Back Country Hiking
Hi Mike,
As you know, earlier this August, Beth and I went with 3 hiking buddies of mine to Glacier Nat’l Park. Beth acted as a re-supplier for our backpack trip, and made our loads lighter by meeting us midway at a road camp to supply us with more food and clothes. We all had a great time despite the extensive pall of smoke from a forest fire just west of Kalispell. Later, from our highest trail, near Browns Pass, we could see the smoke off in the far distance to the south, and could even smell it from 50 miles away.
Our hike started in Waterton, Alberta, where we took a ferry into the USA. While we started hiking, Beth took the ferry back to Waterton Park, and drove around to meet us 3 days later at Lower Bowman Lake. While the 4 of us fogies backpacked, she went on day hikes and listened to ranger talks. She camped with us one night at Bowman Lake before we headed up for a 3-day circuit of Quartz Lakes.
The streams we passed were mostly dry, but at high elevations there were still valleys full of alpine grasses and flowers and crystalline waterfalls. We saw lots of wildflowers that I’ve never seen in Colorado. Due to the lateness of the season and the dry summer, I found only one Beargrass flower and one Columbine, but there were Fireweed, Western Anemone, and spectacular St Johnswort and Lewis Monkeyflowers. We also hiked through countless thimble berries in the woods, and grazed on them along the way. Our nicest camp was in a wonderful cirque full of alpine meadows and trickling falls. It’s called Hole-in-the-Wall after a huge cleft in the cliffs above the cirque.
We saw no Grizzlies, but saw their signs, and heard stories from other hikers about their spottings of bears.
I made a short album of our pictures.
You can click individual thumbnails to enlarge them or see a slide show by clicking the arrow button at the top far right.
–rakkity
PS: next for the blog — our ascent of 13,500-ft Navajo Peak
Spectacular, Ed! Probably just as well you encountered no grizzlies, though I bet you wish you’d at least caught a glimpse (how do you hang your food when camping in meadows, though … ?). And do you review weather aforehand and pick sublime, opportune windows or just go and takes your chances?
As always, thanks for sweating the small stuff along with the jealousy-inducing vistas. Wonderful!
Comment by el Kib — August 22, 2007 @ 8:31 am
Those photographs are … well, words (mine, anyway) can’t quite express. Almost heartstopping. Exquisite. Spectacular. Jealousy-inducing.
Comment by Jennifer — August 22, 2007 @ 8:51 am
In Glacier, back-country camping is tightly restricted. Our logistics on this hike were so complicated I don’t even want to discuss them. But basically, you have to reserve back-country sites, camp in designated spots, and cook only in a designated cook area (with your friendly neighboring campers), and hang your food bags on designated bear poles (about 12 feet high). There are even maintained outhouses for your pooping comfort.
All these constraints reduce the impact of hikers on the wildlife and discourage bears from eating human food and humans.
Comment by rakkityed.schmahl — August 22, 2007 @ 12:15 pm
Oh so dramatic. If those pictures were emotions they’d be gushing. The contrast between the serene lakes and flowers and the abrasive projecting cliffs makes me want to sing and weep at the same time. Really wonderful. Not hard to find God in that country.
Comment by Jen — August 22, 2007 @ 4:51 pm
Whenever Joe, Chuck and I venture into the high alpine meadows, we raise our arms to the sky and shout,’ODIN!’ in praise to the mountain gods.
Comment by rakkityed.schmahl — August 23, 2007 @ 5:41 pm
Of course you do. How could you not? I would shout something more along the lines of, “Om Namah Shivaya” but that’s just me. It’ means I honor/pay deference to the life force that flows through all things.
Must be truly moving to be around all that beauty.
Comment by Jen — August 24, 2007 @ 10:58 pm