BackCountry Permits 2022

Are you a seasoned hiker, or just starting out? Let us know your questions or experience with the backcountry permit process.

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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by Sue Z »

sbosecker wrote: Mon Jun 06, 2022 9:36 pm
Looks like about an hour and 15 minute drive from Brownies to Chief Mountain Customs in a perfect world.

Scott
FYI - In case you were unaware, there's been construction on Rt. 89 between Two Medicine and St. Mary the last couple of years. I don't know if it's continuing this year, but if so, it might be best to go through Browning.
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by orin »

You might want to try going to GAB via the Lee Ridge.
If you are up for an additional 3.5 miles and a couple of thousand feet of additional elevation gain and loss, this is a spectacular option. Everyone should try it at least once.

-Orin
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by sbosecker »

Sue Z wrote: Wed Jun 08, 2022 5:20 am
sbosecker wrote: Mon Jun 06, 2022 9:36 pm
Looks like about an hour and 15 minute drive from Brownies to Chief Mountain Customs in a perfect world.

Scott
FYI - In case you were unaware, there's been construction on Rt. 89 between Two Medicine and St. Mary the last couple of years. I don't know if it's continuing this year, but if so, it might be best to go through Browning.
Sue Z

Encountered that in 2018 (I think) when we pre-positioned a car on the East Side at Cut Bank... Anyway, yeah saw that on the "Project Work" page of Glacier's website. When I Googled the time (noted above) from Brownies to Chief Mountain Customs, I saw that a secondary route through Browning was practically the same estimated time. My hiking partner and I think, if we stay at Brownies, that we would go through Browning for the sake of some certainty on the travel time.

https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/ ... jects.pdf

Based on what I observed in 2018, the road construction crews were behind schedule and appeared to be working half days to catch up. HA!

Speaking of road work... they are supposedly working on the Lees Creek Bridge between July 18th and November 13th with "single lane closures" beginning September 6th. Lees Creek Bridge is about a mile south of Chief Mountain Customs.

Best regards,

Scott
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by sbosecker »

orin wrote: Wed Jun 08, 2022 2:45 pm
You might want to try going to GAB via the Lee Ridge.
If you are up for an additional 3.5 miles and a couple of thousand feet of additional elevation gain and loss, this is a spectacular option. Everyone should try it at least once.

-Orin
Orin,

We'll see what happens! If the stars align, I would like very much to do it on the first day and not on the way out. HA!

Best regards,

Scott
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by zozeppelin »

Can someone please put another quarter into the GNP server?
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by sbosecker »

zozeppelin wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 5:02 pm Can someone please put another quarter into the GNP server?
zozeppelin,

Maybe I'm having a senior moment but, not only is the link (page 6 of this thread) to the Advance Availablility Page not working, I can't find a link to that page anywhere on the Glaciern National Park Website.

Have they (Glacier NP) taken that link down or I'm I just not seeing it?

Best regards,

Scott
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by liketohike »

I see a link to Advance reservation availability, but it is not working (Plan your visit- Things to do- Wilderness camping- Advance reservation availability...and scroll down a little ways)
Trail and area closures link also not working.

It looks like they have put up a new map format for
Trail status reports:
https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/ ... eports.htm

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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by zozeppelin »

Scott you're probably working off the old like (with the 'home.nps' domain). Here are the links I have:

Trail Status Link.
With each area having their own webpage, starting with https://www.nps.gov/applications/glac/t ... tus.cfm?t= and adding the abbreviation BR=Belly River, MG = Many Glacier, TM = Two Medicine, etc).

As Blanka noted, the trail status page now has an interactive map - pretty cool - I tried to make something similar 2 years ago. It nicely captures the 'closed' sections, but misses 'winter status' and the details (bridge status, wildlife observations, planned clearance date, etc) found on the trail status pages, such that there is more 'closed' than what is on the map. Now I saw 'closed' in air quotes because as I understand it, not clear does not equal closed, such that trails with snow pack and hazards can be 'open'. I had a near miss 10 years ago on Piegan just 'opening' the day prior albeit with still a 'snow hazard, ice axe/spikes recommended' - whether they would have allowed the permit if that wasn't the case who knows, but often the 'hazards' can be navigated around or carefully through.


Advanced Availability Map Link
Each site has an abbreviation and it's own calendar link, by adding the abbreviation to https://www.nps.gov/applications/glac/b ... us.cfm?cg= . For instance Granite Park is GRN, Fifty Mountain FIF, etc.

Walk-in availability link
This hasn't worked all year.

Based on my observations, when one is down they are all down. Caveats being that Advanced Reservation Availability was intentionally down during permit processing and Walk-in never being up this year. It's mindboggling to me this is possible in 2022 and question the lack of accountability for maintaining a government website to even the most basic standards. It worked fine in years past, so something is amiss.
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by Ear Mountain »

zozeppelin wrote: Sun Jun 12, 2022 11:16 am Trail Status Link.
With each area having their own webpage, starting with https://www.nps.gov/applications/glac/t ... tus.cfm?t= and adding the abbreviation BR=Belly River, MG = Many Glacier, TM = Two Medicine, etc).
As of the morning of June 13, 2022 the Advance Availability link is returning a 404 "Not Found" error.
And as previously reported the What's available Tonight page is not on-line.
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by zozeppelin »

A week later and the only updates are that the links to advanced availability map and trail status have been scrubbed from the website.

:roll:
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by teapot57 »

I sent an email to the NPS email address for Glacier-related questions (Glac_questions@nps.gov) inquiring about why the Trail Status and Availability pages are down, and this is the response I received:

We are aware of the problem, and we cannot access the Park Status pages either. There is a Cold Fusion problem creating the Error on the pages out of Denver. It does not allow access to Road Status, Spring Plowing Status, Trail Status or Campground Status. It is an old system that may or may not come back. The Park Service has people looking at solutions for future pages or links. We do not know when this will be repaired. For now, we have designed a new road, trail and camping status pages.

They are not like the old ones but will give the basic information. For the most recent trail status it is best to stop in at one of our Visitor Centers.

https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/ ... eports.htm
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by zozeppelin »

Thanks for asking - that motived me to do the same, with more pointed questions. I encourage others to do so as well.

This seems like delay, defer and kick the can down the road to Rec.gov next year, which will 'resolve' the camping information, but not the trails. Just really sad considering it likely isn't difficult at all to resolve.

'Check at the visitor center' is completely unacceptable in this day and age for those traveling out of region to make and adjust plans, especially given there was a solution in place that worked.
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by zozeppelin »

Happy to report Trail Status pages are back up along with Walk-in availability (first time all year)!

No Advanced Site Availability, but 2 steps forward is well received.
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by zozeppelin »

And Advanced Site Availability is now back up!

Big thanks to whomever is keeping these going!
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by orin »

Just in time! If it will just stay up for a few days, I will use “What’s available tonight” to plan some changes to my Belly River permit next week.
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