Glaciers: Enchantments and Glacier National Park

 8/13

We drove to Leavenworth, WA and camped up icicle creek road at a great campsite with lots of shade and a little creek running right by our tent. We are in the area to hang out and hike with Conrad & Whitney, Chad & Kristy, and Hanna. They are all staying in a fancy condo.

8/14

Up at 5am to start the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Enchantments hike. Incredibly beautiful. Glaciers, jagged peaks, streams, and lakes everywhere! The density of alpine lakes was just crazy. So beautiful. We did lots of swimming and rock jumping. We also climbed up Little Annapurna. From the summit we had amazing views of Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Glacier Peak, and Mt. Baker. Additionally we looked down upon the lakes of the Enchantments core area. Pizza and margaritas for our recovery dinner.

8/15

Tubed with the group down the Icicle River in Leavenworth. Lots of fun! Visited with Cory and Chandra who we met in Antarctica our first seasons but now live in Leavenworth. They were both mountaineers in McM. Now Cory is a Physician's Assistant and Chandra teaches NOLS courses as well as studies the desert tortoises in Nevada.

8/16

Had a picnic with Jeff and Kiersy along the Wenatchee River above Leavenworth. We spent the night at Kiersy's parents' house in Wenatchee. 

8/24

Drove to Kalispell. Bob and Leslie are selling their house, so it would be the last time we'd be staying there. It was at this house that we held our pre-wedding reception. Very smoky. 

8/25

Up really early. Elisha and Sue drove me up to Logan Pass so that I could hike the Floral Park Traverse. Even with some smoke, it was so beautiful! The route started by going up to the Hidden Lake overlook, then down to hidden lake, then up a pass between Hidden Lake and Avalanche Lake, then down to Mary Baker Lake, then up to the Sperry Glacier melt pool area, then up to Sperry Glacier, then up Comeau Pass, then down towards Sperry Chalet via Gem Lake, Akaiyan Lake, and Feather Woman Lake, and eventually finishing at Lake McDonald. Along the way I saw lots of wildflowers, a black bear, bighorn sheep rams, goat kids, deer fawn, and lots of turquoise tarns. The glacial tarns were such and otherworldly blue! Gorgeous. I walked on the Sperry Glacier and into an ice cave. There were waterfalls all around (including one on the glacier). 

When I finished at Lake McDonald and met back up with Sue and Elisha, I went for a swim and then we had burgers along the lakeshore. Sue and Elisha and hiked up to the Hidden Lake overlook and also a bit of the Siyeh pass trail. They also floated part of the river