The End: Glacier National Park to Canada

I write these words from inside my tent, six miles from the Canadian border. Barring some unfortunate catastrophe, tomorrow I will reach the international boundary between Glacier and Waterton Lake National Parks.

Glacier quickly proves to be one of the most stunning sections of the entire trail.

It will take me a long time before I’m able to process my feelings about the last five months, and even longer before I have the ability to put them down into words. This journey has been the hardest, best, craziest thing I’ve ever done, and I so sincerely can say I have had the time of my life on this trail.

For now, all I can do is reflect back on my time in Glacier, which serves as the incredibly climactic final 100 miles for NOBO CDTers.

Day One

With our well-fought permits in hand, we leave the town of East Glacier and begin the climb up a peak appropriately named Scenic Point.

Despite the moody clouds, the weather holds as we go over the pass.

While we loitered in East Glacier– eating Mexican food and drinking huckleberry margaritas– a strong system of storms rolled through the park. The heavy rain did wonders for the smoke and haze we’ve hiked through for the previous several hundred miles. Not only is my first glance into Glacier National Park stunning, but has the additional joy of being smoke-free and clear.

From Scenic Point, we meander down past the Two Medicine Area. I’m encountering more day hikers and tourists than I’ve seen since the Wind River Range in Wyoming, and my ego grows exponentially as people ask me where I started hiking and I get to tell them “Mexico”.

Just enough mist in the air for a beautiful, final rainbow!

From Two Medicine, the final climb of the day takes us up Pitamakan Pass. The absolutely stunning backdrop of Oldman Lake beneath Mount Morgan make the climb feel like nothing– you can’t get out of breath when the view has already taken your breath away.

At the top of the pass, we look out over a very quintessential Glacier view: a valley nestled between huge peaks with glacial runoff lakes sprinkled every few miles. The descent into this valley– and hike to our campsite at Atlantic Creek– takes us the rest of the afternoon.

One of my favorite views in Glacier.

Even if it’s just the first day in Glacier, I already can tell this will be one of my favorite sections of the trail. The climbs are very generously graded, trails incredibly well-maintained, and views among some of the best of the entire CDT. To put it simply: today was a good day.

I’m loving every second of Glacier so far.

Day Two

The first few miles out of camp in the morning bring us to the top of Triple Divide Pass. The engineering that must have gone into the trail construction is truly impressive; The trail cuts its way across the side of the headwall of Mount James. Not only does this make the climb super well graded, but it gives us incredibly views of the sunrise and alpenglow on surrounding peaks as well climb.

Alpenglow in the mornings!

The descent is dotted with waterfalls and huckleberry bushes– and I truly don’t know which I enjoy more. The recent rain has inflated the huckleberries to almost comical sizes, and I eat until my stomach hurts and my hands are dyed completely purple.

I quite literally eat pounds of huckleberries a day.

The trail in the afternoon skirts the edge of St. Mary’s Lake. The lake manages to be both stunning and far, far larger than it appears on a map. I spend the rest of the afternoon making my way along the shore, watching the waves on the water, and drawing closer to Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Finally, 26 miles away from our previous campsite, we reach the road. There, we are picked up by Highlander and he drives us to St. Mary’s Campground before taking us all out for pizza in town.

The view from the pass down into the valley.

Obviously, it’s great to see a friend again (I haven’t seen Highlander since around Silver City, New Mexico!), but it’s somehow even better to sit in a heated building and pound down an entire pizza.

That evening, we set up our tents amid a sea of RVs and boondockers. Throughout the entire 3,100-mile journey, this may be the first night I’ve spent in an established, road-accessible campsite, and I’m very unaccustomed to the noises of cars, generators, and other people.

Tons of beautiful waterfalls.

With the promise of a hot breakfast in the morning (thanks again, Highlander!), I still manage to fall asleep quickly. I can’t shake the knowledge, though, that I’m running out of nights left in my tent.

Day Three

Obtaining backcountry Glacier permits is the final challenge of a NOBO CDT thru-hike. Anyone who has weathered the process can tell you that, despite the very kind rangers doing what they can to make your journey possible, you’re never going to get your ideal itinerary.

I’ve been loving catching every sunrise I have left on the trail.

Today is our odd day– we are only able to hike 14 miles before having to camp at a campsite near Many Glacier. Luckily, those 14 miles are particularly stunning.

Jumping for joy for being in Glacier!

Following our hot breakfast (and a quick jaunt into town for coffee and baked goods), we loiter a bit more before heading back to the trail. It’s perhaps my latest start on the entire CDT but, if you hardly have to hike, there really is no point to starting before 2PM.

The only climb of the day takes us over Piegan Pass. During the ascent, we get some pretty unreal views of Jackson Glacier, Piegan Glacier, and Pollock Mountain. We sit at the top for a long while, admiring the absolutely stunning ridge line that stretches out from the top of the pass.

The beautiful ascent!

Finally, we make our descent and head to Swiftcurrent Lake and the Many Glacier Hotel. There, we cook our dinner at tables near the lobby of the hotel (drawing lots of odd glances) and take advantage of the clean water and available toilets.

The sun sets quickly over the lake. Luckily, nighttime temperatures have been incredibly warm and comfortable the past few days, but we still throw on an extra layer before making our way to the Many Glacier campground for the night.

Dinner with a view.

When we arrive, we realize the campground had closed that day to the general public– nearly 100 sites sit empty while our tramily piles into a shared site for our penultimate night together. It’s simultaneously cozy and creepy. I love every minute.

Day Four

Against all odds and against all of my expectations, it’s finally arrived: the final full day before Canada. Today, we will hike 27 miles to Kootenai Lake which puts us only six miles from the US/Canada border. Unreal. I’m not even able to think about that.

Blah blah blah blah I refuse to acknowledge it’s almost over.

Instead, I focus on the beautiful weather, stunning views, and the comfort of a familiar routine. The first climb of the day up Swiftcurrent Pass proves just hard enough to quiet the nostalgic voice in my head reminding me “last big climb!” and helps me feel a bit more excited for all the time I’ll have soon to sit on a couch and do nothing.

The top of the pass!

The rest of the day takes me along a trail carved into the side of the mountain, which makes both the grade easy and the views beautiful. All things considered, it’s a wonderful final day. 
Once I descend into the forest, I know the end is close. The final grand, sweeping view of the trail is behind me. My tramily and I camp beside a lake, reflect on the trail, cry a little bit, and go to bed under our final expanse of stars.

Looking Ahead

I’m not sure what exactly comes next. Obviously, tomorrow, there will be the six-mile hike to the border. Tears. Champagne. A shoey. Then, the reunion with my family and my boyfriend before beginning the long process of heading home.

Peaceful lakes in the morning.

After that, who knows! There was no single moment of intense clarity on this hike about the direction of my life. Instead, there were small– almost imperceptible– moments of growth and self reflection that will reveal themselves to me over the coming weeks and months.

If you’ve enjoyed reading about the journey, and want to buy me a congratulatory beer in Waterton Village, There’s a ‘Tip the Author’ button on my homepage! Otherwise, thank you from the bottom of my heart for caring enough about me and this trail to follow along.  The CDT would never have been possible without the emotional and tangible support I received from family, friends, and perfect strangers.

The final descent down into the woods.

The trail has taught me that, yes, it’s necessary to embrace the brutality. But, above that, it’s important to find joy in the journey regardless of the challenge.

Happy trails 🙂

Doüble Dip

The Canadian border.