Sunrift Gorge approach to Siyeh Pass a challenging ascent

There are two main approaches to Siyeh Pass, one of them involving 1,000 feet less elevation gain than the other. Smart people take the easy approach.

The easy approach starts out at Siyeh Bend and branches off of the Piegan Pass Trail, permitting an easy ascent – just 2,240 of gain over 4.3 miles – along the northern side of Matahpi Peak. I did not take the easy approach.

Feeling that I needed more of a challenge, I decided to launch out from Sunrift Gorge, east of Matahpi Peak, along a route that entails a 3,440-foot gain in elevation over 5.6 miles. I knew, before I had hiked the first couple of miles, that this was probably not the most intelligent decision I have ever made.

I have always judged my hikes by the standard-setting Mount Brown trail, which gains no less than 4,325 feet over 5.3 miles just getting to the lookout and a knee-pounding 4,325 feet of loss for the same distance on the return trip. Having successfully completed the hike – with three children, no less – I usually tell myself, "It can't be worse than Mount Brown."

I don't want to say that Siyeh Pass from Sunrift Gorge is worse than Mount Brown, especially if you start early and avoid the blistering sun that is certain to torment you for the entirety of your trek should you begin – as I did – in the afternoon. This is owing to the fact that the route offers absolutely no shade once the sun becomes visible. There were times when I felt certain I could have made that assertion.

I had already huffed and sweated my way up well over three miles before coming to the real ascent, which involves more switchbacks than I had the stamina to count. It dawned on me that, although I had passed countless hikers on their way to Sunrift Gorge from the Siyeh Bend approach, I had not spotted a single individual on the trail headed toward Siyeh Pass from Sunrift Gorge, nor could I see anyone hiking up behind me when I looked back.

Looking up at the saddle above me, at the high point of the trail, I muttered to myself, "There's a reason why nobody goes this way."

To be honest, there is much to be said for hiking this route, and I kept telling myself that as I went. It is not always easy to appreciate it when your goal seems so far away. The problem is that you can see your destination for almost the entire hike, and at times it looks a lot more like 10 miles up than five and a half.

As long as you keep in mind that it is not as far as it looks, the beauty that actually surrounds you remains incredibly striking, and you get to look at it from angles that most hikers who come from the other direction never get to appreciate, unless they keep stopping to look back.

After a short but steep ascent along Sunrift Gorge, the Siyeh Pass Trail breaks through the trees, coming out into a stunning view of Matahpi Peak and the Baring Creek drainage with Going-to-the-Sun Mountain towering over you for a good portion of the trail. For the most part, these views just get better and better the further you climb.

The trail follows Baring Creek through some read rock formations, accompanied by small cascades and the sound of water.

Baring Creek lies at the bottom of the many falls that careen down the side of the mountain from Sexton Glacier, which rests in a large cleft of the mountain beneath Matahpi Peak. The falls, glacier and the 9,365-foot Matahpi Peak become closer and more breathtaking as you progress toward the ridgeline and Siyeh Pass, which lies beyond it.

A couple of warnings, however, may be important to mention. Early on in the hike, a trail breaks off to the right. Stay left. At the top of the hill above Baring Creek, another trail breaks off to the left. Once again, hikers intending to reach Siyeh Pass should stay left. There's no need to add more miles to an already difficult trail.

After hiking for what may seem like an eternity, hikers finally come to the real challenge of the hike when taking the approach from Sunrift Gorge.

Below the ridge, hikers are greeted by a series of switchbacks that can be both steep and strenuous after the long hike getting to them.

Like the portion of trail that is now behind, the switchbacks may also seem to go on forever.

The good news is that each one offers a better view of Sexton Glacier and Matahpi Peak and, near the top, you are almost certain to encounter some mountain goats. I hiked within feet of a family of goats, a couple of which stood right beside the trail until I approached them.

A large cairn signals that you reached the high point of the trail, around 8,150 feet above sea level, making this the highest maintained trail in Glacier National Park. From here, hikers enjoy an almost endless view to the northeast, into the Boulder Creek Valley.

Hiking west, the 10,014-foot Mount Siyeh dominates the scenery and forms the backdrop for the descent down the slope above Siyeh Pass and into the area referred to as Preston Park. The descent from Siyeh Pass – or at least the point with the best overlook of Siyeh Pass, since the pass remains below you at an elevation of 7,750 feet – entails another 4.7 miles of hiking and a shuttle ride back to Sunrift Gorge, where you left your vehicle.

There is also some exploring that can be done once you reach the top of the trail, but the one thing that every hiker should do is find a scenic and comfortable spot to rest, grab lunch and re-hydrate. I can honestly say that I was drenched by the time it reached this point, having hiked more than 3,400 feet and 5.6 miles uphill in the hottest part of the afternoon, so my electrolytes definitely needed a boost.

Although I enjoyed my hike and the subsequent side-trips, coming from Sunrift Gorge and traveling west around Going-to-the-Sun Mountain and Matahpi Peak instead of east, I think I will definitely take my friends on the opposite route from Siyeh Bend—that is, unless they are just aching for real workout.