One Hike To Rule Them All

Over the weekend my cousin Jessica and her boy toy Kevin flew into Missoula to visit with my brother Sean and I! Like us, the lovebirds are from southern California and wanted to see what all the Montana fuss was about! And boy did Montana show off for them this weekend!!!

We spent the first couple days puttering around Missoula, showing them all our favorite spots including the University of Montana, Big Dipper and The Notorious P.I.G. Then on Sunday, I took them on an adventure that they won't soon forget. It's a magical place called Glacier National Park!

Personally, it's been a couple of years since I've walked the grounds of one of Mother Nature's most beautiful creations! So in a way, I was just as excited as my cousin and her boyfriend!

The trail to Avalanche Lake was a little crowded at parts, but with good reason! Complete with 3 massive waterfalls and multiple smaller ones, a lake so clear that you can perfectly make out the fallen logs that lay at the bottom and snow capped mountains that have a way of making you feel like you're the size of an ant are just a few of many incentives for you to embark on the 4.6 mile trek! It's not the hike that takes your breath away it's the moment when you step out of the trees and the full view hits ya right in the feels!

On our way in, we passed a couple of fellow hikers who warned us that 3 grizzly bears were spotted at the lake. But when we finally made our way to the other side, we were a little disappointed to find that they had already moved on. And by we, I mean Kevin and I, my cousin Jessica was happy as a clam that we dodged a face-to-face meeting with a hungry grizzly! Haha But even though we didn't make friends with any furry bears, we did run into our fair share of UM Griz fans, students and alumni on the trail. A simple 'Go Griz' and a smile were the only greetings we shared, but that's how we roll in Griz country!

If you have yet to hike Avalanche Lake, make sure you mix it into your summer schedule! You won't be disappointed!