A few weekends ago we camped for the first time in Glacier National Park with a group of incredible participants in our 100 Fold Studio Summer Studio Program. It was the perfect weekend for some quality time together camping, singing around the fire, and hiking one of the most incredible trails that the west side pf the park has to offer, the Highline Trail. We were looking forward to this trek all summer because of it's infamous reputation but we weren't prepared for the beauty that was ahead of us. The 12 mile path follows the Continental Divide starting from the Logan's Pass Visitor Center until it eventually brings you back down to the Going to the Sun Road at a place called "The Loop". Every step literally takes your breath away as you soak in the surrounding beauty while traversing the mountainside at brave new heights.
Within a quarter mile from the trail head you'll find yourself walking along a four-to-six foot wide ledge for about 10 minutes or so. A hundred feet below you runs the Going to the Sun Road, and out in front of you stretch peaks upon peaks of the Rocky Mountains in every direction. Mt. Cannon, Mt. Oberlin, and Heavens Peak rise highest in the landscape in front of you for the first portion of this hike, and usually are snow-covered year round. The trail winds its way through desolate shale fields, stunning pine groves and picturesque alpine meadows. We stopped at Haystack Pass for a lunch break and took in some of the incredible panoramic views.
At mile 6.9 miles we reached the Garden Wall trail, which is a side-trip from the Highline that leads an extra 6/10 of a mile and 900 or so feet in vertical to the top of the Continental Divide. We had heard great things of the views that this side-trail had to offer so we went for it. The climb was exhausting, but once you reached the top you completely forget your misery as you are standing on top of the Continental Divide and could see both the East and West sides of the park.
Once we reached the top of the trail we spotted a distinct peak a few hundred feet to our south and we decided that we were so close we should "bag our first peak"(summit a peak). So a small group of us were up for the challenge and decided to go for it. We scrambled up shale fields, free climbed some massive boulders, and about an hour or so later summited our first mountain peak. We were looking down onto Grinnell Glacier with 5 lakes of the East side of the park in the distance, and had a 360 degree view of Glacier National Park! Our scramble was incredibly thrilling, and honestly I thought I might die or get seriously hurt a few times, but we all made it safe and sound and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life!
After our off-trail adventure we started back on the rest of the trail towards the Loop. We were lucky enough to see a few big horned sheep, mountain goats, an eight point buck, and a black bear along the trail. You never know what you're going to run into when hiking in Glacier! Another highlight of the trail was our stop at the Granite Park Chalet. Built between 1914 and 1915, this rustic lodge was the last of nine chalets build by the Great Northern Railway and is a National Historical Landmark. Backpackers can stay here in one of their 12 guest rooms, but it's definitely not cheap.
We ended our hike exhausted, with a few blisters on our toes and dusty shoes, but were thrilled with what we had accomplished and the memories we made. If you're up for a little bit of a challenge when visiting Glacier, we would wholeheartedly recommend the Highline trail.
Labels: Glacier National Park Blog, Granite Park Chalet, Grinnell Glacier, Montana Blog, The Road Less Traveled, The Road Less Traveled Blog, Travel Blog, Travel Blogger. Travel Photography, UnitedStates
