Our Last Hike in Glacier NP

Posted from Post Falls, ID     (Click on Pics to Enlarge)

Don't forget to click here to take a look at MANY additional pictures in our Google+ album for the Siyeh Pass Hike.

Trailhead

Our last hike in Glacier National Park was also our longest and most strenuous.  I'm sure that diehard hikers regularly make hikes of this distance, but for us, it was our longest ever.  We hiked the Siyeh Pass Trail, a distance of 10.3 miles from the trailhead at Piegan Pass to the end at Sunrift Gorge.  The distance really wasn't so bad, but the ascent from the start to the pass gains 2240 feet, then descends 3440 feet to the terminus of the trail at the Going to the Sun Road.

We hadn't hiked too far before it was apparent that the longer hike was going to be worth it.

The first few miles took us through trees and several stream crossings.

At approximately 3 miles into the hike, the trail exits the forest into an area called Preston Park.  This is a valley which contains many varieties of flowers.

         Here's a panorama view looking towards the Siyeh Pass.

As we near the end of Preston Park we see this small lake at the base of Mt. Siyeh.  Although it's August, there is still ice and snow surrounding the lake.

This is a closer look at the same lake.












Here's a short video on what we saw as we approached the final climb toward the Siyeh Pass.

                  (Best viewed in 1080p resolution and full screen.)

This photo can't properly capture the true view

Almost midway up the path leading to our destination at Siyeh Pass, the climb has been steep and it's time to take a break (and look around).

Finally, we arrive at Mt. Siyeh Pass.  We've climbed from 5840 feet to almost 8000 feet.  Many folks like to take a break and eat lunch at this point. 

Matahpi Peak Behind

We are no exception.  After lunch we have someone take an obligatory picture of us at the Pass.

Finally it was time to leave the Pass and begin our long descent toward the end at Sunrift Gorge.  You can see St. Mary Lake in the far background in the center of the picture.

The second half of the hike not only provides some beautiful landscapes, but also affords a view of Sexton Glacier.  A bit of research revealed some facts that I thought were disheartening.  In 1850, the area that now occupies Glacier NP contained 150 glaciers.  Today there are 25 active glaciers and by 2020, if warming continues as it has, there will be 0 glaciers left.  That's really sad for anyone who has yet to visit this beautiful area.

We've now descended about 3400 feet and are heading toward Sunrift Gorge.  The melting snows flowing from the peaks flow into St. Mary Lake after passing through the narrow Sunrift Gorge.

Just another mile and we arrive at the trail's end at the Going to the Sun Road.  We were both getting a bit tired around Mile 7.5 on this one.  I'm certainly glad we made this hike, however, as the disappointment I expressed in my last blog concerning the number of hikers on the trail was definitely not found on this trail. If you get a chance, this is certainly a hike to take.

We have one more very short blog coming which will complete our visit to Glacier NP.

Thanks for stopping by to take a look!