Haven't heard on the Goat Haunt boat(watch the Glacier website), but east to west is definitely easier and somewhat shorter -About 14 miles from Goat Haunt versus 20 from Bowman and 18 from Kintla. The hike up from Upper Kinta is tough, although the hike up from the Bowman Lake campground to Boulder is almost as difficult.
If you haven't been, be sure to drop to to Lake Francis. It's about a 1/4 mile off the trail, and a little steep, but worth it for the views.
I don’t believe there has been an official announcement yet on Goat Haunt, but until Canada eases its border measures, I would be surprised if anything changes. It’s hard enough finding a PCR test for crossing when you are in the front country, let alone the backcountry.