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This loop first climbs up to Dawson Pass (blue flag), and then traverses the divide over to Pitamakan Pass (green flag), and then descends down to Oldman Lake and back to the beginning of the loop at the foot of Two Medicine Lake (yellow flag). A lot of people do this as a day hike, but I plan on taking some extra time to be out there during some hopefully optimal photography conditions.
Like most hikes on this trip, this one started with a small window of pleasant conditions, and ended in miserable weather and somewhat dangerous conditions for backcountry camping, but was still fun overall. I had already camped for one night at Oldman Lake, which was invisible when I arrived due to really thick fog. Standing at the shore of the lake, you couldn't see more than 10 feet onto the water. As it was getting dark, a little weasel was bouncing all around me checking me out. He would climb up a tree to look at me, then poke his head out of a bush next to me, basically looking from every possible angle. As it got darker he became more bold and would bounce right up to me, moving almost like a slinky, and I actually started trying to scare him away because it was too dark for photos and he was a bit of a pest, but it's only the second time I've seen a weasel so it was neat. It was a bit spooky after dark because it began raining and the fog was so thick that a headlamp didn't do any good, all I could see was the fog in front of me, and I had no idea what was 10 feet ahead. Around Oldman Lake is prime Grizzly habitat with lots of berry bushes and bear sightings, so I kept my after dark activity to a minimum. The weather was really nice the next day and someone saw a Grizzly Bear nearby so I spent a long time looking around but never saw him. The view of the nearby peaks was amazing from Pitamakan Pass to Dawson Pass, and the wind was calm and the clouds sparse at sunset, so the conditions were perfect to camp at Dawson Pass to have the alpine views for sunrise, and I had no reason to believe it would change. Well, about an hour after dark the wind started to get crazy, low rain clouds came in and covered the peaks, and at that point the wind was blowing over the pass and downhill, really putting a lot of stress on the tent. The stakes weren't holding in the thin layer of soil so I had to weigh the corners and sides of the tent with heavy rocks! It was just as miserable all morning for the hike out, but it was all downhill and went quickly.
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- Sunset View to the South
From Dawson Pass, Glacier NP -
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- Fall Colors and Low Clouds in the Two Medicine Area, Glacier NP -
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- Grouse Standing on a Log, Glacier NP -
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- Pitamakan Lake and Lake of Seven Winds
Seen From Pitamakan Pass, Glacier NP -
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- Flinsch Peak, Glacier NP -
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