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Swiftcurrent Lookout Early 2015
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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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Comments
10 responses to “Swiftcurrent Lookout Early 2015”
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You are visiting one of my absolute favorite places on the planet. There is another place in glacier that e keep secret and not so public. But there is definitely something magical about swiftcurrent.
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Fireweed in June. That tells me a lot about conditions.
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Thanks for the preview! Swiftcurrent pass looks beautiful.
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Wow, that is gorgeous! I would love to visit there someday. Thanks for sharing!
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That sufficiently got me excited for Glacier this year! My wife, Amy, and I are doing the North Circle in mid September this year. It’s actually my first time out to Glacier, believe it or not, even though it’s only a 9-hour drive from Seattle. I am thinking it will not be my last time :-).
We’re starting at the Loop (just above Packer’s Roost) and headed clockwise from there. Right now, our last day is set to end at Many Glacier and take the shuttle back (the hike from Many Glacier to The Loop is likely too long for Amy), but I’m hoping to add Granite Park onto our permit to make it a nice even 8 days.
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That’s sweet! I’d love to do that loop. I’ve obviously done all of the sections as part of different hikes, but will get around to it at some point. Have a great trip!
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Hi Jake, I really love all your blog posts. I hiked up to Granite Park Chalet last month, which was the first time I have been back up there in about 4 years. I almost forgot just how beautiful it is up there…absolutely breathtaking! Your pictures helped me to re-live it again! I always love all your wildflower and wildlife photos, and love that you title them all with the names of the birds, animals and/or flower species that is in the picture! Always fun and educational reading your posts. Keep up the good work!
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No worries! Glad you got back up to Granite Park Chalet. Such an amazing place. 😉
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With the Highline Trail closed 3 miles in from Logan Pass, and Grinnel Glacier trail also posted with hazardous conditions after about 3 miles, would you recommend the trail starting from the Loop, to the Chalet and the to Swiftcurrent Pass?
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It’s probably too late for this now, but I like the trip from the Loop up in the morning, but it’s a lot of work. I think, if you can, going from Many Glacier up to Swiftcurrent Pass is a great option.
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