“You might want to consider a pair of ice cleats.”
The unsolicited advice came from a fellow hiker as we made our way on our initial trail in Glacier National Park. At this point, both of our bums were soaked through from having to slide down the trail’s descent which due to the spring thaw was a sheet of ice. Not to be deterred we continued slipping and sliding down the path while serenading the forest to prevent an unwanted encounter in grizzly country. It was in this state that we had the fortune of coming across a pair of local hikers. Even though we had spoken with park rangers upon our arrival, we were woefully unprepared for the terrain and could use all the help we could get. The ice cleats were the best purchase made that trip.
A friend and I plotted last year that we should travel some place new and hike some mountains as an annual adventure. Our inaugural trip brought us to Kelowna, British Columbia. Obviously, we went there in April when the higher elevations still had snow up to our waists and the bears were just starting to ease out of hibernation all groggy and famished. Fifty miles of hiking later, happy and exhausted, we vowed to repeat the experience the following year in a new locale. I had one request - to not go somewhere cold when it was just starting to get warm again in the city. While we grew up in the same area, my friend has since moved to San Antonio, TX. Therefore I pulled the trump card of my home is colder than your home and for the love of all things good can we please go someplace warm next year. Which is obviously how we ended up spending this spring at Glacier National Park in Montana. When the higher elevations still had snow up to our waists and the bears were just starting to ease out of hibernation all groggy and famished.
But the snow, ice, and potential for grizzly encounters were all worth it. Glacier National Park is stunningly beautiful – even during the off season. We were able to enjoy much of the park by ourselves and only came across 5 hikers in the course of the week. It’s definitely on my list of places to revisit and I highly recommend it to fellow I-like-to-be-in-nature-and-somewhat-alone peoples.
notes:
research trails at www.hike734.com – we came across Jake during our trip and he’s knowledgeable, helpful, kind, etc.
hike at two medicine – it is vastly different from the western side of the park
visit the national bison range and hang out with some loveable ungulates
drink at bulldog saloon when all you want after a day of hiking is a burger and a beer
brunch at buffalo café when taking a break from the trails
caffeinate oneself with cowgirl coffee