Hey Summit Squad,
First off, I’m super stoked that To Summit Up now has a logo (up in the header at the top of the page as well as right below)! What do you think?
Secondly, we are going to continue our journey through my week at Glacier National Park in Montana from Summer 2017. Put on your adventure shoes – this part of the week exposed us to backcountry camping (a first for all three of us adventurers) and a black bear encounter. This post will take us through Monday and Tuesday of this adventure.
**Check out the full Glacier Gallery from 8/7/2017-8/8/2018**
Monday, August 7th, 2017:
The sun rose over the mountains and the valleys of West Glacier. We had another night of knocked-out sleep and were ready to take on our first back country experience. The combination of mountain sounds, our full and active days, and the cool night air allowed us to get some of the best nights of sleep ever. Our eyes opened and we made breakfast on the picnic table outside of out tent at the Apgar Campground. We had spent out last night at Apgar and began to pack up our belongings. We were off to Logging Lake (also on the west side of Glacier) for our first ever back country experience. We were clearly amateurs and packed way more than we actually needed. Our packs were probably 10-20 lbs heavier than they should have been – maybe more. This was quite the learning experience. We had a 10(ish) mile hike in to our site on the lake. Our mistakes included bringing canned tuna (…I know, right?), bottled water, and too much clothing. Strikes 1, 2, and 3. Way too much excess weight. But we made it. The hike in was filled with dense brush, trees and streams. Our first real views of the lake came about half-way to our campsite when we got to the toe of the lake. There was a small cabin and a boat tied off just off-shore. This was a perfect place to snack on some lunch.
Boat near the toe of Logging Lake
View of what lies ahead on Logging Lake
Rejuvenated, we packed up and trekked on. Eventually we made it and set up camp. There were three other people staying at this campground. – It should be noted for those of you who are not into hiking, that a backcountry permit must be obtained for all backcountry outings. Additionally, Glacier National Park issued us a bear and backcountry safety training. – First, we hung our food from a frame in the designated meal area, which was located a good distance away from our campsite. We then went and set up our tent and ventured to the water to take in the views that we had hiked in for. We took off our shoes and socks and stepped into the frigid, but refreshing water.
Enjoying the Views of Logging Lake
Looking back at where we came from
We headed back to the site and began to grab our dinner things. We walked over to the designated meal-prep area and found our three other camping buddies there. They were a bit older and definitely had much more experience than us. Clearly showing our amateurism, we whip out our canned tuna and a can opener (remember…this was all carried on the hike in). The lady exclaims to the others “CANNED TUNA? CANNED TUNA?! Look guys, they have canned tuna! You know they make that in freeze-dried?” We didn’t know what to say so we really just listened. We had picked up our food from a supermarket after we landed and didn’t think or plan out much of this backpacking night properly. It became lesson time and the three other hikers began diving into what foods to bring, what gear to get, and how to backpack with the minimum amount of weight possible. We still enjoyed our tuna like we hadn’t eaten in days. After the meal, we cleaned up, making sure to leave no trace and to seal all scented items, and hoisted our bear canister back into the air. We certainly learned a lot and I already have and am planning to continue to implement what I learned on each backpacking trip from here forward. It has become a science of personally figuring out what I really need to survive and eliminating all the excess items that aren’t necessary. This is a work in progress and also relates to your comfort with backpacking minimalism. There is a happy-medium somewhere between packing everything and packing nothing.
We went to the lake to watch the sunset and a thunderstorm rolled in. It was ominous and majestic to watch the lightning show. The rain didn’t quite reach us yet and we were able to take in the weather. This ended up being the storm that started wildfires in Glacier National Park that burned over 13,000 acres. We even witnessed a lightning strike on the far side of the lake that burned a tree. The tree smoked for an hour or two but never developed into a widespread fire. The widespread fires were started elsewhere in the park.
Tree Smoking After a Lightning Strike
The sun set and we went back to our tents and knocked out for the night. Our legs and feet thanked us for the rest. It began to drizzle and we slipped into a deep sleep.
Tuesday, August 8th, 2017:
We woke early and wanted to get up and out, as we had to hike out, travel Going to the Sun Road (a few hour drive) to the east side of Glacier, and set up camp. We packed our belongings and headed out. We were fresh and the way out went faster than our hike in. We passed two hikers who were headed to the campsite we just came from about half way out. They warned us to be careful that there were two bears a little ways up the trail about 50 feet off of the path. They said they were up in the tree but we were still on edge. We heard rustling and noticed the bears high in a tree. It was a mother bear and her cub. The mother was lodged in a hole in the tree scavenging and the cub was high above her watching. The cub stared at us and the mother didn’t notice. We proceeded with caution and continued on.
Mother Bear Lodged in the Tree and Cub High Above Her
We made it out, got to the car, and began our journey to East Glacier. We traveled Going to The Sun Road and stopped to soak in the majesty of St. Mary Lake. The photo below gives a good indication of the smoky haze that was present over areas of the park in addition to the clouds. In talking to locals, during clear summers, you are able to see the mountains in the distance with clarity.
St. Mary Lake
Eventually, we made it to St. Mary Campground, which is where we were staying that night. We set up camp, showered (this site had showers, which was nice), and relaxed. We read books and sat in thought for some time.
Moon Rising
The moon rose and we enjoyed the remainder of our cool night ready to rest up for the next day, which included kayaking and exploring the Swiftcurrent Lake area, running under a 34 degree waterfall, and checking out the Many Glacier Hotel. The trip to this point was already incredible and it only continued to get better.
Inspire adventure, live passionately, and love your story. I am certainly loving mine. Stay tuned for the next post as we continue our journey through my week at Glacier National Park! Thank you for reading!
-Ryan
