Glacier National Park

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arm

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friends are planning a backpacking trip, and one of the options near the top of the food chain is Glacier National Park in Montana
http://www.nps.gov/glac

i visited Glacier a few years ago, but didn't do much hiking on that trip ... we scored backcountry permits but didn't get to use them ... i think they were near Sperry Chalet and Gunsight Lake, towards the southern half of the park:
http://www.nps.gov/glac/maps.htm
http://www.nps.gov/glac/pdf/2005bcguide.pdf

just wondering if anyone has advice on great day hikes or backpacking options in or near Glacier NP ? we talked to folks who had backpacked near the northern end of the park and saw grizzlies

other options on this trip could be Yellowstone, Tetons, Granite Peak, etc
http://www.jackieandalan.com/granite.html
http://www.jackieandalan.com/hs~grandteton.htm
http://www.nps.gov/yell/
 
We went last August, doing a lot of dayhiking but no backpacking. You're gonna love it there. I can highly recommend a couple of hikes -- hike to Cobalt Lake (11.5 mi r/t, 1400' gain) and hike to Piegan Pass (~9 mi r/t). We tried to make it to the east side of the park on the last day but got shut out because of a rock slide on GTTS Road.

And make sure you take the short walk to Avalanche Lake. Although it's one of the shorter and more accessible hikes, it's views might be the most stunning.

I think you'll find that almost ANY hike is Glacier is easier than MOST hikes in the Whites. Trails are well used, well worn, not ruddy rocky or root covered like we've got here.

Didnt see any critter larger than a prarie dog. No bears, no moose, no nothing.

Recommend the Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park guide book by Vicky Spring as a good source for trail info. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...4/sr=2-7/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_7/104-9209454-3936756

Pictures follow, have fun!


thanks,
denton fabrics
 
Glacier NP is awesome. My wife and I did a 10-day backpack from one end to the other last summer. Only problem you're going to have is scoring a back country camping permit. They usually get used up sometime in April, I think. So I'm not sure how you're going to get around that. The whole place is beautiful, but places I'd recommend in particular are Stoney Indian pass, Red Gap pass and Boulder pass. I'm not sure how to make those into day hikes. It is beautiful country. We'll be going back soon, I hope!
 
My friend and I did a 13 day, 200 mile thru hike of the park in 2003. We were able to hit alot of the park so I can give you some backpacking suggestions. Looking back one of the most memorable sections of our hike was in Two Medicine going over Dawson Pass. I remember that as being fantastic. Another really nice section of our hike was the aforementioned Pigean Pass. From there you can see the backside of the famed garden wall. Then towards the end of our hike we went from Goat Haunt to Boulder Pass. That was really awesome, this is very close to the Canadian border.

We saw a tremendous amount of wildlife in the backcounty: Moose, Black Bear, Mountain Goats, Bighorn Sheep, and a Grizzley Bear from about 20 feet which bluff charged my partner.

If you want to browse my picture from that trip there are here:

http://www.pbase.com/pudgy_groundhog/glacier_national_park&page=all
 
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