Izaak Walton Inn, Essex Montana

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I am planning an extended rail journey Pittsburgh-New York-Toronto-Vancouver-Seattle-Essex MT-Chicago-Pittsburgh. Stopping each layover at least a couple days. Will take most of the month of May 2017. Already have all train reservations.

One of my stopovers would be several days at the Izaak Walton Inn in the very small jurisdiction of Essex, MT, just across a footbridge from Glacier NP. Anyone have experience with this venue? Reasonably clean, decent food, ample assistance with local activities available?

http://www.izaakwaltoninn.com/

What about hiking in GNP around the 20th of May--how much snow/ice should I expect; are snowshoes really necessary? I will be doing some ambitious dayhikes but not backcountry camping this trip. Is the Going-To-The-Sun Road open then? I'll be renting a Subaru Forester at the Inn for use in getting to hiking trailheads each day and other regional explorations.

I know there are other lodging venues available, one of which the Empire Builder stops at seasonally. But it costs more, and I'm attracted to the railfan ambience of Izaak Walton Inn. I mean, where else near Glacier NP can you sleep in a train-themed room, caboose, or locomotive? FWIW I'm also staying with a friend at an aboriginal "lodge" in Vancouver.
 
May 20 should be close to or completely melted, and the inn has wonderful service and food. I suggest a red bus tour as something to give you a more thorough experience of glacier. I grew up in Montana and am still in the state, and I stop at the inn whenever I can.
 
Essex is kind of chilly in May, Intellicast says the average low for May 20th through the 23rd is just 37 degrees and the average high is only 66 degrees. The up side is that the snow is pretty much all melted and the spring flowers should be pretty spectacular. The down side is it gets pretty nippy at night. Remember that Going to the Sun Highway (the east to west road through Glacier) usually doesn't open until June. The snow is generally too deep (50 to 80 feet!) for the plows to clear it until then. In 2011 the road didn't open until July 13th, but that was the latest it has ever opened in nearly 80 years. But the upside is that it is phenomenally beautiful in May and there won't be much in the way of crowds.

I usually stay in West Glacier at the Glacier Highland, which is just 26 miles away, but I have always wanted to stay at the Izaak Walton. Enjoy your stay!
 
When you're planning hikes, keep in mind that although most of the snow will likely have melted in lower elevations (like around Izaac Walton Inn), trails at higher elevations will still be covered with snow.

Some years ago, I hiked up to Grinnell Glacier in late June, and found patches of the trail still covered with snow, requiring one on-all-fours traverse of a sloping snowfield. (A marmot ambled past and watched, apparently amused.) That wasn't an unusually snowy year, and Going to the Sun Road was open at the time. Since you'll be there a month earlier, you should definitely expect the higher-elevation trails to still be impassable.

Be sure to pack gloves and a hat. And do take the grizzly bear etiquette instructions seriously, especially if you're hiking alone--bears will be recently emerged from hibernation, hungry, and moving around a lot in search of food. A favored food at that time of year is the roots of glacier lilies, one of the wildflowers you'll be seeing.

Enjoy your trip! Beautiful place to visit, at a beautiful time of year.
 
Sounds like a great trip. That week is when we were there several years ago. GTS highway was closed for several more weeks but snow covered mountains were beautiful. Have dinner at the Belton Chalet. It's our favorite restaurant and hotel. Do check out the iconic NP lodges while you're there.
 
The IWI is a bit "rustic" but that is part of the experience! The two times I have stayed there the food and service is good. They will pack lunches for day trippers. Depending on the season there may be guided hikes available. The little used southern entrance to Glacier NP is the Walton Ranger Station, about a 1/2 mile walk east on US 2.
 
the inn has wonderful service and food.
I have had only one visit. I would not characterize the food as wonderful and I found the service to be inadequate.

By coincidence, my visit was during the Murder Mystery Weekend. The participants were loud until about 4 in the morning and there was no one at the front desk. The next day, I complained about the noise; the desk clerk said the group would be quieter that night. That night, the group was again loud into the wee hours and again the front desk was not staffed. Again I complained; this time I was told the group would be gone that day. So was I.

I don't doubt that most people have a good time. I don't doubt that I would have had a good time if my visit had not been on the Murder Mystery Weekend. The fact that management would not react meant that I never returned, and probably will not even though I understand there is a new owner.
 
Thanks everyone for the swift replies so far.

I'm not that concerned that the IWI is "rustic," in fact I prefer that. I've backpacked the entire <2,200-mi. Appalachian Trail and a bunch of <100 mi. trails, going into towns to resupply every week or so, shower, grab a real bed, eat tons of real food, etc. I doubt the IWI could be anywhere near as "rustic" as some of the places I've stayed off-trail in the past. My main concern, since a non-railfan / non-hiker may be with me, is that it at least be clean, free of rodents/cockroaches, the basics "work," etc. It seems it is at least that, and the attraction for railfans is obvious..

I will have ample clothing for the weather I expect to find thanks partly to heads-ups here, will already have a backpack to carry extra gear/clothing (I travel on trains using a bigish pack in lieu of a suitcase) and will be sticking to relatively lower elevation trails partly because, at best, only small parts of the GTS Rd. will be accessible at the time of my visit. Unfortunately, the red bus tours don't begin until after my visit, but I will have a rental car.

I think my question about needing snowshoes has been answered here, and would be a NO, if I stick to lower elevation trails which I'm sort of forced to do anyway at that time of year if only dayhiking.

Thanks Palmland, for the Belton Chalet tip. Will try to find it online and check out the location and menu. Ditto Karl 1459, for the news that IWI will make lunches for hikers to take with them.

I'm going to try to pick the brains of any GNP-knowledgeable staff there for their recommendations on trails I can easily get to in mid-May that would be relatively free of snow/ice and that are scenic. Hopefully they have a handout prepared for guests. I've got some hiking-related websites to peruse that folks on a hiking-related board supplied for me, and already have trail maps, which I collect like many of us collect timetables. :)
 
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I visit the Izaak Walton Inn frequently, mostly in winter. They groom cross country ski trails across the railroad tracks from the inn and I like to ski there. I live about a 2 hour drive from the inn. I've also stayed overnight several times. The current owners have done quite a bit of remodeling and the inn is presently quite nice. Yes, rooms are small. But the hotel was originally built to accommodate railroad crews. The restaurant there, called the "Dining Car" serves good food. And there is a bar/lounge area downstairs. There are no phones or television in the rooms. Wi-Fi is available in the lounge area. In addition to the hotel rooms the inn also rents accommodates in cabooses and one renovated Great Northern Locomotive has a very nice king bed suite. There are also a few cabins available. The inn meets all Empire Builders as Long as a guest is arriving or departing on the train.

Immediate access to Glacier National Park is the Walton Ranger Station area about 3/4 mile walk from the inn. There are no visitor services at Walton other than a few picnic tables, a toilet and some parking spaces at the trailhead. Trails from Walton include Ole Creek, Park Creek and Scalplock Lookout. Those trails may be snow free in late May except for the lookout trail which might have snow near the summit.

There are a few hiking trails in the National Forest immediately adjacent or across the tracks from the inn.

The primary visitor entry points to Glacier are some distance from the inn at West Glacier or farther away on the east side of the park. The inn can arrange for a car rental and a Red Bus tour might also be available. Be sure to reserve or schedule those types of services in advance of your visit.
 
I agree with Willem,we spent several days at the Inn,and service was very bad.
I've visited twice, and can't make any mental reference points to the notion of "service", unless you are talking the dining room? In any case, I had two very pleasant stays here.
 
I stayed one night at the Inn this July (arrived on the westbound EB one night and left the next night) and really enjoyed it--I wouldn't say service was lacking as much as they just seemed a bit understaffed, and that took a little patience. Plus, they had to explain repeatedly about the phones, Wifi, etc. as some people had (for whatever reason) expected to be well-connected there.

In addition to the Red Bus tours I would call Glacier Park Sun Tours and see if they are operating/will pick up at the Inn (it depends on availability). Sun Tours is a company owned by the Blackfeet Tribe that does its own Going to the Sun Tour from the local perspective, and our tour also drove through Browning and the reservation a bit too which was a neat experience.
 
I can almost assure you that the Going to the Sun road will not be open all the way through in May. In most years, the rotary plow gets to the top of Logan Pass

about June 10-15. I got off at Cut Bank on May 30 one year and got about 15 miles up from St. Mary before I got to a locked gate.

Another year, I got to the Lake McDonald Lodge the first week of November on the west side of the park.

If you want a rental car you might want to get off in Whitefish and then just drive to Essex.
 
I can almost assure you that the Going to the Sun road will not be open all the way through in May. In most years, the rotary plow gets to the top of Logan Pass

about June 10-15. I got off at Cut Bank on May 30 one year and got about 15 miles up from St. Mary before I got to a locked gate.

Another year, I got to the Lake McDonald Lodge the first week of November on the west side of the park.

If you want a rental car you might want to get off in Whitefish and then just drive to Essex.
Thanks Tom Fuller.

I have been told by local hikers that the GTTS Rd will "possibly" be open at one or both ends by May 20 for a few miles but the consensus is that I'll be too early to drive all the way thru. No big deal.

I'm OK hiking lower elevation trails that may avoid the need for snowshoes, which I really don't want to carry on my train journeys anyway.

Good to know about Whitefish, but when I reserved my room I reserved a car directly from the Inn. They have three 2016 vehicles on-site for rent.
 
I have been told by local hikers that the GTTS Rd will "possibly" be open at one or both ends by May 20 for a few miles but the consensus is that I'll be too early to drive all the way thru. No big deal.

I'm OK hiking lower elevation trails that may avoid the need for snowshoes, which I really don't want to carry on my train journeys anyway.

Good to know about Whitefish, but when I reserved my room I reserved a car directly from the Inn. They have three 2016 vehicles on-site for rent.
You have receive correct info with respect to Going-to-the-Sun Road in late May. If the road is open on the east side to the gate at the Jackson Glacier Overlook, you can park there and hike up the road. No will no need snowshoes since the road will have been plowed part of the way. A mile or two beyond the gate is Siyeh Bend where you can get some fantastic views of snowy mountains. It is always questionable to try and predict ahead of time which trails or areas might be snow free. It varies a lot from year to year. One thing is certain right now though is that the Park is having a pretty good snow year. By good I mean a lot of snow.

There is a chat group of people interested in Glacier National Park. Posting questions there about trails a week or so before arriving would be a great way to find out exactly which areas you might be able to hike without snowshoes. The group is free and you can check it our here:

http://www.glacier.nationalparkschat.com/phpBB3/
 
I stayed at the Izaak Walton Inn several years ago for just one night, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am not a "foodie" so I don't remember the restaurant being particularly good or bad. I loved the atmosphere of the inn and I found our room very comfortable. I also enjoyed sitting out on the front porch, although I remember it being chilly in the mornings and evenings despite the summer season. We had a rental car (from Missoula) and did some hiking nearby and in Glacier National Park. Beautiful scenery. Hope you have a good trip.
 
I have been told by local hikers that the GTTS Rd will "possibly" be open at one or both ends by May 20 for a few miles but the consensus is that I'll be too early to drive all the way thru. No big deal.

I'm OK hiking lower elevation trails that may avoid the need for snowshoes, which I really don't want to carry on my train journeys anyway.

Good to know about Whitefish, but when I reserved my room I reserved a car directly from the Inn. They have three 2016 vehicles on-site for rent.
You have receive correct info with respect to Going-to-the-Sun Road in late May. If the road is open on the east side to the gate at the Jackson Glacier Overlook, you can park there and hike up the road. No will no need snowshoes since the road will have been plowed part of the way. A mile or two beyond the gate is Siyeh Bend where you can get some fantastic views of snowy mountains. It is always questionable to try and predict ahead of time which trails or areas might be snow free. It varies a lot from year to year. One thing is certain right now though is that the Park is having a pretty good snow year. By good I mean a lot of snow.

There is a chat group of people interested in Glacier National Park. Posting questions there about trails a week or so before arriving would be a great way to find out exactly which areas you might be able to hike without snowshoes. The group is free and you can check it our here:

http://www.glacier.nationalparkschat.com/phpBB3/
That's a pretty good hiking site...thanx!
 
I stayed there twice in the last ten years, both trips were excellent. I found the food personally to be very good, though I tend to recall the service being good, but on the slower side in the restaurant. Try the Huckleberry cobbler, I still have dreams about it.

Cheers,

Nick
 
Watch out for grizzly bears in the Montana backcountry -- especially mother bears with cubs that were born while the adults were in winter hibernation mode.
 
I've purchased some bear spray, but damned if I know the best way to use it. In the East where I do most of my hiking and backpacking we only have black bears, which can be a little dangerous but most often are not. Guess I have some learnin' to do.
 
I've purchased some bear spray, but damned if I know the best way to use it. In the East where I do most of my hiking and backpacking we only have black bears, which can be a little dangerous but most often are not. Guess I have some learnin' to do.
Just don't use it like bug spray, that could be your last mistake...
 
While hiking in Yosemite, I was told by an off-duty ranger that bear spray is illegal in Yosemite because it is considered a weapon. Does anyone know which parks prohibit bear spray, and in particular, if Glacier prohibits bear spray?
 
She Who Must Be Obeyed and I stopped at the Izaak Walton in 2014 for dinner headed for East Glacier to catch the EB. I only wished we had stayed for the night and caught the train there !! She had the Stroganaff and I had a pork chop to die for.

You can read my blog of that journey here

http://glacier2014esa.blogspot.com/2014/11/day-8-august-12th-glacier-view-golf.html

We had a wonderful time on our trip, and the recommendation for the Belton is spot on. GTTSR will be closed but the Red Bus was awesome. Don't miss Two Medicine on the East side. I can also heartily recommend the boat trips.

Enjoy your trip, I am jealous.
 
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