Winter's grip starts to loosen: 747, Glacier, Freezout Lake migrations

The suspension bridge over Ole Creek in Glacier Park

Essex Creek

McDonald Falls

At McDonald Lake

 You know winter's grip is loosening when the snow geese and Arctic swans start arriving at Freezout Lake.

The lake is still pretty iced over, but the migrating birds are landing, to be greeted by more than 50 bald eagles who are having a feast.

In the past week I've skied the 747 loop again in the Little Belts, and spent three days at the Izaak Walton Inn at Essex where we hiked and snow-shoed ice and slush in the rain at Glacier Park.  We stopped at Freezout coming and going to see the arriving birds, particularly the eagles.

Eagles at their Freezout migration feast

We had a blue bird, if cold and windy day for 747, but the breeze ushered in a Chinook that melted the snow in town.  This was Mark Hertenstein's first time on the 6.25 miles loop, and we even threw in a few tele turns.

I joined a group of Katie's "Glacier Girls" at the Izaak Walton retreat.  We snow-shoed Ole Creek, crossed the suspension bridge and went down as far as the creek's meeting with the Middle Fork of the Flathead River.  The snow was icy and deep and melting fast.  That evening we took a long Yak-Trak hike on the groomed trails behind the lodge.  The following day we hiked the road from Lake McDonald Lodge to the McDonald Falls, crossed the bridge and hiked the road back.  The views were stunning, of course.  Then we headed for a hike at the Fish Creek turnout, using a road past the private cabins, a first for me.