Favorite BC Campsites

Let everyone know about your camping experience in the park.

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Re: Favorite BC Campsites

Post by Heff936 »

Hiking solo would make it easy to get creeped out, especially around Trout Lake if you have read NOG. I've never been to that area but it would definitely on my mind even though it is completely illogical.

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Re: Favorite BC Campsites

Post by wnysteve »

pitamakan wrote:I've had the same sensation during my visits to Trout Lake, probably because I've read Night of the Grizzlys once too often.
Last fall I was returning from Trout Lake via the Camas route. Just before we retraced to the intersection with the Howe Ridge trail, I spotted the glimmer of a metallic object just protruding from the earth at the edge of the trail. I stopped and picked it up and it was... a hemostat. I think we talked in whispers for a long time after that. I guess "creepy" could have described the atmosphere, or perhaps "somber" might have been better. After we had returned to the Inside Road, we began to rationalize that the device was probably a more recent artifact that someone had dropped. But then, who knows?
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Re: Favorite BC Campsites

Post by Robin Hood »

pitamakan wrote:
Fairbanks142 wrote:
pitamakan wrote:I met Jake from hike734 a couple weeks ago, and during our conversation he told me that he thought the upper Camas drainage was just about the creepiest place he visited during that entire hike marathon.
Any specifics on why he thought it was creepy? Otherwise any speculation?
Though he didn't see any large wildlife, I think his Spidy-sense was telling him that there were large, toothsome creatures lurking behind every shrub, watching him ... :)

I've had the same sensation during my visits to Trout Lake, probably because I've read Night of the Grizzlys once too often.
lol, Ive had that same feeling. could also have a lot to do with that drainage actually being super thick with grizzlies. I believe the camas drainage has a pretty high concentration of them, and its bushy in there
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Re: Favorite BC Campsites

Post by Marmotman »

wnysteve wrote:
Last fall I was returning from Trout Lake via the Camas route. Just before we retraced to the intersection with the Howe Ridge trail, I spotted the glimmer of a metallic object just protruding from the earth at the edge of the trail. I stopped and picked it up and it was... a hemostat. I think we talked in whispers for a long time after that. I guess "creepy" could have described the atmosphere, or perhaps "somber" might have been better. After we had returned to the Inside Road, we began to rationalize that the device was probably a more recent artifact that someone had dropped. But then, who knows?
If it makes you feel any better, the hemostat was probably from a fisherman. I use them for getting hooks out of fish lips.
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Re: Favorite BC Campsites

Post by NWOhioJeff »

thanks for this post! i have been looking all over for a conversion chart for the campground abbreviations - now i have it! reviews help too.... newbie to GNP in August - looking forward to the adventure and this board has been a great resource
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Re: Favorite BC Campsites

Post by Pfef »

Ole Lake - Ole Lake is secluded, surprisingly beautiful, and offers fun fishing for small brook trout. We hiked over Firebrand Pass on day 1, leaving us 16 miles along the Ole Creek Trail to the Walton Ranger Station on day 2."

Ole Creek Campground has the best forested "receptacle" IMO. Huge trees and open air. The whole Firebrand pass, OLL, then OLC is one of the most overlooked and underused parts of the park.

If anyone wants to get a walk in permit to a great location, this route is almost always available, and it is a relatively short shuttle by Glacier standards.
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Re: Favorite BC Campsites

Post by mattB »

Pfef wrote:Ole Lake - Ole Lake is secluded, surprisingly beautiful, and offers fun fishing for small brook trout. We hiked over Firebrand Pass on day 1, leaving us 16 miles along the Ole Creek Trail to the Walton Ranger Station on day 2."

Ole Creek Campground has the best forested "receptacle" IMO. Huge trees and open air. The whole Firebrand pass, OLL, then OLC is one of the most overlooked and underused parts of the park.

If anyone wants to get a walk in permit to a great location, this route is almost always available, and it is a relatively short shuttle by Glacier standards.
Nice report, thanks!!
How did the shuttle work exactly?
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Re: Favorite BC Campsites

Post by Paulleventhaldds »

Hi Guys,

If you had a 6 day trip planned mid August ($1300/pp ! OH MY G-D !!) and the guide service had ANY and ALL options at their beckon, and they came up with the following?

enter @ SLE -SLI-over Gable pass- GAB- ELH- GLH- over Stoney pass - KOO- exit Goat Haunt

Since I never hear of anyone mentioning Gable Pass Im wondering why they chose that route. I had hoped that they would be getting the best route available .

some of the great routes I have researched and that are mentioned often are listed below

CME- COS- STO -FIF- GRN- Swiftcurrent pass - exit @ MANY

or the spectacular:
Kintla region....KIN - BOU - HOL - FRA - KOO - GSE

What do you think of Gable Pass and the rest of the plan they chose ?
Thanks guys..
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Re: Favorite BC Campsites

Post by teapot57 »

I’d be pretty darn happy to get that route.

I have never been to Slide Lake and I hear there is a climb from there to Gable Pass, but it should be a very scenic entry into the Belly River area. Many people from this board recommend hiking in this way but entering at Lee Ridge and coming over Gable Pass from that direction. This route will allow you to explore both the Belly River and Mokowanis Valleys, climb Stoney Indian Pass, and exit via Waterton (assuming it opens in time). Not sure I’d pay $1,300 pp, but I’d take that permit in a heartbeat.

The routes you researched are among the most popular, but I think this is a good one, too.
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Re: Favorite BC Campsites

Post by paul »

Your route doesn't say how they are getting to slide lake. There's different ways to get to there. One entry is from RT 17 and over Blackfeet reservation land. The other is over Gable pass via the Lee ridge trail. I never done the first way, I think it would be pretty flat although I don't think it would be very scenic. I've done the other way and it is scenic but it's pretty challenging for the first day.

Slide lake really isn't very good as camps go in Glacier and then there's the hike up from Slide lake to Gable pass, which is very steep! The rest of the route is so so IMO. I wouldn't want camp at Gable creek. It's kind of a weird route really. I mean why go all the way to ELH from Gable creek and then go back over to GLH the next day. If they are trying to say this is a fantastic trip I would say that's untrue. It's probably a 4 out 10 by Glacier standards.
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Re: Favorite BC Campsites

Post by PeteE »

paul wrote:...It's probably a 4 out 10 by Glacier standards.
That's being charitable imo.

$1300.00/per person? That's outrageous for that poor of an itinerary.
You're better off putting in for a reservation tomorrow morning, and if unlucky, get the BC Rangers to do a walkup permit for you after you get here.
No need for a guide here anyway. You can't get lost on any of the routes you mentioned in your post above. 8)
The Nyakk is a different deal.

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Re: Favorite BC Campsites

Post by teapot57 »

“SLE” is the Slide Lake Entry from the reservation, not the Lee Ridge route.

My guess, and this is pure conjecture, is that there are restrictions on how often the guides can request a particular campsite. I can’t imagine the Park would allow them to book up all of the best campgrounds along a route like the Northern Circle or Boulder Pass for most of the summer.

The campgrounds on this route are not the best, but they seem to have been chosen strategically. The short hike to GAB from SLI makes up for the steep up and down. And why go from GAB to ELH to GLH? Because it allows you to go pretty far up each valley, using day trips to see beyond, without a hard day in between your nights at ELH and GLH. My guess is that after hiking from GAB to ELH, they will dayhike to HEL. Then the next day have a reasonable hike to GLH.

Like I said, I don’t think I’d pay $1,300 pp. but if I ended up with this permit in the draw, I would be happy with it. I agree with Pete. Try for something tomorrow and see if you can get something better. But OP has 6 in his party if I remember right, and is trying for mid-August, so chances are he won’t get better than this.
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Re: Favorite BC Campsites

Post by PeteE »

But OP has 6 in his party if I remember right, and is trying for mid-August, so chances are he won’t get better than this.
Yeah, I forgot he has a party of six.
So given that, the proposed itinerary is probably the best deal even though the price is high.
And yes, I know the guide service people are nice and do a good job. I'm not knocking them personally.

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Re: Favorite BC Campsites

Post by orin »

I have backpacked that whole route and pretty much agree with teapot57. The trip in from the road across the reservation is actually quite scenic in my opinion. A lot of it is on a hillside with views up Otatso creek valley and into the park. The first part of it is nicer than the initial forested section of Lee Ridge. The only thing I didn't like about it was the cows. You do have to dodge a few cowpies and maybe even cows as you walk along an old road for the first 3 or 4 miles. And Slide Lake is a pretty spot although the campground itself is in the trees. Once you climb the hill onto Lee Ridge everything gets great quickly. So there are better first days in the park but I enjoyed it.

And to put the cost in perspective, it is comparable to what you would pay to go on a Sierra Club or Yellowstone Institute backpacking trip of similar length. So in my opinion it mostly depends on your expectations. For someone used to doing private or solo trips, there are aspects of it that might not seem ideal. As a guided trip or as an option to avoid no trip at all it looks OK to me. I certainly would enjoy that route.
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Re: Favorite BC Campsites

Post by Paulleventhaldds »

Hi Pete, Teapot 57 and Orin and Paul ,

To you all...thanks for taking the time. YOU sent responses that range from positive to neutrals...but nothing too great. so Im thinking that over all its going to be fine. Hopefully better than 4 out of 10 but not the best....
Here is some news.... according to guide company, "Due to the circumstances beyond our control the Waterton Shoreline Cruises boat may not be landing at Goat Haunt om 2019 to pick up or drop off backpackers. This will add approximately 8.5 miles to the hike from Goat Haunt to Waterton."
That is why they had us going 2 miles from KOO to GSE in the final day... in case the boat is not running.. ( I doubt that it will not be running )

Specifically, teapot57 was quite positive, thank you for that.
Paul was thinking like Idid.... why did they pick this if they could have chosen any 6 day route. And why go into and back out from ELH?
With that in mind, I could ask them to make "walk up" changes ( that's a privilege that accompanies the high $$ cost)
I wonder what changes you think would help smooth out the trip..


here is what we have now
SLE-8mi(along Otaso Creek) - SLI -(over Gable Pass) - GAB - ELH - GLH- 13mi- KOO - GSE

Heres what I thought might improve the route....keep the entry as SLI but go to GAB - MOL - STO - KOO - out @ GSE

How about this one.... GSE - KOO - STO - FIF - GRN - exit @ MANY is that one of the most popular ? Isn't hat supposed to be one of the prettiest routes....?

Could you suggest others... Im assuming they won't submit for a wholesale change but if I could give them a rational upgrade , they may listen..

Thanks again guys..
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