Background
On Sunday, September 5th, 2021, I hiked Dawson Pass and Pitamakan Pass Loop. It's an 18.8 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near East Glacier Park Village, Montana.
Camping
I camped the previous night at Two Medicine Campground, which is a short walk to the trailhead.
Hiking
The hike took me just under 8 hours to complete. On the day I went, there was considerable haze and wind. Along the ridge, the wind got up to over 30 miles an hour. I had prepared for the wind because the campground posted the weather report on a piece of paper.
Some people suggest going counter clockwise because they say ascending is easier than descending. Although it was at times a bit steep to get to the ridge, I am not sure it makes that much of a difference. In total, the elevation gained and lost was 3,700 feet. The hike offers views of lakes and goes through forests. I was alerted about a grizzly bear near Old Man Lake but didn't see it. My goal was to start hiking at 8AM so that the likelihood of an early morning bear sighting was lowered. It is important to always have bear spray.
When I completed the hike, I drove back to Kalispell for a flight out of state. Overall, this was a long but rewarding hike due to the elevation gain and views.
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