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Trip Number: 12313A
Price: $595
Deposit: $100
Capacity: 12
Staff: Steve Lachman
Highlights:
- Experience the beauty of Glacier's rugged wilderness and abundant wildlife
- Build turnpikes and water bars during our service work under the guidance
of the National Park Service
- Explore, fish, or kick back on our non-work days
Includes:
- Tools and training for our service work
- Tasty meals prepared by our camp cook
The Trip
Photo: David Dalton
If you have visited Yosemite, Yellowstone, or the Grand Canyon, and been intrigued
when others have said that Glacier is the crown jewel of the U.S. national park
system, then this is the trip for you. Glacier has a ruggedly beautiful wilderness
of sharp, precipitous peaks to the east, and majestic alpine forests and lakes
to the west. Glaciers are seen in the shadows of towering peaks. Abundant wildlife
-- including mountain lions, grizzly bears, wolves, and moose -- roam the park.
With the imminent disappearance of the glaciers -- they are expected to have
mostly receded by 2020 -- and this is the year to make the pilgrimage. Of course,
as a Sierra Club service trip, the trip is not just about gazing at beautiful
scenery. It's also about camaraderie, hard work, decompression from civilization,
fun, exploration, and lots of good food.
The Project
We will build "turnpikes" and water bars, and do other tread work
in the vicinity of Park Creek, either along the Park Creek Trail or Fielding
Trail. If you are looking at a map, we will work in the southeast corner of
the Park. The National Park Service provides all necessary tools and training,
but you supply the high energy.
Our campsite is a seven-mile backpack in from the trail head with a gentle elevation
gain. Our elevation will be about 4,000 feet. Horses will pack our food in.
Additionally, there is a cook's cabin at our campsite, which should minimize
bear problems. Wolves have been sited in the Park Creek drainage, so with some
luck, we'll catch a glimpse of them.
Itinerary
Photo: David Dalton
This trip provides a great balance of work and play. Before we head out to
our work site, we will have a day to explore the park. Sandwiched in our five
days of work is a day off during which people can kick back, hike, or maybe
even fish in the Flathead River (Montana fishing license required). After we
backpack out, the Park will reserve the group campground for us for a couple
nights if you want to stay and explore other areas. Here's the specific schedule:
Day 1: We will meet and provide the first official "get
acquainted" dinner at the Apgar campground near the park headquarters,
in West Glacier, on Sunday, July 29. Please try to arrive no later than 5 p.m.
The specific location and map to this group campsite will be provided later.
If you want to arrive the night before, there will be room at the campground
for you, but please let me know in advance.
Day 2: After breakfast on July 30th at the campsite, we will
shuttle to the trail head for a day of exploring and hiking in the park.
Day 3: On Tuesday, July 31, we begin the backpacking portion
of our trip. On that day, we'll hike to our base camp, set up tents, and get
oriented. The hike in is approximately seven miles, with just mild elevation
gain.
Days 4-6: These are our first three days of work, following
the lead of the National Park Service.
Day 7: Today is our well-earned day off. Some of the hiking
options include a long day hike up to Lake Isabel or Two-Medicine Pass, a tromp
on the very wild Fielding Trail, or a descent down to the Flathead River.
Photo: David Dalton
Days 8-9: We'll continue with our service project, and break
a little early on our last work day. Bring your singing voice for the last night.
Day 10: We'll hike out on Tuesday, August 7. Lunch that day
will be the last meal provided. That night, everyone who is staying in or near
the park can join together for a farewell dinner. The campground at Apgar will
remain available (free) for the nights of August 7 and 8.
Getting There
Kalispell, Montana has the closest commercial airport, located about 45 minutes
from the park. Amtrak stops in the town of West Glacier near park headquarters.
Flathead-Glacier Transportation can provide shuttle service to the park as well.
Call (406) 892-3390. You are responsible for arranging your own transportation
to the Apgar group campsite, but we will coordinate those participants wishing
to carpool.
Accommodations and Food
We will use our own tents during the trip. All meals and plenty of snacks will
be provided as part of the trip cost. The menu will be mostly vegetarian. Lori
(our cook) promises to challenge your palate (in a good way!). Trip participants
will take turns assisting Lori. Group water will be provided in camp for camp
use. Sierra Club uses Katadyn MicroPur tablets for water purification. We will
have a cook's cabin nearby to store our kitchen, food, and personal items during
the night and times we are away from camp. If you have special dietary concerns
or food allergies, make sure that you include this information on your trip
application.
Trip Difficulty
Photo: David Dalton
This trip has been rated at moderately strenuous. The 7-mile hike to our campsite is considered moderate. Building and maintaining trail is physically demanding.
Participants should have had some past experience in hiking, camping, and backpacking
and be in good physical shape. Beginners who have had some backpacking experience
are welcome. Fitness is important. An out-of-shape participant creates health
and safety risks to him/herself and others, won't contribute as much to the
team work effort, and won't have as much fun. With that said, the leader always
remembers that the trip should be fun. No one is expected to perform beyond
his or her capacity.
Equipment and Clothing
In addition to your backpacking gear, bring at least two pairs of leather
work gloves and a day pack to carry lunch, water, rain gear, sunscreen, and other
personal items to the work site. For footwear, bring both sturdy work boots and a waterproof shoe, like Tevas. Food and cooking equipment are provided as well as a first-aid kit for emergencies. There will be purified water available
for camp and commissary use, but you will need to bring water purification equipment
for personal use when away from camp. Daytime temperatures will probably be
in the mid-70s. Nights dip down to the 40s. Expect some rain during the trip.
A detailed equipment list will be provided to you later.
References
Maps:
Trails Illustrated map of Glacier National Park. It is waterproof and costs
around $9.95 from many local outdoor stores. You may also order it by calling
(800) 962-1643. It is also available at http://www.amazon.com.
An online map is available at: http://www.nps.gov/pwr/customcf/apps/maps/showmap.cfm?alphacode=glac&parkname=Glacier%20National%20Park.
Books:
The Glacier Natural History Association, Box 428, West Glacier, Montana 59936,
has a catalog of books, pamphlets, videos, and maps they will send you upon
request. Call (406) 888-5756. We also recommend Hiking Glacier and Waterton
Lakes National Parks, by Erik Molvar (http://www.amazon.com),
and Hiker's Guide to Glacier National Park, (Glacier National Park
website, http://www.nps.gov/glac).
Conservation
Photo: David Dalton
The glaciers of the park -- having shrunk 67% in the last hundred years --
have been testimony to climate change. Some of this recession is due to warming,
and some is due to drought. Most glaciers will probably disappear by 2020. This
promises disastrous ecological effects for flora and fauna that depend upon
the moisture from glacial runoff. Some things are done if they dry up just once.
Early in 2010 a partnership with British Columbia prohibited mining for gas,
oil, and coal in the Flathead River Basin, protecting, for the time being, the
Flathead River from the effects of such activities. Issues of logging, road
building, and quarrying that are still of concern. Please share your local environmental
issues with other trip members. We're all in this together.
Trip Price
See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details
about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy.
The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.
Staff
Leader:
Steve Lachman says "It's a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there." Steve's happy living in the northeast (State College, Pennsylvania), but loves to spend vacations in the west. He's worked on Sierra Club service trips in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. When not on vacation, he teaches at the Dickinson School of Law and serves as Vice-Chair of the Moshannon Group of the Sierra Club.
E-mail: stevelachman@gmail.com
Cook:
Lori Cole can be found most weekends year-round hiking and backpacking through the forests of Northeast Pennsylvania or the nearby Catskills in NY. From her first service trip with the Sierra Club, she has been hooked on the work projects and the remarkable way that a group of strangers can become a group of friends by week's end. When she must leave the wilderness, she is employed by the USPS.
E-mail: oreolk@gmail.com
General Notes About Sierra Club Trips