Another Glacier National Park question (winter travel)

This is probably a naïve question but here goes.

When travelling the Empire Builder east bound in very late February or early March, is it practical for us with normal winter clothes to stop off at either Glacier West or Glacier East stations to spend a day or two?

By that I mean if we spent a day or two at one or the other is it vital to have Alpine clothing to do anything that is outside of a hotel and are there trips at that time of year that we could take to give us a taste of this park in winter?

We shall be travelling the US for 5 - 6 weeks with climate ranging from warm to very cold. We tend to travel light nowadays so can't/wont take a full range of clothes for all conditions.

Thanks

In the winter, the EB (both #7 and 8) does NOT stop in East Glacier...stops in Browning, MT instead. You might check websites regarding historical weather conditions. Expect cold and snow for any of the stops around Glacier NP.

v v said:

When travelling the Empire Builder east bound in very late February or early March, is it practical for us with normal winter clothes to stop off at either Glacier West or Glacier East stations to spend a day or two?

By that I mean if we spent a day or two at one or the other is it vital to have Alpine clothing to do anything that is outside of a hotel and are there trips at that time of year that we could take to give us a taste of this park in winter?

We shall be travelling the US for 5 - 6 weeks with climate ranging from warm to very cold. We tend to travel light nowadays so can't/wont take a full range of clothes for all conditions.

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The East Glacier station is completely closed in the off-season, as Frensic noted, and there is little or nothing available at the West Glacier station.

However, the Izaak Walton Hotel at the Essex stop, on the southern border of the park, is open year-round. In the winter months they are a Mecca for cross-country skiing, if you like that sort of thing. They are a full-service hotel with restaurant and lounge.

I'd plan a couple days' stopover there. If the weather is mild you can enjoy hiking and cross-country skiing, and even if it is too bad to venture out you can still have some fun sitting by the fireplace in their lobby or watching trains on the BNSF main from their patio.

Follow FrensicPic's good advice and check historical weather data such as this: http://www.worldclimate.com/climate/us/montana/essex The reason for the closures in the winter is probably due primarily to the large snowfalls in that area - and not because of unusually cold temperatures. For a taste of what cold is really like, visit Minot ND during December or January. Only places I've been colder than Minot were Fairbanks AK and some of the (now closed) Air Force radar stations above the Arctic Circle.

OK, that makes sense now. Did look at average temperatures, they didn't appear too terrible. We experience them and lower when we are in France (and Chicago) during mid winter, but we hardly have any snowfall to go with it though, except up in the mountains.

We don't ski and wont have proper hiking gear with us, so it would be either staying at the accommodation or if available taking a paid for tour locally.

I was inspired to ask as UK tv has a wildlife series just started at the moment featuring life in the remote areas of mountain ranges. The first episode was based on the Rockies north to south and much of the program was during winter, it looks so incredibly beautiful. We were particularly taken with the Wolverine, never seen film of one before, what an animal.

I think that we would enjoy West Glacier or Essex a lot but with appropriate clothing perhaps, but we can't lug that around on what may be turning out to be a lot of train travel for the next US journey.

Thanks for painting the picture

If I were you I would write the Izaak Walton directly, tell them of your planned trip and what you can and cannot do, and see if they have any suggestions.

Thank you Mr Bowen, that's a very good idea and will do that.

Your were at the Izaak Walton if they are your photos, what time of year was that? See you are in Houston, everything ok with you?

I was at the Izaak Walton in early December on my very first Amtrak trip. It was charming! We stayed 24 hours, rented cross-country ski gear at the inn, and went out for the day before re-boarding in the evening (we were westbound, eastbound the train stops in the morning). They have a very nice tracked trail system. It is well-prepared, well-marked, and not difficult. If you don't want to try skiing, they probably have snowshoes for rent as well. Lightweight, modern snowshoes are very easy to use (way different than the bent wood and rawhide Canadian-style I used as a child), and I'll bet they have recommendations for where to head out for a walk in the snowy woods. I would definitely recommend a stop!

All you need for winter clothing is your usual layers, topped with hat, gloves and waterproof jacket, plus a pair of hiking boots with room for winter socks. I'll bet you will have those with you anyway. If the weather is too nasty for that clothing, you will mostly be staying by the fire and maybe taking a short walk down a local roads. It looks like there is not much to Essex except a bunch of cabins in the woods, the Amtrak station, the Izaak Walton, a ranger station, and an outfitter's business (so no real destination to walk to except the woods and the Flathead River).

It appears easy to contact them through their website.

Thanks Jennifer, that's very helpful and Rosie loves the idea of snowshoe trekking.

We'll not have a car for our visit to the North West so can't take you up on your previous cup of tea offer, unless you travel to Seattle frequently? Still we have other ideas a foot so maybe another time you may have to get the tea pot out.

That was very encouraging, thanks again Jennifer.

v v said:

Thank you Mr Bowen, that's a very good idea and will do that.

Your were at the Izaak Walton if they are your photos, what time of year was that? See you are in Houston, everything ok with you?

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Those photos were both taken in late June 2011. I had driven up with my father via Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone Park, and drove back via Grand Teton N.P., Cheyenne, and the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR.

I came through the flood great; got a little water in my garage and laundry room and will have to replace the clothes dryer but the main house and everything in it is just fine.

Good

v v said:

Thanks Jennifer, that's very helpful and Rosie loves the idea of snowshoe trekking.

We'll not have a car for our visit to the North West so can't take you up on your previous cup of tea offer, unless you travel to Seattle frequently? Still we have other ideas a foot so maybe another time you may have to get the tea pot out.

That was very encouraging, thanks again Jennifer.

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I used to live in Seattle, and still have many friends there, so I do visit -- but this winter, I will be making a February Amtrak trip back east, so not likely to make a Seattle trip so close to that. But the cup of tea offer stands, and if the visit is delayed enough, we may actually have a guest room by then. But it keeps getting knocked off the top of the to-do list by higher priorities, so I am not holding my breath!

As an alternative, how about taking the westbound LSL/EB, leaving BOS on 2/21, and we can share many cuppas as far as Glacier?

The Inn has rooms in the hotel as well as small cottages a short walk across a bridge over the railroad tracks. By the way, Cross County or Touring Skiing on the flat isnt that difficult to learn. I am sure who ever is renting the equipment at the Inn could assist you. This is a beautiful area in the winter with all the snow. After being outside, maybe while it is snowing, sitting by the fireplace enjoying a hot beverage is even better. During the true winter months, the snow is light and fluffy, and as you look closely you can see unique patterns and shapes or maybe you will see every limb and twig covered with a layer of snow, fantastic for the photo buff. I suggest contacting the Inn, they are very nice and most helpful, do plan at least a 24 hour stop.

That's a great idea Jennifer, only two problems. Too early for us by a couple of weeks and we'd be going in the wrong direction. But as said, we have other plans afoot so although not this time...

Lonestar, all you AU people are really putting pressure on us to a) learn to ski and b) stay at the Izaac Walton, it's starting to sound as though we don't have any option on b) anyway. Great description, thanks

You might also want to check out the Belton Chalet near the West Glacier station, the original Great Northern hotel at the park. I have not been there myself, but it seems to have a good reputation.

v v said:

... going in the wrong direction.

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Yes, I realized after I hit "post" that you said EASTbound.

As for skiing vs snowshoeing, I have been a skier all my life, and you notice I am not putting pressure on you to ski. Yes, it's not difficult to learn cross-country skiing on the level. BUT as a beginner, you would be putting all your attention on the skiing, when you might be better off just walking on snowshoes through the woods and devoting your attention to the loveliness of wilderness in winter. You also would not be constrained by whether it is level enough, and open enough, for there to be no obstacles. You can fit a lot more places on snowshoes than you can on skis!

If I had just one day in a new place, I would probably choose snowshoeing.

P.S. I have skied from Aviemore to the top of the Cairngorms. I loved the marker at the top, with all the mountains marked, that said: "This is the view you can see from here IF the weather is clear"!! (It was not, I couldn't see thirty feet, and had to find my way to the top with a compass).

OK, we have bowed to immense pressure from you folk at AU and are spending just a day and night at the Isaak Walton, where shall we send the bill if we don't like it?

Thanks for all the encouragement, we are really looking forward to our stop there and have even pre-booked the snowshoes.

Hope we can post a photo or two to prove we made it, we're from the original Essex so guess we'll feel right at home.

v v said:

OK, we have bowed to immense pressure from you folk at AU and are spending just a day and night at the Isaak Walton, where shall we send the bill if we don't like it?

Thanks for all the encouragement, we are really looking forward to our stop there and have even pre-booked the snowshoes.

Hope we can post a photo or two to prove we made it, we're from the original Essex so guess we'll feel right at home.

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:giggle: Here's a pic from the EB, somewhere just east of the Izaak Walton:

A rather cozy way to see the snowy mountains I'd say!

Here's a pic of the eastbound Empire Builder arriving at Essex during the winter.

Fantastic photos, keep them coming

Thanks