Trailer Trash

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crazy Crazy Mountains Loop (Read 38 times)

mtwarden


running under the BigSky

    This is a 20-ish loop in the Crazy Mountains I came up with when I was a game warden to check fisherman in the high lakes.  The vast majority is trails, but to hook up Cottonwood Lake to Glacier Lake, involves some Class 3-ish climbing.  Had been a couple of years since I'd been in the Crazies, so Grant and I thought we'd give it a go.  It's a pretty good grind up to Cottonwood Lake, but the real grind is after you leave the lake.  When we finally made it up and over, there was a steep wall of snow that would have been very hazardous w/o an ice axe, fortunately the snow had receded a couple of feet from the mountain, giving us just enough room to sneak in behind it.  Was pretty neat traveling behind the long snow field.  It's only two miles between the two lakes, but it took us nearly two hours to go those two miles!   

     

    Headed up Cottonwood Creek

     

    Getting near the lake

     

     

    Cottonwood Lake

     

     

    Grant starting the long climb up

     

     

    Glacier Lake and the South Fork of Sweetgrass Ck and the long climb down

     

    sneaking behind the snow

    had to climb a steep snow field to get around Glacier Lake to meet up w/ the trail

     

     

    Moose Lake, we soaked in the lake up to our waists for about 15 minutes, was great!

     

     

    Campfire Lake

     

     

    finally our way back home down Trespass Ck

     

     

     

    2023 goal 2023 miles  √

    2022 goal- 2022 miles √

    2021 goal- 2021 miles √

     

    AT-runner


    Tim

      Looks like a great day with a friend!  Thanks for sharing snow pictures with all of us sweating our asses off on our runs today.  What was the temperature of the Moose Lake?

      “Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway! 

      Birdwell


        Those lakes look amazing. I presume you're fishing some type of trout in them?

        moonlightrunner


          Awesome pics, Warden. Green with jealousy here.

          January , 2022 Yankee Springs Winter Challenge 25k

          mtwarden


          running under the BigSky

            AT- very coooold!  40-45 maybe, but if felt so damn good

             

            Birdwell- no fishing yesterday, just running (and climbing)- I have fished all of those lakes in the past, all have cutthroat in them

             

             

            2023 goal 2023 miles  √

            2022 goal- 2022 miles √

            2021 goal- 2021 miles √

             

            Daydreamer1


              Amazing scenery!!! Now I know why so many people love Montana back country. What camera do you use for your pictures. I'm sure you've said in the past but I don't remember.


              Occasional Runner

                Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

                mtwarden


                running under the BigSky

                  Danke Smile

                   

                  Daydreamer- it's a tiny Olympus FE-360, smaller than a pack of cigarettes and weighs 4 oz, going strong now for five years!

                   

                   

                  2023 goal 2023 miles  √

                  2022 goal- 2022 miles √

                  2021 goal- 2021 miles √

                   

                  LB2


                    Wow. That is awesome looking stuff.

                    LB2

                    NorthernHarrier


                      Driven by those Crazy Woman mountains a number of times and always let my mind wander imagining scenes just like you showed. That looks like an epic run.  To think you used to get paid to work that area. No, I'm not TOO jealous. 

                      Queen of Nothing


                      Sue

                        Thanks for sharing...what a great day and so beautiful!

                         05/13/23 Traverse City Trail Festival 25K

                         08/19/23  Marquette 50   dns 🙄

                         

                         

                         

                         

                         

                        mtwarden


                        running under the BigSky

                          thanks Smile

                           

                          NH- if you drive by again, you'll have to make a detour (give me a shout first) Big grin  I definitely had no complaints w/ my former job; my first Captain told me I'd never get rich monetarily being a game warden, but would be rewarded many times over in other ways- he was spot on

                           

                           

                          2023 goal 2023 miles  √

                          2022 goal- 2022 miles √

                          2021 goal- 2021 miles √

                           

                          TrailProf


                          Le professeur de trail

                            Wow.  Simply amazing scenery.  Thanks for sharing.

                            My favorite day of the week is RUNday

                             

                             

                            Watoni


                              Amazing scenery and run!


                              SheCan

                                Stunning and challenging!  How long did the whole loop take?

                                Cherie

                                "We do not become the people who this world needs simply by turning our backs on anyone we don’t like, trust, or deem healthy enough to be in our presence. "  ---- Shasta Nelson

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