Glacier National Park – Two Medicine Area

On the morning of July 19th, we packed up camp at St. Mary and made our way to the quieter, wilder southwestern corner of Glacier National Park; Two Medicine. Tucked away from the crowds, this region feels more remote. We’d visited once before, but only briefly. This time, we were here for something big: the Dawson-Pitamakan Loop, a legendary 17-mile alpine trail known for its panoramic ridgelines, sapphire lakes, and grueling climb.

We planned our hike for the next day, waking up before the sun on July 20th. By 5:45 AM, we were on trail…barely. Just minutes in, we heard branches snapping. Loudly. We froze, scanning the trees. And there it was: a grizzly, right on the trail.

We slowly backed away, gave it plenty of space, and got our bear spray ready. We waited quietly as the bear lingered, then finally turned and disappeared down the trail in the opposite direction. We began our hike alert, awed, and maybe just a little amped up from adrenaline.

Starting at Pray Lake, we took the counterclockwise route. The early miles were fairly easy, winding through forest and alpine meadows before becoming steep with a series of switchbacks. As we climbed, we caught our first glimpse of Old Man Lake below us. At Pitamakan Pass, the trail opened up into a stunning panorama of two more lakes, Pitamakan and Morning Star.

From there, we headed towards Pitamakan Overlook and saw several big horn sheep and baby big horn sheep! We sat to eat a snack, and I made friends with a curious marmot. After our short break, we skirted along narrow scree-covered ledges around the backsides of Mount Morgan and Flinsch Peak, staring down into a vast, beautiful valley below. It was windy across the exposed ridges, but the views of jagged peaks and endless sky were amazing.

Eventually, we reached Dawson Pass and began the long descent. I was struggling a bit as we made our way down, and Matt did his best to keep my spirits up. We made a fishing stop at No Name Lake and Matt caught both a brook trout and a bull trout. We made it to the boat dock at Two Medicine Lake just in time, and there was space for us on the return boat ride. The boat shaved off the final 2.5 miles of trail, and we were more than happy to give our legs a break!

We celebrated the 17-mile day with cookie ice cream sandwiches at the lake store and a charcuterie board at the campsite where we were accompanied by a few bighorn sheep who congregated around our fire pit. It was one of those hikes that stays with you – majestic, intense, and absolutely unforgettable.

The next few days brought rain, and with it, a shift in plans. We ducked into Glacier Park Lodge for lunch, only to find out our reservations at Phantom Ranch in the Grand Canyon had been canceled due to a large fire at the North Rim (more to come later on that topic). With soggy weather settling in, we made the decision to pack up and head out of Two Medicine and head to Bill and Donna’s.