The Ptarmigan-to-Belly River Traverse: Packrafting in Glacier National Park

Introduction

My friend Morgan and I had never backpacked in Glacier National Park. So with some spare time on our hands after the 2015 Packraft Roundup, we plotted a backpacking and packrafting trip to explore the northern end of the park. Our plan for our Glacier National Park packrafting trip was an easy hike over the mountains and down the Belly River toward the Canadian Border.

However, I’ve learned that combining rivers and hiking into one trip makes things unpredictable. There are always surprises. We avoided river disasters but still had plenty of adventure.

Highlights included:

• A summer hail/snow storm;
• A grizzly bear bullied us;
• Exploring a remote river.

Glacier Park Packrafting Adventure Photo Narrative

Morgan and I met at the 2014 Packraft Roundup and had an awesome trip together in the Bob Marshall Wilderness after that was over. The highlight of that trip was going off trail without a good map over a mountain pass and down to the headwaters of the White River.

After the 2015 Packraft Roundup, we decided to do another trip together before Morgan flew home to California. This time, Morgan didn’t have as much time, and the Packraft Roundup had tired us out so we opted for what we thought would be a simple plan.