Glacier National Park, MT - August 2014

Big Horn Sheep, Mountain Goats, Grizzly Bears, Oh My!

View from Swiftcurrent Peak

Here's the thing about Glacier:  pictures cannot, and will not, do it justice. The place is gorgeous, it glows... it's mega-fauna filled, wildflower-abundant, u-shaped valley-loaded... and access to alpine areas is easily available by car - and extra bonus. Words do not do it justice either. Just go, see it for yourself. If you're a hiker/backpacker who loves big, grande places, you're sure to fall in love.

Another summer, another trip out West
Each August I plan a 1-week backpacking excursion int he Western US. Most times I've read an article, or seen a picture that inspires me. But Glacier didn't appear in a glossy photo or enticing backpacking article.  Instead, a hiking buddy really, really wanted to go, and my boyfriend had a interest too when asked. So without much photographic inspiration I grabbed a guidebook (with poor photos) and started looking up backpacks and day hikes. I grabbed another faithful hiking buddy and applied early for backpacking permits. We got what we wanted (shocking!), and before I knew it... it was time to pack up and head to Montana.

We had 4 days to cram as many day hikes as we could before our backpack. We traveled to a variety of locations throughout the park, including the Lake McDonald area, Logan Pass Area, Two Medicine, Many Glacier, at St Marys.

Emily hiking through the beargrass

Siyeh Pass
Our first trip was recommended by the cashier at a trinket shop in West Glacier:) The hike starts at Siyeh Bend along the Going to the Sun Road, one of the more challenging feats of road-building in the early 1900s. Thanks to this road, non-hikers and hikers alike can enjoy expansive views as they wind around hairpin turns and steep cliff faces, as one might on a strenuous, above treeline hike. The high point of the road is Logan Pass, as 6646 ft, where you can find a Visitor Center, Ranger station, and a large parking lot filled with cars by 10am.

Misty morning view from Logan Pass

Starting on the Siyeh Bend Trail, you soon end u on the CDT, and finally onto the Siyeh Pass Trail through Preston Park, over the scree-filled pass, and onto a platform with an wide-open view of a giant, U-shaped valley, iron-stained red mountains, several small lakes below, and a fin of rock that Chris and I had to scramble (having seen a few others hike it before us). The fin of rock started on a scree slope, goat trail, and merged into a 2-6 wide foot platform of rock, with a sheer drop on either side. We walked and crawled our way for 20 minutes or so, until we had to jump over a small gap to continue. A natural fear of heights and sheer-cliffs got the best of me here and I called this my limit. We looked around in amazement and crawled out way back to the 5-6 foot wide portion with relief.

That scramble was a thrill I will not soon forget. It's these little off-trail excursions that make hiking out West such a joy. While most trails out East hike to summits, not all trails do out west, unless you put away those poles and engage in a little hand-over-foot crawling.

Siyeh Pass

The hike continued to the other side of the pass via several switchbacks with views of St. Mary Lake below. Upon our decent, some neighboring hikers alerted us that a bear was running above us on the scree. Sure enough that bear was running across the rocks in a blurr of fur and fury, running away from something, but what? He was about to run into another surprise.... hikers, as he was headed for Siyeh pass. Within a minute or two, the same bear was ran by again, in the other direction, and faster, downhill, and soon out of sight. Another thrill of the Siyeh Pass hike! The day was not yet over, as we gorged on huckleberries along the trail down, collected some for breakfast, and gorged some more. All in all, this was an five star hike for views, optional scrambles, treats on the trail and wildlife viewing. That night we ate our first car camp meal and bedded down at Avalanche Creek Campground.

Siyeh Pass (where the people are) and the "fin" to their left

View from the fin

Hiking back along the fin

HIghline Trail
The following morning was sunny and beautiful again, so we decided to hike the Highline Trail to Granite Park, with stops to the Garden Wall view of Grinnel Glacier and Swiftcurrent Mtn. The Highline starts at Logan Pass, and over the length of the hike, hugs the Continental Divide skirting several mountain including Piegan, Pollack, Bishops Cap and Mount Gould. The trail is loaded with open views and wildflowers of all shapes, sizes and colors. The trail drops off steeply to the west tumbling some 4000ft down, with grande views over to Mt Oberlin, Clements and Cannon across the way. Below the trail you can spot cars silently gleaming as they curve round the hairpin turns of Going To The Sun Road. We stopped for lunch at viewing spot and started seeing some wildlife at a distance, including white, shaggy mountain goats, herds of elk, and much closer, Colombian Ground Squirrels, ubiquitous at popular lunch stops in these parts.

Logan Pass & Mt. Oberlin

When the Garden Wall side trail came into view, we plodding up slowly but intently, curious to see what would be at the top. As we reached the  viewpoint, the clouds parted and whoa, Grinnell Glacier lay below us, as did the Salamander (snowfield?), Upper & Lower Grinnell Lakes, Josephine & Swiftcurrent lakes too.  Chris and I decided to scramble a little further up for even better views, which did not disappoint. I could have stayed here for a long, long time, studying the glacier ice, the patterns, and the people far, far below clustered on a beach at some other trail's end.

But we had more of our hike to do, so after a snack and long look we tumbled down the trail towards Granite Park, a collection spot for weary hikers, plunking themselves down on the porch, at the picnic tables, or inside the lodge to purchase snacks. We wasted no time here and instead marched up to Swiftcurrent Mtn, with a manned firepower, spotting goats along the way and hiking through shock of  white, bare trees burned from a forest fire years ago, Finally, finally, got to the top. No one was on the summit or in the tower, but we peeked inside: it was a sweet little firewatch home complete with a bed, stove, desk, library, etc. We sat on the stone steps in amazement of the view one had from here: looking north over the Divide, east to Swiftcurrent Creek & Many Glacier, south to Mt Oberlin and Glacier Wall and west into the Livingston Range. Absolutely outstanding. The view from the Loo wasn't bad either! We parted this peak with much reluctance and visited Granite Park Chalet briefly. This was once a place visitors would come on horseback, stay overnight and enjoy whatever they had for 1920's luxury. Nowadays you can stay overnight in modest bunkhouses or the campground nearby. We high-tailed it from here to Going To The Sun Road, where we grabbed a free shuttle back to our cars (another great thing about Glacier)... but not without a lovely dip in a waterfall at The Loop just before the finish. It was just the thing we needed after a hot, dry decent through an old burn area. Back at the campground, we saw our first black bear saunter though down the road. A moment later, several cars and camera-bedecked couple followed behind.

Grinnell Glacier, and lakes beyond

Dawson Pass
The third day we left Avalanche Creek and drove southeast  to Two Medicine, with a stop at St. Marys Visitor Center. We quickly nabbed a campsite at Two Medicine and squeezed onto the boat across the lake. While we would have loved to hike both Dawson and Pitamakan Pass in the same day, we were tuckered out from hiking 18+ mi the day before. So instead we hiked to Dawson Pass, taking in the jagged peaks of the Lewis Range, Mt Philips, Tinkham and Flinch Peak. We made our way back via boat in a lightning storm (fun!) and took shelter in the local camp store (the only store in Two Medicine) while the rains whipped off the lake. The storm passed quickly and soon we were enjoying dinner and the sunset, walking around the lake where bears could be seen foraging for food on a nearby hillside.

Two Medicine

Dawson Pass view

Soggy Permits  & Plan B
The next morning we drove to Many Glacier in the north east of the park to pick up our permit and day hike in the area. The ranger looked glum and we re-checked the forecast Wed: Chance of rain 90%, Thursday 100%, Friday: 100% (with snow possible)  Saturday: 70%.... and so on. Hmm, this was not good for a 5 day backpack. And on top of it, the rangers re-routed our trip due to bear activity at the Fifty Mountain campground  (a bear walked into someone's tent). The re-route would have been fine, but the forecast looked wet, cold and miserable. A storm of some sort was on its way for sure. The ranger said weather in Glacier is becoming more and more unpredictable these days. Instead having lovely sunny stretches in their short summer, they complain of seeing more rain, more unseasonably cold weather, and yet their glaciers continue to melt at a rapid pace. There were still spots at the campground, so we grabbed a spot for ourselves while we thought about a Plan B.

At Iceberg Lake

After a little scheming and re-packing, we got our packs ready and day-hiked most of the first day of our cancelled backpack. Starting at Many Glacier, we hiked up to a spur trail to Iceberg Lake, a lovely cirque of high-walled rock, cradling a cold lake with large, blue & white ice chunks floating within. We continued up the main trail to Ptarmigan Tunnel, a  tunnel cut through the wall of rock, popping out the other side looking out to Elizabeth Lake and the Belly River area, where our backpack would have gone. Views from the tunnel in either direction we lovely, more red-iron mountain sides, more lakes, peaks, and hardly anyone was around. Gazing at Elizabeth Lake shoreline, I was sad to see the place that we would have been camping. However the next morning, when I awoke to pouring rain, I wasn't all that sad. Nor was I sad to have a hot diner-made breakfast and my first hot shower in a few days right there in Many Glacier.

Ptarmigan Tunnel

View towards Elizabeth Lake

Plan B consisted of leaving the park and driving south to Missoula, where we hoped things would be drier. It was a pleasure to drive out of the clouds and into the sun. The vast Montana, the skies, ever expansive, full of various-shaped clouds, and the ground was different too, tall and wheat-like, golden in color. During our 3.5 day trip, we visited the Museum of Plain Indians on the Blackfeet Reservation, drove through the National Bison Range, stopped in Big Fork for a little shopping, visited The Garden of 1000 Buddahs, and finally reaching Missoula for dinner, a hotel, shopping, cafes hopping, and a few hours at the art museum. We loved Missoula where the small, funky businesses were thriving. We also camped at a nearby State park and chilled out for a day, reading a relaxing with nothing particular planned. By the time our little diversion was over, the weather had cleared in the park so we drove back, got another campsite at Avalanche, and went for a hike to Avalanche Lake and Trail of the Cedars. These were very popular, fairly easy hikes, but thanks to our late start, it wasn't as crowded as a Saturday afternoon hike might be. Trail of the Cedars was particularly lovely and mellow as it passed along an elevated boardwalk through a grove of cedars and other tree species, wide and towering above you.

Bison in the range

Avalanche Lake

After camp dinner we stopped at the Lake McDonald Lodge for a slideshow talk about the power of water (appropriate). The lodge itself looks like a lovely place to stay, its also a great place to visit for ranger talks, last minute purchases at the store, or a longer pause at the HUGE fireplace or lakeside back porch lined with rocking chairs.The interior is a marvel of raw wood, more trees than beams since all the bark is still in tact. Huge animal heads, stuffed and mounted above you are everywhere, it's a little much, but you certainly get that 1920s lodge feel.

Lake McDonald Lodge

The Finale
On our final day, we hiked up the very popular Hidden Lake Trail. This is one of those views you see printed on postcards, fridge magnets, calendars, etc. It's a highly accessible trail out the back of the Logan Pass Visitor's Center, a fairly easy boardwalk-step trail to a viewpoint. But go a little farther, passing where the crowds stop and off the boardwalk, you'll find more trails to higher, farther-flung scrambles, or lower, to the shores of Hidden Lake. We had lunch at the lake and with the help of a visitor's binoculars, spotted 2 more mountain goats perched up high on Bearhat mountain. Just as we were leaving, Chris spotted a mother goat and her baby galloping towards us on the open landscape, what a treat! We hiked out to the cars for the last time, catching a plane home to Boston that afternoon. Even a month later, I still think about the animals we saw, the views I enjoyed in the excellent company of friends, and I smile with a longing to go back, and see more... there is so much more to see!

Glacier is an epic place, truly a gem of the US National Park System. And another whole section of the park went unexplored by us: Waterton Lakes NP in Canada.  Both parks make up the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park World Heritage Site, where two nations have come together to protect this beauty of a landscape. While I can't speak for the backpacking experience (yet), the day hike experience was one of the best I've ever experienced in the US... and backpacking could only get wilder, more secluded, with views that photos won't do justice.

Bearhat Mountain and Hidden Lake

Rainier National Park, WA (AMC August Camp)

Two Trips Our West, August 2014

A Little History
For the past 7 years, I've been leading hiking trips for 1 week with Appalachian Mountain Club's August Camp, a 4-week overnight camp for adults. Each year the AMC relocates to another western state (years past include: Wyoming, Oregon, British Columbia, Canada, and Washington). For the last 5 of those years I've extended my western stay to enjoy a week-long backpack with friends. This year I lead 1 week at the majestic Rainier National Park, WA, and another week in Glacier National Park, MT. Two amazing places in just 2 weeks.

AMC August Camp - A Brief Intro
It all started back when the AMC was first formed in the late 1800s; hikers and their families gathered for the month of August and camped out in Maine to explore new hiking territory. These days August Camp lasts from mid July to mid August, exploring the hiking trails out west. First, the August Camp Committee finds itself a nice place to set up camp for over 80 people: about 60 campers, 8 hike leaders, 8 croo members who cook and feed the campers, a Camp Manager, their Assistant & the Camp Director. Once a camp is found, 30 large, Alaska-style tents with 2 cots in each are set up to house the campers. Second: The rest of camp is set up by the Croo- a college age, vivacious group of mostly New England kids. Other than tents, the Portapottys appear on the campground, along with a large Kitchen Tent where all meals are made, a Dishwashing station, a Lunch Tent, a Dining Tent, a Tea Tent (coffee too), a Circus Tent for Happy Hour gathering and a Leader Tent for hiking trip masterminding. Other amenities include a Mailbox if you have things to mail and a firepit for campfire each night.

The AMC  provides transport from the local airport to the camp itself, and we use those vans to get to our trailheads all month long. Once campers arrive and settle into their tents, we have our first dinner & campfire together. Each evening the activities are announced at campfire, at which point campers sign up for what they want . By the next morning the activity sheets are handed out to the leaders, vans are allocated to each trip, and after breakfast you meet with your leader, hop into a van and drive off to your trail head. Dinner is served upon your return at 6:30pm, campfire starts at 8:00, and it starts all over again.

Mt. Rainier National Park
August Camp has camped at the same Rainier location, near Packwood, WA for several times over the past 20 years or so. Its an excellent camp, just a few miles off the main drag from town, yet hidden away enough to make it a quiet, secluded camp, complete with a cool river running within a 5 min walk away.

The weather was hot in Washington when we arrived (in the 90˚F), and while it rained more than it usually does at that time, it never spoiled our hikes.

For my first trip I took a group of 12 to Comet Falls, an easy day hike within the park, about 3 miles RT. Each hike leader is destined to lead 1-2 easy hikes, 1-2 moderate hikes and 1-2 advanced hikes -s o this was one of my easy days. The falls are tall and beautiful from a distance, but you can get up close and personal, or right in it if you dare! The cold mist and strong breeze from the falling water kept me from approaching it any closer than 15 feet, but it felt great on a hot day. After the hike we want to the Sunshine Visitor Center where you can gaze up at The Mountain and stare into the crevasses ever shifting.

Comet Falls, MRNP

The second hike I led went to Jennings Peak in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, a lovely hike to view Mt. Adams, Mt. Rainier and Mt St. Helens on a clear day. The hike gets you above treeline within a few miles and continues along a ridgeline until you finally decide it's time to turn around. The huckleberries were in full bounty when we were there, so much of the way down we were eating fistfuls of delicious berries, including salmonberries and raspberries.

Views near Jennings Peak, GRW

The third hike I lead was one of my favorites, to Mt. Margaret & Norway Pass, a great place to view Mt St. Helens from, just across from Spirit Lake. The hike is located within the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and very much shows the signs of a mountain that blew back in 1984. While there is some recovery growth, it will be many years before the land looks like it once did in before eruption. Trees still lay like matchsticks all over the hills, miles away from the mountain itself. Dead trees also lay in Spirit Lake, the wind pushing them from one end of the lake to another like a giant white blanket that partially covers the lake. Grass, berries, shrubs and even wildflowers have claimed their stake on the hills amongst the downed trees. The hike took us through it all and quickly up above the trees with excellent views of Mt St Helens and it's blown-open side. The final pitch of the hike was an interesting scamper, and views were magnificent in all directions from the top. After lunch we headed down, hearing thunder in the distance. Lightening came into view just before we finished out hike, and the rain hit just as we jumped into our vans and didn't stop until the following morning, how happy we were to finish when we did!

Mt. St. Helens & Spirit Lake

The following day we took a trip to Yakima. Despite the fact that it's desert,  there are orchards abound for apples, cherries, peaches, you name it, Yakima is growing it! We toured the city and took our first showers in a few days at the local YMCA for only $2 each, with towels:)

Mt. Margaret

Thursday was my day off, so I jumped on the trip to Goat Lake in the Goat Rocks Wilderness. Fellow leader and friend Michele and I were supposed to lead a backpacking trip to this location, but the weather was iffy the day it was planned, so we decided to join Phil on a dayhike version instead. It was a 14 mi day and well worth the effort! Hiking up the trail through the clouds, we came to a ridgewalk full of wildflowers and occasional views through the clouds. Upon reaching the bowl, we peered down at Goat Lake, still frozen over even in mid August. We clambered down to the lake side and walked around it, down the hill into SNowgrass Flats and hiked among fields of Bear Grass, Lupine, Indian Paintbrush, Hippies on a Stick, Purple Aster and more. Once again we made it to the vans just as the rains began.

Lupine in Goat Rocks Wilderness

View near Goat Lake

Frozen over Goat Lake (and my GG QuikSak)

Hippies on a Stick

My last hike was a highlight for many, to Camp Muir on Mt Rainier. This camp is the stopping point for most mountaineers who attempt the summit of The Mountain. Here they set up camp, acclimate to the 10,188 ft air, and prepare their things for an early morning ascent the next day. The hike starts on the pedestrian, paved walkway that winds tourists from the Paradise Inn & Henry M Jackson Visitor's Center parking lot to a viewpoint on the mountain perfect for viewing the rock and snow ahead, wildflowers and friendly Marmots. Eventually the pavement ends and snow drifts cover the path. Then back to dirt, a stream crossing, and suddenly, the giant Muir Snowfield lays ahead. The trek continues up the snowfield with no markings other than a few snow wands left behind by other mountaineering groups and the National Park Rangers. 

Marmot

After a brief lunch break along some large rocks in the middle of the snowfield, our group made it to Camp Muir, a jumble of rock buildings for mountaineers, certified alpine guides and their clients. We lounged around, soaking in the sites of their huge packs and specialized technical gear for crossing the gaping crevasses exposed in August. We gathered for a few group pictures and soon said goodbye to Camp Muir. The view was mostly clouded in, though we could see a heavenly view of clouds, the snowfield and smiling-faces of hikers and alpine climbers enjoying their time at Camp. 

Hiking Up to Camp Muir

The best part of descending a snowfield is the butt sledding your way down. I could see the track already forming from parties before us, just to the side of the footsteps we made going up. I taught a few of our group the fine techniques of making your butt into a mode of transport, and while a few were slow to start, there wasn't a single person who wasn't grinning ear to ear down at the bottom, soaked through with snow.

Muir Snowfield

Camp Muir Compound

The colorful gang at Camp Muir hut

Butt-sledding down

All in all, August Camp at Mt. Rainier was a fantastic trip. While it was the busier of the two parks I visited this August (as it's an easy 2.5 hour drive from Seattle), you can avoid the tourist crowds by hiking on weekdays, or by visiting the excellent Goat Rocks Wilderness or Mt. St. Helens.

See the next writeup for my adventures in Glacier National Park...coming soon!

Dixville Notch - Cohos Section Hiking Backpack

A Section Hiking Adventure 

Section #6, August/September 2014

Dixville Notch is known for it's jagged cliffs, flume & waterfall, as well as Table Rock, a lofty outlook over the narrow notch and The Balsams Resort, located across the street. As our group hiked farther and farther away from home (and closer to finishing in Canada), we decide to make this section into a 3-day backpack in two groups (as North and South bounders) with a key swap in the middle. Each member kept one car key for themselves, and gave an an extra key to one person in the other group before departing. By driving each other's cars from our pre-hike campground to either ends of the hike, we were able to hike our sections towards one another, exchange the duplicate keys as we passed each other in the middle of the backpack, and continue on to our respective cars, without the need of car swapping at the end.

Friday night we met up at a Big Rock Campground in North Stratford, NH, which was about a close as we could get to a "middle" location for both north and south-bound group. We had 10 people in all so we split into 2 groups of 5. I took the Southbound group north to Coleman State Park for the beginning of our section, while Mike drove south to start where we last left off on Nash Stream Road.

Coleman State Park was a lovely place, and not all that full despite the long Labor Day Weekend. It has a campground, a few lakes to boat, paddle and swim in, a nice bath house and hiking trails all around - and the Cohos goes right through it! Our group made quick work of the 5 mi hike up to the Panorama Shelter, which was our intended place to camp. The views here were lovely but it was so early we decided to have lunch here carry on to Dixville Notch /RT 26 road crossing, where we had spotted an extra car on our way.

Panaomara lunch spot

Dixville viewpoint

 We soon found ourselves at the Notch looking south at the jagged cliffs with windmills turning behind it on Dixville Peak. We had a few good views of teh Balsams along the way and had a look at Dixville Flume, Whittemore Picnic area and Huntington Falls. A few hardy settlers lived in Dixville Notch long ago and their graves still stand as a reminder of their struggle to survive and  how easy we have it these days.

Notch info sign

Gravestones of the early settlers of Dixville Notch

It was only 4pm and we had the time, so up we went, collecting water and finding a camp spot close to Table Rock itself. The views from Table Rock are lovely and I can see why this is such a popular destination for those visiting the notch. There are 3 different trails that take you up, 2 of which are easy and one is quite steep. The "table" itself is a more like a narrow island that juts out into the notch lending to a very airy feeling, not for the squeamish of heights and edges. The light was perfect and with hardly a breeze, we languished on the ledge, cooking dinner and watching as the sun set behind mountains to our west in Vermont. Chris brought out the cheese the cracker appetizers and everything was good!

The Balsams Resort (closed, planned re-opening in the coming years)

Table Rock

Dinner on Table Rock

View of Notch form Table Rock

The next morning we woke to a light rain shower. Chris and I set up a tarp quickly and saved our group a dry spot to commune for breakfast. Once we were packed up to go, the showers subsided and off we went towards Dixville Peak. We hoped to come across our other half soon and we were wondering how their north-bound trip was going.

Hike/Skiing on Dixville Peak

We hiked past Dixville ski area, stopping to checkout the surroundings and now closed ski hill. The map didn't show anew Dixville Pk bypass, so while we tried heading up to the summit in the clouds and fog, we felt we were off trail and headed down on the CT  where the other half of our group had just stopped for a rest. We exchanged hiking stories, keys, notes and tips for the trails ahead while a group of ATV riders drove by up the road to the clouded in peak. After a brief interlude, we went our separate ways, excited about what lay ahead.

We continued on to Baldhead South Lean To - our intended place for camp. The trail was a slog, a little rough, muddy, but not too hard to find. Once again enjoyed a shelter lunch break, and with the break in the weather we carried on another 11 miles or so to our cars at the end. The trail beyond the shelter was even rougher, and beautiful with fields of wildflowers sometimes as high as our faces. Around 6pm we got to the end adn our cars. We dumped our tent and  slept at Old Hermit Shelter, just one mile south on the trail (we had visited this shelter in a rain storm in July). This turned out to be a brilliant plan...while it didn't rain  from that point on, we enjoyed a new, clean shelter with water nearby and plenty of space to spread out, cook and sleep in. Chris once again thrilled us all with his tomato and onion salad appetizer, cheese and crackers too. We had come a long way so it was well deserved.

 

The following morning we summited Sugarloaf, and although the weather-gods weren't quite with us, we enjoyed a clouded in summit with the sun shining above us. To finish it off, we washed up & swam in Nash Stream, ate a big lunch at the Woodstock Inn and enjoyed some local ice cream too.

Next summer, we hope to finish up or Cohos adventure by hiking the last 50+/- miles to Canada!

All pics from this trip are on my Flickr page