Bear Creek Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Montana

August 12, 2012 — Day #13

I tried to hike over by Seeley Lake today, but the road was closed for construction.  I had researched a special hike over here in the Hamilton area south of Missoula, but forgot the name of the canyon.  There are a dozen or more hiking options here in the Indian Range, so I will just pick one.

Starting out
Into the talus

I have seen no evidence of a creek yet; I surely hope that it hasn't dried up already.  Also, there are virtually no flowers around.

More green

More rocks

Pretty soon, I do hear the sounds of running water, and presently it appears.

Bear Creek

Everyone I have encountered on the trail has been very friendly.  That little kid across the way is not as happy as she might be, however.

First swimming lesson

I continue upstream, staying as close to the water as possible.  It is necessary to jump the channel to get the best angle on a very nice pool:

A perfect swimming hole

A bit farther up, the cascade section ends.

The water takes on a strange-ish orange hue due to the dark color of the rock.  That makes it less fresh and pleasant to be around, however.

On the way back, when not trying to stay near the water, I encounter some new trail obstacles.

Gee, this section of the gorge seems to be much farther down than it was before.

You figure it out

This forest has seen better times:

§: Well, this was a pleasant outing, despite the heat.  It turns out that a couple of the other local trailheads would have been much more scenic, which fact serves me right for not having done my homework last night.

• Trailhead: 7 miles north of Hamilton on US-93, then west on Bear Creek Road and follow the signs for 6 miles
• Distance: 3 miles
• Elevation gain: 400 feet
• Hikers: 10
• Rating: 4

Scenery
Difficulty
Personality
Solitude

This walk also represents a premature end to my multi-state hiking tour.  I was scheduled to do trails in Idaho, Oregon, and California; but the plethora of forest fires has cluttered the skies to the extent that the very act of being outdoors is singularly depressing.

When one pulls up to a trailhead and encounters a tent camp full of firefighters, it is time to leave.  My trip ends with a thousand-mile slog from Salmon, Idaho, stopping for nothing but an overnight stay at Lakeview, Oregon with my #2 sister.

Despite the car troubles and smoky skies, I had a pretty good run — more than a dozen hikes overall, including several world-class outings.  I wonder where next year's tour will take me.