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.)
Montana Outdoors 
These shots are really wonderful. I just read the National Geo’s spread on the Tongrass National Park and I’m starting to get a bit ticked again. (About the Bush admin completely ignoring the laws on these issues.) That as a side note… tho
when the girls turned nine (about three years ago) we spent the night in Wyoming just outside of the Grand Teton National Park – so we drove through tha pass the next day. What were we thinking not packing our chains out on the first week of sept? :o) {no kidding four feet of snow!}
When we were there I saw the biggest moose I’ve ever seen his paddles were huge! These shots remind me a little of that trip. Really lovely and there’s something really neat about it being 90 degrees when your looking at fresh snow.
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Comment by aullori — June 26, 2007 @ 1:09 am
It can be different in the high country. When I came back down yesterday, I found that the people in the valley had no idea that there was snow up on top. (It was hidden in the clouds all day.)
Again there were fresh moose tracks on this trail. Sooner or later I’ll run into one and get a portrait. There are also griz in this roadless area, but I’m not quite as anxious to photograph them.
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Comment by montucky — June 26, 2007 @ 7:09 am
:o) I don’t blame you much – capturing a grizz well that’s different all together. A nice shy black bear well that’s the way to go but even he spooked me enough coming downwind, on my left, with that flat footed gait (and amazingly quiet for such a big guy) … had I ran into a grizz I wouldn’t have taken time to warm up the camera.
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Comment by aullori — June 26, 2007 @ 9:46 am
Maybe it’s because I’m used to them, but I really like black bears. Griz though are unpredictable and can be just plain nasty for no obvious reason. This time of year it pays to be extra cautious because there may be cubs around and even a black bear with cubs can be a problem .
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Comment by montucky — June 26, 2007 @ 10:29 am
Amazing…AMAZING pictures, there!
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Comment by Narziss — June 26, 2007 @ 1:58 pm
Each hike into the wilderness brings us multiple changes in perspective.
Nice sequence of photographs.
Malcolm
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Comment by knightofswords — June 26, 2007 @ 7:08 pm
Narziss,
It’s an amazing country. I returned to the same place today and it was entirely different but no less beautiful. I’ll post some photos later. Thanks for visiting!
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Comment by montucky — June 26, 2007 @ 7:57 pm
Knight,
It does indeed. From day to day, even minute to minute.
A few hundred yards from the last photo I turned around because the clouds settled in tight around the peak and it started to snow really hard. Today it was 70Âş and full sun.
Vastly different scenery and a vastly different attitude for me.
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Comment by montucky — June 26, 2007 @ 8:00 pm
Excellent photos, Montucky. I particularly like the 3rd & 6th. Nice to see snow when it’s summer here (not that summer in SF is particularly warm 🙂
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Comment by Adam R. Paul — June 27, 2007 @ 8:42 am
Thanks, Adam. Yes, 3 and 6 are my favorites too. Monday (when these were taken) the high in the valley was only in the 60’s, and probably in the 40’s on the mountain. Today (Wednesday) it is supposed to hit 93Âş.
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Comment by montucky — June 27, 2007 @ 9:48 am