Off to Glacier - Any tips??

[shadowcat]

Finally the day is arriving! My first big vacation in - well a long time & I'm so psyched I can hardly sit still.
I'm just curious if anyone has been to Glacier and can offer up some things to do or see - off the tourist pathways. We are going at a good time - right after labor day and I've read about the usual places to see - which abound & don't get me wrong sound awesome. But there's always those special "secret" places people find out about - places we have here like : blue ledges, elk lake, mountain bike trails - things you hear about via the grapevine or from the locals.
anything we def should not miss.
also i'm curious - if you've been there and you saw any bears / grizzlies. i've got the bear spray & air horns but just curious. i'm usually pretty fearless but grizzlies as much as i'd love to see one & snap it's photo - in reality, i'd rather not

 

[maineguy]

Bear spray...

Bring lots of pepper spray. We saw a grizzly on the Going to the Sun Road.

Last time I needed pepper spray for grizzlies (in Banff 2 years ago) I bought it locally. I don't think you can bring it on a plane (checked baggage). I remember checking the TSA rules, and the quantity you are permitted to pack is very small, probably the sizes used for personal defense against humans, not grizzlies. I then mailed the spray back home at the end of the trip.

 

[1ADAM12]

Yeah take a lot of pictures

 

[dentonfabrics]

Geez, Glacier -- where do I start? First of all, get a good guide book. I found this one to be right on....

http://www.amazon.com/Glacier-Water...7282856?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188994430&sr=8-5

...and I wish I could tell you "insider" tricks but really, EVERYTHING we did was 5 stars. There are no bad times in Glacier.

Some hikes we did:

Avalanche Lake is a great short hike and the view is representative of the park. Piegan Pass (~9 mi.) is a great hike leading to a bright aqua lake and the hike to Cobalt Lake (~11 mi) is also a winner. Check out the pics below.

We also rented a raft from a local outfitter (sorry, cant recall the name) and floated down the East Branch of the Flathead River (nothing stronger than quickwater) which turned out to be a great off-day event for tired legs.

Other than that, you'll enjoy the biking as long as you enjoy steep climbs. I cant recommend a place to stay - we made a poor choice there. And I didnt find any restaurants worth talking about either. We couldnt find a good steak out there.

As to the earlier posts, hell yeah, bring a camera -- or hire a film crew; photo ops unlimited. And dont bother with pepper spray for griz. Spitballs would have the same effect on them. We didnt see any bears at all though, which was fine with us. Mule deer by the dozens, however. Tons of mule deer.

You'll definately enjoy the trips. I'll repost if I can think of anything else you'd need to know.....


bob

 

[shadowcat]

Dentonfabrics...

how long did it take to hike out to piegan pass? (sp??) that's so awesome.
they tell me the bees have been bad this year. man mother nature is out of whack. also i think what will be the most worrissome is we love to do night hikes or at least hike out at night around here - which we take for granted. glacier guides have said no way you do that there. highly NOT recommended. that's kind of a bummer bec i just bet the nights are so beautiful. but we have rented a cabin right in w. glacier (off vrbo - brown's cabin) & i guess there's a few small hikes close by plus a huge golf course we can go hang out in at night to view the CLEAR night sky.
i do hope the spray i bought doesn't get confiscated. northwest said no problem but now we are on united. i'm going to call bec i still have time to mail it via priority. i only paid $26 for it and they are around $60 otherwise so i def don't want to replace it. hey when i get back if we didn't have to use it - i'll sell it to anyone else who may be heading out! of course if we had to use it.........

 

[HikerAmiga]

That's awesome that your getting to visit there! Actually, BoB on this forum is just returning from there today and I can only imagine the wonderful adventures he and his buddy must have had!!

Good luck!!

 

[Kevin Rooney]

The only bit of advice I'd give you is ... relax. You can't see it all in one trip, and that's OK. Whatever you do there you won't regret, and you'll promise yourself to go back soon.

It's not called "the Crown Jewell of the Continent" for nothing.

 

[shadowcat]

Which Bob?

Which Bob? I may drop him an email for updates. I know we lucked out bec they are closing the Going 2 the sun Rd. the day before we leave to come home. Also I know there's been fires burning that have smokied up the skies but I've heard the skies have been pretty clear latelyand weather sounds great. One thing i thought was weird was they said the bees were really bad - I'd really be interested in chatting w/ Bob so if anyone knows his forum name I can email him directly.
This is my first big hiking trip being in mountains of this magnitude since taking up hiking so you can just imagine how i must feel. I luv our Daks & if that's all i ever got to climb i could die peacefully so all this is just icing on the cake.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Went to Yosemite for a few hours earlier today, and when we passed some of the Thule Elk herd south of Big Pine, CA I thought of this thread. I've not been to Glacier during the rut, so I don't know how many there are, if any. The NPS could tell you, but in the event there is a herd, watching the big bulls create harems and all the jockying and antics that go on is fascinating. It's early in the rut. Still noisy though - when you hear the high-pitched call/whistle of a mature bull it can carry a very long ways.

Anyway, if there's an elk herd at Glacier, try to find where you're likely to find it and plan on spending some time watching. The bulls are quite adept at separating mature cows from immature (this years) heifers and young males.

 

[dentonfabrics]

how long did it take to hike out to piegan pass? (sp??)

Well, every hike (11 miles or otherwise) that I did in Glacier is easier than any hike of a similar distance that I've done in the Whites. From what I've experienced, the trails out there are much smoother than what we've become used to -- better footing, fewer roots and rocks to negotiate -- so I'm sure you'll find that if you hike 10 miles in Glacier, you'll do it quicker and your legs wont be as sore as if you hiked, say, 10 miles on Signal Ridge Trail.


bob

 

[escapee]

Just spent 6 days in Bob Marshall, followed by 2 in Glacier. For a great hike of about 10 miles, drive to Many Glacier Hotel on the east side of the park, hike the trails along Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine, and up to the Grinnell Glacier, which you can walk on (I did) and views of others. If your feet are sore, you can take about 4 miles off the walking distance by taking tour boats on the lakes. Check schedule. Dinner at the Many Glacier Hotel is reasonably priced, and view of sunset over continental divide is fantastic.

Second day we took tour boat on Two Medicine Lake, short hike to Upper Two Medicine Lake. Nice 5 mile or so walk to a basin with views of the continental divide.

Some grizzly scat on the trails. A lot depends on whether berry bushes in the area are bearing fruit. TSA regs forbid bear spray larger than 4 oz. (the cans are 8 oz. or more) in carry-on or checked luggage. I bought mine in Kalispell, and donated it to the US National Park Service as I left Glacier. It's tax deductible.

Take lots of pictures. It's a trip of a lifetime.

 

[dvbl]

...And dont bother with pepper spray for griz. Spitballs would have the same effect on them...

shadowcat, asking strangers on this or any other outdoors internet site for advice about where to hike, eat, raft, stay, fish, etc, is cool and can be amazingly helpful. And even by chance if it's bad advice, it's rarely harmful.

However, when it comes to carrying bear spray while hiking in prime grizzly country...please be very weary of internet advice; instead, listen to people who know what they're talking about and have actual experience. Read books (Stephen Herrero's Bear Attacks, for example), or reports of bear attack survivors, or reports of people who have thwarted an attack using bear spray, or talk to rangers in Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff, Jasper, etc. Spending an hour on the phone with a few rangers and/or scanning through books/newspapers/magazines in the local library is time well spent.

Hiking in grizzly country is beautiful and amazing and exciting, but it's not a joke. Again, on this topic, please only listen to people who know what they're talking about.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I'd agree with dvbl, up to a point - on bear behavior, check with the locals, and I can't emphasize this enough. This is particular true with black bears. I've read that genetically, they're identical. However, black bears in the east are timid, and if you make yourself appear larger, make eye contact, etc they're gone. In the west, however, you may be given quite different advice, and specifically NOT to make eye contact or do anything that challenges the bear. In no way are they as aggressive as a grizzley, a Kodiak or a brown, but still - talk to a local ranger if you're going to be in the backcountry. Don't get it out of a book, or from the internet.

 

[DougPaul]

but still - talk to a local ranger if you're going to be in the backcountry. Don't get it out of a book, or from the internet.

IMO, a book can be good for general background, but one should still check with the local rangers. Occasionally there is a nasty or habituated bear in some region and only the locals can clue you in.

I hiked in Glacier before anybody even thought about bear spray. Attacks then as now were rare with a little bit of care on the part of the hikers.

Doug

 

[shadowcat]

I'm Off....

Thanx For All The Info - And I'm Soon To Be Outta Here.
The Weather Looks Perfect- I Don't Think It Could Look More Perfect! And Our Cabin (more Like A House For Crying Out Loud) Looks Beautiful -- Even Comes With A Guitar & Piano. Not That I Play Either But Ya Never Know & Is Within Walking Distance To The W. Glacier Entrance.
I've Been Packing & Taking Stuff Out Only To Put Something Else In. I'm Sure I'm Over Weight & Probably Overpacked & Won't Use 1/2 Of What I'm Taking But Hey I'm A Girl & That's Just How I Am.... Besides I'd Rather Have It & Not Use It Then Not Have It & Wish I Did Right?
Boy That 4am Alarm Is Going To Come Early - I'm Probably Not Even Going To Get Any Sleep Tonite! Can You Tell I Friggin Psyched?
Later....
Bj