Trip to the Tizer Basin

[JimmyW]

After quite a long absence, I decided to drive up to the Tizer Lakes country and check out a trail that I hadn't visited. The road to the Tizers takes off from Jefferson City, MT, which is about 15 miles south of Helena. The lakes are in the Elkhorn Mountains, and the road to the top is about five miles, plus another mile to the two lakes. For those who've heard of this place, note that the Forest Service has vastly improved the road over the past few years. I first visited the lakes in 1978, in an F-250 pickup The six mile drive took almost six hours, and kept my spotter busy! Now, it's a snap in my Jeep, although the road is very rough and rocky. It took less that an hour to drive the five miles. Here's a pic of what's likely the worst part of the road:


I didn't drive to the lakes, but headed out the opposite road which loops around Bullock Hill. I took a short hike up a big park and snapped a few pics. The next shot looks down the park and shows Crow and Elkhorn Peaks on the horizon. You can get to the tops of both in a good day hike from the town of Elkhorn. (See http://backcountrypost.com/threads/glenwood-lake-the-back-way.5257/#post-61697)


Here's another shot of the peaks from a different angle:


Last, this pic shows the the road back around Bullock Hill to the main road. The "three-humped" mountain on the horizon is aptly named Three Brothers. Next time, I'll head to the lakes and post some pics. From the Tizer Lakes, you can take two different hikes to Hidden Lake or Glenwood Lake. AFAIK, there are fish in each of the lakes.