Your National Parks Part 36

Glacier National Park contains many beautiful camping-spots, and camping tours independent of hotels or chalets are popular for tourists who like to "rough it." The Park Saddle-Horse Company will furnish complete outfits at following prices for trips of 10 or more days:--

_Rates for complete camping tours_

_Cost per day per person_ 1 person $25.00 2 persons 15.75 3 persons 12.65 4 persons 12.40 5 persons 11.30 6 persons 10.60 7 persons 10.00 8 persons 9.70 9 persons 9.60 10 persons or more 9.50

The above rates include the necessary guides, cooks, saddle-horses, pack-horses, provisions, tents, cooking-utensils, stoves, and everything except blankets. Tourists are advised to bring their own blankets or bedding, or they can rent blankets from the outfitters at $1.00 per pair.

The rates below are for the most popular trips that are taken. In all cases meals and lodgings will be extra at the hotels, chalets, or teepees at the regular rate:--

One-day trips:-- Glacier Park Hotel to Two Medicine Chalets by automobile, and return $3.00 Glacier Park Hotel to Going-to-the-Sun Chalets by automobile and launch, and return 8.50 Glacier Park Hotel to Mount Henry and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) 4.00 Many Glacier Hotel to Iceberg Lake and return, horseback 3.50 Many Glacier Hotel to Grinnell Lake and return, afternoon trip, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) 3.50 Many Glacier Hotel to Grinnell Glacier and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) 4.00 Many Glacier Hotel to Cracker Lake and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) 4.00 Many Glacier Hotel to Granite Park Chalets and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) 4.50 Many Glacier Hotel to Ptarmigan Lake and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) 3.50 Many Glacier Hotel to Morning Eagle Falls and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) 4.00 Many Glacier Hotel to Going-to-the-Sun Chalets via Piegan Pa.s.s, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) 4.00 St. Mary Chalets to Red Eagle Lake and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) 4.00 Going-to-the-Sun Chalets to Roe's Basin and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) 4.00 Going-to-the-Sun Chalets to s.e.xton Glacier and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) 3.50 Going-to-the-Sun Chalets to Gunsight Lake and return, horseback (minimum 3 persons) 4.00 Going-to-the-Sun Chalets to Many Glacier Hotel via Piegan Pa.s.s, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) 4.00 Head of Lake McDonald to Sperry Glacier and Sperry Chalets and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) 4.00 Head of Lake McDonald to Lincoln Peak and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) 4.00 Head of Lake McDonald to Avalanche Basin and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) $4.00 Head of Lake McDonald to Snyder Lake and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) 4.00

Two-day trips:-- Glacier Park Hotel to Many Glacier Hotel and St.

Mary and Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, and return, automobile, and launch 14.50 Glacier Park Hotel to Two Medicine Chalets via road or Mount Henry trail, and return (minimum, 3 persons) 8.00 Many Glacier Hotel to Granite Park Chalets and return, horseback 8.00 Going-to-the-Sun Chalets to Glacier Hotel on Lake McDonald, horseback (minimum, 5 persons) 8.00 Head of Lake McDonald to Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, horseback (minimum, 5 persons) 8.00

Three-day trips:-- Glacier Park Hotel to St. Mary Chalets, Many Glacier Hotel, Iceberg Lake, and Going-to-the-Sun Chalets and return, automobile, horseback, and launch 18.00 Glacier Park Hotel to Two Medicine Chalets, Mount Morgan Pa.s.s, Cut Bank Chalets, Triple Divide Peak, Red Eagle Lake, and St. Mary Chalets, horseback (minimum, 5 persons) 13.25 St. Mary Chalets to Glacier Park Hotel, reverse of preceding trip (minimum, 5 persons) 13.25

Four-day trip:-- Glacier Park Hotel to St. Mary Chalets, Many Glacier Hotel, Iceberg Lake, Granite Park Chalets, Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, St. Mary Chalets and return to Glacier Park Hotel, automobile, horseback, and launch 22.50

Five-day trips:-- Glacier Park Hotel to Many Glacier Hotel, Iceberg Lake, Granite Park Chalets, Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, St. Mary Chalets, and return to Glacier Park Hotel, automobile, horseback, and launch 26.00 Glacier Park Hotel to Two Medicine Chalets, Mount Morgan Pa.s.s, Cut Bank Chalets, Triple Divide Peak, Red Eagle Lake, St. Mary Chalets, Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, Piegan Pa.s.s, and Many Glacier Hotel, horseback (minimum, 5 persons) $18.00 Many Glacier Hotel to Glacier Park Hotel, reverse of preceding trip (minimum, 5 persons) 18.00 Going-to-the-Sun Chalets to Piegan Pa.s.s, Many Glacier Hotel, Swift Current Pa.s.s, Granite Park Chalets, Garden Wall Trail, Glacier Hotel on Lake McDonald, Sperry Glacier, Sperry Chalets, Gunsight Pa.s.s, and return to Going-to-the-Sun Chalets (this trip cannot be taken until the completion of the new trail over the Garden Wall, about August 1, 1917; minimum, 5 persons) 20.00 Many Glacier Hotel over route described above and return to Many Glacier (minimum, 5 persons) 20.00 Hotels at head of Lake McDonald over route described above and return to head of Lake McDonald (minimum, 5 persons) 20.00

Six-day trip:-- Glacier Park Hotel to St. Mary Chalets, Many Glacier Hotel, Iceberg Lake, Granite Park Chalets, Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, s.e.xton Glacier, and return to Glacier Park Hotel; automobile, launch, and saddle-horse 30.70

Seven-day trip:-- Glacier Park Hotel to Many Glacier Hotel, Iceberg Lake, Granite Park Chalets, Cracker Lake, Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, s.e.xton Glacier, and return to Glacier Park Hotel, automobile, saddle-horse, and launch 34.70

Points of Interest

_Miles_ Reached from Glacier Park Hotel:-- Mount Henry, trail 7

Reached from Two Medicine Chalets:-- Trick Falls, road 2 Upper Two Medicine Lake, trail or boat and trail 4 Bighorn Basin, trail 4 Dawson Pa.s.s, trail 6 Mount Henry, trail 4

Reached from Cut Bank Chalets:-- Red Eagle Lake, trail 16 Cut Bank Pa.s.s, trail 7 Triple Divide Peak, trail 8

Reached from St. Mary Chalets:-- Red Eagle Lake, trail 8 Red Eagle Pa.s.s and Glacier, trail 16

Reached from Going-to-the-Sun Chalets:-- Roe's Basin, poor trail 6 s.e.xton Glacier, trail 4 Piegan Pa.s.s, trail 12

Reached from Many Glacier Hotel:-- Appekung Basin, trail 4 Iceberg Lake, trail 7 Cracker Lake, trail 7 Grinnell Lake, trail 5 Footpath to Grinnell Glacier 2 miles from Grinnell Lake.

Piegan Pa.s.s and Garden Wall, trail 10 Swift Current Pa.s.s, trail 7 Ptarmigan Lake, trail 7 Morning Eagle Falls 5

Reached from Glacier and Park Hotels at Head of Lake McDonald:-- Paradise Canon, trail; 4 miles from Glacier Hotel, 2 miles from Park Hotel.

Avalanche Basin, trail; 9 miles from Glacier Hotel, 7 miles from Park Hotel.

Trout Lake, trail; 8 miles from Glacier Hotel, 9 miles from Park Hotel.

Stanton Mountain, trail to the summit; 7 miles from Glacier Hotel, 5 miles from Park Hotel.

Snyder Lake, trail; 4 miles from Glacier Hotel, 6 miles from Park Hotel.

The Glaciers

The most accessible glaciers are the Blackfeet and the Sperry, both of which are on the trail leading from St. Mary Lake to Lake McDonald.

Blackfeet Glacier is 2 miles by trail from Gunsight Lake. This is the largest glacier in the Park, having an area of 3 square miles. The glacier is especially dangerous in the vicinity of the upper cascades.

Visitors are not allowed to go upon it unless accompanied by competent guides, who should be supplied with ropes, belts, creepers, alpenstocks, and emergency equipment. Each visitor to the glacier should have an alpenstock or stout stick 6 or 7 feet long. The alpenstock should be used to sound for blind creva.s.ses, and in case a person breaks through the ice the alpenstock should be thrown across the creva.s.se in order to prevent a fall to the bottom.

Sperry Glacier is 2 miles by trail from Sperry Chalets. While the trail is steep, horses may be used to the foot of the escarpment under the south rim of the glacier; walking is recommended. The escarpment may be climbed by means of an iron ladder bolted to the rock, or by way of zigzag goat trails. Whichever method of ascent is attempted, visitors should be accompanied by competent guides provided with ropes. While this glacier is less broken than Blackfeet Glacier, explorations should not be attempted without a guide.

Clothing and Other Equipment

As the most beautiful portions of Glacier Park are reached only by traveling on horseback or afoot, it is imperative that the tourist limit his equipment to the articles absolutely necessary for comfort.

Trunks and other heavy equipment should be left at Glacier Park Station or Belton, as only one piece of baggage, weighing not over 20 pounds, is carried free on the automobile stages. As the alt.i.tude is high, the tourist should be prepared for cool weather. The following equipment is recommended: Woolen riding-breeches, flannel s.h.i.+rts, medium- or light-weight woolen underwear, woolen army socks, good walking-shoes, leggings or puttees, sneakers, gloves, saddle slicker, and a felt hat (a hat is preferable to a cap for use in rainy weather); a poncho or other waterproof coat should be taken if the tourist is going to walk; slickers are provided with the horses. The best equipment for a woman consists of flannel middy blouse, woolen riding-breeches, woolen Boy Scout stockings, a man's felt hat, and the other articles listed above. Women that object to the poncho because of the difficulty in getting it over the head will find a Boy Scout cape a good subst.i.tute.

Essential articles of clothing, including boots, shoes, haversacks, slickers, blankets, camping equipment, provisions, etc., may be purchased at commissaries at Glacier Park Station and at St. Mary and Many Glacier Chalets. The Glacier Park Hotel Company, which operates these commissaries, also makes a practice of renting, at a nominal figure, slickers, riding-breeches, mackinaw coats, and other overgarments.

Stores carrying a similar general line of articles most useful in making Park trips are located at Belton, Montana, the western entrance to the Park, and at Glacier Hotel (Lewis's), at the head of Lake McDonald. A stock of clothing, general merchandise, and camp equipment is carried at Adair's, on the Flathead River, about 2 miles south of Logging Creek.

The Glacier Park Hotel Company operates a laundry at Glacier Park Hotel, at which complete laundry facilities are provided for guests.

Tourists at Many Glacier Hotel, Many Glacier, St. Mary and Going-to-the-Sun Chalets can, if they desire, have their laundry sent out to Glacier Park Station.

Fis.h.i.+ng

There is fine fis.h.i.+ng in almost all the streams and lakes of Glacier Park, the gamest fish being the cutthroat trout, also known as the black-spotted and native. The rainbow, Dolly Varden, mountain, and Eastern brook trout are also found in the waters of the Park. The best fis.h.i.+ng is in Two Medicine Lake and River, Cut Bank River, Red Eagle Lake and Creek, St. Mary Lake and River and the tributary streams, Cracker Lake, Canon Creek, McDermott Lake, and tributary streams, Swift Current River below McDermott Falls, McDonald Lake and Creek, Avalanche, Bowman, Logging, Trout, and Arrow Lakes, and Flathead River and its tributaries. The flies generally used are the black gnat, professor, brown and gray hackle, royal coachman, queen of waters, Jock Scott, and silver doctor. The trout rise to the fly during June, July, and August; July and August being the best months. Early in June and in September spinners with meat bait or salmon eggs are used.

Flies and tackle may be purchased at Glacier Park Hotel, Many Glacier Hotel, and Glacier Hotel on Lake McDonald.

The Mackinaw or lake trout are found only in Lake St. Mary. They are caught with a spoon or with a combination of spoon and bait, as they seldom rise to the fly.

A fis.h.i.+ng license is not required.

Mesa Verde National Park

Location: Southwestern Colorado. Area: 77 square miles. Season: June 15 to September 15. Address of Supervisor: Mancos, Colorado.

Railroad Connections

MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK is on the narrow-gauge division of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, and is best reached from Mancos, Colorado, 31 miles from the camp in the Park. Although this Park is farther from the main transcontinental railroad lines than any of the other Parks, the railroad route through the San Juan Mountains is one of great scenic beauty. The routes and fares from Denver are as follows:--

Denver to Mancos via Alamosa, and Antonito, returning same route, or returning via Telluride and Gunnison, $25.00.

Denver to Mancos via Alamosa and Antonito, returning via Durango, Silverton, Ouray Toll Road, Ouray, Montrose, and Gunnison, $30.40.

The automobile fare from Mancos to the camp is $10.00 for the round trip.

The trip from Denver to Mancos requires about 40 hours, one night being spent on the road and one night in Durango, or Telluride, or Montrose.