West Side Camping Itinerary

[wileys]

Thanks to many kind folks on this site who had a lot of great advice, I finally got my itinerary worked out for August and sent my application in and got it back 2 hours later from NPS! That was a needed surprise!..
I'll get to Bowman late the first night:
1st Night: Bowman Lake Trail Head
2nd Night: Brown Pass
3rd Night: Waterton
4th Night: Hole in the Wall
5th Night: Lower Kintla
6th Night: HOTEL!!
Resorted to doing a bit of a loop due to transportation logistics but it worked and I'm stoked (also renting a car now, for peace of mind)..if anybody has any pointers for this route, please let me know.. I'll probably have some free time around Waterton on the 2nd night to do some prospecting..

Thanks Everybody, Peace...

[ND Sol]

We did the route back in 2004. You still have the concern of getting between Kintla and Bowman. That is not a short distance and the spur road to Bowman (though not long) is rough.

I would forgo going all the way to Waterton. Past Lake Francis, you are more in the trees. If you can, try to get Lake Francis; I would highly recommend that.

Why will you be getting to Bowman that late? You have to pick up your permit prior to 10:00 am on the morning you start, so you should be able to get to Bowman earlier and some miles down the trail. If so, then you can make Lake Francis for your second night. Brown Pass is okay, but not in the same league as Hole in the Wall or Lake Francis.

I would also try to pick up Boulder Pass for a night. Sunsets there can be magnificent.

As such, I think the best route through the area is Bowman, Lake Francis, Hole in the Wall, Boulder Pass and Kintla.

[wileys]

Unfortunately, coming from Charleston SC, I won't be able to get to Glacier till 3pm.. Permit verifcation email tells me I have until 4:30 day - of - departure to pick up permit; I'll call them and verify; Good advice about Waterton, I'm gonna look more into it; I can't figure out where Lake Francis is, btw? I did try for Boulder, could'nt get it, but I'm not quite done yet..

[wileys]

and, you're right about the distance b/w Kintla and Bowman still being an issue.. My plan is to try and park at Polebridge when I get there and make my way up to Bowman, I'll have the afternoon; on the return trip, i'll be @ lower Kintla my last night, which I believe is 18 -20 miles from Pole bridge, which I will have all day to do, although hopefully I'll get a ride from Kintla trail head.. Do you see an easier way that I missed?

Thanks btw..

[ND Sol]

You are right about having until 4:30 to pick up your permit. That was a change I didn't realize. The old way was that if you didn't pick it up by 10:00, then it was canceled so someone could use your first night (and the rest of the itinerary). Now since it isn't canceled until the end of the day, no one can use the first night (and probably much of the rest of the trip). I wonder what the reasoning was for this.

We were fortunate that we were able to prearrange a car switch. A group was going in Kintla the day we were going out so we shuttled their vehicle back to Bowman where we picked up our car.

Lake Francis (FRA) is between Brown Pass and Waterton (about three miles from the former and six miles from the latter). It is off the main trail about 1/3 mile if I recall correctly.

Here is a picture of Lake Francis:




Ever been to the Woodlands Inn? We stayed there over the holidays a few years ago.

[Ear Mountain]

Here's what I see:
You are arriving in Kalispell at 3 PM and plan to start hiking from the foot of Bowman Lake the next morning. You also need to pick up your permit while en-route to Bowman Lake because there is no ranger station at Bowman Lake. So you must stop at either Apgar or Pole Bridge before they close for the day. The hike from the Bowman Lake trailhead to Brown Pass is almost 14 miles with a tough uphill pull at the end. If it was me I'd rethink your plans. Do a shorter backpack to give you a better start.

[wileys]

Yeah, you may be right about BOWMAN to BROWN being a bear for the first day.. i'm gonna look around some.. As far as having 6 nights though, do you recommend that area of the park or is there another area you enjoy more for that length of time?

Thanks,

[Ear Mountain]

As far as having 6 nights though, do you recommend that area of the park or is there another area you enjoy more for that length of time?

Every part of Glacier has something special to offer. How much you enjoy one part versus another has more to do with expectations than anything else. The North Fork country with Bowman, Kintla, Quartz and Logging valleys is a quiet, remote part of Glacier. Roads are poor and crowds non existent. But the valleys are heavily forested and there are fewer trails that provide high mountain vistas,

If you want to experience this part of the park consider a more relaxed itinerary. Here's one possibility:
Day One: Arrive in Glacier and drive to Bowman Lake. Camp for the night.

[wileys]

As far as having 6 nights though, do you recommend that area of the park or is there another area you enjoy more for that length of time?

Every part of Glacier has something special to offer. How much you enjoy one part versus another has more to do with expectations than anything else. The North Fork country with Bowman, Kintla, Quartz and Logging valleys is a quiet, remote part of Glacier. Roads are poor and crowds non existent. But the valleys are heavily forested and there are fewer trails that provide high mountain vistas,

If you want to experience this part of the park consider a more relaxed itinerary. Here's one possibility:
Day One: Arrive in Glacier and drive to Bowman Lake. Camp for the night.

Good Info.. Thank You.. Your Day One itinerary is exactly what i'm doing so please give me some more pointers on other days.. Thanks

[Ear Mountain]

Day 1: Camp at Bowman Lake Auto Campground
Day 2: For my tastes an almost 14 mile day with the 2,200 foot push at the end is too much. I'd spend my second night at the Head of Bowman Lake.
Day 3: Hike over Brown Pass and camp on the east side of the Divide. I agree with ND Sol about Waterton. Campsites in order of my preference would be Lake Francis, Lake Janet and as a last resort Hawksbill.
Day 4: Return to Brown Pass and continue on to Hole-in-the-Wall.
Day 5: Hole-in-the-Wall to either Upper Kintla Lake or the Head of Kintla Lake.
Day 6: Hike to Kintla Lake

Comments:
1. I would definitely make an effort to get my vehicle to the foot of Kintla Lake so it is there when you hike out. Having your first back country camp at the Head of Bowman Lake might allow time to accomplish this.
2. Hole-in-the-Wall to the Head of Kintla Lake is 16.5 miles with 1,000 feet of elevation gain and 3,300 feet of loss to Kintla Lake. If your vehicle is at the foot of Kintla Lake it would be better to camp at Upper Kintla Lake. This will reduce the Day 5 mileage to 11.2 and provide time to explore the scenery between Hole-in-the-Wall and Boulder Pass.

[Heff936]

I concur with Ear Mountain's suggestion for UPK over KIN. I've stayed at both and prefer UPK. The 11.2 miles out from UPK are flat to rolling so you'll make good time. You can try to make that change when you check in at the backcountry office.

Looking forward to the trip report!


Heff

[ND Sol]

Ear Mountain has suggested good sites for each night. The issue I find with the Northwest side is the time it takes to get to the high country. On either end of a trip you are generally looking at a day or more before you start climbing out of the valley and up to areas I enjoy. That is not so much the case for routes that start out of Many Glacier for instance. And on top of that, it takes some time to get to the starting point for the Northwest trails.

[Ear Mountain]

Ear Mountain has suggested good sites for each night. The issue I find with the Northwest side is the time it takes to get to the high country. On either end of a trip you are generally looking at a day or more before you start climbing out of the valley and up to areas I enjoy. That is not so much the case for routes that start out of Many Glacier for instance. And on top of that, it takes some time to get to the starting point for the Northwest trails.

ND Sol,
Those are definitely good points. And the long hike to high country is pretty much trees anywhere on the west side. Too many trees!

[wileys]

What is the distance from the Kintla Lake trail head to Bowman Lake trailhead and is there a short cut (a trail that i"m not seeing) or do you have to take the dirt road that goes through Polebridge?

Thanks Ya'll... I have some re-evaluating to do, but I feel good that I"m in the right direction.. I appreciate the tips..

[Heff936]

Unfortunately there is no trail of which I am aware. Hitching is probably your best bet, but the road into Kintla is pretty quiet so there is no great likelihood of a quick trip. Maybe somebody else on the chat page may be in that neighborhood on your dates and could help you out.

Heff