panic hike
Ever known your upcoming schedule contained chaos so you dropped everything to squeeze in a hike before you lost all opportunities to get out in nature? Yep. That’s what this is…a panic hike.
Glacier Lake is an iconic hike in the Beartooth Mountains.
My schedule for the end of the week filled rapidly while I continued to squeeze in training at a new job, Ren Faire rehearsals, and time with friends before heading out of town early the following week. A tightness in my chest grew when thinking about the possibility of two weeks without a single hiking opportunity. It’s summer and I can’t allow my fave activity to go missing from my life in the sun!
Did I take anything off my list and add a hike instead? Not a chance. I dropped everything to take off on a Tuesday morning to hike despite the threat of storms instead. A short, steep hike to a mountain lake the goal. Although a popular trail, I knew if I skirted the north side of the lake all the way to the far side, I could enjoy a lunch in solitude. So, that’s precisely what I did.
Along the way, I attempted to quickly take artsy photos of the wildflowers and stunning views (four photos above) assuring myself I could still make it up within an hour. The creek that runs through downtown of the town I live in is run off from Glacier Lake and walking beside it for the vast majority of the hike feels special. A bridge crosses the creek a half mile into the hike, situated as a great photo spot and marks a secret turnoff to hike to other lakes further up on the plateau.
View of the bridge on the way toward the lake.
View of the bridge on the return trip down to the trailhead.
Upon arrival at the lake, I noticed two people hiking towards little Glacier Lake and Emerald Lake. That’s an easy crossing over the dam and continuing on towards the south end. Surprisingly, not a soul stood fishing by the lake. There were groups of people behind me though and the solitude directly off the trail wouldn’t last long. I continued on. The social path requires a bit of comfortability with navigating an unmaintained trail.
Some swinging under over around trees, rock hopping, and meadow crossing occurred. Otherwise, it was pretty straightforward keeping the shoreline in sight. No wildlife to scare me either. I finally found the perfect spot to pull out my pad and lunch. A massive boulder. Tucked away, I couldn’t even hear whether a party was going on at the other side of the lake at the confluence of the trail. Taking more artsy photos while nibbling, I enjoyed the peace then settled in to read the end of my book.
The three photos above show various sides of Glacier Lake. Left photo is an angle from the dam, the photo in the middle is from halfway around the lake, and the photo on the right is taken from a boulder on the far side of the lake that includes my resting feet.
After completing my book, I retraced my route along the shoreline and began the quick descent down the trail. My five mile/three hour break from life lightened my load for the week somehow. I never regret squeezing in time in the wild into my schedule and it always seems to put me at ease. When’s a time you escaped your calendar to get outside? How’s your frenetic summer going? Is it inspiring and delighting you or draining your energy?