Re: Wish List

The Beaks (see avatar) are toying with the idea of going up to Glacier NP this coming summer.
Any suggestions re. 3-5 day backpacking trips in the park?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2010 05:52AM by szalkowski.

I like the Belly River area to Elizabeth Lake (good fishing for Cutthroat trout) traveling from Chief Mountain Border Crossing and coming out at Many Glacier through Ptarmigan Tunnel. That area is good early in the year, although Ptarmigan pass may not be open if there is lots of snow. If you want to play on a glacier, consider hiking to Sperry Chalet from the east (forgot the trailhead) and coming out the west side of the park at Apgar (side trip to Sperry Glacier). There are fairly cheap (relatively) cabins at Swiftcurrent in Many Glacier and showers. I tend to make Many Glacier my focus or "home base" and explore from that area with day trips and that is a very relaxing vacation. If you go to Waterton, consider the hike to Crypt Lake. (the campgrounds along that trail have been removed, so it is a day trip only I believe) but really a great hike.

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

Billy went there for a week once. So he's no expurt. But... :

My big recommendation is work your way around the park staying at different hotels and
do lots of dayhikes. In the middle do a backpack trip. Use the bus service to your
advantage also. When we went we did the Highland Trail from Logans to the Loop and
took the bus back. Ptarmigan was closed due to Bear activity so was kinda irritated
about that ... but there are sooooo many trails it was no big deal. A number of places
we went to we really didn't see anyone else. Can remember at least 3 hikes we did
where that was the case.
For backpacking we went to Gunsight Lake from Jackson Glacier overlook. Looking
at pictures you would think it would be pretty tough sledding... but... IMO the park is
much simpler than Yosemite and pales in comparison (difficulty wise) to SEKI.
Even though there are huge valleys... the climbs are not extreme (think Lyell).
We really loved Gunsight Lake ... very simple 3 day trip w/ nice dayhikes to Jackson Glacier
and Gunsight Pass (I hiked / swam around the lake too... )
Only complaint is that due to Grizz there is a lot of communal camping only in the park.
Not my cup o tea. But I would just have to mention Glacier to the wife and she would prob.
be all over it.
Can give more details if you want of stuff we did.

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Other nit picky complaint was there was a lot o horse dookie on the trail towards Sperry Chalet.
(we dayhiked to Synder Lakes)
Dawg mentioned Sperry above.... thus my comment...

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Dear Dawg and Personal-Secretary-to-the-Goatie,

Thanks much ( or, in kiwibirdese, "Fang Ewe Berry Munch" ).

Len

P.S. What? No trip to Goat Haunt Mountain?
P.P.S. Even Grizz didn't want Chick-on? (Probably heard the incessant squawking and headed for solitude.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/2010 02:05AM by szalkowski.

Mr. Keeper of da Marmuts,

No Goat Haunt. We did visit/walk by Old Dude Lake and went up that peak there in the background (Flinsch)
Ok... only Billy did... the misses said I'll wait for you here... knock yourself out...

Old Dude Lake:


Young Billy Lake (from Flinsch):


Nice 20 mile-ish loop from Two Medicine...

Googlesmurf has loads o pix on it too... Won't bore you with more.

Loads of Valleys like this... Much like Yose... it's probably all good.
Have fun

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We used this book to do some planning:

Glacier Day Hikes

Have fun (u got me thinking to go back now...)
(but already have two monster trips for the wifey next summer in my noggin in the Sierra)
(of course she has not been told about them yet... )

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Quote
chick-on
Much like Yose..

Although not much granite.

Interestingly, there is an area where three watersheds (Continental Divide and Hudson Bay Drainage) of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Hudson Bay come together. "Triple Divide Peak"

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

Maybe misinterpretated... ???
I simply meant that you pretty much can't go wrong wherever you go in GNP IMO.

The wife got really irritated at me when I mentioned about 100 times how it
was nice... but Yosemite was nicer.

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