Its fur is usually gray in winter and light brown in summer. Traveling in groups, bighorn sheep are built for spending long winters at high elevation. Look for them in forested areas where they like to dwell. Sperry Chalet is no ordinary lodge for your vacation to Glacier National Park.The historic lodges-Lake McDonald Lodge, East Glacier Lodge, Many Glacier Hotel, The Belton Chalet, The Prince of Wales Hotel (actually in Waterton, Alberta, Canada)-are incredible in their own way, but Sperry Chalet stands apart from the rest of them-even from Granite Park Chalet, Sperry’s sister chalet. Now, at approximately 1/3 of it's maximum area, Sperry Glacier continues to recede at a rapid rate. Weather: Take note that it can be chilly at Sperry Chalet, even in August. Region Information: Keep an eye out for these six fascinating animals. With binoculars and a map you can get a good view of Sperry Glacier's headwall from the Hidden Lake Overlook. (Public domain. Grizzlies, also known as “brown bears,” weigh up to 700 pounds. It is one of the glaciers that USGS scientists are monitoring as a benchmark glacier. With a name like Glacier National Park, one would expect to show up and see a ton of glaciers everywhere. Glacier park runs an advanced reservation lottery for BC permits that closes April 15. Have been to Glacier the past two years. The Chalet will reopen to visitors in the summer of 2020. The trail climbs steadily, and quickly weeds out the faint of … Sperry Glacier occupies a broad, shallow cirque situated just beneath and west of the Continental Divide in the Lewis Mountain Range of Glacier National Park, Montana. Thank you for your support! Lynx dine on snowshoe hares, birds and rodents. If you try to hike out and back, you’re going to have similar miles. Sperry Glacier, in Glacier National Park, Mont., is 9 miles south and slightly west of Grinnell Glacier and 25 miles south of the international boundary between the United States and Canada, at lat 48°37'18"N., long 113°45'24"W. (fig. They can be black, blond or brown, which can lead visitors to misidentify them as grizzlies. If you happen to look down while you’re climbing — well, your heart just isn’t where it usually is — for you can see hundreds of feet below. While it’s a backpacker’s paradise, there are countless great dayhikes there, too, as you’ll see in this photo gallery below. Where to see them: Grizzlies live throughout the park, eating berries, parsnip thickets and glacier lilies. All Rights Reserved. Waterfalls cascade down ledges, fed by meltwater from permanent snowfields clinging to the rugged peaks rimming the basin. Bring your sleeping bag and prepare your own meals in our kitchen while enjoying the heart of Glacier from your private room. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. West Glacier is home to Sperry Trailhead. Hot springs, high peaks and Montana’s wide open spaces dominate this 2,114-mile tour from Seattle to Glacier and Yellowstone national parks and back. Tori is the Co-Brand and Content Director for National Park Trips Media. See them at Logan Pass, Sperry/Gunsight, Hidden Lake, Iceberg Lake and Grinnell Lake areas. © 2020 Pocket Outdoor Media Inc. All Rights Reserved, Hotels and Cabins On The Way to Yellowstone. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks. You can also send a check to the Glacier National Park Conservancy, just be sure to include a note about the Sperry Action Fund. The path ends at the Sperry Glacier Overlook. Follow the stone cairns another 3/4 mile to the glacier overlook. Things to See and Do near Sperry Trailhead What to See near Sperry Trailhead • Glacier National Park On land they can reach speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. Opening & closing timings, parking options, restaurants nearby or what to see on your visit to Sperry Glacier? Box 2749 Columbia Falls, MT 59912 . Nicknamed the "Crown of the Continent," Glacier National Park sits in the northwest corner of Montana, just a scenic day’s drive north from Yellowstone. Through a public private partnership and the support of many donors like you, the Sperry Chalet Restoration Project is now complete. Hikes in Glacier National Park range from flat, easy, ranger-led interpretive hikes that are wheel-chair accessible to challenging back-country trips that only the most rugged should attempt. Check the Glacier National Park and Sperry Chalet website for the most up-to-date information. At the end of these crossings, you can look up towards the glacier and see crevasses, blue ice, and other such classic glacier features. This northeast facing glacier is wider than it is long relative to its flow direction and spans about 300 m in elevation with a median altitude of 2450 m. It ranks as a moderately sized glacier for this region, which contains the second highest … Havent booked abything else, and probably wouldnt go if we dont get in. At the end of these crossings, you can look up towards the glacier and see crevasses, blue ice, and other such classic glacier features. Although this 17.5 mile hike will take you some time, if you have a little extra energy once you reach the pass, you can head to Sperry Glacier before hiking back to the trailhead. It’s larger than a house cat, weighing around 20 pounds. While you can explore many parts of Glacier in your RV, there are a few things that are important to take note of before you head in the park. Born with rough split hooves, they climb up steep, rocky terrain to escape predators. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife. For starters, the park is so named for the way that it was formed as giant glaciers carved out the peaks leaving amazing mountain formations[…] Posted on August 26, 2012 December 3, 2014 by hike734 — 8 Comments. Gunsight Mountain towers above the ice field to the west. Glacier National Park, near West Glacier in Glacier Natl Park, MT, This spectacular hike climbs through gorgeous Glacier Basin, passes beautiful waterfalls and lovely alpine lakes before climbing to scenic Comeau Pass, with panoramic views of Glacier’s high peaks. Gunsight Mountain towers above the ice field to the west. While you can see plenty of amazing scenery from the road and your car, you'll definitely want to get out and experience nature first-hand. Sperry Glacier The Sperry Glacier Trail takes you to directly to the base of the world-renowned Sperry Glacier in Glacier National Park. Sperry Glacier is one of the largest glaciers in the park, and the Sperry Glacier Trail will take you directly to the base of the glacier. )On average, the glaciers have reduced by 39 percent and only 26 glaciers are now larger than 25 acres, which is used as a guideline for deciding if bodies of ice are large enough t WOW! There’s more than monuments in this incredible corner of South Dakota. On the east side, some spend spring in valleys and then go up to the high country for summer. Binoculars and a map will give you the best view. In fall, rams compete for ewes by butting each other for up to 24 hours at a time. So next time you’re in Glacier National Park, take a peek at these glaciers. The 1913 image of Sperry Glacier shows the thickness of the glacial ice that once covered the Sperry basin. Its back legs are larger than its front legs. Moose have long snouts, bulbous noses and extra skin under their throats. They have large hooves and rough pads to scale steep, rugged slopes. They have a distinctive hump between their shoulders that black bears do not have. Sperry Chalet was originally built in 1914 by the Great Northern Railway. Maintain at least 100 yards between you and a bear and always carry bear spray. © HikingWalking.com. The two chalets sit in different places of the park with different access trails and scenery. Sperry Glacier from Hidden Lake Overlook. Another hiking option, if you did not come in via Gunsight Pass, is to hike back to the pass to see the views across the lakes. Where to see them: Look for them on rocky slopes and high meadows. See a Native American bison jump, ancient rock drawings, and wild horses on your road trip between two of America's most popular national parks. While it has significantly retreated, you can still see magnificent but minor glacial features, like large moraines, streams and milky aqua-hued lakes. They are enormous, weighing up to 1,800 pounds. Females, called “nannies,” live with children and females. Sperry lost 133 acres of area between 1966 and 2015. Throughout summer and fall, they retreat to higher elevations, chasing berries and trout. I had always had an antipathy for ladders since I was a child and I fell off of one. So, didn't get reservations, can I just call everyday and see if there are cancelations. Others spend the entire summer in meadows and aspen groves, heading higher to hibernate. If you plan on staying at any of the 3 backcountry campgrounds along the route (gunsight lake, ellen wilson, or sperry) you will need a backcountry permit. They are primarily solitary animals and den in fallen trees and rock ledges. They lick salt near trails. Your contribution will be designated specifically to support future work at Sperry Chalet. Fishercap Lake area is a good place to spot them. These omnivores can weigh up to 400 pounds and stretch from two to four feet tall. On the east side, some spend spring in valleys and then go up to the high country for summer. Inside the park are nine different lodging options divided between the west side and east side ranging from rustic chalets to grand lodges. Like all other glaciers in the park, Sperry has significantly retreated, though it leaves many minor glacial features, including large moraines and streams and lakes colored a milky aqua from glacial flour . I didn’t mind going up so much, but I hated coming down. They have shorter ears and a longer snout than black bears. Sperry Glacier We STRONGLY recommend you hike to the famous Sperry Glacier via the Sperry Glacier Trail the following morning if you're in good physical condition! Aside from location, the biggest difference is in the services offered. The path ends at the Sperry Glacier Overlook. Visit hike734.com for more expert Glacier content … A less challenging 1.3 mile hike one way from Logan Pass. With waterfalls, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, mountain views that don’t seem real, and the occasional grizzly or black bear (preferably seen at a safe distance)—you owe it to yourself to hike in Montana’s Glacier National Park. Both are incredibly beautiful and worth a visit. They also are good swimmers, paddling several miles at a time. Their hooves are made for snow travel, enabling them to navigate deep powder. The glacier is named for Lyman B. Sperry, a professor from Oberlin College, who in 1895 participated in an expedition to explore the geography and map the region where the glacier is located. The scenery is nonstop and the views simply breathtaking. From the pass a boot-beaten route, marked with cairns and stakes, heads northeast through permanent snowfields. Glacier National Park Conservancy – Sperry Newsletter – JOIN US! Where to see them: Grizzlies live throughout the park, eating berries, parsnip thickets and glacier lilies. Sperry Glacier makes for a great day hike from Sperry Chalet. A few extremely fit and well acclimated hikers reach the Sperry Glacier on a day hike starting at the Gunsight trailhead near Lake McDonald Lodge. You reach them by crossing over the snowfields. I’ve heard rumors that you can see Sperry Glacier from the road, although I was unable to. To the north are more great views of the high peaks first seen from Comeau Pass. Sperry Glacier is one of the largest glaciers in Glacier Park, and it is truly a treat to see this famous glacier up close! 600 feet of elevation gain; Mostly on a boardwalk with stairs. The glacier can be seen over the mountains at the far end of Hidden Lake. Cancel free on most hotels. Spend the day exploring the area and seeing some of the local attractions. Black bears hibernate during winter and mate throughout summer. Click Now to check the details! At one point it covered 930 acres, but the latest estimate found an estimated area of 216 acres. A black bear cub in Glacier National Park. Edwards Mountain rises to the west. You can spot a male moose easily by its huge antlers that stretch up to six feet. Its large, wide furry feet help it travel easily through snow. Females, referred to as “ewes,” have horns that never form more than half a curl. With a couple of short walks, you can see eight glaciers while visiting the park. A good trail climbs from the lower basin to the upper basin. Gary Moses, former national park ranger and product ambassador for Counter Assault bear spray, shares his tips to avoid a dangerous bear encounter. Where to see them: See them on the Logan Pass (even in the parking lot). As Glacier’s official symbol, mountain goats are covered with two layers of wool that enable them to withstand temperatures that dip to -50F. The trail starts in Glacier Basin, a scenic gem clad in emerald green meadows and surrounded by a dramatic cirque adorned with waterfalls. If that is a little too much doing it yourself, we can … We looking at Aug 31st and after. Both males and females have black horns and long faces with fur hanging off their chins. This content was created by Jake Bramante of Hike 734. Bighorn sheep eat grasses and shrubs. Advanced reservations are required for both the Chalet and the campground. This is truly an amazing hike. Sperry Glacier and its basin feed Avalanche Lake and is the source of many of the waterfalls at the head of the lake. A short walk beyond the pass leads to the ice expanse of Sperry Glacier.Read Full Description. If you made it to reading this review, you must do this hike! Sperry Glacier and its basin feed Avalanche Lake and is the source of many of the waterfalls at the head of the lake. She specializes in writing inspiring national park travelogues, foodie adventures and personal, heartfelt stories of people who shape our culture. Glacier National Park Conservancy P.O. Below the glacier several meltwater ponds, feeding meltwater to the waterfalls spills down the slopes of … From there, you can either opt to tackle the 5,000 vertical feet and 8.7 miles in a single trip, or give your bones a break and spend the night at Sperry Chalet. What is the difference between Sperry Chalet and Granite Park Chalet? You’ll begin your trek at the Lake McDonald Lodge. You’ll see more than incredible views when you visit Glacier. Sperry Glacier sits on the north slopes of Gunsight Mountain and has retreated 75 percent since the mid-19th-century. Do you want to know the entry ticket price for Sperry Glacier? The beloved dormitory building was destroyed by the Sprague Fire on August 31, 2017. Gracie the dog ranger works hard to keep Glacier National Park visitors and wildlife safe. For whatever reason, it’s not a well known hike to go all the way through, and also a long hike, but you get to see so many different landscapes. At the top of the stairs is Comeau Pass where an incredible panoramic view unfolds of the high peaks rising around Avalanche Basin, the Logan Pass area and beyond. Glacier Natl Park, MT. Many of those of choose to visit Sperry, choose to … Grizzlies disseminate huckleberry seeds via their scat and till soil for glacier lilies. Others … In spring, they eat shrubs and new shoots in the forest. Please take a moment to review my edit. Males live apart in groups of 2-3. If you want to find things to see and do in the area, you may want to check out Glacier National Park and Lake McDonald. Females don’t have antlers. You'll be finishing this hike with a total elevation gain of about 5,000 feet. Where to see them: Lynx prefer dense forests but hunt at higher elevations with more open spaces, so keep your eyes peeled for these elusive cats. The Sperry Glacier Basin is one of the most incredible and diverse landscapes in Glacier National Park. 1). 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