2019

Kid Perspective:

Running Wild – Feel free to let them eat up the trail but use some caution near the falls, as the rocks can get quite slippery.
The Trail – Starts on a road, without a marked trailhead. The trail runs through private property and past an old rock quarry before heading in to the forest and following the Sweathouse Creek. The trail was mostly dirt packed until you get closer to the falls, then you have tons of rocks to contend with.
Trail Conditions – No issues, some downed trees but they had all been cleared so it was easy going.
Bugs and Pests – No issues.
Plants – Lots of massive trees!
Bathrooms – Nada, practice Leave No Trace.
Cell Service – Decent enough, better once you get to the top/end.

Trail Information:

Length – 5 miles
Elevation Gain – 1,500 feet
Difficulty – Easy

Highlights:

Combo – Swimming at Lake Como!
Biff – Catching the butterfly!
Blaze – The views, the waterfall, and looking down at the valley of the mountain.
Ripper – Having lunch next to the falls, laying down and staring at the mountains.

We slept in because we chose a shorter and easier hike, which was only 25 minutes from our rented house. Biff slept through the night and seemed to be feeling much better. We made it to the trailhead just before 8:00 am and boy oh boy was it chilly!

As we were walking the parking area looking for the trail, we came across a deer bone…and then another and another. Eventually we found two nearly whole dear skeletons! The kids thought this was really cool and Mom and Dad wondered how the skeletons came to be in this area and if any critters remained behind to find new prey…

Telling ourselves that the more we moved, the warmer we would be, we hit the trail. We followed a gravel road for a good distance, doing everything in our power to warm up.

In the distance we could make out a large metal vault and as we drew closer we noted that it had “Explosives” posted on it. Dad told us that people blow things up in that box. The kids and I gave the vault a wide berth.

Moving along we soon encountered a rock quarry site that still had equipment, which was awesome. Dad told us all about how they used the equipment before we moved on.

Here the trail entered the forest and we caught our first glimpses of Sweathouse Creek.

The kids were delighted to find that someone had placed three walking sticks at the entrance to the forest. We warned the kids that they would have to walk with the stick the whole way but Combo still chose to grab one…

Eventually we found a fallen tree that would make a perfect walking stick for Biff. Dad had to modify the stick so he wouldn’t get poked by the protruding branches.

Biff enjoyed pointing out treasures along the way, as we continues to get glimpses of the creek.

We found a stream crossing that did not have any water but we still chose to cross the plank over “the ravine”.

Moving deeper into the forest, the kids were both happy with the chosen trail and continued along without any complaints! Biff especially liked looking at bark that looked like puzzle pieces.

The massive trees that towered above us throughout our entire journey were impressive and continued to demand our attention.

We traveled through tree covered tunnels to the first of the rocks on the trail. The rocks helped provide variety on the trail which is something that we really appreciate. The more that the terrain changes, the better for the kids. It helps to keep them interested and motivated to find out what is in store next.

As stated previously, the trail had several downed trees but someone had gone through the trail and cut and moved the trees that were blocking the path – trail angels for sure!

Evidence of Woodpeckers was abundant on the trail and the kids really liked looking into the holes that the Woodpeckers had so ferociously created, in search of food.

Climbing boulders and rocks has always been a favorite activity for our family and this hike was no different. Dad dashed on ahead and stealthily climbed atop a massive rock – of course the kids had to follow.

Soon we caught our first glimpses of the waterfall and we could hear the water rushing ahead of us. This seemed to really motivate the kids and get them in the mood to conquer the trail.

My favorite part of the trail was next. We climbed through fields of boulders and rocky sections to the first waterfall. It was majestic and peaceful – the kids delighted in throwing sticks into the water and watching them go over the edge.

With a quick uphill pull, we heard the water growing ever closer and were itching to find the falls themselves.

And in no time we found them!

Moving on we left the water for more tunnels and fields of rock, in between two towering mountains – very impressive!

Eventually we came to the 2nd waterfall and stopped to take in the views and throw sticks in the water before moving on.

We had a short portion of trail left to reach the end of the trail, which was marked by a large log across the trail and wilderness beyond the log.

We did not spend much time at the end of the trail before turning around. The kids were absolutely thrilled that the hardest part was over and both agreed that this trail had been a piece of cake! This definitely is a good thing because we had much more in store for them before our trip would be over:) At the second waterfall we stopped and took a break near the falls, enjoying the solitude and beauty of everything around us.

Taking off again, renewed with energy and a slight sugar high, we chatted about going into our favorite town – Darby, Montana to stop at the candy store and the Little Blue Joint (our favorite diner). The kids were thrilled to go to the candy store and pick out whatever treats they wanted. We use these treats for trail snacks for upcoming hikes to motivate them further.

While stopped for one last look at the falls, Dad decided to cross the narrow portion of the creek to check out what was on the other side. Combo was a bit bummed that she could not follow but the rocks were just too slippery this time. Biff on the other hand, took this time to play in the water just a little bit longer, throwing sticks in and again watching them race over the edge. The kid could seriously be entertained with this type of activity for hours.

For the remainder of the trek the kids were flying high! Biff pretended to be The Flash and raced along the trail with Dad. Combo was extremely interested in pointing our rocks and flowers with Mom, while informing Mom that “Dad would be the big turd and Mom would be the small one”. Seriously, where do they get this stuff? Biff caught a white butterfly and was super excited. Of course both kids had to try to catch butterflies for the remainder of our journey – but hey that works because the butterflies kept moving and kept the kids hiking. Win – win!

In the car we had a light lunch and when I opened the lunchbox I let out a loud screech, slammed the lunchbox shut and threw it to the floor – there was a MASSIVE spider in our lunchbox!! Dad pulled over to let the spider out on the road and discovered that the spider was not that big – I still do not buy this fact. The of the car ride to the candy store I was a bit jumpy, imagining spiders crawling everywhere.

After hitting up the candy store and getting our fill of a Meat Lover’s pizza we made our way to Lake Como. This year the water was not nearly as cold, thankfully! Combo made a new friend and happily swam around. Biff got out into the water a little too far and began bobbing up and down, gasping for air, and struggling to stay afloat. I ran out, grabbed him, and lifted him to shallower water. Biff and I decided to sit on the beach where it was warmer, while Dad and Combo splashed around. Eventually Dad made his way to shore and used a rock for a pillow to rest on.

Biff had a rough time when a bee plunged it’s stinger into his back. The poor guy wailed in pain and we decided to head home before any further misfortune could befall Little Dude.

Despite the bee sting tragedy, we had a wonderful day! We hope you enjoyed reading as much as we did hiking and swimming! As always, please let us know if there is anything more that you would like us to report on or if there is a particular adventure we should check out and review. Happy Trails!

Little Saint Joseph Peak – Near Florence, Montana 08/12/2019

Kid Perspective:

Running Wild – While under the treeline we were confident in letting the kids roam where they pleased. Above the treeline was a different story – when we were not climbing over rocks, we were near steep cliffs where one wrong move could mean serious trouble. Definitely exercise caution the higher you get.
The Trail – The first portion of the trail wound gently around a side of the mountain, with simple ups and downs to make it interesting. Once leaving the side of the mountain, you start heading up at a rapid pace. We needed to take several one minute breaks along the way. Eventually, you leave the tree cover and the packed dirt trail becomes quite rocky, at times taking you over fields of rock.
Trail Conditions – No complaints in this department. We encountered your usual packed dirt trail, with some roots and rocks interspersed throughout. Closer to the top you needed to do some trail finding, as it was not always an obvious path, but nothing too rough.
Bugs and Pests – Nothing to note.
Plants – Lots of berries of many different varieties and awesome trees!
Bathrooms – None, practice Leave No Trace.
Cell Service – Nothing once we left town (T-Mobile). We used airplane mode to save on battery, while we used the GPS on our phones.

Trail Information:

Length – 6.8 miles
Elevation Gain – 3,030 feet
Difficulty – Easy at the start but definitely demanding the farther you trek on.

Highlights:

Combo – Seeing the Pika!
Biff – Getting medicine to feel better:)
Blaze – Watching the clouds and storm roll in. There were times when it looked like we could reach out and touch the clouds and other times when we were above the clouds. It was also awesome to watch Combo’s face when she saw her Pika’s.
Ripper – Pushing ourselves and making it to the top. There were moments when the kids wanted to turn back but we were able to keep them motivated to finish strong – that’s always a good feeling.

We planned on hiking Nez Perce Peak but decided to switch to Little Saint Joseph’s because it was closer to town and shorter. We were pretty sure that Biff had an ear infection, so we headed to Missoula Urgent Care right away in the morning. While waiting for Urgent Care to open we purchased a coffee from a local vendor and a new cooler because ours had not fared well on our trip out.

Well we were right, little dude had an ear infection in both ears, this time in his middle ear canal so he needed an oral antibiotic. At least we knew he would be feeling better soon! We waited for his prescription to be filled and were on the road by 9:00 am.

Our GPS did not quite get us to the trailhead but we continued using the map from our book. We knew we made it to the right place when we saw two other trucks parked, as well.

The first portion of the trail wound along the side of the mountain, through a heavily wooded forest.

Almost immediately we were rewarded with awesome views of the area, with the trail promising more along the way.

Often our minds turn to food when we were on the trail, so we found ourselves discussing just what we might like to eat when we were done hiking. Of course there was talk of Macaroni and Cheese and Cheeseburgers from the kids, while Combo also declared that she would like to sink her teeth into some steak (Daddy’s girl for sure!)

Continuing on we noticed that we were going up, up, up and it never relented the rest of the trek. Switchbacks were basically non-existent.

Biff started to become defeated on this portion of the trek and we cheered him up by talking about a booger birthday cake and how we would make it for him (boogers always get a smile). We decided that we would carry cake pans around with us and blow all of our boogers into the pans for the next year, finally molding all of the boogers into an impressive cake. Little man could not help but laugh at the thought of this!

The trail was covered with sparkly rocks and we really enjoyed pointing out especially sparkly ones along the way.

Eventually we caught views of where we were headed and the kids and I thought that Blaze must be joking when he pointed to a peak and said that would be our final destination. No way right?

We were treated to expansive views nearing the end of the tree line and took a moment to appreciate the magnitude of what we were seeing.

Boulders and fields of large rocks began to be the new norm for the trail from here on out. This is where both kids were just about done, asking to turn back. I think they were more nervous than anything. We eventually split up – one parent to one kid, giving words of encouragement along the way and promises of fun games back home.

Nearing the top we came across a man hiking with his dog. We talked about our impressions of the trail thus far before we parted ways. The man (I never did catch his name) imparted words of encouragement to the kids. This is the community that I love. People supporting one another to push themselves and accomplish their goals, while enjoying the vast beauty of the natural world around us.

After our brief encounter we had left the tree covered forest for sparse tree coverage, steep inclines, and rocks everywhere. We held hands from here on out and had to use every trick in our parenting deck of cards to motivate the kids to continue. We were literally scaling the mountain, the temperature was dropping quickly and everyone was tired but we kept moving and were treated to incredible views at the top.

The kids had lunch while Mom and Dad explored. It was getting quite cold and Biff bundled up with my hat but the poor guy still felt cold. At first neither of the kids wanted to get anywhere near the edge of the mountain, firmly planting themselves on various rocks.

After exploring, we joined the kids and marveled that we were actually above the clouds! Eventually we were able to convince the kids to check out the views and they both agreed that it was pretty awesome.

With the clouds continuing to roll in we knew that it was time to head back down, but no one really wanted to take off. The kids were tired and Mom and Dad were so enjoying watching the weather and enjoying the landscape but we knew that we had to. Afternoons can bring storms in the mountains and the previous day we watched a storm that had incredible lightening strikes, both in numbers and magnitude. We did not want to get caught in that!

As we headed back down the mountain, we saw two Pika’s – well we heard them first and then saw them. Ever since our trip to Rocky Mountain National Park last year, Combo has been in love with Pika’s, researching them and taking every chance to collect Pika stuffed animals and pictures. She was elated!

The Pika’s gave the kids an extra boost of energy and seemed like they were going to race all the way down the mountain, with Mom and Dad trying to make sure they did not fall off the edge…yikes!

The steep descent left our toes quite unhappy and we joked about what they could be saying to us. “Man, come on, stop ramming me into the edge of these stinky shoes! What’s wrong with you?!” The kids definitely enjoyed being “the toes” and yelling at Mom and Dad for squashing them. Whatever works, right?

Going down the mountain was spectacular. We were seeing a completely different landscape than when we went up and we were not exerting ourselves nearly as much. The downside was that the rocks were a bit more treacherous on the way down, partly due to our tired muscles. More hand holding to make sure the kids did not take a major digger and have us running to an Emergency Room this time.

Soon after this Biff had enough and no amount of treats, breaks, or jokes could keep his spirits high. We gave him a sandwich and Tylenol, while passing him back and forth between us for a good mile before we had to put him down to walk on his own. This seemed to do the trick as he happily walked the rest of the way.

On our home stretch the kids raced along, laughing and joking along the way because we had once again re-entered the easy portion of the trail and this told them that we were getting close to the car!!

The kids’ eyes lit up when they saw the car and boy oh boy did they take off. Now let me tell you, the road down the mountain was crazy! No scary drop-offs but it was super bumpy with multiple switchbacks. At one point we were able to see what the road looked like from our vantage point and it looked like a little snake. In some areas the road was barely wider than our car! Somehow Biff managed to fall asleep despite all of the bumps, jerks, and sudden stops. He was tuckered out! I carried him from the car, into the house and he immediately laid down and went right back to sleep! Even Combo managed to fall asleep and she usually does EVERYTHING in her power to remain awake.

After cleaning up we went to Fin’s Taphouse in Corvallis, Montana for dinner and enjoyed a lovely meal while sitting outside staring up at the Bitterroot Mountains – gorgeous! Only downside to eating outside was that we were chased by bee’s throughout our meal. Upon returning home, we played Dancing Charades and watched The Sandlot. It was a great day!

Thank you for joining us on our journey and as always I love to hear from everyone with any thoughts about our posts or ideas for new adventures! Take care and happy hiking!

Skookum Butte Lookout – Near Lolo, Montana 08/10/2019

Kid Perspective:

Running Wild – Feel free to let the run their little hearts out until you get to the lookout. Once at the lookout, there are steep cliffs and caution is definitely needed.
The Trail – We moved through a previously burned area that was mostly flat with gentle ups and downs. Once we moved into the area that was not burned we encountered a steep upward climb all the way to the lookout.
Trail Conditions – Mostly single track, packed dirt.
Bugs and Pests – Bees among the wildflowers but they did not bother us.
Plants – So many wildflowers – it was pretty crazy how they took over the area of the trail that was burned in 2017!
Bathrooms – Nada…please practice Leave No Trace.
Cell Service – None. Download the trail information before you start the drive to the trail (we lost service early on our drive – T-Mobile).

Trail Information:

Length – 2.2 miles
Elevation Gain – 1,030 feet
Difficulty – Moderate but a strenuous incline closer to the top.

Highlights:

Combo – The views at the top!
Biff – The fair is next when we are done!
Blaze – Seeing the old Fire Tower which was in the process of being restored.
Ripper – Meeting friendly hikers along the way and learning more about the area from them.

The road to the trailhead was 12 miles of bumpy gravel. Along the way, we saw several pickup trucks and groups of people either collecting Huckleberries or firewood. We drove through the area that was burned in the 2017 Lolo Peak fire.

The trail started in the burned area and slowly made it’s way along the Montana/Idaho border. The regrowth was impressive and there were many wildflowers covering the wounds left behind by the fire.

As we continued to marvel at the regrowth and the odd path that the fire took, we eventually found ourselves in a lush forest with expansive views of the mountains surrounding us on all sides.

Seeing the burn of the fire was incredible.

We continued on, gently climbing and enjoying the views.

We even saw a downed tree that encapsulated a rock! Combo tried to move the rock to no avail:)

Biff found a stick that was perfect for a walking stick and decided that he MUST take it with him (we convinced him that he should discard the walking stick later because he could jet on ahead much faster without it).

Slowly the trail began to climb and climb, until we felt as if we were going straight up. Game on! It was a little strenous and got our blood pumping for sure!

The kids were doing so great that we actually caught up to a couple pf hikers.

They decided to hike with us. Perry chatted about the area and the lookout at the top. We listened to Perry chatter on as we made our way to the top.

The last leg was a scramble across and up large boulders – very fun!

We stayed at the top, taking pictures and snacking on Combos and Salted Nut Rolls for about 15 minutes, while Perry continued to talk our ears off. He was really a great guy.

We said goodbye to Perry and Sandra and headed back down, sad to leave fellow hikers that felt the same way about the area that we did.

We were glad that we left the tower when we did because the clouds rolled in and it started to rain…I mean seriously rain! Speed up guys! The drops were big, fat and cold!

This gave the kids motivation to kick into gear and they did great!

We made it down in record time…just as the rain stopped. I hope Perry and Sandra made it out ok!

The road down was just as windy and awesome as the way up.

The entire day we had been promising the kids that if they did a good job hiking we would go to the Western Montana Fair in Missoula, Montana and we did just that!

Bear Creek Overlook – Near Victor, Montana 08/10/2019

Toddler Perspective:

Running Wild – Feel free to let the kids run wild and free until you get to the top. Once at the top, there are steep cliffs that require extra caution and care (we held onto them tightly while looking over the ledges).
The Trail – Awesome! Switchbacks all the way to the top with awesome scenery along the way. The switchbacks stopped closer to the top and it was a long line of incline until we reached the overlook.
Trail Conditions – No issues…some rocks and roots along the way but nothing that impeded our progress.
Bugs and Pests – We saw several moths and a gigantic ant but nothing that worried or bothered us.
Plants – Nothing poisonous or concerning along the way. Huckleberries were plentiful and the kids loved finding them!
Bathrooms – Nada…make sure to practice Leave No Trace.
Cell Service – We had service throughout (T-Mobile).

Trail Information:

Length – 5 miles
Elevation Gain – 1,200 feet
Difficulty – Moderate to Easy

Highlights:

Combo – The scenery at the top!
Biff – Being with his family (this kid sure knows how to warm his parents’ heart).
Blaze – The view, memories, and that it had switchbacks.
Ripper – Revisiting one of our favorite trails from two years ago and experiencing the trail in a completely different way (we didn’t have to carry Biff at all this time lol!).

We were up at 6:00 am and started to get ready. We packed lunches and made breakfast. We were finally able to get to eat the trail treats we purchased and made (Oreo’s, Rice Krispie Treats, Moose Poop, Ham Sandwiches, and Beef Sticks from Von Hanson’s)!

As we left the house, Dad pointed out that we could clearly see the mountains – the fog from yesterday had disappeared and the smoke we encountered two years ago was non-existent. Driving in the Bitterroot Valley is awe-inspiring, you are literally surrounded by mountains on all sides. Seeing the mountains and driving towards one of our favorite hikes made my heart and soul happier than I could ever put into words. This is truly my happy place!

Bear Creek Overlook never disappoints! What an amazing hike but the drive to the trailhead can leave you white knuckling the steering wheel. Let’s just say that it took 30 minutes to drive around 8 miles. Usually I have to close my eyes on these roads because they leave me in a state of panic but this time I promised myself that I would conquer my fears and keep them open…yikes!!

Once we parked, we snapped a photo and happily hit the trail!

We’ve done this one in the past but this year was far more green and lush due to all the rain.

Biff was a real trooper for most of the trail with just a few meltdowns. The kids loved finding the numerous Huckleberry bushes along the way!

On the trail we discussed who would be who on “That 70’s Show”. I would be Kitty, Dad would be Red (we decided that he’s not laid back enough to be Hyde), Combo is definitely Jackie and sadly Biff is trending in the direction of Kelso.

We enjoyed finding cool rocks and feathers, while grazing on Huckleberries to the top.

We gained 1,200 feet in elevation in just over 2 miles, with many switchbacks on a rock and root covered single track, packed dirt trail. Combo and I laughed because Blaze said he needed to stop to relieve himself and we should go on ahead. When we looked a ways in front of us, Biff had pulled a ways off the trail and was also relieving himself! We were surround (like father like son)!

We soon realized we were no longer encountering switchbacks and knew that we were nearing the top! A newfound energy seemed to rejuvenate the kids!!

Once at the top we were greeted by 2 very friendly dogs. They were jumping all over us and licking us. Biff LOVED it! But I was started to get nervous that the dogs were going to knock him over the edge. The owners soon leashed them up and went on their way.

We stayed on the top for nearly 30 minutes, soaking in the beauty. We promised ourselves we would be back!

On our way down the kids really picked up the pace and we made really good time!

We happily chatted about the food we would eat at the Western Montana Fair (hotdogs!), how we wanted to paint our faces, the rides we wanted to check out and the animals we would see. We just had one more short hike to knock out. Biff was thrilled that it was only 1/2 of what we had already done:)

When we made it to the trailhead it was packed and we were happy that we had gotten an early start!

On the way down we encountered 2 different cars – one of which was going so fast that we nearly collided – it was scary! On top of the mountain it was 66 degrees and when we reached Victor it was 73 degrees. Onward and outward to Skookum Butte. We had Biff take a nap while Combo read her book on the drive out.