Glacier National Park hiking, backpacking, and backcountry chalet adventures in Montana.

6 Day Backpack, A Week in the Wilderness

Difficulty: Moderate, Advanced

This trip happens regularly between the dates of 06/06/2010 and 09/12/2010

Available on the following days:

Sunday

Trip Duration: 6 Days

Price Adult: $840.00

Price Child: $840.00

Other Price: Backpack, Sl. Bag and Tent available for rent.

6 Day Backpack, A Week in the Wilderness

Taking a break at Red Gap Pass.

Description: There are over 700 miles of hiking trail in Glacier National Park, so the best way to see it is on foot. The 6 day trip is for those who wish to forget about civilization for a while and to visit the more remote parts of the park. Mileage will vary from 5 to 12 miles a day. A usual day of elevation will be about 500 to 800 feet elevation gain, while a more strenuous day will be a gain of 2000 to 3000 feet. Your backpack will weigh around 40 pounds. You'll spend the days in subalpine and alpine meadows amongst Glacier's towering peaks. On the trail, your guide will point out features of interest, identify flora and fauna and be on the lookout for wildlife. You'll be camping in Glacier's beautiful, remote backcountry campgrounds. Our guides are great backountry cooks so you'll enjoy delicious meals and be able to relax after a challenging day of hiking. All of the campgrounds are located by lakes or streams offering opportunity for fishing and/or swimming.

Even though we can't give you an exact itinerary for your particular trip, we can give you an example of what you might expect on your 6-Day Adventure. This does not mean that this will be the itinerary for your particular departure.
Minimum age: 15

Day 1 - Meet at our office in West Glacier at 8:30 am, we'll pack the final gear and then off we go in the van to Waterton, Canada ( don't forget your passport or birth certificate to cross the border ). We will take a scenic boat cruise down Waterton Lake back into the United States to the Goat Haunt Ranger Station where we will begin our hike. Our first night's camp on the shore of Lake Francis offers great fishing for rainbow trout in a spectacular setting with a snow fed waterfall at the head of the lake. After setting up camp we'll have one of our delicious backcountry meals.

Day 2 - After a leisurely breakfast, we'll break camp and head up the trail to Brown Pass and the Continental Divide gaining about 1,200 feet in elevation. Here you'll find some of Glacier's alpine splendor, a beautiful meadow filled with endless colors of wildflowers and some of those tasty huckleberries. If time permits we can take a side trek up to see Thunderbird Glacier and it's ice caves. Then just up around the corner from Brown Pass is a high mountain cirque called Hole In The Wall that was carved by glacial activity thousands of years ago. We'll camp in this lush alpine basin filled with several waterfalls ( one of which makes a great alpine shower, brrrrr...). The incredible view from here looks down on Bowman Lake and across to Weasel Collar Glacier.

Day 3 - If the huckleberry picking was successful at Brown Pass, then maybe we'll have huckleberry pancakes for breakfast, a backcountry delight. Then up we go over Boulder Peak. It's only about an hour's walk to the top and this is what they mean by sitting on top of the world. What a view! Back at camp the mountain goats have checked to see who's come to visit.

Days 4, 5 and 6 - Leaving the high country, we'll drop 3,000 feet in elevation down into the secluded Kintla Valley. The next two nights will be spent camping along the shores of Upper Kintla and Kintla Lakes with great opportunities for fishing and swimming. We'll wind up at the foot of Kintla Lake to meet our shuttle back to West Glacier. To top off the trip we'll have a stop at the remote town of Polebridge and try to figure out how they keep the ice cream frozen since the power company hasn't made it up the North Fork Valley yet. We'll be getting back to West Glacier by around 5 PM.

Glacier's backcountry is truly a place touched by magic and we look forward to sharing it with you.

Meeting Notes: Guests should call our office the day prior to departure (387-5555 or 800-521-7238) to check-in.The day of the trip you should arrive at our office (1.5 mi. west of West Glacier on Hwy 2, across from Kruger Helicopter) by 8:30 AM to meet your guide. Departs every Sunday starting May 27th through September 16th.