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3 Nights in Glacier recommendations…


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Home Forums Campfire Trip Planning 3 Nights in Glacier recommendations…

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  • #3575019
    Tom D
    BPL Member

    @nitebag

    Hi, I’m sure this topic has been covered before but I’m new here and can’t seem to find the thread. I’m planning a three night trip to Glacier and I’m looking for recommended routs. There will be a maximum of 4 of us going and all are capable of up to 15 mile days though I don’t necicarilly want to push hard every day. The dates will be July 14th through the 17th and unfortunately can’t change as we will be flying in and out. My initial thought is to apply for:

    day 1- Logan Pass to Granite Park

    day 2- Granite Park to Fifty Mountain

    day 3- Fifty Mountain to Flattop

    day 4- Flattop back to Logan Pass

    Second choice would be the same loop in reverse.

    After that I’m clueless so any recomendations would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you!

    T

    #3577394
    Josiah Grothe
    BPL Member

    @sportsguy16171

    The route you have is good one, but in my opinion I think you would be missing some of the best things that Glacier has to offer (mountain lakes, rivers/streams, etc.) with those locations. One other thought I have is that if youare cpable of 15 mile days the proposed route will result in some very short days of no more the 2.5-4 hours of hiking assming a 2-3 MPH pace. Having said that I tend to be more distance and speed oriented (20-30 miles per day) when I hike so take my suggestions with that in mind

    An additional thing to take into consideration with Glacier is that it can be difficult to gain site permits during the busy season. Make sure you have multiple itinerary options on your application to maximize your chances of getting a reservation. If all else fails still go on your planned dates and just make sure you are at the backcounty office an hour before it opens as they keep a certain amount of campsite available for walk-ins on a first-come-first-served basis. This is actually what I have had to do for every trip I have taken to Glacier as I have never been lucky enough to get a reservation.

    With all of the above being said here are some additional route options that I think are exceptional in what they bring to the table.

    Option 1: This one is a classic route that can be difficult to snag permits for. It can also be done in reverse if you should so choose.

    Day 1 Many Glacier Lodge to Fifty Mountain. 19.5 This would be a very long day but once you get over Swiftcurrent Pass it is actually  a pretty easy hike from Granite Lodge to Fifty.

    Day 2 Fifty Mountain to Glenns Lake HD 14.4 Miles

    Day 3 Glends Lake HD Lake Elizabeth (ELF) 7.2 Miles

    Day 4 Lake Elizabeth to Many Glacier via Ptrarmigan Tunnel 8.5 Miles

     

    Option 2: A slight variation on option 1 with you spending a night at Stoney Indian Pass (which in my mind is one of the coolest campsites in the park and has one of the 5 best pit toilets I’ve ever used). This one could also be reversed or days 1 and 2 altered slightly to change your mileage.

    Day 1 Many Glacier to Granite Park Chalet 7.6 Miles

    Day 2 Granite Park to Stoney Indian Pass 20.1 This would be a hard day with the final climb up to Stoney Indian being quite difficult but with an early start it would be very doable.

    Day 3 Stoney Indian to Lake Elizabeth 10.3 Miles

    Day 4 Lake Elizabeth to Many Glacier via Ptarmigan Tunnel 8.5

     

    Option 3: This one would have you setting up a base camp at Glens Lake FT and day hiking out from there which give you the benefit of essentially no pack weight on days 2 and 3.

    Day 1 Many Glacier to Glens Lake FT via Ptarmigan Tunnel 15.7 to set up base camp.

    Day 2 Hike up to Stoney Indian Pass and back to camp 17.6 Miles

    Day 3 Hike to a little lake south of Mokowanis Lake (I am currently forgetting the name) and then back to camp. Between 10-12 Miles

    Day 4 Glens Lake Lower to Many Glacier 15.7

     

    Option 4: This one requires hiring a taxi to take you up to Kintla Lake while leaving your car at Lake McDonald. However, it does allow you to access some of the more unsed areas of the park which has some great appeal.

    Day 1 Taxi Ride to Kintla Lake trailhead and then hike to Bould Pass  17.2 Miles

    Day 2 Boulder Pass to Waterton River or Goat Haunt 13.7-14.2 Miles depending on campsite

    Day 3 WAT or GOA to Fifty Mountain 11.1 Miles

    Day 4 Fifty Mountain to road via Flat Top Mountain 12 Miles. Then take the shuttle back to your car at Lake McDonald

     

    I know the mileages on these are a bit more than the route you proposed, but I have done some variation of all these options and can say from personal experience that they are completely worth the effort. Keep your pack weight to under 30 lbs at the high end and between 16-20 lbs if at all possible and it is definitely achievable.

    Best of luck.

     

    #3577406
    Tom D
    BPL Member

    @nitebag

    Wow, Thank you so much Josiah! I will definitely look into those options. My only concern is that I think early reservations are limited to a maximum of 16 miles between camps per day. I think I read that somewhere so I’ll have to do some more research. If that is the case, I’ll try my hand at a walk up permit. Thank you so much for the multiple options.

    – Tom

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