May 4, 2009

Just as Glacier’s snow begins to disappear and is redistributed into the Earth’s water cycle, the pile of about 1000 advance reservation requests has disappeared from the “to do” pile and been redistributed into the “processed” file at the Apgar Permit Office. All advance reservation applications received before our initial processing date (April 16) have been completed as well as the backlog of applications received after that. This means our Web site link is now current with real time campsite vacancies. We will continue to process advance reservation applications through October; please be sure to check the advance reservation availability calendars on our Web site before submitting an application.

If you plan on coming for an early-season backpacking trip, be prepared for snow travel, gnarly water crossings, and extreme weather. You can monitor Glacier’s ever-changing backcountry conditions on our official Web site. Our trail status has begun to be updated with probable bridge installation and trail clearing dates. Our Walk-in Availability Chart will reflect the status of our campgrounds as they change from “winter” to “not available” to “open” throughout the Spring and Summer.

Apgar Permit Center opened to the public on May 1st. The rest of the Permit Stations will open on May 24th. Happy hiking!

January 30, 2009

Just as we cover ourselves each night in warm blankets and dream of warm summer days to come, Glacier’s backcountry is resting comfortably under a cold winter sky. My apologies, but winter always puts me in a dream state and causes me to wax badly poetic. Many of you are also probably dreaming of a backcountry trip in Glacier this summer. For those of you in this condition may I say thank you for planning early. The first tenant of Leave No Trace (LNT) is planning and it’s never too early to start. For your convenience we have updated our Backcountry Guide and placed it online in PDF format. If you’ve never backpacked in Glacier before, please read the guide in its entirety. It is a detailed introduction to our backcountry and provides information to help you plan a safe, enjoyable trip. You can also print an advance reservation application from our website. If you’re planning an advance reservation, be sure to double check campground opening dates, route hazards (steep snow fields, swift water crossings, etc.), and campground restrictions in the Backcountry Guide. Until summer, dream on.

Brian McKeon

October 15, 2008

As the summer season draws to a close and only the most frost tolerant backpackers dare linger in the high country (Plenty of sites available at Hole in the Wall. Anybody up for Stoney Indian Lake?), perhaps a statistical synopsis of the season is in order.

• Total permits issued 2008: 4,138
  
• Total advance reservations processed 2008: 1,642
  
• Total number of camper nights 2008: 26,736 (1 camper night=1 person/1 night)

The total number of permits we actually processed is probably much higher since the “total issued” number doesn’t include advance reservation processing, pre-trip route changes, reworking, field changes, or combining of permits. Frequent permit changes are just part and parcel of offering a static product (backcountry campsites) in a highly dynamic wilderness environment - I doubt your reservation at the Anaheim Marriot was ever altered due to a bear feeding on a carcass outside the elevator on the fourth floor. Depending on the circumstances a single permit can be processed five or more times before it goes out the door on somebody’s backpack.

Advance reservations were up slightly this year. We process about half of our total advance reservations in April and most of those are for trips starting in July and August. The good news about July and August is that the weather is generally the most hospitable to outdoor pursuits. The bad news is that almost 75% of our permits are issued in those months, so if you’re looking for availability, you face an uphill battle at that time. Our reservations drop off dramatically in September and we can get some of our best hiking weather then too, which makes it an ideal time to backpack in Glacier. One word of warning – we typically get about a week of cold, snowy weather in September. The problem is predicting in what week that will occur.

The Apgar Backcountry Permit Center will close for the rest of the year on November 1st. The other backcountry permit stations closed in mid-September. You may obtain winter backcountry permits at the front desk of park headquarters during the week and at the Apgar Visitor Center on the weekends.

Safety tip of the month: If you’re planning on camping this winter, remember that weather and time are not on your side. Simple omissions or mistakes that in summer will merely cause inconvenience to your trip are amplified in winter and can get you in trouble very quickly. The first tenants of Leave No Trace outdoor ethics are planning and preparation and they can save your life in the winter.