Abrupt end to Fall warmth; some first turns

Gordon Whirry works his way up Porphyry Peak with the dormant ski lifts below him.

Clear, blue skies made the ski all the more enjoyable

The Porphyry Lookout is framed by snow-laden trees

Yogo Peak has plenty of snow

 After temperatures reaching into the 80s in mid-October, snow and cold descended on us, plunging temperatures as low as zero.

We got about a foot of snow in Great Falls and the mountains got more.

I waited for the snow to settle to have a look, and found some of the best early season snow in the Little Belts I've seen in years.

We went to Kings Hill on Sunday and did the 2-mile climb to the top of Porphyry Peak and enjoyed some wonderful turns back to the pass under crystal clear, blue skies, frigid temperatures and gusty winds.

I resisted the urge to try a tour, like the 747 loop, so it was strictly up and back.

Showdown had done its first grooming on runs.

Here's hoping that will stick around and be built upon with future snowstorms.  Opening day of the ski hill is still 6 weeks off.

We saw only two other people on the hill with AT gear.

There was only a smattering of hunters in the area.  Thank goodness.

 

Glacier's Harrison Lake with larch at peak

A frosty crossing of the Middle Fork Flathead River awakened us at the start of the hike

A steep, fairly treacherous trail from the river to the South Boundary Trail

A piece of equipment left at the Doody bootleg cabin

One of the dozens of varieties of mush

Katie and me in our "selfie" at the lake

Mounts Thompson and Blackfoot reflected in Harrison Lake

Laurie Lintner marveling at the Harrison Lake and larch beauty

 We couldn't have timed a larch color tour more perfectly.

We hiked to Glacier Park's Harrison Lake at its peak Oct. 19 as the golden larch were at their peak.

This is an interesting and not-frequented nearly 14-mile out and back hike in the park's remote southwest corner above 10 miles east of West Glacier.

It's a gorgeous destination, but largely ignored by park-goers because it usually requires a sometimes treacherous crossing of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, although it can be reached by the South Border Trail from West Glacier, but that way is too much for a day-hike.

Conditions for a trip at the height of the larch color need to be perfect to enjoy this hike.

The Middle Fork flow needs to be manageable.  It was about knee deep on Katie.

The larch should be at their color-peak, usually reached after Oct. 15.

In some years the Fall freeze about that time makes this trip not as worthwhile, as happened with the early freeze last year.

In 2021, as this year, we nailed it.

The aspen had shed their leaves, but there were some cottonwoods in color.

What adds to this hike is the color of the lake, the trademark translucent  turquoise off a glacier that is suspended in the water.  In this case, from Harrison Glacier that clings to Mount Jackson's southeast face.

The hillsides above the lake were laden with the golden larch, and we were fortunate that there was little wind and the glass-like like mirrored the trees and surrounding mountains in the water.

We could see the towering mounts Thompson and Blackfoot in those waters.

Along the way, we gained and lost nearly 1,900 feet of elevation through thick forest, carpeted by fallen leaves.  There were numerous varieties of mushrooms, which I wish I could have identified.  To the east, Loneman Mountain towered over the forest, its distant lookout cabin visible.

Much of this area had been burned in past wildfires, but the lodgepole, hemlock, Doug Fir, and cedar have grown back.  In many spots, particularly near the park backcountry campground, the groundcover was in full fall color.

A fun sidetrip was to the historic Doody cabin site, where nearly 100 years ago at the junction of the Harrison Lake-South Boundary trails, was a bootleg liquor site run by a widow on the run from the law for murder.  Nearby the train would pick up her product, signaling with its horn blasts, how much it wanted. The cabin's roof has collapsed, but the property is oddly strewn with heavy farm equipment.  It's worth a stop along the way.

Oh, and we had a cloudless sky with temperatures in the 60s and low 70s.

It couldn't have been more perfect.

East Glacier to Two Medicine: a Fall favorite

Twisted mudstone was strewn beneath the Head Mountain

A waterfall coming off remnants of a permanent snow field

The Two Medicine valley below us

We're always captivated by the dead trees on this hike

What's left of color on the east side of Glacier

The high valley separating the Bison Head Henry ridge from Scenic Point

 The hike from East Glacier Park to Two Medicine Lake on the Continental Divide Trail has become a Fall favorite.

This 10.5 miles hike, that includes the walk up Scenic Point Mountain (7,522 feet) and more than 3,000 feet in elevation gain, offers the hiker views of many Glacier Park ecological zones.  You'll need to have a car on the other end of the hike.

To begin from the bottom, drive west down First Avenue in East Glacier to a gate, which is easy to get around,  and about a third of a mile the small Glacier Park trail sign presents itself.

The trail goes through three miles of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, so a $20 conservation license is required, and we're told enforcement is rigorous.

It follows Midvale Creek along a horse trail on the Reservation.

At the park boundary it narrows to a footpath and climbs steadily beneath the (Bison) Head Mountain through fields of twisted mudstone and limestone before ascending the ridge that leads to Scenic Point Mountain.  Look for the waterfall spilling off the north side of Head.

It is 6.5 miles from East Glacier to the top of Scenic Point and another 4 miles down to Two Med Lake.

Most folks hike to Scenic Point from Two Med, a much shorter, but steeper approach along limestone switchbacks.  It can be crowded

Few people, except the CDTers, take our walk to Scenic Point.  No one did it that way Monday.

No matter which way you go, the views from Scenic Point are remarkable ---- Rising Wolf, Sinopah, Mount Henry, the Bison are breathtaking

Fall winds had already blown the aspens bare, but there was no snow on Rising Wolf, the biggest mountain in the Two Med Valley.  Some snow speckled the north face of Mount Henry.

Rising Wolf's red peak shown beautifully with the Fall angle of the sun.

We met one young woman, who joined us at the top, and two late day hikers had just gotten started from Two Med. I don't expect they got too far.

It was refreshing to be in Glacier after all the tourists were gone.

There wasn't another car in the Two Med parking lot. 

Quite a contrast from a week earlier on Firebrand where we saw 30, mostly Flathead hikers.

Enjoying the height of the East Side fall colors

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Katie in the color-spangled ground cover on the Firebrand Pass hike

The aspen were really going in Glacier

The aspen in full color in Glacier in the Lake Creek country below Spot Mountaiin

Even in the 2007 burn area on the North Fork Teton the aspen were going

Wayne Phillips on the North Fork

We've had trips to Glacier and the Rocky Mountain Front over the pas week to enjoy the height of the East Side colors.

In the meantime, we've noticed the West Side larch are starting to turn.

We've done our annual Firebrand Pass hike, and gone up the Teton County Road twice to get the golden aspen and cottonwoods in full color.

There's hardly anything like the East Side ground cover, particularly the reds, yellows and oranges from the osier, huckleberry and chokecherry.

I was delighted that Wayne Phillips, who has been struggling with his knee replacement agreed to join me for a tour of the Teton, which included hikes up the North and Middle forks.

Katie and I made a two day trip out of our Firebrand hike, stopping in Dupuyer for our first stay at the Buffalo Wallow Motel, part of the Buffalo Joe restaurant complex.  We had a great room for $99 and delicious meals at the restaurant.  We awakened to crystal clear skies over the Front as we drove down to the Teton.

The East Side ground cover, aspen and cottonwood color show is not to be missed as one of the great spectacles of Montana.

I was interested that when we climbed Firebrand Pass that all but one other party consisted of women.

We spoke with the 30 or so women in about seven groups and with the exception of  Browning group, the rest were from the Flathead.

The East Siders consisted of our party and a group from Browning.