MIssoula, MT

[snow leopard27]

We will be there for about 4 days in a few weeks. Primarily planning the fish the Bitterroot and Blackfoot, but would welcome any other recommendations of the things to do and see. The wife will be along also.

Afterwards, we're heading up to Glacier NP for another4-5 days.

Thanks !

 

[Uninformed]

I'm jealous

 

[pulque]

I need to go up there, but a ticket costs about the same as one to Hawaii...

 

[idahohorn]

Dont know much about Missoula but Glacier is an amazing Park. Sounds like your first time to Missoula, have you been to Glacier before?

 

[snow leopard27]

Never been to either; a friend of mine's mother is working at Many Glacier Hotel this summer. We have 2 nights there and 3 at Belton Chalet near West Glacier.

 

[Uninformed]

I have really liked going to Waterton, the Canadian side of the park. The town is nice and has easy, direct access to a very pretty part of the park.

 

[idahohorn]

To me Glacier is like two different parks, the west side and the east side. The west side is much more wooded than the east, but both are beautiful. Going to the Sun road that connects the two is probably the greatest drive I have ever been on, a true white knuckler. If you like hiking you could try hidden lakes at the top of logan pass. High alpine hike that is great, but there are many great hiking trails.
And I agree with the previous poster, if you can make the trip to Waterton Canada just accross the border, amazing town with quite a view. You can also take a boat down the length of the lake that ends in the US and hike back to waterton crossing the border. We hike a lot can you tell? No matter what you do you will love this park.

 

[Kahuna]

Missoula has a quaint downtown area and is a good place to stock up before heading back out into the boonies, but I don't think it is much of a tourist destination. The only must-see attraction there is Big Sky Brewing for glasses of Scapegoat Pale Ale and Moose Drool.

Glacier NP is my favorite ( and I live only 11 miles from Yellowstone NP). My wife and I hiked into Gunsight Lake at Glacier NP and camped and fished on our honeymoon. I would cut the Missoula portion of the trip back and add days to Glacier NP, except that it sounds like your time in Missoula is for fishing. If your wife is fishing with you, then you will all be entertained. Otherwise the wife could get bored in Missoula.

 

[snow leopard27]

Thanks everyone - you have gotten me more excited about glacier. My dad and I were backpacking in the Wind River mountains in Wyoming a few years ago and a guy we met on the trail told us to go everywhere else we wanted to go before Glacier because after you have been there you will not want to go anywhere else - sounds like it was good advice.

Kahuna - How's the gulp fishing on Hebgen this year? Last summer we stayed at Madison camprground, and then a few days in Big Sky and some in Gardiner. I caught a real nice Rainbow on the Lamar River, just above the confluence with the Yellowstone. Also a few nice cuts up on Slough Creek, though they seem to be extremely cagey these days, even on the upper meadows.

 

[hellbunny]

Missoula is main base for smokejumpers. They parachute into wilderness areas to help fight forest fires. So basically combine crazy with crazy (ie. all sorts of awesome). I think they have a museum there... probably worth a look see.

 

[Kahuna]

Snow leopard, I'm saving the Hebgon gulping for August when the other fishing begins slowing down. I didn't get to go there last year and really missed it. We have been overrun by guests this summer to get too much fishing in. That will change beginning next week. Good luck on your Montana trip!

 

[Grasshopper]

I've been fortunate enough to have been to Glacier 3 times - great place. My advice for that place would be to get off the road and do some of the amazing hikes.

Missoula is a nice little town, but it has been a while since I was able to flyfish the Blackfoot.... well, since the days before I was married!

 

[snow leopard27]

Well, we had a great trip. Missoula was a cool town, kind of reminded me of a much smaller Austin; lots of students and people who are there just because they think it is a great place to live. During the summers, everyone heads out and floats down the Blackfoot or Bitterroot on tubes, raft, etc. It looked a lot nicer than the Guadalupe.

Glacier was amazing, as many of you stated. We hiked to both Avalanche and Iceberg Lakes, which were both great, though Iceberg seems to be closed a lot due to Grizzly activity. This was actually the first time I have carried bear spray; no encounters, but the peace of mind was probably worth the $50. I was really enthralled by the rivers and streams; some of the clearest, cleanest looking water I have ever seen. In the deeper pools, the ground up glacial till gives the water a beautiful bright blue tint.

The fly fishing seemed about average overall. If you want to catch larger fish, I would probably recommend Yellowstone; the waters in Glacier are apparently very nutrient poor and cannot sustain larger fish. If, however, you can be satisfied catching 6" - 10" Cut-throats in the midst of incredible mountain scenery Glacier can be very rewarding.

I had probably one my funnest fishing days ever on the upper North Fork of the Flathead, just a few miles below the Canadian border. I fished with all dry flies and a 4 weight rod, and had continual action all day; probably caught about 30 fish over a day and a half. Again, nothing much bigger than 10", but it really was a blast. Glacier I think gets fished a lot less than Yellowstone, so the cuts were taking just about anything i through out there; nothing more exotic than a parachute adams, elk hair caddis, or any kind of ant or hopper seemed necessary. I even caught a fair number on flies I had tied myself, and i am very much a novice.

We stayed at both Belton Chalet and Many Glacier Hotel which were great, though at Belton there is an issue of trains running by in the night.

All and all, a great vacation destination that I would recommend to anyone. Now its back to the 100 degree heat and work deadlines, but atleast football season is nigh upon us.

Hook'em !

 

[Lone Star]

snow leopard --

Sounds like you did it right. I fish North of Polebridge almost every summer -- the fish are on the small side due to the nutrients in the water -- but the scenery cannot be matched. Avalanche lake is a great hike and the Belton Hotel is a charmer.

Glad you enjoyed the trip.

 

[snow leopard27]

Lone Star - You haven't already, try the fresh baked huckleberry bearclaws at the Polebridge Mercantile next time you have a chance; they are awesome.