Late July Highline Trail Possible?

[Nawlins]

OK guys I need a little help from those with more experience. I was hoping to take a trip from GRN to FIF to KOO and then catch the boat at Goat Haunt, but I see that FIF doesn't allow reservations until August. What's the best thing to do? I'm assuming GRN to KOO would be too much of a stretch. My partner and I are both in decent shape (just ran a 10k just in just over an hour last month) and are trying to train for the hills as best we can in the flat city of New Orleans. Should I just wait until it's closer and try and get a walkup permit hoping that FIF will be open by then? Submit some kind of trail and hope to modify it when I get there? Any other trail suggestions that would be similar sub-alpine hiking? Unforuntately with work July was the only time I could get to Glacier.

Thanks your input is much appreciated!

[Nawlins]

Anyone have thoughts on GUN - ELL to Lake McDonald?

[Heff936]

The opening dates for advanced reservations are pretty conservative, IMO, so there is a very good chance that Fifty will be open for walk up registration by late July. Your best chance is to get the basic route you want on an advance reservation and then try to add Fifty when you check in. The best approach might be to request GRN and 2 nights at KOO, for example, in and advanced application. If you get that, then when you check in ask if you can change the first night at KOO to FIF. In recent years, all of the high altitude BC camps of which I am aware have been open by late July. GRN-FIF-KOO would be a great 3 night trip. Include some flexibility in your BC application in terms of possible dates and mileage and you'll increase your chances of getting the route you want.

Regarding GUN and ELL, the pass between GUN and ELL is great and ELL is a nice campground. Don't put any of your sweaty gear in your tent at ELL. I made the mistake of putting our packs in the tent after a marmot had been sucking on them. Dumb idea. We came back from the cooking area to find said marmot inside the tent, having eaten his way in through a mesh panel.

GUN is okay as well, though it has 8 camp sites and felt too much to me like a front country campground to me. The route throuhg those two camps is calssic and worthwhile for a two night trip.

I hope that helps.

Heff

[Nawlins]

Heff,

Thanks so much for the information, it's been a great help.

[Ear Mountain]

Heff mentioned that the opening dates for camps are conservative and that is probably true. But this is not a "normal" year and no one will know until well into July when the Fifty Mountain camp will open. Also if Fifty is still closed there is a good likely hood that the Ahern drift will preclude any travel between Granite Park and Fifty Mountain. The snow at Fifty Mountain usually disappears before the Ahern Drift is passable.

One summer after a normal snow winter the camp at Fifty Mountain was open but there were plenty of vacancies because the Ahern Drift blocked the trail and most folks didn't want to hike in over Flattop Mountain, which is what we did.

The best advice is to be flexible, and plan an alternative trip.