Weekend in Glacier » Chris Gibisch Photography

For the first time in a while I had the weekend off from work so Sage and I decided to go to Glacier National Park. She hadn’t been there in a long time and I as usual can’t get enough of the place. She hadn’t been true backpacking before so I thought camping near the Sperry Chalet would be a good intro. It’s not the easiest trail though. 6 miles and 3,200ft elevation gain.

Sage near the campground

The camp ground is on a nice flat bench just at tree line allowing for beautiful views of the main valley and surrounding peaks. As usual we found overly comfortable marmots and pikas so we had to be careful that our gear didn’t get chewed up. The wildlife around campgrounds have become aware that backpack straps are taste after they’re soaked in sweat.

A very friendly marmot

After dinner we took a short walk up to Lincoln pass and enjoyed the view from a higher perspective. The mosquitoes eventually got to be too much so we took refuge in the tent for the evening.

Sunset from camp

In the morning I was woken to about ten mountain goats running through our camp. The mosquitoes were still bad so we made haste and quickly had breakfast and broke down camp. The hike out was nice. Overcast skies made for cool temps keeping us comfortable for the journey out.

Saint Mary falls

Once back at the car, we decided to drive over the pass so Sage could see Saint Mary’s falls and Virgina falls. Both waterfalls are on the same trail which is a pleasant 1.5 mile stroll.

Virgina falls

On the way back to the West side, I wanted to stop and get a picture of Avalanche Creek. Only a short ways from the road it cuts beautifully through the rocks of Glacier. After that we headed to whitefish and had dinner with Brandon and Katie before beginning the trip home.

Avalanche Creek