Snowmobiling Lolo Pass

Lolo Pass and its National Recreation Area (all Forest Service land) were scarcely an hour's drive from our home west of Missoula, and it was at Lolo Pass that we snowmobiled more than any other place. Last year, as we revisited our many snowmobiling adventures, we didn't do Lolo--too little snow, as in much of the inland Northwest. So we drove on to the higher country, Yellowstone and Island Park, Grey River, and the Continental Divide Trails in Wyoming. But this year there was a solid four feet of snow at the Pass. Sadly, the grooming was lacking, but we were determined...

First day, we rode the trails near the Pass and in the direction of the Missoula
Snowgoers' warming hut...our club, way back when; I think we had the only
two-up and certainly the only four-stroke in the club

A gorgeous day, tons of snow all around even at these relatively low altitudes
(5,000-6,000 feet)

Vicki, covered in powder

Panning around

The warming hut

Montana and Idaho are Lewis and Clark ground zero, and they camped here at
Packer Meadows en route to the Pacific

Packer Meadows

In early summer, Packer Meadows turns blue with the bloom of Camas flowers;
indeed the first time we approached it, we thought for a moment it was a lake;
a postcard to P bears witness (she has requested postcards with princesses)

Not so in winter

We spent Tuesday night at the pass, hoping for more grooming; but it didn't come,
and we returned to Missoula and business there; Friday morning we thought we'd
try again, probably just another token ride, and then cross Lolo off our list; just as
we were about to head back to the parking lot, we noticed two guys blazing up the
route to Lochsa Lodge...completely ungroomed, but they were making enough of
a trail for us to follow...the trip from the Pass to Lochsa Lodge was always our
very favorite ride at Lolo

Tea time before the bridge at Brushy Fork

We pressed on, enjoying beautiful views of the Bitterroots

Up closer

Moose tracks, according to Vicki; we actually did see a pretty big cow on the
way back, but she disappeared before I could get the camera out; above
Killed Colt Creek, another Lewis and Clark place (they were getting low on
vittles)

Our quest is at an end...outside Lochsa Lodge, above the Lochsa River, a few
miles from the De Voto Cedar Grove...a favorite place in an historic place 

Back porch of the lodge , which seems unchanged in the 8 or so years since we
last visited

Part of the Lodge menagerie; our lunch was accompanied by a very appetizing
lecture, in the adjacent hall, on the prevention and treatment of frostbite, the
audience apparently EMTs

But we were thrilled and pleased to have made this destination one more time
on the snow, despite the conditions

There remained only the long, ungroomed ride back to

The parking lot and visitor center at Lolo Pass, a special place, especially in winter

Snowmobiling Seeley-Swan, 2016

We were three days in the Swan Valley, snowmobiling out of the hamlet of Seeley Lake, a short ride at first, a medium ride the second day, both on the east side, and an inadvertently longer ride the third day on the west side. The snowmobile map of the area leaves a bit to be desired, signage rather more to be desired (many unmarked yet groomed intersections), and ditto the grooming itself. Ever heard of adverse camber? Overall, it was a very good initial experience of the season, everything working, with good snow, cloudy, and day-time temps in the mid-30s.

Our campsite at Morrell Creek parking lot; turns out it's a day
use area, sans signage

Riding on virgin groomed trails; the first two days we saw only
seven other sleds, but it got a bit busier Saturday

These are the Swan Mountains, up to 9,000 feet, east of the
valley

Ditto; no, I did not take these pix in black and white...it was
really cloudy

Panning a bit south

Crossing the ridge and looking west; beneath the cloud bank is
Seeley Lake, both lake and town, and beyond, totally hidden
in the clouds, are the Mission Mountains; the Missions, which
we could see from the porch of our home west of Missoula,
are the more impressive range, up to 11,000 feet, lots of
exposed rock, very alpine; access to them is pretty much
barred by the Salish-Kootenai tribes; they have their reasons...

Now on the west side of the valley, looking east, a pano of the
Swan range

Thus

And thus

Trail #10 was indicated as groomed on the map; but it wasn't;
we'd hoped to follow it to the highway and cross over to the
east-side trails; but even when we got there, the east-side trail
was completely ungroomed and inaccessible, thanks to a
mountain of snow deposited presumably by the MDOT plows

One of three trees downed across the trail

Not a happy trail-rider...but eventually we got back to the main
west-side trails and across the highway, south of town, and to
our little encampment; snow fell lightly all the rest of  the
afternoon and evening; we had business to attend to in Kalispell
on Monday, so headed north up the Swan valley and crossed over
to the Flathead Valley; the clouds continued, so there will be
no pix of Glacier NP (where snowmobiling is wisely verboten)

PS...the Missions from our house on Horseback Ridge, west of
Missoula, c. 2007; Llazy Ll Lland and Llama Company, LLC

Snowmobiling Yellowstone, 2003

So we're parked, alone, in the Morrell Creek parking lot, near Seeley Lake, MT, waiting for it to warm up a bit. Having gotten everything affixed and adjusted Wednesday, we drove up here Thursday morning, parked, and went for a 20-25 mile shake-down snowmobile cruise. Alles in ordnung. The weather is relatively balmy for here, in the high 30s Thursday, and similar forecasted for today. Unlike our last visit to Seeley-Swan, in 2015, there's plenty of snow, and last night the groomer passed us on the way to doing the east side trails. Often this parking lot is loaded with mushers, but there are neither dogs nor sleds in sight. Which is a good thing.

Anyhow, in the interim last weekend, I was digitizing some new-found prints, and came across a set from 2003, when we'd first bought the Blue Wanderer (our snowmobile), and were riding in Yellowstone. In those days, you could just drive your machine into the park, pay the admission, stay on the roads, abide by the 35 mph limit, and enjoy one of the world's ultimate winter-lands. Oh yes, you could also poison the atmosphere and terrify the residents with your 120 decibel smoke- and fuel-spewing two-stroke. Ours was, and is, a four-stroke, 72 dB. But I digress. We visited Yellowstone a few more times in the early 00s, but, since the Park now requires "current technology," it's unlikely we'll be going back on our own any time soon. It was fun to look at these pix again, a decade or more later, and I thought I'd share them as a prelude to this season's snow-trekking campaign.

Bison, thermal basins, and geysers

Cow elk, pretty much oblivious to human presence after 140
years of protected status

Old Faithful

Also relatively oblivious, but don't push your luck

Me, before Old Faithful Inn (is that trade-marked?!); it was on
this trip, incidentally, that we learned (and later witnessed) that
Yellowstone ravens can open zippers and untie simple knots
("Spies of Saruman!"); historical note: I wore that same hat
yesterday and am wearing it now; is this a sign of aging?

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone,
Yellowstone Falls

Vicki in geyser-land; still have that red
parka, too...

Moi, ditto

Yellowstone in the winter is compelling for a variety of reasons,
but nothing tops having a herd of bison saunter past you

The bison use the roads to move from site to site (hey, they're
groomed); the protocol, if you encounter such a thing, is to stop,
turn off your motor, stay on your snowmobile, and keep calm;
apparently (the rangers say), if you stay on your machine, the
bison think you're just part of the machine, and they do not feel
threatened

Thus

They do tend to herd their young away from the machines

On several occasions they'd pass so close as to actually brush up
against you

Frozen lake and distant mountains

Winter wonderland; a special place among all the most special
places

Dear Missoula, 2016

We spent a couple days with the Rotts, got the propane bottles unstuck, and then headed on to unloading the camper, sorting and loading the snowmobiling goods and equipment, starting up the snowmobile (yes! first crank, never sputtered nor stalled!), picking up the trailer from storage, affixing it to the truck, loading the snowmobile onto the trailer, continuing the sorting, loading, affixing, installing, etc., until we are now, January 20th, ready to head on out and up into the Swan Valley for our initial snowmobiling adventures of the season. Amidst all this, we were able to enjoy our last best home, dear Missoula.

At Bretz RV, me rehearsing for bit part auditions
for Revenant II

Fighting back; Michael Punke was a member of
my board at Humanities Montana, very briefly;
nice guy, but way over my head

"Ummm...the pepper spray's great, but would you
happen to have any Sriracha?"

Special (beer-drinking) friends, the Rotts pour their bottles
of Westvleteren, direct from St. Sixtus Abbey in Belgium; we
probably owe them a case of Veuve Clicquot for all the hospitality
they've shown us

Local fare

Finally, over-nighting in our favorite East Missoula truck stop,
we are ready to head out and up into the mountain snow