Help with trip to Glacier NP in September

[Nirmal V]

I’ll be backpacking in Glacier NP from September 6th – 14th. This will be my very first time in the area. My 8-day itinerary is Two Medicine Lake North Shore -> Atlantic Creek -> Red Eagle Lake -> Reynolds Creek -> Many Glacier -> Cosley Lake -> Stoney Indian Lake -> Fifty Mountain -> Granite Park -> Swiftcurrent Parking Lot. I have a few questions:

1. Is a 3-season setup (clothes, etc.) good enough? Given the dates, how prepared should I be for snow? What are the average overnight lows at that time of the year?
2. Can I take a tarp instead of a tent with a bathtub floor? I ask because I’m required to camp in established campsites with tent pads which tend to be fairly compacted due to use over time and can make pools of water, if it rains.
3. I’m going solo – Are there any special precautions I should take with respect to the grizzlies? I’m going to have bear spray with me and will try my best not to be too quiet and surprise a bear.
4. I’m supposed to end my hike at Swiftcurrent parking lot. I had asked for Logan Pass because I was hoping to board the the free shuttle from Logan Pass to Apgar and then take a taxi to get to my hotel in Columbia Falls. I’m going to ask the ranger at Two Medicine if I could hike down to Logan Pass instead of Swiftcurrent, but do you guys think it would be a problem if I use an exit trailhead that’s different from what the permit says? I don’t want to willfully ignore/break the rules, but it would be like someone doing a day hike, for which no permit is required.

If you think of something else I should know, please feel free to comment.

Thanks a bunch,
Nirmal.

[David Chenault]

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.

[Nirmal V]

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.

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