Bryan Harwood
Member
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2016
- Messages
- 26
The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is in Idaho and Montana. Its an extremely diverse wilderness. High rugged mountains on the east side where the border of the 2 states sits on the crest of the mighty Bitterroot Mountains. This trip took place in one of the 23 deep glaciar carved canyons on the east side of the wilderness in the Montana side. The canyon is called Chaffin Creek, and it goes up the canyon where it meets the chain of lakes at the top wiithin the main cirque. The lakes are called, heart, tamarack, and Chaffin lakes. The main peaks that tower above are called the Shard, Sugarloaf mountain, and Chaffin Peak. We took a 3 day winter backpacking trip with snow shoes. This trip took place March 28- 31.
Bryan (me) and Erin at the Trail Head
This is the view from our camp
Campfire at our camp 3.5 miles up the creek
Sweet moon shot over one of the pinnacles
Traversing the upper parts of the canyon for better views
Erin lovin the characteristic granite cliffs of the Bitterroots
Having fun in the snow
Sweet Icicles
More traversing toward the lakes
We reached heart lake, completely frozen yet
Snowshoes
Tamarack Lake, second lake up the chain of lakes
Lookin down the canyon
Chaffin Peak
craggy shit
Erin above heart lake
cool shadows
A good look at the Shard
lookin down into the bitterroot valley
sweet cliffs
We got snowed on the way out
Wilderness boundary on our way out.
If you ever get a chance, please visit the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. It's incredible and needs much awareness and public support as the USFS has no money at all to properly manage this special wilderness.
My name is Bryan Harwood, and I have taken hundreds of trips just like this one into this wilderness. I worked on the trail crew here for 3 seasons, and I have seen most of it. I will continue to post trips as I go as well as trips in the past.
