A week for Glacier: Siyeh, Piegan passes

Laurie Lintner below Siyeh Pass in a field of huckleberry bushes turned scarlet

Going to the Sun Mountain and its glacier on Tuesday's hike

Siyeh Peak is shrouded in smoke

The trail to Many from Piegan Pass was ablaze with Fall colors

A hillside of orange Mountain Ash

One of two massive mountain goats in the Mount Gould cliffs

 Lots of driving this week, but it has paid off handsomely with two spectacular trips to Glacier.

The park's ground cover is in full Fall color.  The hillsides are spangled with bright reds, oranges and yellows.  The aspen and cottonwoods are yellowing.

On Tuesday we did the 10.5 miles Siyeh Bend through Siyeh Pass to Sunrift Gorge point-to-point, followed by Friday's Siyeh Bend to the Many Glacier picnic area, 13.4 miles hike.

Tuesday's hike was on a (rare for this summer) picture perfect, clear day.  Friday, the wildfire smoke moved back in, along with a mild cold front.

The previous Saturday we had gone to Glacier's sister-park, Waterton Lakes, so we've had quite a dose of the area.

Tuesday was the first day this summer the park was free of its Going to the Sun Road reservation system.

By 8 a.m., when we reached the St. Mary gate cars were coming at us every which way.  People were enjoying their new freedom to enter the park without a ticket.  The parking spaces, particularly at the St. Mary-Virginia Falls hikes were full.  We were lucky to find spots at Sunrift and Siyeh Bend.  It was a mad house when we returned.

But our hike was sensational, and we were even treated to a sighting of two grizzlies on the ridge between Cracker and Matahpi peaks.

The trail was uncrowded and there were only a half dozen hikers at the pass where he stopped for snack.

Heading down toward Sunrift we were treated to a colorful display of huckleberry bushes in Fall regalia. 

I had been reluctant to do anything in the Many Glacier area this year because of road construction that has delayed traffic for more than an hour.

But friend Mike Dannells is sidelined from knee surgery and agreed to drop us off at Siyeh Bend on Friday and pick us up on the Many Glacier end.

Another reluctance on Friday was the thick smoke from California wildfires that had returned, choking the Glacier valleys.

Our motto is, "Go to the Trailhead," for planned hikes when weather makes a trip questionable.

Yes, there was thick smoke in the St. Mary valley, but as we approached Piegan Pass the smoke cleared somewhat and we could make out a feint blue in the sky and some mottled sunlight that illuminated the massive Garden Wall.

Like Tuesday, we saw a phalanx of cars at 8:30 a.m., despite the smoke.

The trail was something different, though.  About a half dozen folks were headed for Piegan, and only one other hiker appeared to be hiking down to Many, like us.  We didn't see another hiker until just past Morning Eagle Falls, when a lone woman on her way to the falls, came past us.

At the Grinnell Lake trail junction there was nothing but people, particularly those who were visiting after a boat ride on Lake Josephine.  We took side trips to the lake and hidden falls before our finale along Lakes Josephine and Swiftcurrent.

I had forgotten what a scenic trip this hike from Siyeh to Many was.  I hope to repeat it in the future.

A note on the trip along the Many Glacier Road ---- we lucked out with only one 10 minute construction wait.