Help with trip to Glacier NP in September

Got your PM Nirmal.  That’s an outstanding route, with a couple of my favorite camps backloaded.  Should be excellent.

1:  3 season gear should be fine, but a good snowstorm and/or cold rain is certainly possible.  I’d go a bit heavy on the raingear (good rain pants), maybe throw in some gloves, and perhaps a warmer bit of insulation.  Nightime lows in the 20s or even upper teens are certainly possible at higher elevations, if not the norm.

2:  You’ll be fine with a tarp.

3:  You’re going during the most active period of the year for bears, I think I’ve seen more in September than most other months put together.  They’ll be moving a lot feeding, so keep alert and you should be fine.  Areas with berries (e.g. Many Glacier to the Ptarmigan Tunnel) are places to keep most alert.

4:  You can hike out however you like after camping at Granite, no big deal there.  The shuttles do stop on September 2, so that is an issue.  Hitching down from Logan should be possible.

Thank you for your reply, Dave.

Regarding your comment about “a good snowstorm”: I don’t need an ice axe, crampons and the like, right? What about shoes? I usually use trail runners – is that enough or should I go with more robust shoes, perhaps waterproof?

Regarding 3 season gear: I always take the following warm clothing during fall hikes: Puffy hooded jacket, 100 weight fleece pullover, balaclava, wool gloves, eVent rain mitts. As you suggested, I will be sure to take rain pants (I usually go with a rain kilt). I’m taking a warm sleeping bag rated at 30F (I sleep slightly warm – I usually take a quilt). Please let me know if you think there’s something missing here or any adjustments you suggest.

Regarding the tarp: Thanks for the advice. I really do prefer a tarp, as long as the ground has good drainage. Let’s see how it goes.

Regarding the shuttle: I called Glacier to inquire about the shuttle schedule, but they told me to call back in August. On the Glacier shuttle page, it says that “There may be a modified shuttle service for a few weeks after Labor Day” and somewhere else (don’t have the link), I read that it would run from Apgar to Logan only. I’m hoping for such a service and will confirm with them by calling in a week or so. I’ll post an update in this thread, for posterity.