Part 1
Justa’ Walk ‘Round the Park – Montana, Summer 2017
Howdee! Good morning from my comfy couch after a grrrreat night’s sleep. On my second cup of coffee, yay! Where a middle of the night moment to pee doesn’t involve a headlamp, getting on a jacket & shoes, and the chilly unzipping of the moist tent. I believe I may have almost all the dirt out from under my fingernails….and with it washes too far away all the simple pleasures and observations that two weeks of living in the woods gifts one.
Shall I begin at the beginning?
Sun, Aug 13th
Great Falls to Glacier National Park
After free breakfast its off to Walmart for last minute essentials: camp stove fuel, lighters, snacks etc but they didn’t have Bear spray. The local sports store Scheel’s (where we’d gotten it last year) doesn’t open on Sundays til 11:00. Mike remembered that we’d gotten it one year at The Big Bear Sports Center, which was open and had UDAP bearspray on sale for $25 ($10 savings)…we’ll take two. Now for some driving, but very wary given the scene out the windshield. Wheat fields and smoke are staples to Shelby, then Browning as we close the gap between us and the mountains.
More wary is the scene arriving at St. Mary.
We stop by the St. Mary Visitor Center and they confirm our fear, they are not issuing any backcountry permits. Off to Many Glacier with similar ghosts of mountains. We check in to Swiftcurrent disheartened.
So…we’re looking at leaving in the morning for a 3 night stay at Granite Park Chalet minimum, but also have to be prepared if they do issue the backcountry permit for the additional 8 nights. We pack both a short stay bag and big bertha pack for the long haul. It takes the whole evening to whittle down as much as I think we could possibly live without for 12 days. Packing is usually OCD Heaven but I find I’m halfhearted b/c our prospects appear dismal for the Permit & what good will Granite be in all that smoke? It’s cold and rainy outside with the addition of clouds reaching near ground level. About 10pm we wrap it up. But could this drizzle help us?
Mon, Aug 14th
Swiftcurrent Motor Inn to Logan Pass to Granite Park Chalet
Day 1, 1st night at Granite Park Chalet
7.6 miles, 200 ft ascent
Up at 5:00. Last shower for ? many days. Tight list of what absolute essentials need to be moved from the short stay bag to the backpack if Permit comes through. Close out Swiftcurrent tab and send off a few last minute emails in lobby on snail wifi. At Many Glacier Ranger Station before 7:00; wait with other hopefuls.
At 10 minutes til, the Ranger comes out and gives the word, “Folks, we will be issuing Backcountry Permits today”, I literally shout out a WooHoo and do a little jump for joy! Ok, that’s all we needed to hear. Off to Swifty parking lot. Get out Big Bertha. Make sure everything…ev-ver-ree-thing is with us; especially critical are passports (I’ll explain later), wallets, & Mike’s pain meds. In line at 7:15 for St. Mary Shuttle. A sense of glee infects the morning as we load up and are on time to St. Mary Visitor Center. Mike finds himself in a line of 10 awaiting a BC Permit. I fill the time posing our clean packs and hoping about the days ahead.
Took an hour, including calls to Apgar to figure out submitting a permit that follows a stay at the Chalet, and making Mike watch this year’s new backcountry film. Our overall trip route is shown highlighted in pink.
We are 2nd in line for the Park Shuttle to Logan and finally really truly on our way. All passengers are headed to Logan so we jettison through the other shuttle stops. Ceremonial start photo: it’s official!
Today’s route from Logan Pass to Granite Park Chalet, 7.6 miles, 200 feet of ascent.
There’s a good chill in the air, 50’s, and breezy, enough to make us get going. Moist clouds bring hopes that we won’t have fire.
Enjoying the southern Highline Trail though the Garden Wall is a little sad for color after the drought. Fireweed flourishes still.
Lunch at Haystack Butte, and now for the Highline that I haven’t seen before. The Chalet is a welcome sight…boots are giving me quite some trouble. Right big toenail hurts as bad as days of old, in bad ski boots. Left little toe smashed. Right heel blister…little worrisome. A mule deer in velvet totally nonchalant.
Shown to our old room, #6, on the balcony of the Chalet. What a View!
Our 3 evenings of food had arrived by mule, so dinner was the 1st of 11 freeze dried meals. Kung Pao Chicken. The after dinner talks by our 4 hosts at the Chalet were delightful and informative regarding Park & Chalet history, wildlife, glacial recession, and Native Americans. Sunset is Glacier’s signature magic.
Off to bed on comfortable mattresses and indeed, as always, every little sound from other rooms seems amplified. 10pm is quiet hours. Earplugs are a must.
(Note: Please let me know if there are any problems with the photos, like the right hand side being cut off. Thanks)