G9: 8/28-9/14, 2014..."Back Home Again"

[toddnick]

Day 15 - September 11th, 2014
55 Degrees, Clouds then Glorious Sun
Hike: Cut Bank to Atlantic Creek Campground, out and back (9 miles, 900 feet)
Many Glacier Campground #70

After two terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days; today was amazing...

With 6-8 inches of snow on the ground, I knew that a higher elevation hike wouldn't be a good idea, so I headed to Cut Bank to do my annual hike in a favorite valley of mine...

With all the snow on the 5 mile dirt road out to Cut Bank Ranger Station...I started wondering if this was a good idea...what if more snow fell and my car couldn't get out?...but the forecast was good despite the early clouds when I arrived...and also 28 degrees...



I headed up the road from the Ranger Station to the trailhead...



The mountains and pines looked beautiful covered with snow...





Can you see a trail? Me neither for most of the next 4 miles...



It was post holing in ankle to shin deep snow...lots of extra effort...







I loved the solitude and silence as I soaked in the incredible winter scenery...





It was about to get even more gorgeous as blue skies started to appear in patches...the snow also got a little deeper making it hard to follow the trail in spots...







About this point, I encountered a huge bull moose in the trail...for a few seconds it was just the moose and I looking at each other in the winter scenery.. but he disappeared into the trees before I could get a picture...but it was one of my favorite moments of the trip...







I reached Atlantic Creek Campground where I met 6 folks who had spent the previous 24 hours trying to stay warm by a very smoky campfire... I never expected to see backcountry campers with the weather the last two days...





The trip back was even more stunningly beautiful in the sunlight...







There is no where I would rather have been for the last few miles...









After returning to the trailhead, I made my way back to Many Glacier and stopped at the Hotel for a beer and a few pictures...











When I got back to the campground, it was a perfect temperature in the sun, so I just half-snoozed in my camp chair while the boots were drying...



My rapturous peace was interrupted by the arrival of the Louisiana gang..



We made plans for a hike the next day and then I cooked some dinner over the fire...

Brats, sauerkraut and mustard...delicious...



After dinner, two of my favorite people, appeared at my campsite...John & Val...we caught up before they headed out to meet friends...any trip that includes Bruce, Jen, John & Val is a great trip!



I enjoyed the view from my campsite....



Then settled in by the fire...truly a memorable day of winter scenery...as would be the last two days of this year's trip to Paradise....

[Jen]

Breathtaking photos, Todd!

Glacier in all her glory!

[mattB]

Wow!! What a day! Beautiful pictures!

[Heff936]

A great reminder of how easy it would be to lose the trail after an even moderate snow. Gorgeous photos and the sense of solitude must have been pure bliss.


Heff

[poky5mom]

Glacier is beautiful anyway but the snow made it magnificent! Awesome!
Kim

[Straight Arrow]

G

[kimmar]

Whoa, Todd! Hard to believe this is the same Cutbank that we encountered in bright sunshine last September. The snow is beautiful, but glad we had the blue skies and warmth that day. I agree with Heff, easy to get lost in the snow, I've done that a time or two in Glacier and the Cascades -- and it's a little scary. Glad you made it in and out okay.

[calicotraveler]

Many of your pictures looked like they were in black and white. And absolutely beautiful! Looks so different with a snowfall.

[paul]

Todd, it looks like you were rewarded with a very special day on your hike to Atlantic Creek Camp. The mountains look so different with the snow. Beautiful photos!

[elscout198]

Thanks for a great view, would you consider going earlier to avoid the snow?

[Jen]

Thanks for a great view, would you consider going earlier to avoid the snow?

After seeing these photos why would anyone want to avoid the snow???

[Heff936]

Thanks for a great view, would you consider going earlier to avoid the snow?

After seeing these photos why would anyone want to avoid the snow???

If we carrying a heavy backpack on the Highline or down Swiftcurrent or down from Boulder Pass in 6 or 8 inches of snow I'd say I'd much rather avoid the snow. I lost the trail from Fifty Mountain on my first backpack in GNP and we were very lucky to eventually find the trail. If not we may have been in serious trouble.

Heff

[toddnick]

Thanks for a great view, would you consider going earlier to avoid the snow?

I have been at Glacier this time of year, every year since 2008.
This was the most snow that I have seen, I normally see flakes in the air a few days but nothing like this.
I've also been to Glacier twice in July, I strongly prefer September even if you might get some snow on occasion...

[paul]

Thanks for a great view, would you consider going earlier to avoid the snow?

After seeing these photos why would anyone want to avoid the snow???

If we carrying a heavy backpack on the Highline or down Swiftcurrent or down from Boulder Pass in 6 or 8 inches of snow I'd say I'd much rather avoid the snow. I lost the trail from Fifty Mountain on my first backpack in GNP and we were very lucky to eventually find the trail. If not we may have been in serious trouble.

Heff

Something similar happened to me at Boulder pass. Once in mid-July I day hiked up to the pass. The last couple of miles was snow covered. When I started my return trip, I lost the trail and ended up spending a good hour searching for it up and down the open slopes of Boulder pass.

[Selkie]

So glad you got to experience the Park in a temporally different season! The feeling is completely unlike the crowds of summer. And the animals come out to play.

I've gotten turned around on snow-free trails with a drift of autumn leaves over the boot-worn trough. The consequences of losing the trail are greater while backpacking, I should think.