Our Backcountry Permit has Been Accepted!

Our permit applicaiton has been accepted by the NPS and our primary route sites have been reserved.  Our permit can be picked up within 24 hours of our departure date, there is a backcountry camping fee of $5 per person, per night that is due upon picking up the permit.  We will  have to watch a video on the"Backcountry" when we pick up our permit.  Permits are only issued until 4:30pm.

Hitching a Ride to the Park - Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Part of the adventure is getting the group to and from Glacier.  Up to this point we've been discussing who's vehicles we are going to drive out there, but I think that we need to go over all the options.

Automobiles:
A rented van may be more comfortable and practical than cramming into two of our cars. From what I can tell, Budget has the best prices on vans, although I think the Full Size may be out of our price range.

According to the governments fuel economy website, the Grand Caravan gets 17-25 mpg.  The trip to Glacier is about 1,075 miles each way.  Based on an estimated 23 mpg for 1,075 miles and a fuel cost of $3.85 per gallon, one way fuel for the Grand Caravan will cost $180.  That in conjunction with the rental cost brings the cost of transportation up to ~$1,030.  Split that 7 ways and each of us will be on the hook for ~$150 to cover the transportation cost if we rent a Grand Caravan from Budget.  The trip time is ~16 hours.

Another rental option may be to rent an SUV to augment on of the smaller cars that we have.  A Ford Escape rental would be around $300 for the 10 days we need it, plus the fuel cost.

Pros: Price

Cons: With the group the whole time, Time

Trains:

The Amtrak Empire Builder runs from Minnesota straight to East Glacier, where trail head is.  Train tickets are $235 each way.  A roundtrip ride on the Amtrak would cost $470.  The trip time is ~20 hours.

Pros: Don't have to drive, Beverage car

Cons: Price

Planes:

Glacier National Park also has an International Airport in Kalispell, MT.  A roundtrip flight on Delta would cost $582 plus baggage fees.  The trip time is ~3 hours.

Pros: Don't have to drive, Time

Cons: Getting from the airport to the trail head in Glacier, Price, Might be refused service on the way back because of the odor

Cutting Weight for the Trip

As of today there are 96 days left before we take our first step onto the trail in Glacier National Park.  In light of this I will be stepping up my conditioning program to ensure that I am in the best possible shape and highest level of fitness for this adventure. 

Up until this point I have been primarily relying on cutting weight as a means to increase my performance on the trail and thus minimize the opportunity for injury or to slow the group down.  I have been doing this by primarily reducing my caloric intake.  Using the knowledge that 3500 calories = 1 pound, by eliminating 3500 calories from my diet over some time interval I am able to lose 1 pond of weight.  It is much easier to eat less than it is to excercise. 

Skipping out on eating one Snickers candy bar (280 calories) is the equivalent of walking a a 3.5mph pace for 45 minutes.

My favorite exercise during this time has been the Table Push Away.  The Table Puch Away is when you push away from the table and quit eating so damn much.

This chart shows my decrease in body weight so far this year, with a goal of being at or below 200 lbs by the time we leave.

If I maintain my current caloric intake levels and activity I should be at 200 lbs by July 1st.  This is determined by calculating how may calories I need to maintain my current weight (2292 calories per day) and then factoring in 1500-2000 calories of actual consumption.  If I am able to maintain a strict 1500 calorie a day lifestyle I would be able to cut down to almost 180 lbs by the time we get on the trail.

Any cardio exercise that I do also helps my calorie ratio, activities, like waking, biking, and playing basketball all burn calories.  I've made a consious decision to not "eat" the calories that I burn.  I will maintain my eating lifestyle independent of added calorie output. 

Any strength training that I do will offset my calorie ration.  Lean muscle/mass weighs more than fat mass does.

Opening the Road to Two Medicine

The NPS is working diligently to get the park opend up for us.  Here is a picture of their progress.

A New Addition to the Team

Chad's friend Rick has elected to join the team and head to Glacier with us.  Rick has experience in the mountains of Colorado and should be a great addition to the team!

Application has been Submitted

Our application has been submitted to the NPS.  It would be nice if they provided some form of confirmation that they recieved the fax, but alas there is none.

In addition to submitting our primary route plan I also included a secondary option in case the primary is not available.  I chose the following campgrounds:  Elizabeth Lake FT (ELF), Mokowanis Junction (MOJ), Waterton River (WAT), Bowman Lake HD (BOW), and Quartz Lake (QUA).  These sites all run basically along from northeast to northwest along the northern edges of the park.

This route would take us through the Ptarmigan Tunnel which is a 250-foot tunnel that was blasted through the Ptarmigan Wall to allows hikers to avoid a strenuous climb over very steep terrain between Many Glacier and the Belly River valley.

Trip Date Confirmation

Justin will not be able to make it on this trip, so our dates are confirmed.  We will be leaving on Friday, July 13th and plan to be back to Minnesota on Sunday July 22nd.  

 

We have about 100 days before it's go time and there's a lot to get taken care of.  We should plan on having 1-2 more group get together meetings to discuss gear distribution and transportation. 

 

Additionally, I think it would be a good idea if we go on a gut check dry run trip to the Superior Hiking Trail.  Potentially June 1st weekend.  Maybe Thursday - Sunday 40-45 miles total.