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, […]
Sweathouse Falls Hike – Winter Edition
Sweathouse Falls has always been my favorite water in the Bitterroot Mountains with its stream falls off a sheer face. Another reason that this hike is among my favorites is its relatively little use (i.e. no people). This time around, Jeff and I hiked to the falls with a fresh layer of powder snow. As […]
Rattlesnake Recreation Area: Curry Cabin and Sawmill Gulch
Even though the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area is immediately adjacent to Missoula, it is an area that I have explored very seldom. Curry Cabin is a place that I have read about in the guidebooks and blog posts, but it was unvisited…until now that is. Curry Cabin lies at the head of Curry Gulch (imagine […]
Lake Como – Circumambulation
Lake Como, not the Italian one either, is nestled in the Rock Creek drainage in the Bitterroot Mountains. While actually a reservoir, Lake Como is nonetheless stunning, and the fact that there is a trail that encircles the entirety of the shoreline and a massive cascade at the west end of the lake makes this […]
Weir Hot Springs
Weir Hot Springs is the secret that is, well, not much of a secret with the locals folks and, increasingly, travelers. Located along Highway 12 in Idaho roughly 20 miles west of Lowell (known for the terrific Lochsa Lodge), the hot springs are roughly a mile hike along Weir Creek to several pools, although the […]
Bear Creek Falls
Late autumn hikes afford you the opportunity to capture the timeless nature of things. This is Bear Creek Falls in the Bitterroot Mountains, one of my personal favorite spots that can be reached in an afternoon. The trail follows Bear Creek on the south side as it alternatively cascades over boulders and peaceful sections that […]
Jerry Johnson Hot Springs
[sgpx gpx=”/wp-content/uploads/gpx/Jerry Johnson.gpx”] Jerry Johnson Hot Springs are located a tad over a mile from the Lochsa River in Idaho. The hike starts with a crossing of the Lochsa River, followed by a gentle hike along Warm Springs Creek. On this day, I had the entire place to myself from parking lot to the pools […]
Hike to Trapper Peak Summit
Trapper Peak dominates the skyline of the south portion of the Bitterroot Vally with its three jagged peaks. The tallest of these stands 10,157 feet above sea level, and ranks as the highest peak in the Bitterroot Range. This particular route is largely off-trail as it follows a ridge above Baker Lake to the summit.
Hiking Lee Ridge near Lolo Pass
Hiking the little used Lee Ridge Trail 295 starting at Lolo Pass at Packer’s Meadows is faint and steep, and the views and huckleberries are sweet.
Morel Picking along Big Spruce Creek
Out of wildfire comes a delicacy, the famed morel. Notice, I called it a morel, not a morel mushroom. Morels are fungi, but not a mushroom, technically. Anywho, the short hike up Big Spruce Creek goes through a burn that left the charred earth ideal for the growth of morels. [map style=”width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px […]
Through the post-fire forest of Blue Mountain
The Blue Mountain fire raged along the steep slopes a few years ago, and that apparent destruction has turned into a flourish of life. Mountain and Western Bluebirds patrol the naked spires of Douglas-fir and Ponderosa pine as Orange-crowned Warblers and Dark-eyed Juncos haunt the lower reaches. A warm May hike through this area is […]
Spring Sprung on the Fire Ecology Loop Trail
What is glorious day! Temperatures crept near 60 degrees and sun spread its warmth. Time to make the legs burn with 2015’s first “real” hike. I decided that the Fire Ecology Loop Trail in the Bass Creek/Larry Creek Area would be the perfect selection. The hike itself is relatively easy as it loops through a […]
Weir Hot Springs and a Wonderful Day
The intense sun is warming the landscape and the snow is receding up the mountainsides. It is that odd time of year when you can’t really hike up too far, but you really want outside in that sunshine. The solution take a relaxing drive over to the Lochsa and hike to Weir Hot Springs. The […]
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 […]