Everyone,

Yesterday, I decided to hike the Grinnell Glacier Trail. I also decided to drive around the southern end of Glacier National Park on US Route 2 just for a change of pace. It was a very scenic drive and well worth the extra miles. The time was about the same or less, I'd guess, to driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road since the speed was much higher and there were no construction delays.

The Grinnell Glacier hike was 10.6 miles round trip with 1600' of elevation change. What I didn't know in advance was that almost all of the change is in about 3 miles of the hike and so is quite steep. I was a bit taken aback initially but it was no problem in the end, of course.

The hike was beautiful and well worth the effort. I passed by Swiftcurrent, Josephine and Grinnell Lakes and then climbed up to see the Grinnell Glacier at the base of the Garden Wall ridge. Pictures are posted at http://www.dave-tech.com/f/GrinnellGlacier, including a couple of shots done on timer so I was able to be in them (I'm sure you're thrilled about that). I ended up staying at the top for over an hour and a half, the last 45 minutes of the time talking to other hikers about various hiking trails in the park and elsewhere.

There where mountain goats around several places -- I got a few pictures -- including lounging in some of the high crevasses. Bear sign was abundant and one of the other hikers saw a cub near the trail but I didn't see any bears (not a bad thing).

On the way back to the hotel I stopped at the Marias Pass roadside marker on US Route 2 and got a few pictures of that. It described US2 as being the Theodore Roosevelt highway that runs from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon, by way of Ontario, Canada. I need to find out more about this route, it seems.

I was plenty tired last night. I am considering hiking the High Line Trail (Garden Wall section) today -- or I may relax and rest up today and do that trail tomorrow. It is much flatter than the hikes I have done these last two days but somewhat longer (about 15.2 miles round trip). By all accounts the views are spectacular. The trailhead is at Logan Pass (on the Continental Divide) and follows the Divide, I believe, for its entire run.

I'll decide soon enough.

Hope all is well with everyone,

Dave