Beautiful Hike on the Highline Trail

It was Tuesday morning, and I was making an early start as I was meeting several Glacier biologists by 7:30 at the Research Learning Center at Glacier HQ. They were taking one last hike up to Haystack Butte via the Highline Trail to do a mountain goat survey. And they had invited any Citizen Scientist volunteer to go along.

So how could I possibly pass up the opportunity to hike the "Highline" with people who really knew the wildlife. As this trail is longer than I have ever done (little over 7 miles round trip), and it is certainly elevated farther than any trail I've every done (BIG drop-offs), I really didn't want to go by myself. And it was a wise decision.

I've heard from visitors that the Highline is one of the most beautiful hikes they have ever taken. So I was excited to experience it for myself. It starts at Logan Pass, which sits on the Continential Divide and is also the highest point of the "Going-to-the-Sun" Road at 6,600 ft. The trail has an 800 ft. elevation -- most of which is right around Haystack Butte -- our objective for the day.





Before I talk about the trail, our first sighting was a large male big horn sheep with quite a developed curl on his horns (age is told by the curl on the horns -- this male could have been anywhere from 8-16 years of age). He was in the parking lot of Logan Pass licking something off the pavement, and seemed unconcerned with us. We also saw about 6 males along the trail as we approached Haystack Butte. The first picture above was one male who seemed to be posing for the audience against the backdrop of Glacier.

The views were AMAZING. The trail is easy enough, as long as you are not bothered by heights or a 3 foot trail that has about a 1,000 ft. drop off on the side (not sure about that 1,000 ft., but I know if you stumbled off, you would be dead). So it was very hard to take my eyes off the trail. Any time I looked out across the mountains and valleys of Glacier, I would trip on a rock. And there are plenty of places on the trail where that can be quite scary. So I just stopped periodically to really enjoy the views.

I'm going to post several pictures here so you can enjoy the view for yourself.











































Okay...... onto Haystack Butte. Most of the 800 ft of elevation came before and just after the Butte. And I was making it up the trail, although I did have to take some time to catch my breath (the biologists I was with were "professional" hikers and did this all the time). And then they left the trail and started up the steep bank of the lower portion of the butte. Oh my......I don't know how, but with making switch backs up this steep slope, I did make it to the top.

And guess what greeted us -- nasty little blood sucking gnats!! We were probably on the butte for about 2 hours doing the survey and having lunch. The entire time, the gnats were dining on me for lunch. I came back with bites all over my scalp, neck, wrists, etc. And I actually did kill a lot and tried to keep them off my head. But I am a bug magnet!! Next time -- BUG HAT!! (my lovely baseball cap with a net that covers my head and heck -- Plow and Hearth).












But the views are FABULOUS!! So again, let me share some with you.

(This is the "butte", and we were on a pennisula off to the right that you can't see in the picture. I was told people don't climb to the top -- rocks are sedimentary and too loose for climbing)






































There are between 1,400 and 2,000 Mountain Goats in the park, and they live in higher and steeper terrain than any of Glacier's other large inhabitants. Today, we saw 13 mountain goats (nannies and juveniles) on the far side of the Garden Wall. It was in the 70's, which is very warm for mountain goats. They prefer much cooler temperatures, as they are very well insulated. So we watched them stay in the shadows, digging holes to lie in, and as the sun moved, the proceeded to climb the cliffs and across the mountain to cooler settings. It is always amazing to watch the goats walk on the cliffs -- their hooves are unusually flexible, with rough traction pads on the bottom and hard, gripping edges. Their short legs provide a low center of gravity, so they can perch on thin ledges and pinnacles.

The biologists study goats because numbers have been declining. So this baseline information is critical for making informed management decisions and for determining how mountain goat populations may respond to the effects of global climate change. There are many animals who will perish as the temperatures rise -- they can't go any higher to get to cooler temps, and they can't live in the heat.

Okay.....survey over. Lunch over. Time to get away from the bugs!!! Amazingly, they are not on the trail, just the butte.

The hike back drops in elevation, but is rolling with some areas going back up again. This was not a problem on the way to the butte, but now I am tired. And going down hill is always harder on the ankle and knees. So it was a long 3.5+ miles back. I must say, the biologists were really wonderful. I had packed a few things, but they come with every known drug, cat gut and needles to stitch you up, etc. I got some ibuprofen to help with the pain. I thought they should have been upset that I was taking so long, but they helped, carried my camera and jackets, and told me I was doing a great job, and that I was going to conquer the Highline. I could not have asked for nicer hiking partners, and I thank them!!

We did make it back (with stops for me), and once I got off the trail I felt great and I was so happy that I had made the journey. It was absolutely fabulous, beautiful, and my biggest thrill to date in Glacier. Highly recommend!!!!