My sweet Hill Country girl came to stay in the High Country with me for a week, so we had to get out into the park for at least one nice day of hiking. We debated on where to go, but finally decided on Glacier Gorge. This way, there would be plenty to see within a short distance, with the option of continuing on to Sky Pond, almost 5 miles from the trailhead at an elevation of almost 11,000 feet. Along the way we would pass Alberta Falls, The Loch, Timberline Falls and Lake of Glass. Each of these are a worthy destination in their own right.

We were on the shuttle early in the morning on our way to the Glacier Gorge trailhead. We began our hike on a rapidly warming morning, and soon shed our fleece jackets. It was a great day, and only began to cloud up as we were nearing the trailhead at the end of the hike. Alberta Falls was reached fairly quickly. We stopped and enjoyed the scene for a few minutes, then moved on toward The Loch. We stayed along Glacier Creek to enjoy many more hidden falls that you wouldn't be able to see if you stayed on the trail. After quite a bit of exploring, and showing Beth some neat little "secrets" of the Park, we reached the turn off where the Winter trail splits up a rugged canyon from the standard trail. We walked toward the canyon a short distance to see if Beth felt she could tackle this fun, but challenging, route. Having the adventuresome spirit that she does, we were soon headed up the steep, rugged canyon.

At one section, toward the lower end of the canyon, the only way to continue up was to go up through, then skirt to the side of some thick willows. I forged what I thought was the best trail up through this little problem, and was waiting for Beth above, as she picked her way up the steep, sandy slope. She got through the willows, and began climbing up the loose and steep mountainside. All it took was one little slip to send her sliding! She slid about thirty vertical feet down the sandy, loose slope toward the river below, grabbing constantly as she was sliding. It was in slow motion for me as my heart seemed to stop. There was a small dead willow just above the river that I thought might hold her up, but she was moving pretty fast, and the old skeleton of a plant didn't do a thing but give her a couple of more scratches as she slid right into the rushing water! I threw my gear down and ran to help her out and up the slope. I thought that this was the end of the road for us, but after the shock had worn off, we both laughed about it and she wanted nothing more than to get up that canyon!

Now that our feet were wet, we felt liberated. Any steep wall of the canyon was easily circumvented by simply walking through the creek. Now we were having a lot of fun! Up and up the canyon we climbed until we finally came out at The Loch, one of the most beautiful (and most commonly visited) lakes in the entire park. We oooed and awwed, like I always do in this area, took some pictures, had a little snack, and were off to Timberline Falls!

The trail became more snowpacked as we gained elevation, and we were soon walking slowly through deep snow, softening as the day grew warmer. We took our time getting up to the falls so we didn't wear out...we really wanted to get to Sky Pond! After a few short breaks we were looking out over Loch Vale (the valley we just hiked through) under the cool spray of Timberline Falls. We took a few minutes to let our legs catch up to us, took some more pictures, then headed up the small, icy "gully" to the North of the falls.

Once above the falls, it is a very short walk to Lake of Glass. This is a beautiful lake, in an amazing setting. Sitting at the edge of the lake for a few minutes we discussed the way we wanted to get to Sky Pond. I decided to take us on the opposite side of the standard trail, which was far more difficult than I anticipated. It was slow going through deep snow, and over large rock outcrops. See a portion of our tracks HERE!

We finally made it to Sky Pond! It was a beautiful day with Taylor Peak looming high above and the Cathedral Spires rising dramatically above this basin to the North. We were relaxing by the "pond" when an unexpected, furry visitor arrived. This Marmot must have been pretty hungry because he dug through my pack and came right up to us, only inches away, in search of food. Take a look! That picture is also the only one we got of Sky Pond...I have no idea why! Once he decided to move on we followed him a bit. Then he got mad and started cursing and screaming. He told us he knew the devil and that we should leave him alone. Then he hissed...SEE! Anyway, we enjoyed the rest of our sandwiches, strapped on our packs and leisurely strolled back to the the trailhead. We were soon home and fast asleep on the couch, with an incredible day under our belts!

All in all it was a wonderful day in the park. Beth absolutely loved her first trip into Glacier Gorge and looks forward to many more! As for me, this area of the park will never get old. It's scenery and grandeur still affect me just as much as the first time its beauty touched my eyes. Sky Pond, and the journey there, is one of the best lake hikes in the park, and is visited by many people every year. But don't let the crowds scare you away...start early enough and you might not see anyone until your trip back down the valley, which was our case. A beautiful day of perfect weather and solitude in Glacier Gorge...it doesn't get much better!