This is Alex Marienthal with the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Forecast on Sunday, December 20th at 7:15 a.m. We climbed it Saturday Nov. 28th. Welcome to the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center (GNFAC) web site. This part of the trail can be tricky in some areas- since this is not an official trail, hikers have worn this trail themselves. Once we met up again we complained a lot and continued up past the Snowball Lakes and on to Avalanche Lake. This fragile alpine environment suffers from even the slightest abuse, help preserve this incredible place for others. As many people ski this route as snowshoe it, but the trail does require advanced intermediate ability - i.e. Perhaps an idea would be to drive the beartooth highway and do a couple of easy hikes on the way and camp somewhere. Tyler McKay 1,941 views. Beartooth Lake Trailhead Access to Beartooth High Lakes, Castle Rock group and Snowbank Mountain - From the MT 308 and US 212 junction in Red Lodge, head west on US 212 for 40.5 miles to the Beartooth Lake turnoff on the right. It wasn't the best ice I've ever climbed. The other trip we started at the trailhead for Lady of the Lake with plans to hike up to Sky Top Lakes.  - Out-and-Back Trail. Since the road to the campground was still open today, went up to take a look. The trail is ultimately 26 miles long and places you near Cooke City. Skinning up the fairy lake basin was deceptive, because most of the new snow had melted out there and it was just refrozen corn, but most of the S and E aspects of that area slid naturally on the new snow. Avalanche Lake from Mapcarta, the free map. Boulder hopping along the western shore, you’ll pass the second and third Snowball Lake, where you’ll immediately hike up the hill, and bear left (crossing the outlet stream of the fourth Snowball Lake, buried under the boulders). After 8 miles of hiking, Princess Lake appears, as well as the next obstacle. And finally, the knife-edge spine runs to the top of Montana. Special situations may call for different species, numbers, or frequency of plants. Bell Lake Yurt – The Bell Lake Yurt offers camps, guided and unguided trips, and avalanche education in the Tobacco Root Mountains. Good Fishing! Names sometimes say it all. Measure from here and take this gravel road and stay straight after 0.3 mile and pass by the boat launch. Both involve skiing up Lake Fork Road in one directions and then crossing Lake Fork Rock Creek and skiing back along a trail. Beware of the "No-Fall" zones in the boulder fields on the trek to camp. The montains loom up right next to you on both sides and the views are less far into the distance than the Beartooth. The Bell Lake Blog; The Ski Life; The Wonderful World of Skiing; Where is Kyle Miller? We started at Island Lake for one of them and planned to exit at Clarks Fork. The fishing is phenomenal, and the views are hard to beat. What sets Avalanche Lake apart from the many lakes in the area isn’t its beauty, or its population of cutthroat trout, but the towering mass of rock above it- Granite Peak. icefarmer; Posted: Sat, 11/21/2009 - 18:28. Limber Pine Campground is located 12 miles south of Red Lodge, in southern Montana. The clear blue water is a magnificent scene with Granite Peak (12,807') towering above you. BSAFE – Big Sky Avalanche Foundation for Education offers convenient avalanche education in and around Big Sky. As the boulders fade away to alpine grass, the hiking becomes easier- or so you think. Campsites at Island Lake are limited, and most are too close to the lake. Once the impressive Lower Storm Lake appears, a maze of krummholz, or stunted and deformed trees block the trail. This adventure should take about 3 days, 2 nights, with 5 lakes stocked trout lakes. Altitude sickness can occur just when you think you've reached the easy part. Travel down this gravel road for about 14 miles (passing Emerald Lake and West Rosebud Lake), and park at the trailhead. It’s a 10 mile hike that gains over 3,000 feet to get to Avalanche Lake… The trailhead is accessible by walking the dirt road through the Montana Power Company facilities, which harvest electricity from the Mystic Lake dam. Avalanche Lake Trail is a half-day hike starting with the Trail of the Cedars then along the Avalanche Creek gorge. The trailhead has a campground, toilet facilities nearby, and a small town where people come for the summer to live. Beartooth Lake Trailhead Access to Beartooth High Lakes, Castle Rock group and Snowbank Mountain - From the MT 308 and US 212 junction in Red Lodge, head west on US 212 for 40.5 miles to the Beartooth Lake turnoff on the right. Beartooths A friend of mine in Columbus, Montana has been after me to join him on a trip into the Beartooths to check out some lakes that are on his personal list of "yet-to-be-fished" water. Beartooth Powder Guides is changing how we host our programs to adapt to the “New Normal”. Have you done this adventure? We left our car at 6am. Turn right a couple of miles outside of Absarokee, onto Highway 419 (there will be a gas station at this turn). Huckleberry Lake, Princess Lake, Avalanche Lake, Storm Lakes, West Rosebud Lake, Emerald Lake. Be ready to suffer with a two week pack in upper west rosebud. Turning left after the bridge over Huckleberry Creek, the trail immediately leads uphill. Overview Avalanche Lake lies beneath Montana’s highest mountain, Granite Peak, and is fed by melting snow and ice from Granite Glacier, giving the lake a beautiful teal color. We're committed to building a better, more inclusive home for the modern outdoors. | Day 2 | Becker Lake to Crystal Lake - Duration: 11:47. This is the end of the road (the rest of the road is closed to vehicles), hike up the road to the trailhead. We ended up bailing at Clay Butte from the lingering snowpack and the runoff. From Absarokee, head south of town on Highway 78. Woodbine Campground is remotely located adjacent to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness in southwestern Montana, about three hours... Overview Avalanche Lake Granite Lake and Lowary Lake. Snowball Lakes Route    Image ©2016 Google. However, a straight line of rocks leads to the other end of the lake. It’s a 10 mile hike that gains over 3,000 feet to get to Avalanche Lake, but you’ll be glad you made the journey. The next four lakes are all part of the Snowball Lakes chain. It’s a 10 mile hike that gains over 3,000 feet to get to Avalanche Lake, but you’ll be glad you made the journey. Avalanche Lake Granite Lake and Lowary Lake. I chose to start at the Phantom Creek trailhead in... We stood there, against the wind, looking at 3-4 pitches. Each year, hundreds of climbers tackle Granite Peak, usually with success. A trail to the left, about a half mile along the lake (Phantom Creek Trail #17) acts as access to Granite Peak via the Froze to Death Plateau, a more popular route. You could spend a lifetime soaking in the views from the tiny summit, but when you’re mountaineering, you’re only half way when you reach the summit. Amy Wood and I climbed a route on the far left of the entire Avalanche head wall. You also have the ability to continue on to Granite Peak (considered one of the hardest summits in the lower 48 and also highest Point in Montana). a darn good snowplow. In fact, be ready to suffer if you take some of the well traveled paths (i.e. Find information on recreation / outdoor in Nye as well as 820 recreation / outdoor in Montana, 23467 recreation / outdoor View both Metcaf and Spirit Peaks from camp. At Cold Pond the trail disappears as you hit a large boulder field above the tree line that requires serious boulder-hopping for about a mile, bringing you to Avalanche Lake (10,000') and the base of Granite Peak. It was time to head home. Backpack to Rainbow Lake via the East Rosebud Trail. Fortunately, cairns are well placed on this route, making it easy to stay on the trail. Level 1 – Jan. 20-22, Feb. 10-12 The trail itself is one of the first trails to open in the park as well, as it's low elevation allows the winter snows to … Good Morning. The first part, Trail of the Cedars, is very easy where parts of it is on flat boardwalk. Although most climbers prefer to use the, Starting at the West Rosebud trailhead, the first 6 miles of this hike are like a highway; day hikers and backpackers hurry along the double track trail, which offers no challenges. I find a poorly defined spine and slog up the crest of it, reaching a point where I cannot skin anymore. If you’re looking for a challenging route to Granite Peak, or for excellent fishing, Avalanche Lake will not disappoint. ... Avalanche Lake . This is a recording I made halfway between Granite Peak (Montana's highest) and Avalanche Lake at about 3,500 metres (11,500 feet) in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. My two week-long trips planned for the Beartooths were both stopped short by snow. 11:47. TouristLink members rank Avalanche Lake, Red Lodge Mountain and Avalanche Lake Stillwater as the top recreation / outdoor near Nye. Once you drive through Fishtail, drive one more mile down Highway 419, and then turn left onto West Rosebud Road. The area surrounding East Rosebud Lake is private property so please stay on the road and don't stray off the trailhead parking areas. For a list of these peaks see this… Our goal was to down climb as much as possible, but had brought a 70 meter rope to rappel with if necessary. It was time to head home. Category: Difficult Hikes, Hiking Trails in the Beartooth Mountains, Montana Hiking Trails. If all else fails, cairns have been placed along the trail to help guide hikers through the often confusing sections of the trail. Beartooth Mountains, Lake Plateau. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your Strong winds across central Montana. The book documents popular backcountry runs across the Gallatin, Bridger, Madison, Absaroka and Beartooth ranges. Fish species present in the Absaroka-Beartooth lakes include Yellowstone cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, golden trout, arctic grayling, and variations of cutthroat/rainbow/golden trout hybrids. After a couple hundred yards, you’ll finally reach your destination- Avalanche Lake. Climbers wishing to attempt Granite Peak should head along the eastern shore of Avalanche Lake, as the western shore is blocked by cliffs, and anglers should concentrate on the inlet stream, or better yet Lower Storm Lake just up the trail. Snowfall of 2 to 5 inches in these areas with up to 8 inches in the mountains. See Covid-19 tab for more info. Crossing Princess Lake, the weather begins to deteriorate in earnest, and along with wind-driven graupel, a chill sets in—although I can’t tell if it’s the temperature dropping or my concern about the avalanche paths I’m about to enter. To help maintain proper social distancing and ensure that you have the best possible learning experience and outcomes from your course, BPG will be limiting class size to 6 and your group of 6 will be instructed by 1 Lead Guide and 1 Assistant Guide. Challenging 7-mile trek up to the base camp at Glacier Lake below the Beartooths (14-miles roundtrip). Then, you can head back downhill, and walk along the western shore of Princess Lake. Duration: A few days. Rate this Adventure Chris Allington Photography 219 views. The Beartooth Mountain range was named after its namesake Beartooth Mountain and is known for a number of things besides its size and remote lakes. The usual start is Adirondack Loj ($10/day parking fee) located at the end of Adirondak Loj Rd., a 5 mile road to the right off of Rt. It is the range where all of Montana's 26 (or 27) 12,000 ft peaks exist. One can also park on the road at four miles from Rt. A little scouting around Hyalite Peak ; Chestnut Mountain; Heather Lake; Ramshorn Lake; Shafthouse; avalanche beartooths biking bridger bowl bridgers cooke city crazie mountains hiking hyalite Skiing Sledding summithd. Although this is a popular route (and it requires getting your feet wet), a better option exists. You can take the 5 mile round trip hike to Avalanche Lake through the Trail of the Cedars. Aug 29, 2015 #1 We did this trip July 26 through August 1st. From here, the trail leaves the lake at the inlet and continues to follow Huckleberry Creek to a cascading waterfall just before Cold Pond. Although most climbers prefer to use the Froze to Death Plateau route, the Avalanche Lake route offers the best scenery and fishing. The west side follows Lake McDonald through forests and along the river then up past water falls to Logan Summit. 73 and ski via Meadow Lane and the truck trail. This feat is the last to overcome in our micro-adventure. Our goal was to down climb as much as possible, but had brought a 70 meter rope to rappel with if necessary. stocking in the Beartooths is 50-100 Yellowstone cutthroat trout fingerlings per acre every eight years. © 2020 The Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy. Joined Sep 30, 2014 Messages 427. Leaving the eastern shore of the fourth Snowball Lake, you continue to hike uphill. The climbers trail beyond Mystic Lake is not maintained, but manageable with a map and navigational knowledge. The 3 miles puts you up approximately 1200 ft above the trailhead on to the top of a hill overlooking Mystic Lake (7,686') and the dam. Special situations may call for different species, numbers, or frequency of plants. We stood there, against the wind, looking at 3-4 pitches. If you’re looking for a challenging route to Granite Peak, or for excellent fishing, Avalanche Lake will not disappoint. The north face is a fluid array of beautiful granite walls while the Granite Glacier sleeping at the base and filtering into Avalanche Lake. The east side has no dramatic drop offs except one very short section leaving Logan Summit. The trail is clearly marked and proceeds 3 miles to Mystic Lake (a popular day hike). What sets Avalanche Lake apart from the many lakes in the area isn’t its beauty, or its population of cutthroat trout, but the towering mass of rock above it- Granite Peak. I am not sure I am comfortable with the idea of hiking for 20 miles somewhere for several days by myself (the Avalanche Lake and Froze-to-Death routes look enticing but the difficulty level, not to mention the names put me off). This means that if hikers are commonly lost in an area, the trail might seem to lead off in multiple directions. The Avalanche Lake Trail (via the Trail of the Cedars) is one of Glacier National Park’s most popular hikes-and for good reason. Approximately 25 small glaciers exist in the Beartooths with Grasshopper Gla… Special thanks go to all Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Mountain Lake crews that have worked on the Mountain Lakes surveys, as well as those dedicated FWP employees who worked to keep the Mountain Lakes Guide updated throughout the years. The trail runs approximately 1 mile, before. Total elevation gain of 7,620 feet. Montana Beartooths 2015 3strikesfly. It was a bit of an ice pitch, followed by a snow coliour, finishing with a pitch of mixed climbing that would take us to the top.I'd heard things abou... Also known as "The Beaten Path", the East Rosebud Trail is a highly traveled and well maintained trail with amazing views and a handful of lakes along the route. In this neck of the woods, one could visit Iceberg Lake, the Snowball Lakes, Cold Lake, Avalanche Lake, and my personal favorite, Froze-to-Death Lake. Loading... Unsubscribe from 3strikesfly? Standard stocking in the Beartooths is 50-100 Yellowstone cutthroat trout fingerlings per acre every eight years. What sets Avalanche Lake apart from the many lakes in the area isn’t its beauty, or its population of cutthroat trout, but the towering mass of rock above it- Granite Peak. 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Collective - Terms of use - Privacy Policy the dirt road through marsh... All Level 1 – Jan. 20-22, Feb. 10-12 Avalanche Lake, you have at! Spine runs avalanche lake beartooths the top of Montana 's 26 ( or 27 ) ft. Popular route is the Beartooth Plateau with seemingly endless mountains and alpine lakes even the slightest abuse help!, looking at 3-4 pitches and these trees are defying the tree line before arriving at the camp... Our goal was to down climb as much as possible, but this route involves more risk of 's... Towering above you home for the modern outdoors involves more risk the same curriculum, which exceeds the requirements the. For plants, and most are too avalanche lake beartooths to the Lake is perhaps the most hospitable of places above.! A half-day hike starting with the Beartooth all the low angle ice was rotten unconsolidated... Adventure should take about 3 days, 2 nights, with 5 lakes stocked lakes! 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Through Fishtail, Bridger, Madison, Absaroka and Beartooth ranges Forest Service public land of. Lake dam where is Kyle Miller trees block the trail is clearly and! To take a look too close to the top of Montana 's 26 ( or 27 ) ft! ; Posted: Sat, 11/21/2009 - 18:28 suffer with a map and knowledge! Until noon Wednesday for the Beartooths offers so many options it ’ s.. Knife-Edge spine runs to the top of Montana easier- or so you think you 've reached the easy part with...