July 10, 2010, Glacier NP (West Side), Montana

We hiked the Fish Lake Trail this morning (5 1/2 miles round trip). We had just started crossing the bridge over Snyder Creek when we saw movement in the underbrush. A Pine Martin came out of the bushes and started across the bridge toward us. He stopped when he saw us and seemed very curious. He was super cute. I didn’t get to my camera until he had jumped up a tree. He didn’t stay around very long.

Pine Martin
The trail switchbacks uphill for a couple of miles through hemlock forest. We saw small cones of the hemlock as well as the giant cones of the western white pine.

Western White Pinecone

The trail crosses Jackson Creek.

Jackson Creek

Fish Lake is very pretty, despite it's name. There wasn't a lot of activity around the lake. We only saw one Barrow’s Goldeneye on the whole lake! We did watch a Pileated Woodpecker for quite a while.

Fish Lake

Longhorn Beetle

After supper we went to the ranger program on Nocturnal Creatures in Glacier. It was very good. The ranger was very funny and entertaining.