Red Meadow Lake

        First time I got to the red meadow lakes this year, still had to hike the last mile or so over snow to get there, beautiful bike ride as always. This was the most tour divide riders I’ve ever ran into on this ride, first two Swiss guys, here seen crossing the last snow just before the lakes, another group of four heading up and after I got back to Polebridge a couple, Richard and Leah, who ended up camping at the hostel…

Brown Pass II

 

 it was good to get back to brown pass and into hole in the wall. Another rocky mountain high! The photo of brown pass was taken from the Hole in the Wall trail, then we look at the plug that still blocks the Hole in the Wall trail and Hole in the Wall campground itself from the trail junction.

Here are some more impressions from the trip back down. 

Brown Pass

here we are at brown pass looking at some avalanche debris that came

of chapman. Then a view from brown towards the waterton valley and cleveland in the back, more debris from the some avalanche. Then i have a few shots on the way up, here a picture of me and Rita Wirtz, the north fork back country ranger, on the scree bar after we crossed the first snowbirdge. Waterfall

on the climb up, everything is certainly running big and high now! And finally

a look at the waterfall coming out of hole in the wall; we both were wearing big smiles on our faces,

what a glorious day!

north fork flora

 

 

here are some flowers and a shroom seen on the way up to Numa Lookout.

the first was is a fairy slipper, an orchid, the comes a western clematis and a morel looking mushroom: 

high waters receding at hostel

the river waters peeked Wednesday afternoon and have been receding since… so far the temperatures are cool enough to slow things down enough to have a high but not unusually so runoff and keep the river in check… also it’s not quite over yet and still plenty of snow in the high country we will see what happens between now and the fourth of July!

 

 

 

 

hay – spruce – red meadow loop

 

the spruce creek cut over from hay creek road to red meadow road is finally snow free and dry enough for a good ride. there is still plenty of snow past the red meadow gate and it might be a while.. latest rumor I heard was that the great divide race might be rerouted around the flathead this year…

 

ride to kintla lake

Mostly dry road all the way to kintla lake but for one considerable puddle just before you get to the lake, however, that may drain quickly also. A bit cold for a swim, but plenty warm pebbles on the beach for a long nap before the ride back