Bearhat Mtn (Glacier NP)- August 28, 2026

Kercher Glacier Classic

Participants: Tony LeBaron, Local Legend Paul Jensen, Dori Gilels, Josiah Niesley, Emily Sullivan

Four of us caught the 7 AM shuttle from St. Mary visitor center to Logan Pass. The revamped 2026 Glacier Park shuttle experience was pleasant: prompt, efficient, and with plenty of seating on the bus. We arrived at Logan Pass around 7:50, where Emily was waiting for us, having taken an earlier shuttle from the west side of the park. With the team now fully assembled, we started hiking the 3-ish miles to Hidden Lake. No wildlife sightings per se, but observing the humans along this popular trail is always a treat! Once at Hidden Lake, the official trail ended and we did our best to follow a social trail along the shore. Soon enough, we were hiking straight up the side of the mountain to reach a rock chimney. Climbing in or near the chimney was pretty smooth going, with some fun Class 3 moves needed to ascend. After a brief attempt at a sketchy sidehill traverse over loose scree, we retreated to the safety of the chimney and continued up that way, topping out around noon. We had "put the hat on the bear" as they say! I'd been eyeing this iconic peak for years and was grateful to share the climb with such a fun crew. The weather was perfect, so we lingered on the summit to eat lunch and enjoy Dori's oatmeal raisin M&M cookies. We went back down the same way we came and caught the shuttle back to St. Mary. Crucially, we were back at camp in time to enjoy Mark Albrecht's famous (legendary?) tacos and hang out around the campfire. Stellar day, amazing crew, perfect weather, no complaints! Tony LeBaron