Mirror. – The walk

Looking Glass is a hostel located in East Glacier. Run by Will and Luna in their old restaurant, it has everything a hiker needs. A short walk into town, hot showers, a restaurant kitchen and all the space anyone could ask for. You’ll also get a nice view of Mount Henry and Medicine. This summer, Crazy Eyes and Campfire will run it during the SOBO push.

«The best thing to do when it rains is to let it rain.» –Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

On your marks, get ready, STOP!

On the morning of our first day in East Glacier, I learned from most of the other hikers that they all intend to take a zero today. It’s going to be cold and rainy all day in Glacier National Park. Ok, so it’s zero. Side Miles isn’t happy about it, but I explain that I have a plan, which involves a problem and a loose backpack for the next two days, and that seems to calm him down.

When you get here, the important thing is to travel kilometers. We started early because we are slow and wanted to have as much time as possible to do it safely. That being said, a maximum temperature of 40 degrees in the rain is not a great idea. So we explored the town a bit and got the fuel and bear spray we needed for our hike. We also meet our fellow hikers. Silver Lining is one of my favorites at the hostel and we talk a lot during the day. Silver has taken on the task of cooking a big family meal of lasagna and salad with blueberry pie and ice cream for dessert! When we were asked what the special occasion was, we discovered that it was his birthday and what better way to spend it than feeding a group of people a good home-cooked meal. After breaking down the cost of the meal, it was $10 per person. Apparently they also made a gumbo-like soup the night before. That night we met Killer, who actually hiked the AT with us on the 23rd, although somehow our paths never crossed. It’s funny how life on the trails sometimes turns out.

It’s snowing in June!

It’s June 10, our original planned start date. We don’t have permits yet and we won’t get them today. Instead, we are doing an “easy” 15 mile relaxed pack. We get down to the highway around 730 and it’s very windy and cold. The very few cars that come do not pick us up. After about an hour and a coffee for Side Miles, a friendly man stops by. In fact, we were pretty close to giving up. The cold wind made our hands hurt. We climb up with him and his dog as he explains that he loves meeting hikers. I felt a little bad for the dog because he seemed so worried, like something wasn’t right. Turns out he had just gone to the vet to get him neutered…that explains it all!

The hike begins with our first CDT fire! Within five minutes everything below the knees is wet from the plants next to the trail. A mile down the road and we see a giant pile of bear scat, and it’s… green? What do these Grizzlies eat? The walk is going well, but now something falls from the sky. It’s SNOW! It’s hard to believe that it’s probably around 90 degrees at home, but it’s snowing here. I ended up slipping once and then put my foot over a dirt bridge over a stream. The snow turns to sleet and then to a light drizzle. The breeze, although always appreciated, today is cold and not entirely necessary. After about 10 miles of hiking, the trail turns into a dirt road with giant mud puddles. We finally get back to East Glacier, shower and run to the casino/restaurant and each eat a large chicken alfredo pizza.

Permits for two please!

Today is supposed to be the first day of good weather for us in East Glacier. We started by hitchhiking with Stag to the Two Medicine Ranger Station. Our issue comes from someone who works in the hostel gift shop here in town and headed out on a day hike. We arrive at the station and ranger Marcie is there ready to help us. We explained that we are looking to start the CDT and get permits, but I let it slip that I don’t want to walk tomorrow because of the storms. Hoping to explain it because I don’t want a full day and would like to add a shorter day, we looked at 2 different sites that she says are full. Okay, so since we can’t actually get the permits we wanted today, what if we try to get them tomorrow but do all the rest today? So we watched his backcountry safety video, discussed a few other things, and headed for our 10-mile slackpack back home.

It’s a big climb, but we see some big horn sheep or mountain goats on the other top of the mountain. Today is a windy day, so our waterproof jackets double as windbreakers. When we reached the pass we encountered the first snow obstacle and we prepared ourselves. It’s probably overkill, but it’s pretty easy to put on the gear and test how well it works. Once past the pass we go down the mountain and see a waterfall. The water runs down the mountain until it becomes a meandering stream. Once you have crossed the stream there is a short break to have lunch and take off your raincoats. The rest of the day consists of walks through some meadows back to the East Glacier.

It’s pouring rain and the old man is snoring.

Ruby Red takes us back to Two Medicine, where we meet Diesel, a former PCT Thru hiker, and her parents. The ranger mentions that we both have fairly similar itineraries and that we could share a permit. Diesel seems depressed and her parents get very excited about the idea of ​​their daughter going on a hike with two other people instead of alone. We exchanged numbers and after a struggle with the computer, we finally got our permits. A problem solved. Diesel and his parents offer us a ride to the exit at Chief Mountain. Second problem solved. I mention to Diesel that we wanted to store food in Many Glaciers to shorten our food transportation. She loves the idea! Third problem solved. Now we just have to go back to the hostel and pack our bags while we wait for today’s storms to pass. At the hostel I leave with Silver and BamBam before the days end.

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