Schneider Bill - Hiking Montana: a guide to the states greatest hikes

Hiking Montana

A Guide to the States Greatest Hikes

Tenth Edition

Bill Schneider and Russ Schneider

HELP US KEEP THIS GUIDE UP TO DATE

Every effort has been made by the authors and editors to make this guide as accurate and useful as possible. However, many things can change after a guide is publishedtrails are rerouted, regulations change, techniques evolve, facilities come under new management, and so on.

We would appreciate hearing from you concerning your experiences with this guide and how you feel it could be improved and kept up to date. While we may not be able to respond to all comments and suggestions, well take them to heart, and well also make certain to share them with the author. Please send your comments and suggestions to the following address:

Globe Pequot Press

Reader Response/Editorial Department

P.O. Box 480

Guilford, CT 06437

Or you may e-mail us at: editorial@GlobePequot.com

Thanks for your input, and happy trails!

Copyright 2014 Morris Book Publishing, LLC

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

FalconGuides is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.

Falcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your Mind are registered trademarks of Morris Book Publishing, LLC.

Front cover photo: Two of the authors grandchildren, Josie and Casey, enjoying Stanton Lake with the Great Northern looming in the background.

Project editor: Lynn Zelem

Layout: Sue Murray

Maps redesigned by Josh Comen; updated by Sue Murray Morris Book Publishing, LLC

ISSN 1547-8947

ISBN 978-1-4930-1116-2

The authors and Globe Pequot Press assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I truly wish I could adequately thank all the people who have worked throughout the past thirty-five years and ten revisions to make Hiking Montana a success, but Ill have to settle for listing as many as I can remember. My sincere apologizes to anybody I missed.

First and foremost, of course, are my longest-term hiking partners, my family, Marnie, Russ, Greg, and Heidi, who made hiking all those miles so enjoyable. Im not sure it couldve happened without them.

I didnt write all the hikes in the first edition of Hiking Montana, which came out in 1979. Several friends helped me get the book out by providing route descriptions of hikes theyd done, and I then edited them into the final manuscript. So, way back in the late 1970s, the following people were invaluable in making Hiking Montana possible: Wayne Avants, Don Berg, Bill Brown, Pat Caffrey, Bruce Chesler, Mike Comola, Frank Culver, Bill Cunningham, Art Foran, Herb Gloege, Linda and Tom Hurlock, Loren Kreck, Joe Mussulman, Dave Orndoff, Bob Oset, Mike Sample, Douglas Schnitzspahn, Elaine and Art Sedlack, Elaine Snyder, Fred Swanson, and John Westenberg. The late Larry Thompson provided original art for the first edition, and the late Gary Wolf did the original maps that have since been replaced by more modern cartography. Ive lost track of most of these people, and sadly some are no longer with us, but it sure would be interesting to have a reunion someday with the survivors of the original Hiking Montana .

In later editions, the following people contributed more hikes and photos: Ted Anderson, Susan Bryan, Tom Elpel, Harry Engels, John Gatchall, Jack Johns, Kirk Koepsel, Ed Madej and Rosemary Rowe, Doug OLooney, Don Reed, Karen Renne, Richard Terra, Mark Tokarski Fay Valois, Bob Wagenknecht, and Kim Wilson.

Always expect great scenery, like this snapshot of the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone in the Beartooths. Bill Schneider

In addition, I want to thank the following USDA Forest Service employees who were particularly helpful in checking facts and reviewing hike descriptions during the first nine editions: Marty Almquistt, Babete Anderson, Jaine Arnold, Crystal Avey, Elizabeth Brann, Ken Britton, Beth Burren, Marcy Butts, Allen Byrd, Jodie Canfield, Dave Cary, Marc Childress, Frank Cifala, Bob Coats, Nancy Denning, John Ericson, William Fortune, Errol Hammond, Eric Heyn, Bruce Hoflich, Daniel Hogan, Jon Jeresek, Carole Johnson, Jonathan Klein, Kraig Lang, Ernie Lundberg, Charlie Mabbot, Mark Mason, Kay McCoy, Steven Penner, Mark Petroni, Remy Pochelon, Ron Roginske, Bill Sansler, Mary Skordinsky, Bill Sprauer, Diane Teliaferro, Eric Tolf, Dan Tyers, Mike Wilson, and Ron Wiseman.

In this, the tenth edition, additional Forest Service recreation specialists and trails coordinators went over route descriptions and helped update them. They are Carl Anderson, Gordon Ash, Ian Bardwell, Roy Barkley, Jenny Blake, Jocelyn Dodge, Alex Dunn, Nate Gassmann, Bob Gliko, Bill Goslin, Sonja Hartman, Kathryn Hickman, Colter Pence, Joy Sather, Mark Smith, Todd Stiles, Wendi Urie, Allie Wood, and Jeremy Zimmer.

As far as photography, a special thanks to Jackie Corday for her professional-quality scenic and wildflower photos. Also, thanks to Kim Schneider, Laura Schneider, Mike Harrelson, Pat Besting, and Marnie Schneider.

And, of course, Id like to thank the 100,000 or so hikers who have purchased the book over the past thirty-five years. Without them, there obviously wouldnt be a tenth edition.

Collectively, all of the above have helped make this book something similar to a Montana tradition.

Silver Run Basin, filled with small lakes.

PREFACE

This Book Has a History

In 1979 Mike Sample, a Billings photographer who still publishes The Montana Calendar, and I started a book publishing company called Falcon Press. That same year we published our first book, this book, originally titled The Hikers Guide to Montana .

Now, thirty-five years later, this book is still alive and well, which in the world of book publishing is unusual, if not mildly amazing. Most books have a much shorter life, starting strong and tailing off in sales until they go out of print in a few years. Hiking Montana has done the opposite. Sales have been fairly steady through the decades, and now, a third of a century later, it seems as popular as ever. Roughly 100,000 hikers have purchased this book through the years.

Now, its just one of many FalconGuidesmore than 800 titles and going up every yeartogether making Falcon the most recognizable brand in the outdoor recreation guidebook marketplace. Im proud to say it all started with this book.