Two Medicine Pass Trail vs. Dawson-Pitamakan Loop Trail

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daschmit
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Two Medicine Pass Trail vs. Dawson-Pitamakan Loop Trail

Post by daschmit »

I would appreciate the opinions of veteran hikers who have hiked both the Two Medicine Pass Trail (http://enjoyyourparks.com/GlacierParkTw ... ePass.html) and the Dawson-Pitamakan Loop Trail (http://enjoyyourparks.com/DawsonPitamak ... acier.html). I have not hiked the latter trail but realize that it is universally regarded as one of the most spectacular hikes in all of Glacier. On the other hand, I have hiked the Two Medicine Pass Trail but rarely see the same kind of accolades used in its description. My memory certainly could be a bit fuzzy, given the fact that almost forty years have transpired since that hike, but I remember the view from Two Medicine Pass as one of the most impressive backcountry vistas that I ever beheld. From Two Medicine Pass, you can see a series of lakes stair-stepping their way down Two Medicine Valley and, beyond them, onto the Northern Plains. To the northwest, the craggy peaks along the Continental Divide quickly impress upon you why the Blackfeet regarded the area encompassed by Glacier as the “Backbone of the World.” And, looking to the southwest, a silver ribbon of a stream is visible on the valley floor thousands of feet below.

Is the perceived superiority of the Dawson-Pitamakan Loop Trail due largely to the approximately 2.5-mile stretch between Dawson and Pitamakan Passes, or are there other features that give this route a decisive advantage over the Two Medicine Pass Trail?
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Re: Two Medicine Pass Trail vs. Dawson-Pitamakan Loop Trail

Post by orin »

That ridge walk is pretty amazing and is a good part of my preference for the loop. I also prefer loops to out and backs. Twice as much scenery for the same number of miles. Two Medicine Pass is beautiful but the loop is all that and more. My preference is more of a visceral reaction than an analytical one. If you thought Two Medicine was the best you owe it to yourself to do the loop.
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