Begin at either Many Glacier Hotel or the Grinnell Glacier Trailhead (located at the Many Glacier Picnic area). While hiking along Swiftcurrent Lake, pay attention! Both black and grizzly bears frequent the Many Glacier area. Trail postings can be checked at the hotel bell or transportation desks. There is a great write up of the hike here.
If you start early, you might be lucky enough to catch the reflection of Mt. Gould in Lake Josephine (photo). Reminiscent of the Maroon Bells in Colorado, Mt. Gould is one of the most photographed and recognized peaks in Montana. Its angled summit rises atop the Continental Divide.
The trail climbs moderately from the junction on the north side of Josephine, hugging the mountainside beneath Mt. Grinnell. Impressionistic painting comes to mind during mid-summer, when the slopes along the trail boast some of the most colorful and diverse wildflowers I've ever seen. (See photo for bear grass "Q-tips" and pink subalpine spirea.) Views of the turquoise, glacier-fed Lower Grinnell Lake are attained as you ascend toward the hanging valley above.
As you attain the moraine at the top, scan the cliffs above for mountain goats and sheep. Cresting the moraine, you are greeted with the milky, iceberg-filled Upper Grinnell Lake. Notice the waterfalls draining from the shrinking Salamander Glacier on the rock wall in front of you (see photo). The arete, or knifedge ridge, above the Salamander traces along the Continental Divide. Relax and enjoy the view, you deserve it!
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