Gunsight Pass Trail - Glacier National Park

[Rhody Seth]

Not an overnight trip but this was the most spectacular hike I've done so I figured worthy of a report.

Planning our recent trip to Montana, my wife and I figured out a day that would be best for me to have my "big day" where I go off and do a big hike. It would be a bit nerve racking for her knowing I'd be alone in grizzly country and that we'd have no communication until we met up at the end of the day. Logistically, with one car and a 35 minute drive to the park entrance, it was tricky but Glacier National Park has a great shuttle system which worked well. My dutiful wife dropped me off at the Apgar Visitor Center at 6 AM so that I could wait in line for the 7 AM shuttle. There were about half dozen folks ahead of me in line when I arrived and conversation with them passed the time quickly. By the time the shuttle arrived at 6:50 AM there were another twenty or so behind me. I was pleased to get on the first shuttle and more pleased when the driver announced that after making the trip up to Logan Pass (the only stop for the the early morning shuttle ) he would then continue east and make all the subsequent stops. I would not have to worry about jumping between shuttles.

The shuttle ride was a treat in and of itself - the views on the Going to the Sun Road were quickly sublime. And the trail running couple next to me provided lots of info about the peaks we saw and gave me some intel on the hike I'd be doing. By the time the shuttle dropped me off at 8:30 AM I was absolutely beaming and reading to begin.

My hike would be the Gunsight Pass Trail, a twenty mile point to point hike. I would hike from Jackson Overlook past two lakes and over two mountain passes on the way to Lake McDonald, where I would meet my family at the end of the day. Planning this hike, my wife booked a boat ride for her and our daughter at 5:30 PM, with the hope that I would be able to complete the hike by the time it ended. I thought that was very doable, especially with what I had seen of the trails thus far but I'm one of those people that hates being late. Not starting until 8:30 AM, I didn't want to dilly dally.

It was, in short, a spectacular hike. Unlike New England trails which are seemingly criss-crossed with roots on even the flattest of trails, much of these 20 miles were smooth dirt with only a few stretches of loose rock. After the initial miles of dense vegetation and forest, the trail opened up and breathtaking views of mountains surrounded me. The water of Gunsight Lake shown a teal color which didn't seem real and as the trail climbed along side the lake the views got better and better. They like their switchbacks out there and while it makes the trail longer, it offers a different incredible perspective every time you change direction.

Normal Seth blunders abound on the hike - I aggravated a grouse early on which chased me, causing me to drop my bear spray. After battling my way back to retrieve it, I realized I dropped my phone in its place. Dropping my phone would be a reoccurring issue and I almost lost it in a stream crossing. I spied it floating downhill at the last second and managed to spear it with my trekking pole, sliding into the water in the process.

Past Gunsight Pass was Lake Ellen and I began to encounter more people, though they were still few and far between (something I would appreciate more after the heavy traffic we experienced a few days later on the Grinnell Glacier Trail). The sights continued to impress and I took the advice of the trail runners and made the short detour up Mt. Lincoln for a spectacular 360 view. From there it was all downhill and past Sperry Chalet it was six miles down to the lake. When I began this hike, I had hoped that if time permitted I'd be able to tackle one of the side trails on this route. I moved fast enough to make this happen, but a blister on my toe was all the excuse I needed to abandon this thought and proceed directly down to Lake McDonald, reaching it at 4 PM. It was packed with tourists enjoying the day and I joined them for a refreshing dip in the lake. My wife soon found me, very relieved that I was done and I saw them off for their boat ride while I relaxed at the lodge.

If you want to watch a 20 minute video of the trip, I'm really happy with how it came out.

[Zach L]

You were right! The video turned out great! I’m sure you feel the same way , but a video can’t do mountains like that justice. They are really good at making a person feel small. But they can also give you a huge sense of accomplishment, respect and love of wild rugged places. Thanks for sharing! And again great job on the video.

[Crawldaddy]

Great vid Rhody, Thanks!
What kind of pack did you use?

[Hang Williams]

GNP is gorgeous. I can't help think "night of the grizzlies" since I saw the special on it.

[Rhody Seth]

You were right! The video turned out great! I’m sure you feel the same way , but a video can’t do mountains like that justice. They are really good at making a person feel small. But they can also give you a huge sense of accomplishment, respect and love of wild rugged places. Thanks for sharing! And again great job on the video.

Thanks much! Yes, you never quite capture the majesty of the mountains but Glacier is so impressive that it comes pretty close!

What kind of pack did you use?

That is the Osprey Talon 22. I received it as a groomsmen present from a wedding probably 6-7 years ago and it's my go-to daypack. Carries a goodly amount of stuff and I really like it for winter daytrips as my small Dion snowshoes fit in the back mesh pocket.

GNP is gorgeous. I can't help think "night of the grizzlies" since I saw the special on it.

We did a couple boat tours where they mentioned it and multiple people have talked about it since we returned - wild to think about how we use to interact and feed the wildlife. It's a different world now - it's hard for even humans to open the trashcans.

[Rhody Seth]

Here's another report and video from this great trip:

We planned one big family hike during the day we were at Many Glacier. This area of the park is accessed from the east side of the park. Outside of the park things are much more rural than over on the west side, which has much more in the way of hotels, campgrounds, restaurants and amusement. On the east side, the land immediately becomes prairie and it is sparse.

Amanda booked us a little cabin which was a bit of a chance as it wasn't yet finished when we made the reservation in the spring. But it was done only a few weeks before our trip and was a very cute, very new place to stay. It was also only 10 minutes from the Many Glacier entrance which was a nice change from the longer drive we dealt with on the west side. The morning started off great when a big black bear crossed in front of us on the way in. Many Glacier requires road reservations like Going-to-the-Sun, but whereas GTTS reservations are good for three days, Many Glacier road reservations are only good for one. And we actually weren't able to get it on the day we planned to go. Luckily, if you have other reservations (boat/horse/lodging) that also allows you access to the road. So we book a boat tour which served multiple purposes. It got us into Many Glacier, it provided enjoyment on its own and it also cut 2.5 miles off our hike.

We would actually take two separate boats (with a 1/4 hike between them) over two lakes (Swiftcurrent and Josephine). The first boat wasn't until 11 which gave us plenty of time to get into the park and check out the fancy Many Glacier Hotel. But it also meant we'd be hiking at midday and it would be another hot one. As we began to climb, the trail offered little shade and the thermometer was reading 85 degrees. Unlike my Gunsight Pass Trail hike where I enjoyed a lot of solitude, we knew this one would be a different story. There were tons of people on this hike, and unlike here in New England where the forest gives the illusion of solitude, out there in the open expanse you could see people all along the trail.
Being midday there were just as many people coming down as up but it wasn't an issue. Everyone was in good spirits and the trail climbed very easily throughout with few steep or technical sections. It was mostly an easy dirt path. My daughter pushed on ahead while my wife was behind going at her own pace. On another hike I'd have wanted us to stick close together (being bear country and all) but with a hike this congested the danger felt minimal. The view is spectacular throughout, just getting better and better as you climb. Animal sightings were mostly relegated to squirrels and chipmunks, though we did briefly spy big horn sheep high up on the hillside through our binoculars.

After 3.8 miles we reached Upper Grinnell Lake and Grinnell Glacier. Truly unlike any other place I've been. Large (or I guess small depending on your perspective) chunks of ice floated in the lake while waterfalls lined the cliffs on the far side. That water was cold. People were relaxing and picnicking everywhere and a few brave souls ventured in for a quick dunk. I didn't because, uh, I was wearing my kilt and it would have been heavy had it gotten waterlogged. Yeah, that's it.

After a half hour or so, it was time to leave. We had a boat to catch. The nice thing about the boat reservation is that it entitles you to one trip each way, so you can go off and hike and then take a later boat. The last one being at 5 PM. I had a feeling there would be a line but the boat folks assure everyone that they'll take as many trips as necessary to bring everyone back. Still, I'm an antsy man and the line was pretty deep when we arrived. Ultimately Amanda decided to wait with Ezri's bag and Ezri and I jogged the trail back to the hotel. I was surprised Ezri wanted to run. And it was going well until she tripped and got laid out. Always a danger when you trail run - this was her first digger and she got pretty bloodied but she bore it well. We cleaned her up in the lake, cleaned her up some more in the hotel and Amanda arrived not long after showing us that patience arrives not long after inpatience. We enjoyed a fancy dinner in the hotel (marred by the amount of flies that swarmed during our meal - gross. But a common occurrence we would find in these old buildings) and then returned to our cabin. A great day, though Ezri's wounds would annoy her for the rest of the trip.