GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, Hike to Hidden Lake: Guest Post by Tom Scheaffer

Beginning of trail to Hidden Lake, Glacier National Park

My brother Tom recently revisited a favorite family vacation spot from when we were growing up. His report of his hike to Hidden Lake in Glacier National Park is below. For more about our original trip, including excerpts from my vacation diary, go to my post for 10/22/12.

Tom at Hidden Lake overlook

A few weeks ago I returned to my favorite national park, Glacier, located in the northwest corner of Montana. In August 1961, when I was eleven, my family went on a camping trip to Glacier and one of our activities was a hike to Hidden Lake at the top of Logan Pass.

I wanted to do the same hike now fifty-five years later. The alpine beauty is as stunning as it was and seemed unchanged. This time I had to hike over snow most of the way as I climbed up to the lake. I saw mountain goats just as I had when I was eleven, and was still as excited as ever to see them.

Mountain goat with radio collar

Many of the goats now have radio collars because they are being studied to see how far they range in their habitat. I also saw marmots along the path. After a mile and a half hike I reached the same overlook of Hidden Lake where my father took one of our favorite photos (a slide) many years ago.

Hidden Lake, 1961

Our family, on hike to Virginia Falls with a park ranger, 1961

Returning to Logan Pass was an easy downhill slide over the snowfields. At the pass the classic red Glacier Park buses were now arriving with busloads of hikers.

Glacier Park bus at Logan Pass

 For high alpine scenery, Glacier National Park can’t be beat and even though it is a bit off the beaten track, I highly recommend visiting this jewel in our national park system.

Lake St. Mary, Glacier National Park