Glacier National Park (MT) Backpacking – July 2022
Glacier National Park – July 2022
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JULY, 2022
I returned to magnificent Glacier National Park in July 2022 to do my 4th hike in the park. The last time I was in Glacier was for my 2018 solo hike. I joined Carl, Justin, and Travis for this hike. I’d hiked with Carl and Travis on our March 2022 Great Smoky Mountains hike but I hadn’t hiked with Justin since the 2019 Yellowstone hike. A high snow year had left Glacier with a ‘barely open’ feel. The Going to the Sun Road was still closed, many of the higher campsites were closed (‘winter conditions’ in the Glacier vernacular), the Ptarmigan Tunnel was closed, and many of the higher trails were still impassible. Despite that, we were still able to enjoy a fantastic hike in the Many Glacier / Belly River area of Glacier. Thanks to Travis’s efforts, we stayed three nights in two iconic National Park Lodges – Lake McDonald Lodge and Many Glacier Hotel. All-in-all it was a great trip to one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Travelling to Glacier – Chaos in the Airlines and Much Stress
The doggies knew they wouldn’t be able to tag along on this trip. Jaden and Bailey put on their best ‘sad face’ look and did their best to make me feel guilty about leaving them behind. The US airline system was chaotic when I flew out for this trip. The news was full of stories of mass flight cancellations, long delays, and lost bags. Any of which would have destroyed my trip. I was traveling on the Uber-busy 4th of July holiday weekend, making the situation more unsettling. I had never gone into a trip as stressed out about the travel as I was on this trip. But I tried my best to keep the worries in the background. The excitement of a Glacier trip kicked in upon arriving at the airport, and I was all smiles.
Getting to Glacier required two flights, a short-turnaround connection in Minneapolis, obtaining a rental car, and a 6-hour drive across Montana from Bozeman. Any delay, especially on the flight to Minneapolis, or any issues getting the rental car, was going to wreak havoc on the trip. Thankfully, the travel to Glacier was completed smoothly. The drive up US287 across western Montana was desolate, gloomy, and rainy. But it was also a treasure-trove of Lewis and Clark history. Finally, I passed under the Glacier ‘gateway’ bridge and drove through a very wet Apgar Village. Next stop… the Lake McDonald Lodge.
Lake McDonald Lodge – Meeting up with Carl, Justin, and Travis
It was rainy, wet, cold, and miserable when I pulled into the Lake McDonald Lodge parking lot. I had no idea where to meet up with the crew, and there was no cell phone coverage to aid my effort. Fortunately, just as I walked up to the Lodge entrance, Carl, Justin, and Travis were at the door. They had just returned from an ice cream run into Apgar Village. The temperature was in the low 40s, and the air was saturated with moisture making it feel even colder. Thankfully, there was a fire roaring in the historic fireplace and enough empty seats in front to accommodate all of us. I retrieved a little ‘adult beverage’ from my luggage, and we thoroughly enjoyed catching up in front of the fire.
Music in the Great Room at Lake McDonald Lodge
As we warmed ourselves in front of the fire, I took in the view of the Lake McDonald Lodge Great Room behind us. This was my first experience in a National Park lodge. They are all known for their memorable common social areas. Those are usually some sort of Great Room with a high ceiling, rustic decorations, a large fireplace, and a piano.
By tradition, the piano is open for all to play. When we arrived, one of the musically-inclined guests played an excellent rendition of Leonard Cohen’s song ‘Hallelujah.’ Soon an entire family gathered around the piano and sang to the music. Sitting in front of the fire, listening to the music, and absorbing the setting was surreal but wonderful.
Fourth of July Morning at Lake McDonald Lodge
The weather had cleared by morning, and it held the promise of a perfect hiking day. But we wouldn’t be doing any hiking on this Fourth of July. Instead, the plan for the day was to pick up our permit at the Apgar Village Backcountry Permit Office and then make our way over to the Many Glacier area in the northeast corner of Glacier. I had slept in Snyder Hall, a historic converted dormitory building a short walk west of the main Lodge. On my walk back to the Lodge, I came across three of the iconic Glacier Red Bus Tour busses. The Red Bus is ubiquitous to Glacier and only to Glacier. When you see those Red Busses, there is no doubt about where you are! I grabbed some coffee in the Lodge and met up with the guys.
Picking up the permit in Apgar Village – A Glacier Ritual
Picking up your permit from the Apgar Village Backcountry Permit Office is a ritual of any Glacier hike. It’s also when the hike starts to feel ‘real.’ Thanks to Covid, the Permit Office process was different than my previous three Glacier hikes. We waited in line outside the building, and they only allowed one group in at a time. We desired to change our last night’s camping location from Glenn Lake Head to Cosley Lake. Unfortunately, Cosley had no openings, so we stayed with our original permit. The Ranger directed us to the small back room to watch the required backcountry video. A live briefing by a Ranger was the last part of the process. Travis signed our permit, and we were ready to go hiking.
Driving to Many Glacier
Sadly, the Going to the Sun Road was still closed. We had to take the ‘long way’ to Many Glacier. Our route took us around the southern end of Glacier, adding about 60 extra miles. The Going to the Sun Road closure also meant we wouldn’t be able to do our typical hike out to Hidden Lake from the Logan Pass Visitor’s Center. We looked for a place to obtain ‘adult beverage,’ bear spray, and canister fuel along the route. Bourbon was obtained at Ick’s Place in Browning, Montana. A successful though sketchy stop! Canister fuel was found at a gas station in St. Mary Village. In St. Mary Village we filled up with $6.40 per gallon of gas. That was the most I had ever paid. Bear spray would have to wait. (Found later at the Many Glacier Hotel).
First Impressions of Many Glacier
Apgar and the Lake McDonald Lodge are nice (ok, really nice), but the scenery surrounding the Many Glacier Hotel is spectacular. Words cannot describe the breathtaking scene as you make your way from the parking lot down to Hotel. The view of the Many Glacier Hotel with Swiftcurrent Lake, Altyn Peak, Grinnell Point, and Bull Head Point in the background is otherworldly. Perhaps Alps-like is a better description because it looks like you’re in Switzerland, not Montana. We took a few moments at the top of the hill to absorb the scene and take pictures. To round out the first impression perfectly, a Glacier Red Bus pulled out from the front of the Many Glacier Hotel just as we entered.
Dinner at Johnson’s Restaurant
Travis’s recommended we drive to St. Mary to have dinner at Johnson’s of St. Mary. Johnson’s has a fascinating history, which you can read on their website. Travis had eaten there multiple times. He said Johnson’s was quirky, and the food was excellent. Sounded perfect to me. The place was packed, and there was a short line out the door. That was a good sign to me. As we waited in line, a waiter was ‘greeting’ a family in front of us with ‘no fries, one check… think about it’. It reminded me of the Soup Nazi scene on Seinfeld! After we got seated, that same waiter regaled us with his tales of shooting a grizzly and told us the bearskin was on a table on the lower level – it was! The dinner experience was a little strange, but Johnson’s food WAS great.
Relaxing in the Great Room of the Many Glacier Hotel
Another comparison with the Lake McDonald Lodge. The Great Room of the Lake McDonald Lodge is very, very nice. The Great Room of the Many Glacier Hotel is… just wow! It is bigger and grander in every respect. The ceiling is taller, the space is larger, the views out the window are more spectacular, the piano is grander, the fireplace is bigger and has 360-degree access, and the seating is more comfortable and abundant. Guests played music on the grand piano constantly. We enjoyed the scene, listening to piano music and soaking in the Great Room ambiance. A few IPAs were consumed while we sat in the chairs along the west wall, enjoying the view of Swiftcurrent Lake and the surrounding mountains. It was nature TV at its finest, and we all enjoyed every moment of our last night before hiking.
Nature TV Before Bed – Sunset Thunderstorm at Many Glacier
The weather had been rainy, cold, and gloomy all evening, but towards sunset, the rain stopped, and the clouds started to part. People began to make their way out of the Great Room and onto the balcony as well as along the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake. We joined them. The late afternoon thunderstorm that had greeted us on our way back from Johnson’s was moving off to the east. The colors cast on the clouds from the setting sun were spectacular. The scene with the Many Glacier Hotel, mountains, Swiftcurrent Lake, and the thunderstorm in the background is one I will not soon forget. It was the perfect way to end our day at the Many Glacier Hotel. We went to bed, heading into our hike the next day, in great spirits.
The Hiking Begins – Many Glacier to Poia Lake Campground
The morning we started hiking was clear and cold. We grabbed some prefab breakfast and coffee from Heidi’s Snack Shop on the lower level of the main lodge building. Last-minute pack adjustments were completed and we headed up the hill to the car. The view from the top of the hill was incredible and got us pumped up to start hiking. The weather forecast for the days we would be hiking was good—clear skies the first couple of days and cloudier with a chance of rain. The first significant chance of rain was for the afternoon we finished. It looked like we might get lucky in terms of weather. We made the 2-mile drive to the Poia Lake Trailhead, did Carl’s mandatory pre-hike pack weigh-in, and (finally) started the hike.
First Day of Hiking
The plan for the first day of hiking was straightforward. Eight miles, mostly uphill, from the Poia Lake Trailhead to the Poia Lake campground. We took a group shot at the trailhead and another at the trailhead sign. The backdrop of both pictures said it all – we were hiking in Glacier again! The weather was perfect though a bit chillier than the upper-60s forecast. There was also a stiff breeze that made it feel even colder. The trail was smooth and relatively gently uphill for the first six miles of the hike. As we did during the 2019 Yellowstone hike, Carl and I hiked together, and Justin and Travis hiked together. Carl and I like to scoot down the trail, while Justin and Travis like to take it a little slower. All good – hike your own hike.
At the six-mile mark, we reached the top of the climb and started downhill through thicker forest on a bit steeper grade. It was classic Glacier hiking and also perfect grizzly territory. At the bottom of the descent, the forest ended, and we found ourselves on an exposed stretch with fantastic views all around. The last mile to Poia Lake and the campground was steeply uphill and exposed. It had only been an 8.5-mile day, but that last uphill stretch made it feel like more. After about four hours of hiking, we made it to our first ‘home’ for the night in Glacier – the Poia Lake campground.
Poia Lake Campground
Poia Lake campground sits on the southeast corner of Poia Lake. It is a typical Glacier National Park campground. A food preparation area, privy, and four campsites are located a short distance from the food prep area. The water source for the campground was Poia Lake itself, which is a short walk downhill from camp. One of my concerns going into the trip was how we fit four tents onto the typical (small) Glacier campsite. It proved challenging, but with a little puzzle-like creativity, we got all four tents set up. We chose campsite #2 because it was flatter and larger than the others. Campsite #1 was the smallest, and campsite #4 was under snow. Campsite #3 was the largest but not quite as flat.
First Night in Glacier National Park – Glacier Camp Life
Our first night in camp at Glacier was relaxing and relatively typical. We set up our tents, filled up with water from the lake, and hung our food bags. Then we generally lounged around in the food preparation area. While waiting for Justin and Travis to arrive, Carl and I took a short hike to a hill overlooking Poia Lake and Kennedy Creek, the lake’s outflow. The view was beautiful. In the distance was the climb up to Red Gap Pass that we would have to hike the following day. There was a lot of snow on the climb! Carl climbed down in a sketchy little spot to grab a selfie. It looked like one of those potentially tragic ‘watch this’ moments, but he was able to get the shot safely. We headed back to camp.
Second Day of Hiking – Poia Lake to Elizabeth Lake
The weather forecast was spot on for our second day of hiking. The day was perfect. The view of Poia Lake with the climb up to Red Gap Pass was sublime. After breakfast and some much-needed coffee, Carl and I started the hike early. Justin and Travis lingered in camp a bit longer. It was going to be a long (11 miles), hard day hiking over Red Gap Pass to Elizabeth Lake. The day’s hike was evenly divided between the first 6-mile climb up to Red Gap Pass and then the 5-mile descent down to Elizabeth Lake. The first four miles of the hike were gently uphill on smooth trails. The pace was steady and fast. The trail steepened significantly about two miles from Red Gap Pass, and our pace slowed considerably. But the views of Crowfeet Mountain and Kennedy Lake made us forget about the effort.
Snow on the Trail to Red Gap Pass
As we ascended, we started to pass through patches of snow. At first, it was more curious than troublesome, but soon we got into continuous stretches of snow that slowed our pace significantly. We had to pull out the Gaia GPS app to determine where the trail was. The snow was also fairly hard, with no existing footsteps, making it slippery. Two steep (‘high angle’ in the Glacier vernacular) snow stretches were downright sketchy to cross. In some spots, it was easier to go straight up the steep incline rather than try to cross on the ‘trail’ (the trail was under many feet of snow). Eventually, the snow became patches rather than continuous, exiting the trail altogether. I was never so happy to walk on a steep, high-altitude (real) mountain trail in my life!
Red Gap Pass
When you approach a pass, often the trail steepens significantly, and that was certainly the case as we neared Red Gap Pass. At least the trail was now free of snow. Finally, we made the turn on the last switchback, and the trail leveled out. With Red Gap Pass filling our view, we crossed one more short stretch of high-angle snow, took one last at Crowfeet Mountain, and soon made it to the pass. Our plan was to have lunch on the pass, but it was about 45degF with a strong wind, so we took the mandatory group picture and pressed on toward Elizabeth Lake.
Down to Elizabeth Lake
The trail down to Elizabeth Lake started very steep and entirely exposed. Thankfully the wind died down as soon as we started down. The view of Elizabeth Lake 2500 feet below us was surreal – like we were in a painting rather than looking at a ‘real’ scene. We stopped for lunch at the first water crossing on the trail. The stop was necessary and a bit overdue. I was starting to get shaky, probably from hypothermia and low blood sugar. We ran into snow on the way down but nothing compared to what we struggled through on the east side of Red Gap Pass. The trail was smooth, and the pace was quick once we passed the steep stretch near the pass. Views got better and better the more we descended.
Once we hit the intersection with the Ptarmigan Tunnel trail, I was in familiar territory. My son, Christian, and I hiked on those same trails during our 2013 Glacier hike. We stayed the last night of that hike in the Elizabeth Lake campground and went through the Ptarmigan Tunnel on our last day’s hike to Many Glacier. After about 6 hours of hiking for the day, we crossed the suspension bridge over Belly River and came upon the food preparation area of the Elizabeth Lake campground.
Elizabeth Lake Campground
Elizabeth Lake campground sits on the northeast corner of Elizabeth Lake. Like the Poia Lake campground, it is a typical Glacier National Park campground. But it is one of the larger campgrounds, featuring six campsites. The food preparation area is also one of the largest I’ve seen in Glacier. It has two separate areas for food preparation and metal lockers to store food bags. The privy is north of the food prep area. The six campsites are in the trees along the lake to the south. There is a nice beach along the lake, which offers views of the Ptarmigan Wall and Ptarmigan Spire. In 2013 we entertained ourselves on the beach skipping stones and trying to figure out where the Ptarmigan Tunnel was, far above us.
Last night in Glacier National Park
We didn’t know it then, but our night at Elizabeth Lake would be our last in Glacier. Our permit showed us staying one more night at Glenn Lake Foot campground. But Glen Lake was six miles, each way, off of our route back to the car at Chief Mountain trailhead. Ultimately, we decided to head back to the car the next day and try for one more night at the Many Glacier Hotel. As we waited for Justin and Travis to arrive, the clouds started to roll in. Eventually, it got utterly ‘socked in,’ and you couldn’t see the tops of the mountains. Rain fell gently, and we set up the tarp. Fortunately, the rain held off. We had dinner in the food prep area and enjoyed our night at Elizabeth Lake at the beach to avoid the swarms of mosquitoes.
Third Day of Hiking – Elizabeth Lake to Chief Mountain
The clouds had cleared out by the next morning and it was a glorious morning. Glacier National Park at its finest. Elizabeth Lake was glass smooth, and the view of the Ptarmigan Wall and Spire were nearly perfectly reflected in the water. It was the type of scene you could sit and look at all day and never get bored. But we had many miles to do on this day, thanks to our decision to hike directly to the car. There were no second thoughts, though, as the decision made the logistics much more manageable over the next few days. We had some breakfast and coffee in the food prep area and said our goodbyes to our Elizabeth Lake campground ‘family.’ After tearing down our last camp, we started hiking on our last day in Glacier.
Hiking on the Belly River Trail
Immediately after leaving the Elizabeth Lake campground, we turned left onto the Belly River Trail. It would take us eight miles directly to the car. There would be no turns to make on this day. Bear Grass is ubiquitous in Glacier and was especially prevalent on the Belly River trail. Soon we came to Dawn Mist Falls. The ‘mist’ part of the name is entirely appropriate because as you stand at the view spot, it feels like you’re taking a shower from the ‘mist.’
This place was an important milestone in my Glacier hike with Christian in 2013. On that day, we had started at Stoney Indian Lake and already had 13 miles of hiking in by the time we arrived at Dawn Mist Falls. Our legs were dead, and we found ourselves on the brutal last uphill stretch to our campsite at Elizabeth Lake. The Falls gave us quite the emotional pick-me-up needed to get us through the last couple miles into camp. I was alone at the falls in 2022, and the memories made me a little emotional on this visit.
Up the hill to Chief Mountain
I was taking my time, taking pictures and videos, and I found myself hiking alone this morning. I’m entirely comfortable with that, but I came to an intersection marking that had me a bit confused. It showed a right turn to get to the Belly River Ranger Station. I knew we would pass right by the Ranger Station, so I thought I should turn right. But the main trail clearly continued straight at that point. Hmmm…. but no problem, I had the Gaia GPS app on my phone.
I fired up the Gaia app and found the required base maps were never appropriately loaded! Unfortunately, I did not have a paper map on this trip, so I was mapless. There were a few uncomfortable moments as I took that thought in, but I then relaxed, feeling confident the proper path was straight ahead. It took a few more uncomfortable moments than I desired, but shortly I met back up with the guys at the Belly River suspension bridge. There was one more sketchy suspension bridge crossing, and we were on the Belly River’s correct (east) side. We wouldn’t cross the river again on this trip. The views along the Belly River Trail were great but not quite what we had experienced on the Red Gap Pass Trail and at Elizabeth Lake. But you learn quickly that Glacier National Park has no ‘bad’ views.
Made it back to the car!
We passed the Belly River Ranger Station and, immediately after, the Gable Creek campground. The Gable Creek campground was important on this trip because we had tried to change our permit in the Backcountry Permit Office to stay at Gable Creek the last night. Initially, the Ranger had us reserved our site. But he seemed inexperienced, and there was some ‘glitch’ in their permit reservation system. By the time he got the supervising Ranger engaged, the open spot at Gable was gone. But we decided to take advantage of the campground for a rest and snack break. We thought about ‘what could have been’ as we talked with the hikers in camp.
We passed the Belly River Ranger Station and, immediately after, the Gable Creek campground. Not long after leaving the Gable Creek campground, the trail turned steeply uphill. It would stay steep and uphill the last two miles to the Chief Mountain trailhead. It was a painful way to end the hike. But, we were all experienced enough to simply put the brain on autopilot and keep putting one foot in front of the other. As is always the case doing that, we found ourselves back at the Chief Mountain trailhead and the car. Our 2022 Glacier National Hike Park was finished.
Conclusion – Glacier National Park hike
Any hike in Glacier National Park is destined to be a ‘bucket list’ event and provide life-long memories. Our 2022 hike was special because I could do it with the best hiking crew imaginable – Carl, Justin, and Travis. This was our first hike together since we did the incredible 2019 Yellowstone hike. I couldn’t ask for better people to hike with. The last time I hiked in Glacier was in September 2018; it was a solo hike. I’ll take any hike in Glacier, solo or with a group, but it is much more special when you share the experience with great hiking partners. Words can never adequately describe the experience of backpacking in Glacier National Park. It is one of the most majestic and awe-inspiring places on earth. I will never get tired of hiking there, and I plan to return as soon as possible.
Group shot at the Glacier National Park entrance sign in Apgar Village
I am a ‘content creator’ with a passion for backpacking, creating videos, photography, and writing – with a healthy dose of all things outdoors on the side!
