I’ve been having a lot of emails asking about current conditions in Glacier National Park. I had a free day to sneak up into Glacier. I decided to get into some high country and hiked to Swiftcurrent Lookout.
The day started out as a perfect bluebird day. I drove up to the Loop, parked and headed up the trail. Wildflowers and birds abounded and made the slog up to Granite Park Chalet much more enjoyable. The views kept getting better and better as the trek wore on and I was amazed that I came across only one little snow patch on my way to the chalet which didn’t even go across the whole trail.
At the chalet, I met a couple of people who had hiked the Highline Trail from Logan Pass which indicated that the Highline was already open! Sheesh!
I continued on the trail to Swiftcurrent Pass, crossing a couple of smaller snow patches, followed by a few more little ones after the Swiftcurrent Lookout Trail takes off up the mountain. After a couple of switchbacks, it was all clear of snow and full of views. It never gets old to me how breathtaking Glacier National Park really is. Hikes like this one reinforce my love for the place.
At the top I met a bunch of high school buddies getting back together to explore Glacier and they picked a great trail. They hiked up from the Many Glacier side and encountered navigable snow up that way. It’s crazy that we’re not out of June, but many of the passes are opening up.
The clouds started forming and thunder boomed as we headed down the mountain. Always be aware of the weather and have hat/gloves/rain jacket when hitting up Glacier. It can change in an instant. Get out and hike! It’s amazing out there!
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