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Posted by Scott S on January 31, 2008 at 6:50:15 am EST
In reply to Re: Glacier Nat'l. Park, MT posted by njpaddler on January 30, 2008 at 11:06:05 am EST

Hey Paul,

I must say: hiking in Glacier National Park has been one of the great trips of my life. It was amazing! A good college buddy of mine and I entered the park from the Chief Mountain, NE area of the park. We parked his vehicle just South of the Canadian-US Border in the lot and hiked in, with Chief Mountain to our left. The area we hiked was a loop trail system that stayed just south and a little East of Waterton. Our route took us to three campgrounds and a day hike to the top of a ridge looking down on a glacial lake.

Though there were many people around, our voices got hoarse singing silly tunes along the trail. I am a music teacher (my friend isn't), and we even made up lyrics to "Creative Trail Songs" because we were told by the Park Rangers and two other Montana Backpacking Stores that the grizzlies were "down low" near the trails with water being in short supply that summer (2001). They had recommended pepper spray and bells and "to talk alot and loudly." That got our attention. One customer in one of the stores even said to us under his breath, "I always pack a revolver. Not taking any chances." Well of course we didn't do that as it is illegal for one thing.

Though we saw no bears (perhaps it was our harmonic dischord?) we DID get chased off a lake shore by a trotting moose! It was amazing. No one was hurt. With the poor eyesight (yet incredible sense of smell) of a moose, I doubt it was actually after us. But it's stature and speed and huge rack got our attention. We dove into the thicket as it passed by. Paul later told me that he thought he heard it humming, "Get Off Of My Beach".

We reported it to the Glacier Rangers and they said that they had received one other complaint from some backpackers about a "moody moose" by that lake.

The fly fishing was excellent, the views out of this world.

Paul, I highly recommend this trip. Really anywhere in the park, but this NE quadrangle was superb. I hear that the Highline Trail, Iceberg Lake, and the less frequented Western edge of the park are all amazing.

One additional trip I recommend, to second the other poster, is the Tetons. We did the Paintbrush Divide/Cascade Canyon Loop. We crossed snowfields and basically moved near the base of the Grand Teton itself. It was a stunning backpacking trip enjoyed by my former roommate Paul, my daughter and son. The photo ops were incredible.

Good luck on your Glacier Trip! I hope you can enjoy the park without unnecessary singing and bellowing:-)!

Scott S
Minnesota

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