How I Conquered Iceberg Lake- Glacier National Park

Waking up the morning after my hiking crusade felt like I had been used as Mike Tysons punching bag. I was so sore I walked like I had a spiked metal rod up my butt and my legs couldn't extend greater then an acute angle. I spent my first 10 minutes stretching my poor muscles. I'm am not flexible in the slightest, no exaggeration. I had fractured my leg because of lack of motion. I was trying to kick a kickball and I was so tight, my muscle pulled part of my femur away from my body causing an evulsion facture.

So, the morning was rough to say the least, but after a breakfast of leftover sandwiches from the previous days hike, I was ready to rock. I took the early morning bus to my where I parked my car the day before (hour long ride). I then drove back to the hotel and checked out.

Round 2

I decided this day I would conquer the Iceberg Lake hike, which was a 10 mile round trip. 10 miles was a cake walk compared to the day before, but being so sore and tired from the previous day made it more difficult. Though I had heard so many good things about the hike that I knew it would be worth it. The trail started on a uphill climb, which was just glorious...... It brought me alongside the upslope of the mountain and above the majority of the valley. It was a very beautiful sight, and I snapped quite a few pictures.

Photo credit someone else. Phone broke before I was able to backup my photos. The other photo in this post is mine. I had uploaded it to Facebook so at least I was able to keep something. Still almost identical to photos I took

Anyway, near one of the bends in the trail like in the photo above, there was a large group of people stopped. There was a bear about 25 feet off the trail up the hillside. A park ranger was there saying they were closing the trail. To hell if I was going to get turned back. Two elderly women had the same thought and just strode ahead. I quickly followed along with another middle aged gentlemen. We scurried past and none of us really felt endangered although they had their bear spray ready. If you don't bother them, they won't bother you.

After that, me and the middle aged gentlemen who I came to know as Kevin started talking and stuck together for the rest of the hike. He was a nice guy, a little quirky, but we formed a hiking friendship as we went. He was single with no children and was out here on his way up to Canada to meet a friend. At one point in the hike we passed Denice Richards who he stopped. He asked her if anyone told her she looked like Denice Richards and she was like, "I am". She took off her hat and sure enough it was. Later in the hike we saw a big antlered moose right off the trail which was pretty neat, but the true wonder was when we crested over a hill to gaze upon the lake.

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Again no photo credit. So disappointed I can't use all original pictures.

It's a beautiful glacial lake, situated in the belly of the snowcapped mountains and littered with "icebergs" throughout.
As you will see in the next picture, the lake was a little more ice filled then usual.

I had brought along my swimsuit, and I knew what I had to do. I drifted into the forest out of sight from the other hikers and changed. I returned to my friend and asked him to snap some pictures of my because I was going to swim out to one of the icebergs. He looked at me like I was crazy, but obliged. As soon as I started my approached to the water the mass of hikers around the lake took notice. It's a good thing I'm young and stupid because anymore wisdom or age and I might have enjoyed the lake from the sideline. As soon as I dove in, the cold shocked my system. The adrenaline was pumping through.

I had swam in lake Superior and Michigan while the water was freezing, but nothing like this. The water must have not been more the 35 degrees and the iceberg I was swimming to was farther out then I had anticipated. I made it though and stood atop the ice, an accomplished man.

The camera doesn't show my body shaking as I stood there

As soon as I thought enough time had passed to get a good picture, I rushed back to shore. This is where my body started to lock up. the cold had gotten to my muscles and it became harder to swim. The cold restricted my chest and it became harder to breathe. I became worried on my swim back. The danger of what I was doing started to set it, but I made it! My fingers didn't regain normal feeling for the entire hike back, but I was otherwise unharmed! I originally wanted to swim to a farther iceberg and if I had tried to do that, I would not have made it back.

A couple cheers greeted my return, along with a lot of, "you're crazy". I warmed up with the sun while eating my lunch. Kevin and I talked with a sister duo for awhile, snapped some more pictures and then headed back. Apparently I quickly garnered the nickname "iceman" because multiple groups on the way back stopped to ask me about it. Kevin was hamming it up and I was slightly uncomfortable with it. I thought what I did was fun and cool, but he made it sound like I swam the English Channel or something.

He bought me a beer after we arrived back at the lodge, wished each other the best of luck and then parted ways. I was headed to the other side of the park, and him Canada. I ate dinner at a diner outside the grounds, then drove Going to The Sun Road to Fish Creek campground where another day of adventure and unexpected danger awaited me.