Glacier Country Multisport Adventure

DAY 1

We meet you in the early afternoon in Whitefish, Montana. After introductions, we will head to Whitefish Mountain for our first hike. You have your choice of riding the gondola to the top of the mountain for a hike down; hiking up and taking a ride down, or hiking both directions. Regardless of which you choose, from the top you will have outstanding views of the vast forested expanses in this area of Montana. After our hike, we'll check into our hotel and then head to dinner at Whitefish Brewing for some fresh food and local Montana beers.

DAY 2

Today we explore Glacier National Park, consistently rated America's best national park for hiking. We rise early to make the hour drive to the park and make our first stop at the Avalanche Lake trailhead. This is a hike that will take your breath away; it is truly astonishing for those not accustomed to hiking in the mountains. This is a half-day hike of approximately 6.5 miles, starting along the stunning Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Creek gorge. From there the trail winds upwards through the forest to the lake, rimmed with steep cliffs on three sides with numerous cascading waterfalls. If you want to take a dip (which we highly recommend) you can continue around to the other end of the lake. (Please note this will be a "trailhead service" hike as there are no available permits for guided hikes in the park.) After our hike, we'll stop by Lake McDonald Lodge, a classic, huge log structure built in 1913 where you can eat lunch on your own at Russell’s Fireside Dining or Jammer Joe's Pizzeria & Grill.

In the afternoon, we will hop on one of the park's fleet of 1930s red buses and take a three- to four-hour tour up Going-to-the-Sun Road, the famous road that heads up and over the mountainous spine of the park.  Our chauffeur/tour guide will give us all sorts of fascinating information about the park. Dinner is just outside the park in the Belton Chalet, a historic lodge where each evening the staff lines up to greet the arriving train, just as they did in 1910 when it was the primary means of visiting the park.

DAY 3

This morning after breakfast our first stop is the bike shop where we will pick up bicycles for a morning ride. Our destination is Whitefish Lake, a 22-mile out-and-back ride on a paved, narrow forest service road. You can gaze at the lake views, waterfront homes, and streams feeding into the lake. If you wish, challenge yourself with a ride up to the base of nearby Whitefish Mountain ski area. Back in Whitefish, you will have time for lunch on your own as well as to explore the town's shops and art galleries. In the afternoon we will shuttle back to Whitefish Lake to see it from a different perspective - on the water - as we rent kayaks or stand-up paddleboards for a fun and leisurely paddle on the water. This evening our dinner is at Craggy Range, a modern "gastropub" with a nice patio and multiple fancy drink options.

DAY 4

Today we try two new activities. In the morning we visit a local horse outfitter for a ride in the scenic countryside surrounding Whitefish and Glacier. Your wrangler will set you up with a good horse that matches your experience level and then give you the basics on riding. Our ride is for all ability levels and is the classic way of seeing Montana scenery. In the afternoon we will shuttle to West Glacier for river rafting on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River just outside the park. With Class III rapids it is easy enough for novices but with enough whitewater to be fun for everyone. We'll return to Whitefish, have a little downtime, and then enjoy a final dinner at Logan's Grill in our hotel, featuring Montana steaks and fish dishes.

DAY 5

This morning we will take a final walk on the Whitefish Trail, an awesome community asset consisting of 10 trailheads and 36 plus miles of natural surface trail comprised of gated logging roads, scenic overlooks, single-track trails, and stacked loops. After our walk, we'll return to the hotel to shower, check out, and say our goodbyes.