St. Mary's Lake, Glacier National Park

When we got tired of looking at the view from the campsite, Tina and I and her dogs went for a walk along the lake.

 Some facts about St. Mary's Lake

 Herschel found some lovely bear scat alongside the road. And we all saw some prints of a large hoofed animal.

 Later we all rode in Mitch's van farther up the road. There was the obligatory photo of Wild Goose Island.

 Going to the Sun Road is only open for 13 miles.

 Another view of the lake.

 We decided to hike on this trail a ways.

There are piles of unmelted snow in places.

 The trail descends rapidly. We are all smiles going down.

 Tina noticed this bristly hair clinging to the plants and on the ground.

 There was a lot of speculation about its origin.

 Fern fiddleheads....my mother used to gather them, saute and eat them.

 Looking down the trail.

 It was on our minds that the return trip would be all uphill, so we turned around and began the ascent, stopping every little ways to allow our heartbeats to return to normal.

 Mitch, avoiding a muddy place.

I knew this was going to happen...Mitch stopped and threw a snowball....can you see it flying towards me? She was being nice though, and intentionally missed.

 A zoomed view of St. Mary's Falls, high up in the mountains.

 We stopped for a short walk to view this gorge.

 I liked to watch the clear water rushing over colorful rocks.

 Looking down at the van from the gorge.

 The stream flows under the road and out the otherside. There's a hiking trail alongside it.

 But Tina signaled that she was through hiking for the day. She's pacing herself for Alaska and the hikes ahead.