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| Stanton Lake shoreline beneath frosted, golden larch |
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| The colorful larch needles provides a soft walkway |
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| Frost on the lodgepole |
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| Concrete footings are about all that's left of Garry Lookout that burned in 1974 |
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| Morrell Falls has a 90 foot drop |
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| Lodgepole and larch are growing back after the 2017 Rice Ridge Fire near Seeley Lake |
When the larch go, winter begins.
So, we've been making the most of this short season when the larch turn bright yellow and then fades to orange.
Winter can't be far behind.
Last week we took a quick trip to the Flathead where we hiked to Stanton Lake in the Great Bear Wilderness and the former Garry Lookout site not far away. After a night in Columbia Falls we enjoyed the larch colors in the Swan Valley, stopping to hike to Morrell Falls near Seeley Lake before going home.
The weather was quite cold --- never warming more than 37 degrees --- and the larch and pines were tipped in frost.
We hiked most of the way around the west shore of Stanton Lake. We were surprised to see numerous other hikers, many with dogs. I marveled at how still the water was. There was negligible wind. The frosted, golden larch reflected in the water. We did about 4 miles round trip.
Garry Lookout, or what's left of it ---- just footings from the cabin that burned down in 1974 --- was another 4 miles.
Morrell Falls is another 5.8 miles on mostly flat terrain and mostly in the 2017 Rice Ridge Fire burn. The trees, mostly lodgepole and larch, are growing back nicely. The Morrell Falls is a gorgeous spectacle with a 90 foot drop.
We saw no one else on this pleasant stroll.
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