A Grizzly Glacier Tale

Bill and I wrangled a couple of my brothers, Josh and Nick, and Nick's girlfriend Casie, into coming with us on a two-night backcountry trip into Glacier National Park, with an itinerary putting us over Gunsight Pass. 

The A Team: Casie, Nick, Bill, Josh, Cass 

Probably about 8 or 9 miles in on the first day, through wind and hail and rain-soaked undergrowth, we were finally nearing the top of Gunsight Pass. The trail became a chiseled pathway right into the mountain-side, with sheer, rocky drop-offs to the lake below. Up ahead, there was a snow crossing that looked a little treacherous with the steep angle. We were studying the snow, and Josh pointed out one additional potential complication: two grizzlies foraging for grubs just below the snowfield, maybe 200 yards away. We had a moment of excitement and drank in the sight for a few minutes, then decided to press on. We crossed the field without any indecent, and made it 200 yards up the trail, to a fantastic overlook. While admiring a mountain goat on the opposite mountain, a couple of us looked back and were surprised to see a grizzly coming up the trail after us. And, then...it broke into a run. For your enjoyment, and for the "grizzly tale", here are some videos, courtesy of You Tube. 

Needless to say, other than a pepper spray to my face, and maybe a few pairs of wet underwear, we came out unscathed. After the first day, the weather became a sun-bather's dream, and we stretched out on the rocks to pick huckleberries, unhurried and happy.

The Gunsight Pass hike scenery was jaw dropping, and the campgrounds had character and beauty. Pit toilets earned not so consistently high marks, but the open pit toilet at Lake Ellen Wilson campground, with its unmatched overlook of the lake, set the bar high for all other pit toilets out there. There were a plethora of mountain goats, many of whom visited us in camp and tried to lick at anything salty. We also got to check out one of the park's only hike-in chalets and grabbed a tasty lunch of soup, sandwiches, and pie.

Kudos to Nick and Casie for introducing us to this delicious "gourmet" backcountry meal, which will definitely be a part of our next trek: 

Beefy Noodle Bowl

• 3 Tbsp beef jerky, shredded
• 1 3-ounce package of Ramen noodles
• 1 1-ounce package instant onion soup
• 2 Tbsp mixed dried vegetables
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp dried cilantro
• 1 or 2 packets of soy sauce, optional

At home: Discard flavor packet from noodles, combine all dry ingredients in a quart size, freezer zip lock bag.

On the trail: Boil about 2 cups water. Add to zip lock bag, then stir or shake gently until all is soft and rehydrated. Season with soy sauce as desired.
Makes 2 servings. This receipe courtesy of One Pan Wonders