Avalanche Parking Lot - 4/22

The area of Glacier National Park that is known as Avalanche was named by Lyman Sperry, who when climbing the basin to reach what is now Sperry Glacier, heard multiple avalanches all around him.

Today, Avalanche is a popular destination for day hikers on the west side of Glacier National Park. Parking is limited and often crowded, so it is suggested that you arrive early. Due to its popularity, the area is also congested and caution should be exercised when approaching by foot, bicycle, or vehicle. Be sure to follow the speed limit.

To see an aerial view of the area, click on the red-tailed hawk icon. This will launch a QuickTime Video. Be sure to close the window after viewing the video (and subsequent windows with videos). Click on the Park Ranger Icon to see another video.

Cedar/Hemlock Forest - 5/22

Avalanche Lake and Trail of the Cedars are dominated by water. Abundant rainfall, prehistoric glaciers, and rushing streams have combined here to create a landscape of striking beauty and rich diversity.

Why is it so wet here? If you travel from almost any direction to get to Glacier National Park you pass through vast areas of sagebrush, grasslands and lodgepole pine; species adapted to the dry conditions of the Rocky Mountain west. What's different here? Just to the east, the barrier, formed by towering peaks of the Continental Divide, wrings tremendous amounts of water from passing clouds. This extra moisture allows species much more typical of forests on the Pacific Coast to flourish here, hundreds of miles inland. The Avalanche Creek area is the furthermost eastern extent of this type of cedar/hemlock forest.

Although this forest contains many different types of trees, three of the more distinctive species all share one thing in common—an affinity for water. Click on the thumbnail image to see a larger version of the picture, and mouse-over the different trees for an aid in identifying the different species.

Throughout the park, cottonwoods are found along the creeks and streams. Here at Avalanche, they have grown so large that at first glance their trunks are often mistaken for the huge Western Red Cedars the area is famous for. Closer inspection of the bark will reveal the differences. The cottonwood bark has thick, deep furrows, while the cedar bark has shallow furrows and a very shaggy appearance. Look up to the treetops and you can tell the difference immediately. Cottonwoods are deciduous and have broad arrow-shaped leaves. If you visit in late-September and early October, they present a splash of color in the dark green forest. Cedars are evergreens with small overlapping scale-like leaves. The tiny brown cones of the cedars are distinctly different from the long drooping catkins of the cottonwoods, but they both serve the same purpose, ensuring that the plant reproduces.

The third water-loving species here is hard to confuse with the others. The western yew is a low growing shrubby conifer with delicate branches covered in two rows of flat green needles. Unlike other evergreens it does not produce a cone. Instead, it forms tiny bright red berries. Recently yews have been discovered as a source of taxol, which is beneficial in the treatment of some cancers.

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