The hike as much as the headwaters of the Stomach River includes passing the highly effective and gorgeous Daybreak Mist Falls, Elizabeth Lake, and as much as Helen Lake the place Ahern Glacier begins the flows in waterfalls to what turns into the Stomach River. We would have liked to do a Widespread Loon survey on each Elizabeth Lake and Helen Lake, a Mountain Goat survey at Elizabeth Lake, and take a look at a Golden Eagle nest at Helen Lake. It was a implausible backpacking journey.
The citizen science division wanted a couple of surveys up within the Stomach River drainage of Glacier Nationwide Park, so we set off on a beautiful July day for a three-day backpack. We left the Chief Mountain trailhead and dropped down by way of the timber, bumping right into a feminine Spruce Grouse with a handful of chicks and stated hi there to some Grey Jays. The birds have been singing, the flowers blooming and the path… was fairly muddy.
A number of days earlier than we took off, the world obtained insane quantities of rain. This triggered quite a lot of flooding within the Many Glacier space, even closing it down utterly for a time being. The Stomach River drainage is simply north of it and in addition obtained pounded with precipitation. This made the lakes and rivers brown with runoff that was extra like Might than July.
The vegetation has cherished the rain, nonetheless, and all the pieces was tall and inexperienced. As we descended, we began to get some beautiful views of the valley together with the summits to the west, ultimately breaking out into the wildflower meadows which have been popping with flowers. We dodged mud puddles, jumped small streams, and simply labored our manner by way of stands of timber and meadows that have been a bit drier as we approached the Stomach River Ranger Station.
No person was on the ranger station, apart from a couple of mules and a pair of Sandhill Cranes subsequent to the corral. This ranger station needs to be set in one of many prettiest settings of any ranger stations. With its American flag flapping into the wind, Savannah Sparrows singing within the grasses, and Gable Mountain standing tall and proud with its bands of brilliant orange and slaty-blue.
We stopped and had a chew to eat on the porch earlier than hefting our backpacks filled with in a single day gear, meals, a digital camera, and a recognizing scope with a tripod. (We have been out right here for science in spite of everything.)
A bit extra mucking about and we dropped all the way down to the bridge over the roaring Stomach River, all chocolate milk brown beneath us. A bit additional up the path and we got here to the spur path to in all probability my favourite waterfall within the park, Daybreak Mist Falls. It was the primary time for Kristen to see it and with all of this rain, it was a formidable power. All the Stomach River spills over the sting, crashing down onto the rocks beneath, then turns instantly to the correct at a 90-degree angle. This causes an insane quantity of mist to come up and it was making all the pieces round it drippy.
We took some photos, wiped the lenses and took some extra photos, and simply marveled on the energy earlier than heading again up on the path. The path then heads proper as much as the highest of the waterfall. The advantage of coming alongside this waterfall within the afternoon, is that the solar is shining at your again as you look into the mist which yields beautiful rainbows and it was popping like loopy!
After a bit extra mountaineering within the woods, we arrived on the campground on the foot of Elizabeth Lake. Some others have been already there making dinner. We dropped off our meals on the lockers and located our campsite. Subsequent got here organising the tent and the remainder of camp and heading over to pump water and make dinner.
After dinner, we have been trying up on the surrounding hillsides and spied a couple of goats transferring round. Our plan included two Widespread Loon surveys (at Helen Lake and Elizabeth Lake), a Mountain Goat survey at Elizabeth Lake, and verify on a Golden Eagle nest at Helen Lake. The scope cam out and we began our Mountain Goat Survey.
We ended up spying two females with youngsters on reverse sides of the valley and some solo goats which was enjoyable! Whereas “zero counts” (or counts that don’t have any goal animals) are vital, it’s way more enjoyable to truly see what you’re on the lookout for. After our survey time was over, we wrapped issues up and headed to mattress.
After a (sorta) night time’s sleep, we wakened and had breakfast. The scope got here out once more as we scanned Elizabeth Lake for Widespread Loons. We discovered one bobbing within the waves on the lake! Widespread Loons construct nests simply above the waterline as they’re horrible maneuvering on land (their legs are positioned manner behind their our bodies). With the sudden rise within the lake, we surmised that the nest in all probability wasn’t profitable. Even when it was, downy chicks can solely deal with a lot rain, however we have been hopeful in at the very least seeing one chook.
We packed up and continued our survey as we labored alongside the lake towards Helen Lake. The upper lake stage flooded among the path creating some tough strolling in spots. We thought we noticed the loon take off and it in all probability did as we didn’t see it once more for the remainder of the day. Towards the top of the lake, the path kind of walks a sand bar which was utterly submerged so we needed to bushwhack round to get again onto the path and ended our survey on the head of the lake.
Past the lake, we arrived on the Elizabeth Lake Head campground and continued on passing by way of meadows, timber, avalanche chutes, and so forth. Waterfalls have been coming down the cliff faces in every single place and the path continued its theme of being dry, then muddy, then merely swamped. One part crossed by way of a meadow which was now a pond. We skirted the pond, stunning some frogs alongside the best way.
We rounded the valley to go the ultimate stretch of the best way and regarded up at one of many potential Golden Eagle nest websites and didn’t see any motion across the nest, however spied three eagles hovering above the ridge of Ipasha Peak. Our plan was to do the loon survey on the lake, then return right here to do the eagle survey, so we pressed on.
The path comes alongside the Stomach River in a sequence of beautiful cascades as you not far away arising towards Helen Lake. Waterfalls crashed down throughout the valley as we regarded up towards Ahern Go. We scrambled as much as an open space simply earlier than the bridge over the river to get to the campground, however the current storm will need to have blown out the bridge. The water was operating actually quick and the span only a bit too far, so we settled on bushwhacking all the way down to the sting of the lake to do the survey.
All that we noticed alongside the lake have been a bunch of Barrow’s goldeneyes (that are enjoyable birds, however not those we have been on the lookout for). We did the complete survey and stored a watch out for Golden Eagles, spying a pair and one which seemed to be an immature Bald Eagle. After the survey and one other quiet Golden Eagle nest website, we headed again, checked out the primary nest we’d seen and headed again to camp for dinner.
The following morning we awoke to a different sunny day, had breakfast, then tore down camp. We donned our packs and set our ft north and needed to take one other take a look at Daybreak Mist Falls, this time being lit by the solar within the western sky. The water stage was a contact decrease, however the falls nonetheless have been rocking. The path was drier in spots which was welcome, however nonetheless muddy.
I nonetheless don’t love the 700 ft of elevation one has to climb to get out, however it’s a small worth to pay to enter into the Stomach River space which is so filled with magnificence and quiet within the north finish of Glacier Nationwide Park.
