Glacier National Park Chat

Well beings I don't do a lot of hiking in the park, especially since I hurt my back so bad a few years ago, but I was wondering....

What is your favorite trail in Glacier, and why?

Let me know your thoughts..and if you have pictures, please feel free to post along with your narrative!

Dave

Well, I honestly have not hiked the majority of the trails in the park. Ever since Balou44 introduced me to the GMS I have focused on elevating. That being said, the Dawson-Pitamakin loop is still my favorite trail/hike. The views are out of this world.

That's a hard question, but I might say the hike from Swiftcurrent Valley up to the Swiftcurrent Lookout. Later that evening, you can sit on the porch at Many Glacier Hotel, spot the tiny tower on the edge of the peak as the sun sets, and think "I was just up there".

Dave,

This thread has a lot of what you're asking for....

http://glacier.nationalparkschat.com/ph ... f=2&t=4620

My favorite trail so far in the park, and not just my favorite determined by what I think is the best trail in general. But rather, as an actual one time experience, has to be MG Entrance to Red Gap Pass to Ptarmigan Tunnel to MG. July of 1998... I started at the Many Glacier entrance station at 1pm with my friend Ty and another guy, who's name escapes me. Just at the top of that switch back free trail (steep!) we had a face to face with a sub adult flash of a bear....we'll say it was a griz . He took off so fast it was comical.

After a small recovery of nerves we trudged past Poia Lake washing our faces in every spot we could. Finally at the top of Red Gap Pass we leaned something like 45 degrees into the wind laughing as rocks the size of flat marbles whizzed past our face. Then marveled at the huge wisps of water being swept up and dropped like rain back down onto Kennedy Lake.

I think its around 7pm now and we have something like 12 miles left. We dropped down from the pass, glad to be out of the wind and talking about how awesome Elizabeth Lake would be if we only had our sleeping bags. Then past the junction we start up yet another pass. We are in the shadows now and we are thinking that just pass Ptarmigan Tunnel is where we will encounter darkness. Perfect...lets walk through a valley with a lot of grizzlies, at night! So we are tired and silent about half way up to the tunnel when Ty says...."you hear that?" Ya hold on, let me tell my heart to be quiet. Sure enough there is this wooof wooof sound. I say, "I think thats a bear!" he spots it just below us. There are 2 adult grizzlies fighting back and forth over a horse carcass. It was the most mesmerizing thing I've ever witnessed and we must have stood there an hour just watching in silence, with an occasional giggle. A few days back a lady on her horse, which stumbled and fell over the cliffs, died. The bears where feeding on what remained of the horse.

Because of the fading light we moved on. It was just about pitch black as we entered the tunnel. Ty had a pen light on his key chain and I had a head lamp. Might as well flick a spent bic the whole way down. It was the loudest darkest trail I've ever hiked in Glacier. Hey Yogi and Hey Boo Boo the whole way down. We stumbled into Swiftcurrent at 1am and begged the security guard to drive us to the Hotel as our legs were spent. We made it just in time to get a Tombstone pizza and a pitcher of beer at the employee lounge. And to top it off a drunk mgh employee spilled a beer on me, yay. Then another ride to the entrance station from a security guard and a drive back to East Glacier at 3am though cattle country with open range in effect. Good times!

And that is why Red Gap Pass to Ptarmigan Tunnel is my favorite trail

Well Apikuni-that is some story. You must have been a young, foolhardy, employee. My favorite trail? I'd have to say Belly River to Mokawanis Lake. That was the first BP trip my husband and I did without my brother, Tim to guide us. We would have gone further but could not attain back country permits. And of course bears were part of the experience.

Apikuni wrote:My favorite trail so far in the park, and not just my favorite determined by what I think is the best trail in general. But rather, as an actual one time experience, has to be MG Entrance to Red Gap Pass to Ptarmigan Tunnel to MG. July of 1998... I started at the Many Glacier entrance station at 1pm with my friend Ty and another guy, who's name escapes me. We stumbled into Swiftcurrent at 1am and begged the security guard to drive us to the Hotel as our legs were spent....
And that is why Red Gap Pass to Ptarmigan Tunnel is my favorite trail

How long do you estimate that trail to be? Oftentimes when hiking, we find a little longer/more challenging route for my boys to take while my husband and I take the "easy" way. I was wondering if we might drop the boys off at the MG entrance and they could do this while Dave and I drive to MG to do the Iceburg Lake/Ptarmigan Tunnel hike as an out and back. I'm gathering from your post it is "doable" as a long dayhike.

It is right around 22 miles from the entrance station. We did it in about 12 hours. Seems like it would be perfect for what your thinking. You could even time it to meet them at the tunnel and hike back with them. Have fun!

For me it would be hard to top the hike from Glenn's Lake (head) up to Stoney Indian Pass, BUT Dawson/Pit is right up there too...OH, and Grinnell Glacier is no slouch either....

Tough choices, I like the Glenn's to Stoney mentioned earlier, but...............nothing to me beats getting into Hole in the Wall. The route from Waterton Lake is nice and surprisingly easy and once in the range of hole, stunning scenery all around.

That was an incredible story. Not sure if I would have had enough nerve to watch them. Guess I would have to be there to judge the distance.

My favorite hike would have to be the hockey ref hike. The views were incredible. I got some bad blisters so the last flat part back to the hotel hurt like hell. But it was worth it. I hope to do the Dawson-Pitamakin loop this year. Maybe that will beat it.
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Wow, Apikuni...quite the adventure!

My favorite right now may by Shangri-La...I love that you don't see anyone else on the trail and I love getting up on the slopes of Mt. Wilbur, my favorite mountain in Glacier. It's not a hard or long hike (except the cliffs and the scree slope descent) but I love it.

My favorite trail in the park is the one that I choose to take on any given day. Each trail is unique and there is always something new to get my attention.

Kintla lake trail is one of my favs. Mostly to the lack of people and its just so quiet up there.

Topics like this are lots of fun to read.

I have a long list of favorites, but in terms of on-trail routes, the trail segments that connect two mountain passes seem to be Glacier's best:

1. Between Brown Pass and Boulder Pass;
2. Between Gunsight Pass and Lincoln Pass; and
3. Between Pitamakan Pass and Dawson Pass.

My absolute favorites, though, are a couple of off-trail routes:

1. Ptarmigan tunnel to Ahern Pass; and
2. Logan Pass to Sperry (Floral Park).