Hiking to Avalanche Lake

It started pretty easy. We had parked at the trailhead to Trail of The Cedars and then enjoyed the easy boardwalk section along Avalanche Creek. The boardwalk ended and the trail to Avalanche Lake began as it started up alongside the creek.

It was surprisingly easy, yes, we had to stop and rest at spots, but the starting elevation was twenty-two hundred feet above sea level, and we live at six thousand.

We also stopped often to enjoy the beauty of the trail and to let faster hikers bypass us, (it is a really popular trail).

It was overcast when we reached the lake, but at least it was not smoke, and we hoped the clouds would dissipate. The lower end of the lake was shallow and filled with logs from the avalanches.

There were no fish in evidence, but we had planned to hike to the other end of the lake, (a park Ranger had told us that the fishing was best at that end).

Reaching the upper end of the lake the clouds had already risen and the sun was making its appearance. As we stood on the bank, I spotted a fish rising and got out my fly rod. Tying on a purple haze dry fly, size fourteen. I coated it with gink, (a wax that keeps the fly floating, and made several casts. I had already spotted fish cruising the shoreline, now if they would only bite.

On the next cast I let the fly set for a bit and then started a jerk and pause return. I was moving the fly by stripping the line, when sudden a fish inhaled the fly and it was fish on.  It was a good hook set and the fish fought until I beached the fish in shallow water.

 The fish had a slash on its ventral gill cover, it was a Westslope cutthroat trout. Because of the isolation of the lake the cuts there are the purest stock of Westslopes and are used to stock other streams.

After pictures and a safe live release, it was Renitas turn. She cast the fly rod and reaching the edge of the drop off a nice fish hit the fly. She missed the hook set but on the next cast she was ready and set the hook on a nice fish. Landing it we both admired the beauty of the cut. It was much prettier than mine, probably a male fish.

Now our daughter had been watching and wanted a turn. I gave her some instructions on casting a fly rod and it took a bit before her casts reached the edge of the drop off.  

A fish hit and she missed it as she was looking at the spool of line on the ground. Another cast and she missed the fish again but on her third cast she set the hook and landed her own Westslope.

It was her first on a fly rod and it was love at first cast. She worked down the shoreline and soon caught another one.

I had showed her how to use a forceps to release the fish unharmed.  

Other people watched and we told them of the rarity of the fish. They are planning to reintroduce them in Yellowstone.

We finally put the rod away and enjoyed the beauty of the cascading falls. They emptied from a hanging glacier valley above. To the east on could see the mountain maned Bears Hat and to the west stood a mountain named the Little Matterhorn.

It was an easy hike back and we did stop to talk with several fly fishermen and fisherwomen. We told them of the feeding frenzy at the upper end where people were skipping rocks and the fish did not seem to care.

As we reached the parking lot a Steller jay landed on a branch near me. We had spotted another stellar jay at the lake but had not gotten a good image of it.

These are larger than blue jays and have beautiful shades of dark blue with a black crest.

The day was still young and so Eric drove up going to the sun road so we could see thee pass with clear skies. Crossing over we drove down the east side until the road was blocked. The Blackfoot Tribe had closed their reservation due to covid, a wise move with the high number of pandemic victims on their land.

Returning to the cabin, we were greeted with a huge bear scat in the front yard, (the bear had also knocked over a statue of a wolf). We never did see the bear only droppings it had left behind, (no one went out by themselves at night). It ended the best day of our trip to Glacier National Park. Clear skies