Exploring the Bob's Birch Creek

While Glacier National Park boasts more than 700 miles of trails, the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex has a whopping 1,700 miles. One could wander the Bob for a lifetime and not see everything — two lifetimes, really.

Last week, I chose a chunk of the Bob in the northeast end and made a four-day loop hike from the South Fork of Birch Creek to the North Fork of Birch Creek. The North Fork marks a portion of the Bob’s northern border. The North Fork trail is outside the wilderness, the creek itself is the boundary.

The hike started at Swift Reservoir, followed the South Fork to the East Fork of Strawberry Creek, up Strawberry Creek to the North Fork. Along the way, I crossed the Continental Divide twice, photographed numerous bird species, watched a black bear eat buffalo berries and woke up more than once to a sky filled with billions of stars.

Unlike Glacier Park, there was no annoying helicopter traffic or the din of motorcycles. All told, the journey is about 36 miles, but one day I set up a base camp and wandered into Gateway Gorge, home to a surprising number of pikas, golden-mantled ground squirrels and a pair of golden eagles. The wandering added roughly seven miles to the journey.

Hunting is allowed in most of the Bob, so the wildlife is more wary of humans than in Glacier Park. A mule deer tramped around camp at Big River Meadows, but a mountain goat I ran into shot like lightning into the trees when it saw me.

Most visitors get around the Bob by horseback. There are no designated camp sites, but outfitters have clearly made camps along the way. The sites usually have a suitable tree for hanging a pack and invariably have water for stock.

I took a bear-resistant food canister so I could camp on higher ridges and passes without worrying about hanging a pack. It worked out well but the canister is heavy — about three pounds empty.

The region is rough and rocky and beautiful. There are several stream crossings along the route, so either take an extra pair of lightweight shoes or ride a horse. The water wasn’t high enough to be a bother.

The trails were in good shape, but don’t expect trail signs with clearly marked mileage along the way. The signs in the Bob are made of wood and often pinned to trees. They show which way to go but only once in a while indicate distances.