Alpine Flower Report-?

[flatlander]

We largely missed the best alpine flower displays during my last two trips to Glacier in mid-Aug 2011 and 2012. In view of the late winter and late snows, does anyone care to hazard a guess as to when might be the best time to visit the park in 2014 to catch the peak flower displays?
I appreciate this is very subjective. While we largely missed the best displays in mid-Aug 2012, the Siyeh Pass trail offered one of the finest displays I have ever seen on 8/14 of that year. I was considering a late July arrival this year, but could delay to increase chances of witnessing the peak displays this year.

[smahurin]

The sooner the better. When I was there over 4th of July the wildflowers were popping everywhere I went. And for once we even managed to hit the park when bear grass was out in full bloom at the lower elevations, which was awesome. I'm heading up again next week and hope that we can still catch more of the bear grass higher, but my advice if wildflowers are really your main attraction is get up there as soon as you can.

[tibber]

I also think it depends on where you plan to be for your wildflowers as I think different parts of the Park bloom at different times... such as Preston Park vs Belly River vs Many Glacier vs Cut Bank.
Last year 2013 I hit the jackpot around July 7 in Belly River and Beaver Pond Loop was blooming pretty good on the 9th.
The year before on August 2nd we did good at hitting Preston Park just right for the wildflowers with the awesome and plentiful rosy paint brush being the highlight.
2011 was the late snow storm so we didn't see as much in the wildflower department in the areas we hiked July 22-25.
2010 Iceberg Lake hike was loaded with wildflowers July 19.
I've been going every year since 2010 and every year there are wildflowers, it's just a matter of degree.

I'll be there for 3 days starting late Fri afternoon .

[Tsmith]

Late July and early August in the upper elevations haven't failed me in 4 trips.

[Ear Mountain]

This seems to be one of those years when the beargrass blooms is profusion. Thousands of blooming stalks are in every beargrass patch both in Glacier and in the Bob.

Hiking last week the mountains were filled with the light perfume of beargrass.

[flatlander]

Thanks for your responses (encouragement!!). Cannot wait to return to my favorite place in 6 days!