Glacier National Park: Don't Tell Anybody
Written: May 12 '00 (Updated Jun 04 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Intimate views of beautiful mountains
Cons: Not near an interstate (also a pro!--fewer tourists)
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| Horswispr's Full Review: Glacier National Park |
Glacier National Park, in Northern Montana, is one of my favorite spots in the country. It is less well known than such treasures as Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, but it is no less beautiful. The nice thing about it is that it's a little out of the way, so it's not as crowded as many other National Parks. I highly recommend you seek it out, but don't tell too many people about it.
The first thing to do if you go to Glacier (once you've found a camp site or motel room--not always easy to do) is drive over Going to the Sun Road. This drive takes you over Logan Pass and affords amazingly intimate views of the mountains, several lakes, waterfalls, and even one glacier.
The next thing to do is drive up the eastern rim of the Park to the Many Glacier area and visit Many Glacier Hotel, a large and majestic hotel constructed with local lodgepole pine. From the Hotel deck, you can see Swiftcurrent Lake, with Grinnell Glacier, Salamander Glacier, and Little Gem Glacier in the distance. It's an unforgettable sight.
Next, you must plan some hikes, boat rides, or climbs, depending on your age and stamina.
I would recommend starting with a short hike or two. There are several short (1 to 3 mile) hikes in the Many Glacier area, and in the St. Marys, Logan Pass and Lake MacDonald areas. Once you get your hiking feet, there are many wonderful hikes in the 10 to 20 mile range.
A good short hike is called Avalanche Lake and begins a mile or two East of Lake MacDonald Lodge, on the West side of the Park. Because the West side of the park is wetter than the east, you find yourself in a lush forest as soon as you begin this hike, with fern all along the ground. For those who are wheel chair bound, there is a wooden walkway that runs (I believe) in a circle for the first 1/2 mile or so of this hike.
Once you leave this walkway, you head toward Avalanche Lake along side a beautiful creek that sparkles in the sunshine when the hour is right. Avalanche lake itself is pretty, but not as spectacular as some of the lakes you'll encounter on some of Glacier's longer hikes. I'd estimate the round trip to be about 2 to 3 miles. Bring a lunch, some fluids, and a camera. I have run into deer on this trail.
One of my favorite longer (but not marathon) day hikes starts at Many Glacier Hotel (Northeast side of the Park) and winds up ON Grinnell Glacier. On this hike, to which you should devote a whole day, you walk through beautiful forest, gradually rising above, to look down at three lakes, then approaching the three glaciers perched, at varying heights, on the East side of the "Garden Wall," a sheer mountain which is actually the Continental Divide. To your left and ahead of you is Mount Gould, the rock-like mountain which finds its way onto many postcards. When I first took this hike, as a young teenager, my thought was that it reminded me of the cover of a "Yes" album.
For this hike, you must pack a lunch and plenty of fluids, as it's probably a 15 mile round trip. Also pack a wool sweater, as surprise afternoon thunder storms are not uncommon. Finally, a serious warning: hiking toward Grinnell Glacier is hiking through bear country. ALWAYS talk loudly with your hiking partners, as bears tend to flee humans if they hear us coming.
Another great medium-range hike is the hike FROM Logan Pass along the WEST side of the Garden Wall. You leave the Logan Pass Visitor Center, cross the road, and hike north along a high trail, with mountains unfolding before you to the North, and Lake MacDonald gradually appearing to the west in the distance. You can head back toward the road via a trail that heads past one of Glacier's famous mountain "Chalets," or you can retrace your footsteps back to Logan Pass. I think this one is about a 12 mile hike.
This trail is also the route to take for those who want to climb Mt. Gould, a 9500 ft peak with unbelievable views. The climb involves about 2000 feet of vertical, selecting routes up low cliffs, until you reach the top. From the top of Gould, you can look DOWN on the three glaciers referred to earlier. There's also a more modest trail you can take which affords a peak over the Continental Divide, back toward the Many Glacier area to the east. Gould is a non-technical climb--no ropes or any such necessary--but you have to be in pretty decent shape to do it.
For those who want to be able to say they climbed a mountain with minimal effort, there is Mt. Oberlin, from Logan Pass. Mt. Oberlin is the smallest of the three peaks which surround the Visitor Center, and it can be climbed, round trip, in 3 to 5 hours. The view from the top is really nice, and you will often run into mountain goats on this climb, who seem almost to be laughing at us as we struggle over terrain on which they appear to dance.
Note: I just (6/4) added the paragraphs about the Avalanche Lake trail, and I will come back again to this review and add to it as I think of other hikes and climbs to recommend.
Glacier (Actually, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park) is a great place to visit, especially while you're young enough (under 80 or so--I ran into a couple well into their 60s on the way to Sexton Glacier one summer) to enjoy the backcountry.
To be continued...
Recommended:
Yes
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