Bridger Range day hike

[John Goering]

Saturday, my wife and I headed up the small drainage north of the house to its headwater and then looped back down the divide on the two drainages to the south. Very windy, cloudy day but 50 something degrees. The first half to 3/4 mile was on logging road but all the remainder was off-trail.

My wife in Watts Creek. The mountain pine beetles made this reach a bit interesting. In a normal year, all the deadfall would still be buried under at least 2 to 3' of snow.

Looking out at the Gallatin Valley from about half way up Watts Creek. Forest Service Middle Cottonwood Creek access road lower left, Tobacco Root Mountains in the distance.

View to south from same point. Spanish Peaks, north end of the Madison Range.

Near the top of Watts Creek. There should be 4' of snow here.

A couple views from the same place as above.

The thread "kid" photo.

We ended up turning around on the rocky knob above the cliffs-barely getting into any snow. View to east into the upper end of Middle Cottonwood Creek. Rocking bump in ridge line is Bridger Peak.

Saddle Peak from same place-Bridger Bowl Ski Area just to left of Saddle on the other side of the ridge.

View out to valley on our exit. Our place in foreground.

Looking back at Middle Cottonwood Creek.

Looking down at the FS trailhead parking lot. Only 4 vehicles. Normally, this would all be white.

We got back to the house at about 5:30. A little more sunshine and it would have been a perfect day.

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[Vegan.Hiker]

I enjoyed this report John. One of the things that stuck out to me as different out west, besides the huge above treeline peaks, was how flat the land is between mountain ranges is out there. Like in your picture below. I like the contrast between your flat plains and big mountains. Around here it's more of an undramatic constant rolling of hills and if a hill is big enough we call it a mountain.

 

[Tye Dye Twins]

I take it the blue light in town hasn't been flashing so much this year?

 

[John Goering]

I take it the blue light in town hasn't been flashing so much this year?

Yeah, think they were just trying to be conservationists and cut their electricity consumption

I haven't seen any real figures yet, but think Bridger Bowl did reasonably well financially this year, mainly due to really good conditions over Christmas break and even less snow to the west. But it was certainly spring conditions from Feb through the present. Don't think the ski shops shared the wealth however.

I think I may actually be mowing the lawn before the end of March and I know I have never had to mow it in April ever before. By August, things may not be looking too good around here-if you can actually see anything through the smoke.