Glacier National Park Backpacking - Kintla to Bowman - September 2018

I traveled back to Glacier National Park in mid-September for the 'grand finale' hike of the 2018 season.
Just a few weeks before the trip the 'Boundary' fire started in the North Fork area, closing all the trails and backcountry campsites on my permit. I was 99% certain this trip wasn't going to happen so I made plans for an alternate trip to Pictured Rocks in Michigan. But then snow came to Glacier in early September, moderating the fires and smoke. It wasn't until two days before my flight that I made the final decision to make my destination Glacier.
Following the theme of my other 2018 hikes, this one had more than its share of 'adventure' - forest fires and smoke, cold temperatures combined with rain, sleet, ice pellets, snow, and wind... plus a bit of hypothermia. But it also had in abundance the indescribably breathtaking scenery that the backcountry of Glacier has to offer. And it provided what is certainly the most enjoyable night I've ever spent in a backcountry campsite on the last night in Bowman Lake campground.
For those who have watched my other videos this one is done in the same style - a little over an hour in length, intended to bring the audience along for the ride, and with a still picture slide show with music at the end. If you just have a few minutes skip to the end and enjoy the pictures.
Equipment / Gear List:
Still Camera: Nikon D810 with Nikkor 20mm f1.8 lens
Video Cameras: Canon Vixia G40 with Rode Stereo Videomic Pro
Video Editing Software: Vegas Pro 15
HDR Software: Aurora HDR 2018, PhotoMatix Pro v6
Video Stabilization Software: Mercalli SAL v4
Pack: ZPacks Arc Blast 52l
Shelter: ZPacks Hexamid Solo Plus
Slide show music - Acoustic Guitar 1, Happy Strummin', and Landras Dream - by Jason Shaw, AudioNautix. www.audionautix.com
Music around the fire at Bowman Lake by Jesse Chandler

[@WanderingFromKansas]

It feels like Christmas in September when David Gray drops a GNP video!

[@seanblack4749]

Dont understand how anyone gives a thumbs down.Miserable people.Thanks for another awesome video.

[@daphnesears2012]

Stunning scenery. Love your videos. Thank you!

[@mmccarthy7220]

That was excellent! Thank you for an awesome season finale!! Love your vids and HD pics.

[@joeymerryman7462]

I always enjoy watching your videos. Thanks David for another great one!

[@asiam7436]

Spectacular video and editing. I have this on my must go list. Thank you David!

[@nobodyhikes]

Damn, this was a great video. Thank you for sharing your adventures, DG!

[@ConsciousMechanism]

What a wonderful trip. I'm inspired beyond doubt. Thanks David!

[@roberttolbert8061]

Amazing pics there at the end! Stunning photography!

[@loonabella]

Thank you for sharing yet another AMAZING trip with all of us. You’re such an inspiration! Keep doing what you love and i can’t wait to see all those new adventures 💕

[@Edogawa1117]

Great vid. Thanks for taking us along. We really enjoyed it.

[@Sharonius54]

Another great video! Thanks for taking us along to witness GNP's incredible beauty!

[@gregr501]

What a breathtaking adventure, thank you so much for taking me along!

[@gacifres1]

Another great video! Thank you for letting us come along with you!

[@markmccullough5830]

These videos are getting me through this quarantine. Thank you for sharing your adventures.

[@justsmy5677]

Great video and scenery, awesome pics at the end. Thanks for taking us along on your trip!

[@ianmandel352]

Another Awesome Glacier Video !! i like the flashbacks from the 2014 trip ...also loved that vid with Christian ..thanks for sharing this beauty of a place !

[@michaelputnam7223]

Glacier is on my radar next couple of years. Thanks again David!

[@phebefriddle9133]

Once again fantastic footage and the Pics at the end were great!

[@omasadventures8236]

Thanks David for another great vid!

[@susanbrown2909]

Been waiting for David’s hike,always enjoy your hikes..Thanks David from uk.

[@paulbledsoe5943]

David your videos never fail to inspire me. What an amazing trip except the steep parts of the trail and freezing cold night. Thanks again for sharing your adventures.

[@wulgar9648]

What an incredible video. Thanks for sharing it. You are a class act.

[@daddydoc1952]

Love your vids. I envy your adventurism, and stamina. Great memories. thanks for sharing.

[@ThaiPham-vn9cz]

Thank you David, awesome video. Glacier Nat is my all time favorite place.

[@atlantaguy762]

I don't know David personally but I consider each of his videos a special gift. Thanks so much for sharing your journey with us. They always bring a smile to my face.

[@dippshow]

This was a great video! And an even more amazing trip! Well done sir!

[@vegasdavetv]

DAVID!!!!!! As you know gnp videos of yours is my favorite and since you told me you was going back many months ago I have been long waiting for this. you did not disappoint, great video brother, will watch it a few more times in the coming weeks I'm sure. thanks brother.

[@weekendcamper9544]

Been waiting a long time for this video. Great trip and great video! So much better without the mosquitos!

[@barb61]

WOW! Beautiful and spectacular just doesnt cover those views! Great video!

[@mss0130]

Amazing~ Wonderful~ Thank you David.

[@dannyslaughter4845]

What a great way to spend an hour on this frosty Idaho panhandle morning, thank you for your time and the effort taken to share your trip with us.

[@tommy1585]

Really love the tracks you take. Also love your channel and the scenery beautiful lakes.

[@ThomasSteves]

I always get excited when I see another David Gray video pop up. Tough year though, glad you had a couple of seconds of sunshine this time. Great video, sensational pictures, of course!

[@ManzanoManATVAdventures]

Thank you for taking the time to film your trips. I appreciate every second of time you put into your videos. What a beautiful area to backpack. Well done! On a recent camp trip and on a backpacking trip I had a similar encounter with a brave deer. My first encounter I was on a solo when a deer popped into camp after dark. He keep coming towards me and it was unsettling. The second time on the backpacking trip a rather large buck made the same approach and was not afraid at all.

[@gabrielameza8350]

Inspirational, thank you, David.

[@warrenonthetrail1869]

How inspiring! Man I love your trips. Great video of stunning views. I am getting started in backpacking and hope to do Glacier someday. Thanks for sharing and keep the amazing videos coming.

[@dianemarley955]

I always look forward to your adventures and learn a few things too. Thank you for sharing : )

[@loonabella]

Mr. Gray. Thank you SO much for sharing your adventures. I’m always blown away and I can’t get to get time off from work and go hiking with my husband ♥️. Keep those videos coming. My husband and I are super fans 🤗

[@hurtlockerish]

DG thank you for your perseverance in hiking this beast and video editing. Beautiful! I know it was really hard, really really hard, and you had the physical and mental endurance to survive and complete this endeavor. You are strong and amazing. Please keep hiking and filming.... you have taught us many things and make us all better for it!

[@stanthemanhikes2965]

Hi David some great shots of the spectacular views. I know the cold/damp weather must have been tough but I think probably worth it to get the great colors with the fall foliage. Thanks so much for taking us along with you.

[@carlyc2242]

Hey! Coming from someone who's hiked Glacier a lot, RESPECT for toughing out the cold long nights on this trip. it takes a thick skin to continue on. You're amazing, thanks for giving us these videos!

[@flyingwood2342]

Great job man from a fellow Hoosier! This is definitely on my "when I retire" bucket list!

[@adamholbrook2281]

Heck of a trip! Looks like a must do. Glad it went as well as it did for you. Thank you for sharing.

[@Jxckers]

Clicked on the video and ended up staying for the whole thing! Really great video man!

[@tomblair4688]

So enjoy all your backpacking trip videos. My wife and I visited Glacier NP for the first time only one week after you were here! It was fantastic. Keep those backpacking videos coming.

[@Starscreamlive]

I always enjoy the photo montage at the end of all your videos. Beautiful shots!

[@JayHill615]

This was a great reminder of the reality of cold weather. It can be a real task to stay warm. Loooong night. Thanks

[@Butchrknife]

Thanks David for sharing your Glacier backpack trip with US hiking peeps! Glad you didn't freeze. I myself have been under bagged for a frigid nite in a tent praying for day light to come. Happy Trails Around Seattle out!!!

[@2690Aschill]

Fantastic as usual David!!

[@Def_II]

I'm watching this from The Netherlands. You really captured the beauty and the feel of the trip. Singin' along with the campfire songs had a nice vibe. Thanks for the vid!

[@barbarataychert4910]

Fantastic phrase. - I feel like I'm walking in a painting.

[@davidgrayin]

I've hiked in a lot of spectacular areas, but there are only three places that have really made me feel that way - Glacier, the Sierras, and the Four Pass Loop. And that's exactly what it feels like - you sit and look out at the scenery and it's almost impossible to comprehend that 'real' places like that exist.

[@bereantrb]

Great trip. First of your videos I’ve seen. Looking forward to watching more. Well done.

[@darlawebber2524]

Thanks for sharing adventures that a lot of us my never get to experience!!!

[@rogermueller9143]

you rock.you are happy in even the worst situation and your vids show why.you make me want to go. you should have a million subscriptions!

[@theamerican7131]

Thanks for sharing your trip. It was very interesting. Pine Marten and the small walking bridge was funny.

[@Oldsparkey]

That is really some , undesirable , beautiful territory. Thank you for filming and sharing it with us. Watching you freezing and wishing for warmer weather makes me smile. Here in Florida I'm sweating and wishing for cooler weather. What a difference some miles and a location makes. For a cool mornings breakfast , Mountain House Biscuits and Gravy. It's good just the way they have it but some dehydrated sausage crumbles added to it doesn't hurt anything.

[@susanbrown2909]

Amazing pictures..we are truly blessed with a beautiful earth..

[@woodyhudson4047]

Great video! Great memories! Thanks.

[@WeaponsMachinist]

Great video of your hike. I turn up my display brightness for the spectacular photography. Thx!

[@jasonsadler7020]

Great video and thanks for sharing. I backpacked from Chief Mountain TH to Bowman Lake TH in September 2015. This video brought back a lot of memories. The funny thing is, I used your 2014 video to prep for my hike. Good stuff!

[@jayday65]

Great pictures and video thanks for sharing your trip with us!!

[@naturallyadriftphotoadvent123]

Every time I come across photos or videos of Glacier my response is "I wanna hug it!" My husband has come to know that when he hears that phrase while I'm on the computer it has something to do with Glacier National Park! I was worried you wouldn't be able to get there because of the fire but wow what an awesome adventure minus the hypo-thermic night of course. That evening around the campfire and live music was awesome made me wish I was there (I was probably in Acadia National Park then)! Always excited to see your adventures and photos can't wait til the next great adventure and glad you're safe and sound!

[@iblaze622]

Thank you for recording and sharing.

[@JaredAlger]

I had permits for the same trip. I was gonna start on September 3rd but Kintla was closed so I canceled and went to the Maroon Bells and did the four pass loop instead. I'm glad things worked out for your trip. Great video!

[@52daytripper]

another beautiful and inspiring video of enjoying the beauty of nature, thank you David Grey; man that fire by the lake with sparks going up, that was like heaven

[@davidgrayin]

Totally agree about the campfire at Bowman. Best night in the backcountry I've ever spent.

[@steveforsythe9264]

Really really enjoyed this hike David, and there is nothing like some real music around the fire. Cheers!!

[@OutLan]

Glacier is on the top of my backpacking bucket list. I'm trying to figure out a window of time to make it out there. Thanks for sharing this incredible experience with us.

[@bigskycharlie]

I watched entire video, thanks for sharing, were planning our trip for this season, I live 100 miles from ready glacier, totally blessed to be in my backyard. Showing my wife to get her excited about backpacking. I have gear and more gear. Thanks for inspiration.

[@peggyrobertson5132]

Nice trip beautiful iam jealous wished I was back up there.did the going to the sun road back late 70s. This magical place & the redwoods my favorite.thanks 4 sharing keep on keeping on

[@MarkFugel]

Simply...beautiful

[@Skfoster64]

Spent a night at Upper Kintla in 1988. Great seeing it again. My backpacking days are over. Thanks!

[@justmare111]

Another great video, David Gray! Thank you for taking me along to share the beauty that I would never see otherwise. Bummer the weather wasn't more pleasant -- don't know how you actually deal with being cold and wet like that. Looking forward to your next video. :)

[@RuralMontanaLiving]

After all the apprehension in the weeks before, I'm happy for you that the trip came to fruition. Another great trip and video. Thanks for bringing us along. While the weather made for some uncomfortable conditions, it gives you the excuse to buy new gear!

[@davidgrayin]

The new gear - sleeping bag at least - is already on order! Actually, I washed my 'old' sleeping bag in Granger's Down Wash (great stuff) and it is now 'good as new' - or at least a lot better than it was. I had never washed it in the 10 years I've owned it, thinking it required special laundering that I couldn't do, and the accumulation of sweat, salt, oils, etc. were what was causing the down to 'clump', etc. But I still bought a warmer bag, to give me more options when it's really cold (don't want to go through something like that night at Boulder Pass again).

[@clownpaws]

Fantastic video David! Really enjoy riding side saddle on your hiking trips!

[@cgriggsiv]

It has been way too long since you created a video of your hiking I gave you a thumbs up even though I have not yet watched the whole thing in full I must go and do my grocery shopping and some errands then I will sit back and watch this again thank you very much love your vids

[@joehikes5855]

Very nice video. That hike is on my bucket list for sure.

[@tonyburnettsr8851]

Love your pictures at the end & your videos are great! , backpacked with 2 of 4 sons. I'll be 70 yrs old in January

[@keepsie35]

Enjoying your videos. You're inspiring my next trip.

[@santacruzax]

Beautiful scenery and another great trip for you with plenty of weather variety. Well, at least there were no clouds of mosquitoes! As always, thanks for taking us down the trip with you!

[@davidgrayin]

Actually, as I was editing the video I was kicking myself for not using that exact quote at some point while I was at Boulder Pass CG. Missed opportunity for 'comic relief' for sure!

[@prestonwcooper]

Thanks for posting this on my birthday! It was a great surprise to wake up to :)

[@darlawebber2524]

What an awesome video. Gave me chills hearing singing around camp fire

[@davidgrayin]

Yeah... I know. That was a rough section of the video to edit because I had over 2 hours of raw video of that night to go through, and eventually get down to the few minutes I used (I captured all that video because as the night unfolded I realized how special it was, and originally planned on doing an entire separate video of just 'the music at Bowman', but the audio quality for much of it wasn't that great - learned a hard lesson about placing a roaring campfire between the camera and the artist!). It took a lot of editing time, but when I finally arrived upon the end product it gave me chills too... and I said to myself 'nailed it'!. I love that part of the video, and it will give me special personal memories for the rest of my life. It was truly a great evening around the fire.

[@nicksullivan3574]

Glad to see you back David, always look forward to your hikes :)

[@davidgrayin]

Thank you. This is a good one - I think you'll enjoy it. I did do a Colorado trip in August but we had some illness issues that caused us to cut the backpacking to only 4 miles. But I still plan to publish the video I do have, probably in October (just wanted to get Glacier out first). Hope you enjoy the Glacier video.

[@williammills9236]

Your videos are awesome and always have been . And Glacier Nation park is truly magnificent. I just wish we had something like it over here in the UK. Really enjoyed this video and the evening camp fire music . Hope it's not long before you make another video Best wishes. Billy

[@kerryhazel9293]

Beautiful Adventure. Thank you for sharing. Your third night with an instant trail family is what makes for unforgetable memories. Those are the trail nights I hope to encounter as I continue my adventures.

[@davidgrayin]

Yes, those are the kind of nights I just love, and they're made even more special when you're hiking solo and rarely seeing anyone else. And that one was really amazing because I had gone from what was certainly the worst night I've ever spent backpacking to the best night I've ever spent backpacking in a two day span (quite the emotional roller coaster!). There are very few backcountry campsites at Glacier that allow campfires, so many variables had to line up just right to make that night happen... but I'm sure glad they did.

[@danamichelleallen1357]

Your videos are amazing Dave! My fiancé and I have really been enjoying them! Thank you.

[@user-nt7hl3tv3l]

Been scrolling through youtube for the past couple days, Had a feeling you'd be uploading a new video!! Yessss!

[@DONL61016]

Awesome =Thanks for sharing your adventure!

[@KatWoman_]

I've been waiting for this:) I said to myself that it would probably come out this weekend. Looking forward to watching it now after a long night shift.

[@MichaelF1026]

awesome adventure, thanks for sharing your experience hiking GNP. I can't wait to hike it my first time this year.

[@paulab9363]

Wow. I did almost the same backpacking trip in 1978. Kintla Lake to Boulder Pass, but then I believe we went back down to Kintla Lake. I remember it was a 5 day trip. I think it was in August, so weather was pretty good. Beautiful, beautiful country. Thanks for bringing back some memories.

[@srameypr]

Wow, just wow! Amazing hike and amazing photos at the end! You were not only walking in a painting, you were walking in an Albert Bierstadt painting!!!

[@alienpinkbird]

Nice cool woods in the morning, coffee and a few friends just chillin by the fire💕

[@DiscerningWhatisTrue]

Enjoy this very much on your trip to Glacier!!

[@OneEyeHikes]

Kudos David for a simple yet inspiring backpacking video! I finished the 4 pass loop last week with a buddy by the way! Awesome time of year to be in the mountains!!! Thanks again for your dedication and content in ur vlogs!

[@davidgrayin]

Yes, it is a great time to be in the mountains, especially in Colorado with the aspens. My wife Lori and son Christian are together in Colorado this week, and did some hiking in the Vail area. The pictures they sent back with the aspens at peak color were amazing. I can only imagine what the Four Pass Loop looked like for your trip! I have to do a Colorado backpacking trip in late September sometime.

[@jasonmears9034]

Another amazing video David. Very well done. What a beautiful place!!! Really love your insights and sense of humor on every adventure. Keep up the great work. This East Tennessee boy is gonna have to make a trip out west sometime..lol.

[@meandkg]

Looks beautiful

[@wisemantle8885]

That is amazing. Wish we had scenery like that

[@dustinjames4530]

David thank you for the hard work on these videos as you said in the video. 5hrs of work for 1hr of final product is not easy. So it is much appreciated.

[@davidgrayin]

It is a lot of work, but I really enjoy it (truly a 'labor of love') and it's worth the effort. I typically count on about 1 hour of editing for every hour that I'm actually hiking on the trails, and that proved about right for this video. I actually ended up with a little over 7 hours of raw video for this trip, a 'record' by about two hours for me, and this produced almost exactly 1 hour of finished video (plus 8 minutes or so of slide show). Thank you for the nice feedback.

[@drewskihikes5981]

Great video!! Thanks for sharing mang🤘