WARNING: This blog post will absolutely compel you to visit Northwestern Montana.

The weekend started with a bit of a hiccup as we were expecting three guests and received two; Eric had a bit too much pre-vacation fun the night before his flight and, well, he didn’t make it.  Spoiler alert:  he met up in Glacier the following day.

Glacier NP

After scooping Gabe and Alex up from the airport we headed straight for Glacier NP; no time to waste too much ill s**t to see.

We decided to drive Going-To-The-Sun-Road across the park to our campsite at Chewing Blackbones and took a warm-up hike to Hidden Lake.

Amazing start to the trip!

From there we headed to camp and started setting up shop.

Once set-up was complete, we got down with dinner and a warm fire.

The following morning we woke up to the most pristine day we’ve experienced in Glacier thus far; not one cloud in the sky.  Perfect day for our 6 mile, 1,200 ft elevation hike out to Cracker Lake.

After countless switchbacks we hit an elevation point that provided for absolutely insane views.

A bit further down, we could tell we were close; time to pick up the pace ladies.

As if it was meticulously planned, the final stretch takes the explorer to a small crest that reveals Cracker Lake.

Words and pictures don’t do it justice…so go there yourself.

We continued on a bit scoping out a place to post up for some lunch.  Yup, that’ll do.

Following this fairly intense hike there was no time to waste in getting into our meal.

After thoroughly munching out, we lounged awhile taking in the stunning backdrop and decided to dip our feet in this magnificent lake before heading back.

Look what we found IN the water!

From there it was time to go, so we laced up our boots and braced for the mission home.

While we were not completely thrilled to walk all the way back – a ski lift would have been cool – the views compensated and we enjoyed every minute.

6 miles later and mission complete!

Back to our site we started cooking, and as if we rang the dinner bell, Eric rolled through and set up shop at the site attached to ours.

We wrapped up the day with full bellies…

…and yoga.

Our last morning in Glacier we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and headed back west on Going-To-The-Sun-Road.

Nothing like seeing this ride from both directions.

Big Arm

Back in Big Arm that evening, family dinner was proper

And a campfire was lit in our front yard.

Our plans to rent a boat the following day were hampered by wildfire smoke and high winds so we got our water toys and headed south to Polson to escape the smoke.

‘Merica!

From there we headed north to the Tamarack Brewery in Lakeside for some beers and dinner.

We arrived home to an incredible sunset and took our guests for a tour of the neighborhood.

Amy and Alex of course were doing their thing.

And out of nowhere the horses occupying the field we were passing galloped towards us to say hey.

This was truly incredible!

We strolled back to the house as the sun disappeared behind the hills

THE END.

With the new addition to the family, Amy planned to go lay eyes on little Ryder and help her sister in OR.  Seemed liked a perfect opportunity for Josh to come through and get a guys weekend in.

So Amy departed to OR and Josh arrived in MT

Flathead Lake

We kicked off Josh’s arrival with a visit to Flathead Lake.  While Paddle Boarding is awesome, it doesn’t beat riding speed boats.  So, with that fact established we rented a 190 horse power watercraft and dominated the lake.

After riding about 20+ miles from the Lakeside rental spot to Polson we meandered back and chilled on the home-front – Big Arm Bay – before making our way back to Lakeside.

Not many better ways to spend a day.

After relaxing and taking in the view from our porch that evening we headed out early the next morning, dropped Chica at the kennel and rolled up to Glacier NP.

Medicine Grizzly Trail

Finding a campground wasn’t easy and we just missed the last site at our backup: Cut Bank.  True to manly form, we cut our losses, decided to figure it out later and started on a hike to Medicine Grizzly Lake.

Josh was really hoping to fight a bear that day.

The hike from Cut Bank trailhead to the lake is about 6 miles through the alpine meadows below Triple Divide Pass.

As we approached the lake, the waterfalls that feed it from the mountaintops took shape motivating us to complete the journey.

Yup, the lake was spectacular.  We sat down, enjoyed our lunch and took in the scene.

Once we completed the hike, it kind of sucked to have to figure out where we were going to post up for the night, but everything happens for a reason.  We ended up finding a beautiful site at Chewing Blackbones Campground which was awesome to know about for the following weeks’ plans.

Going-To-The-Sun-Road

We wrapped up the trip with a ride back through Going-To-The-Sun-Road to give Josh the full Glacier experience.

Of course we stopped at the beautiful & iconic Wild Goose Island

And skipped rocks on Lake McDonald

After leaving the park, we picked up Chica, and headed back to Big Arm where we’d get a fire going in the front yard and drink lots and lots of bourbon.

Successful weekend!

After thorough research and a wave of ambition we decided to hike the 13 miles round trip and elevate over 2,000ft to see what Granite Lake was all about.

Being a 2.5 hour drive to the trailhead, we decided to camp on the trail road the night before so we could get an early start the following day.  Just under 2 miles from where the dirt road starts on Granite Lake Road we found a money camp spot with an existing fire ring and posted up.

Prior to the hike, we cooked a solid breakfast and headed out.

We read the trail would be tough to navigate due to the fires in 2015, but the first few miles weren’t too bad and we arrived at the falls (almost midway through the trail) without breaking a sweat.

Then it got real.

We came across a river crossing and I took a spill into the river while trying to cross a very slippery felled tree.  Fortunately all that was hurt was my pride and even Chica was wondering why there was no bridge.

Me being completely soaked and Amy’s boots full of water we decided to continue.

While the trail remained dicey and difficult to navigate, there was always a saving grace the pointed us in the right direction and willed us to keep going.

Candidly, the poorly maintained trail, wet feet, and thick thorny brush made it a rough go.  And once again, when the will to finish began to fade, Snowshoe Peak appeared in all its glory and we knew we had to continue.

We slogged it out for a few more miles and were richly rewarded.

Granite Lake is heaven on earth.  We took off our boots, freed our wrinkled feet, and enjoyed a solid hour soaking it all in.

Recharged with rest, full bellies and dry feet it was time to head back.

Knowing the route and the challenges of the trail to come made the return trip easier.  We had a great time crossing through the overgrown meadows and over the dicey river crossings.

While the trek to the top wasn’t all rosy it was certainly a memorable adventure that was rewarded with an hour of solitude at Granite Lake.

The plan was to keep it easy our last week of July, but Montana ensured an eventful close to an amazing first month.

With the last hump day of the month coming to a close, we were on the home stretch to the weekend and were treated to a truly spectacular display of nature.

Seeing this in person was amazing.  To the North it was as if the sky was on fire.  Facing East over the lake we saw a massive storm with incredible bursts of lightning.  Towards the South a beautiful rainbow appeared.  And this was happening simultaneously!

The storm cleared and a pristine day followed.  The sun was shining without a cloud in the sky and we were determined to take advantage.  With hours of daylight left after work we got the paddle boards together and enjoyed some lake time.

Best purchase ever!

Friday brought a crazy twist of fate full circle.  During our trip to the Caribbean Chica stayed with an awesome couple, Taylor & Liza, in Seattle who just happened to be getting married on Flathead Lake where Taylor has family.  And we just happened to be a 15 minute drive from where this was taking place.  So after the nuptials the newlywed couple invited us to hang out with their amazing family, took us out on their pontoon boat, and we ended a great day at a fun dive bar in Lakeside.

Our plan to spend Saturday on Flathead Lake paddle boarding to Wild Horse Island turned out to be kind of a disaster – enough said – and we wrapped up the weekend exploring Buffalo Bridge Road which led us to a portion of the Flathead River.

And BONUS, an awesome wheeling track!

We went back to work Monday completely fulfilled and received yet another awesome surprise visit from the Gower girls on Tuesday.  Sari just happened to be driving right by our house to get from Glacier NP to Yellowstone and we all hung out for a while.

Chica was thoroughly exhausted after the kids were done with her.

Well, that week couldn’t have turned out any better…on to the next one!

3 Days, 21 Miles, 3,710 Feet of Elevation

We had a good reason to get back to Glacier the next weekend with Staci rolling through as she added us on to her own crazy travel adventure.

Although she didn’t arrive until the evening the late Montana summer days allowed us to enjoy Flathead Lake for a couple of hours.

The following day we headed directly to the airport to drop off Janet, drove to Whitefish to board Chica, and did a quick food shop for a weekend of camping and hiking; we were ready for some Glacier.

We arrived at Cut Bank Campground after 2 and all the sites were full so we posted up at a fire ring just outside the park boundaries and were off to our warm up hike.

Aster Park Overlook (South Shore Trailhead – Two Medicine) 4 miles round trip, elevating just under 800 ft.

The weather was crazy and we were almost rained out, but the clouds broke and we got to experience a gorgeous hike.

Following the trek, we arrived back at camp, settled in and were about to call it a night when we were not-so-warmly told: “You’re on Blackfoot Tribal Land and can’t stay the night.

At this point it’s 9PM and we knew with certainty that Cut Bank Campground was full, but being less than two miles from the camp we decided to make sure.  Well it was full.  BUT Staci made some friends and they allowed us to share their site – WIN!

We quickly set up shop and dug in for the monster hike to come the following day.

Medicine Grizzly Lake – Triple Divide Pass (Cut Bank Trailhead) 14 miles round trip, 2,380 ft. elevation

Just from the beginning of the hike, we knew it would be outstanding.

It started with an imperceptible climb through gorgeous meadows full of wild flowers and into thick forest.

From there the elevation gained quickly and we were treated to a truly epic view of Medicine Grizzly Lake.

As we continued to climb we approached the Triple Divide vista point from which snow melt flows South to the Gulf and into the Atlantic Ocean, Northwest through Alaska and into the Pacific Ocean and Northeast to the Hudson Bay in Canada.

Staci bravely snapping away on the edge of a huge mountain!

The descent – as always – provided for a different perspective and was just as much of a treat as the climb.

While it seemed Staci had enough gas in the tank to do the whole thing again, Amy and I hit our threshold by the end of the hike and we were all excited to lounge out back at camp.

An official meal was cooked and we enjoyed a few drinks before crashing.

Hidden Lake (Logan Pass Trailhead) 3 miles round trip, 550 ft. elevation

On our final day we drove West on Going-To-The-Sun-Road and stopped for a short hike along the Continental Divide.

Normally this would have been an easy hike, but after the prior day it was pretty rough.  The sheer beauty insisted we keep going though.

As we approached the lake we were welcomed by this guy.

Yup, glad we did this hike!

Loving us some Glacier and so happy to have our friends to share the experience with!

Janet (Amy’s mom) rolls through to check out the situation in Montana and is determined to get it in.  So in what’s becoming true Sasson fashion, we oblige and plan an eventful week starting with a trip to Glacier National Park.

Lake McDonald

The plan was to enter through West Glacier and drive Going-To-The-Sun-Road across the park where we would set up shop at Cut Bank Primitive Campground south of the St. Mary East Entrance.

The beginning of the drive takes you past Lake McDonald (above) and parallel to McDonald Falls.

From there the road elevates pretty fast and the views are incredible.

Chica was into it…

Nearing the end of the road Janet lobbied for one last pull off for pictures and it was good she did!  We ended up staring at one of the more iconic views in Glacier:

Wild Goose Island on St. Mary Lake

After a gorgeous ride, we arrived at the entrance of Cut Bank Campground and knew we found the right spot to camp out.

We found a money spot and started setting up shop.

Good we got there when we did, July is Glacier’s busiest month and sites fill up by noon – crazy!

We had a fun night camping, ate a breakfast of champions the next morning and decided to drive back through Going-To-The-Sun-Road to get home – did not regret that decision!

After a long ride back we unpacked and were treated to a beautiful site on our porch to wrap up our day.

Little did we know the rainbow was a sign of the surprise to come…

Literally, surprise! Baby Ryder Rayboy came early.  Welcome to the word little lady!

Becoming a grandmother didn’t reduce Janet’s ambitions to get as much Montana as possible so we got her out on Flathead Lake for SUP Boarding.

Jan Jan stayed with us and relaxed for the week, enjoying the beautiful property before flying out to the Rayboy’s.

Good she got rest in cause she’s headed for three weeks of baby world.

Our warm-up hike out to Twin Lakes got us itching for more outdoors action.  Fortunately the nasty weather forecast for the weekend was postponed and we hastily got a plan together for camping and hiking.

Mission Mountain Wilderness (Flathead National Forest)

Glacier Creek Trail #690 presented nice options for a hike the next day and we decided camp at the trailhead for an early morning start.  There wasn’t much information about dispersed camping options along the Kraft Creek Rd (trail access road) so we leaned on our experiences from Colorado and assumed we’d find a spot leading up to the trailhead.

Our instincts were correct and we found a gem on Kraft Creek Rd just past mile marker 3 and set up shop.

The best way to look for an appropriate dispersed camping site is if there’s a fire ring present that’s previously been set up by other campers.  Leave no trace is big in outdoor recreation areas and creating new fire rings is frowned upon.

As you can see this particular spot is a solid find.  So much fun camping in the wilderness!

In the morning we geared up for our hike to Crescent Lake on Glacier Creek Trail which is a solid 3.5 mile climb (one way) that elevates about 1000 ft.

The trail starts with some fun creek crossings.

Yes, I made her go first…

We passed the fork in the trail leading to Glacier Lake and figured we’d hit it on the way back if we felt like it.  On the ascent towards Crescent Lake we caught a gorgeous areal glimpse of Glacier Lake.

We took in the scene and were absolutely going to be stopping by there on the way down.

Countless switchbacks and endless huckleberry fields later, we arrived at Crescent Lake.

Crescent Lake

We plopped down for lunch and did some exploring before heading back down towards Glacier Lake.

Glacier Lake

Even as we were both nearing our threshold for the day, the extra half mile (out and back) to Glacier Lake was worth it.

Local Fun

Living on our hilltop in Big Arm overlooking Flathead Lake provides a ton of outdoor action at our doorstep.  Combine that with the long days (it doesn’t get dark till 10 PM), well, we’ve been taking advantage.

First thing we did was break out the new blow-up paddle boards (SUP boards).

It was perfect on Flathead Lake for our first go.

I also – begrudgingly – accepted Amy’s challenge to bike down to the lake and back.  Biking the 3 miles down to the lake is a breeze.

The way home is pretty rough with around 600 ft of elevation, but gotta keep in shape!

Afternoon walks and drives exploring our “neighborhood” also tend to be eventful.

We had some words with the local cattle.

And found a ranch named specifically for Amy 🙂

For our social fix, we had a night out in Whitefish with pre dinner fun at Whitefish Hand Crafted Spirits.

Followed by a solid meal in Latitude 48’s Red Room where MT native, Dan Dubuque was jamming out.

We are gonna get as much of Montana in these next months as humanly possible.

July represents one year on the road!  A year ago driving half a day to Montana after a cross country flight would have probably been considered a daunting prospect…but for us battle hardened road warriors it was no big deal.

The drive through Washington and Northern ID was gorgeous (especially Coeur d’Alene) and arriving at our new home for the next three months was the absolute pinnacle.  Imagine arriving to this!

That there is Flathead Lake: THE biggest natural body of water west of the Mississippi

Chica was pretty pumped about it too

And yes, we are in the sticks and things like this happen in our front yard.

Flathead National Forest – Jewel Basin (Swan Mountain Range)

Being back in the country had us itching to get out into nature and we decided to hike out to Twin Lakes.  The trailhead kicks off at Camp Misery.  It’s a solid 5 mile round trip hike that elevates about 800 ft.

Geared Up & Ready

The hike up got awesome fast.

Quarter way up and Flathead Valley is magical

Being back in the mountains just felt right.

If you’re wondering, yes hiking all the way to the lakes is worth it!

Being early July, there is still a nice amount of snow at this elevation and we couldn’t find the trail to actually get to the lake.

After looking for a bit we gave up and ate lunch in the snow on top of a mountain.  Life is good.

July 4^th: Visit from the Vincent’s!

In a cool twist of fate, Matt, Jen, and Ewan happened to be a three hour drive away in ID on vacation.  And because they’re awesome, they made the trek to Big Arm to celebrate the 4^th.

Did I mention the property we’re on has a fire pit out front too…

No visit to Flathead Valley is complete without getting onto Flat Head Lake.  So we broke out the water toys (SUP boards and tubes);

the windy day wasn’t deterring us and Matt and I gave it a go.

Pretty sure Ewan had a good time as well.  I know Chica will miss him.

All this in our first week!  Montana’s gonna be fun.