Glacier Gorge to Black Lake

Posted on November 7, 2021November 20, 2021 by jim

Another Sunday to play in the Park – this time it’s Glacier Gorge up to Black Lake.
This is the hike we were going to do yesterday, but our late start and the tourists nixed that for Lily Mountain instead.
Today we got a much earlier start, but the Glacier Gorge trailhead spots were still all taken and we ended up parking at Bear Lake. Plenty of parking, just adds some distance and elevation to the hike.
Some other hikers on the initial hike into the Glacier Gorge area, but most of them stop at Alberta Falls and leave you with some solitude.
The few hikers left after Alberta Falls drop off at Mills Lake, and past that you have nothing but the wind whipping through the pines and blowing spindrift off the surrounding peaks.
We brought lunch kit, and made some tasty Pad Thai in a mostly protected spot on the east side of Black Lake, but while we ate the sun kept dropping and after moving our lunch spot twice to stay in the sunlight we decided it was time to finish up and head back out.
One downside of high mountain peaks is how much they shorten the sun window, and our trip down ended up with quite a bit of shadow and the associated temperature drops to go with it.
Back to the cabin early for fire and hot tub, and back to slaving in the salt mines tomorrow!