Another stunning day in Glacier!

Day: 143

Date: 21.09.2022

CDT Mile: Mile 2'968.3

Miles hiked: 27.3 miles / 43.7 km

Elevations: 5'791 feet ascent (1'766.3 m Aufstieg) / 6'309 feet descent (Abstieg 1'024.3 m)

Camping at: Kootenai Lakes Campsite, Glacier NP, 4'426 feet / 1'345 m

We said we are gonna get up early today but it was a suuuuper cold morning, everything was frozen! Yesterday we decidedthat we will try to hike further than our actual permit, because the weather is supposed to be very cold and bad tomorrow (rain and even snow). By the time I finally left tent to get my bear bag, everyone has already left! And it is not even 7am, it is still dark and I had to turn on my headlamp! 'Shey' and 'Marty' will hike to the Chief Mountain Monument, which is shorter and at the Custom road from Canada and the US. They didn't get any other permits but also decided to do so because of the weather forecast. 'Rex' and 'Baby Grand' are also hiking with us to the Kootenai Lakes Campsite, but because it is gonna be a 27 miles day, they left already. Only 'Channy' and 'Just Mary' are still in their tents. We hiked out by 7.25am and it was still super brisk. I had all my clothes and gloves on. The bushes and grasses along the trail were all covered in frost. But it was a beautiful morning too. No cloud on the sky and the sun was about to rise behind the mountains. The first 3.5 miles of the trail were super cruisy, flat and fast hiked. Then the first climb started. 2'700 feet of elevation. However, it was a very gentle and beautiful uphill with amazing views to the valley, its lakes and the sun coming up. On the top of Swiftcurrent Pass at 7'187 feet (2'192 f) Soccermum got signal and we managed to get our Canada walk in permits. However, I am a little worried that the walk-in permit is sufficient for me. I totally forgot to check in town, if I need any other visa or permit to enter Canada, being from Switzerland. Well, I guess I will find out when in Canada! It was super windy up there and even though the sun was out, it was very cold. We put our jackets back on and moved on. The views were breathtaking. I love Glacier, it is so amazing here and I can't get enough of its beauty. It's simply stunning! We hike on and about 30 minutes later I see a bear not far away from me on trail. It was a grizzly, probably a younger one. I could make a video and even pictures and was not scared at all! I was hoping to see a grizzly all the times and now finally I got to see one. It was epic! Not long later we run into 'Shuttle', who is hiking SoBo from the Canadian Boarder back to East Glacier and just thereafter we caught up with 'Rex' and 'Baby Grand', who were drying out their soaking wet gear. It's shortly before lunch time, but we decided to hike on a couple of more miles. Down the valley I found the perfect spot next to a stream, where also we could dry out all our gear and eat lunch. After that, we had some more climbs and downhills, but they were all so super gentle, one hardly noticed them. The wind however was very brisk at times but as soon as the wind was gone again, it was very warm and nice. Soon later we mastered our last bigger climb of the CDT, it is less than 20 miles to hike till the boarder. At the top of this saddle we also crossed the official Continetal Divide for the last time. And we got there together wit Rex and Baby Grand, it was an emotional feeling already. Is this really happening? Are we that close to finish for what we have been working hard for all summer long? The last downhill was steeper and totally overgrown. Both me and Soccermum stumbeled, but didn't fell. It was a rather annoying downhill and I was glad when we reached the bottom of that valley. At a patrol hut we stopped to cook dinner and use the nice privy there😁 That's also something I really appreciated here, having pit toilets and a trash bin every now and then. We hiked on the last couple of miles to the campsite. Only two other day hikers are here, otherwise it is empty and there are many good campsites, we are lucky. It is even not as cold tonight and the sky is filled with stars. It is currently hard to believe that tomorrow is supposingly gonna bea very cold and wet day. I am glad we hiked that far today with that beautiful weather we had. It is only 8 miles to the boarder from here! That's somehow crazy!

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