Cataract and Piegan. Never disappointing. Unlike my college degree.

Original date: 7/5/2023

I’ll admit I really like this hike and have done it several times. Mostly alone, but occasionally with others (which is always a treat).

What is not to like? There is a ton of history about the Park Saddle Company days, taking people up and over to the Many Glacier Area as early as 1918. That was a huge thing then (because there was a horse shortage as most were being shipped to Europe for WW1). AND you could even ring a bell!

It starts with forest for the first couple of miles. And I was greeted with some Beargrass in early July.

The forest is light through here, which I like. Anyone who has read anything I have written on this blog knows I have a healthy respect (and fear) for bears. ALL BEARS.

It was turning out to be a perfect day. And since I was out early, no one was on the trail yet. My kind of hiking. Too bad there weren’t any wildflowers in the alpine meadows as in prior seasons.

My first peek at the Pass through the trees. Not nearly as much snow as you would expect for early in July. Then again, the Going to the Sun Road did open early this year (June 13^th)—the earliest opening in almost the last twenty.

Piegan Glacier is another favorite of mine. Why? Because you can’t see it from the road. But simultaneously, it’s only a two-mile trail commitment with 1000 feet of gain to get these views. So little gets you so much.

I didn’t know it during this hike, but I would be in this basin a LOT this summer. Let’s say I had a little summit fever kick in. And you thought that was a young man’s game!

Lots and lots of these guys running around. Not sure what the big excitement is all about.

But I’m sure you’ll agree, the ass-end of anything is never a wonder to gaze upon. Except for a few strip clubs in southern California I remember back in the 1990s. But definitely not this marmot.

It does make me wonder why these hairy little fellows never caught on in the fashion world. I’d buy a marmot hat.

I look across the distance at a couple of my favorite peaks on the park’s East side—Crowfeet to the left, good old Henkel (climbed seven times) to the right. Farther right still, we have subdued but massive Appekunny Mtn. Little did I know some of these would not be a stranger by the end of summer.

The upper cliffs of Pollock still cling to winter’s snow. Don’t worry; it will be back soon enough. I don’t much for a mountain re-named in 1895 for the government guy who was just in the room. Whose only claim to fame was brokering the deal (buying the land for GNP) from the Blackfeet. I’m pretty sure all he did was get the tribe to sign the treaty.

On top of the world with the Garden Wall to my back.

Of course, this summer, I would find out that George Bird Grinnell (considered the father of Glacier Park) was almost certainly gay, and Gould was his lover. But I’ll save that for a later post.

I’ve always loved the diorite sill across the eastern face of Mt Gould. I have an excellent geology bit about it in my tour narrative.

The summit of Cataract is just another 600 feet above the pass, but it’s worth the rocky stretch (regardless of the nasty boulder field you have to weave through). Piegan Mtn (with upper Piegan Glacier), Pollock, and the arete that forms a portion of the famed Garden Wall. All the way to Mt Gould.

Far below is Grinnell Lake. I tried climbing up to the Piegan Pass from the Many Glacier side too early in the season. And didn’t trust that snowbridge to hold me coming (and more importantly going). But it was an incredible valley hike nonetheless.

You can even see the tip (far left) of venerable Mt Siyeh, one of the coveted peaks above 10 in the Park. It’s not on my list this year. Just too many bears up there.

It’s a nice little summit video.

It was such a lovely morning. I did something I seldom, if ever, do. I kicked back and spent over an hour on the summit. No wind. No smoke. No bugs. No people. Just open skies and views forever in all directions.

For the effort, pound for pound, this is one of the loveliest valleys you can hike in the park without committing to a long day of intense gain. But just my two cents.

You get a couple of miles of forest. There are a couple of miles of exposed talus fields to cross. And lots of mountains and glaciers to look at.

Many people don’t realize that the boulder field of rock you must climb through to get to the top of Cataract is actually the diorite sill, which is….. fine-grained basalt. Yep. Some of the rare non-sedimentary rocks in the park.

It’s a nice hike/climb on a nice day. Just under 2k of gain in under 10 miles with views of plenty. As I swapped into my street clothing and gear back down at the Dodge, I was still left with one burning question.

Is the ass-end of a marmot better than the front end? The answer is clear. I’m still mad about the binoculars.

But for reasons I can’t fathom, people never get enough of these little shag carpet creatures.

Of course, here is a virtual tour for all of you who couldn’t get through the last 1000 words. Something new I’m trying.