Challenged with crossing rickety train trestles 100 years old, maneuvering down steep rocky cliffs, and stepping around poison ivy, the gals handled the obstacle course of the Sluiceboxes State park with just one gal taking a fall and bloodying her knee.

Otherwise, with a 4:30 p.m. start after work, we enjoyed the warm summer evening and were able to hike clear to the train tunnel and back just before we lost the last rays of sun at 9 p.m. The up-and-back hike is a total of about seven miles with many ups and downs, cliffy stretches, stream crossings and low bridges where the taller of the GiG had to watch their heads.

At the cliff diving place, Brianna and Katie decided to jump in to cool off, with Katie taking the low dive (wimping out), while Brianna tackled the high platform. Both had cross Belt Creek, bushwack and then rock climb a bit to get to the jumping-off spot. Katie, without her glasses, had to wade through Belt Creek legally blind.

Overall, it was a fun time on a warm night. Many of the gals hope to make the trip all the way through to see the old mining ghost town.  Read more about the Sluiceboxes and the former town of Albright.

Who went: Anita, Brianna, Michelle, Susan, Joanne, Bonnie, Katie
Link to Katie's pics
Link to Bonnie's pics 

Sue and Gail declared it as their new "favorite," Katie calls it her second. Siyeh Bend to Sunrift Gorge indeed has it all!

We started the day at 5 a.m.in threatening weather but still were able to catch the 8 a.m. hikers' shuttle out of St. Mary, while Katie drove the car to Sunrift Gorge and then joined the rest of the GiG for the shuttle to Siyeh Bend. In this way, we shuttled the car at the beginning, not having to worry about a late finish of the hike while eliminating all stress of making the last shuttle.

We hit the trail by 9 a.m, traveling uphill at a steady, but not too-steep grade. By 10:30 were at the famed Preston Park, with flowers galore and in rare bright colors, even for this late in the year. Before Preston Park, there are many other stream crossings and meadows with equally gorgeous flowers in a bright green background. We stopped at this beautiful meadow and stream bed for a snack to prepare us for the elevation gain to come.

From Preston Park, the trail takes a decidedly uphill turn (as you climb the flank of Matahpi) and comes into alpine country above the tree line. The flowers of the meadow such as western anemone, arnica, death camas and blue explorers gentian give way to alpine flowers such as forget-me-not and moss campion. Besides the beauty of the flowers, we face sprinkles and a high wind as we approached Siyeh pass. We reached the pass at 12:40, beating Katie's estimate of 1 p.m.

As we crested pass, the rain and wind took their toll with flapping ponchos, and we were happy for some sheltering rocks at the top, where we took a brief stop for lunch.  Due to possible thunderstorms, Katie kept the group moving as it is always best to be off the top of a peak or pass before 2 p.m. when the air has more tendency to become electrified.  We encountered several friendly hikers, who often took group photos for us, saving us from using Photoshop or trying to take selfies.

On the way down, we came across a herd of ewes and lambs, who seemed rather unafraid of us, but after we got our fill of photos and continued on, the sheep scattered down the mountain.  Also on the way down, we had excellent views of Sexton glacier and all of the creeks and waterfalls that came from it; the gals wondered about coming back to climb over to see and touch the glacier.

The downhill side, going into Sunrift gorge, also provided many huckleberries and Saskatoon or Service berries, but as the rain increased, the GiG couldn't get a full mouthful along the way as we scampered back to the car quickly on our worn-out legs.

The gorge didn't disappoint in beauty as our last major sight of the day.  Since this hike s a walk-through, you never retrace your steps or see the same scenery twice, which makes it even more special.

We finished the day with a meal at Two Dog Flats cafe in the Rising Sun campground. We all enjoyed the edamame appetizer that Sue bought and shared with us, and we all did enjoy our entrees.

Even thought the day started out stormy and ended so, we had one of the best days of the summer.

Link to Kathy's pics
Link to Katie's pics

The biggest adventure yet for the five gals who braved a creek crossing and almost 3,000 feet of elevation gain over 12 miles, Patrol Mountain lookout didn't disappoint in difficulty, scenery or camaraderie.

We headed out at 5 a.m. and hit trail at 7:30, with a chilly morning in the 40 degree range.

As we assembled our pack and headed out, we noticed that the trail sign "lied," stating it was only five miles to the lookout, when in fact we knew it was six from several GPS calculations. From there, it was an easy trek along the first 2.5 miles, which hugs Straight Creek with a few gentle ups and downs along the way. However,, the cool weather and recent rain which dampened our pant legs and boots, gave us a chill.   At the crossing, the trail splits, going into the Scapegoat one way (to the left), and down to the creek and Patrol Mountain trail to the right. 


After a quick change into sandals/Keens, we crossed, the very cold creek, making us even more freezing after the damp first part of the hike, but that would soon change as the trail takes a rapid ascent once across the creek.  After changing back into our boots, we stashed our sandals/Keens in some bushes and set out to conquer the mountain!


At this point, we only had 3.5 miles to go but it does seem more like 6 with the steep uphill all of the way, with only a small respite. At the 2.75 mile mark, we came upon Honeymoon Basin, an area high on the mountain carved out into a basin.  This flat area held a host of wildflowers: sweetvetch, groundsel, fireweed, bear grass, Indian paintbrush, goldenrod, harebells and yarrow. In this beautiful meadowed area, we ate our lunch and rested up for the final ascent.  After a half hour, we decided the honeymoon was over, and it was time to make our final ascent of the very alpine part of the hike.


The next section, changed rapidly from forest to alpine, the scree and shale giving our feet a beating but being above the treeline produced fabulous views in the Bob Marshall and Scapegoat Wilderness areas.  For miles we could see nothing but mountains for 360 degrees.

About a quarter mile from the Honeymoon Basin, the lookout tower came into view, giving us hope that yes, we could make it to the top, despite our weary legs telling us otherwise.

There was one more surprise for the GiG: we had to cross a narrow saddle with steep drop-offs on both sides. Although a few felt dizzy crossing over, we all made it and again were floored at the wonderful views.

As we approached the lookout, Rye, a blue healer who keeps Sam Sarah Chapman, the gal who "mans" the Patrol Mountain lookout tower,company started barking to announce our approach.

At the Lookout, we all signed the register and saw some familiar Great Falls names as well as MWA hike leader Len Kopec also listed.  Sam Sarah gave us a narrative about her life in the lookout, how she gets resupplied, what she does on her days off (hike!), and how her Osborne Fire Finder works (it was made in the 1930s).

At 2 p.m., we put our packs back on and said our goodbyes.  It was a long trek back down the mountain but the stream crossing felt good this time.  Some of the gals felt the hike was a once-in-lifetime type of hike: great to do but don't want to go twice. Susan reminded everyone that we will need to take Kathy M next year since she missed it this year.

We arrived back at the car just before 6 p.m. and headed to Augusta for dinner, deciding on the Lazy B for fish and chips, sweet potato fries and burgers.  Catherine felt we needed to celebrate in a big way, so she asked about the alcohol menu. When the waitress said they had a full-service bar, she ordered Champagne for all of us! What a treat. But maybe we deserved it because as she said about Patrol Mountain:"It kicked our butts. Both cheeks"~Catherine

Link to Katie's photos
Link to Bonnie's pics

Nine gals plus two exchange students, one from Sweden and one from Austria, got up early to head to the West side for a day of forested fun!.

After a stop at the goat lick--with no goats, alas--the GiG hit the trail to Avalanche lake.  The trail was very crowded but the Avalanche gorge with teal-green creek still impressed with its beauty. Luckily, there were a few parking spots for the two cars.

After a beautiful, forested hike in the lush greenery of the west-side temperate rain forest, we arrived at Avalanche lake. The gals enjoyed lunch at the foot of the lake but were prevented from hiking to the head as the trail was closed due to bear activity. Some wondered if the Park Service was being overly cautious after the guy climbing Mount Brown shot and wounded one.

After the hike, and since we couldn't hike to the head of the lake and had some extra time, we went to Apgar and enjoyed the views of Lake McDonald.  A couple still had time on their paddle-board rental, so some of the gals and an exchange student tried their hand at it, one falling in, but having a great time.

Dinner at the West Glacier Villager Cafe provided huge portions to feed everyone's hungry appetite after the hike.

Then it was back home by 10.45, a gorgeous, but long day. We did realize that we have it good on the east side of the park: not nearly so many crowds and tourists.

On a side note, we learned that Ruth Johnson, the founder of Johnson's of St. Mary, passed away Sunday, Aug. 15th at the age of 95. What a wonderful restaurant and campground she has by which to be remembered. 

Who went: Kathy D, Toni, Gail, Bonnie, Anita, Brianna, Michelle, Susan, Jean plus exchange students Sara and Teresa
Link to Bonnie's pictures
Link to Toni's pictures

Up at 5 a.m.. and home at 10:30 p.m.--the day was long, but the sights were amazing, particularly the flowers and berries. Eight gals wedged into Kathy M's Tahoe, gear at their feet, and met one other gal at Two Medicine for a total of nine.  The day started with Toni getting her 100-miler mug, earned from the previous hike.  

The flowers, particularly purple hues of showy fleabane daisy and harebell, dotted the trail and really popped against the still-green grass and other foliage. 

About one mile in, we decided to take the short trip to see Aster Falls, which didn't disappoint in beauty and short distraction from the trek to the main attractions of the day: Rockwell Falls and Cobalt Lake.  Another mile and a half down the trail and the gals faced the hanging bridge over Paradise Creek. If the bridge weren't enough of an obstacle, than the very widely spaced, steep stairs on the far side presented another challenge as some of the gals had to toss their poles and use their hands to make it down them.

The full group of nine made it to Rockwell Falls, enjoying the view at the base of the falls and snapping many pictures, but then climbing a few switchbacks higher to have lunch out of the way of the other hikers who were approaching the falls. This nice spot overlooks the second tier of the cascade and has some shade, perfect on a hot day.

After lunch, Toni and Katie lingered a while longer to relax by the water, chat with other hikers and then take a leisurely walk back to the parking lot and camp store, while the others braved the extra five miles--two of which are uphill--to Cobalt Lake. 

After a quick lunch at Rockwell Falls, Gail, Susan, Stacey, Jessica, Chrissie, Catherine, and Kathy continued onward and upward towards Cobalt Lake. By the time we hit the trail, the temperature continued to rise and the seemingly high humidity seemed to zap our energy.  Once we got to a little stream, Kathy suggested  that the gals should  soak their shirts to cool down a bit. 

Doing so proved to be a good option, as it made the rest of the hike more bearable. As we hiked along, we could not believe the length of Mount Sinopah with its towering conical shaped rock formations which gave it a castle-like appearance. The wild array of exquisite wildflowers proved that God is the ultimate gardener and landscaper! The contrast of the beautiful array of colors against the green grass and dark rock formations were impressive. The peaceful “Zen Garden” rock garden area beckoned us to dally along to take lots of pictures along the rocky cliffs and rock shelves laden with moss. We saw so many different wildflowers that took our breath away. Even at this time of year, Glacier Lilies were in bloom and new shoots were popping up through the melting snow fields. 


Along the trail we hiked along a creek that had small shelves of rock with narrow chutes that channeled the water into smaller tumbling waterfalls. Just gorgeous! As we continued our approach, we couldn’t wait to get to Cobalt Lake. Little did we know that we would have to make a steep ascent to then drop down into the landlocked lake. As we approached the lake we couldn’t believe our eyes at the sheer beauty of the lake surrounded by melting snowfields. 


We quickly took off our boots to soak and cool our feet off in the icy cold water and get our shirts wet again. Some of the gals who had bandanas or microfiber towels soaked them to wrap around their necks to keep themselves cool for the journey back. After spending time taking pictures, we decided it was time to head back to the trailhead to meet Katie and Toni. We left the lake around 3:00 p.m. and made it back to the trailhead by 6:00 p. m.  Once again, we could not wait to get our boots off and cool our feet off in Two Medicine Lake before going to Glacier Park Lodge for a lovely dinner with live entertainment by a pianist in the dining room. 

Shortly after the group separated, two trail runners raced past Katie and Toni. While at the lake, the runners caught up to the rest of the gals; and the two guys took a plunge in the lake.  It was lucky that they weren't a minute earlier as the gals had wet their shirts to cool off. The gals at the lake were treated to the most amazing scene of wild flowers, even Glacier lilies just starting to poke through the remaining snow patches.

Across the lake, the gals could see the ice and snow calving into the lake, but no icebergs were near the shore yet.

Toni and Katie reached the camp store around 3:30 while the others arrived at 6 p.m.After the hike, we all piled into the car and headed to East Glacier Park Lodge for a yummy meal in the dining room. Catherine ordered Total Domination, which gave us all a good laugh.

The day ended with Chrissie earning her 100-miler club mug! Congrats to Chrissie.
Who went: Kathy M, Chrissie, Jessica, Catherine, Susan, Gail, Toni, Katie and guest Stacy
Link to Katie's photos
Link to Kathy's pics