Ride from East Glacier to St. Mary?

[tentbunny]

My wife and I are arriving in Glacier on 7/30 for our first visit ever. We need a ride from East Glacier Park to St. Mary Visitor Center on 7/31, and also if possible from there to the trailhead for Ptarmigan Tunnel. We're willing to compensate someone for their time and gas. Renting a car is not an option we're willing to consider.

I've contact several of the local businesses in East Glacier Park, and so far have not had any takers. We're offering $100 cash. I figure at the very least we could ask around once we get into town, or just start hitch-hiking and hope a kind soul picks us up.

If you have any suggestions or advice we would be most grateful. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. Maybe we'll see you on the trail.

[toddnick]

There is an East side shuttle run by GPI that connects East Glacier to St. Mary to Many Glacier (where the trailhead for Ptarmigan Tunnel is)...

http://www.glacierparkinc.com/images/_u ... huttle.pdf

[tentbunny]

Thanks for the info, but we would like to leave East Glacier Park early in the morning about 6:00AM. The east side shuttle would not get us to Many Glacier until late in the morning - too late for me to start the 10 miles to Elizabeth Lake.

[Hockey Ref]

Thanks for the info, but we would like to leave East Glacier Park early in the morning about 6:00AM. The east side shuttle would not get us to Many Glacier until late in the morning - too late for me to start the 10 miles to Elizabeth Lake.

Unless I'm missing something, it appears what you really want is a ride from East Glacier all the way to Many Glacier. There's no need to detour to the visitor center in St. Mary. You can simply bypass it.

And at the end of your hike, how will you get back to East Glacier or wherever you might be headed? You're going to need transportation at the end of your trip.

I know you said you don't want to rent a car, but doing so would solve a lot of logistical problems. Without a car, there really is no reliable way to travel around the park, especially from a location like East Glacier that lies on the park's fringes. Plus, having your own vehicle eliminates your reliance on others and allows you to make your own schedules. The $100 you are willing to pay a driver could be applied to a rental and, depending on how long you kept it, you might not spend much more than $100. Perhaps even less.

Also, I don't think late morning is too late to start a trip through the tunnel to Elizabeth Lake. You should be able to complete the hike in plenty of time to get there before dark.

[tentbunny]

We have to go to the visitor center in St. Mary to pick up our permit, and we will be in the backcountry for eight days. We're taking the shuttle back from Waterton and don't want to rent a car for nine days only to let it sit. Thanks for the heads-up on the trail to Elizabeth.

[Hockey Ref]

We have to go to the visitor center in St. Mary to pick up our permit, and we will be in the backcountry for eight days. We're taking the shuttle back from Waterton and don't want to rent a car for nine days only to let it sit. Thanks for the heads-up on the trail to Elizabeth.

Makes perfect sense! Hope you have a great trip, and good luck with the transportation!

[Pocketlint]

We have to go to the visitor center in St. Mary to pick up our permit, and we will be in the backcountry for eight days. We're taking the shuttle back from Waterton and don't want to rent a car for nine days only to let it sit. Thanks for the heads-up on the trail to Elizabeth.

I replied to your email.
As for taking the shuttle back from Waterton, you best confirm that you can, in fact, take the shuttle back from CA to East Glacier on a one way basis.
The information I'm looking at says:

"The East Side Shuttle can only be taken into Canada as a round trip shuttle. We are not authorized to pick-up or drop off hikers on a one way basis."

I suggest you get a firm intrepretation before planning on riding the shuttle back to the US.

pocketlint

[llholmes1948]

As for taking the shuttle back from Waterton, you best confirm that you can, in fact, take the shuttle back from CA to East Glacier on a one way basis.
The information I'm looking at says:

"The East Side Shuttle can only be taken into Canada as a round trip shuttle. We are not authorized to pick-up or drop off hikers on a one way basis."

I suggest you get a firm intrepretation before planning on riding the shuttle back to the US.

There is a Canadian firm in Waterton that you have to use if you are going to originate a one way trip from Waterton to Chief Mountain At Chief Mountain I think you walk across the border and then board a GPI shuttle for the U.S. part of your trip. This is the website which I think is current:

http://www.watertonvisitorservices.com/ ... vices.html

I did find another website which has some information for 2012:

http://www.hikewaterton.com/shuttles/

Lyman

[tentbunny]

Thanks for all the info. If we can't find a ride, we'll just take the shuttle to Swiftcurrent and start the trail a little later in the day. And yes, you can take a one-way shuttle from Waterton-Glacier. You have to take the Tamarack Shuttle to Chief Mtn, and then walk across the border where the Glacier Park Shuttle will then pick you up. Thanks again everyone, and we'll see you on the trail.

[wnysteve]

We have to go to the visitor center in St. Mary to pick up our permit, and we will be in the backcountry for eight days.

You can pick up your permit at the Many Glacier Ranger Station, just several hundred feet from the trailhead to Ptarmigan Tunnel.