lower basin lake

Happy Hiking: Basin Lakes Trail

After spending a few weeks in the Flathead Valley, I moved farther south to Red Lodge, Montana.  Though you can still see many effects from the flood early this summer, the roads and businesses are open, so go support them.

Unfortunately, some of the hikes on the top of my list were not accessible unless I added an additional 8+ miles along a road.  Since those trails were already 10 miles, 18 miles wasn’t in the cards for me.  Fortunately, the Basin Lakes Trail was open, and it was spectacular!

HAPPY HIKING!
annie

Happy Hiking: Emerald Lake and Heather Lake

After visiting Butte, I made a short stop in Bozeman to visit a Denver friend, Diana, who moved away a few years ago.  It was so great to see her and laugh about how in Colorado we had to be at the trailhead no later than 7am, and in Montana you’re hard pressed to see anyone before noon!

I also got to enjoy a shower and a home cooked meal. That is always nice while being on the road. At David and Diana’s, we had homemade pizza. The pizza was a perfect carb load for my long hike to Emerald Lake and Heather Lake the following day. 

HAPPY HIKING!

Things to Do in Butte

History of Butte

I feel like I have visited mining towns all summer and Butte, Montana is another interesting one.  Established in 1864 as mining camp, Butte was the first major city in Montana.  It straddles the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains is located on the “richest hill on earth”.

Butte once had a population of 100,000 with 20,000 miners and many immigrants.  In fact, today, Butte is home to the largest Irish American population per capita in the United States.  Now, with a population of approximately 35,000 Butte is the 5th largest city in Montana. 

Butte once supplied 25% of the World’s copper and 50% of the United States’ copper.  Through its history, it has produced more than $48 billion worth of ore, mostly copper, but also silver and gold.  As a result of the mining, Butte is the largest superfund site in the USA.

EXPLORE MORE!

Pintler Scenic Byway – Phillipsburg to Anaconda

So, I camped off the dirt road going to the Glacier Lake Trailhead for few nights while I hiked in Flathead National Forest.  I had little shade, but great cell service which was a pleasant surprise in the wilderness.  A car coming down from the Glacier Lake Trail stopped to warn me that a bear just ran by VANgo!  Ugh, I’m so sad I missed it!!  Annie growled at something, but I did not see a thing.  It’s amazing how quiet they can be.

Anyway, from Condon, I took the scenic route to Butte in Southwestern Montana.  I passed by Seeley Lake which I visited on my road trip across the USA 11 years ago and then dropped down into Drummond where I picked up the Pintler Scenic Byway.

EXPLORE MORE!
annie at glacier lake with the wind in her face

Glacier Lake and Heart Lake

Having spent the evening in Polson and realizing I had to drive all the way back to Bigfork and then drive back down east of Polson near Condon on a different road, I almost skipped the hike to Glacier Lake and Heart Lake.  That would have been a HUGE mistake!

Getting to Glacier and Heart Lake

The Jewel Basin Hiking Area is an absolute gem, and Glacier Lake and Heart Lake did not disappoint.  The drive to the trailhead is 12 miles down a dirt road.  At the beginning, the road is well graded, but as it climbs, the road narrows and gets rougher.  That said, it is in good condition.

HAPPY HIKING!

Flathead Food Tour

Bigfork

Of late, I have not spent much time exploring towns while in Flathead Valley.  Whitefish and Kalispell are both very cute but are a little too big for me when I’m flying solo.  They would be perfect if I were to return with friends to be a tourist.  But since I wasn’t being a tourist, and I had been there twice before, I didn’t linger.

That said, it was time to do something aside from hike and take cover in the air-conditioning, so I started my day in Bigfork, after camping nearby at a trailhead off Jewel Basin Road.

HAVE A TASTE!

Hike to Crater Lake

As I mentioned in a previous post, I ditched VANgo and retreated to a dog friendly hotel for air conditioning.  So much for fleeing the Texas heat.  I ended up in 100 degrees in Montana!?!  As many say, at least it was dry heat.  But when the sun doesn’t set until 10 pm, and it is over 90 degrees in the van in the shade with the windows and doors open for hours on end, dry heat is pretty hot!

Upon showering and enjoying the A/C, I’m reminded no to take such simple pleasures for granted.  Some people still don’t have these modern conveniences.

Anyway, after a few nights in a hotel, I headed toward Bigfork, Montana to tackle Crater Lake.  The 10.8 mile Crater Lake Trail is located 15 miles northeast of Bigfork in the Jewel Basin Hiking Area in Flathead National Forest.  While only 15 miles away, it takes 45 minutes to get there as much of the drive is on a washboard, dirt road.

HAPPY HIKING!
bridge on trail to lupine lake

Hike to Lupine Lake

On my recent hike to Stahl Peak in Eureka, I met some ladies from Kalispell who recommended Lupine Lake Trail.  It so happened that I marked it as one of the hikes I wanted to take, so I made sure to check it out.

The 4.9 mile moderate trail to Lupine Lake is located in the Flathead National Forest, about 36 miles west of Kalispell.  The drive to the trail was easy, and road should be called Bunny Hop. I’ve never seen so many rabbits dart across the road.

Despite getting a mid-morning start, I was the first to arrive and parked in the small roadside pullout, with enough room for five cars or so.

HAPPY HIKING!
lake view from herron park

Herron Park

After visiting Whitefish, I made my way to Kalispell and Herron Park, still in the heat wave.  I’m sure 97 degrees doesn’t sound hot to my friends and relatives in Texas.  But Texans have air conditioning.  VANgo only has air conditioning if plugged in, and I hadn’t made any reservations at campgrounds, which were full.

As a result, from about 3pm to 9pm every day, I couldn’t get the temperature down below 90 degrees despite opening all the doors and windows and running the fan!

HAPPY HIKING!
smith lake

Smith Lake via Swift Creek Loop

After two days of driving long distances to trails, I wanted something easy, so this time I left Hungry Horse Reservoir and hiked in Whitefish Lake State Park. 

The Swift Creek Loop trailhead parking with a pit toilet can be found just off East Lakeshore Dr.  The parking area is far more developed than my recent hikes to both Doris Mountain and Jenny Lake.  I was the first to arrive this weekday, but by the time I finished ten cars filled the parking lot.

HAPPY HIKING!