Glacier National Park - Belly River Valley

We rose early, packed up camp, and set off back towards the US/Canadian border to find the trailhead to our Belly River Valley backcountry trail – the first of 2 trails we would hike while in Glacier National Park. The sky to the northeast was hazy due to the spreading fire. On the way to the trailhead, we inquired at the ranger station where they told us that the fire had increased to 250 acres and would probably last for weeks. Fortunately, it wouldn’t affect our hiking plans. Matthias and I then stopped in town for a coffee for me and a tea for him. We each made a couple of calls. Matthias is attempting to extend his trip for a day so we have a little more time to explore my hometown.

In the trailhead parking lot, just 100 yards or so south of US Customs, we packed our camping gear into our packs and walked into the woods. Ahead of us, we expected a hike of 10.3 miles along the Belly River and then the Mokowanis River, with a 700-ft decrease and a 300-ft increase in elevation. The trail descended through a forest following switchbacks then plateau-d in a vast meadow surrounding the Belly River. We followed the river until we crossed it on a wire-suspension bridge. We perfected our bear-calls as we walked. Our packs felt pretty heavy and were both relieved as we finally arrived at our Glenn Lake campground. Park Rangers’ horses were tied up at a nearby hitching post, but we never did see the rangers. There were four tent sites available, but Matthias and I were the only campers there. We had the place – including a pit toilette, food preparation area, food hanging area, and, best of all, a beach on Glenn Lake – all to ourselves. We arrived mid-afternoon and spent the rest of the day wading in the lake, reading, and journaling. The sky was clear, but the wind was blowing extremely hard. For dinner, Matthias cut up a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and feta cheese while I cooked the pasta. I swear everything tastes better when camping.

Hungry squirrels and a mule deer popped by for a visit during the evening. Matthias and I crawled into the tent this night about 8:30 and spent a while talking before fading off to sleep.