The Mint Glacier
It never gets old to take those final few steps, up and over an incline, that reveal an epic view. This was the second lake sitting at the base of the Mint Glacier, a snake of ice carving its way down the side of a moody looking rock peak. The view was incredibly textured with so many layers of interest: old summer snow frosted with the electric pink of an algal bloom, dark blue lake water partially hidden by a layer of ice, jagged rock peaks and all the dimensions of the glacier ice.
The Mint Glacier feeds this lake and from this lake water can travel in two ways. This lake drains in the form of a waterfall visible from the entrance of the Mint Hut which drains into the river below. This river runs the length of the valley, we hiked along it all the way to the Mint Hut and later that afternoon would be hiking back out along its banks.
Melt from the Mint Glacier and other sources of ice and snow also drain into the smaller lake below, which in turn drains into the collection of streams that have carved their way through the green lawn behind the Mint Hut. The water in these streams moves effortlessly downhill and eventually joins into the same valley river.
On our hike up to the hut I didn't not know if there were any water sources surrounding the hut. To be safe, I carried two liters of water up but as I now know, there is a bounty of delicious mountain water to keep you hydrated in this landscape.
We hung around the lake for a little while. I wondered if we should hike a little farther, a little closer to the glacier. Like with the first lake, I felt compelled to touch the icy snake. Unfortunately, rain began to fall and interrupted my idea to continue on. First it was so light, I couldn’t feel any drops, only see them on the lake’s surface, the parts free from ice. But as soon as I felt one drop I felt many. We said good bye to the Mint Glacier and its lake, and turned back towards its namesake, the hut.
