Winter ends with ski to Mizpah and hike to Cochrane

A tough way up

At the Mizpah bowls

 Winter ended with a ski to the Mizpah Bowls in the Little Belts to enjoy some fresh snow and brilliant sun a day before the Solstice.

Earlier in the week I hiked to Cochrane Dam along the River's Edge Trail connecting the Chaos, Mayhem, and Rocky Road side trails, also on a gorgeous late winter day.

What a contrast!

Skiable snow and trail within a couple of days of each other.

How would I describe this winter?

Positively, because there was good snow, although there were long stretches of brutal cold that made getting out difficult.  It was a better winter than last year by a long stretch.  The snow we got laid down a good base.  Last year the base was horrible all winter.

My biggest regret this year was not doing old favorites like Nugget Creek, Stemple to Flesher, Rogers Pass, Marias Pass and Looking Glass Pass.  I'm not sure I'm even up to Nugget or Stemple/Flesher any more.

My back country trips were definitely less lengthy --- in the 6-8 mile range, where I had been doing 10-12 mile runs in past years.

Age is taking its toll.

While the Little Belts and other Island Ranges got great snow, the Front was a disappointment.  Too darned much wind, in addition to the brutal cold.

Although we've normally skied into early May, I see open South-facing slopes inviting early Spring hiking trips.

The Cochrane hike reminded me of how fantastic our River trail in town is.

The MIzpah trip reminded me of the tremendous snow at the Great Falls doorstep.

Chaos side trail on way to Cochrane

On the Rocky Road side trail

Ski, hike, snowshoe in late winter

 

 

The North Fork Teton Country near the West Fork needs a blast of snow

 

 

 

 

The ice encrusted lower Falls Creek Falls

 

 

Our snowshoe group at the oddly featureless Kings Hill Mountain summit

Things lined up just right in the past week so that I could backcountry ski, hike, and snowshoe all in one week.

Some of this is thanks in part to retreating snow, particularly on south and west mountain exposures.

I skied a Waldron Creek loop near Teton Pass Ski Area in the Front one day, hiked the Falls Creek Trail in the Rocky Mountain Front's Dearborn Country another, and snow shoed Hill Mountain in the Little Belts.

The wind and warm weather has really carved up and hardened the Front country.  The Mount Wright summit, one of the highest in the Front, looked as though it had been sandblasted and accessible for climbing.  The snow up Waldron Creek was hard and horrible, particularly on the side trail back to the ski area.  It wasn't so bad skiing the West Fork Road, however.

The Falls Creek Trail was relatively open for hiking.  Skiing it is out of the question.  Some of the ground cover is starting to green up.  The big waterfall was particularly impressive because of ice formations.  Bear Den and Monitor peaks looked climbable from their east faces.  There is still good snow toward the Continental Divide Trail in the high country.

 The snow off Kings Hill Pass exceeded my expectations.  Yes, it was icy down low, but the near one got to the ridgeline, the better the snow.  I wished I had brought my skis rather than snowshoes. 

Annual winter trip to Waterton Park

We used St. Mary Lake in Glacier Park as a warmup for Waterton

The Carway border crossing dominated by Chief Mountain

Kilmorey Lodge at foot of Mount Crandell

Katie and Josie on Cameron Lake, the highlight of our outdoors adventures

If it's February it means Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada's sister park to our Glacier National Park.

We go for the back country skiing and snow shoeing and relaxation to get away from our winter doldrums.

Our go-to spot is the Kilmorey Lodge on the shores of the lake immediately beneath striped Mount Crandell.

But, the highlight of our recent trips has been a ski on Cameron  Lake, where Waterton meets Glacier and Montana, Alberta and British Columbia come together.

It is more than a mile to the end of the lake's giant headwall at the base of Glacier's Mount Custer.

You don't want to get too close.  There might be an avalanche waiting for you if you do.  We went to a point on the lake just shy of a mile.

We skied right up the middle of the frozen lake in a strong wind, but enjoyed ourselves the entire way.

We started our ski trip on Akamina Highway that's plowed and groomed for skiing and snow shoeing to the lake, almost two miles away.   There are groomers for skate and classic skiing and snow shoeing. 

Both sides of the highway are lined with high, snow-covered peaks, with the Cameron Lake headwall within view.

It's a tad scary to ski the lake, but we've seen Parks Canada snowmobiles on it, so we figured it was relatively safe.

Gong back there's a groomed back country trail below the highway that hugs the creek and passes Akamina Lake, offering a wilder experience than the road.

Despite high winds and cold temperatures, there were many other recreationists out  for the views and some exercise. 

The town of Waterton, a lively tourist hub during the summer, was a boarded up ghost town except for three hotels and two restaurants.  The Kilmorey has been rebuilt after a fire in the past 10 years and has a restaurant and bar and a warm atmosphere.

The trip seemed tentative because of the weather.

It was 29 degrees below zero in Great Falls when we woke up and until we hit the Cut Bank area in Glacier, temperatures were as cold as 25 below.  There, they miraculously jumped to plus 25!!!

We did make a stop at St. Mary's in Glacier for a walk along the lake before heading to Waterton.

I find it hard to grasp how Glacier has no services as does Waterton in a similar setting and environment.

It was fun to be in Canada as President Trump was blustering about making that country the 51st state, and then watching the Canadian hockey team beat USA in Four Nations Finals.  I love Canada and hate to see it bullied. 

Because of ground blizzards we chose to follow a secondary highway all the way from Cardston to Milk River a few miles north of the U.S. border.  Usually we travel view Highway 89, but were warned away as ground blizzards, particularly along the east front of the Rockies, were predicted. 

Kings Hill to Silvercrest

We topped off the week by skiing from Kings Hill Pass to the Silvercrest cross country ski area, a distance of 4 miles via the downhill ski area, O'Brien Creek, Divide Road and back country trails.

Despite high winds, the sun broke out and we had a delightful, if short and quick trip.

 

 

 

Trouble on the Deadman Gully

 

Me, post-holing in the Deadman drift

Gordon completing his run through the trees

Excellent snow conditions as we near a high point above Deadman bowls

Jasmine got this photo of me struggling in the icy-hard drift

We always knew there could be trouble with the Deadman gully, but didn't experience it first hand until this past week.

The gully is about three-quarters of a mile up the road behind the Kings Hill cabin, and is generally carved up in such a way that one must proceed cautiously so as not to slip down a steep draw into the trees about 75 feet below.

It usually means negotiating a narrow ridge of snow about 50 feet in length, sometimes skiing behind a drift or just getting up on the ridge and balancing across it.  

In the 40-plus years I've skied this, I've never had much trouble with it.  We know it can avalanche, but have never experienced it.

Gordon, Jasmine and I did Deadman Friday, and for the most part the snow was excellent (even through the trees) and the temperatures 20 degrees warmer than in town.

As we approached the drift we all noticed our skis weren't holding an edge....slipping on the downhill side, making skiing rough.

 

When we came to the gully, the drift was reduced to a narrow, almost pointed ridge, hard as rock.

 

Jasmine's skis seemed to hold it.  I don't know why Gordon and I couldn't set ours.  Maybe age.

 

Gordon, ahead of me, couldn't negotiate it and took off his left ski and post-holed with his right above the treacherous icy downhill slide.  He was really stuck until Jasmine skied above him and took his pack and his arm, slowly pulling him up above the drift.

 

I thought I could work my way behind the drift, but was mistaken, and took off my skis, planting them in front of me, and post-holing, until Jasmine came and took my skis.

 

It was some of the most difficult post-holding I've ever done.  First, I used my knees to break through  crust and I crawled, planting my skis a few inches ahead of me as I was able.  Eventually, I was able to get upright and post-hole.  

 

I glanced down only once to assess what might happen if I slipped.  It wouldn't have been pretty.  By the time I reached Gordon and Jasmine I was out of breath and thoroughly exhausted.  I'll bet it took us 45 minutes to cross the gully. 

 

I told them it seemed as though I had used as much energy crossing that small distance as I would normally expend on the full trip.

 

I'd never seen conditions quite like this, and hope never to see such again.

 

Thank goodness the rest of the trip was relatively easy, encountering some of the nicest snow we've had through the trees with sharp turns on the downhill, which is often icy and treacherous.

 

My friend Mark Hertenstein asked when it was the last time I had sharpened my edges.  Never.  Why Jasmine's edges held and mine and Gordon's didn't is puzzling.

 

Wayne Phillips questioned if we had worn transceivers, as we had often done in the past. No.

 

He suggested we abandon the route across the gully and instead use a direct route from the cabin to the top of Kings Hill Mountain instead.  Good idea. 

 

The trip was a reminder of how quickly things can go wrong.

Defying the deep freeze on Waldron snow shoe

Daren Kittleson is a big guy breaking trail, with snow above his knees

In the deep forest

Group shot at our lunch break

I had a hard choice Saturday,  whether to risk the long drive, high winds, deep snow and frigid temperatures to ski with the Badger Two Med Alliance at Marias Pass, or to join my wife's snow shoe group at the Rocky Mountain Front to do the Waldron Creek loop that begins at the Teton Pass ski area.

Anyone who has skied or show-shoed with me knows how much more I prefer skiing to snow-shoeing.

However, the dangers of the 145 mile drive to Marias, with the promise of 40-50 mph winds and the potential driving home in the dark drive, was enough to tilt the scales toward Waldron and snow shoes.

It turned out to be a really good decision.  

The roads were surprisingly good all the way to the ski area, and there were virtually no winds most of the day.

The bonus was incredibly good snow, if perhaps a tad a bit deep for comfortable trail breaking.

This trip involves starting at the ski area and proceeding some 300 feet up hill on a ski run to a cutoff trail through the forest, that is sort of difficult to find.  It is marked with a blue diamond, but hidden by trees.

Luckily, with seven of us on the trail taking turns, we were able to break trail handily.

The snow and forest were picture perfect, and the temperature even rose into the teens, although it was minus 13 when we left Great Falls.

I consider this area the heart of the Rocky Mountain Front adjacent to the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area and the scenery is super-spectacular with towering mountain peaks in all directions.

We have been enduring a particularly long and harsh cold snap, so it was great we could get out. 

O'Brien Creek on a bluebird winter day

A stop in some perfect snow

The O'Brien Creek bottom

A photo and lunch break in the sun

Neihart Baldy at the end of the trip

 When we skied the 747 loop Monday we noticed that someone had broken the O'Brien Creek Trail that runs from Kings Hill Pass to the town of Neihart, some seven miles away.

We knew the forecast was for continued sunny weather and that it would warm up.

It was a perfect combination to do O'Brien.

We weren't disappointed.

This is the premier Little Belts backcountry trail.  I've been doing it for some 45 years, not long after it was established in a new clearcut.  It has been interesting to watch the trees grow back.  There was a time when we could look over the top of the new growth.  Now those trees tower over us.

We're benefiting from La Nina and there's beautiful snow.

The snow in the O'Brien Creek bottom looked like giant, fluffy pillows of white.  It is so welcome considering how little we've had in recent years. 

While wind was moving in ahead of a cold front elsewhere, we had little to deal with on this run.  We could leisurely stop, bask in sun and enjoy snack and water breaks.

About the only negative was the trail damage done by snowmobiles in the last mile or so of the trip.  The machines dug deep divots in the trail's tight spots, some going down to the dirt, making skiing nearly impossible. 

The final section of the trail is shared between back country skiers and snowmobilers, so I was appalled by the rudeness of the snowmobilers who hogged and trashed the trail, even doing environmental damage to the stream bed.

There was no courtesy shown to other users.

The way the machines tear things up seems so senseless and damaging.

I'm just glad that we had the trail to ourselves for six miles before encountering this brainlessness. 

Senseless snowmobile trashing the trail

Snow machines dug right to the dirt on the creek bottom

Finally getting started in 2025 --- 'Drowning in powder'

This snow ghost reminded me of a giant rabbit in the trail

Gordon Whirry on the Porphyry-Mizpah ridge

This snow ghost reminded me of a giant gopher

 I don't think there's been a year I've had to wait so long to get on my backcountry skis.

It's been a combination of a trip to Minnesota, a cold/flu that followed, and some frigid air.

But, everything came together on Jan. 26 as a high pressure ridge parked itself over Montana after some dumps of snow that deposited about 5 feet of new powder in the Little Belts.

Coming off trail yesterday a skier passed by and noted that, "we're drowning in powder."

We did the 6+ miles 747 Loop that climbs to the top of Porphyry Peak (Showdown Ski hill) from Kings Hill Pass, and drops down to encircle the mountain via the O'Brien Creek trail.

We haven't seen powder sitting on a stable base like this in many years, if ever.

Busting trail was challenging, and about half-way through my quads were screaming.  We sunk into the powder more than a foot.

Lucky for us someone had broken the O'Brien Creek trail.

The ski hill wasn't particularly crowded despite a bluebird day, although it was a cold minus 2 degrees when we started.

I picked up a cold/flu in Minnesota, probably at the Mayo Clinic, which we were visiting for a second opinion on Katie's MDS blood cancer.  It was confirmed. 

My malady went from my throat into my check, deeply enough that I went into the doctor's office and was prescribed antibiotics and an anti-viral, along with a chest X-ray.  It was diagnosed a "bronchitis," maybe viral, maybe bacterial.  

I was pretty flattened for more than two weeks, but decided to give 747 a Try.

It may have been a mistake as I ran out of gas a little beyond the half-way point.  It felt like an asthma.  Besides my quads I couldn't get a deep breath.

I really don't think I'm out of shape, but simply weakened by the infection.

The route was very spectacular because of the deep snow that made even tall trees look like snow ghosts.

We met only one other person on trail, a woman from Bozeman.

I find the frequency of encounters with folks from Bozeman in our Little Belts rather unsettling. That city has been overrun by rich newcomers, which has changed the character of the place.  I don't want it happening in northcentral Montana.

Exploring Ulm Buffalo Jump on dry and windy day

A Buffalo Jump perspective

The iconic Great Falls area symbol --- Square Butte

Grass and sky dominate the landscape above the buffalo jump

The hoodoos below the jump

I guess we could have skied.  

The snow in the mountains, though thin, is ski-able.So we opted for a sure thing, instead ---- a hike at the Buffalo Jump outside Ulm, a mere 11 miles away.

It offers a 360 panoramic view of the mountains and plains and the Missouri River below.

We walked out along the rim of the jump as far as the rims go to the west, climbed a high point, dropped to the valley below and re-climbed the rims for a hike of about 3.3 miles with about 550 feet of elevation gain and loss.

The area was bone dry despite being the end of December, when you expect snow and ice. It was so open the prairie dogs frolicked in their town, almost stripped bare of vegetation with overgrazing.

This is being written two days after the hike and as I look outside winter has finally arrived, with about 5 inches of fresh, powder snow. 

It had been so dry previously that despite it being mid-December, Katie had taken to watering the lawn and trees, fearful of drought damage.

This First People's Buffalo Jump State Park is a must for future guests, as well as the Highwoods, Little Belts, Front and Sluice Boxes State Park.

We live in a magnificent part of Montana!

Unusually warm and dry, but Deadman anyway

Deadfall pokes its head through the relatively scant snow on the ridge line

The best snow of the trip, although tough to break trail in

On the way out

 We've had an exceptionally warm and dry December in town.

Thank goodness what little moisture we've had has fallen in the mountains, with enough to open Showdown Ski Area.

We've been out five times and found decent enough snow.

This past week we were able to do the 7-mile Deadman run in the Little Belts and the next day follow it with several miles of pretty good skiing on a groomed Silver Crest cross country ski area.

We had to strip down to sweatshirts on both days because of the warmth.

But the warmth had its downside:  wind that put a wind crust on the ridgeline and a relatively base-less snow that was tough to plow through.

If the past 10 years is any indication, climate change is taking its toll on an ever late ski season.

Surprise! Really good snow in the Little Belts

Mark Hertenstein above our telemark spot with snow-capped Yogo Peak on the horizon

Mark, climbing back after making some tele turns

Enjoying the back country snow

 I was skeptical that we'd find much skiable snow in the Little Belt, what with the 50 degrees temperatures we've been having in town.

But there's terrific powder in the mountain range south and east of Great Falls.

The snowmobile groomers have been out and we used Trail G adjacent to the big powerline near the Kings Hill cabin to reach the Weatherwax area, and we skied out on that ridgeline for a distance where it opened up for some nice telemark turns.

We returned by way of the Deadman Road, completing a 5.1 miles trip that gained and lost 1,000 feet.

The weather was ideal --- clear and cold.  We estimated the temperatures on top in the 20 degrees range.

We skied in about 15-24 inches of powder and found a fairly good base.

Snowmobilers were out hammering the Weatherwax bowls, but we were able to escape them.

We saw only two other skiers during our trip.

Perfect day!

Better late than never: 1st ski of season

 

My first tele-turns of the season

Porphyry Peak above an empty Showdown Ski Area, two weeks before the ski hill opens

The first cross country ski of the season on Dec. 1?

That's pretty darn late.

I guess I could have gotten it in earlier if we hadn't traveled to Salt Lake City for Thanksgiving.

There really isn't a lot of snow.  But, it was set up just right on Showdown's Golden Goose runs so that I could take my first turns of the season.  It was a balmy 31 degrees on the hill, while the temperature in Great Falls, locked in an inversion, got only into the low teens.

There was 3-6 inches of snow on a shallow base, but it was a nice powder and of the right consistency for an enjoyable ski.

This was the first time I was trying something new to correct for that awful hammertoe on my left foot, and bunions on both feet.

While I have fairly new Scarpa T-3 boots, the left boot has never fit comfortably.

I went online and bid on a pair of used T-3s for $99 a half size bigger and now tried out the used left boot and kept my new right boot, a half-smaller, and it worked perfectly!

I skied without rubbing my hammertoe on the left boot and both boots felt good on my bunions.

Looks like that should work in the near term.  The left foot is ominously disfigured enough that I know I've got foot surgery in my future.

Seize the day!

Is it Havre or Bullhook? New hiking area up north

Katie in one of the lava-created draws

Mount Lieberg

The shadows highlight to dike coming off Mount Lieberg

 We are always looking around for new hiking possibilities, especially in the Front, and the Island Ranges.

Katie found a real dandy recently and we gave it a try: the newly opened Bullhook Trail a few miles outside Havre.  Directions:  Location: very south end of Bullhook Butte (aka Saddle Butte). Directions: take 14th Ave/Clear Creek Rd in Havre to Bullhook Rd. Proceed on Bullhook Rd about 1.5 miles until the pavement ends, continue and 0.2 miles later on the left (east) you'll see the parking lot.

It's not particularly long or hard, but it is really scenic.  I clocked 1.8 miles and about 660 elevation gain and loss on a main loop, but using your imagination with a good cutacross trail you could increase this.

This small butte (mountain?) is a lava outflow.  A well-developed and in part, steep trail leads through small canyons created by the outcrops.

Access has been donated by the Lieberg family and the high point bears the Mount Lieberg name.

From the top there are tremendous views of the Sweetgrass Hills, the Bearspaw Mountains and the Highwood Mountains, and into the Bullhook Bottom, and Milk River flats into Canada.

It's called "Bullhook" Butte because the top looks like a bison bull hooked it, creating a notch.

Bullhook was railroad magnate J.J. Hill's favored name for what is now Havre, the biggest city on the Hi-Line.  However, he lost out a settler whose family lived in LaHavre in France.

The 110-miles drive to Havre was enhanced by a stop at Jenny's Kitchen across from the BN railway station at 416 1st St., a funky restaurant you'd expect from a town like Bozeman or Missoula.  It is decorated with discarded industrial and agricultural objects and features an eclectic menu.

We're finding ourselves drawn more and more to Havre with its buffalo jump, Havre Beneath the Streets, Beaver Creek County Park hiking in the Bearspaws,  Fort Assiniboine, and MSU Northern.  Lots to do here.

Jenny's Kitchen with an old windmill hanging from the ceiling

Lots of ag and industrial objects to view at Jenny's back alley entrance

After more than 40 years a Hauser Lake surprise

 

Katie in the Hauser Canyon

An angler near Beaver Creek with Gates Wilderness in sight

The trail scrambles across this talus field

Beaver Creek fishing area

It had been more than 40 years since I had been to Hauser Lake on the Missouri River northeast of Helena.  My only memories were good fishing and a lousy, winding road.

Both were confirmed at a trip there Friday as we watched anglers pulling in big rainbows and browns, and my experience with a road so winding that there is a mirror in one spot so you don't run into another vehicle.

What I hadn't done when I lived in Helena was hike the east shore, where there is a two mile trail to Beaver Creek, another legendary Helena-area fishing spot reached from the town of York.

The trail goes through an extremely scenic high canyon at several points crossing fields of talus made passable by flattened rock.  Placement of those rocks is impressive.

The Missouri was particularly beautiful, running a translucent, dark green.  There were many spots where the hiker or fisherman can descend to the river bank.

This is truly area is truly an extension of the the spectacular limestone canyon that borders the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness Area.

At the developed Beaver Creek site the Gates area at Big Log Gulch trailhead is a short distance to the north.

This area is yet another example of the amazing country that is adjacent to our wilderness system areas that haven't been designated.

Hauser Dam is reached off the Lincoln Road exit to Lake Helena.  At the Causeway Road turn left and take the road to the dam.

There is a much longer, dustier, bumpier road to Beaver Creek from the town of York.

This is so easy to reach with a high payoff that I'll be back again.  But I won't wait 40 years to do it.