A spectacular way to usher out winter

The Freezout Lake sun rise

Snow geese gathering for a grain field feed en route on their migration south

Katie, Camille and Mike on top the grassy Scratchgravel Hills peak

Katie at an interpretive sign at Glacier National Park

Migrating geese and swans headed for the grain fields

We ushered out the season of Winter in spectacular fashion, climbing the grassy peak in the Scratchgravel Hills near Helena on Wednesday, walking the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier Park from St. Mary's on Thursday, and viewing the annual migration of snow geese and swans at Freezout Lake Friday.

It had only been six weeks since we did the Scratchgravel hike, but we wanted to repeat it to share with our friends Mike Dannels and Camille Consolvo.  There were some really icy patches in the shaded gullies we had to gingerly tread.   But otherwise, the 360 views of the Helena Valley, Elkhorn and Big Belt Mountains and Continental Divide country makes this short hike something worth doing.  It is a good alternative to Mount Helena, which at times can be overrun with people.

The East Side of Glacier Park had been closed since March last year when the Covid pandemic hit because the Blackfeet shut down the reservation, and thus the park's access points at East Glacier Park, Cut Bank Creek, St. Mary, Many Glacier and Chief Mountain.  

When the Blackfeet announced the reservation was reopened, Katie and I knew we had to hit that side of the park, our favorite side.

We walked 2.5 miles up the road to where shadows had prevented the snow from melting, had lunch and turned around.   We encountered a half-dozen other hikers.

We spotted about a half-dozen mountain bluebirds, and saw bear sign on the road.  It was a glorious day, and it felt so good to be back on the east side.

On the way up to the park we noticed that there were many snow geese and swans on Freezout Lake, and that's why we headed up early Friday morning to see the birds lift of the lake and head for the grain fields.

I must admit that although this is one of the great annual natural Montana spectacles, I was equally wowed by the colorful sun rise.