We were in Missoula where Humbled dropped us off.
From the CDT:
CDT Alert
Glacier National Park reports hazardous winter conditions above 5800 feet. Extreme caution, proper equipment, and avalanche training are recommended if traveling in these areas. Full snow coverage should be expected on mountain passes along the CDT.
More information smsu.io/quhkJ
We are still scoping things out for an alternative route but Butte is looking likely.
In the park as you come in at the gate it is so warm and green and clear at lower altitudes. But we stopped at the ranger station. There we ended up talking to the original park ranger author of the above warning (she wrote it this morning).
At higher elevations the CDT through Glacier Park is not safe. It will be at least two weeks and probably 3-4 weeks to safety due to snow fall in late May storms.
So far every attempt to hike the trail the park knows of has had to turn back except two Czech mountaineers who could not explain how they managed to get through.
The conditions make the rangers nervous since conditions (as you enter the park or start the trail) are tempting and the park gets people who have schedule pressures and who don’t want to listen.
June 15 is the traditional SOBO start, many hikers have lottery allocated permits, and are arriving committed to trying to push through.
So many hikers are going to be arriving in the next 2-3 weeks with no other plan and no easy way to go anywhere else.
That makes them not want to listen to warnings.
We did listen to the warnings. There are other places we can go and we will do this section after the wedding we are attending in July.
But I have to say the late season weather has been such a surprise.
So. Today we got a car. Drove up to Glacier. Talked with the rangers. Drove back to the airport and then got an Uber to Anaconda which cost the two of us less than bus fare there.
Mailed Win’s InReach back as a part of getting it replaced.
Spent the night in the hostel after getting the code to the hiker hut and then finding out no privy. (Closed right now).
Ate dinner from food in our bear cans. Picked up some breakfast food.
Got feedback. Changed plans again because Pinter is still too snowy but melting fast.
Going north it is two days to post holing. It has had two days of melting so we would have four days of melt from some hikers in the hostel.
People are going home to wait for two weeks of melt to start hiking again. At least people are staying safe.