Glacier NP: June 2015

[Ravialdo]

Ohh that's a good idea, I haven't actually thought of that. I've been canoeing up in the boundary waters before and it's really nice. I'll have to look into that option, thanks for the idea!

Actually, I was in your shoes 10 years ago; lived in Chicago (South Loop) and had to travel for all my adventure fixes. This included my 2nd backpacking trip to Big Bend NP in Texas (talk about a long drive and yes, we did it straight through with one 3 hr sleep-stop in a rest area in OK but I digress).

I second the Isle Royale recommendation but if I can, I'd suggest doing it from a kayak. Several years ago did a sea-kayak trip along the NE aspect of the Island and it is amazing. Highly recommend it. From Chicago its a good day's drive up to Copper Harbor and then you have to take a ferry to the park, but its worth it.

 

[Ross]

The home page pic is superb...and i like the moose video. I believe deer are attracted to salt which is probably why they kept going for your shirts. I've never experienced it, but I've read they try to get into tents for salty clothing which must be a bit of a problem as we're all generally sweaty after hiking with a backpack!

 

[AKay09]

The home page pic is superb...and i like the moose video. I believe deer are attracted to salt which is probably why they kept going for your shirts. I've never experienced it, but I've read they try to get into tents for salty clothing which must be a bit of a problem as we're all generally sweaty after hiking with a backpack!

Thanks! Yeah they warned us about how the soil lacks salts and minerals in the area and that we should pee on the rocks to keep animals away. At one point at bowman I woke up in the middle of the night and went on some rocks and in the morning the doe was digging through the dirt around the rocks in the area I went pee yumm!!

 

[Ross]

Thanks! Yeah they warned us about how the soil lacks salts and minerals in the area and that we should pee on the rocks to keep animals away. At one point at bowman I woke up in the middle of the night and went on some rocks and in the morning the doe was digging through the dirt around the rocks in the area I went pee yumm!!

Interesting. I would have thought it was the other way round - on soil a lot of it would sink in, whereas on rock the salt would be left there. I was wondering which caused less odor because I'm going to be backpacking for the first time in bear country without access to pit toilets in August. I've read the Herrero bear books and all the warnings about odours attracting them, and I'm wondering if pee near your tents would attract them as I would have thought it would also carry a hint of what you've eaten or drunk. The alternative is pee a long way from the tent but that means posssibly stumbling across a bear in the dark.

 

[CaptnKidd]

Awesome report, great post. I was there when I was really young and don't really remember it, now I want to head back!

 

[AKay09]

Interesting. I would have thought it was the other way round - on soil a lot of it would sink in, whereas on rock the salt would be left there. I was wondering which caused less odor because I'm going to be backpacking for the first time in bear country without access to pit toilets in August. I've read the Herrero bear books and all the warnings about odours attracting them, and I'm wondering if pee near your tents would attract them as I would have thought it would also carry a hint of what you've eaten or drunk. The alternative is pee a long way from the tent but that means posssibly stumbling across a bear in the dark.

Yeah I would have thought the same thing as well since the salts wouldn't evaporate, but they wanted us to go on the rocks. I have never really worried about my pee attracting bears before but this was my first time camping in grizzly territory. In northern Wisconsin where I camp every year I usually just go on the closest tree when I crawl out in the middle of the night. In Glacier I basically refused to get up to pee in the middle of the night until there was some sun coming up haha.

 

[Langdon Greene]

You should see the mountain goats in the Cascades & Olympics - some are frighteningly bold with backpackers, and can get downright aggressive competing with each other for piss-licking rights. There are stories about goats in the Enchantments and at Tuck/Robin/Potholes who will suddenly materialize in flocks at the sound of a zipper.

The reason the rangers want you to pee on rocks instead of soil, is the goats will dig up the soil and destroy fragile plant-life (and the microbiotic stuff associated with plants) that can take a long time to regenerate / heal in the alpine ecosystem. At least that's what I've been told is the explanation for the rule. Makes sense to me.