November 7, 2011
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Montana Outdoors
i have heard of leaving a trail of bread crumbs, but a trail of snow? a little extreme, don’t ya think? =o)
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Comment by Sandy — November 7, 2011 @ 11:04 pm
In some places, they only have a few signs; here, a white carpet!
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Comment by montucky — November 8, 2011 @ 9:35 am
Happy snow trails to you!
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Comment by Roberta — November 7, 2011 @ 11:25 pm
Very soon, Roberta. The snow is getting closer, lower on the mountains.
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Comment by montucky — November 8, 2011 @ 9:36 am
Beautiful!
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Comment by Jo Woolf — November 8, 2011 @ 1:07 am
Thanks Jo.
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Comment by montucky — November 8, 2011 @ 9:37 am
Showing you the way 🙂
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Comment by TheDailyClick — November 8, 2011 @ 6:59 am
Add another 6 inches or so and it gets harder. These trails are pretty well marked with blazes though.
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Comment by montucky — November 8, 2011 @ 9:39 am
Just what I needed this morning, a nice walk in the mountains. Crisp clean air and beautiful scenery. Now that’s the perfect way to start a work day. What is the red leafed shrub that lines the path?
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Comment by anniespickns — November 8, 2011 @ 7:00 am
Most of the the red leaves are huckleberry. The leaves have stayed on them for a long time this fall.
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Comment by montucky — November 8, 2011 @ 9:40 am
Don’t know what traisl 367 of 369 look like but they couldn’t possibly be more pleasant and gorgeous. You sure do have some blue, blue skies in Montana!
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Comment by WildBill — November 8, 2011 @ 7:19 am
Now you got me started, Bill. Trail 369 is about 15 miles away in another mountain range, the Coeur d’Alenes. I can’t find 367 on my maps, but I’ll keep looking. 366 has been decommissioned (but I followed part of it a week ago), and perhaps 367 was too.
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Comment by montucky — November 8, 2011 @ 9:49 am
Great shots! Love the bits of red here and there.
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Comment by Barbara — November 8, 2011 @ 11:14 am
The variety of colors this year is amazing. It makes up for a rather drab fall last year.
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Comment by montucky — November 8, 2011 @ 8:37 pm
Fall in Montana is a beautiful season – thanks for sharing.
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Comment by daveabirding — November 8, 2011 @ 12:19 pm
It is my wife’s favorite season, and I certainly love to colors and the cooler air.
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Comment by montucky — November 8, 2011 @ 8:38 pm
Loved how God put out a white carpet for you to follow…much prettier than the red carpet at a fancy hotel any day! Beautiful photos, as usual. 🙂
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Comment by Mama's Empty Nest — November 8, 2011 @ 6:54 pm
You bet! I’ll take the white carpet any time!
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Comment by montucky — November 8, 2011 @ 8:38 pm
Hi Montucky, I really like seeing these trail photographs. I think the second-to-the-last one is especially nice. So vivid and pretty. Have an extra-nice Wednesday tomorrow!
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Comment by wildlifewatcher — November 8, 2011 @ 7:10 pm
I’m glad you like to see them wildlifewatcher. You have a great Wednesday too!
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Comment by montucky — November 8, 2011 @ 8:40 pm
All those colors are just beautiful, all those photos look like paintings.
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Comment by Candace — November 8, 2011 @ 8:25 pm
They might inspire paintings. There are miles of trail like this. It’s very pleasant to hike them!
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Comment by montucky — November 8, 2011 @ 8:42 pm
This trail deserves a spiffier name!
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Comment by Watching Seasons — November 8, 2011 @ 9:40 pm
It is called the Big Hole Lookout trail besides its number. I’ve just become accustomed to using the trail numbers because that is very specific and helps anyone who is interested to find the right trail. There are many trails named after the same place names, but the trail numbers are all unique.
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Comment by montucky — November 13, 2011 @ 1:36 am
Decommissioned trails. I don’t know if that sounds like a bad thing or a good thing. Too few hikers out enjoying them, or returning to their more pristine origins. But, I think hiking the decommissioned trails would be emotionally rewarding. These are beautiful trail photos. The last photo speaks the loudest to me. Something about the openness….
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Comment by Teresa Evangeline — November 9, 2011 @ 6:56 am
Decommissioning a trail can be either good or bad, depending on the location. Nearly always, once it’s done though it will be the end of the trail. In a year or two trees down over the trail caused by storms or winter snow will block the trail and make impossible to use.
A few weeks ago a friend and I tried to follow a decommissioned trail from its bottom end on up: we knew it’s location and route from an old forest map. I heard that the summer before last a fire crew had cleared it after working on a fire at the upper end of the trail: it was easier for them to saw the old trail out and come down the 5 miles than to climb way back up to where there was road access. We were able to use the trail for about two miles, then turned back because there were so many trees down over the trail it was impassable.
Nearly all of the trails in our forests in this region were established in the early 1900’s for access to fire lookout sites so Forest Service workers could get to the lookouts and pack trains could supply them. Some have been lost and many are still being maintained for hikers, hunters and horsemen as well as for Forest service and wildlife service access. Use varies. If I hike several hundred miles of trail in a summer, I may encounter two or three people, although that low trail usage is probably because of the trails that I choose. I prefer to hike alone most of the time and go where it is very unlikely that I will encounter anyone else: there is an immense feeling of freedom when I’m on a high country trail and know that there is not another person within 10 or 15 miles of me, that I got there on foot, and my safety and well being depend completely on my knowledge and ability alone. Some trails are well advertised though and therefore fairly popular.
I consider the remaining Forest Service trails, especially the old pack trails, to be historical and environmental treasures and grieve when one is lost.
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Comment by montucky — November 9, 2011 @ 9:52 am
Wow what a spectacular place for a hike!
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Comment by dhphotosite — November 9, 2011 @ 10:10 am
This is one trail of many here like it. They are wonderful challenges for the traveler, but always worth the effort!
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Comment by montucky — November 9, 2011 @ 11:44 pm
Won’t be long before you’ll have to trade your hiking boots for xc skis.
Decommissioned trails are a drag. Sometimes they call them “man ways” but that’s a euphemism, because the deadfall makes them pretty impassible for man, if not beast.
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Comment by Kim — November 9, 2011 @ 6:45 pm
I would like to try XC skis this winter, but may just have to rely on snow shoes as usual.
I’ve seen many old trails that have become impassible for man that had animal trails around the deadfalls. Sometimes those are useful, but the critters are much better at climbing very steep hillsides than we two-legged ones.
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Comment by montucky — November 9, 2011 @ 11:47 pm
I’m partial to your lower trail shots… these are beautiful!
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Comment by kcjewel — November 9, 2011 @ 7:56 pm
I think you would enjoy this trail, Jewel, but not the part where it approaches the lookout.
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Comment by montucky — November 9, 2011 @ 11:48 pm
I love those red grasses. Great contrast.
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Comment by Tammy — November 9, 2011 @ 9:09 pm
The red is mostly huckleberry, pretty in fall, and delicious in late summer.
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Comment by montucky — November 9, 2011 @ 11:49 pm
A little touch of several colors makes nature stand out.
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Comment by Evangeline Art Photography — November 9, 2011 @ 10:11 pm
It sure does! It leads me to a great deal of speculation about why there is so much color.
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Comment by montucky — November 9, 2011 @ 11:52 pm
Terry, We awoke to snow here in the Andes but summer is coming! Beautiful colors!
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Comment by Maureen — November 10, 2011 @ 5:17 am
I guess the snow there is on its way out and here it is on its way in.
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Comment by montucky — November 10, 2011 @ 10:26 pm
Some absolutely beautiful pictures. I like the way the trail is marked by snow.
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Comment by Ratty — November 10, 2011 @ 4:34 pm
It appeared that the snow stayed on the trail because there were ice crystals on the tread of the trail that kept it cold. An interesting phenomenon.
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Comment by montucky — November 10, 2011 @ 10:27 pm
Nice of nature to give you a white painted trail to follow. I guess that’s better than it being yellow, eh? Love that mountain blue sky!
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Comment by Scott Thomas Photography — November 11, 2011 @ 2:48 pm
The trail I was on today was solid yellow from the needles of the larch since they are now shedding. Tomorrow though, it will be white again, as will the sky.
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Comment by montucky — November 11, 2011 @ 11:18 pm
Nice colors.
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Comment by apostolcornel — December 11, 2011 @ 11:10 am
Thanks!
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Comment by montucky — December 11, 2011 @ 7:35 pm