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| The golden blaze of aspens on the Mount Wright hike |
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| Mount Wright behind orange-yellow aspen |
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| The Corrugate Ridge from the top of Mount Wright |
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| Lime Gulch from top of McCarty Hill |
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| Fairview Mountain as seen from the top of McCarty Hill |
The mountains are in full color and it's time to get in the last climbs before the snow makes it impossible.
To that end I climbed Mount Wright for the second time this summer, and followed up two days later with a walk-up of McCarty Hill near Camp Scoutana on the Front.
My Mount Wright climb was especially wonderful because I got one of those rare clear days and from the top of this high peak (8,850 feet) I could see clear across the Bob complex and into Glacier Park, where I could pick out St. Nick, Stimson and Rising Wolf peaks.
There was no one else on this climb. The aspen were bright golden and orange-ish, offset by brilliant red ground cover, mainly wild rose and fireweed. There was snow nowhere.
I love this mountain for these views and always marvel at the Corrugate Ridge to the west and the Rocky Mountain Front to the east where I could look out over the tops of mountains to see the Great Plains.
McCarty Hill is just a two-mile out and back hike that rises about 7,000 feet from the Beaver-Willow Creek Road across from the old Girl Scout camp.
It offers spectacular views of the southern Front into the Scapegoat and Bob.
What really stands out are all the grizzly bear signs --- the patches where they have dug up roots (grizzly roto-tilling) , the overturned rocks. You really feel the Great Bear's presence here.
The Willow Creek Valley below Fairview Mountain was particularly lit up with fall color.
The weather both days was unseasonably warm and the wind a gentle breeze.
Such a nice trip.
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