Avalanche Lake, Glacier National Park

Date: 6-15-15
Miles: 7.2
Elevation Gain: 800

Because the Going-to-the-Sun Road was closed at Logan Pass we were limited to hiking on the West side of Glacier National Park during this trip.  One of the most popular hikes in this area is Avalanche Lake. It has minimal elevation gain and great scenery. The first portion of the hike travels through a beautiful forest of Western Red Cedars, Hemlocks, and Douglas Fir trees. This type of forest only occurs in the Lake MacDonald Valley due to the high rainfall here. It is more reminiscent of the forests on the Western slopes of the Cascade Mountains in Washington rather the Northern Rockies.

Avalanche Lake

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Apgar Mountain Fire Tower

Date: 6-15-15

Miles: 7.2

Elevation Gain: 1,800 ft

We rented a cabin at Apgar Village and had taken a canoe trip earlier in the day. You can see the Apgar Mountains from most areas in the Lake MacDonald Valley and this trailhead was very close to where we were staying. Despite the easy access, this is one of the lesser visited areas of Glacier National Park. I started the hike around 5:00pm and finished shortly before dark. It was a perfectly clear day and the views were amazing. The trail starts off along an old roadbed through the forest. The first half mile is the only part of the trail with large trees. 

Looking East at Lake MacDonald

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Saint Mary Peak Fire Tower

Date: 6-11-15
Miles: 7.0
Elevation Gain: 2,500 ft

The first mountain I ever climbed was Trapper Peak in the Bitterroot Mountains.  It was 2008 and I had done quite a bit of hiking, but that trip hooked me on doing summits.  The emptiness of this area of Montana and Idaho is unmatched in the Lower 48.  The 3 largest wilderness areas are all located within a short drive of the Bitterroot Valley which makes it a great place to jump start all kinds of adventures.

Anne and I rented a cabin near Stevensville, MT with a view of St. Mary Peak. It's the 19th highest peak in the Bitterroots and I wanted to give it a try. Of the 45 or so peaks over 9,000 ft in the range, St. Mary Peak is probably the easiest to access. There is a good forest service road that takes you up to 6,800 ft in the summer. The trail starts out through a beautiful mixed conifer forest.

Elk Fork Trail

Date: 6-8-15

Miles: 2.4

Elevation Gain: <500ft

The Elk Fork Trail is one of the main access points to the Washakie Wilderness in NW Wyoming. The trailhead is right off Highway 16/20/14 and provides great year-round access. Despite being one of the "busier" trails in Shoshone National Forest it is far less crowded than many of the nearby trails in Yellowstone National Park. Anne and I hiked with some friends from Cody on a perfect summer day.

Elk Fork Trail about a mile from the trailhead