Hike: Bridger Foothills Trail #534

As I was getting bored of hiking the College "M" Trail twice daily, I decided to hike up the beginning of the "M" Trail and then turn off onto the Bridger Foothills Trail #534 and explore this area. I followed this trail for 8 miles before I had to turn back due to a lack of water. This trail begins half way up the "M" Trail and continues 21 miles until it reaches Fairy Lake. At somepoint, I would like to hike the entire trail, but I would have to figure out all the logistics.

Bridger Foothills Trail #534 is a nice hike. It is primarily a hike through the forest. There are some great views and near mile 6 there is a beautiful creek that flows through. As it was a very hot day, this creek provided some much needed cooling off. Also, in this creek, I was able to see my first Montana frog. As I approached the creek, I was able to see tens of butterflies of different varieties fluttering all around. It was amazing to hike through a wooded area near a creek and be surrounded by gorgeous butterflies.

This hike was a nice one as it was one I had never done before, but it feels very unfinished; kind of like I never made it anywhere. But, at the end of the day, it was a nice walk in the woods. When I do this trail again, I will take the same route, but at the 6 mile marker continue a mile further to Cottonwood Canyon or continue on the trail to Sypes Canyon. I do not like hikes that I have yet to finish, but this was a long one and one that I was not familiar with before hiking it. This trail
 was not populated; I only saw two ladies hiking about 7 miles in. Other than that, it was just me.

Until next time....

MontanaMarci!


Bridger Foothills Trail #534 basics:

Elevation Gain: Varies depending on length
Trail Distance: 20.8 miles (one way)
Estimated hike time: depends on mileage
MontanaMarci's Favoritism Rating: 2^s
Trail Highlights: Lots of butterflies
Difficulty: 3/5

Butterfly along the trail

Another butterfly

On the way back to civilization

View from above

Hike: Chestnut Mountain

The hike to Chestnut Mountain is one of the longer hikes that I have done and actually finished. Chestnut Mountain Trailhead is located just east of Bozeman on the way towards Livingston MT. This is a newer trail and one that is less populated than some of the others I have hiked. While hiking it, I only saw three other people the entire hike. This is a trail that is very popular with mountain bikers. It would be quite a physically challenging ride up, but a speedy and gorgeous ride down. The three people that I passed were all mountain bikers. This trail also has a trail off of it that leads to Frog Rock which is a rock with climbing access. I have never been down the trail to Frog Rock, but I did view Frog Rock from the trail up to Chestnut Mountain Peak.

This trail is well maintained. It is not very rocky or rooty. In fact, it is quite clear nearly all the way, but there are some portions where the trail is very narrow and there are some steep drop offs on the side. Upon reaching the summit, there are trails to continue hiking further, but I stopped at the summit to engage in some photography of the 360 views of the surrounding mountain ranges and the valley.

This is a hike that I would hope to do again, but it was not as breath takingly beautiful as some others I have done. I judge hikes based on the "reward" (views, waterfalls, etc) that one receives upon reaching the end of the trailhead/the summit. While Chestnut Mountain has some gorgeous views, the length of this trail is not equal to the reward at the end of it.

Until next time.....

MontanaMarci!

Chestnut Mountain Basics:

Elevation Gain: 2200 Feet
Trail Distance: 9.2 miles (roundtrip)
Estimated hike time: 6 hours (roundtrip)
MontanaMarci's Favoritism Rating: 3^s
Trail Highlights: 360 Views at the Summit
Difficulty: 2/5

At the Summit of Chestnut Mountain

Panorama of the views from the summit

The Valley below

Surrounding mountain ranges

Hike: Palisade Falls

Palisade Falls is located in the Hyalite Canyon trail system and is a gorgeous waterfall. I have hiked this trail numerous times, but the beauty of the falls never gets old. Also, there is a great area surrounding the trailhead parking lot that has fire rings. One morning, I drove out here early and enjoyed a campfire before hiking up to see the falls.

Similar to Grotto Falls, this trail is very easy; it is a walk rather than a hike. This trail is completely paved from the start at the parking lot all the way to the falls itself. However, unlike the Grotto Falls trail, the trail to Palisade Falls does have a slight incline. This trail can get pretty busy, but the area surrounding the falls is quite spacious so there is always room to spread out, take pictures, and maybe even host a picnic near the falls.

This trail is another one that is perfect for non-hikers, children, and anyone requiring a handicapped accessible trail.

Until next time.........

MontanaMarci!

Palisade Falls Basics:

Elevation Gain: 250 Feet
Trail Distance: Maybe 1/2 mile (roundtrip)
Estimated hike time: 15-20ish minutes (roundtrip)
MontanaMarci's Favoritism Rating: 2-3^s
Trail Highlights: Nice waterfall; great place for a fire
Difficulty: 0/5

On the road to the falls

Palisade Falls

Fire before the falls

Hike: The College "M" Trail

This trail was the first official "hike" that I went on in Montana. I first hiked this trail sometime in the summer of 2011 and have hiked it countless times since. In fact, there was a period of time in the summer of 2013 where I hiked/ran this trail twice everyday. There is just something about this trail that I love......Maybe it is the fact that it was my first ever hike in Montana or maybe it is the perfect length and elevation combined with the gorgeous views of my home in the Gallatin Valley....well, whatever it is, I love this trail.

This trail is a popular one for locals and tourists alike. At any given point of the day or day of the week, this trailhead is PACKED. Cars can be seen parked all along the road or even across the street in the parking area for Drinking Horse Summit. With this stated, if you enjoy a solo hike, this is definitely not the trailhead for you.

This trail has two trails that can be chosen from: a switchback trail which results in an easy hike or a very steep trail that climbs straight up the face of the mountain to the "M". I have now hiked both at least once. As a hiker new to the "M", it is good to climb the switchback trail first to get accustomed to the trail, but this switchback trail quickly becomes easy and it is fun to switch things up by climbing the steep side and then enjoying a trail run down the switchback side. There is also the option of climbing up past the "M" to the ridge of the Bridger Mountain Range or turning off before heading up to the "M" and hiking the Bridger Foothills Trail #534 towards Cottonwood Creek and Sypes Canyon. LOTS of options here depending on one's hiking desires.

All in all, the "M" trail is a great trail to hike along others who call Gallatin Valley their home as well as random tourists who take as long to hike this trail as it may take to hike Everest.

Until next time.....

MontanaMarci!

The College "M" Trail Basics:

Elevation Gain: 850 Feet
Trail Distance: 1.6 miles (roundtrip)
Estimated hike time: 45 minutes (roundtrip) - based on hiking the switchback trail and then running down it
MontanaMarci's Favoritism Rating: 5^s
Trail Highlights: Great sense of community on the trail; beautiful views of Gallatin Valley; close proximity to Bozeman
Difficulty: 2/5

On the "M"



At the summit

Winter hike of the "M"

View of the Trailhead

Hike: Grotto Falls

Earlier in the summer, a group of friends from work met for a "Friday Adventure". This adventure consisted of "hiking" Grotto Falls. Hiking, in this case, is in quotes because Grotto Falls is NOT a hike. Before embarking on this adventure, reviews online had told us that Grotto Falls was 3 mile roundtrip hike, but it definitely was not. The hike to Grotto Falls was perfectly flat on a clear trail and was not challenging in the least. This is best described as a leisurely stroll in the woods, but should not be considered a hike.

Despite this, the falls is gorgeous and it is definitely worth a visit out to see it, but do not plan on being out for long if Grotto Falls is your one and only destination. This is a great hike for little ones or individuals who are not in shape, but enjoy being outdoors; also, this trail is handicapped accessible. If I were to walk this trail again, it would be only for the sake of taking better pictures as I had left my good camera at home due to rainy conditions.

Until next time.....

MontanaMarci!

Grotto Falls Basics:

Elevation Gain: 250 Feet
Trail Distance: Uncertain, but definitely not 3 miles
Estimated hike time: At most, 1 hour (roundtrip)
MontanaMarci's Favoritism Rating: 1^s
Trail Highlights: Grotto Falls, but nothing else
Difficulty: 0/5...if you can walk, you can do this trail! Easy...too easy.

Grotto Falls

At the falls

Another view of the falls

Hike: Lava Lake

08-05-13

Last week, the hike of the week for me was Lava Lake. This was another hike that I had been wanting to do for a long time, but just never had. Well, I have now hiked it and the one question I keep asking myself is: "Why did I not hike this sooner?!" The hike to Lava Lake is, so far, my favorite hike yet.

The hike itself is not steep, but the trail is pretty much all rock. Essentially, this is a trail that is not difficult due to insane elevation gain or intense length; rather, it is a trail that is difficult in that you continuously have to watch where you are stepping due to the rocky nature of the trail.

This trail winds its way through the Lee Metcalf Wilderness and is alongside Cascade Creek nearly the entire way. This walk in the woods is a peaceful one due to the sounds of the cascading creek in very close proximity to the trail. At around mile 2, there is a cool bridge that allows for very easy crossing of the creek. This bridge also serves as a great spot to take a photo of either oneself (seen below) and/or the rushing creek beneath it.

The last mile of the trail is more steep than the first 2, but in general, I would not go as far as to use the word steep to even describe this trail. At the end of the 3rd mile, there is a clearing in the forest and rock formations can be seen surrounding the lake. The views at the end of the Lava Lake Trail are extremely rewarding and make the rough path worth it all!

This is a MUST hike if you find yourself in the Bozeman/Big Sky area.

Until next time.......

MontanaMarci!


Lava Lake Basics:

Elevation Gain: 1600 Feet
Trail Distance: 3 miles (one way)
Estimated hike time: 3-4 hours (roundtrip)....5+ hours (with excess photography!)
MontanaMarci's Favoritism Rating: 5^s
Trail Highlights: THE LAKE! (enough said...get there already!)
Difficulty: 2/5

LAVA LAKE!!!

Bridge at mile 2

Entering the wilderness

Hike: Storm Castle Peak

08-12-13

Hello Folks :)

Today I hiked Storm Castle Peak for the first time ever! Can I get a "hell ya" for a new hike?!

Anyway....this is a trail that is located about 30 miles south of Bozeman and is essentially in the town of Big Sky Montana.

This hike I would rate as moderately steep. It is not an intense hike, but it will leave you quite sweaty as can be seen through the picture below. According to my research (AKA "googling"), Storm Castle Peak gains 2300 feet in elevation over 2.5 miles. The trail conditions are best described as rocky/rooty, narrow, and surrounded by steep drop offs. I have heard of people running this trail, but I cannot really imagine this due to how narrow the trail is and how steep the drop offs are on the side of the trail. Maybe with cleats or crampons....maybe I will try this sometime and report back. This trail can get quite busy, but there is always plenty of trail without much other human interaction as well.

Upon reaching the top of the "Storm Castle", there are huge rock formations, one of which has a hole in  one of it's walls through which amazing views of the valley below can be seen. This is also an excellent spot for a memorable photo opp!

Next possible mission?!: Mt. Baldy in the Bridger Mountain Range. Stay tuned.............

Until next time,

MontanaMarci!



Storm Castle Basics:

Elevation Gain: 2300 Feet
Trail Distance: 2.5 miles (one way)
Estimated hike time: 3 hours (roundtrip)....4 hours (with excess photography!)
MontanaMarci's Favoritism Rating: 5^s
Trail Highlights: Amazing 360 views! Great landscape photography opportunities! A good trail length and challenge level!
Difficulty: 3/5

Before the hike



At the summit....notice the sweat

"Hole in the Wall"

Photo Opportunities ABOUND up here :)