Glacier National Park Montana Day 1 August 26, 2024

Beaver Pond Trail & Red Eagle Lake Loop, St Mary

August 26, 2024

On Friday I finally gave into the thought of venturing back to Many Glacier in Glacier National Park so throughout the day checked for availability at Swift Current Motor Inn.  That’s where I stayed in early August.  I needed somebody to cancel last minute but that was not happening.  Before heading to bed on Friday night, the stars aligned, I checked the Motor Inn website, there was a three night availability!  I jumped on it!  

Fast forward to Monday morning, off I go with my three night reservation, online purchased National Park Pass, the food I need which I am permitted to bring making sure to declare it, hiking gear, and my Nexus Card allowing for a very easy border crossing.  

By 11:00am I pulled into the Beaver Pond/Red Eagle Lake trailhead parking lot just before the entrance gate to St Mary.  It was a shorter hike yet the perfect distance to stretch my legs and pass a couple of hours. I did the hike in a clockwise direction which would bring me to the shore of St Mary Lake off the Red Eagle Lake Trail, near the end of the hike, just in time for a late lunch.

This was my view from the parking lot.  It was windy plus cool with a blue sky.

The beginning of the trail was very over grown which I was prepared for.  

There was a couple ahead of me who I saw off and on through the brush. 

Once through the dense brush, it was wide open for the balance of the hike.

view ahead of me

The views were vast due to the Reynolds Creek wildfire of 2015.

This is why it is called the Beaver Pond Trail! A detour takes you to the shore and there is a path along the Pond to the far end. This area is very popular for birding.  I heard lots of songs but did not spend time focusing on them.  

a Ring-necked Duck

Leaving the Pond behind, 

the Beaver Pond Trail aims for the intersection with Red Eagle Trail.  

crossed the meadow to meet up with the Red Eagle Trail

Views of St Mary Lake came into sight while hiking along the Red Eagle Trail. This trail followed along the ridge line through the burnt forest and eventually dropped down to lake level.

There were a few trails that lead down to St Mary Lake.  This is the view I had when I arrived.  It was windy enough to create waves yet it was now a warm wind. 

After capturing my location photo and the video, I became one with the rocks and the water as much as I safely could to get this photograph.  

There were many large rocks and logs to comfortably sit on.  I found one and settled in for awhile to enjoy a late lunch and the scenery.  While dining this Osprey flew back and forth and hoovered over top.  I prayed it was not eyeing my lunch. Then another Osprey swooped in and they flew off together.  

looking back as I left St Mary Lake behind and continued on with the hike

By the time I finished the hike, it was time to stop by the grocery story for a couple of items and then drive to Many Glacier to check into my home away from home.

Last time I had a Pine Top Room, this time I got a Motor Inn Room. After checking in, unpacking, getting ice, it was time to settle on my porch bench and breathe in the Many Glacier fresh mountain air!

It was time too, to crack open a "Huck It" Blonde Ale!

view from the path to my room

It was a long day so I made it an early night!

Glacier National Park, Montana

"Until I venture your way again.....!" That was how I ended the love letter I penned to Glacier National Park which I shared in my August 5th  post. When I wrote that sentence, my thoughts were it would be next summer sometime when I would return.  I have not been able to let go of the thought of venturing back there!  The stars aligned the other night!  I snapped up a cancellation!  While waiting for "go time", I remained focus on Glacier National Park and created this watercolour painting which I will use as a logo for this adventure. I look forward again to being totally off the radar, adventuring in this little piece of paradise!  

Stay Tuned !

from The Sanctuary to The Pond

A few days in a row of smoke-free air is a treasured thing of late! No sucking on throat lozenges, no popping headache remedy pills and no dapping drips from my eyes! How sweet it is!  

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How sweet it was to also experience an out of the ordinary day at The Inglewood Bird Sanctuary!  While I did see the Full Sturgeon Moon very late on Monday night, I did not photograph it.  I did photograph the moon on Wednesday morning shortly after entering through the Sanctuary gate. The Sturgeon Moon was a supermoon and a blue moon too, so it still appeared big and bright two days after being full.  What I noticed this time was how defined the craters were on the right side and on the bottom.    

Just as I arrived at the lagoon, an Osprey landed on an adjacent tree top.  I was camera ready and in the right spot at the right time and able to capture it being perfectly framed by the pinkish orangish clouds.  I watched it for awhile and took many more photos after it settled and stayed perched there while the clouds danced behind it.  This silhouette shot was my favourite!  

I no sooner left the Osprey behind and began meandering along the trail when a Great Blue Heron flew away from its perch.  Another silhouette of a bird in motion framed by clouds is what I got when I was once again quick on the draw when being camera ready. 

I no sooner left the Great Blue Heron behind and began meandering along the trail when I heard that very distinct loud screeching song being belted out by a Belted Kingfisher.  It landed across the way and settled for a very few seconds which was long enough to capture this shot with my lens close to full zoom. 

Between the Osprey, the Great Blue Heron and the Belted Kingfisher, that was a lot within a very short time frame and so quickly upon arriving at the Lagoon.  Then just like that, the three were all gone off to better perches.  

It was time to take a few minutes to enjoy the scenery.  

Two hours of meandering the trails, I saw the Osprey numerous times from a distance and also saw the Great Blue Heron again just overhead. The Belted Kingfisher was no where to be seen nor were many of the little birds that had been in abundance the past few visits to The Sanctuary.  It's later in August, have they started their journey south already!  I will be back here soon and maybe once again it will be out of the ordinary experience, I enjoyed what today offered up!

Later in the day, I dipped into the paints to replicate my photo of the Osprey. 

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How sweet it was to savour some sister time today at Forgetmenot Pond! These kinds of experiences are out of the ordinary due to both of us leading busy lives.  We found a day that worked then put a plan in place for a picnic and to just hang out.  

Before picking our picnic place, we strolled around The Pond and along the trail to the pink suspension bridge.  The air was so mountain fresh with not a breeze.  The blues were so blue and the greens so green.  

walking along the Elbow River to the Pink Suspension Bridge

The menu was created by my sister who took full responsibility to bring all the ingredients and put them together.  I just sat and watched her do all the work!  We hung out, we ate our delicious lunch, we people watched and we got caught up on all that needed to be caught up on!  

I treasure out of the ordinary days of all kinds!

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Citadel Pass, Banff National Park, August 19 2024

🎵 She's got a ticket to ride! 🎵

It was a nice surprise to realize that in addition to getting the senior’s discount to ride the Sunshine Gondola, this year there is an even further discount for seniors if you reside in Alberta.  I got my ticket to ride the Sunshine Gondola up to Sunshine Village to hike to Citadel Pass in Banff National Park and Assiniboine Provincial Park. It’s a favourite hike of mine covering approximately 22 kms with roughly 750 meters of elevation gain.  It packs a beautiful punch from the second you step off the Gondola until the second you step back on many hours later.  This adventure is as National Park as National Park can be when it comes to iconic National Park beauty!  On the other hand, it is so non National Park given not many people hike this route.  I saw maybe 30 people along the Citadel Pass trail instead of a few hundred that would be on other trails.

That’s Rock Isle Lake down there, part of the true Sunshine Meadows hike.

I admired it from a distance then carried on along the Citadel Pass Trail.

The “hippie on a stick” marks the way!

The top of a “hippie on a stick”!

doing double duty

I made it to Quartz Ridge where I could see Howard Douglas Lake down below, Citadel Peak to the left and Mount Assiniboine off in the far distance at middle right.  It was here that I met the first people of the day coming in the opposite direction.  They spent the night at the campground by Howard Douglas Lake.  

She offered to take my photo at Quartz Ridge!

After the couple left, I had a snack then captured this 360 degree video.

The view after descending from Quartz Ridge to Howard Douglas Lake.

a big bouquet of wildflowers

Fireweed and Fatigue Mountain 

Citadel Lake

After rounding the corner and covering the last bit of elevation, I came upon a herd of Mountain Sheep feeding.  They saw me, they ignored me, they continued feeding, they navigated around me, and then ,,,,,,,

…..they took off running!

at the Citadel Pass kiosk

There were a few large flat rocks not far off the trail.  I picked this one to settle on for awhile.  First though,, I captured a few selfies, this being my favourite.  That’s Mount Assiniboine!  

360 degree view while at Citadel Pass

No one was at the Pass when I arrived and no one came while I was there.  I took plenty of time to “remember to breathe”, to be one with this little piece of paradise and to savour these precious seconds in such a peaceful place.  Time came to head back, this was the view in front of me as I left Citadel Pass behind.

fireweed framing the mountains 

It was a very slow ascent from Howard Douglas Lake up to Quartz Ridge.  

After completing the elevation gain, I turned around to have one last view.  

aiming for that meadow in the middle away over there

Mountain Paintbrush Wildflowerx

continuing along the trail

last part of  the trail before descending to Sunshine Village to catch the Gondola 

This adventure was ideal in every way!