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| Hiking | 3.23 Miles |
819 AEG |
| | Hiking | 3.23 Miles | 1 Hour 49 Mns | | 2.08 mph |
| 819 ft AEG | 16 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Written 9-27-2025. I know this is long. It's more of a record for me and if anyone gets up in the area; they will have a sense of some of the things they may want to see.
July 29th we walked to have an awesome dinner at Missoula's famous The Depot where we split their best steak. The place was packed. The next morning (July 30th) I dropped Wendy at the meet up for the Volunteer Vacation where she met her co-workers. I headed off for Old Fort Missoula https://fortmissoulamuseum.org/history/. I didn't get a chance to get through the whole thing the last time I was here. It has a great variety of things for everyone to see and enjoy. The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, with 13 historic buildings and 160 years of county history, a key focus being its past as a military post, a World War II internment camp for Italian and Japanese Americans, and its current role in preserving regional history.
I met back up with Wendy and the Trail Crew/Volunteers at Missoula's Smokejumper facility and helped transport a couple volunteers to the Trailhead near Hamilton, MT, about an hour away. I was originally going to head back to the ranch, but I offered to help out; I knew it was a possibility. I quickly made a reservation at a hotel in Hamilton. I had never been there so it wasn't a big deal. I dropped them off at the Bass Creek trailhead where they would work for two days before transferring to the Mill Creek Trailhead. It appeared they would need me for the day to transfer to the other trailhead so I ended up spending two days at Hamilton. Once again, no problem as I was able to get in a hike and an afternoon at the Marcus (Copper Baron King) Daly Mansion.
FYI - Most of the volunteers were from the east and south USA. One fellow had absolutely no gear; apparently didn't read the memos. They all, however, were very nice and were very curious about the ranch. They had a tough time as the weather wasn't cooperative, but they seemed in good spirits when I went to pick up Wendy at the Mill Creek Trailhead a week later.
7-31-2025 Blodgett Canyon Overlook hike - it was gonna be warm for a Montana day, but not bad enough to go for a hike. I had no problem finding my way to the TH. It was actually just west of where I was staying in Hamilton. There were a few vehicles at the trailhead. I geared up and got to the TH sign that didn't say which way I was supposed to go. Fortunately, some other hikers that seemed like they were on a day hike, went north so that's what I chose. I asked another hiker that was on the way down to confirm I was on the right trail.
You go in-between some sizable boulders. It seemed like there may have been an avalanche. There was a couple and their dog ahead of me. The dog was a bit of a wanderer. Didn't seem to be much in the way of wildflowers; altho, there was fall color in the berry bushes and sumac. The color this time of year seemed odd to me. The trail was in great shape and would soon offer up some views of the huge Bitterroot Valley (96 miles long) and the Sapphire Mountains to my east. What was even nicer is there was even a bench so that I could take the bottom of my pant legs off. The trail was nice and clear so no need to worry about getting scratched.
The trail had a couple switchbacks until it got a good bit of the elevation out of the way. There was one more bench before you get to the small trees crowding close on either side of the trail that lasted a long time before you finally reach the almost top of the Overlook. There was some thimbleberry along the way for me to enjoy, but no huckleberry  . A few other hikers and dog came down from a little higher level where there was a few rock formations. I ventured up hoping to find some shade to enjoy the views. I walked around a bit and decided to head back a tad to the main saddle.
I found some shade and a good boulder to sit on soaking in Blodgett Canyon's topography  , characterized by stunning spired peaks, ridges and deep, carved landscapes (all from glacial ice), giant cliff walls and buttresses jutting out over the canyon below. (The canyon precipitously drops at 6,800 feet to Blodgett Lake and looks into the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.)
And now, it was time to mosey on down. I would run into other hikers as I made my way. I ate a few more thimbleberrys to sustain me before I got to the TH. I could hear the creek running and the crickets were sounding like rattlesnakes. I wandered by the parking area over to the creek and along the side of it. I found some more thimbleberrys and ONE huckleberry. Thankfully, Wendy ran into many huckleberries on the trails where she was working and brought me a jar of them  .
I drove back to Hamilton the long way as it's a bit of a loop up here. It's a beautiful area/valley. After lunch, I would go to the Marcus Daly mansion that he never lived in. It was a great place as well as its outside area.
Here are some videos:
Blodgett Canyon Hike [ youtube video ]
Bison Range is a two parter; there were a lot of bison and pronghorns [ youtube video ] and [ youtube video ]
St Ignatius Mission/Museum [ youtube video ]
Old Fort Missoula and the Daly Mansion are on delay as I'm so far behind in my video making.
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Two days prior (Jul 29) to the Trailwork Vacay, Wendy and I started making our way to Missoula so she could lead her Trail Work Vacay in the Bitterroots. After stopping at the fresh produce store and picking up some Rainier cherries, plums and some huckleberry stuff, we stopped by St Ignatius Mission which was appropos; since we have visited many missions together in Mexico and Arizona. The highlights of St. Ignatius Mission include its historical significance as the oldest continuously active Jesuit parish in the West, its 1891 architecture, and the 58 unique murals painted by Jesuit Brother Joseph Carignano, the mission's COOK. The mission was established in 1854 by Father Pierre-Jean De Smet to educate Native American children and serve the local communities, and the site includes other historic buildings like the original 1854 log church.
It's always worth a stop. We visited with the granddaughter of one of the Flathead chiefs.
Next up is another one of my favorite places - CSKT Bison Range Bison: The main highlight is the large, healthy bison herd, considered one of the most genetically pure globally. We also saw several Pronghorns and a deer. Scenery: The range offers expansive grasslands, varied elevations, and scenic views of the landscape shaped by ancient glaciers including the Mission Mountains and the lines from the glacial Lake Missoula from the cataclysmic Ice Floods from periodic sudden ruptures of the ice dam on the Clark Fork River.
Last time I was here we didn't see nearly the amount of bison. I think we saw almost the whole herd (around 250) with awesome backdrops for photography. |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
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For me, sometimes it's just as much about the journey as the destination.
Oh, and once in awhile, don't forget to look back at the trail you've traveled. |
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