Glacier National Park 95 Mile Hike (Sep 2019) – Wateron Lakes CDT Finish
6 day, 95 Mile Hike in Glacier National Park – Glacier Highline Trail (Modified Route)
In 2018 I thru hiked the Continental Divide Trail, and the last section (NOBO) goes through Glacier National Park on the Glacier Highline Trail. It’s one of the best sections of trail on the entire CDT, and a fitting way to end a 3000 mile hike. However, it was the end of September when I reached East Glacier, and heavy snow in the high mountains forced me to bail down to the road and walk the highway to the border of Canada, finishing at the Port of Piegan. Yuk! I still completed the CDT, but not at the monument at Waterton Lakes. This was a bit crushing to end my 5.5 month hike in such a way. So, this year I came back out to Glacier to hike the Highline Trail again, and get the finish I missed last year at Wateron. This is my second chance at a true CDT finish. This is my redemption!
Check out my CDT finish video for the backstory:
Unfortunately we couldn’t get permits for the exact Glacier Highline Trail route. Instead, we started at Cut Bank (already did most of everything south of here anyways last year on the CDT up to Old Man Lake), hiked north to Many Glacier, then had to detour from the Highline Trail by going through the Ptarmigan Tunnel. From here we follow Cosley Lake to Stoney Indian Pass and into Waterton. Finally, some closure to such a long and grand journey!
Famous –
I finished your CDT journey yesterday – well done! I was glad to see that you went back to Glacier the next year. My friend and I did a southbound CDT trip in 2005 and had to start at Chief Joseph and do the Belly River alternate because of (normal) snow conditions. We went back the two years later to do the High Route…I can relate to having unfinished business! Thanks for such a great video series…I can’t imagine me spending all the time filming but it really paid off.
walk good,
Tommy “Mozes” Hayes
AT 2000, PCT 2003, CDT 2005
April 5, 2021 at 12:54 pm
Hey Mozes! So cool you triple-crowned when you did… I always wonder what it would have been like 10, 20, 30 years ago. Funny thing is, the filming doesn’t take that much time, compared to the editing!
April 6, 2021 at 1:12 pm