PDA

View Full Version : Going to Glacier NP end of June



Matthew Cordery
9-Jun-2004, 15:44
Any useful tips (photo or otherwise)? My wife and I are going for an unplanned week between her classes. Given her dislike of bears, I doubt we'll be doing more than day hiking. We will be tenting it though. Shooting pretty much b/w, not color.

John Latta
9-Jun-2004, 16:01
Matthew, if you've never been to Glacier 1st thing is to stop at the Apgar visitor center at the west entrance near West Glacier. Get the latest info there. You can also check out the photo book selection, that might give you some ideas. Be sure to hike the Hidden Lake trail if it is open. There's so much to see at Glacier almost anywhere is good. Also Avalanche Lake, the Many Glacier and St. Marys Lake are popular day hiking and photo areas. You're most likely to see griz on the east side of the Continental Divide.

You can check out the virtual visitors center at http://www.nps.gov/glac/. I have a gallery containing Glacier images on my website www.lattaphoto.com.

Late June can still be a little wet but you'll be there before the high tourist season.

Have fun and happy trails.

Matthew Cordery
9-Jun-2004, 16:23
Thanks for the link John! Great pics! I see you've been to the Bugaboos. I'm hoping to get a chance to go climbing there this August.

Bill_1856
9-Jun-2004, 20:19
Bears? There's bears EVERYWHERE! Big black bears, and Huge GRIZZLY bears, many with cubs at that time of year. Even on trails near the lodges. Sounds like your wife has better survival skills than her husband.

Mike Lopez
9-Jun-2004, 20:21
Matthew, even if you are just day hiking, you are likely to see bears, or at least bear droppings. Just a warning. My wife and I were there two Septembers ago, and there were several times we came across fresh bear droppings, along with NPS signs saying there are active bears in the area and that you are at your own risk. Good luck and have a great time in that beautiful park.

Matthew Cordery
9-Jun-2004, 21:04
Having grown up in Alaska and gone solo backpacking in Denali, gone mountaineering in New Zealand and the US, and regularly rock climb, I laugh at anyone who tells me I need better survival skills.

Bob Phipps
10-Jun-2004, 06:25
Don't just stop at Glacier, go on to Waterton. If your that close, why not take in two NP's [US & Canada]. Views are great.

Dan Jolicoeur
10-Jun-2004, 06:30
FYI You can laugh all you want untill you come along a bear protecting her cubs.

Have Fun!

Alec Jones
10-Jun-2004, 07:10
I agree with the suggestion to also visit Waterton NP. Especially since you're so close, and it is, technically, part of the same park. It's just a little jaunt up the Going-to the-Sun road.

And, the view of the Prince of Wales Hotel is an unforgetable sight.

Dave Parker
12-Jun-2004, 09:39
Glacier is one of the best places to practice landscape whooting in the lower 48, Late June can be a challenge, this year is turning into a wet one so far and we have had to dodge snow, hail, ice and rain on each of our day visits to the park so far(I am about 25 miles from the park)

On bears I would recommend picking up a can of bear spray and having it handy even on your day hikes, make sure and read the can for use instructions or feel free to send me a note and I will help out as I teach safety classes for bear safety and bear spray usage.

Going to the Sun is an awesome experiance and I have often spent the whole day just shooting from the road, the vistas as well as the wild flowers can't be beat, the wild life can be very viewable or non-existant, it just depends on the day.

Have a great trip, if I can help further, just give me a hollar, you might also check out http://www.glacier.national-park.com/wwwboard/glacchat.htm

Lots of great info there from many who visit the park often.

Dave