Views abound from Glacier's Snyder Lake

Earlier this month I strapped on my Camelbak and headed up to Lower Snyder Lake, in Glacier Park, needing a more challenging hike but still unable to get up to some of the heights I have been craving since before warm weather returned to the Flathead.

Upper and Lower Snyder Lakes reside in a basin formed by the cliffs of Mt. Brown and Edwards Mountain, which lie to the west and to the east of the lakes. Lower Snyder Lakes sits at an elevation of about 5,250', while Upper Snyder Lake lies approximately 350' higher.

Although Upper Snyder Lake was not yet accessible two weeks ago, when I made my ascent to the lower lake, the snow was almost entirely gone from the Snyder Lake trail up to that point. The remnants of a single avalanche were the only real exception.

The Snyder Lake trail gains an elevation of 2,147' over 4.4 miles, making it fairly easy to reach the lake in two to three hours from the trailhead across from Lake McDonald Lodge. The return trip is, of course, much faster.

Since the total distance hiked amounts to slightly under nine miles, it makes for a nice day hike, while allowing ample time at the lake for fishing or just relaxing with your feet in the shallow glacial water.

The hike to Snyder Lake is not nearly as strenuous as the 10.6 mile roundtrip to Mt. Brown Lookout (4,325' elevation gain) or the 12.8 mile roundtrip to Sperry Chalet (3,432' elevation gain), both of which share the Sperry Trailhead from Lake McDonald Lodge. That said, the Snyder Lake hike begins with the same steep ascent at the base of Mt. Brown, which leads to the other two destinations, as well as to nearby Fish Lake that lies to the south.

Hikers gain more than 1,000 vertical feet via no less than 11 switchbacks in the first 1.7 miles of trail, before reaching the spur trail to Mt. Brown Lookout. If you can get past that first 1,000', the rest is a piece of cake, since the remaining 1,140' is spread out over the next 2.3 miles and constitutes a more gradual and comfortable ascent.

The trail follows Snyder Creek east for 1.8 miles—about a tenth of a mile beyond the Mt. Brown spur—at which point the sign for Snyder Lake is easy to spot, directing you up a narrower spur trail to your left on which you ascend the remaining distance (now northeast) along Snyder Creek to the lake.

Not until you reach the lake, near the end of the hike, will you actually cross Snyder Creek. So if you come to a bridge after only a couple of miles, you may safely assume that you have missed the Snyder Lake spur trail by a quarter of a mile and are now enroute to Sperry Chalet.

The forest appears to change along the Snyder Lake Trail from the drier Douglas Fir and larch through which you passed before branching off from the Sperry Trail, and you should see more cedars and cottonwoods, some of them relatively large.

As I said earlier, I did cross over an avalanche, a few miles into my hike. The snow had brought down numerous trees and created something of a mess but was not difficult to cross as long as I continued on in a fairly straight line. I found the trail again, a little to the left of where I came out on the other side of the avalanche. From here on, the trail was well-marked and easy to travel.

Lower Snyder Lake is but a short and scenic distance ahead, as the surrounding cliffs come into full view. Ahead, the peak of Little Matterhorn takes up the view. Together, these mountains form Snyder Basin. The two lakes are actually tarns, formed long ago by glaciers.

The lower lake rewards intrepid fishermen with some decent fishing, if you're looking to catch some smaller cutthroat trout (mostly in the 8-inch range) with a nice view of Little Matterhorn and the surrounding cliffs. I've been told that the cutthroats are eager to bite on live bait and that dry flies or small spinners usually prove successful here.

Although the trail ends at a small campground along the east side of the lower lake, the upper lake can be attained by ascending the western slope of the cliff at the north end of the lake. The slope is fairly steep and requires some rock scrambling up one of the narrow gullies. I've yet to reach this lake, due to snow, but most adventurous hikers who have endeavored to do so say that the view is worth the extra effort and additional 350' of elevation.

This route also provides a relatively easy (class 3) ascent of Little Matterhorn, beyond which lies Avalanche Basin.

A warning: Lower Snyder Lake sees frequent use during the summer months due to the easy access. If you plan on using the backcountry campground, keep in mind that there are only three tent sites and those fill up quickly.