(This is a trip report of camping and hiking in Glacier Nat. Park......skip it and save your time if you think it has any paddling in it).  But if you just have to read something about paddling....I'lll throw in a little snippet near the end.

Our original plan was to tow across Lake Yellowstone....then walk to Thorofare cabin at SE corner of park....then to Hawk's Rest (most remote place in lower 48)...then on down to "Parting of the Waters national landmark"...then out to civilization near Moran, WY.  About 50-60 miles.

But...this chickenfoot got cold feet over the flight to Jackson.....so safest thing in my twisted mind was to take the train to Glacier and do some hiking.  Last minute scrambling two months before departure got us some backcountry reservations.

Day1....Amtrak service?  Well, lets just say it has to be experienced to be appreciated.  Ride time averages 16 hours from Detroit Lakes, MN to East Glacier, MT.

I'll post a trip log and photo links for any of you who desire to see it, or need some info on what to do there.  You more experienced hikers will be bored.  I oversharpened my 1st attempt at the post-production photos.  You'll have to live with the "graininess" as I'm too lazy to go back and redo the originals.

Day2....arrived last night 2 hours late, to East Glacier station.  The station is quite historic.  Car rental place was still open and picked us up nicely, and today we are off, to see what there is to see for a day.

East Glacierlodge from the Amtrak station
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View from the lodge balcony from which we had brunch.
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A view from the 3rd floor inside the lodge.  Rooms are spartan and decor is 1950'ish.  A night here goes for $189 up in the nosebleed section.  Hint...stay at the many mom/pop places nearby.  Seeing the hotel is free and it's open to the public.  Same amount of dough will get you 3 nights elsewhere.  Notice the lodge is virtually supported by massive pines.
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We decide to spend the day circling the park..Tomorrow we start a 5 day hike and we want to see a few things first.  A short jaunt up the road is Two Medicine lake.  Here's a typical view of Mt. Sinopah at the lake.  A close by view of the scenery as we leave there and head for St. Mary.
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We run up to Many Glacier to see the hotel and Swiftcurrent lake.  It's truely breath-taking as you come round the last corner.  Two views of the area.  You can see why the early RR buisnessmen sold it as "the American Alps" to the traveling public.  Trying to entice them to travel here instead of Europe.
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We head back down to St. Mary for lunch.  Try the Park cafe if you're out there...the pie is awesome.  It's worth waiting in line.  We decide to spend the afternoon going up to Logan pass on the "Going to the Sun Hiway".  For those of you who have never done it....it easily rivals the Beartooth hiway down near Yellowstone.  Narrow, twisty road with enough vistas to suck the life right out of you.

Here are some scattered views from along the road as I drive with one knee and hand, the other hand out the window on the camera.....my wife was screaming something at me but I never did figure it out?.
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And of course...who would pass up a shot at the infamous Wild Goose Isle....they make it easy for you...they run the road right past this vista.  This gem sits along the N shore of St. Mary lake.
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I'll post a sidebar (next post) of our afternoon excursion on the "Highline trail".  That kept us busy for about 5 hours.  We walked to Haystack butte and back (about 1/2 way to Granite Park Chalet) for those of you familiar with the area.

Next we head down the west side...I only took one pic as I was too busy playing Mario Andretti with the "paddle shift" in our rented Audi.  By the way, if you're wondering who won.....Wally did...no one was killed to the best of my knowledge.  Mrs Wally had even quit her incessant screaming and was enjoying the race.  A view from near McDonald lodge on same named lake.
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We now race back against the darkness to East Glacier along the S border on US #2.  A short 50+ miles.  We wine and dine ourselves at the little Mexican joint in town...Serrano's.  Highly recommended to any of you staying out there.

Tommorrow...we enter the wilds!

.....more to follow......

Day3....
Our backcountry hike begins.  We head out of East Glacier enroute to  West Glacier along US#2.  Then into Apgar village where the local back-country office is, to pickup our permits.  They also have an obligatory video....just like the BW/Q.

This one's all about backcountry behavior, and much about bear awareness and safety.  My bear "pucker factor" had been growing for a month....and by the end of the video...I was ready to call it quits.  Here's a line from the end of the video that I'll quote for you via recollection....

"......most grizzly bears want to avoid you as much as you want to avoid them.  But, occasionaly, a grizzly might see you as a potential food source.  If you feel threatened by the bear, or feel that the grizzly intends to eat you, then it's very important to act aggressive.  Pick up a stick and wave it.  Throw rocks.  Wave your hands.  Do everything possible to show the bear you are not going to be an easy meal....".

Ok, see my reason for fear?  The ranger gets in his last barbs by warning me that the Bowman lake trialhead and backwoods camp are being frequented by grizzly.  Perhaps we'd like to purchase a can of bear spray?  Mrs. Wally decides we are going in sans-spray and drags me out to the car and changes my underwear.

We head N up into Northfork country (the Northfork of Flathead river borders the park here).  We are headed up about 30 miles of rough gravel road to Bowman lake campground....about 10 mi S of Canadian border.  After a slow ride we arrive.
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We take way too long to gearup and load our packs and don't hit the trailhead 'tll 2 PM.  We are headed in 7 mi to the end of the lake in the photo, for our first nights camp.  Days 2-3 will take us up and over the pass you see at the end of the lake.  Here was the "Last Will and Testament" photo.
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View from along the N shore of Bowman trail.  It follows the shoreline the whole way, making for a stunning hike.  MUCHO bear scat everywhere!  I was sans-spray and now I was sans-tinker bells.  My wife was breaking all the rules by "not hiking together".  She was constantly running ahead of my lard-butt.  You'd think she wanted to lose me or something?  Hiking alone, I was no match for the grizzly.
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Rainbow peak on S side of Bowman lake.
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Sunrise from Bowman camp the next morning....we're going up and over that badboy today....
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let the pain begin......

Day 5....
Morning view out the tent door brings hope to my soul....
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Most camps in Glacier are quite scenic...but when you reserve on short notice...you tend to get less desirable ones.  Here's the Hawksbill camp.  Just a wide dirt spot in the trail....not in the forest, but gorgeous views.
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We decide to spend the morning at Lake Francis.....probably the second most scenic spot in Glacier (IMO).  It was absolute heaven...We stripped down to our skivies and bathed...then laid, drying in the sun for a couple of hours, just licking our wounds.  A real "do-nothing" day.  View of the Lake Francis waterfall coming down off of Dixon glacier.
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View down the Valley towards Lake Janet, Goat Haunt and Waterton lake...thats the Citadel peaks in the distance.
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View from camp N....the flanks of Chapman peak.  Canada and Waterton park and Cameron lake are just over that "hill".
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.....the metamorphosis...

Day 7....

This morning, just 50 yds down beach from camp....yes indeed we did see a grizzly.  Was an avg sized bear.  We're sunnin' on beach and wife says..."look a bear"...Grizz is chasing a deer right down the beach.  Deer loses the grizz by ducking into woods.  Bear stops and looks at us for a few seconds and disappears into trees also..
...."Just great" I thought...Now there's a hungry bear thinking about me!
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Walking back 7 mi to Bowman trailhead.
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Driving back to West Glacier...we stop in the small village of Polebridge.  This place is like a LSD trip.  You can go back in time and see flower children (now in their 50-60's) running the place.  Electricity by generator only.  One of the few phones in the North fork is here.  And here is where a little slice of heaven comes down to Earth.  The bakery here makes some treats that I can't even describe.  We fill our gastrums on $20 worth and call it lunch.
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Remainder of day is back across GTS hiway and up to Waterton park for the night.  We were to hike the infamous Crypt lake trail at Waterton tomorrow, but I can't even walk to the bathroom because of the ulcers on my feet.  That hike is off, but we head up to Canada for the night anyway.   Waterton village is pretty touristy.  I took no pics of the place.

Day 9...

Get on train at 10AM

Gut cramps and freq trips to the potty start at 11 AM.

Fever and chills start about noon.

Pull into Detroit lakes at 3:30 AM on Day 10.

Gotta work that afternoon.  Think I'm calling in sick.

Next time, bring better boots and socks.  Ulcers on my feet take 3 weeks to heal.

Was a blast...gonna do it again!  Hope you all can get there yourselves.