Mosaic Monday #143: Up, Up and Away

Our final day of hiking in the Belly River area, measured at 11.72 miles, was not the longest section of our July backcountry camping trip (see first/second day and third day).  On the other hand, the 2,445 feet of elevation gain - now, that would get anyone's attention!  It was three times more than any previous day.  Using one formula I found on the web, this equates to 244 flights of stairs!  But you won't catch me complaining!  Elevation gain = extensive views!  Elevation gain = workout!  And we knew a special reward awaited us at the end.  If you want to know what it was, read on, my friend!

As I mentioned in my last post, we rose at 6 am with the intention to dry our tents and depart by 8 am.  (When hiking steep terrain, it's always better in the cool of the day.)  However, due to the rain the day before, and the time it took for the sun to peep over the mountains, drying was a slow process; it was closer to 9 am by the time we bid farewell to the Elizabeth Lake campsite that had been home for two nights.

1.6 miles into the hike, we paused at the foot of Elizabeth Lake to replenish our water and to drop a layer of clothing; we knew we would heat up quickly as the trail immediately began to ascend.  Initially winding through forest, the trail eventually emerged onto a massive red scree field that extended as far as our eyes could see.

Without trees to obscure the view, Nephew could capture panoramas such as the one below.

Redgap Creek crossed our path, offering a welcome opportunity for a break and a water refill.  This butterfly seemed to be after a drink too, perching on Nephew's Camelpack mouthpiece!

As we continued to climb, we gained a unique perspective on our whereabouts for the last two days.  The sandy bay in the picture to the right is the spot we saw the moose, and around the corner from that is our "beach".  Directly above that, high on the mountain, is Old Sun Glacier.  From down in the valley, we could glimpse only a small section of the glacier.  At this height, the ice mass is visible in all its glory.  

The vegetation became quite sparse on the upper reaches of the scree field.  It always amazes me that there is vegetation at all, and that it seems to be thriving!

Yes, the landscape below can support many forms of life.

I reveled in the blue skies and puffy clouds.  In the picture below, I love how the trail disappears around the corner.

A solo hiker passed us on our way up, and we saw no one else until just before the section of the trail that is enclosed with a stone wall.  A couple were headed down, and we carefully perched on the uphill side of the path so they could squeeze around us.  Tumbling down this scree field would not make anyone's day!

As we approached the path on the rock wall, we could see something falling from the trail.  What???  Three members of a trail crew were shoveling rock chips from the path onto the scree field below.  One winter's worth of accumulation was enough to almost fill up the path to the top of the rock wall.  Apparently, this is what kept the tunnel closed until a few days ago (as it does every summer).  The trail is not deemed safe until the chips are removed - walking on them without the protection of the wall would surely lead to a rapid slide downhill!

This is the panoramic view that the hoary marmot enjoys every day (of the summer)!

This video shows the marmot picking up a rock in one paw, and appearing to eat or lick it.  I have seen other animals in Glacier National Park licking rocks for essential minerals, and I am guessing the marmot was after the same.  Or maybe he dug up a forb that we could not see!

As you can see in the video, plants manage to find a foothold in this rocky environment.  I snapped a few of them.

The scar in the rock leads to the Ptarmigan Tunnel, built in 1930 through the Ptarmigan Wall at an elevation of 7,200 feet.  The 250-foot manmade tunnel allows hikers to avoid a strenuous climb over very steep terrain between the Belly River Valley and Many Glacier.   Two opposing steel jackhammers drilling from either side of the tunnel, and a series of ten-hole rounds of dynamite gradually broke through the mountain in less than three months.  

As soon as we reached the tunnel, I felt like Alice in Wonderland: the whole world turned upside down.  Near total isolation transformed to a return to civilization.  People everywhere.  People who want to hike only as far as the tunnel.  People carrying silver umbrellas to protect themselves from the unrelenting sun on the south side of the mountain.  "Surreal" does not seem to capture it.   We enjoyed well-deserved snacks on the Many Glacier side of the tunnel, and then we hoofed the remaining 5 miles to the parking lot without any real stops.  

It was hot on this side, and I believe I drained my Camel Pack by the time we reached Many Glacier.  I can't tell you how satisfied we were to reach the parking lot and see my vehicle waiting for us!

And even better was to find that the RTIC cooler kept the beer, cider and wine cold for 5 days, in fairly warm temperatures!  Cheers to my nephew and Man with Hat - a glorious adventure in every way!

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.

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