Chance encounter on high-country trail

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK — I met the person I aspire to someday become last week on a hiking trail in Glacier National Park.

Some reporter I was — I didn’t get her name, phone number or even an e-mail address.

The story goes like this:

Four of us hiked into Piegan Pass (after the Stanton Mountain trek, it was a good week to scale back).

This hike was nine miles round trip with a 1,750 feet elevation gain. There were no falls, no crying and no cussing — just nice conversation, a decent-enough workout and Glacier’s trademark spectacular views.

Our hike was an out-and-back, but there is the option of heading to Many Glacier — that would be just under 13 miles with an elevation gain of 1,750 feet and a drop of 2,640 feet.

We had just taken the left from the Siyeh Pass junction when we stopped to pack away jackets and snap a few pictures.

A woman passed by as we were chatting.

She set a nice pace, so we fell in behind. She moved right along, but about half a mile from Piegan Pass, she pulled off and motioned us to go by.

We had just remarked about her quick pace. Although we assured her we weren’t in any hurry, she shook her head.

But she did chat a bit and we became, briefly, a group of five.

She informed us she is from “here,” hikes as often as she can and that she is 79 years old with her 80th birthday a month away.

She’s trying to get in shape, she said.

Her time was limited — she and her two hiking friends had a meeting at 6 p.m.

They had stayed in the Preston Park area while she had gone forward. We pointed out the pass was close, gave her the time and we all headed up the trail.

We arrived at Piegan Pass just a few moments before she did. I thought of inviting her to join us for lunch. Stupidly I did not.

We visited, she settled in a few yards away — and that was that.

The marmots at the pass looked huge, were unafraid of visitors and also seemed to think of our stuff as their stuff, as our friend Gene Marcille had to wrestle one of his hiking poles from a furry thief.

After peanut butter and jelly, Wes and I explored a little, peeking down the trail toward Many Glacier.

We gave fleeting thought to dinner at the Many Glacier Lodge. But with no ride back, that would not have been a good idea. Glacier’s free shuttle travels only on Going-to-the-Sun Road.

There is an east-side shuttle, but it is not free — and one would be advised to check the schedule before hiking.

Gene said he and another group had tried the devil-may-care attitude toward finding a ride from Many Glacier. The result gave him a funny story that he enjoys telling — but he wasn’t willing to try a repeat experience.

So back down we went, pausing only to talk with a pair of hikers on their way up.

We did run into our 79-year-old friend once more near the trailhead.

We all smiled when we saw the tattoo of a hiker on her leg.

I want one. Wes said he doesn’t mind, but my boss has threatened to tell my mother.

Reporter Dixie Knutson may be reached at 758-4446 or by e-mail at dknutson@dailyinterlake.com.