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NPS Trail Crew Report 8/20/2011
Motel parking lot to jct. above Ptarmigan Falls/ 2.4 mi.
TRAIL POSTED: for bear frequenting 8/17/2011
Ptarmigan Tunnel is now OPEN 7/28/2011
TRAIL has been REOPENED: 8/16/2011
TRAIL CLOSED: for bear frequenting 8/10/11
TO FOOT TRAFFIC ONLY
A couple of snow slopes at base of switchbacks. Trail 5% snow. 7/26/11
A couple of snow slopes at base of switchbacks. Trail 5% snow. 7/26/11
Trail 100% snow covered, with avalanche potential. 6/3/11.
Jct. above Ptarmigan Falls to Ptarmigan Lake/ 1.7 mi.
Initial clearing scheduled for: 7/1/11
Trail 100% snow covered, with avalanche potential. 6/3/11
Ptarmigan Lake to Ptarmigan Tunnel/ 0.9 mi.
Ptarmigan Tunnel Trail is one of those trails that I will hike again and again. It is a tough trail, but it is worth it. Words cannot express the feeling you get after coming out of the tunnel into the Belly River Valley.
Ptarmigan Tunnel Trail shares the first half of it's trail with the Iceberg Lake Trail. Iceberg Lake Trail is a heavily traveled trail with a moderate ascent, Ptarmigan Tunnel Trail after the split from Iceberg Lake Trail, starts going up! Eventually you arrive at Ptarmigan Lake located at the base of Ptarmigan Wall. There can be snow cover in late July on this trail. From Ptarmigan Lake the trail starts up a series of switch backs on a scree slope. I was unable to see the tunnel from the lake, your eyes may be better then mine. The first time I did this trail I was very lucky to have several able body hikers, including my future son-in-law who had just climbed Denali. Once again I was carrying too much camera gear, so I grabbed onto my son-in-law's backpack when we got to the scree slope. When it got really bad one of my daughters would push while he pulled. It was worth the effort! From Ptarmigan Lake to the tunnel is a mass of broken rock that has over the centuries flaked off Ptarmigan Wall forming a talus slope. After passing through the tunnel you are on a trail which was carved out of the side of the mountain, providing your first view of the Belly River Valley and Elizabeth Lake. After walking down the trail from the tunnel a short distance you can see the Old Sun Glacier off to the northwest.
  Ptarmigan Lake from Ptarmigan Tunnel
July 2005 was for me the year of the flowers.
These flowers were taken on the Ptarmigan Tunnel Trail just below Ptarmigan Lake .
Small waterfalls below Ptarmigan Lake.
If your hiking this trail in September you need to verify that the tunnel is still open, you don't want to hike all the way up here & discover that the tunnel is locked! Light from the far side of the tunnel is enough that you don't need a headlamp but if you want to investigate inside the tunnel make sure to bring your hikers headlamp. 
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