Mount Gould (MT)

The Classic Calendar Picture from Many Glacier(the NE)
Photo by csmcgranahan

View back to Many Glacier from the summit.

Overview

From the SW. Gould's place on the Garden Wall.

Mount Gould is located about 3 miles north of Logan Pass in Glacier National Park. It is the highest point along the Garden Wall, which rises above the Going-to-the-Sun Road. From the west, the mountain is neither very impressive nor photogenic. It just appears as a broad high portion of the Garden Wall. However, from the east, Mount Gould is very impressive rising above Lake Josephine and Grinnell Lake. From this angle it is possibly one of the most photographed peaks in Glacier National Park, appearing on almost every calendar of Park scenes.

The broad west face has a surprisingly easy route - if care and patience are exercised. The northwest ridge is somewhat more difficult, and extremely difficult routes exist on the shear northeast and east faces.

From the north.

The views from the summit are especially rewarding because of Mount Gould's central location and the fact that no larger peaks block the view of any large parts of the Park.

The mountain is named for G. R. Gould of Santa Barbara, California, a hunting companion of G. B. Grinnell who was one of the leading figures in the establishment of Glacier National Park.

The first recorded ascent of Mount Gould was made via the West Face Route in 1920 by Frank B. Wynn, Harry R. Horn, Henry H. Goddard, and party.

Getting There

From the southeast.

Glacier National Park is located in northwestern Montana. Going-to-the-Sun Road is the main scenic route through the Park and the way to Logan Pass and the west side of Mount Gould. It is not kept open during the winter. Closing in the fall and opening in the spring depends on snow depth and conditions. Opening can be as late as July.

Current Road Status

A map of the Logan Pass area: Logan Pass Area Map

Access to the north and east sides of Mount Gould is through the Swiftcurrent Valley accessed via the Many Glacier road. This road is also not maintained during the winter, but opens much earlier than Going-to-the-Sun.

The status of the Many Glacier Road can be checked at: Park Road Info

A map of the Many Glacier area: Many Glacier Area Map

Views from Mount Gould

To the north.

To the south.

To the southeast.

Red Tape

Current Entrance Fees

Registration for day climbs in Glacier National Park is recommended, but not mandatory.

Outdoor Activity Page Includes links to boating, bicycling, fishing, etc. and the regulations applying to each.

Routes Overview

GUIDEBOOK: A CLIMBER'S GUIDE TO GLACIER NATIONAL PARK; J. Gordon Edwards

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Because of the nature of the rock, there are special considerations regarding climbing in Glacier National Park, and grading systems unique to the Park have been developed. Please see this Fact Sheet for further details:

GNP Rock & Grading Systems

Edwards describes four routes on Mount Gould.

FROM THE WEST:

Access to both routes from the west is either along the Highland Trail north from Logan Pass or via a short cut to the Highland Trail from the parking area just above the Weeping Wall.
 

West Face.

1) West Face Route, Edwards Glacier Park Class 3, GMS III(3)MM

This is the easiest route to the summit and ascends the broad west face of the mountain. The distance to the start is about 4 miles along the Highland Trail or shorter but with more elevation gain via the short cut from the road. The main difficulty is getting through the cliffs of the diorite sill low on the mountain . The way through is fairly obvious from below, but not from above. Once above the diorite sill, a multitude of route variations exist with nothing harder than class 3 if care is taken.

NE Face.
NW Ridge is right skyline. (from the notch)

A detailed route description is included in CLIMB GLACIER NATIONAL PARK Volume 1


2) Northwest Ridge Route, Edwards Glacier Park Class 3 with one Class 4 pitch, GMS III(4)MM

This route leads to notch on the north side of the mountain above Gem Glacier and from there up the NW Ridge. There is one class 4 cliff very low on the route then nothing more difficult than class 3 if one is careful. It is very easy to stray from the easiest route onto class 4 & 5 cliffs.

FROM THE EAST:

3) Northeast Face Route, Edwards Glacier Park Class 5

Access to this route is via the Grinnel Glacier trail. The route up the face is complicated and extremely exposed.

4) East Face Route, Edwards Glacier Park Class 6 (?)

A route on the east face is vaguely described from a letter to Edwards quoted in the climbing guide. You can read it and decide if you believe it or not before taking on this tremendous face.

When to Climb

Foreshortened view of West Face with snow.

June, July, August, September, and even into October depending on the amount of snow and the road closures.

Mountain Conditions

Weather Page an overview with a link to the local forecast.

Webcam Page

Camping

There is no camping at Logan Pass.

There are numerous campgrounds available within Glacier National Park:

Backcountry Camping Page</a Includes trail status reports, campground availability, daily backcountry bulletins, and a backcountry blog.

Car Camping Page

There are also many campgrounds just outside the Park on both the west and east sides.

Camping on the Blackfeet Reservation is restricted to established campgrounds only.

External Links

Glacier National Park Homepage

Glacier Mountaineering Society

Non-government Glacier National Park Information

Mount Gould from the north. The Northeast Face faces the camera.The Northwest Ridge is the right skyline.(from the notch)Photo by BISHLER