I know the format is bit different than the normal "Things to Know Before.." series. I'd like to crowd source some of the juicier details rather than rely solely on a travel guide. I'm trying to pull together a camping trip for next summer (Aug - Sept) that will take me from Everett to Glacier to Yellowstone and back to Everett. Doubt I'll be camping en route, but I would like to camp at both parks, maybe take some tours, hopefully take some hikes and take plenty of pictures.
Craigkg has done a great general guide:Things to Know Before You Come to Glacier National Park
Ojibwa has published at least 6 diaries on Glacier, this one contains links to most of them: Glacier National Part: Off the Beaten Path.
So I have a general idea about some of the macro issues to plan for, it's the micro issues that are of concern to me.
I hope to cover Yellowstone in a later post.
We'll be "car" camping, no RV or trailer, but all the crap I can cram into the 4Runner. Tent, rain fly, tarps, camp kitchen, stove, propane tank, folding chairs, coolers, Dutch oven, lanterns, the works.
Details on my concerns, questions and plans below the orange ink blot.
Our current plan is for 2 nights and possibly 3 days in Glacier.
Google claims it's about a 10 hour drive from here to there. Normally that's about 2 hours in the car more than my wife can stand. So, any good stops for the night east of Coeur d'Alene, ID, St. Regis, MT?
The conventional advice for Yellowstone is to spend the night in a gateway community, get into the park early and grab a campsite early as they're all gone by 11 AM. Does this apply for Glacier as well? Or could I arrive around 10 or 11 AM and still get a site?
Are any of the campgrounds noticeably better or worse than others? East side vs. west side? Noise, convenience, amenities? I think NPS has a policy against collecting firewood inside the park. Any good sources for firewood? Most of our cooking will be charcoal or propane, but a fire at night is required for a camp out...
Tours. It's hard to drive and enjoy the scenery, so a tour seems the safest way to go. Looks like the Red Bus is the way to go, lots of tour choices, any recommendations?
I said I'd like to do some hiking. But, I'm old and out of shape, wife has a bad hip, so any recommendations for loops or short day hikes are welcome. We're not about to try mountain climbing, but I want to get away from the herds of people
I think I know how to work my camera, a Canon Elan II with a telephoto lens. Any suggestions for great photo spots, waterfalls, river valleys, mountain vistas, critters are welcome. Tips for catching better than average shots of these things are welcome. Phoenix Rising suggested shooting the amphitheaters in Brice from the east a while after sunrise to let the light permeate the shadows. Anything like that in Glacier?
Camp cuisine for us is way more than hot dogs, hamburgers and s'mores. What are your camp favorites?