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rocknclimb
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PostThu Feb 20, 2020 5:42 pm 
Looking for hike recommendations in Glacier. Staying at the St Mary's East KOA for 2 nights before driving over "Going To to Sun Road" and staying in the west KOA. So, best day hikes 10-15 miles around Many Glaciers, and must sees along the Sun Road? I don't mind crowds, but added bonus for less popular trails.

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Joey
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PostThu Feb 20, 2020 6:00 pm 
We drove the road a few years ago and wished we had time to take the trail that leaves from Siyeh Bend. This map is centered at that spot. https://mappingsupport.com/p2/gissurfer.php?center=48.700297,-113.667698&zoom=14&basemap=ESRI_scanned_topo_USA

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altersego
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PostThu Feb 20, 2020 6:05 pm 
We stayed a couple nights in early August at Many Glacier CG about 10 years ago (relatively early in our hiking career). All the good hikes were closed due to bear activity. I'm not sure how often that happens. I guess it was a bad year for berries and bears were digging up trails. Cracker Lake was relatively chill. From Logan Pass, the Garden Wall was nice and surprisingly not super busy after a couple miles out (besides goats). I think there's a shuttle and you can do a loop by hiking from Logan Pass to the Granite Chalet, then to Going to the Sun Road and riding the shuttle back to Logan Pass. Maybe out and back to Granite is 15 miles RT.

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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostThu Feb 20, 2020 6:08 pm 
The most noteworthy hikes I've done in the Many Glacier area were Grinnell Glacier and Iceberg Lake. Iceberg is frequently closed due to bear activity. Both might be a bit shorter than your 10-15 mi. range. Might be worth considering a drive down to Two Medicine Lake part of the park while you're on the east side. Dawson-Pitamakin Loop is great, about 20 miles but I missed the shuttle boat when I did it, that would knock off a few miles. For Going to the Sun, either Siyeh or Piegan Pass would be good, or you can do a loop and hit both. I've only done Siyeh. I'm not sure on distances on any of these options. Hidden Lake overlook is short but nice. I haven't done the out and back to Granite Park Chalet, I think that's considered a classic, along the Garden Wall.

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PostThu Feb 20, 2020 6:09 pm 
I would recommend hiking the Highline trail from Logan pass to Glacier Overlook, then to Granite Park, then down to The Loop. Use the hiker shuttle to return to Logan, or start and end using the shuttle, avoiding parking at Logan. You will see a real varied taste of what the park has to offer. Crowds will thin as you put miles between yourself and Logan Pass.

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Songs2
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PostThu Feb 20, 2020 6:25 pm 
rocknclimb, I have made many trips to Glacier and can also point you to some sources of info. The passes usually do not melt out until the last week of July. September, first 2 weeks, is a great time to be in the Park. Do you have a rough time you expect to be in the Park? The entity providing the free shuttle service withdrew in December. So far there is no replacement. From nps.gov/glac:
Quote:
Glacier National Park is working on plans to provide shuttle service for the 2020 summer season. At this time we do not have information on what shuttle service may look like for this coming summer.
The crowds are awful, especially on Going to the Sun Road. Expect parking lots to be full before 8 a.m., and this applies to the lots at Many Glacier, too. When lots are full, traffic is stopped on access roads. The NPS site puts up a dashboard during the summer months showing where lots are full and where traffic is stopped. If you really want Many Glacier, I would suggest trying hard for a reservation there, either in the campground or in a cabin (or motel). Those with res are allowed to proceed along an otherwise closed access road. From St Mary KOA there are many interesting, high-value hikes to be had, but you might not get into Many Glacier. Or you might. Will you have two vehicles? Hitchhiking is quite accepted, and a destination sign and an offer of gas money ($5 or $10, depending, I should think) should see you through if needed. I'll return this weekend with some hike suggestions. Final caution: fires! Best to have plans B and C ready to implement. Glacier is beautiful, and I hope everything goes smoothly for your trip.

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rocknclimb
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PostThu Feb 20, 2020 9:03 pm 
Songs2 wrote:
Do you have a rough time you expect to be in the Park?
Arrive Thursday August 22nd, but too late for anything as I am driving up from the Tetons that morning. Friday is my free day to explore somewhere on the East side. Saturday drive over Sun Road to the West KOA. Maybe possible to fit in Siyeh Peak w/ a super early start?
Songs2 wrote:
Will you have two vehicles? Hitchhiking is quite accepted, and a destination sign and an offer of gas money
Only 1 vehicle, but happy to hitch rides if it makes an option more possible. Thank you and everyone for your ideas and insights. Keep 'em coming

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rocknclimb
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PostThu Feb 20, 2020 9:04 pm 
I should have mentioned that I am a bit of a peak bagger, so possible summit options?....

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Songs2
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PostFri Feb 21, 2020 1:19 am 
rocknclimb, Thanks for further info. Road construction GNP The multiplying issues with getting into Many Glacier Valley mean one can probably forget about it for this year. Climbing Mt Siyeh: it's off-trail. In good weather it should be spectacular. Jake Bramante of hike734.com (734 miles of maintained hiking trails; he has a website by that name and has produced a hiking map listing "top trails," available for purchase from his site and sometimes from visitor centers, but best not to count on it) has a YouTube video on same: Climbing Mt Siyeh You can decide from video whether a climbing helmet would be advisable in such loose rock. Blake Passmore has produced 4 (?5) volumes of Climb Glacier National Park. Available from his site or on Amazon. Each volume addresses a different section of the Park. With your interests, these volumes should be helpful. Trailhead at Siyeh Bend; return by same trail or continue to Sunrift Gorge and exit. The entrance and exit points are not too far apart but would be tiring at end of a long day. As your arrival date puts you in the window for the August Singularity (sudden drop in temp, ice and snow on roads, Logan Pass on GttSR may be closed), having other ideas in mind is always good. The rangers at visitor centers (St Mary, Logan Pass, Apgar are closest to your planned route) are quite knowledgeable about maintained trail options, in my experience. Bear spray.

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Songs2
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PostFri Feb 21, 2020 1:43 am 
Quote:
Maybe possible to fit in Siyeh Peak w/ a super early start?
I am thinking of Siyeh Peak as your main East Side day. Prudentially, hikers usually try to limit on-trail time to 7 a.m. - 4 p.m., leaving trails otherwise free for large fauna to get dinner and such. On the day you drive GttSR, there are numerous good hikes starting from trailheads on the road. Logan Pass From Logan Pass the Highline trail extends behind visitors center to Hidden Lake and Bearhat Mntn, a charming hike shared with many others. Across the road it travels 7.x miles, mostly flat, to Granite Park Chalet, at which point a hiker can choose to (a) return to Logan Pass, (b) descend an additional 4 miles to Loop (need shuttle or to hitch to get back to car), or (c) first walk up to Swiftcurrent Pass and the staffed lookout (a nice burn for the legs) before returning to the Chalet. The Swiftcurrent Pass hike continues on to Many Glacier and makes a spectacular day hike, but with road construction and intermittent MGV access road closing, best saved for another year. If you want to stop off at Logan Pass for a hike or just to visit - it's the highpoint of GttSR and on the Continental Divide - try to be there before 7 a.m. Because: parking. If GttSR is closed or you decide not to drive it, a nice leg-burn with peak hike is on route 2, which goes around the southern edge of Park and will eventually deliver you to West Glacier and the KOA. Firebrand Pass to Calf Robe Mntn (the latter is a social trail). Probably in one of Blake Passmore's books. The area has grizz, especially near Lena Lake and up high.

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nickmtn
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PostFri Feb 21, 2020 8:55 am 
rocknclimb wrote:
I should have mentioned that I am a bit of a peak bagger, so possible summit options?....
Disclaimer...all climbs in Glacier involve the loosest possible rock you can imagine. My favorite day trip climbs in Glacier: - Siyeh - Gould - Reynolds - Clements - Cannon

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Songs2
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PostFri Feb 21, 2020 10:54 am 
As a plan B, at Two Medicine, the Dawson-Pitamakin circuit (awesome by itself) could be made peaky by adding a climb of Rising Wolf or Flinsch Peak. From Summit Post: Rising Wolf Catching the boat at the far end of Lower Two Medicine Lake will cut off the final 3 miles of flat hiking on the return. Depending on whether peakbagging or traveling GttSR is of more interest, you may wish to see what Glacier Mountaineers are up to that weekend.

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PostFri Feb 21, 2020 1:17 pm 
nickmtn wrote:
rocknclimb wrote:
I should have mentioned that I am a bit of a peak bagger, so possible summit options?....
Disclaimer...all climbs in Glacier involve the loosest possible rock you can imagine. My favorite day trip climbs in Glacier: - Siyeh - Gould - Reynolds - Clements - Cannon
The concern is more than just loose rock. Its fragile, loose rock. Almost all rock in Glacier is sedimentary and it may appear solid, but it breaks. Be very careful going off trail.

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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostFri Feb 21, 2020 2:02 pm 
Songs2 wrote:
As a plan B, at Two Medicine, the Dawson-Pitamakin circuit (awesome by itself) could be made peaky by adding a climb of Rising Wolf or Flinsch Peak.
I don't know anything about the route, but Flinsch is a sweet looking peak as you're encircling it doing that loop.

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nickmtn
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PostFri Feb 21, 2020 2:19 pm 
Pahoehoe wrote:
The concern is more than just loose rock. Its fragile, loose rock. Almost all rock in Glacier is sedimentary and it may appear solid, but it breaks. Be very careful going off trail.
Very well put, its absolute garbage

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