Kayaking and Hiking OH my!

For our last day in Glacier we decided on an adventure that has been attempted, but not completed by us before.

A few years ago, Erick and I kayaked across Swiftcurrent Lake in Many Glacier, hiked our kayaks against the current up the river through Stump Lake to the mouth of Lake Josephine, but couldn't paddle up the lake to the Grinnel Lake trailhead due to high winds and two foot whitecaps.

Completing that venture has been on my to do list ever since!

Erick was obviously not able to go this year, so I had my other partners in crime, Grandpa and Robert ......

Of course when we started about 8:30am it was beautiful blue skies, but with any Schramm water adventure it never stays that way. By the time we were done it was raining and blowing like crazy 🤪

Paddling across Swiftcurrent Lake went great. I made sure everyone had water shoes for the venture as I knew and informed my crew we would be portaging from one side of the bridge at the end of the lake to the other. That is where things got interesting.

The rapids under the bridge are too strong to paddle against, of course Robert had to find that out for himself.

Grandpa made it out of the kayak and I helped him get it to the other side of the bridge. Getting in didn't work out so well. When you got back in the kayak you had to be ready to paddle to not get sucked back under the bridge. He was NOT ready. I saw what was going to happen and tied my kayak off to grab his and prevent him from being swept under (just under the bridge, not underwater!). By the time I grabbed him he already had to step in the water and he had wet hiking boots and jeans. I helped him in the kayak and pulled him through the tough spots...like 1/4 mile of currents. I sure didn't want him having a medical emergency exerting himself on the river!

We got up the current through Stump Lake and to the mouth of Lake Josephine. We decided to stay close to shore and paddle up the lake to the Grinnel Lake trailhead. There was a little wind coming down the valley, but definitely manageable this time!

We made it to the end of the lake and Grandpa had a little trouble getting out of his kayak.

I heard a splash and turn around and he is soaking wet from flipping out! Another camera lost to a Glacier Lake for Grandpa!

I was wet from pulling him up the rapids- at one point I was swimming as it was chest high! Grandpa was wet from getting out of his kayak and Robert from being Robert, so we looked like a great hiking group going the .9 mile one way to Grinnel Lake!

Fantastic hike, had lunch at the lake, and saw a grizzly lumbering away from us near the swinging bridge on his way towards Piegan pass. Even though weather turned sketchy all turned out well ❤️