Trapper Peak – Highest Summit in the Bitterroot Mountains
Trapper Peak, sitting at 10,157 feet, is the highest of the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana. This summit is probably the most well-known mountain in the Bitterroot Mountains, if for no other reason, simply because it has the highest summit. Dominating Darby, Montana, Trapper Peak is accessed via the West Fork of Bitterroot River, and, in […]
Hiking to Canyon Lake – Revisiting a Challenge
Canyon Lake, a trail that seemed to almost kill us the last time we hike it. The last mile to the lake had my knees sounding like rusty hinges and my legs shaking. I still remember the sore legs for several days after that hike. So, why do it again and see what happens. To […]
Fish Lake – Another hike in the Lost Horse Country
From the Bear Creek Pass Trailhead, several great hikes spread into the Lost Horse Country, and the trail to Fish Lake is exceptional. Starting out, we hiked through a mixture of forest and boulder fields until we reached a junction in the path. By this time we were solidly within the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area. Continuing […]
Hiking to Little Rock Creek Lake
The best hikes, like this one to Little Rock Creek Lake, are always those spur of the moment, look at the map, and go. “Let’s go for a hike.” “Never done Little Rock Creek Lake.” “Let’s do it!” And with that, we were off to the Little Rock Creek trailhead, located above Lake Como to the […]
Bear Creek Falls (low-flow version)
It has been awhile since we have been to Bear Creek Falls, so why not a quick hike to the cascade and see how it looks without any rain in a month and a half. Arriving at the falls in less than an hour, the chasm contained only a trickle of water compared to the raging […]
Day Hike to Coquina Lake in the Lost Horse Country
Nestled in a tight basin, Coquina Lake is a true gem of a day hike in the Lost Horse country of the Bitterroot Mountains. I have fallen in love with the Lost Horse country, which I have not hiked until this summer (next hike will be the Spruce Lake). From the Bear Creek Pass trailhead, […]
Hiking to Castle Rock – Blue Joint Wilderness Study Area
Located within the Blue Joint Wilderness Study Area, Castle Rock is easily one of the most recognizable features in the Magruder Corridor. The bare prominence stands boldly above the ridge that stems southward from Nez Perce Pass. The actual “castle” of Castle Rock is a mass of porphyritic andesite, a highly durable volcanic stone. So, […]
Hike to Glen Lake (with extension to No Name Lake)
Through a forest of gray spires, the hike to Glen Lake offered us the immense vistas of the Bitterroot Mountains. I have also enjoyed the Glen Lake hike as it is relatively easy and a cruise. The biggest plus is the short additional hike to No Name Lake, a small, shallow pond that sits in […]
Camas Lake in the Bitterroots
Hiking into Camas Lake is one of the most enjoyable hikes in the Bitterroot Mountains. The nearly 3 miles to the first lake features some great stream crossings under a dense canopy. The trail switchbacks up a slope that has massive slabs of granite. Reaching the lake, we immediately noticed numerous trout jumping at a […]
Mill Creek Falls, Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness
Ah…Tuesday morning and time for hike with good buddy Jeff. Today’s target trail is the Mill Creek to a 60 foot waterfall with an excellent swimming hole at its base (no swimming today, weenie mode). This trail is an absolute gem with a continuous rock wall on the north side of the drainage, and open […]
Kootenai Creek on a cool morning
Kootenai Creek is probably the most used trail in the northern portion of the Bitterroot Range, but if you wake up 0 dark thirty, you can beat the crowd (okay, crowd is an over-statement, 12 people). This morning I had the place to myself, save for Olivia at my heels. Ground is covered quickly on […]
Sweathouse Creek
Sweathouse Creek is one of the less visited and most picturesque drainages along the east side of the Bitterroot Range. The trail becomes strewn with boulders and downed timber on the upper reaches of the route. These difficulties pale in comparison to the views of both of the Sweathouse Creek waterfalls. The Lower Sweathouse Falls […]
Glen Lake Hike or the 5.4 Mile Hurdles
[map style=”width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;” maptype=”TERRAIN” z=”14″ gpx=”http://radleyice.com/wp-content/uploads/Glen Lake.gpx”] The trail that leads to Glen Lake weaves mostly through the remains of the Gash Creek Fire, which fiercely burned through the lodgepole pines. The fire left almost every tree standing as a ghostly spire, and many of those […]
Hiking along Saint Mary Peak
[map style=”width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;” maptype=”TERRAIN” z=”15″ gpx=”http://radleyice.com/wp-content/uploads/Saint Mary Peak ridge.gpx”] On Saturday morning, I went for a quick hike on the Saint Mary Peak Lookout trail. I left the house relatively earlier in the AM, and had the trail to myself the whole morning. I truly enjoy […]
Blodgett Canyon of the Bitterroot Range
Blodgett Canyon is filled with the enticing aromas of shiny-leaf ceanothus and wild rose that hang heavy in the rapidly warming air of a June day. Pale swallowtails and Rufous Hummingbirds flit and hover at the technicolor sex organs of the flowers. Sheer granite walls rise some 2000 feet above our heads as we set […]