Views from the Summits:
Allen Mountain
This is a classic view of Mount Gould, Grinnell Glacier and Grinnell Lake from the summit of Allen Mountain.
Allen Mountain (9,376 feet) is located in the Many Glacier Area, and is a HUGE mountain to climb. The views from this great mountain are magnificent as well as breath-taking, and we literally had to keep pinching ourselves to make sure we weren't dreaming!
As you may recall, last year we climbed Allen, and we couldn't see our hands in front of our face due to the heavy cloud cover (click here for that first ascent.)
This is what it looked like on the summit last year (see right photo). Most of the time we couldn't see ten feet in front of us. The higher we got as we climbed to the summit, the thicker the cloud cover became, but since it was a "dry" cloud cover, we assumed that it would break by the time we summitted, which is usually the case. Not this time, however. We waited 2 full hours on the summit to get some views, and it never happened.
The day we chose to climb it again (the following summer) the day was absolutely gorgeous and the weather was perfect. So we can now share with you the incredible views from Allen Mountain....
A View of the Mountain
This is a view of the monstrous Allen Mountain from the summit of Mount Wynn. We are facing south. Notice Cracker Lake to it's left, and notice Mount Gould barely showing itself on the right side of Allen. Mount Siyeh is out of view to the left of this photo.
This is a view of Allen Mountain from the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn.
This is a unique view of Allen Mountain from the summit of Mount Siyeh. You can see a small sliver of Cracker Lake at the base of Allen. This wall we are standing on is the famous North Face of Mount Siyeh, which is over 4,200 vertical feet straight down!
Views from the Summit
The views from Allen Mountain are sensational! The camera in this photo is facing straight west, showing Mount Gould directly behind us.
This is a view of Grinnell Lake and Grinnell Mountain in the foreground. Note the Grinnell Glacier Trail to the right of the lake heading up to Grinnell Glacier.
This is a view of the Grinnell Glacier Complex, which includes Grinnell Glacier, Salamander Glacier and Gem Glacier.
This is the classic view of Mount Gould and the Grinnell Glacier Complex. Grinnell Lake is to the right. The mountains in the distance is Glacier Park's remote Livingston Range.
This is a good view of Grinnell Mountain with Glacier Park's remote Livingston Range looming in the distance.
The day we chose to re-climb Allen Mountain was absolutely perfect!
Mount Gould with Grinnell Glacier, Salamander Glacier and Gem Glacier to the right.
This is a view to the northwest, showing Grinnell Mountain to the left, Mount Wilbur in the center, and Mount Merritt with Old Sun Glacier to the far right. The lake to the left is Grinnell Lake, and to the right is Lake Josephine.
The mountain closest to you in this photo is known as the "Angel Wing".
This is a view of the Many Glacier Hotel and Swiftcurrent Lake from the summit of Allen. We are nearly 5,000 vertical feet above the Hotel.
This is another view of the Many Glacier Area. The lake to the left is Lake Josephine, and to the right is Swiftcurrent Lake with the Many Glacier Hotel nestled on its shore. The tallest peak on the horizon is the famous Mount Merritt with Old Sun Glacier resting on its east face. The mountain to the far left is Mount Wilbur, where Iceberg Lake is located.
This is a great view of Snow Moon Lake (closest) and Falling Leaf Lake. They are thousands of feet below us. The larger lake in the distance is Lake Sherburne, which is the lake the Many Glacier Road follows as you are driving to the Hotel. You can see the Many Glacier Road in the upper right hand corner of the photo.
The valley floor is several thousand feet below us.
Here we are on the summit of Allen Mountain.
Here's a telephoto view of the Many Glacier Hotel and Swiftcurrent Lake from the summit of Allen Mountain.
This is a northeast view from the summit of Allen. The lake to the far left is Swiftcurrent Lake (with the Many Glacier Hotel), and the higher alpine lakes are Snow Moon and Falling Leaf Lakes, and the larger lake to the east is Lake Sherburne.
This is an interesting view of the Jackson-Blackfoot Glacial Complex as viewed from the summit of Allen Mountain. The tall, dome-shaped mountain to the right is the mighty Mount Jackson, and the left is Blackfoot Mountain. We are facing straight south. By the way, the glacier in front of Mount Jackson is Piegan Glacier, which rests on the east face of Piegan Mountain.
Mount Siyeh is the tall mountain to the left, which its world-renowned North Face. This huge wall is over 4,200 vertical feet straight down, and is one of the largest walls in North America. Mount Siyeh is one of the "Big Six" in Glacier Park that are over 10,000 feet in elevation.
This is a good view of Blackfoot Glacier (left) and a sliver of Jackson Glacier to the right.
Mount Jackson (center) is one of the "Big Six" in Glacier Park that are over 10,000 feet.
The wall to the far upper right is part of the Garden Wall. On the other side of that wall is the Highline Trail.
This is a classic view of the Cracker Lake area (we are facing southeast). Mount Siyeh dominates the skyline, as well as its world famous North Face. Again, this wall is over 4,200 vertical feet tall!
This is a good view of the Garden Wall, which is just to the left of Mount Gould. On the other side of this wall (and on the other side of Mount Gould), is the popular Highline Trail.
This is a view to the northwest. You can see "forever" on top of this great mountain.
We were visited by some curious Bighorn Sheep during are fantastic day on Allen.
Allen Mountain offers views that are second-to-none. It was definitely worth the effort!