High Mountain meadows often come filled with flowers, streams, snow, distant views, and occasionally a surprise, like these two big horned sheep.
Logan Pass, at 6,646 feet (2,026 m), is the highest point on Glacier National Park’s Going to the Sun Road. It’s located on the Continental Divide. From the pass, water either flows eastward to the Atlantic or westward to the Pacific. On the park’s Triple Divide Peak, water has a third option: The Atlantic, Pacific, or Arctic Ocean! Imagine the adventure you could have following any one of these rivers to its destination.
The real charm of Logan Pass for us is its meadow, however. The visitor’s center on the pass has a trail that leads out from the back of the center and makes its way to Hidden Lake for a three mile roundtrip, much of which is on a boardwalk. The views along the way of both the meadow and the surrounding mountains are spectacular. There is a chance you will see big horn sheep, Rocky Mountain goats, and even grizzly bears. The last time Peggy and I visited the park we were entertained by a grizzly… at a distance, thank you very much.
The Logan Pass Visitor Center is designed to fit into the landscape. Windows provide enticing views of the surrounding scenery. While we visited Glacier in Mid-July, the elevation of the park combined with its distance north meant it was more like late spring at the pass than mid summer. Thus the snow.The boardwalk leading out to Hidden Lake behind the Logan Pass Visitor’s Center. It’s a relatively gentle trail taken by a wide variety of people. Squishy snow along the way, this time, made the hike more difficult. It was the kind that encourages one to end up on his or her butt if not careful. At least it made for a soft landing plus served as natural air-conditioning on a warm day. Peggy decided to test the theory by sliding down one of the steeper embankments on her tail rather than walk down it. She laughed the whole way.Pink mountain heather adds a splash of color to a mountain view at Logan Pass.A close up of the mountains…A close up of the heather.Bear Hat Mountain overlooks Hidden Lake.We were hiking along the boardwalk when a young big horn sheep decided to join us, or at least cross our path. He was still shedding his winter coat.And go on his way. The yellow flowers, BTW, are glacial lilies. A ground squirrel decided to check us out.We continued to admire the mountains that surrounded us.The melting snow guaranteed that there were small streams with different personalities everywhere.While we missed seeing a grizzly or Rocky Mountain goats on the pass, big horn sheep made up for it.This pair of big males kept their distance.Fortunately, our telephotos allowed us a closer look.Since we had a late start, we didn’t hike all the way up to Hidden lake, which we had visited before. We stopped on our way back down to take another photo of the big horn sheep. They were moving on as well. A surprise awaited us at the parking lot…Bigfoot! Darn, that guy gets around. I think he squished our truck.On another day, Peggy and I did make it over to the eastern side of Glacier National Park where we kayaked on Upper Two Medicine Lake. It was a windy day. Peggy caught a photo of me admiring Sinopah Mountain.
That’s it for glacier. Our trips up the Rhine and Nile Rivers interfered with posts on our visits to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde NP, Big Bend NP, and Theodore Roosevelt NP, so we are adding them to this National Park series starting with the North Rim of the Grand Canyon next week.
The scenery up there is out of this world. I do love how Spring comes in the middle of summer when you go up into the mountains. The telephoto lens brings those sheep right into our laps! And I can almost hear Peggy’s laughing on the snow. What an excellent time of memories.
Maybe you did hear Peggy laughing, Crystal. She was pretty loud. “You should have caught a photo!” she said. I was more concerned at catching her if necessary before she hit the rocks. Grin. We continue to love our cameras. Who need binoculars. The views were ‘out of this world,’ of sure.
Awesome bighorn photos! We saw some last time we were there too. Also, kayaking on Two Medicine Lake looks really fun. Looking forward to your upcoming series!
Thanks, Diana. Bighorns are photogenic, whether they mean to be or not! Hard to beat the scenic backdrop of Upper Two Medicine Lake. And I am working on my first post on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon now.
Gorgeous views! Love the streams and flowery meadows! Also, Peggy sounds like the most fun travel companion. Went down on her tail laughing all the way! 🤣 My kinda person ❤
Coconut water in hand savoring and saving the best inner vacation for last in my reading today with you both, and you didn’t disappoint! I love the bighorn sheep and used to see them a lot in Palm Desert but not for a looooong time. I love peggy slid down laughing all the way.. better not to risk the fall. Why is it that even your squirrel looks so much more amazing than the one in my tree looking out the kitchen bay window? I think admiration from afar is much more appreciated than wondering what he’s destroying in the garden. Amazing pictures and no doubt Big Foot strikes again!! 💕💗💕
Loved it and that’s very sweet and kind. We all appreciate your work.🩷
❤️
Excellent photos and story!
I went back and checked my photos from four trips there – no snow at people walking level, but it was September. No Big Horn photos either, but have seen them many times at various places in the Columbia Valley, BC – sometimes grazing right in the towns. I expect people find their eating habits to be as hard on foliage as we do with the deer and moose in our yard.
I’m okay with a deer, and would be amused by a big horn, but a moose? I remember them making themselves at home when I lived in Anchorage… They can strip a limb faster than I can down a bite of chocolate cake! Plus you don’t want them to get mad at you. 😳
Now you have my attention. The mountains are majestic, and the sheep are really cool, but it’s the meadow I’d love to experience. When I lived in Salt Lake City, there were some alpine meadows up above in the Wasatch that were still accessible but trail-less, and I’d go up in the canyons and hike up to a couple of the. Of course, the irony is that I didn’t give a Sasquatch about flowers at that point in my life, but if I couldn’t identify any (and didn’t care to do so) I still was able to say, “Pretty flowers!” Your photos are great!
Wandering through Time and Place 
Beautiful location/scenery(and taken by someone who loves the camera and great outdoors).Wonderful.
Thanks, Peter. Appreciated.
What a fabulous walk.
That it was, Andrew. Thanks.
Wow, what a stunning destination 😍 I love the surprise encounters with wildlife.
Hard to beat, Ritish! From the mountains to the meadows to the bighorn sheep. Thanks for commenting. –Curt
We have a photo of big horns in that meadow from August ’79. I wonder how climate change will affect them.
They are pretty adaptable, Ray and seem to thrive under desert conditions. They may do better than we do. 😳
The scenery up there is out of this world. I do love how Spring comes in the middle of summer when you go up into the mountains. The telephoto lens brings those sheep right into our laps! And I can almost hear Peggy’s laughing on the snow. What an excellent time of memories.
Maybe you did hear Peggy laughing, Crystal. She was pretty loud. “You should have caught a photo!” she said. I was more concerned at catching her if necessary before she hit the rocks. Grin. We continue to love our cameras. Who need binoculars. The views were ‘out of this world,’ of sure.
Awesome bighorn photos! We saw some last time we were there too. Also, kayaking on Two Medicine Lake looks really fun. Looking forward to your upcoming series!
Thanks, Diana. Bighorns are photogenic, whether they mean to be or not! Hard to beat the scenic backdrop of Upper Two Medicine Lake. And I am working on my first post on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon now.
Gorgeous views! Love the streams and flowery meadows! Also, Peggy sounds like the most fun travel companion. Went down on her tail laughing all the way! 🤣 My kinda person ❤
It’s a beautiful area, no doubt about it. And you are right on… Peggy is fun. We laugh a lot! Thanks. –Curt
All so lovely!
Lovely is a good word for it, Wendy.
The view of Mt Logan Pass with the heather is a gorgeous photo. Well, of course, the whole place is pretty spectacular.
Alison
Wasn’t it? We loved it. Didn’t matter where we looked, or turned our cameras. Thanks, Alison. –Curt
Coconut water in hand savoring and saving the best inner vacation for last in my reading today with you both, and you didn’t disappoint! I love the bighorn sheep and used to see them a lot in Palm Desert but not for a looooong time. I love peggy slid down laughing all the way.. better not to risk the fall. Why is it that even your squirrel looks so much more amazing than the one in my tree looking out the kitchen bay window? I think admiration from afar is much more appreciated than wondering what he’s destroying in the garden. Amazing pictures and no doubt Big Foot strikes again!! 💕💗💕
Thanks for the respite, Curt
🙏🏼
Glad you enjoyed it, Cindy. Hard to imagine a better use for our posts. ❤️
Loved it and that’s very sweet and kind. We all appreciate your work.🩷
❤️
Excellent photos and story!
I went back and checked my photos from four trips there – no snow at people walking level, but it was September. No Big Horn photos either, but have seen them many times at various places in the Columbia Valley, BC – sometimes grazing right in the towns. I expect people find their eating habits to be as hard on foliage as we do with the deer and moose in our yard.
I’m okay with a deer, and would be amused by a big horn, but a moose? I remember them making themselves at home when I lived in Anchorage… They can strip a limb faster than I can down a bite of chocolate cake! Plus you don’t want them to get mad at you. 😳
Now you have my attention. The mountains are majestic, and the sheep are really cool, but it’s the meadow I’d love to experience. When I lived in Salt Lake City, there were some alpine meadows up above in the Wasatch that were still accessible but trail-less, and I’d go up in the canyons and hike up to a couple of the. Of course, the irony is that I didn’t give a Sasquatch about flowers at that point in my life, but if I couldn’t identify any (and didn’t care to do so) I still was able to say, “Pretty flowers!” Your photos are great!
I’ve always loved high mountain meadows, Linda, except when an army of mosquitoes are attacking in mass! Thanks.
It’s hard to go wrong, wandering around a national park. As you’ve proved again.
Always been true for us, Dave. And we’ve been to over 50.
“The melting snow guaranteed that there were small streams with different personalities everywhere.”
Fantastic line!
I wonder how they got the name big horn? hahaha
Very creative, huh. Grin.