Glacier National Park – Second visit – 6/14/2024 – 6/18/2024

My second trip to Glacier and virtually the same dates as the first trip.  The 14th of June was the first day the campground was open and I still could not get 4 nights in the same spot.  I have 3 reservations for 3 different sites within the campground.  Day one I walked to the swiftcurrent lake and falls trail and headed out.  The trail is 2.6 miles and it is one that I have done before on my previous visit.  I got some photos of the falls and then I was able to see a moose on the lake.  I watched the moose for over 30 minutes and was able to get a good shot or two of him.  He was small and just starting to get his antlers as you can see in the photos.  I even went back tot he lake a second time in the evening to try and get another photo of a moose but did not have any luck.  The wind was pretty bad showing signs of a storm coming so I went and hunkered down in the van.  Day two I decided to make a trip to Iceberg lake which is about 9.8 miles round trip from the campground.  It was a chilly day so I brought my rain coat and gloves but was wearing my wool hat and a sweater.  I am thankful for that gear on the way down.  The lake was something that is beautiful as you have the glacier coming down to meet the glacial feed lake that was still frozen.  HIking to the lake required hiking over and through snow for about 1/2 of a mile, something that I had to do the last time here.  The way down the mountain back to the campground was in the rain/snow and freezing rain.  I sure was thankful for the extra gear that I brought for the journey.  I was able to see a ram and three mountain goats when hiking up.  On the downward path I did not really stop to look for animals.  The snow was looking good on the top of the mountains but in the AM after a night of snowfall they looked great.  Day one the mountains were green grass but day 3 it was white with snow.

I did some adult stuff today and then went on a short hike to Swiftcurrent lake hoping to find some moose feeding.  I was lucky and spotted the first one after about 10 minutes.  He walked through the edge of the lake and then into some bushes, but not gone entirely.  After another 10 minutes or so, he came out and went across the lake into the tall trees.  Happy that I saw a moose today, I then sat down and was looking for another moose when I couple from Florida came by and we started to chat.  She then spotted a moose at the other end of the lake.  I watched him for sometime then he went into the tall trees.  Thinking I maybe done with moose but I then started talking to a young lady from Australia, the West coast, and I spotted the third one of the evening standing in the water.  The woman wanted to see a moose so bad and we even altered another couple from the Pittsburgh area.  The five of us watched the moose play in the water as it crossed the water coming towards us.  He did steer away from us so we did not have to move.  He did enjoy his time in the lake playing.  When he was across the lake he went into the low bushes and it was over.  I stuck around and he made his way out of the bushes and I was able to see him some more before heading back to camp.