Skyline Experience late Aug

[blah1234]

Hi all, Anybody thinking about hiking the Skyline Experience sometime between 8/18 and 8/30? If so, I'd definitely be interested in perhaps setting up a car shuttle, leaving a car at each end -- Many Glacier and Siyeh bend.

Originally, I was going to leave my car at Siyeh bend and then take a combination of the park shuttle and pay-concession shuttles out to Many Glacier, but looking at the departure times for the shuttles this year (http://www.glacierparkinc.com/tour_detail.php and http://www.glaciernationalparklodges.co ... -bus-tours), the departure times from St Mary don't look early enough to support a long full-day, off-trail hike.

-Shawn

[Jay w]

I'd love to do it, but I'm locked into an audit the week of the 18th. (Living the dream.)

You can always drive the car to Siyeh the day before and bus it back. Then you could do a short hike that day and the Skyline the next day.

Simple eh? Must be something wrong with that plan.

Jay

[blah1234]

Yup, that may be fallback plan. Half day hike in Many Glacier after leaving the car, camp out in one of the backpacker spaces at the campground, and then start the Skyline early the next morning. Will need a place in Many Glacier to leave my tent, sleeping bag, etc, though, since I only want to bring along a small daypack on the hike. Maybe the ranger station or one of the hotels can offer a storage space for the day. More logistics to investigate...

I'd love to do it, but I'm locked into an audit the week of the 18th. (Living the dream.)

You can always drive the car to Siyeh the day before and bus it back. Then you could do a short hike that day and the Skyline the next day.

Simple eh? Must be something wrong with that plan.

Jay

[distressbark]

Bell staff at the Many Glacier Hotel should be able to accommodate with your bags. Storage capabilities fluctuate year-to-year, as the Park Service has some quirky rules that make it challenging to find space in that grand ol' hotel to store some bags, but I'd start there.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the backpacking spaces at Many Glacier are only available for thru hikers. I thought Many Glacier had to be at least night #2 of a multi-day trek?

Yup, that may be fallback plan. Half day hike in Many Glacier after leaving the car, camp out in one of the backpacker spaces at the campground, and then start the Skyline early the next morning. Will need a place in Many Glacier to leave my tent, sleeping bag, etc, though, since I only want to bring along a small daypack on the hike. Maybe the ranger station or one of the hotels can offer a storage space for the day. More logistics to investigate...

I'd love to do it, but I'm locked into an audit the week of the 18th. (Living the dream.)

You can always drive the car to Siyeh the day before and bus it back. Then you could do a short hike that day and the Skyline the next day.

Simple eh? Must be something wrong with that plan.

Jay

[Stmarypete]

I am pretty sure you are correct about the Many Glacier backpacker campsites. We used them on a trip over from Granite Park and had to set Poia lake as the third night.

[blah1234]

Hmm, interesting. Thanks for the heads up. Need to call the park now to make sure.
If no backpacker camping at Many Glacier then looks like the 1st Xanterra shuttle from St Mary to Many Glacier is at 8:15am. Hope that gets me there early enough to snag a "real" first-come-first-serve campsite,

I am pretty sure you are correct about the Many Glacier backpacker campsites. We used them on a trip over from Granite Park and had to set Poia lake as the third night.

[pitamakan]

There are backpacker campsites at Many Glacier that can be reserved (with the restrictions mentioned above), but there are also "regular" campsites set aside for bicyclists and travelers without motorized vehicles. Those are first come, first served, and the sites are shared.

I don't know how hard those sites are to get, but considering what a zoo that campground can be in midsummer, I'm not sure I'd count on a space being available.

[blah1234]

Ok, yup, the "regular" campsites reserved for travelers without motorized vehicles was what I was originally thinking of. Thanks for clarifying!
When I was talking with a ranger at the MG ranger station last summer (also in Aug), he said they haven't been turning anybody away from the shared sites, along with something to the effect of "we'll make room for you even if things look full." But then again, this is on my list to call in and check up on before my trip.

There are backpacker campsites at Many Glacier that can be reserved (with the restrictions mentioned above), but there are also "regular" campsites set aside for bicyclists and travelers without motorized vehicles. Those are first come, first served, and the sites are shared.

I don't know how hard those sites are to get, but considering what a zoo that campground can be in midsummer, I'm not sure I'd count on a space being available.