Tag: the loop

  • Swiftcurrent Lookout Early 2015

    Swiftcurrent Lookout Early 2015

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    Jake Bramante

    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…

  • Sand Bench Trail

    Sand Bench Trail

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    Jake Bramante

    The Sand Bench Trail in Zion National Park is mainly used by the horse concessionaire for trail rides. That being said, it’s still a hiking trail. While some of the views are great, the lack of cover and trail conditions (very sandy and smelly) make it lower on the list than most of the other…

  • The Watchman Trail

    The Watchman Trail

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    Jake Bramante

    The Watchman Trail in Zion National Park is one of the shorter hikes originating from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center parking lot that offers great views up the Zion Canyon. It offers little shade, so it’s best to avoid the heat of the day and hike it in the morning or in the evening. Kristen and…

  • Emerald Pools

    Emerald Pools

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    Jake Bramante

    Tucked away at the base of towering red walls in Zion Canyon in Zion National Park are three lush pools called the Emerald Pools. The three pools are connected by a stream that can vary from a slight trickle to a torrent depending upon rain. The Lower Emerald Pool is a great, level, family friendly,…

  • Swiftcurrent Raptor Count Part 2

    Swiftcurrent Raptor Count Part 2

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    Jake Bramante

    Two weeks had past from my first raptor count when I found myself driving back up to Glacier National Park to do another raptor migration count. While the first trip in late September was a bluebird fall day, we only counted 25 birds. This day in early October was much more dynamic. The clouds were…

  • September Raptor Count

    September Raptor Count

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    Jake Bramante

    On a crisp morning, late in September, I rolled up to the humble building housing the fine folks that run the Citizen Science program in Glacier. We were heading on up to Swiftcurrent Pass for the annual raptor count during the fall raptor migration that starts in September and continues into November. As if I needed…

  • Climbing Mt. Grinnell

    Climbing Mt. Grinnell

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    Jake Bramante

    Mt. Grinnell stands tall between two incredible drainages in the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park. While not on the Garden Wall, the easiest way to access it is from the Lake McDonald side via the Grinnell Glacier Overlook. I did so with my wife, Kristen, and my buddy Blake Passmore of Climb Glacier…

  • Pitamakan Dawson 2014

    Pitamakan Dawson 2014

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    Jake Bramante

    The loop in Glacier National Park that travels through both Pitamakan Pass and Dawson Pass is one of my favorites, if not my very favorite. One is almost guaranteed to see big game, gorgeous lakes, four separate drainages and a ridge walk that’s unparalleled in the Park. The excuse was a mountain goat survey, as…

  • Swiftcurrent Lookout 2013

    Swiftcurrent Lookout 2013

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    Jake Bramante

    After a hiatus of a couple of weeks and July in our rear view mirror, my wife and I were able to get out. She had never been to Swiftcurrent Lookout and we had some time constraints, so we went up via the Loop Trail. We got an earlier start so we were up in…