Looking back

When I visited the remains of the old lookout atop Baldy Mountain on a hike today an interesting perspective came to mind.
I will continue to post a few more photos from Penrose Peak later, but thought these two photos might just fit here.
Last Monday I took this photo from beside the remains of the old [...]

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Penrose Peak, Part 2

The question many may ask when they see my posts about the hike to the top of Penrose Peak is,”why?”. It’s a very personal thing, but my answer can be seen in this photo and others that I will post later:
From the top of Penrose (7073 ft.).

It’s my feeling that mountains, to be truly appreciated, [...]

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The longest three mile trail in Montana (Part 4)

This will be the last post in this series: after all, how much can be said about a three mile trail?
The Clark Fork of the Columbia River flows in a northwesterly direction for about three hundred miles from its source in the Deerlodge National Forest at the Continental Divide near the town of Butte Montana [...]

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A contrast

In the middle of winter, while it’s nice to contemplate the beauty of all the snow and ice, it’s also enjoyable to occasionally reflect on what this cold world will be like once summer returns again.
The first two photos that follow were taken last Thursday, of Mount Baldy, a 7,464 foot high mountain near here [...]

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Mount Baldy: the trail

For those who like trails…
Baldy Mountains roadless area is not very big in terms of horizontal area. It totals only 6,482 acres, or 10 square miles and if it were square it would be about 3.2 miles by 3.2 miles. It is a simple thing to walk 3 miles, that is, if it’s flat.
There is [...]

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Mount Baldy

The key feature in the Baldy Mountain roadless area is Mount Baldy itself. It is about 80 miles northwest of Missoula, Montana in the southern end of the Cabinet Mountains. At 7,464 feet, it is the tallest peak in thirty or so surrounding miles.
Here’s a photo of it from the west, taken in May from [...]

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To the east

Just beyond the trees and 4,000 feet below, the small town of Hot Springs is just 5 miles away. (This photo is for Geri.)

Beyond the town, and another 40 miles away, the majestic Mission Mountains.

A few more degrees to the south and just below the peak, Baldy Lake.

Photographed June 26, 2007 from the summit of [...]

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Mount Baldy flowers

A mid-summer snow storm on Monday created some interesting flower photos, like these bluebells,

and the snow on the beargrass, as if these blossoms needed additional white!

By Tuesday, the snow had melted and summer was its normal self again for these Indian paintbrushes.

I don’t know how the rather delicate Tolmei was able to survive its icy [...]

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Mount Baldy: the top

What a difference a day can make. On Monday the high temperature in the valley was 64º and there was new snow on Mount Baldy. On Tuesday the valley high was 78º and the snow was gone. All but at the top.
This is the first of several posts I will make about a hike to [...]

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Baldy Mountain roadless area

Hot day? Here’s what the trail up Mount Baldy looked like this morning at about 7,000 feet:

Photographed from within the Baldy Mountain roadless area on USFS trail 340, Cabinet Mountains, Western Montana. (This area would be protected under the Wilderness Bill HR 1975.)

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