Hi all, I am trying to make arrangements to get a permit for GNP, campsites, getting around etc. I have spend so much time on this already and I still can't figure it out (one of my goals for doing the CDT is to worry less, plan or control life less; I am off to a good start :-)

What stresses me out is that camp sites in St. Mary are already almost fully reserved, hotels are super expensive, even shuttle services cry out that one better make reservations well ahead of time. There goes the spontaneity.

I will be arriving in East Glacier on June 8 around 9:30am fully loaded with supply. Should there be too much snow, I will hang around until it's feasible to start. But let's assume, that snow levels would allow for an early start, and all I would need is to get the permit. I would have a few questions:

  1. Is it feasible to arrive on a morning in East Glacier get a shuttle (e.g. with Rhonda and Chief Mountain Cab) and show up a the visitor's centre early afternoon and get a permit for the next day or even same day (just a short trip to one of the first camp sites in the park)
  2. If I had to stay overnight in St. Mary and camp sites are full, are there any good alternatives (I know there's another one but charges 60USD for a simple tent which I consider a quite aggressive price tag)

What arrangements did you make for a SOBO start at Chief Mountain?

Any insights are appreciated...