SummitPost.org

Hi i went up there solo back in august of 08. I actually flew into Missoula and hitchhiked from there to the park, then used buses to get around. The buses on GTS road are really easy just show up and they come by. Clear maps and schedules and free. Hitchhiking in the park is easy. If I did it again I would fly into the airport near Kalispell and arrange transportation into the park then wing it from there.

For sites i just showed up at the BC ranger station no reservations. They give you a big map and a list of availability and you just plan your trip out sitting there. There was alot of availability although some of the busier sites were unavailable. But if there is really a site you want you can get it a few days out and go somewhere else in the meantime. For the car campgrounds on GTS road they have walk in sites readily available.

Solo is a little freaky with the grizz but now that you can pack heat just grab that desert eagle and go for it!

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/J3DsZbrxLTk4T2ohZkmXYg?authkey=Gv1sRgCPTW0qDctL2nvQE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_0LzcX9jqPtg/S42fZLBFdQI/AAAAAAAAEs8/DB0qCQYFddE/s400/Scott%27s%20Montana%20Trip%20August%202008%20145.JPG" /></a>

The campgrounds at Boulder Pass and Hole in the Rock do not open until August, sometimes not until well into August. It's a long hike between the trailheads, probably an overnighter. The roads are remote, and though they see a decent amount of traffic, hitching a ride is less of a certainty.

Based on what you described, I'd suggest the Gunsight/Sperry idea instead.

You also should go to the park site and view the backcountry planner. You can reserve some permits in advance and should try to; the sites along your route are very popular. And do it soon; I think they start accepting requests in April.

scottmitch wrote:Solo is a little freaky with the grizz but now that you can pack heat just grab that desert eagle and go for it!

If you're scared of bears, go somewhere else. Or bring some friends. Don't go shooting the grizz.

Weather starts crapping out from mid-August on. Mid July to mid August is best weather.

no dont HH from airport to park there is this guy if you look up cabs or whatnot that does the airport to the park all the time and is pretty cool its like $30 to have him pick you up and drop you in the park

Arthur Digbee wrote:

scottmitch wrote:Solo is a little freaky with the grizz but now that you can pack heat just grab that desert eagle and go for it!

If you're scared of bears, go somewhere else. Or bring some friends. Don't go shooting the grizz.

ill do what i please thanks

scottmitch wrote:

Arthur Digbee wrote:

scottmitch wrote:Solo is a little freaky with the grizz but now that you can pack heat just grab that desert eagle and go for it!

If you're scared of bears, go somewhere else. Or bring some friends. Don't go shooting the grizz.

ill do what i please thanks

Honestly, if you don't like Grizzlies, then don't go into their territory. There's quite the pressures on their populations already. Just wow.

scottmitch wrote:

Arthur Digbee wrote:

scottmitch wrote:Solo is a little freaky with the grizz but now that you can pack heat just grab that desert eagle and go for it!

If you're scared of bears, go somewhere else. Or bring some friends. Don't go shooting the grizz.

...

Leave the wildlife alone. It's their land: they were there first, and they have priority.

scottmitch wrote:...ill do what i please thanks

F... you, mitch. And also stay the f... out of my country.

Well, it's sad but this thread is probably completely hijiked now from the original poster. I say delete any post regarding debate about shooting grizzlies in protected areas and hopefully discussion can begin about the original questions. Or is it possible to take all the posts regarding shooting Grizzlies in protected areas and put them in a thread with a suitable title? But what would be the point of debating killing endangered animals in national parks be? And then someone has to tell the person who's suggesting killing Grizzlies in GNP to f___ themselves and you just know what kind of eloquent response that's going to get...

A guy asks some questions about GNP and within a page we've got some real overlapping layers of shit going on...

Anyways, I say delete all posts for and against shooting Grizzlies in GNP and let the OP have their thread

I have to admit to telling the pro-shoot Grizzly in national park guy "just wow" which is maybe a more polite way of saying what others have said more directly.

My head is just spinning of how quickly a harmless thread can degenerate into complete garbage.

I hope the OP gets some good (ie relevant) discussion going on...

I apologize to tman for falling into that stupid hijacked post. I was pretty well primed for my rude comments by other threads (including rc.com). Some of the guys are explaining why it's a simply OK to shoot the bears. I usually let it slide. Well I guess it's winter and some guys don't have anything better to do, so they fill their time with posting their opinions online. And I got mad.

I haven't hiked or camped in BC or in Glacier National Park for many years. But the last 4 years I've spent a lot of time hiking, scrambling, and camping in the Rockies near Calgary.

I'm a 4-season hiker, mostly solo, including lots of overnights under the stars. Always in bear country, elk country, sheep country. In winter, when the bears are sleeping, I must still watch for cougars.

Solo and remote, in bear country, seems awfully risky. But I've learned some tricks, like not sharing their foraging grounds, look for tracks and scats, sing my bear-repelling songs, carry bear-spray, and be prepared to leave the area immediately. There's no cell service, so I've ordered a Spot.

The Rockies offer a lot of fun for those who like to explore and discover nature, and tackle challenges, and enjoy the scenery and serenity.

But if you're going to visit an area you're not familiar with (like GNP), you can probably save a lot of time by picking any likely area, and booking a campsite, and use that as a base for adventure. You know ahead-of-time that you're going to be exploring, which could absorb a lot of your time, so keep your objectives flexible. Get the best maps you can find, and bring a GPS and compass.

On multi-day outings, my own biggest challenge is food. I get hungry, so I eat a lot. Then I run out of food, so I plan a run into town for milk, bread, and steaks part-way through the week.

I don't think I can recommend any particular mountains or trails. But I do think you'll be alright -- more than alright -- if you pick an area, and just go there.

ill say wow with the reaction here

when did i advocate shooting grizzly bears?

did i even advocate anything against park rules or illegal?

its legal to bring a gun in a NP so whats the problem

is self defense offensive?

scottmitch wrote:ill say wow with the reaction here

when did i advocate shooting grizzly bears?

did i even advocate anything against park rules or illegal?

its legal to bring a gun in a NP so whats the problem

is self defense offensive?

I don't care to debate the guns in parks issue here, as that's going on elsewhere, but I'll say that your first post comes across with a careless, shoot-em-up tone. You may have intended it more lightly than it came across, but it wasn't taken that way. That's all I care to say on this here.