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Views from the Summits:
Mount Henkel
This is a view of Mount Henkel from Red Rock Falls.
Mount Henkel (8,770) sits directly above the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn in the Many Glacier Area. This peak offers beautiful views of the Swiftcurrent Valley and the Iceberg Lake Area. The summit is only 1.5 miles from the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, but it is over 4,000 vertical feet above it! Needless to say, from the moment you leave the Motor Inn, each step is "UP".
Another interesting feature of this climb is that the lower hillside that you must hike through is full of Grizzly Bears, especially during the berry season. In fact, this area is usually closed due to Grizzly activity from August 1st through the first part of September.
We climbed Mount Henkel the day before they closed it, and yes, we encountered a grizzly bear on our way down the mountain. The bear came out of the brush only about 40 yards in front of us.
The day we climbed Henkel was windy. In fact, there were 80 mile per hour gusts on the summit. We could barely take photos it was so windy, but it was so beautiful, it didn't matter! Mount Henkel is a great mountain and provides fantastic views of the Many Glacier Area.
This is a view of the north face of Mount Henkel from the Summit of Crowfeet Mountain, which is north of Henkel along the same ridge top. The lake far below is Lake Kennedy.
Views from the Summit
This is a classic view from the summit of Mount Henkel. We are facing west. The lake-filled valley below is the Swiftcurrent Valley. The peak to the right is Mount Wilbur, and the snow covered peak in the far distance (central) is Heaven's Peak.
We truly enjoyed our time on the summit of Mount Henkel. Did we mention there were 80 mile per hour wind gusts while we were up there?
This is a view of the famous Mount Merritt from the summit of Mount Henkel. Merritt is one of the 6 peaks in the Park that are over ten thousand feet. Old Sun Glacier rests on the great east face of Merritt. We are facing northwest.
This is a great view of the Iceberg Lake Area. Iceberg Lake rests in a cathedral of peaks that rise over 3,000 vertical feet above the lake. We are facing straight west.
This is a view of Mount Altyn, and the Many Glacier Area beyond it. Notice the Many Glacier Hotel just to the right of Altyn, far below on the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake. The lake to the left is Lake Sherbourne, with the eastern prairie far in the distance.
This is a view of the Upper Swiftcurrent Valley and surrounding peaks. The peak to the far left is Grinnell Mountain, and to its right is Swiftcurrent Glacier. To the right of the glacier is Swiftcurrent Pass, and above the pass in the distance is Heaven's Peak. Mount Vaught is to the left of Heaven's Peak, and Bull Lake rests on the valley floor.
Swiftcurrent Lake rests over 4,000 vertical feet below the summit of Mount Henkel. Mount Gould is the large peak to the right, and the tallest peak to the left is Mount Siyeh. The camera is facing south.
This is a great view of the Upper Swiftcurrent Valley from the summit of Mount Henkel. Bullhead Lake sits under Swiftcurrent Pass. The large snow mass to the left is Swiftcurrent Glacier. Heaven's Peak is to the upper right and Mount Vaught is to the left.
Here is a view of Many Glacier Hotel and Swiftcurrent Motor Inn. We are over 4,000 vertical feet directly above the Motor Inn. We are facing straight south.
The large tan colored peak is Crow's Feet Mountain. Kennedy Lake sits thousands of feet below us. Crowfeet Mountain is northward, along the same ridge as Mount Henkel. (We are facing north.)
Here's a view to the south. Mount Gould towers above the Grinnell Valley, which begins at Swiftcurrent Lake. The glacier in the distant center is Blackfoot Glacier. The peak in the foreground is Grinnell Point. You can see the buildings of the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn/Many Glacier Campground in the lower left corner of the photo.
Shannon's not sitting because she's tired. She is sitting because the wind was gusting up to 80 miles per hour during our time on the summit! The sharp matterhorn behind her to her left is Grinnell Mountain, and the lake far below her is Red Rock Lake.
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