,
too, but we refrained.
Hidden Lake:
Sample wildflowers:
The view back to the visitor center from what was about the halfway point up the "gentle" incline (click to enlarge if you want to actually see the visitor center):
Hidden Lake:
Sample wildflowers:
