initial clothing purchase

Some comments:

I find Cap 2 to be more versitile than Cap 1.

Sept in Glacier can be cold! A cap 2 LS, Driclime, rain coat, and puffy vest is the minimum I'd take.

On that note, add a warm hat. The Smartwool cuffed beanie is still my fav, it covers big heads well and doesn't slip off in the night.

Gloves: lightweight liners and waterproof shell mitts.

Not familiar with those pants but any light-mid weight quick drying rig will be fine. Might want rain or wind pants as well (I like Montane Featherlites).

I'd bring a rain shell, and maybe swap out the Driclime with another fleece or puffy layer, like Dave mentioned.

Yeah, I would bring more layers. Pick up one of those lands end vests.

Found the link:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=45991

Thanks for the advice. I updated my list accordingly.
One question:
Do I actually need rain pants? Or will capilene 2 + quick dry pants be enough to keep me warm?

IMO:

Replace fleece with a wind shirt. Lots of folks like hooded ones, but I am wearing a hat for 98% of my waking time in the backcountry. Lots of options either way.

Marmot's Mica sounds like the best budget shell around from what folks say, but I don't have experience with it.

You might want to move to a down sweater over vest, but YMMV.

Liners *AND* gloves seems a bit overkill when you only need a down vest.

Black Rock's down beanie may be worth considering. Warmer than a fleece, with a smaller pack size and more warmth. Just watch getting it wet.

I don't bother with rain pants on most of my trips. Usually, I'll sweat too much, getting wet AND dehydrating myself. They're a personal thing and many folks here do not use them.

I use my rain jacket as a wind shirt, FWIW.

Mary, could you tell us your exact dates and hiking routes? I'm not certain that anyone that has posted so far, except for maybe Dave, actually knows the weather layout in GNP during September. I grew up a bit SE of there, and I can tell you, you could be in for some shocking weather that time of the year. Or maybe not, it depends on the year. But if I were to be hiking over any passes in even early Sept., I would want to have both top and bottom full puffy layers stashed in my pack (forget the vest), plus waterproof shells and shoes (boots?). I have experienced a 2-day 28*F blizzard at Logan Pass in late August, and also 65*F days at Many Glacier in late Sept., so conditions definitely will depend upon the year and the jetstream. All I am saying here is to plan for some serious conditions. The worst you can do is to carry a couple extra 1-2 pounds that you might not actually need. But if you do need those things, they might well save your life. Not trying to scare you here, Mary, just want to keep you centered on what the northern Rockies can do to the unprepared.

>I have experienced a 2-day 28*F blizzard at Logan Pass in late August, and also 65*F days at Many Glacier in late Sept.,

Sounds like any day, during any part of the year in Wisconsin! (seriously. We've had 65*F days in January that produced tornadoes)

All joking aside, I've only been there for one week in early August. Dave and Gary live in the area, so take their word before mine.

Stephan:
Thanks for the hat recommendation. I'll look in to grabbing one.

Travis:
I was thinking along the same lines. From what I've heard, that is a what a lot of folks do. I'm unconvinced so far that a wind shirt is necessary.
I live in WI, too. The last few weeks have been a roller-coaster in terms of the weather.

Gary:
Thanks for the advice on the weather. I've never been to Glacier before; I've heard it can be unpredictable but I wasn't planning on a blizzard. I guess I'll have to change my packing accordingly.
I'll be going last day of August at Logan's pass, going north to Stoney Indian, and looping back down through Many Glacier (ending 9th of Sept).
What bottom full layers would you recommend?

Mary, I would think that you can access a 7-day weather forcast at any Park office, and that would let you know pretty much what to expect. Then you could pack accordingly. Keep in mind that there are a few backcountry places where you could get updated info. The Granite Park chalet, which you'll pass by on your first day from Logan Pass, has a radio and the host is fully in tune with the weather. I think there's a ranger cabin near Stony Indian Pass as well. Also, if you are going over Stoney Indian Pass and dropping into the Belly River drainage, it might be worth your while to go a bit out of your way and visit with the ranger at the Gable Creek campground. He/she can let you know the up to date weather situation, and whether you are OK to get up and through the Ptarmigan tunnel. But before you set off on the trail, find out at the visitor center if these backcountry stations are still being staffed. They might shut them down September 1, I'm not sure.

The other thing you will want to inquire about at Gable Creek is the grizzly situation on the Many Glacier side of the Ptarmigan wall–the 3 valleys west of Many Glacier are the fairways of the bears, and occasionally they will shut down the trails to Icebeg/Ptarmigan, the Grinnell complex, or Swiftcurrent due to recent bear activity. You would certainly want to know about any Many Glacier area closures before you grunt up Ptarmigan from Elizabeth Lake. The ranger might re-route you over Redgap Pass, unless the bears own that area too. In the rare event that it would happen, your exit route from Gable would be north to the trailhead at Chief Mountain Customs. From there you should be able to catch a ride, or maybe a Park shuttle(?), back to Many Glacier. It would be highly unlikely that this bear-closure thiing would happen, Mary. But you certainly must be aware of the possibility, and ask about it.

Lower body insulation. If I think things will get down to freezing or below, I usually take along a set of BPL Cocoons, and a set of either Cap 2 or 3 base layers–light synthetic insurance. A lot of folks here will put that down as being excessive. Keep in mind that campfires are not likely to be allowed along your route (Gable Creek might be an exception), so your comfort will be based upon what clothing you have with you. I like to putz around camp for a couple of hours at the end of the day, and it's a lot more fun if I'm warm.

If you have any other questions regarding GNP, I'm quite happy to help.

I've heard at least one other poster mention snow in August. That's definitely a possibility you should consider–especially in September.

I did a week-long trip there one mid-August. We started out going over Red Gap pass, and it was hot enough that getting my hat and shirt wet at water stops was a welcome relief.

But a few days later, it was a very different story. The weather turned cold, and at first it was freezing rain. One of the people in our party was under-prepared from a standpoint of clothing. On the next to the last day of the trip she became so cold and exhausted the rest of us had to divide up, and carry, her gear. She became clumsy to the point that she fell in streams a couple of times, and that made it worse.

We helped her keep going, but it was a very rough situation. We were not in an area where we could stop to warm her up, and it was also important to keep warm by staying active until we could change into dry clothing. When we arrived at camp, after erecting her shelter, we gave her some of our clothing to help her warm up. I loaned her a pair of socks, others, who had packed extra, loaned her warm layers. We wrapped her in an emergency blanket, and filled her water bottles with warm water, and she made it. I've thought about her often, and the experience provides me motivation to be well-prepared.

The next day when we hiked out through Stoney Indian Pass, it was snowing. Though the visibility was limited, it was spectacular. I look forward to experiencing it on a clear day.

I agree with the following comments by an earlier poster: "Gloves: lightweight liners and waterproof shell mitts."

I had that combination along, and it helped keep my hands from freezing. It made a lot of difference; It's very hard to use your hands when you can't feel your fingers.

Snow and snow/rain is a definite possibility in early September. I'd count on having at least a bit of snow, some rain, and probably some nice sunny days too.

How much insulation you'll want depends on your physiology, comfort, experience, etc. For your route (which is awesome, btw) in that season I'd bring the following:

LS cap 2 shirt
windshirt
rain coat
high loft hoody fleece

cap 2 knickers (long johns cut below knee)
light soft shell pants
wind pants

wool beanie
liner gloves
G-tex mitts

I'd wear light trail runners, and bring Hydroskin socks (rain, snow, creek fords) and dirty girl gaiters.

Don't get freaked out about the weather too much, caution is good, but you aren't going to the artic.

It's a gorgeous time of year here, too. Looking forward to it myself.

The only shirt is a long sleeve capaline? Seems like I would want a more casual shirt on the outside.

Hell of a necropost, there, Mike… :)

necropost: "On a message board, posting something irrelevent on a really old topic to bring it to the top of the list topics. name comes from the fact that you are bringing it back from the dead, thus Necro. a practice common among n00blars."

I learn something new every day. Good word.

Now, what's a n00blar?