Backcountry Office Blog - 2009

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!

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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