Destination Glacier Waterfalls: GiG Gals Hike to 10 Cascades
 With many Giggers setting a goal of visiting 21 waterfalls in 2021, Katie and Gail planned a way to get 10 in one overnight trip: Visit St. Mary and Many Glacier in Glacier National Park. We knew we faced construction going into Many Glacier, so we got up early (6:30 a.m) with enough gear and food for a three-day, two-night trip to St. Mary, our base camp. We rented the Riverhouse and Dorm from the Red Eagle, one with two bedrooms and two baths and one with three bedrooms and one bath. We did have construction issues, after stops in Conrad and Browning for gas, and arrived at 10:15 a.m., but we did see a mama grizzly with three babies, so it was all worth it. The weather looked a little iffy and the parking already a problem (full at the picnic area and people lining the road by the lodge), so we decided to skip Swiftcurrent Falls and try for a parking spot by the trailhead to Redrock Falls. We got one of the last three or four slots open. It was cool and cloudy when we headed out and arrived at Red Rocks around 11:30. At Red Rock Lake, we saw a huge bull moose across the other side. Then on to the falls. We got pictures, and some gals decided to climb the rocks for a gorgeous view from above the falls. One group wanted to go a bit farther, thinking we might be able to get to Bullhead Lake; however, sprinkles started coming down and clouds looked more threatening, so we turned around after one mile. We caught the other gals at Red Rock as they had stopped to eat lunch, and all returned via the horse trail to get a glimpse of Wilbur Falls through the now pouring rain. Instead of 3-4 falls in Many Glacier today, we had to settle for two. Many of us were soaked though, so we decided to just check into our accommodations as it was too early for dinner at Two Sisters. We saw the mama griz and cubs plus another bear on the way out, but our wait on construction was over an hour. Meanwhile, we hung our wet items on the porch to dry, but Kuntzie’s jacket blew away up and over the Riverhouse trailer. She searched and searched, but couldn’t locate it. We got unpacked and wondered if it would be a good idea to eat early. Katie called Two Sisters and made reservations for 4:30, hoping to beat the crowds since most of the restaurants were all closed this time of year. We were glad we did as the place was crowded, but we still managed to get a picture with Big John, the owner, and his wife. And Susan spied Kuntzie’s coat in the bushes before we left for dinner. Since we finished early, Katie suggested a drive up Going to the Sun Road, do the short .3 mile hike to Lunch Creek Falls, and walk the goat overlook to see mountain goats. It was still drizzling a bit, but animals are usually out at dusk. We we did. We saw more bears and one elk on the flats and then on the way home, we saw a bear walking up the road toward us. It was injured with a huge gash in its hindquarter. We didn’t see any goats or sheep, and we didn’t stop at Logan Pass. Then it was a rousing game or two of Left Right Center and Greedy along with drinks and tons of snacks. Kuntzie was disappointed that everyone went to bed before 10 p.m The next morning, we ate the muffins that several gals brought with them and got out the door at 8 a.m. for another trip along the Many Glacier Road under construction. Again, we got in fairly quickly, but the return was over an hour. We saw the mama griz with cubs again, shining in the sunlight. Today promised to be a clear, sunny, bluebird day. We were hiking to Swiftcurrent and Hidden Falls today, a seven-mile trek, so we parked at the Many Glacier Hotel/Lodge and started to hike in a counterclockwise direction. An older gentleman asked a few questions and then started to follow us as we made our way to Swiftcurrent Falls. In fact, he stayed with us all day, volunteering to take our picture along the way. A few of the gals jokingly said to Jo Ann that we should invite him to dinner with us, teasing Paul would make a good date for her. She quickly said it wasn't a good idea. We weren't very good at match-making. Again, we didn’t see any goats or sheep, which was surprising as we walked the shores of Swiftcurrent and Josephine. Swiftcurrent was amazing, no wind and perfect reflections! We couldn’t stop taking pictures. And Katie saw James, the Glacier Park Boat Company manager, and one of her former journalism students. Many hikers passed us on the way to Grinnell Glacier, but the crowds thinned out once we passed the junction. We all crossed the hanging bridge with no issues, despite it having a few missing boards. Then it was on to Grinnell Lake, a place many had not been. While the wind had picked up now, ruining any chance at reflections, the lake was still fantastic: the glacier till or flour reflecting the true aqua color of a glacier-fed lake. After the lake, we hiked to Hidden Falls, which was right by the hanging bridge. At this point, we split into two groups as some wanted to go to Apikuni Falls (Katie, Maria, Susan, Doreen), the one we skipped from the day before. So the Apikuni gals, took off fast, making it to the car around 3:00. They hiked to Apikuni and returned to the cars by 4:30 while the others arrived back to St. Mary by 5. And on the way out, we saw a huge blond and silvertip grizzly. The ranger had to get out his bullhorn to tell us not to stop in the road as well as tell others to pull completely into the gravel before stopping. But it was worth it to see him/her. Katie called ahead when the Apikuni gals finally made it out of the construction and to Babb, the first place we had service, to ask the others to go get a table at St. Mary Lodge for dinner. We finally made it to the lodge by 5:50, to find the gals said it would be another half hour wait. We didn’t get seated until 6:30, but we shopped the gift store in the meantime. Then just after we were seated, Denise showed up from Conrad, so our group was complete. We had more fun and games and drinks in the evening and discussed what time to leave in the morning, since we would have to pack the car and clean up, deciding on 8:45. During the games, Kuntzie indoctrinated Denise, saying R-R-R-R-R at her as if she could will the dice to go show R for passing a quarter to the right, aka, to her. I’m not sure Denise knew what she was up against with Kuntzie, but then Kuntzie told her that her trail name was “Badger,” and now she knew why. We all laughed at that one until we were red in the face. Since we were getting up early, we called it an early night again, much to Kuntzie’s chagrin. We got up and ready by 8:15 so we headed out early, which was good as the parking situation is always a nightmare on Going to Sun Road. We dropped a car at Sunrift Gorge and then continued up to Jackson Glacier. On tap for the day were four waterfalls: Deadwood, St. Mary, Virginia and Baring, with some skipping Virginia, since it has a bit of uphill. We swapped Susan with Kuntzie in the cars, based on hiking choice, but one driver said, "How much are you paying me to take KuntZ in my car?" We all had a good laugh at Cathy's expense. The morning was quiet and gorgeous, the fall colors showing with the fireweed, asters and pearly everlasting going to seed against the reds of the huckleberry bushes, oranges of the spiraea, green of the lodgepole pines and yellows of the aspens trying to come up through the Reynolds Creek burn of 2015. At the trailhead, we saw a couple with huge packs, looking a bit tired, We found out that they were CDT thru-hikers, with only three more days to go before they touched Canada! We offered them some of our muffins, and boy, were they thankful. Denise went to the car to get the huge muffins; they took three each they were so hungry. The thru-hikers will be walking 25-30 miles per day and burning around 15,000 calories! We asked their trailnames, and one was Pika. We told them we had a "Pika" too: Catherine. After that, we saw just a few people at Deadwood Falls and two more parties of thru-hikers, and then no one between Reynolds and the St. Mary Falls trail at which time, we were on the superhighway of trails, being passed and passing many people. At St. Mary Falls, we said goodbye to four of our group who would continue to Baring falls and climb up to Sunrift Gorge while the others continued to Virginia Falls and on to Sun Point, the Sunrift gals bringing the car around to Sun Point to meet them. At Baring Falls, we came across four of the peskiest chipmunks we had ever seen. They didn't hesitate to try to get into our packs and climb our legs. It was obvious that many were feeding them. One group saw some people with a great Dane at Baring Falls, more evidence of misbehavior in the park. Just before Sun Point, the wind reached its predicted gale-force status, blowing us down from the viewing point. Susan called it one “bad-ass” breeze. Maria videoed it--see the picture folder) .Just before the viewing point, we came across a couple with a not-too-friendly dog. Katie pointed out that dogs weren’t allowed on the trail. The woman insisted there was no sign. Katie told her there were signs and she would have received the info in her brochures at the gate. They got belligerent, didn’t care and kept on going. It’s sad to see the park being treated this way. We finished around 3, the other group around 1:30 and waiting for us. Then Catherine drove Bonnie and Denise up to Jackson to get the other two cars while the rest used the restrooms and sat down awhile. We hit the road 3:45, stopped in St. Mary for cold drinks and Conrad for Subway sandwiches. We arrived home at 7:15. Who went: Maria, Bonnie, Susan, Gail, Catherine, Doreen, Kuntzie, Jo Ann, Denise, Katie |
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