Winter Solstice Hike and Soak at Jerry Johnson Hot Springs
Winter Solstice, the turn to longer days is upon us, and we chose to hike along Warm Springs Creek in the Lochsa River country of Idaho to soak our buns in the warm waters of Jerry Johnson Hot Springs.
Winter Hike to Upper Bass Creek Falls
Before Christmas and before COVID, we made the 8-mile journey to the Upper Falls of Bass Creek in the Bitterroot Mountains with Dr. Vincent (our fav). While there was snow on the trail, it was not icy at all. The hike is relatively moderate with an overall elevation gain of a tad more than 1,800 feet. Upon arriving at the falls, it was a cascade of ice that Vida remarked that reminded her of the travertine terraces of Mammoth Hot Spring in Yellowstone National Park.
Warm Springs Creek Fungi Hunting
Warm Springs Creek Fungi Hunting admin November 15, 2020 Mushrooming Just before the snow flies, the Northern Rockies see a brief flourish of fungi growth (that’s mushrooms, folks). So we hiked one of our favorite trails, Warm Springs Creek, better known as Jerry Johnson Hot Springs, As we walked under towering western red cedars, the […]
Town-to-Country Run
Town-to-Country Run admin November 2, 2020 Trail Running https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL-iWbTlcCc We have been enjoying our month-long town living in Missoula but it seems we miss the country. But fortunately for us, we can run from the front door to Waterworks Hill and get away from the crowd and noise. This particular loop was good for 6 […]
We’re in Hot Water: Hiking Goldbug Hot Springs, Idaho
We’re in Hot Water: Hiking Goldbug Hot Springs, Idaho admin July 22, 2020 Hiking,Hot Springing We were at the start of a 3-day tour around (literally, around) central Idaho, and after leaving home in the early AM, we made Goldbug Hot Springs our first adventure of the trip. After missing the turn (south of Salmon, […]
Hiking in the Jewel Basin, Montana – Mount Aeneas and Noisy Notch Loop
Hiking in the Jewel Basin, Montana – Mount Aeneas and Noisy Notch Loop admin September 24, 2019 Hiking,Hiking 2019 From the summit, we hiked down the steep backside to Picnic Lakes, and then following the Alpine 7 trail, we crossed through Noisy Notch and back to Camp Misery (watch Vida’s scholarly explanation of this name).A […]
First “Real” Hike of 2019! Bass Creek
First “Real” Hike of 2019! Bass Creek admin April 9, 2019 Hiking,Hiking 2019 Finally, finally…we are out and hiking again with the whole crew (Vida, Jeff, and myself), and for the first “real” hike of 2019, we put on the YakTrax and hiked to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness boundary.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TozNRguTUpU We started the day at the Larry […]
Hiking the Cube Iron/Silcox Roadless Area, Northwest Montana
Hiking the Cube Iron/Silcox Roadless Area, Northwest Montana admin November 1, 2018 Hiking,Hiking 2018 Joined by Haines, we hiked a loop route through the Cube Iron/Silcox Roadless Area. This particular route has been on my hike bucket list for 20 years since I first discovered the trails on a map. This loop starts at the […]
O’Brien Creek: A “hidden” hiking treasure
O’Brien Creek: A “hidden” hiking treasure admin March 25, 2018 Hiking,Hiking 2018 While Blue Mountain sees throngs of hikers, dogs, and urban refugees, O’Brien Creek does not have nearly the sheer volume of users even though it is only a couple miles away. In fact, it is weird to meet someone else on these loop […]
Hiking to Deadman’s Point, Blue Mountain
Spring hiking usually means experiencing all the seasons in the span of 15 minutes, and today was a seasonal puree. The trail was clear, muddy, and icy – all at the same time. The route following Hayes Creek and then ascended a short slope to the ridge. From there, I traced the ridgeline to Deadman’s Point.