My Journey
- Thread starter YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
- Start date
jdlobb
Adventurer
Almost your entire state is bought and paid for by federal tax dollars. Colorado does, literally, belong to all of us. Texans included.
AlwaysRoaming
Member
As a Texan who spends significant dollars in NM, CO, WY, UT and NV every year, I support this message. I try to leave each state as I found it.
ITTOG
Well-known member
The problem is it seems most people do the opposite. They tend to ruin a lot of stuff.
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
We waited eight days for the next break in the hot summer weather to come. On the morning of the eighth day we loaded up the rig and drove west on the interstate.....finally escaping the pull that the Crazy Mountains have had over me lately.....
Just west of Cardwell, Montana we departed the interstate and drove north along Highway 69.....the first "leg stretching" stop of the trip happened to be in front of this very cool looking church.....
We continued driving north and eventually connected with another interstate in Boulder, Montana. Our time on that interstate was short lived as we exited just north of town and headed into the Elkhorn Mountains.....
Our plan for this trip was to climb Elkhorn Peak (9,394') the following day.....and possibly climb an additional peak.....Crow
Peak (9,422').....on the same day.....that was unlikely.....
This was new country for us as we'd never set foot in this mountain range prior to this visit. Picking this mountain was totally random.....I just had that urge to climb something while we were hanging out at the cabin.....
I think it was safe to say that the dogs had the exact same urge. The dogs are funny.....there's always this certain level of excitement when they see me loading up the rig.....they know.....
Then the excitement will die down as we travel the pavement.....but when the rig hits a gravel road.....then it's total insanity.....
The drive to the planned campsite wasn't really anything spectacular like many of the mountain ranges are in Montana.....
this sand dune in the middle of the forest was soooo unexpected.....I could only wonder how this was even possible.....
Just west of Cardwell, Montana we departed the interstate and drove north along Highway 69.....the first "leg stretching" stop of the trip happened to be in front of this very cool looking church.....
We continued driving north and eventually connected with another interstate in Boulder, Montana. Our time on that interstate was short lived as we exited just north of town and headed into the Elkhorn Mountains.....
Our plan for this trip was to climb Elkhorn Peak (9,394') the following day.....and possibly climb an additional peak.....Crow
Peak (9,422').....on the same day.....that was unlikely.....
This was new country for us as we'd never set foot in this mountain range prior to this visit. Picking this mountain was totally random.....I just had that urge to climb something while we were hanging out at the cabin.....
I think it was safe to say that the dogs had the exact same urge. The dogs are funny.....there's always this certain level of excitement when they see me loading up the rig.....they know.....
Then the excitement will die down as we travel the pavement.....but when the rig hits a gravel road.....then it's total insanity.....
The drive to the planned campsite wasn't really anything spectacular like many of the mountain ranges are in Montana.....
this sand dune in the middle of the forest was soooo unexpected.....I could only wonder how this was even possible.....
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
The gravel road took us further into the forest and higher up into mountains and once again I had a surprise come my way.....
Of course I had looked at Google Maps prior to leaving the cabin and of course I saw that there was a small town located at the end of the gravel road.....Elkhorn, Montana even had a Main Street.....but I never gave much thought to Googling the town name itself.....
Well.....it turned out that this old mining town had quite the history.....
We parked at the lower end of town (it's built on a pretty good slope) and decided to make this spot our campsite for the night. Just as the sun was setting we took a walk into town.....
Plenty of old abandoned buildings still stand in this old mining town.....and one thing that really stood out to me here.....the Forest Service has plastered this town with informative signs.....literally everywhere.....
Fortunately for the readers here, I won't post a single one.....
The following morning we got our typical early start into the mountains.....the mountains that call home to many Grizzly Bears.....so for this hike I attached a can of bear spray to my chest strap.....hoping to see at least one.....
Initially the trail was along an old mostly abandoned roadbed.....
.....that led to some old abandoned wood cabins.....
The hiking initially was so easy.....along that roadbed that ever so gradually climbed the western side of the Elkhorn Mountain Range.....
Of course I had looked at Google Maps prior to leaving the cabin and of course I saw that there was a small town located at the end of the gravel road.....Elkhorn, Montana even had a Main Street.....but I never gave much thought to Googling the town name itself.....
Well.....it turned out that this old mining town had quite the history.....
We parked at the lower end of town (it's built on a pretty good slope) and decided to make this spot our campsite for the night. Just as the sun was setting we took a walk into town.....
Plenty of old abandoned buildings still stand in this old mining town.....and one thing that really stood out to me here.....the Forest Service has plastered this town with informative signs.....literally everywhere.....
Fortunately for the readers here, I won't post a single one.....
The following morning we got our typical early start into the mountains.....the mountains that call home to many Grizzly Bears.....so for this hike I attached a can of bear spray to my chest strap.....hoping to see at least one.....
Initially the trail was along an old mostly abandoned roadbed.....
.....that led to some old abandoned wood cabins.....
The hiking initially was so easy.....along that roadbed that ever so gradually climbed the western side of the Elkhorn Mountain Range.....
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Unlike many (most ?) of our Montana hikes which parallel creeks or rivers, or have multiple water crossings, this hike had little access to water.....the dogs took advantage of several small springs that seemed to open up near the trail which provided them with a cool drink of wonderful mountain spring water.....
Like water, views were also nearly nonexistent as well (at least until we got up high). This was one of the few spots where we did catch a glimpse of the mountains and valleys looking to the west.....
One section of the forest floor was covered in soft, almost fluffy plants.....really almost cloud like they were.....
And it wasn't just me that noticed it.....the dogs persistently stopped to roll around on that forest floor.....I swear it looked (and probably felt) too good to be true.....
It wasn't until we were at +/- 8,700' above sea level that we finally broke out of the forest and hiked through a grassy field.....to the south we hiked by Windy Point (9,026').....
Next we passed along a section of steep rocky cliffs.....again they were located to the south.....
Just beyond that ledge.....it was a near vertical drop.....
In the next picture you see Elkhorn Peak (9,394') the higher point on the right.....
The last +/- 300 vertical feet of climbing was through a massive rockfall.....I used the AllTrails Ap at this point which led us to an actual trail through the rockfall. Looking back I'm just amazed at what a well maintained trail that this was. In the next picture you see a very large stone enclosure built on the summit.....I was not a fan of this.....
The winds were light that afternoon so the stone enclosure had no value to us.....actually just the opposite.....it blocked the views. We ate lunch within it confines and downed the four bottles of water that I'd hauled up the mountain.....
Like water, views were also nearly nonexistent as well (at least until we got up high). This was one of the few spots where we did catch a glimpse of the mountains and valleys looking to the west.....
One section of the forest floor was covered in soft, almost fluffy plants.....really almost cloud like they were.....
And it wasn't just me that noticed it.....the dogs persistently stopped to roll around on that forest floor.....I swear it looked (and probably felt) too good to be true.....
It wasn't until we were at +/- 8,700' above sea level that we finally broke out of the forest and hiked through a grassy field.....to the south we hiked by Windy Point (9,026').....
Next we passed along a section of steep rocky cliffs.....again they were located to the south.....
Just beyond that ledge.....it was a near vertical drop.....
In the next picture you see Elkhorn Peak (9,394') the higher point on the right.....
The last +/- 300 vertical feet of climbing was through a massive rockfall.....I used the AllTrails Ap at this point which led us to an actual trail through the rockfall. Looking back I'm just amazed at what a well maintained trail that this was. In the next picture you see a very large stone enclosure built on the summit.....I was not a fan of this.....
The winds were light that afternoon so the stone enclosure had no value to us.....actually just the opposite.....it blocked the views. We ate lunch within it confines and downed the four bottles of water that I'd hauled up the mountain.....
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Before heading down the mountain I took pictures from the summit.....looking north, then east, then south, and finally to the west.....
We didn't see any Grizzly Bears that day.....Black Bears either.....I actually don't recall seeing any wildlife whatsoever.....but it was yet one more great day in the wilderness.....so thankful for these opportunities.....
We spent a second night camped in the National Forest and on our third day out we drove north to hang out in Helena, Montana.....
I've always liked this town.....the capital city of Montana. The historic section of town is great for people watching and a great place for walking the dogs. And having someone prepare lunch and dinner was a nice way to end the trip.....
We spent the third night camped on a side street in downtown Helena, Montana.....
.....and headed home on Day Four.....
.....already planning our next trip to the mountains.....
We didn't see any Grizzly Bears that day.....Black Bears either.....I actually don't recall seeing any wildlife whatsoever.....but it was yet one more great day in the wilderness.....so thankful for these opportunities.....
We spent a second night camped in the National Forest and on our third day out we drove north to hang out in Helena, Montana.....
I've always liked this town.....the capital city of Montana. The historic section of town is great for people watching and a great place for walking the dogs. And having someone prepare lunch and dinner was a nice way to end the trip.....
We spent the third night camped on a side street in downtown Helena, Montana.....
.....and headed home on Day Four.....
.....already planning our next trip to the mountains.....