Grinnell Glacier Hike

We may have to do a different hike on the 4th.  The Grinnell Glacier Trail has been closed due to a carcass on the trail.  I’ve also heard that most of the trails in this area (Many Glacier) have been closed due to grizzly activity.

Guys up for a high line hike?

Books on Tape

Would you guys be up for some books on tape? If so any suggestions?

I can acquire, without going to the library, the Harry Potter books if anyone is interested (I don’t know about the 7th yet).

Fire Restrictions

Stage I Fire Restrictions
Stage I Fire Restrictions in Northwest Montana are now in effect. In Glacier, campfires are ONLY authorized in the approved fire grates in the 13 frontcountry campgrounds and picnic areas; campfires in the backcountry are NOT permitted. Fires solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels are authorized.

Stage I fire restrictions also prohibit smoking, except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials. (Visitors cannot clear an area in which to smoke.)

Trail Status and Campground Status

It’s good to see that the stream fords are coming down, I suspect this will continue unless they get some major rain. I guess I won’t have to bring my inflatable boat, which saves a lot of weight

Nyack Loop Trail

Middle Fork River (Nyack)- Lower Cabin/ 6.5 mi.

Initial clearing scheduled for: 7/31/07 Middle Fork is about 2.5 ft. deep and caution should still be used when fording. 7/19/07 per 423. STOCK NOT RECOMMENDED Trail crew has cleared to 1 mile below the Lower Nyack Cabin (clear to Lower Nyack campground). There are 70 trees down in this last mile section. 7/19/07 per 423.

Lower Campground – Upper Campground/ 8.1 mi.

Initial clearing scheduled for: 8/15/07 STOCK NOT RECOMMENDED – 150 trees down between Lower Nyack Cabin and Upper Nyack campground. One section of the trail washed out about 2.5 miles above the Lower Nyack Cabin which stock won’t be able to negotiate. 7/19/07 per 423.

Upper Campground – Martha’s Basin Junction/ 6.9 mi.

Initial clearing scheduled for: 8/31/07 WARNING: Flood damage from November 2006 has caused considerable damage to the backcountry trail system. Hikers should be aware of the possibility of rough, washed out sections of trail and / or bridges that have been destroyed or damaged. Much of the damage may not be evident until late June, or even July in some alpine areas, when park personnel are able to patrol every trail. Drowning is the number one cause of death in Glacier National Park. Please use extreme caution around water. 3/26/07 per 250.

Martha’s Basin Trails (to Beaver and Buffalo Woman Lakes)

Initial clearing scheduled for: 8/31/07 STOCK NOT RECOMMENDED: 20 trees down from junction to Beaver Woman Lake. 7/9/2007 per 424 WARNING: Flood damage from November 2006 has caused considerable damage to the backcountry trail system. Hikers should be aware of the possibility of rough, washed out sections of trail and / or bridges that have been destroyed or damaged. Much of the damage may not be evident until late June, or even July in some alpine areas, when park personnel are able to patrol every trail. Drowning is the number one cause of death in Glacier National Park. Please use extreme caution around water. 3/26/07 per 250.

Marthas Basin Jct. to Coal Cr. Trailhead (Coal Cr. Tr.)14.9

Initial clearing scheduled for: 8/15/07 River crossing about 30″ deep. Use caution. 7/12/07 per 423 STOCK USE NOT RECOMMENDED – The trail is clear from the Middle Fork to the sixth crossing, trail crew is not scheduled to go into Coal again until 8/22/07. There are 3 washouts, 2 one mile south of Martha’s basin junction and 1 four miles north of the coal creek campground. 7/12/2007 per 423.

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Glacier National Park Backcountry Campground Status for July 23 at 12:30pm
Updated April 15 thru October 31

CAMPGROUND NAME	23	24	25	26	27	28		CAMPGROUND NAME	23	24	25	26	27	28
ADAIR	3	3	4	4	3	4		LK ELLEN WILSON @*			1	1	3
AKOKALA LAKE *	3	3	3	2	3	3		LOGGING LAKE, FT	3	3	2	1	3	2
ARROW LAKE *	2	2	2	1	2	2		LOWER NYACK	3	3	1	3	1	1
ATLANTIC CREEK		2		2	3	2		LOWER QUARTZ LAKE	2	3	4	3	4	2
BEAVER WOMAN LAKE *					2			MANY GLACIER @!	1	1	1	1		2
BOULDER PASS *				1	1	1		MCDONALD LAKE
BOWMAN LAKE, HD	3	1	2	3	4	3		MOKOWANIS JUNCTION *	5	1		5	2	2
BROWN PASS *	2	2	2	2	2	1		MOKOWANIS LAKE *					2
CAMAS LAKE *	2	2	2	2	2	2		MORNING STAR *			2	1	1	3
COAL CREEK								NO NAME LK @*					1	1
COBALT LAKE @*				2		2		OLDMAN LAKE @*					4	4
COSLEY LAKE *				1	2	1		OLE CREEK	2		2	1	3	3
CRACKER LAKE *								OLE LAKE			1	2	2	2
ELIZABETH LAKE, FT *@				1		3		OTOKOMI LAKE *		1	3	2	2	3
ELIZABETH LAKE, HD !*			1	3	2	2		PARK CREEK	3	3	1	1	3	1
FIFTY MOUNTAIN *					3	5		POIA LAKE *			2
FLATTOP *	1	2	1	1	1	2		QUARTZ LAKE, FT *	2	2		3	1	3
GABLE CREEK			2		2	2		RED EAGLE, FT *	2	2	3	4	3	4
GLENNS LAKE, FT *				1	2	2		RED EAGLE, HD *	1	1	2	3	3	3
GLENNS LAKE, HD				2				REYNOLDS CREEK !						1
GOAT HAUNT SHELTERS @	2	3	2	3	3	3		ROUND PRAIRIE (FOOT) *!	2	3	3	3	3	3
GRACE LAKE				1	3	3		ROUND PRAIRIE (RIVER) *!	2	2	2	2	2	2
GRANITE PARK @*!								SLIDE LAKE	3	2	3	1	2	3
GUNSIGHT LAKE *					3	3		SNYDER LAKE *			1	3	2	1
HARRISON LAKE	3	3	3	3	3	3		SPERRY *@			1	2	2	3
HAWKSBILL *	2			1	2	1		STONEY INDIAN LK *@					1	2
HELEN LAKE *				2	2	1		TWO MEDICINE !	1	1	1	2	1	2
HOLE IN THE WALL *@				3	4	3		UPPER KINTLA LK	1		1	4	2	4
KINTLA LAKE, HD	1	3	4	2	5	5		UPPER NYACK	1	1	2	3	1	1
KOOTENAI LAKE *		1			3	2		UPPER PARK CREEK			2	1	1	3
LAKE FRANCIS *@				1	1	1		UPPER TWO MED @*			2	1	4	2
LAKE ISABEL	1		2	2	2	1		WATERTON RIVER				2	2	3
LAKE JANET	1		1		2
LINCOLN LAKE *		3	3	1	3	3

	*	NO Wood Fires; Fragile Area
	@	One night camping during July and August
	!	Special camping conditions exist here; inquire at Backcountry Desk
	#	Winter – campground 100% snow covered, requires winter camping skill/equipment. Pit toilet serviceable. Special precautions required for proper food/garbage storage. Use limited to one party and maximum of 6 persons/night
		Campground Full
		Camground Closed
		Campground is temporarily not available for overnight camping due to sensitive environmental conditions

Fire Updates

The past several weeks glacier had been both hot and dry, which generally leads to a high fire danger.

Some are even comparing the conditions to that of the 2003 season, when 135,620 acres burned.

What’s to come… How to get the latest news on Glacier National Park

Over the next several weeks I’ll be posting on a variety of topics.

• Glacier News
• How to pack for a week trip if you’ve never done it before.
• Weather and Fire Updates
• Trail and Campsite Status
• Grizzly Bears
• And Other Random Things

First Item: How to get the latest news on Glacier National Park?

1.) The best way to get the latest news on Glacier National Park is to go to Google News and search for “Glacier National Park”

An even cooler way of getting the news is to use a RSS feeder. Subscribe to the “Glacier National Park” search from Google News in your RSS feeder and then you don’t have to do any more searching.

2.) The GNP website has a news section that they update every once and a while.

3.) Go to some of the local news paper websites

• http://www.dailyinterlake.com/
• http://www.missoulian.com/
• http://www.hellomissoula.com/

4.) Wait till I post it on the blog.

Hot or Cold?

Well I’m glad we’re not hiking this week because it’s hot, hot, hot.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=mso&smap=1&textField1=48.27806&textField2=-113.61167

And there is a fire weather watch.

Trail Status Reports

For those of you interested in checking the status of the trails for GNP, the NPS updates the report fairly regularly.

http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/trailstatusreports.htm

Once you get to the trail status page, click on “Walton” link, which will include the Nyack Loop Trail.

Trail status summary as of 6/30

• River crossings are 40″ deep
•  Several hundred trees down on the loop

Detail Reports from the website:

Nyack Loop Trail

Middle Fork River (Nyack)- Lower Cabin/ 6.5 mi.

Initial clearing scheduled for: 7/31/07 River ford is 40 inches deep. Recommend advanced river skills for safely crossing 6/28/07 per 122 STOCK NOT RECOMMENDED. Over 300 trees down between river and cabin. 6/28/07 per 423.

Lower Campground – Upper Campground/ 8.1 mi.

Initial clearing scheduled for: 8/15/07 STOCK NOT RECOMMENDED – 150 trees down between Lower and Upper Nyack Cabins. 6/27/07 per 423.

Upper Campground – Martha’s Basin Junction/ 6.9 mi.

Initial clearing scheduled for: 8/31/07 WARNING: Flood damage from November 2006 has caused considerable damage to the backcountry trail system. Hikers should be aware of the possibility of rough, washed out sections of trail and / or bridges that have been destroyed or damaged. Much of the damage may not be evident until late June, or even July in some alpine areas, when park personnel are able to patrol every trail. Drowning is the number one cause of death in Glacier National Park. Please use extreme caution around water. 3/26/07 per 250.

Martha’s Basin Trails (to Beaver and Buffalo Woman Lakes)

Initial clearing scheduled for: 8/31/07 WARNING: Flood damage from November 2006 has caused considerable damage to the backcountry trail system. Hikers should be aware of the possibility of rough, washed out sections of trail and / or bridges that have been destroyed or damaged. Much of the damage may not be evident until late June, or even July in some alpine areas, when park personnel are able to patrol every trail. Drowning is the number one cause of death in Glacier National Park. Please use extreme caution around water. 3/26/07 per 250.

Marthas Basin Jct. to Coal Cr. Trailhead (Coal Cr. Tr.)14.9

Initial clearing scheduled for: 8/15/07 River crossing is 40″ deep. Recommend advanced river skills for crossing 6/28 per 122 WARNING: Flood damage from November 2006 has caused considerable damage to the backcountry trail system. Hikers should be aware of the possibility of rough, washed out sections of trail and / or bridges that have been destroyed or damaged. Much of the damage may not be evident until late June, or even July in some alpine areas, when park personnel are able to patrol every trail. Drowning is the number one cause of death in Glacier National Park. Please use extreme caution around water. 3/26/07 per 250. STOCK TRAVEL NOT RECOMMENDED – From Coal Creek trailhead to Coal Creek campground there is 390 trees down. 6/30/2007 per 424

Remaining Tasks and Quads

1. Send me $108.61. Let me know if you’re unable to do so and we can work something out.

2. Are you willing to drive, or should we just go ahead and rent a couple of cars.

3. What time can you leave on Friday, August 3rd? Need to know by Friday, July 6th.

*Check your email for details on the previous items.

——————–Update——————–

Here are the Quads online (High Res) if anyone wants to look!

http://nris.mt.gov/nsdi/drg/d48113/index.html

1. Stanton Lake-48113d6
2. Mount Saint Nicholas-48113d5
3. Mount Stimson-48113e5
4. Mount Jackson-48113e6
5. Nyack-48113d7

Lodging (Update #4)

Dear Mr. Hoagland,

I’m sorry but we do not have any available rooms for the dates you requested. For other lodging options please check our web site under area attractions. Thank you.

Sincerely,

West Glacier Motel

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One of the last remaining options for cheap lodging has turned up empty.