Girls in Glacier | WELCOME
Like us on Facebook
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Hikes
    • Hikes 2021
    • Hikes 2020
    • Hikes 2019
    • Hikes 2018
    • Hikes 2017
    • Hikes 2016
    • Hikes 2015
    • Hikes 2014
    • Hikes 2013
    • Hikes 2012
  • Flowers/Trees
  • Helpers
  • Goodbye
  • Contact

McCarty Hill and Priest Butte, Oct. 15, 2020

10/16/2020

0 Comments

 

Day of Hoodoo Climbing, RMF, Sun, Wind and Snowy Weather

Picture
We decided to take advantage of the last decent day before we face a week or more of winter weather even though snow was expected the night before and morning of.  And we did hit some snow as we headed out of Augusta for McCarty Hill, the first of our two high-point destinations for the day. Doing both peaks would get Amber to 20 peaks in 2020, so we were all excited to have her get her last two summits on this day.

We left Great Falls at 8 a.m. and stopped in Augusta for bathroom break and to take a sad look at what was left of the Bunkhouse Inn, which had burned the week before. It was nothing but a huge pile of boards, clothing, doors, and other debris that reached almost the height of the store next door: Latigo and Lace. Thankfully, Latigo and Lace was saved; the owners posted a big sign on their doors thanking the firefighters for doing so.

Then we headed out the Benchmark Road, turning past Scoutana to our destination: McCarty Hill.  It had snowed off and on, so the road was muddy with puddles,. We faced two inches on the ground as we hiked to the top.  The views were outstanding, some aspen in the bottoms still holding their golden leaves, and Fairview mountain shining with fresh snow as a backdrop.

Once on top, we steadied ourselves for a very stiff wind, but we still took our time admiring the Rocky Mountain Front in one directions and the plains and buttes in the other with Haystack Butte really standing out.

On our way back to the cars, the snow was melting into mud, which clung to our boots. We went off trail most of the way, trying to step on brush and grasses rather than slop. We also had to dodge cowpies..

Then we piled into the cars. It was already almost noon, but we decided to hold off on lunch until we drove a half hour to our next hike along the Sun River, so we ate a quick snack and headed out.  But we didn't get far as the forest service was closing the road.  They said they have been doing it the last few years because hunters were driving in from both sides and trapping the elk herds. They will reopen the road Dec. 1.

So, then we had a decision to make: drive all the way back to Augusta and around the long way to Hogback cliff in Hannan Gulch, go home and call it a day or think of something else to do.  So Katie figured we could drive to Choteau and climb Priest Butte. Then Amber would still get to 20 peaks in 2020!

We briefly stopped in Augusta, grabbed our lunches to eat on the road. We should have eaten at the lake, but Katie wasn't thinking until we hit Augusta that it was already 1 p.m. and would be 1:30 before we hit Choteau.

At 1:45 we headed up Priest Butte and were able to tackle all four of the peaks on the butte, which aren't really visible from the highway side: the first one with the three crosses and the last one that requires a bit of rock scrambling and use of hands to get to the top. Susan had been before and decided to pass on the rock scramble; we waved down at her from the top and then scrambled back down.
​
Luckily, we didn't see any snakes, but we avoided the areas where we knew them to be as well as any overhanging rock or rock piles.

After a walk back down shooing some cattle, we arrived at the cars by 3:30 and home by 4:20, a really great way to end the summer hiking season and move toward winter.

Who went: Suzie, Susan, Randi, Amber, Anita, Katie

Pix
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    How to Download Pix
    ​How to download with iphone

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    RSS Feed

    Girls in Glacier and Katie Kotynski

Contact Us
Copyright 2014 Girls in Glacier
All pictures copyright of individual photographers; no use granted without permission