Glacier pictures, days two and three

The second day of our trip we started out by going fly-fishing on the Flathead river. Our guide's name was Rob. Luckily for us he was a very patient and knowledgeable guy! He showed us the ropes, and then took us to the best fishing spots. Jay managed to hook both me and a fish, so he was obviously getting the hang of setting his hook (Rob had to use the pliers to get the hook out of my hand, luckily it was NOT barbed). I, however, while getting plenty of nibbles, did not catch anything. But I really loved being out on the river and trying! Below is Jay about to back cast.


After spending the morning on the river, we headed into the west entrance of the park for more hiking. This time we headed down the Trail of the Cedars to Avalanche Lake. Below is a shot I took during the hike through the forest. The views were amazing, with enormous trees and mountains, and Avalanche Creek running busily next to us. On this hike we ran into a mule deer - almost literally!
We reached Avalanche Lake after about 3 miles or so. The lake is crystal clear with the beautiful green color provided by glacier flour carried by the melting snow from above. The lake is surrounded on all sides by steep mountains carved by a Pleistocene glacier long ago. Stunning. Jay took a panoramic of this one, maybe I can convince him to post it! We met a little chipmunk who found a bit of cracker at Jay's foot, decided he must be a god, and followed him around the lake while we explored. Cute little bugger. Jay got his picture, he was too fast for me! Below is the lake:
We headed east along Going to the Sun road this time, and stayed at the Rising Sun Motor Inn that night. The next morning, sadly, was our last in the park before we headed back to Great Falls for the wedding. We took a morning boat tour of St. Mary's Lake. Below is one of the pictures I took from the boat window:

Our boat captain was an avid hiker, and described many longer hikes we would like to take when we return one day. I highly recommend Glacier. Besides Yosemite, it is almost indescribable, and is easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I'm a big National Park fan though, and I guess it shows!