Sunshine and Climbs

Odometer: 65,384
Glacier National Park

The day starts with the first generator at 7 a.m. I think we’re the only tents in our section of the campground; everyone else is RV. I am struck by my good fortune: completely at random, I met someone who has similar ideas about hikes to me (meaning not too long and not too strenuous) and is traveling for similar reasons. One of my goals for this trip was to get to know people and talk to them, and Chris has been great. Insta-travel buddy, and what do you know, we get along.
The night was relatively warm – an easy 10 degrees warmer than the night before – and the day looks to be clearing, so we decide to head up Apgar pass. It’s not a very long trek, 3.3 miles one way, but it is 1800 feet of elevation gain to Avalanche Creek’s 500.

We start out pretty nervous about bears, and not very far in hear an animal break a branch. We also see scat, including some with berries, though it seems far too small to be a bear’s. We decided to keep going, and eventually some other hikers catch up with us, so we feel better about the bears. In all, we see about 20 people along the trail, so we’re considerably more relaxed about bears on the way down than the way up. The hike goes up to a fire lookout – and all around you can see the burned forest from the 1994 fire (and 2003 fire?) – but the view from the top is really spectacular.






The day is clearing fine and is even a bit hot (albeit windy) by the time we reach the top. Coming down is nearly as hard as going up. My knees don’t work like they used to, and I forgot my trekking poles again. Auuugh! But certainly coming down is faster and we tease the people coming up about the 9 miles to go, then reassure them the view is really worth it. Chris has chocolate chip cookies in his car, so we eat a couple of those when we’re back.

We have separate afternoon plans: I desperately want a shower – especially after the sweaty hike – and Chris wants to go back to Bowman Lake to do more photography. While he’s off there, I do a little laundry and shower and poke around both West Glacier (a little bit of a tourist town just outside the park entrance) and Apgar Village (get Mahina a book about pikas) and then reorganize my car and hang out by the campsite, waiting for Chris to get back to go to dinner. It’s verrrry nice to be clean.

Looking over the maps, it appears likely we’ll use a transfer to go to a different campsite tomorrow (rising sun?) and so some light hikes, and then I’d like to try to do the Garden Wall hike on Sunday – 12 miles, but mostly downhill. Monday I plan to take off, and it looks like I’ll head up Canada way to get across to International Falls and Voyageurs. Winnipeg is a greater lure than North Dakota? It’s so hard to choose.

Chris comes back about 7:20 and we head out for pizza. The pizza place we want to try doesn't serve pizza anymore ("we should change that sign"), but they steer us to the Glacier Grill, which has good pizza and great salads. En route back we pull into the picnic area of Fish Creek to sit on the shore and stare up at the stars. It's so clear you can see most of the Milky Way. I can't quite relax as it's dark, dark, dark and there's random noises everywhere. There haven't been any bears yet, but I really wonder how someone backpacks this in comfort: I'd be nervous about the food I'd be carrying with me. Anyway. It's a gorgeous evening, and Chris calls it a "carpe diem" moment. It is. Finally we head for the campground and to sleep.