Wildflower Walks

It’s nearly time for my annual summer trip to Glacier National Park. While finding wildflowers there is never difficult, deciding on which trails to hike is more of a chore – albeit one with a great reward. My wife and I are always looking for something new, with lakes, streams, views and some altitude.

This year, we had our sights set on backpacking over Gunsight Pass from the Going-to-the-Sun Road in the St. Mary Lake drainage to Lake McDonald Lodge. The idea was we’d leave our car at Lake McDonald, shuttle over Logan Pass to the trailhead and camp at Gunsight Lake and Lake Ellen Wilson or near Sperry Chalet along the trail.

Problem is, Ellen Wilson and Sperry aren’t yet open to camping. Sperry may be by the time of our trip, but we need a backup plan. (Another problem may be securing walk-up backcountry permits for any itinerary, but we’ll cross that bridge later.)

Here’s where you can help. I’m open to any two-night backpacking ideas you have, with a couple of caveats. The hike must utilize the Sun Road shuttle system or be a loop. We have one car, so can’t shuttle ourselves, and we prefer not to do an out-and-back hike. Several trails are off-limits, as we’ve done them in recent years and want to cover new ground: the Highline from Logan Pass to Granite Park, Swiftcurrent Pass, Piegan Pass, Siyeh Pass, and the Dawson-Pitamakan Loop. (Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park is fair game, too.)

Any ideas are welcome, but there’s no guarantee we’ll use them. Who knows, we may end up only day hiking. No matter what, we’ll enjoy ourselves in the Crown of the Continent.

Update: Lake Ellen Wilson has opened and we have secured a permit for our original itinerary. Hope the “high-angle snowdrifts” are mostly melted.

Justin Grigg