The photo above was taken in Glacier National Park, Montana, this past summer on a hike to Iceberg Lake. It’s about a 10 mi (16 km) roundtrip hike to the lake. Stunning views abound along the way, such as Ptarmigan Wall shown above. Though the glaciers have been receding in Glacier National Park for a number of decades, patches of seasonal snow can be found above the tree line, even in August. The altitude of the tree line here, often subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), may be 10,000 ft (3,050 m) or higher on south or west facing slopes. Note the bear grass (Xerophyllum tenax), in the final stages of blooming, on either side of the trail. Photo taken on July 17, 2013.
Glacier National Park, Montana Coordinates: 48.696667, -113.718333
Photographer: Susanne Strickland, used with permission
