Our day began with comparable intentions to those of the two days past: to explore SW Montana. After our relatively relaxing day at the lake yesterday, we intended to venture back to the trails for more hiking. We headed south again from our base camp in Belgrade, towards Gallatin National Forest.
When we arrived at the trailhead, we first took a few minutes to repair a small chip that appeared in our windshield, so the resin could cure in the sun. It turns out my joints weren't the only things experiencing some wear and tear on this excursion.
From the parking area at the base of the trail, we took off up the surprisingly steep slope through the wooded trail. Our path would weave around a flowing stream as we climbed upwards, and included crossing over the stream a few times on rustic log bridges. We noted a few other hikers on the trail that day, including many unleashed puppies, who were so focused on their hikes that they barely gave us a second thought, much to my disappointment. Some hikers were harvesting berries on the side of the trail. We wondered if they were after raspberries, or even the elusive huckleberries, which we had heard so much about.
After about two hours of hiking, we made it to our goal: Lava Lake. It was a gorgeous lake, set in a cauldron of the surrounding peaks. We first came across a minor bay, but after venturing around a little further, we found an opening to the whole lake, complete with an impressive view. It was a great place for a spot of lunch. We enjoyed sitting and eating lakeside, taking in the view along with our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
That night after two more hikes, this time to waterfalls, dinner and showers back at our AirBnB, we thought it would be fun to try some stargazing in Big Sky Country. We drove to one of the many local fishing holes, hoping the area would be far enough away from town for the light pollution to not bother our viewing pursuits. Alas, we were not so lucky, but we still enjoyed what night sky we could see.
This trip has been eye opening to me in many ways. The parts in which I have participated have been incredible...seeing countryside about which I'd only read before, or seen on TV. This country is much bigger, wilder, and more variable than I had thought. It's hard to see at times how this could be the same country as the one I know out east. But then you speak to the people, and somehow you're able to find similarities, in spite of your numerable differences. Overall, it's really quite encouraging. I head back to PA tomorrow both excited to return to my known stomping grounds, but simultaneously counting down the days until I can dive back into this great adventure.
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