Bringing summer to a close: Falls Creek colors, Glacier's Piegan Pass, Mount Aeneas in Jewel Basin, Cold Lake in Missions

Falls Creek

The Garden Wall at Piegan Pass

The Jewel Basin's Mount Aeneas summit ridge

This billy tried to block the top of Mount Aeneas

The huckleberries really showed off on the Mount Aeneas Trail

Brilliant fall color spangled the Mount Aeneas Trail hillsides

Lots of hiking in this final week of Summer.

Katie was organizing and pushing.

I was along for the ride, testing my left foot and its large bunion and hammer toe, that will undergo surgery in November.

The surgery will put me out of commission for 16 weeks to a half year, if I understand my orthopedic surgeon.  Healing for a guy my age takes more time.   I deeply regret that I'll miss the backcountry ski season.

With any luck I may be able to put on snowshoes at the beginning of Spring, and do some moderate hiking when the weather melts the snow.

 We were delighted by a very short hike to see the waterfalls on Falls Creek, and were surprised by the early show of autumnal colors.

It look as though the parking area for Falls Creek is undergoing a major upgrade that may include some camping or picnic spots.  

Then, we took off for Glacier and a 9-mile, 2,000 feet elevation gain day hike to Piegan Pass.  I'm always stunned by the beauty at the pass with the Garden Wall thrusting its jagged points to the sky.  Coming down there are sweeping views of the glaciers around Mounts Jackson and Blackfoot.  Going up ---- Piegan glacier and its several waterfalls.  We saw two immense bighorn sheep.

Instead of going home, we headed for Swan Lake and a two night stay at the Laughing Horse Lodge, a favorite, quirky getaway.  We saddened to find out that the owner, Kathleen Moon, is saying this is her last year of serving meals and may do tapas and cocktails in the future.  She's ready to sell this charming place.

The next morning we traveled to the Jewel Basin, where we hit the Mount Aeneas trailhead for the 7-mile, 2,000 feet, climb of Mount Aeneas that looms above the many lakes in the basin below.  We were greeted by five mountain goats below the summit, a treat that climbers have experienced for many years.  Unfortunately, wildfire smoke obscured some of the views towards Flathead Lake, but Glacier and the Swan Range as well as Hungry Horse Reservoir, were hazy, but viewable.  The ground colors ---- spirea, huckleberry, red osier ---- were outstanding.

On the way home we took a stab at hiking the Cold Lake Trail in the Mission Mountains Wilderness, but only went up about a mile, tired from our multiple days of hiking.

The week was a superb ending to Summer.