Normally, I think of Mount Sentinel has the M with its constant flow of folks making their way to the whitewashed concrete letter, but Mount Sentinel is a large area with an extensive network of trails. On a sunny day, Vida and I decided to tackle the slope from Pengelly Ridge to the top, and we (for the most) had the trail to ourselves. Pengelly Ridge is largely a grass-covered slope that steeply ascends to the apex of the mountain. Once we reached the top, we continued down the Missoula-facing slope to the top of the M, and from here we took the Mount Sentinel Fire trail to our starting point. The most interesting feature on this hike is the copper mine, yep a copper mine was active on the slopes of Mount Sentinel in the 1890s. Not exactly the Richest Hill on Earth (that’s in Butte), the mine seems to have been a short-lived venture.

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Great hike on grassy slopes of Mount Sentinel
Great hike on grassy slopes of Mount Sentinel
Starting the Pengelly Ridge trail
Starting the Pengelly Ridge trail
Marker at the highest shoreland of Glacial Lake Missoula
Marker at the highest shoreland of Glacial Lake Missoula
Interesting paint rock at the base of a pine
Interesting paint rock at the base of a pine
Vida climbing...again
Vida climbing…again
Top of Pengelly Ridge
Top of Pengelly Ridge
Mount Sentinel Summit
Mount Sentinel Summit
Lone ponderosa pine on the slopes above the M
Lone ponderosa pine on the slopes above the M
Coming down the Sentinel Summit trail
Coming down the Sentinel Summit trail
University of Montana campus and Missoula
University of Montana campus and Missoula
Entrance to the 1890 copper mine
Entrance to the 1890 copper mine
Vida just had to explore the old mine shaft
Vida just had to explore the old mine shaft
Melissa Blue
Melissa Blue
Mount Sentinel Fire Road trail crosses the face of the slope
Mount Sentinel Fire Road trail crosses the face of the slope
Racer on the trail...first one of the year
Racer on the trail…first one of the year

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