Does anyone have a prediction on when GNP will stop issuing backcountry permits this year? or at least when they normally do(thier site just said October)
We’re going NOBO and want to stretch out the journey as long as possable.
If we had our way we’d finish on Nov 1st.
K and E
Aireck
That is probably too late for the weather window. We finished our NoBo CDT on 9/23. The Park Service was literally rolling up the bridges immediately behind us. If we had been a day later the bridges would have been gone. Snow was falling and it turned out to be the first of the season’s snow that stayed. The good part was that we had the entire park, trail and camping and grizzlies, to ourselves. I also think there were not permits issued after ours; when we went back to meet and thank the Ranger for giving us our permits and itinerary over the phone (not usually done)she was very glad to see that we were leaving the park.
YMMV. Best wishes for a spectacular hike!
…GottaWalk
Marcia
In 2006 we intended to finish well into Ocotober, but we flipped to GNP from Butte and started south on Sept 15. The Park was closing down and Two Medicine station was closing, so we’d have had to go to Apgar (West Glacier) to get a permit if we’d been any later. You might be able to get a permit after Sept 15, but it would be more difficult and costly.
The other bothersome part is that the Chief Mt border station closes on Oct 1. If you finish later than that you get to roadwalk back out unless you make arrangements to get picked up. But otherwise there won’t be any traffic on the road so you won’t be able to hitch.
I appreciate the “stretch it out” part - we finished our 6 month 1999 SOBO hike on Nov 30. And wanted to turn around and start north. Our 2006 thru was just shy of 6 months. I hope yours is as good as ours were.
Jim Owen
It seems to me that the Apgar campground and many of the services in the West Glacier area close around October 15, so that might include permit offices there as well.
Gesh
Having walked through a few NP’s after closing (but not GNP), it would seem to me that you wouldn’t need to worry too much about permits in late October. I ran into one backcountry Ranger in Kings Canyon NP in early October of '05. He was still in his NPS uniform, but was already well beyond his contracted backcountry responsibilities (he told me he just wanted to hang out in the Park for a few weeks after his job ended). We had a great conversation about the nearby areas. He never asked if I had a bear canister (didn’t), or if I had a permit (i did) or where I was planning on camping, etc. kinda like an off duty cop - no problemo. However, like an off duty cop I’m sure he would deal with any real problems if he ran into them…
I think your bigger concern might be how much fresh snow falls in October. Some hikers in other years (Red Eagle of '05 comes to mind: he finished on Nov. 20th) hiked a bunch of roads to the border when they got bogged down in too much snow…
Happy Trails!
freebird
I’d suggest you NOT try the “no permit” approach in Glacier. One friend went into the backcountry in winter (DEEP snow) without a permit because it would have meant going to West Glacier to get the permit. A ranger chased him for 3 days through that deep snow, gave him a citation and escorted him out of the Park. The citation wasn’t cheap.
Dunno for sure about SEKI but I think I was recently told that they now REQUIRE bear cans. We went thru in 2000 without a can - and the rangers weren’t hassling anyone about it then either. But - that was then, this is now.
:cheers
Jim Owen
If you are thru hiking and i believe true for anyone in either direction that started 25 miles out side of the park you do not need a permit. Just remember its done this way and the ones with the permits are supposedly suppose to have the right to the shelter first and its ok for a thru hiker to set up a tent outside the shelters. This is what a park service person told me a few years back. I would call the GSMP TO SEE IF THIS IS STILL TRUE.
frog
I’ve thought about flopping up after we get past the San Juans, probably between Salida and Twin Lakes. I’m guessing that would be somewhere around the end of June/beginning of July.(we’re starting May 1st)
Because that would eliminate our concerns in Montana. We just like doing things in a linear fashion and we’re worried that finishing in Colorado as oppossed to Canada won’t be the same but I guess we’re lucky enough to be out there for 6 months anyway. Maybe even go SOBO but how’s ending in the desert feel compared to GNP.
Is the CDT in Colorado still okay to hike in late October without going to full-blown 4season gear?
and we’re definitly planning on getting a permit for GNP unless there is only one available and we have to battle in a dance off and are defeated by a father-son team from Idaho
K and E
Aireck
Get your warm weather gear September 15th - regardless of where you are. We ran into cold and snow on both our northbound and southbound hikes around that date. Fall snow generally melts out fairly quickly, and may be followed by a beautiful stretch of Indian Summer weather. But you need some warm gear if you are going to keep hiking. Temps can fall down to 5 degrees at night - even in New Mexico and we had daytime temps in the '20s on some days in late September early October.
G
That sounds like good advice. Thanks G, Jim, and Marcia for the help.
We live in Florida so winter gear is never needed because Florida doesn’t believe in winter.
K and E
Aireck