Crossing Glacier Creek at the start of the trail. Glacier Creek trail is flat to slightly ascending until it reaches the junction with the trail leading up from Glacier Gorge Trail Head just below Chaos Canyon Cascades.
Glacier Creek trail is peaceful and less traveled compared to the trails around Bear Lake and Glacier Gorge which it heads up to. A small lily covered pond on the way up Glacier Creek Trail provides a view towards the Glacier Gorge where Mills and Black lakes reside.
Approaching Glacier Gorge on a heavily traveled trail. Took a couple of minutes to let people pass to snap this shot.
Looking up Glacier Gorge with Mills Lake in the foreground. Black Lake is 2 miles up the gorge to the right.
Heading up Glacier Gorge past Mills Lake.
Higher up Glacier Gorge about midway between Mills and Black Lakes. This section of the trail reminded me of hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Trail is littered with roots, rocks, and follows a rocky stream throughout the entirety of the course.
Falls at the outlet of Black Lake. A quick scramble up the left side of the falls leads you to...
...this view looking back down Glacier Gorge, and to...
Black Lake.
The mountains rise in sheer cliffs from Black Lake like cathedrals encircling a large reflecting pond.
There is not much room around the base of Black Lake for hikers, and you have to be a bit creative in getting pictures. The good thing is the hike is hard enough, and long enough that you'll shed most of the crowds at Mills Lake. I did have a taste of Rocky Mountain weather on the way back when a strong storm blew through with pea sized hail which came down hard enough to cover the ground.
The storm passed quickly and the skies were blue again by the time I got back to Mills Lake for the hike back down to Glacier Gorge Trail Head for a shuttle back to the campground.
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