| The Many Glacier area topo map, with the two lakes just below center on a north-south trail. We hiked 2.9 miles over 1 hour 45 minutes. Thanks to National Geographic Trails Illustrated for a great map.
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| Swiftcurrent Lake
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| What I assume is bear poop or vomit full of the red berries that are the only berries growing around here this time of year. I read they are actually poisonous for the bears, but they I guess are really hungry and so eat them anyway. This was pretty fresh looking, which was unsettling.
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| Lake Josephine. The trail to Angel Wing and Grinnell Glacier continues around the right side of the lake. The Piegan Pass trail runs along the other side. In the summer, you can catch a boat across the lake to shorten the hike.
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| The trail along the west side of Lake Josephine
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| Snow melting from the small glacier above feeds the streams falling down the slope
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| Avalanche slope
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| A second pile of poop about half way down the lake, the smell of animals, the total absence of other hikers, and the posting for bear frequenting at the beginning of the trail contributed to our decision to turn around at this point. It would have been a long hike from here to one of two destinations, and we just weren't comfortable. Maybe next time.
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| Mushrooms are a common sight in Glacier. It is illegal to pick them, but I understand certain types are valuable enough to encourage poachers.
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| This is what the posting at the beginning of the trail looks like. The yellow sign indicates a higher likelihood of bear encounters, often due to a specific sighting or event along this trail in the past days or weeks.
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| The Many Glacier area topo map, with the trail to Red Rock Falls running to the west of center. We hiked 3.7 miles in about 2 hours. Thanks to National Geographic Trails Illustrated for a great map.
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| A good example of a muddy spot on the trail that is widened by people trying to avoid rather than just walking through.
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| Another set of claw marks on this tree
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| Another spectacular performance by a mountain goat (little bitty white speck in the green band).
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| The valley where the hike takes us spreads below
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| Log footbridge on the trail
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| The dark clouds are still pouring over the edge of the wall.
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| The first view of Red Rock Falls
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| Mount Wilbur from the south
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| Looking north towards the slope where the Iceberg trail runs.
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| Red Rock Falls, our destination
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| See the avalanche paths down this slope
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| An unidentified bird on the right side of this broken tree
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| At Fishercap Lake, which the guide book says is frequented by wildlife, we found a moose swimming in the lake this evening.
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| Fishercap Lake
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| This interesting tree looks like it was forced to grow around another tree when it was younger
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