The hike to the first lake was only 9 miles. “We got this,” I told my wife. What I failed to tell her was that we were going to gain about 2,000 feet in elevation in the last 3 miles. Plus, I found no references about this lake online. I got the feeling no one went there, except perhaps to hunt mountain goats. It was going to be a perfect spot to reel in some high-mountain Montana trout—assuming we made it.
Late August in western Montana is prime time for backpacking, fishing and scouting for elk in the high country. Spending some quality time with my wife for our anniversary in the middle of nowhere was a bonus.
After dropping the kids with the grandparents, we drove to an empty trailhead. Spirits were high until we started hitting the switchbacks. Unlike the first 6 miles, few fit-for-print words were spoken on the
