Koredavid014 wrote:Thanks Pete !
Koredavid014,
Pretty much what Pete said with a few additional thoughts:
1. If nothing else try to swap Hawksbill for Lake Francis campsites. These are not that far apart but Hawksbill is not - in my opinion - a very good campsite. This may have changed as it has been well over a decade (2004?) since I camped there but it was very exposed to afternoon sun then. Lake Francis campsite is very close to Hawksbill and is located on an extremely pretty lake. Of course Upper Kintla to Hawksbill is a pretty big day so afternoon sun may not be a problem. Ha!
2. From Hawksbill (or Lake Francis) to Bowman Lake (west of the pass) was very brushy in places (chest deep) when I went this way in 2007. The brush was very wet and even with rain gear my socks got soaked. Gaiters would be recommended.
3. Getting from wherever you are staying to Kintla Lake may well take longer than you expect. I would say it is a minimum of 45 minutes from Polebridge to the Boulder Trail Trailhead. Add quite a bit of time to get to Polebridge from lodging in Kalispell (a couple of hours?) I yield to Pete's greater experience.
As Pete pointed out, one problem I could see if all the snow Glacier got this past year doesn't get melted out would be the trail from Boulder Pass to Brown Pass being VERY sketchy in places. When you are in the backcountry office getting your permit please ask for information on that part of the trail in particular and consider your experience level with snow and Ice before proceeding. Depending on which backcountry office you use to get your permit, the ranger's personal knowledge of that area of Glacier may be limited. The Rangers at Polebridge (also Goat Haunt but no permits there) would probably have the best "real-time" info. Your results may vary at any of the other offices.
Best regards,
Scott