2020 Backcountry Permits

Are you a seasoned hiker, or just starting out? Let us know your questions or experience with the backcountry permit process.

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2020 Backcountry Permits

Post by teapot57 »

March 15 will soon be here. If you have any questions about submitting an advanced reservation for backcountry permits, ask away. And share your eventual success with us, but remember not to publicly post your actual permit number.

Good luck to everyone submitting permit applications for summer 2020!

May the lottery odds be in your favor.
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Re: 2020 Backcountry Permits

Post by teapot57 »

So has anyone besides me applied for a permit this year? I put in for a few shorter routes for different times over the summer. Will be interesting to see how this pandemic affects summer plans.
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Re: 2020 Backcountry Permits

Post by NDjason »

I submitted an application for a trip with a pretty wide date range. I also applied for a permit for the Enchantments (denied this morning) and one for Yellowstone. So hoping either Glacier or Yellowstone comes through! Good luck!
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Re: 2020 Backcountry Permits

Post by PeteE »

I hope everyone gets the trip(s) they put in for.
I didn't put in for anything this year.
I'm trying to keep everything open this summer so I can do some trips for me---selfish as that may sound.

Maybe I'll finally get to the Beartooths or the Wind River area.
Locally, I'd like to spend some time doing some day hikes outside the park-like Great Northern Mountain.
So good luck to all of you in the lottery!!

pete :wink:
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And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

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Re: 2020 Backcountry Permits

Post by paul »

I applied for an August trip. Again doing the northern traverse. Another chatter is applying for the same trip but the opposite direction. We hope our trips align date wise so we can swap keys.
We are in the mountains and the mountains are in us. - John Muir
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Re: 2020 Backcountry Permits

Post by Fairbanks142 »

We've opted for a trip to Grand Teton this year, in late August. Got the backcountry permit and booked the flights weeks ago, so I didn't submit this year for Glacier. As far as actually flying out to Jackson Hole and doing the trip in August, well, we'll see how things play out in the coming months....

Best of luck to everyone that submitted for GNP backcountry permits. Looking forward to your trip reports. Stay healthy, stay safe, and enjoy the outdoors!
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Re: 2020 Backcountry Permits

Post by tibber »

paul wrote:I applied for an August trip. Again doing the northern traverse. Another chatter is applying for the same trip but the opposite direction. We hope our trips align date wise so we can swap keys.
that would be awesome!

One of the requests Tina and I put in for was KOO FIF FIF STO in August. We have three other options we put in for as well.
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Re: 2020 Backcountry Permits

Post by teapot57 »

We tried for a few different routes that would take us to areas either one or both of us haven’t yet seen. Our other choices were Chief Mountain to Waterton (with a two night stop for Margaret Lake since we missed it last summer), the Poia/Elizabeth Lake/ Many Glacier Loop, and finally, the Cobalt Lake and Lake Isabel area.

I always thought FIF was a one night per itinerary campground, but according to this updated map, it’s not:

https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/ ... or-web.pdf
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Re: 2020 Backcountry Permits

Post by paul »

tibber wrote:
paul wrote:I applied for an August trip. Again doing the northern traverse. Another chatter is applying for the same trip but the opposite direction. We hope our trips align date wise so we can swap keys.
that would be awesome!

One of the requests Tina and I put in for was KOO FIF FIF STO in August. We have three other options we put in for as well.
If you get FIF for 2 nights you should try to climb Mt Kip. The views should be great and I don't think it's all that difficult a climb.
We are in the mountains and the mountains are in us. - John Muir
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Re: 2020 Backcountry Permits

Post by sbosecker »

I took a peek at the Glacier Reserved Campsite Availability Page and I see that campsites are disappearing...

Anybody gotten a Itinerary reservation yet?

Scott
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Re: 2020 Backcountry Permits

Post by teapot57 »

I got approved for 2 nights at Gunsight Lake. This lines up with a 2 night Sperry reservation that we have for 2 nights afterward. The reservation is for the last week of July, so the idea is to change the second night at GUN to ELL, should ELL open up early.

It will be interesting to see how things play out over the next few months. I’m not feeling super optimistic about summer plans just yet.
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Re: 2020 Backcountry Permits

Post by NDjason »

teapot57 wrote:I got approved for 2 nights at Gunsight Lake. This lines up with a 2 night Sperry reservation that we have for 2 nights afterward. The reservation is for the last week of July, so the idea is to change the second night at GUN to ELL, should ELL open up early.

It will be interesting to see how things play out over the next few months. I’m not feeling super optimistic about summer plans just yet.
Nice! Congrats! I keep checking my email hourly, fingers-crossed!
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Re: 2020 Backcountry Permits

Post by sbosecker »

teapot57 wrote:I got approved for 2 nights at Gunsight Lake. This lines up with a 2 night Sperry reservation that we have for 2 nights afterward. The reservation is for the last week of July, so the idea is to change the second night at GUN to ELL, should ELL open up early.
It will be interesting to see how things play out over the next few months. I’m not feeling super optimistic about summer plans just yet.
teapot57,

That sounds very nice and it will be interesting to see what you think of the rebuilt Sperry Chalet!

May I ask when you received your email notice?

Best regards,

Scott
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Re: 2020 Backcountry Permits

Post by teapot57 »

May I ask when you received your email notice?
Hmmmm . . . what day is it?! It must have been Sunday afternoon.
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Re: 2020 Backcountry Permits

Post by Sue Z »

teapot57 wrote:I got approved for 2 nights at Gunsight Lake. This lines up with a 2 night Sperry reservation that we have for 2 nights afterward. The reservation is for the last week of July, so the idea is to change the second night at GUN to ELL, should ELL open up early.

It will be interesting to see how things play out over the next few months. I’m not feeling super optimistic about summer plans just yet.
Congrats! Very happy for you!

This is my husband's "Let's hike somewhere else," year, so I'm reduced to living vicariously.
Sue Z
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