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Jewel Basin Hawk Watch 2023
As summer wanes in later August, my fellow bird nerds and I get excited for an annual event, raptor migration. Unlike many bird species that migrate at night, raptors such as hawks, eagles, and falcons, choose the day time along mountain ridges where they can ride currents and updrafts. This saves valuable energy as they…
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North Inlet with Lake Nokoni and Lake Nanita
Whether you’re looking for a lovely stroll through some meadows along a creek, a slightly longer hike to some cascades, or an epic day to two gorgeous alpine Lake, the trail along North Inlet in Rocky Mountain National Park gives everyone a plethora of options. In 2019, I hiked all the way up to Lake…
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Mirror Lake – Rocky Mountain National Park
Tucked in the remote northwest corner of Rocky Mountain National Park, it will take you just as long to drive to the trailhead as to hike to this stunning alpine lake. You’ll have to work a bit to get there and pass through the scar of the 2020 Cameron Creek Fire. While taking away the…
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Piegan Pass with Cataract Mountain – Fall 2023
Forecast called for a sunny day and with the fall colors poppin’, the trail was calling. We hadn’t been to Piegan Pass for a bit and thought that we might climb Cataract Mountain if we had time/energy/desire. It turned out to be a glorious day of colors, birds, mammals, and views in Glacier National Park…
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Triple Divide Pass 2023
Triple Divide Peak straddles the Continental Divide where water hitting one of it’s aspects can go not only west to the Pacific Ocean or east into the Atlantic Ocean (via the Gulf of Mexico), but also north into the Arctic Ocean via the Hudson Bay. Just below that summit sits Triple Divide Pass which is…
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Climbing Calf Robe Mountain 2023
Rising to the west of Marias Pass lies a crumbling ridge of named summits. On the north end, a saddle-shaped summit known as Calf Robe Mountain makes for a fairly short climb with plenty of rewarding views in this quiet corner of Glacier National Park. The bane of a hard earned summit is one shrouded…
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Poia Lake 2023
The beautiful Poia Lake sits in the Kennedy Creek drainage just north of the main Many Glacier Area of Glacier National Park. With a little bit of effort going over Swiftcurrent Ridge, you can enjoy this beautiful lake in a quieter area of the park. We’ve been doing quite a bit of citizen science work…
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Climbing Iceberg Peak and South Iceberg Peak 2023
It’s a big day full of trail miles and elevation, but the payoff for covering over 20 miles and 5,000ft in elevation gain is the incredible views looking down on the iconic Iceberg Lake and incredible views all day long from Iceberg Peak and it’s neighbor down the ridge, South Iceberg Peak, in Glacier National…
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Climbing Mount Helen 2023
While not the most notable summit in Glacier National Park, Mount Helen sits just above Dawson Pass in the Two Medicine area and is a wonderful addition to your day, that is, if you have any gas left in your tank after climbing to the pass. On paper, our plan was to take the boat…
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Lake McDonald Trail 2023
The lower trails of Glacier National Park are drying out quickly with this recent stint of warmer weather. Since many of the roads are closed, the list of hikes without snow is pretty small. We settled on the Lake McDonald Trail on its western shore, hiked a bit, had lunch and turned around on a…
