Alberta Falls, Loch Vale, Andrews Glacier - August 20th 2013
Elevation Gain - 2,300 feet
Distance Round Trip - 9.3 miles
Characters - Alicen, Nathan
Continuing my Rocky Mountain Travels...
Our third day hiking in RMNP I agreed to climb to Andrews Glacier with Nathan.
At the Glacier Gorge Junction Trailhead we began our hike headed
towards Alberta Falls.
The trail ran alongside Glacier Creek giving us some fantastic and ever changing views.
From where we began, until we reached The Loch, the trail was well traveled.
The Loch was a great spot to eat, re-hydrate, and rest...
...making this gorgeous location a final destination for many hikers.
After Nathan and I ate and rested we continued on.
Definitely more alone.
In fact, I don't recall seeing anyone else after we left the woods.
The closer we got to Andrews Glacier the more the scenery changed.
We left the forest landscapes for red scree and rugged mountain peaks all around us.
We were not accustomed to this type of hiking.
It made Nathan a little nervous jumping around on scree and talus.
I loved this part of the hike to be honest.
Adrenaline pumping.
Just existing is wonderful...
...breathing it in
...being in the moment.
So majestic... this greatness.
I feel like there was a little thunder storm that day while we were nearing the top.
I almost forgot to mention. This was a fairly strenuous hike. You are always going up.
The trail ran alongside Glacier Creek giving us some fantastic and ever changing views.
From where we began, until we reached The Loch, the trail was well traveled.
The Loch was a great spot to eat, re-hydrate, and rest...
...making this gorgeous location a final destination for many hikers.
After Nathan and I ate and rested we continued on.
Definitely more alone.
In fact, I don't recall seeing anyone else after we left the woods.
The closer we got to Andrews Glacier the more the scenery changed.
We left the forest landscapes for red scree and rugged mountain peaks all around us.
We were not accustomed to this type of hiking.
It made Nathan a little nervous jumping around on scree and talus.
I loved this part of the hike to be honest.
Adrenaline pumping.
Just existing is wonderful...
...breathing it in
...being in the moment.
So majestic... this greatness.
I feel like there was a little thunder storm that day while we were nearing the top.
If the weather hadn't been so moody, who knows...
...we might have made it to Andrews Glacier.
...we might have made it to Andrews Glacier.
I almost forgot to mention. This was a fairly strenuous hike. You are always going up.
An amazing hike with phenomenal views. Breathtaking!
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| A view from Glacier Gorge Trail going towards Alberta Falls. |
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| A view from Glacier Gorge Trail going towards Alberta Falls. |
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| Blue Grouse blend in so perfectly. |
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| Glacier Creek. |
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| Looking down! |
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| Glacier Creek. |
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| Alicen in front of Alberta Falls. |
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| Nathan in front of Alberta Falls. |
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| Alberta Falls. |
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| Alberta Falls. |
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| A view from the trail as we make our way towards The Loch. |
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| A view from the trail as we make our way towards The Loch. |
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| A view from the trail as we make our way towards The Loch. |
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| A view from the trail as we make our way towards The Loch. |
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| Can you see the Elk grazing? |
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| There she is! |
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| Loch Vale. Little did I know at this point of the hike, I would be near the top of some of the peaks in the distance. |
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| The Loch. |
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| A view from The Loch. Possibly Taylors Glacier. I've been trying to figure it out for so long. |
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| The Loch. |
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| Nathan enjoying the view. |
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| I learned that Andrews Tarn is located at the bottom of the U in this picture. Andrews Glacier is apparently on the other side. |
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| Hiking this terrain wasn't easy. We decided we weren't experienced enough with this type of landscape so we turned around before reaching our destination. |
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| Water flowing from Andrews Tarn. |
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| Sharkstooth on the left. This is one of my favorite pictures from this hike. |
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| Looking back at where we've been. |
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| Looking back at where we've been. |
These Links give great information about each section of the hike to Andrews Glacier.
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