Best Hike So Far!

First...Gary, you HAVE to do this one sometime. And you would have some willing hiking buddies. We know we couldn't see everything on one trip. :-) We'll share more photos if you need convincing, but it takes a long time to upload them to this site. We'll just give you a taste.

We hiked 15.2 miles over some of the most breathtaking scenery we have ever seen. For anyone that might be interested in the trail details, there are topographic maps at the Glacier National Park website that will give you an idea of the trails and landmarks. This one just has photos and an idea of where the trail starts and stops. Trail Map We started at Logan Pass on the Going to the Sun Road, hiked the "Highline Trail" to "Granite Park Chalet", then climbed up "Swiftcurrent Pass" to the "Swiftcurrent Trail" and descended in the valley and past the lakes to "Many Glacier Hotel".

Along the way we worried about the weather and had a great deal of clouds and mist at the beginning. As Kyle put it, "I didn't agree to hike in the rain." Luckily, we only got sprinkled on a little bit, but the mist would lift away and then return as we skirted the mountainsides. We got to look down on the Going to the Sun Road from high above. At one place there were cables to assist hikers who wanted a security blanket to keep them away from the drop -- read this to mean Glen -- but the drop itself was shrouded in mist. No stomach clenching moments at all, and Glen was happy to give up that particular view. We were on the Continental Divide trail looking at the western view. We crossed some snowfields, interrupted a mountain goat family eating near the trail, and saw many beautiful sights. We ate lunch at the Granite Park Chalet, and realized why it costs so much to stay there and why it is so hard to get a reservation. What a beautiful location!




After lunch we climbed up through Swiftcurrent Pass and got the view on the other side of the continental divide. Now we were descending on the eastern side of the divide. We saw bighorn sheep, lots of waterfalls, and had views of the lower valley and lakes all the way down. The switchbacks were many, the trail was narrow, but we enjoyed the view.

In the valley, we still had many miles to go as we had to skirt the lakes to get back to the motel where we had left our camper. This area was labeled as having high bear activity and the ranger we met had seen three that day. Kyle is still disappointed that we haven't seen one, as our "bad?" luck continued. He thinks we should hire out as guides for people that don't want to encounter bears on the trail!

We did have a fox cross our path and see a deer in the trees on that final leg. Overall, a great way to spend a bit less than eight hours. We didn't get rained on much, the sun broke out at the right times, and we ended the day with a great dinner at a little cafe.

Can't wait until we meet up with Marge and Vaughn Monday night. We expect to have a great time showing them around the park. We promise not to take them on any long hikes with cliffs! Until next time,
Terry, Glen, and Kyle