Day 6-8: Red Gap Pass to Canada

June 27-29; Mile 84-112

After sleeping in til 7 am, I wandered over to the lodge for breakfast. Sprinkles and Strix were inside at the same table as the night before, and I did some stretching on the floor before making my cold oatmeal. 

We chatted with another hiker named Cuddles who gave us intel on the trail near the lodge: there was a flooded water crossing that we could bypass by taking the road. And so we set out on the shoulder of the road around 8:30. 

It was about a mile and a half to the trailhead where we met someone working for the park doing bear management. She asked us about any encounters, and we told her about the hiker named Chew Toy. On her first night – of her first ever thruhike – a bear had come to the cook area and wouldn’t leave. So she had taken all her food and moved away, but had left her pillow behind, which the bear had nibbled on. It was the same campsite we would be staying at tonight. 

Some more hikers arrived, and we left to start our climb up to Poia lake. The tread was soft dirt with pine needles, and the trail was lined with pine trees. It felt just like home. Until we came to a muddy section of trail with two fresh grizzly paw prints. 

We took a break beside the trail after a few miles and ran into some folks from the hostel, including Charcuterie in a crop top and denim cut-offs. There were more hikers at the Poia lake camp food area, but we bypassed it in hopes of finding something less buggy for lunch. 

The lake was ruffled by the wind, and we hiked along the north shore looking for a flat area to stop. The promising beach spot we had seen from the far end turned out to be an island, and the trail led into thick grasslands that seemed to stretch forever. Finally our standards dropped and we plopped down in the grass next to a small dirt patch where I could light my stove.

We were in a wide valley with tall peaks on either side, and our next pass lay ahead of us. Sprinkles took out her new binoculars – purchased from the lodge gift store – and immediately spotted a grizzly high on the ridge across the valley from us. We took turns looking through the binoculars, and I marveled at her ability to find it. 

The sky darkened just as my lunch finished cooking, and we all closed up our packs as the sky began to sprinkle. With no trees nearby, we all just sat out in the wide open eating our lunch in the rain. It was over soon enough. 

The climb began in earnest after another mile of flat, and we switchbacked higher above the tree line and across loose rocks and bare, windswept trail. Wind howled over the pass and buffeted us, while clouds swirled and sunlight fought to break through the cover. 

I crested the pass into a 30mph headwind, bent over and fighting for each step. I barely paused to take in the view before I was hurrying down the other side. The descent was long and arduous, and at times I was forced to brace myself with my poles while the wind battered me. The silence between the gusts was eerie after listening to the flapping of my jacket hood for miles. 

We kept hiking, determined to descend far enough from the saddle to reach the tree line and some cover. At last I was able to toss down my pack and lie down. Unable to stop in the blustery conditions, we’d covered almost six miles without a break, and there were only three more to go before camp. 

The route led down through more clumps of thimbleberry and beargrass, although thankfully the bushwhacking was not bad. We shouted, clapped, and banged our poles together throughout the descent, especially after hearing about a potential grizzly and cubs in the area. 

Lake Elizabeth was a beautiful campsite with spots along the water. We were just able to squeeze all four tents into the space in a jumble of guy lines. While gathering water I waded into the chilly lake and gazed up at the massive peaks soaring high into the cloudy skies. What a beautiful part of the country. 

We made dinner in the food prep area, and Handy gave me an extra hot cocoa packet. Some folks came by that were going to packraft down the valley the next day, and the sizes of their packs dwarfed our overnight gear. I walked back to our campspot and snuggled into my quilt. We had an entire twelve hours before we needed to hike again. After days of getting into my tent after 9pm, it was pure luxury. 

Day 7

I woke up to the sound of people packing up their gear. We had an easy day ahead of us: just ten miles to reach the Canadian border and the terminus of the trail. 

We had breakfast at the campground and started hiking a bit after 8 am. The trail was fairly flat, leading past a raging waterfall before easing back into grasslands. 

We stopped at the ranger station to chat and take a break, and someone else hiking offered to give us a ride back from the terminus after he finished a different route over another pass. 

We sailed through the trees over the flattish ground, until we came across a hiker napping on a little tree bench beside the trail. We almost walked right past him since he was covered up in layers – but it turned out to be Tripod! He had driven out to meet us and give us a ride back from the monument. 

Once Sprinkles and Tripod caught up, we all walked past the US Customs building – getting barely a glance from the border patrol officers – and stopped for photos at the border. 

The last few miles had some climbing, and the skies darkened and began to rain in earnest. We passed groups of backpackers heading into Glacier, until finally reaching the trailhead sign. It had a marker for the CDT and the Pacific Northwest Trail – which connects all the way to Washington and the Olympic Peninsula. 

The sun was out, we had an easy ride back, and we were done with the first 100 miles of trail. 

Day 8

Since I had already hiked the southern part of Glacier with Handy, we both got a zero day in town in East Glacier. Sprinkles had planned to join Strix, but she was also taking a day off. The previous night when we had reached town, she had peeled off the tape on her back heel. Her blisters had merged into one oozing, gaping wound. Her ankle was swollen and red, and she was wrapped up in a bunch of layers after dinner. Thankfully she was able to get antibiotics, and by morning things had gotten better. But whether she would be joining us through the next section remained a question mark.