Page 58 - Flathead Beacon // 9.7.16

EXPLORE SIYEH PASS LOOP
BY JUSTIN FRANZ
WITH FALL JUST AROUND the corner, September is the ideal time to get in one more hike before Glacier National Park starts to limit access for the winter. The Siyeh Pass Loop is a 10.4- mile hike that starts at Siyeh Bend and takes visitors up and over the pass before descending a long valley on the way to Sunrift Gorge. Among the highlights of the hike is the pass itself, where stunning views of the eastern part of the park will unfold before you.
Back in the 1920s, the Glacier Park Hotel Company placed an old Great Northern Railway locomotive bell at the top of the pass so that hikers could ring it upon their arrival. The bell was later removed but the pile of rocks it once sat on remains. Continuing from the pass, you’ll travel through a long valley with views of the Sexton Gla- cier high above. The nal few miles of the trail take hikers through the scar of the 2015 Reynolds Creek Fire.
As always, visit www.nps.gov/glac for the latest trail conditions.
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SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
View from the Siyeh Pass Loop. JUSTIN FRANZ | FLATHEAD BEACON