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Gunsight Pass Trail, Glacier National Park

In this post, I review a portion of the Gunsight Pass Trail (starting from the Jackson Glacier Overlook) at Glacier National Park.

Author’s Note: Since we visited Glacier in 2016, the Park Service has implemented a complex, ticket system for visiting the park in the summer. To be honest, I can’t make much sense of it as it involves multiple tickets being required to enjoy various activities around the park. For more information on this system, visit the park website and/or contact the park office.

The Gunsight Pass Trail at Glacier National Park is a great hike that offers scenic views.

Similar to the Swiftcurrent Trail, this is a fairly long route that connects with several others throughout the park. It runs for almost 20 miles, from the Lake McDonald Lodge, past the Sperry Chalet, Gunsight Lake, and Lake Ellen Wilson, to the Jackson Glacier Overlook. The trail offers prime views of several waterfalls along its length. (Both trailheads can be reached from the Going to the Sun Road.) Because of its length, most thru-hikers do it in two days with an overnight stop at one of several backcountry campgrounds or the Sperry Chalet.

The Trekkers aren’t much for overnight camping in the backcountry, so we chose to only attempt the portion that runs from the Jackson Glacier Overlook, on the Going to the Sun Road, to Florence Falls. Both of us entered this hike with a bit of trepidation as it was our first real foray into Grizzly Country. Our goal was to make it to the Florence Falls trail junction (four miles in, making it a total hike of eight miles, round trip).

We had hopes of reaching the falls but wanted to wait to see how we were feeling when we got there. We knew going in that the final mile of the return trip would be a strenuous uphill climb, so we planned to reserve some energy for that (and it was good we did).

Related posts: 5 Things you Don’t Want to Miss at Glacier National Park; Glacier National Park: Hiking the Apgar Lookout Trail

Hiking on the Gunsight Pass Trail

This is a beautiful trail! As it runs largely through the forest, in a lower-lying area, along the St. Mary River, it was a cooler option on that 85-degree day. It is fairly evenly-graded with some beautiful views and was the least crowded trail we experienced in late June (we saw several groups of hikers though none of the “lines” we encountered on a few other trails). The section we chose was the least strenuous portion of the route–it runs along the valley floor as opposed to climbing the peaks as it does in other segments.

Despite being in the forest, portions of this trail do allow for breaks in the foliage that overlook a marshy area (look for moose!) with incredible views of the soaring mountain peaks and Jackson Glacier as a backdrop. Upon completing the initial steep descent the trail levels off at the picturesque Deadwood Falls.

On your return trip, this is a good place for a break before attempting the final climb to the top. There’s plenty of space to sit on the rocks in the sun or shade (depending on your preference and the time of day) and let the mist from the falling water cool you. The creek below the falls is also an opportunity to dip your feet in the chilly water; just use caution, the current is strong and the rocks may be slippery.

The coursing creek continues to accompany you along the trail. Shortly after passing the falls and the first back-country campsites, you’ll encounter an interesting suspension bridge that crosses the creek.

A short, turquoise waterfall flows over red rocks — The beautiful Deadwood Falls

Grizzly Bears at Glacier National Park

The only unpleasant factor on this trail was the huckleberry bushes; they were many and accompanied us for a large portion of the four-mile journey. That time of year they were calf to knee height, though later in the summer they can reach chest to head height.

This causes an especially sensitive situation as the berries are a favorite for grizzly bears in late summer. There are several places where the trail encounters blind corners and hills so be sure to follow standard safety guidelines when hiking in bear country: never hike alone, don’t hike around dusk or dawn, carry bear spray, and make plenty of noise (one of our favorite methods is singing and hand-clapping–this also helps to alleviate trail fatigue).

Also, be aware, that the water rushing in the nearby creek may mask your sounds and could increase the likelihood of surprising one of the large Ursines. We did not see a bear on our hike (have you noticed a trend in our hikes in Bear Country?) though we saw evidence of a very recent pass-through.

Another hazard of the thick bushes was they almost completely obscured the trail in some cases making it somewhat hard to follow. They also hid a less menacing annoyance, bees–as I, unfortunately, found out when one flew inside my hiking boot and stung me for my intrusion.

A large pile of animal poop on a dirt path — This is gross but it’s shown to make a point. This is the closest we got (and that I ever want to get) to a grizzly. I kid you not, it looked like something that came from an animal the size of a horse!

Wolverines on the Gunsight Pass Trail

We encountered another first on this trail…a wolverine! (It looked nothing like Hugh Jackman! 😝) They are commonly known in this part of the park.

We were traversing one of the clearer portions of the trail, I was in the lead. As I looked down the trail a wolverine came trotting towards us around a bend about 25 feet down the trail. We all stopped…he looked at us…we looked at him…he looked especially cranky as he panted in the heat…then he kept coming!

We’ve never encountered a wolverine in the wild before but I’ve heard stories of their nastiness (apparently they’ve been known to kill moose that have gotten mired in snowdrifts, as well as a polar bear on at least one occasion–seriously!) At this point, I was scanning the huckleberry-covered hillside for an escape route as I did NOT want to have to deal with this critter that is 1/10th my size but can kill creatures many times larger than me! Fortunately, at about that moment, he decided it was too hot for a confrontation and sprinted off into the bushes.

The view overlooks a green, marshy area with a large, snow-covered mountain in the distance. — This is the view from one of the lookout points on the trail. Moose are frequently seen in this area (none were there the day we hiked). Jackson Glacier is just out of sight on the other side of this mountain.

The view overlooks a green, marshy area with large, snow-covered mountains in the distance. — Another view from the trail lookout

We did reach our four-mile goal but did not make it to Florence Falls. We had the energy to continue on but knew it would have added over a mile to our trek and we still had a hefty climb ahead of us on the return trip. We were also running low on water so we again made the safe choice to turn back–this turned out to be wise as our water barely held out the remainder of the hike. Having faced our fears and successfully trekked eight full miles in the middle of Grizzly Country, we counted this hike as a success!

Have you hiked the Gunsight Pass Trail? What was your experience? Tell me in the comments!

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Glacier National Park: Hiking the Apgar Lookout Trail

In this post, I review the Apgar Lookout Trail at Glacier National Park, and discuss our failure to reach the summit.

Otherwise known as the “Soul-Crushing Switchbacks Trail” 😮–thank you Mr. Trekker, for that!–the Apgar Lookout Trail traverses Apgar Mountain to the fire tower near the peak, and offers views of Lake McDonald, in Glacier National Park.

Where is the Apgar Lookout Trail?

The easiest way to reach the trailhead is from the West Glacier entrance on the west side of the park. Shortly after passing through the West Glacier entrance gate a road branches off to the left with signs for the Glacier Institute, a horse corral, and the Apgar Lookout Trail. At the next intersection, you’ll turn right towards the horse corral, then continue following the signs to the left which take you to an unpaved dirt road and the trailhead.

Hiking on the Apgar Lookout Trail

This trek was rough! The trail is interesting because it isn’t that long (only about seven miles round trip); it’s also fairly wide (enough so that two people can walk side-by-side in some cases), and it’s smooth (there aren’t many roots/rocks to trip you up). The first 3/4 of a mile is fairly flat but then the elevation gain begins. You gain almost 2000 feet of elevation in about three miles over a series of three, LONG switchbacks.

Related posts: Going to the Sun Road at Glacier National Park; Swiftcurrent Trail at Glacier National Park and 5 Other “Don’t Miss” Sites!; 5 Things you Don’t Want to Miss at Glacier National Park; Gunsight Pass Trail, Glacier National Park

We didn’t fully appreciate just how steep it was on the way up, it was the difficulty in keeping our balance on the way down that clued us in. Part of what makes it so difficult is that almost the entire trail runs through a burn scar left by a forest fire from several years ago; so it is completely exposed to the sun.

We got a late start (about 2 pm as we made the attempt shortly after arriving at the park) and it was hot and fairly humid that day (about 85 degrees). I should also note my body does not tolerate heat well. There’s a reason why I rejoiced in our move to the cool Northern Plains after living in the steamy South!

The lack of shade-producing foliage does offer one advantage…this trail allows for incredible views of the surrounding Flathead River Valley!

If you make it to the top, we were told the views of Lake McDonald bordered by the park’s mountains to the north are beautiful. (click here for the webcam view from the summit of Apgar Mountain.)

In my semi-delirious state, I half-heartedly named this “the Butterfly Trail” for the numerous (and lovely) flying insects we stirred up on our trek.

As I’ve mentioned in other posts for this park, beware of bears on this trail. We did not see any but some hikers that were exiting the trail as we were starting out did. Also, three days later, a mountain biker (and park ranger) was tragically killed when he surprised a grizzly on a bike path about six miles from this very trail (outside the boundaries of the park).

A dirt path through knee-high, pine trees with green hills in the background. — The trail–the view is looking upward near the beginning of the LONG climb, this is essentially what the entire trail looks like.

Know How Hard to Push Yourself When Hiking

I’m going to get on my soapbox a bit regarding an important safety tip: KNOW YOUR LIMITS in the outdoors! There is a fine line between pushing yourself to extend your stamina and increase your strength…and putting yourself into a dangerous/potentially deadly situation.

There are some well-known symptoms of exhaustion, dehydration, and heat stress but it also helps to know your body. This takes time and experience to learn what signals your body gives when it’s being stressed and what those signals mean.

As much as it pains my pride to admit it…we didn’t make it to the top of this trail. We decided to turn around about a quarter of the way through the 3rd switchback when the “bent-double” stomach cramps and nausea hit me. I’ve learned from past experience that this is a major sign of dehydration for myself and I didn’t want to push things too far.

Always remember, just because you get to the top, that’s only halfway, you still have to get back down and sometimes going downhill can be more difficult. Exhaustion combined with the pull of gravity on the return trip can prove disastrous–I’ve worn scrapes and bruises resulting from stumbles caused by this dastardly combination on more than one occasion.

So don’t spend all your energy on only half the trail or you may find you’re unable to complete the most important half…getting home!

It’s also important to note, for the benefit of your wallet, that some parks/states require you to pay for at least a portion of the cost involved in a Search and Rescue operation if one is deemed necessary. They’ll come to get you, but the financial toll may remain long after the physical injuries have long since healed. If concern for your own body isn’t enough to convince you to turn back, perhaps concern for your wallet will be.

View down a mountain from above. Green grass and tree-covered mountains in the distance. — The view–the Flathead River Valley from near the middle of one of the switchbacks, you can see how far we’d come from the trail below us

Don’t be Afraid to Turn Back when Hiking

It’s difficult to admit we failed on this attempt, but I firmly believe we made the right decision in turning back. It’s easy to get “Summit Fever”, especially when you go into a situation expecting to succeed. The length of this trail was well within our average hiking range and it was fairly easy, technically speaking, so turning back definitely caused some wounded pride.

Don’t be afraid to admit you’ve bitten off more than you can chew though. A report from the years 2003 – 2006 found that 23% of Search and Rescue incidents included people in their 20’s and 66.3% of the victims were male. So the takeaway lesson is, that young males–the ones usually thought of as being the most healthy, strong, and capable–are also the ones most likely to run into trouble. If they struggle, the rest of us shouldn’t feel bad admitting we struggle too!

So guys, take note…find a hiking partner who wimps out before you do so you can turn back and still save face. 😉 I should note, that the cramps relented within minutes once I stopped climbing, found some shade, got some sustenance in me (food and drink), and cooled down.

If you’re looking for a challenging hike on your next trip to Glacier National Park, check out the Apgar Lookout Trail!

Have you attempted these infamous switchbacks? What was your experience like? Let me know in the comments!

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South Rim and Uncle Tom’s Trails, Yellowstone National Park

In this post I review Uncle Tom’s and the South Rim Trails, and their views of the Upper and Lower Falls, at Yellowstone National Park.

Several years ago, in June, we visited Yellowstone National Park with the Trekker In-Laws. As it was the first time there for all of us we didn’t get much hiking in, we just went full-blown tourist and hit all the “must-see” sights. But Mr. Trekker and I did get to do two very cool, very accessible hikes, the South Rim and Uncle Tom’s trails, which allow amazing views of Yellowstone’s Upper and Lower Falls.

The Trekkers visited during a time of snowmelt so some of the waterfalls were running especially high at the time.

Author’s Note: Not long after writing this post the Uncle Tom’s Trail was permanently closed due to safety concerns and maintenance costs. Unfortunately, future visitors to the park will not have the opportunity to enjoy these cool sites, so I will leave info on this trail up to allow others to experience what we saw. I feel very fortunate that we were able to see these views before they were forever altered.

The Yellowstone River:

Where are the South Rim and Uncle Tom’s Trails?

The trails are located in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone on the South Rim. You access the South Rim Trail from the Wapiti Lake Trailhead, which then joins the Uncle Tom Trail. The trails encompass gorgeous views of both the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. (Only the Lower Falls was visible from the Uncle Tom Trail). The terminus of both of these routes is Point Sublime near Artist Point.

Yellowstone’s Upper Falls

Yellowstone’s Lower Falls

What are the hikes to view Yellowstone’s Upper and Lower Falls like?

Our hike began on the South Rim Trail. In a welcome contrast to the rest of the park, we saw relatively few fellow hikers even though this portion of the trail is easily accessed and has little elevation gain. I highly recommend this peaceful hike with its many beautiful views of the two falls; though as is good practice when hiking throughout the park, always be aware of the wildlife that may be sharing the trail with you (we had no bear encounters on our hike but heard stories of hikers who did).

We had more company on the Uncle Tom Trail as it was more popular. It was named for H.F. Richardson, or Uncle Tom, as was his nickname. In the late 19th Century he began guiding tourists into the Canyon to view the waterfalls and cross the river. At that time the trail consisted of numerous ropes and rope ladders that visitors had to negotiate. Fortunately on our hike, one only had to manage a hefty climb (300+ steps!) on a metal staircase bolted into the rock on the side of the canyon.

As I’ve mentioned plenty of times on this blog, I harbor a hefty case of acrophobia, or fear of heights. I tend to get vertigo and “freeze” when confronted with a lack of earth in front of me–an interesting condition for someone who enjoys hiking in high places regularly. 😝

Due to this, I was a little nervous upon venturing onto the Uncle Tom Trail as I knew the steps bolted into the side of the canyon were composed of perforated steel. That’s right, not only were you hanging off the side of a cliff but as you descended you were awarded with a view of the gaping chasm yawning below you!…or so I thought. In truth, the canyon wall was very rocky and the steps lingered over rock ledges the entire way. Though the steps did hang off the side of the wall and span a chasm, the rock floor you saw was never more than 20 or 30 feet below your feet. To my surprise, I found the descent surprisingly bearable.

The Stairs that made up Uncle Tom’s Trail:

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

I’ve been to the “real” Grand Canyon, and while it’s got an exquisite beauty all its own, I think the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone surpasses that splendor in some ways and truly lives up to its name. This canyon is far smaller and more narrow than its big brother to the south, with rock colors that vary between yellows and reds contrasted with the deep greens of the pine trees on the rim. There were also numerous patches of snow still remaining in late June.

So, if you’re looking to stretch your legs a little on your next trip to Yellowstone and want amazing views of the Upper and Lower Falls, check out the South Rim Trail!

Have you hiked these trails? Let me know what you thought of them in the comments!

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