Going to the Sun

Glacier National Park

When your friend asks you if you want to hike into the back country of GNP, taking only the things you can carry on your back, through bear infested trails, and stay in a 100+ year old rustic chalet…..the answer should always be yes.

Our journey started before dawn on Saturday morning. We loaded up for a 4 hour drive, full of coffee and excitement. The only thing missing was a gas station cinnamon roll that was as big as our heads. The kind of fuel needed to climb 2,600 feet in 4.2 miles. HA!! We hiked in on The Loop trail, knowing it would be a challenge, but also knowing we could get to the chalet quicker than the alternative, Highline Trail. Not that we wanted to rush through the jaw dropping beauty…but let’s be honest, who really wants to carry a 25+ pound backpack longer than necessary?

Hiking through Montana in the summer has its ups and downs. Unfortunately, much of eastern Idaho was on fire. Even more unfortunate is we get a lot of their smoke, which muddled the clarity of our view and air quality. The ups, you ask….huckleberries. The bigger ups..?? Not being a tourist and knowing what a huckleberry is. Gold, in berry form. These were some of the biggest huckleberries I’ve ever seen. The perfect road side snack when you need a break from your burning lungs and calves. Definitely worth fighting a bear over.

Yep, what you see there are bears. Grizzlies, to be exact. We really didn’t fight them for berries. Rather, we had our morning coffee and supper with them. They’re out packing on the pounds for hibernation. Which means they were super active while we were there. Being “bear aware” wasn’t just a cute saying. It was meant for survival. We met several people along the way that had had encounters with these bears. Some terrifying. Think…being followed, sized up and swatted at. Thankfully, our experience was more fairytale rather than thriller.

I didn’t pack my camera along for this trip, the added weight would have probably killed me, but I think my phone did a pretty good job in a pinch.

On day two of our adventure, we decided to hike, with much lighter packs, up to the Grinnell Glacier Overlook. It was 1.7 miles, with an elevation gain of 1,094 feet, and holy buckets was it a challenge. Did I mention we were already 6,693 ft above sea level? It was one of those hikes where you move quickly in between breaks before your body has a chance to realize that it hurts. Fun, right? I’ve never been more thankful for the conditioning I get through CrossFit. Any who, the view at the end was SPECTACULAR! One hundred percent worth the trip to get there.

We got back to the chalet around lunch time and decided we hadn’t abused ourselves enough, so we decided to hike up to the Swiftcurrent Fire Lookout…because why not? We didn’t want to leave with regrets and this trip wasn’t about relaxing. So, off we went to traverse the 2.2 miles, with an elevation gain of 1,743 ft, to see what we could see. The smoke was pretty thick up there, so the “seeing” we were hoping to do, was a tad stifled. Still amazing. We were tired and a bit delirious by the time we made it there. If it hadn’t been so cold and windy, a nap on the stairs would have felt great.

We had the pleasure of sharing our experience with 4 other amazing ladies. Collectively we carry six lifetimes of incredibly different expeditions and ventures, that we shared about over freeze dried meals, coffee and tea. We learned that we sweat through miles of trails with Doctors, Mothers, Veterans, Writers, Teachers, Fitness gurus and full on adventure enthusiasts. These ladies, who I now call friends, will forever be a joyful part of my trip.

I wanted to share of this grand tour while it was fresh in my memory. It’s a hike that I want to remember in great detail when I reread this post. It’s something that I want to reminisce when the days of monotonous routine and exhaustion get to me. A world that I can escape to, even for a brief moment. A reminder that I can do hard things and that friends make life a little more fun!