The Grinnell Glacier trail starts on the far side of Lake Josephine. It’s a 3.5 mile hike to the glacier overlook, elev. 7,000 feet, with a 1,600 foot ascent. This was the best, but toughest hike we’ve taken so far In places, it’s literally a goat path across sheer rock above the tree line. Other spots have snow melt waterfalls coming down across the path. You go across, you get wet, and the water is freezing cold. And, of course, there was snow.

At the overlook, you can look up to see other glaciers higher on the mountain faces. The Grinell Glacier, however, sits down in a bowl below the overlook. Merry and the kids were able to walk down and touch it, a glacier thousands of years old. There were big horn sheep up here, including ewes with their half grown lambs. 

From the trail, you could look down into the valley to see Lake Josephine and Lake Grinell. There were amazing wild flowers. We took hundreds of pictures on this hike, all of which fall into the”just doesn’t capture it” category. I’m just going to put up a few of them here. I hope you get a small idea of what it was like to be here.