Glacier National Park

**Mrprez** · 05-20-2010, 06:25

Yes, I am pretty excited about going even if I have to sleep on the ground. Last year we hike the East Rosebud Trail in southwestern Montana....

http://picasaweb.google.com/mrprez/E...eat=directlink

Talk about some nice views. Water everywhere, you couldn't look at everything as you wouldn't make it to camp that night.

**Connie** · 05-20-2010, 09:09

my PM:

check the thread.

Question: I have to know where you are going in?

On one "old map" there were to campgrounds on a Nyack Creek trail. Another "old map" showing that old trail and two campgrounds is called Park Trail: This map is available for iPhone/Touch and has liability disclaimers.

The problem is a "hiking book" with 50 year old information was published by the heirs of a man who has since died. The information is 50 years old.

The trails have had entire sections "fallen away" as rubble. One man, from Europe, is dead from reading that book.

[edit: The "trail" on Mt. Jackson had "fallen away" and the "trail" did not exist. I knew that. I told a park ranger where to look for the body, by where it fell. They did. They found it.]

I believe it is a "dirty secret" at Glacier National Park because that "hiking book" was still being sold.

It has been republished by the "historical society" at West Glacier, MT.

I am concerned the Centennial of Glacier National Park will worsen the situation.

I will put the rest of this on the thread.

Please tell me, specifically, using Google Maps, are you intending to go in near Essex, MT?

Connie

**Connie** · 05-20-2010, 09:25

That was my PM, this morning.

Now, for "the rest of the story".

Glacier National Park only has three places suitable for "rock climbing" because everywhere else, it is "rotten rock". I began my mountainclimbing (hiking, is for "old age" for me) in Olympic National Park, and so, I know "rotten rock". The rock in Glacier National Park is much more so.

Do not attempt "mountain scrambling" in Glacier National Park. Entire sections of trail "fall away".

If you are looking at "trails" from the historical hiking trails of Glacier National Park, many no longer exist.

Glacier National Park, in season, has a backcountry ranger who has to approve all backcountry permits. He dumps your gear, inspects it and approves the backcountry permit (involving climbing) or not.

I am concerned you got your permits, and no one could answer any questions - not even are there trees.

The fact is, Glacier National Park hires many east coast "kids" up to 40 years old, and even "senior citizens" to be "politically correct" who know absolutely nothing about the park, except a memorized speech.

Please answer my question about how you plan to go IN.

Please answer my question about the two campgrounds referred to as Lower Nyack and Upper Nyack campgrounds.

If you are relying on information of CDT thru-hikers, I have read their journals. It is my considerable experience they are liars. They say they hiked the CDT, but their journals are silent on everything in that region between Rogers Pass (past The Bob Marshall Wilderness) and Two Medicine.

In East Glacier, Dupuyer and in Choteau, MT we see them hiking-hitchhiking the Highway 2 and Highway 89, asking for information about the trail because they are not hiking and want to have something to tell about it.

If they had hiked it, there is plenty to tell!

I met a (local) grandfather who was a hunter, who asked me questions about one area. He had heard about the area. He knew no one who had been in there in his lifetime.

If you read BPL, the same thing! Liars.

Nothing whatsoever said about that region. But they say they hiked it!

I am trained in Mountain Rescue by people who started it, by pushing the limits on The Good Samaritan Law because even MD's were getting lawsuits for helping people. We were so successful, the fire departments were allowed to have EMT's. That is the fact.

The people reading books and listening to braggart-liars, some famous, is why I put up my website.

I am the "myth-buster" but I do it in a nice way: pointing out how to have a good experience in the outdoors and in the wilderness as well, a good safe experience. Nevertheless, it will be an adventure.

Please answer my question: How do you intend to go in? Is it near Essex?

I have not seen that "trail" for 5 years. It was not maintained.

DO NOT attempt to "mountain scramble".

**Connie** · 05-20-2010, 09:36

If you intend to go in that way, and there is a problem, make it an out-and-back hike.

Then, go in from Two Medicine. The campground there is one of Glacier National Park's best!

I will add: One big way to have a hiking adventure is with The Over The Hill Gang. In season, they meet in the restaurant in East Glacier, MT, inside Glacier National Park. They have members who know, and hike, the park now. They are "the real deal".

Even so, they do some impractical practices. But have gotten away with their antics. (As have I.)

A fun bunch.

**Connie** · 05-20-2010, 11:27

I will say this politely: A Climbers Guide to Glacier National Park: By Gordon Edwards IS OUT-OF-DATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**mbiraman** · 05-20-2010, 12:33

Mrprez; thanks for the pics of the rosebud.
Connie, whats your website?

**Connie** · 05-20-2010, 13:18

http://ultralightbackpackingonline.info

**Mrprez** · 08-02-2010, 21:09

So, the trip to Glacier is now a memory, but one that will stay with me a long time. If you've never been there, my pictures will do no justice. There just isn't a way to capture the beauty of the park on a P&S digital camera.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mrprez/G...eat=directlink

Here are the Spot Tracks:

http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?...94c483218dbc12
http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?...a4c483250e3142
http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?...b4c48328416002
http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?...c4c4832ad7a192 (this one the tracking was not turned on and shows only OK messages from the morning and when we arrived into camp)

We arrived in Kalispell a few days early to do some sight seeing and nail down any last few details. By Sunday morning, we were within 9 miles of the trailhead. The hotel we were staying at shuttled us down the road to the start of the trail.

After finding a way across the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, we were soon past the Grizzly Bear warning signs (forgot to take a pic) and on the trail. We were hiking the Nyack Creek Trail on the western edge of the park. This trail is not used very often and was quite overgrown. In some places the undergrowth was chest deep. Fortunately, the grade was pretty tame and we made good time. After 4.5 miles, we made it to the first campsite and set up our tents (no hammocks this trip) and started cooking and getting cleaned up.

Our next day was a hike of about 9 miles. We got a late start and as a result arrived into the next campsite later than planned. We met up with the other 2 people in the party. They had left a day earlier hoping to get in some fly fishing. Unfortunately, there was no place to fish as the trail was not close to the Nyack Creek. We all agreed to get up early and get an earlier start as we had 10.5 miles to go and a pretty good climb up to Cut Bank Pass.

The trail continued to be very overgrown and we started seeing quite a few signs of bear. The photo with my hiking poles on the ground is next to a grizzly print that was about 12" from heel to claw tips! Lots of bones along the way indicating a bear had made a meal of a deer or maybe a small elk. We didn't dawdle in these areas.

After an eternity of wading through the brush (imagine wading through water uphill) we reached the Cut Bank Pass Trail. This is where the going got very tough. We were now starting to climb toward the very back of the bowl that would lead us to the crest of the pass. We hiked and hiked and hiked for hours. We could see where we were going, but it almost seemed like we were hiking in quicksand. Finally, we reached the treeline and water runoff from the snowpack above us. We topped off with some water and then hiked on a bit further. Seeing what was in front of us we decided to stop for lunch (it was about 4pm by now). After a nice break, I packed up and headed up to what I thought was the pass. Another grueling hour and I reached the crest of the ridge only to find that I still had another mile or more to get to the actual pass! We managed to get across a scree field on the side of a very steep slope and finally reached the pass. We were still 2 miles from our campsite destination. With only 30 minutes or so of daylight, we decided to camp on the pass rather than risk the hike down to the lake.

We had a SAT phone and called for a weather update to make sure there would be no fronts coming through that night, set up our tents and hit the sack. I was wore completely out. This day of hiking had wildly surpassed anything I have ever done in the past. I was snoring before my head hit the pillow.

The next morning we woke up to 30 mph winds and temps in the 50s. We slowly broke camp and decided what to do. We were now off our itinerary. The trail over the next ridge was fogged in and snowed in from where we were. We made a decision to hike down to Old Man Lake where we were supposed to be the prior night. On the way down, we ran into the first humans we had seen on the trail since Sunday. We also ran into the Ranger who told us the campsite was filled and we would not be able to camp there. So, we went into the campsite so clean up, water up and have lunch. After that we decided that we were not ready to climb back over the pass to our next campsite and decided that we would just hike out to Two Medicine Campground, a car campsite.

Even though the hike was the hardest thing I had ever done and there were times when I would have relished being eaten by a bear I had a really great time. The views were magnificent.