Smith Creek: poster child for Canyon Creek Fire recovery; Welcome Pass traverse

Welcome Pass at the head of the valley 

Scapegoat Massif above the Dearborn River headwaters

Smith Creek Falls

It had been a dozen years since I last ventured up Smith Creek, southwest of Augusta in the Rocky Mountain Front.
I hadn't returned because that trip had turned me off.
What I found there then were the remains of the cataclysmic 1988 Canyon Creek Fire that burned nearly a quarter million acres, scorching the entire Smith Creek drainage.  The trailhead was difficult to find, there had been extensive salvage logging, cattle were wandering on the bottom, and there were horse flies everywhere on the 1.5 miles of ranch the poorly marked and trail/road passed through. It was an unpleasant experience, except for the Smith Creek Falls we eventually found and enjoyed.
What a difference those 12 years have made.
This time I was determined to see Welcome Pass at the Scapegoat Wilderness boundary, a 6.5 miles hike that gains 1,800 feet one-way.

An example of the forest recovery from 1988 Canyon Creek Fire

What I found was a new, well-marked trailhead with a 'Cadillac' Forest Service outhouse and parking area, a forest that was thickly covered by lodgepole, Doug Fir and spruce trees (except for the exposed South slopes which are still sparsely revegetated), no cattle, even on the private stretch of land, and fabulous mountain scenery all the way.
To me, it is a poster child of the Canyon Creek Fire recovery, a very pleasant place to be.  My hiking partner, Mark Hertenstein said it reminded him of valleys in Glacier Park.  I agree.
I had been only as far as the falls on my previous visit.
This time we hiked the trail all the way to the pass and beyond, then going off-trail and climbing the ridge line to the highly visible "Nipple" shaped peak 7,246, south and east, and then dropping down a ridgeline to the north and west to the trail.
We covered 15.5 miles and gained and lost some 4,100 feet of elevation going up and down the ridges, turning our easy walk to the pass into something more robust.
The walk to the pass itself is quite appealing, following Smith Creek to its junction with Jakie Creek above a deep gorge some 3.5 miles from the trailhead.  Then the trail follows Jakie Creek to its source through open hillsides and the reforested burn to a high point above a scenic valley some 500 feet below the pass.
The pass scenery isn't particularly scenic.  It is the headwaters of the heavily-forested Dearborn River.
But climbing the trail toward the Forest Service Welcome Creek cabin and then going a short distance on the ridge above the trail the Scapegoat Mountain Massif comes into view.  This is one of the great views in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, with the high Chinese Wall-like Scapegoat Wall rising for miles above Half Moon Basin.
If you go the Welcome Pass, make the effort to get above the pass for these views.
A note of caution on the hike:  there are four crossings of Smith Creek (it was low, so we didn't have too much trouble rock hopping across), that in high water could be problematic (take wading shoes), and there are four wire gates (which we were able to climb across rather than unlatch).  If you're looking for the Petty Creek and Moudess Creek trails, we couldn't find signage.
One of the beauties of this hike is that to the north is the Crown Mountain complex and ridgeline and to the south is the Steamboat Mountain complex and ridgeline.
I wish that I had included this hike to the pass in my book, "Discover the Rocky Mountain Front."  If there is a Third Edition, I will.

For more photos and topo map detailing trip: CLICK HERE

On the ridgeline looking back toward the Crown Mountain complex

Coming down off-trail from the "Nipple" peak

Gorgeous fields of grass on the way back to the trailhead

Silver King Lookout: feeling the burn

Like a grizzly wearing a radio collar, Silver King Mountain wears a Forest Service electronic site

A scorched tea kettle in the 2003 Snow Talon Fire rubble left when the lookout burned down

There's a nice recovery going on here

As much as I like what fire does to renew an area, I wished that I had climbed Silver King Mountain/Lookout (elevation: 7,771 feet) before it was incinerated in the 2003 Snow Talon Fire north and east of Lincoln.
Luckily, I had a partly cloudy day on Tuesday when I did it and didn't have to endure much direct sunlight where there is no longer any shade.
I've long been curious about this mountain, reached by the super-popular Indian Meadows Trailhead in the Helena Lewis and Clark National Forest, reached by the Copper Creek Road.
The hot fire that burned this area also took out the lookout tower on this mountain in a direct line of sight just east of Stonewall Mountain Lookout, which I climbed a couple of years ago.  All that's left on top is the fire debris, some of it the cookware and stove used in the lookout.
There is a trail to the top of the lookout, which makes the 14.4 miles day hike and climb of more than 3,400 feet cumulative easier.  However, the trail, though maintained, appears to be disappearing in spots from disuse.
I took Trail 438 from the trailhead to its junction with the lookout trail No. 420 some 3.5 miles and then followed the lookout trail the rest of the 3.7 miles up some 2,400 feet from that spot.
Up to the lookout junction the trail is heavily used as a feeder to the Landers Fork country of the Scapegoat Wilderness, churned to chalky dust by horses.  It weaves in and out of burn.
A crossing of the Landers Fork, thigh deep and cold, was required.
At this point it is burn all the way to the top of the mountain.
Luckily, the Forest Service had done a great job marking the trail through the burn with cut logs.
There is significant new growth, mainly thick lodgepole, but some Doug Fir.
The fire has opened the views along Trail 420 and Red Mountain, at 9,411 feet, the highest point in the Scapegoat dominates the northwest horizon.  To the north and east there's Caribou Peak and the unnamed peaks above the West Fork Falls Creek.  Otherewise, the ridgelines are low-slung and burned to a crisp.
Grassy slopes below Silver King are a welcome sight.
Like a grizzly wearing a radio collar, the peak wears a silver electronic communications structure.
I looked around the lookout ruins, and then took in the scenery, particularly admiring the the Continental Divide ridge line and the smaller Alice Mountains, of which Silver King is a part, and the meadows and small lakes, and Lone Mountain above Indian Meadows trailhead.
Then, I turned around for the 7.2 miles out, beating a rain shower.
When these new trees mature this will be a beautiful hike.

For a topo map route and more photos:  CLICK HERE

Ground cover announces fall is on its way

I had a cold, barefoot crossing of the Landers Fork

The Snow Talon Fire was in 2003, but its ghosts abound

Scapegoat's Cigarette Rock ridge walk

Reaching the top of Cigarette Rock 

Viewing Scapegoat Peak from the Cigarette Rock ridge line 

Flint Mountain was our goal, which we didn't make for lack of water 

The Wood Creek Hogback was our backdrop to the east

What began as a straight-forward climb of Flint Mountain (elevation: 9,186 feet)  in the Scapegoat Wilderness was aborted for lack of water but  turned into a glorious ridge walk in the Scapegoat plateau Aug. 12-14.

This 28 mile up and back trip began on the Crown Mountain Trail, down Crown Creek to Straight Creek and then up Cigarette Rock (elevation: 8,235 feet) and from there ridge walks in both directions and back to camp at the mouth of the Crown Creek canyon.

This is country deep in a burn  in the past couple of years, but the abundant fireweed, potentilla, and asters made up for the lack of green trees.

The Crown Creek route into the Scapegoat is super spectacular:  high mudstone and limestone peaks line the trail that offers an easy route up Crown Mountain (elevation: 8,340 feet) if one chooses a side trip.  It drops down the Crown Creek trail, which has been nicely rehabilitated from fire by the Forest Service in just the past year.  This is part of a fast route to Scapegoat Mountain, which we took last year.

A dry Straight Creek greeted us near Cigarette Creek

We had hoped to top Cigarette Rock and camp below it the first day if there had been water in Straight Creek or Cigarette Creek, but there wasn't.  After looking around those creeks futilely, we retreated to Crown Creek and set up a base camp.

In the morning we did a short-cut up to the Cigarette Mountain trail.  We had tried in vain the previous day to find it.  The trail needs some clearing and markings through the burn, which has obliterated an easy path.

Once we found it the second day, we could follow it easily to a limestone saddle and it was an easy walk-up to the top, and fabulous views of the Scapegoat with the Swan Range visible to the west.

We walked toward Flint on the Cigarette Rock ridge line west, enjoying tremendous views of Scapegoat Peak as well, dropping into a small lake and gaining ridge line high points.

We realized that we wouldn't have the daylight to complete Flint by this route.

We noticed that there might have been a better and more direct route from the Cigarette Rock saddle directly west along a bottom just above Sun Lake instead.  Maybe next year, and maybe with an extra day and a high camp.

In retracing our steps we arrived at the saddle and continued north along it, climbing the unnamed high point (elevation: 8,236 feet), marked with a large cairn.  In his Bob Marshall guide, Molvar calls this Bunyan Point, but we located the real Bunyan Point some 600 feet below this unnamed peak.

This is truly unvisited country these days, although I can imagine that this would have been a good horse route to the Scapegoat high plateau, something Gene Sentz verified since he had done it with a horse some years ago.

It would be hard to beat the glory of this ridge walk, even though we climbed a different peak than we had set out to do.

For more photos, and topo map of route, CLICK HERE

Cigarette Rock to the left along a little used Forest Service Trail 

A small lake along our Cigarette Rock ridge walk

Pitamakan-Dawson in Glacier: 2016 version

The red rocks abound in the Dry Fork valley (Gordon Whirry photos)

Flinsch Peak towers over Old Man Lake 

On the shelf between Morgan and Flinsch peaks

I try to do this hike once a season.
I think it is the best hike in Glacier.
It is a traverse around the park's most massive mountain, Rising Wolf, in the middle of the Two Medicine valley.
It is a long and robust hike:  about 3,800 feet of elevation gained on an 18 mile route that threads two high passes in the park:  Dawson and Pitamakan.
I've done it both ways, but think I like going up the Dry Fork Valley and  through Pitamakan first and then Dawson because it is an easier grade.
The four miles between the two passes is on a high, alpine trail that clings to the west faces of Flinsch and Morgan mountains.
From on high it is possible to see 9 different alpine lakes, including lakes in the Dry Fork, Cut Bank Creek, Nyack and Two Med valleys.
We passed an amazing huckleberry crop well into the Dry Fork/Pitamakan portion of the hike.
Here's a full link to a map and description:  CLICK HERE

The lakes below Pitamakan Pass

Enjoying a moment on a ledge

Above the Nyack Valley

Big Sky Resort: Beehive Basin, Lone Mountain ridge line

From Lone Peak looking south the development of the Big Sky area sprawls

Pink and magenta Paintbrush wildflowers in the Beehive Basin

The lightly visited upper Beehive Basin lake

It has been more than 40 years since I spent much time in the Big Sky Resort area south of Bozeman.
In fact I used to run trails there before the resort was built.
In 1977 I skied from where Moonlight Basin now exists past the Ulreys lakes and down Hammond Creek on the other side into the Jack Creek drainage and on to Ennis before there was a road there.
I had to go there last weekend to accompany my wife to a meeting she was attending at the Huntley Lodge there.
I was not prepared for what I saw and experienced.
We stayed at Huntley Lodge and I was given free tickets to ride the Swiftcurrent and Ramshorn lifts for a look around.
I arrived in the early afternoon on Friday, and despite blazing heat took Swiftcurrent lift to the Lone Peak southeast ridge line, the most popular way to climb the mountain.   I started up through the talus and scree and got on the ridge for about a third of the way up the mountain for a look-around.
It was a clear and hot afternoon and I was stunned by the development.

Wilderness boundary sign

Of course, there was Moonlight development to the north where I had once cross-country skied.
The Big Sky ski resort was fully developed below me to the east, with more coming, particularly in the Andesite Mountain area.
To the south I could hear workers busily developing the Yellowstone Club's exclusive resort.
Below me it was a veritable ant-hill of activities at Big Sky with lifts and runs and high end housing in every direction.
I suppose I should have had a look-around sooner and should not have been so naive to think that what I saw would please me.
I knew this was coming when the resort was announced.
What strikes me the most is the vast display of enormous wealth all around.
If a palace could be built higher and better on the biggest hill in the deepest forest, it has been built.
We Montanans live simply, so this must be wealth that has been piled in from the 1 per-centers and from the wealthy from around the world.
Which brings me to my Saturday hike in the Beehive Basin in the Lee Metcalf Spanish Peaks Wilderness Area just above Moonlight Basin.
It is a gorgeous 7 miles round-trip hike that climbs about 1,700 feet into the basin where there is a stark, but pretty tarn with the Beehive Peak skyline above it.
I also climbed another couple hundred feet toward the peak for a look around and then cut cross country to another prettier and secluded unnamed lake.
The trail was spangled with violet, pink and magenta Indian Paintbrush wildflowers.
Throughout my hike there was a steady stream of hikers coming in from Big Sky.
I had never seen so many hikers in a national wilderness area.  It must be the product of being so close to a national ski/summer resort.  It reminded me of a Glacier Park trail, like the Iceberg/Ptarmigan Tunnel trail.
Had I not gone off-trail to the upper lake I would not have had any wilderness solitude.  Thank goodness the vast majority of hikers are off-trail averse.
The trailhead parking area was mobbed by cars, many parked on the sides of the road.  I couldn't figure out how they would get out.  Luckily, I was able to find a space because I had started early and beat the crowd.
The first mile of the trail is on Big Sky property and high above on both sides of the trail were perched high-end mansions I can't think could be reached without snowmobiles in the winter.  I shudder to think what might happen to these if there were a wildfire.
While the beauty of the Madison Mountains should be on every Montanan's hike bucket-list for its sheer beauty, as a north-central Montanan I thank my lucky stars we don't have this kind of high-impact development and resource use they are experiencing at Big Sky.

How it looked as I headed up Lone Peak.  I didn't go all the way