An Alpine Lake Passage in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness, Montana
Sierra Club Outings Trip | Backpack
Highlights
- Enjoy an abundance of wilderness experiences
- Camp by 6 different alpine lakes
- Hike the famous Continental Divide Trail over 2 days
Includes
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All meals on the trail
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All group equipment (bear canisters, stoves, etc.)
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Easy going leaders, beautiful scenery, and long hikes
Overview
The Trip
The Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness Area is over 150,000 acres of some of the most remote wilderness in the continental U.S. Our trip is an approximately 50 mile passage that includes camping by six alpine lakes, hiking over two iconic passes on the famous Continental Divide Trail (Pintler Pass and Rainbow Pass), and hopefully encountering a plethora of wildlife such as the wild mountain goats.
Hearty food while camping near the star reflected lakes make this trip’s nights especially social and memorable.
Itinerary
Day 1: We will begin our trip by meeting at the trailhead in the late morning and hiking an introductory five miles along a creek that flows from our destination, Johnson Lake. This short day with mild elevation gain (approx. 1,000 ft.) will allow for acclimation, comradery, and immersion into the picturesque Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness.
Day 2: Today we will enjoy one of our most beautiful and strenuous days as our journey takes us a little over seven miles. Today’s encounters include three cirque lakes and the majestic Bitteroot Pass before ending the day’s journey at the remote Kelly Lake
Day 1: We will begin our trip by meeting at the trailhead in the late morning and hiking an introductory five miles along a creek that flows from our destination, Johnson Lake. This short day with mild elevation gain (approx. 1,000 ft.) will allow for acclimation, comradery, and immersion into the picturesque Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness.
Day 2: Today we will enjoy one of our most beautiful and strenuous days as our journey takes us a little over seven miles. Today’s encounters include three cirque lakes and the majestic Bitteroot Pass before ending the day’s journey at the remote Kelly Lake.
Day 3: Today is one of our longest, but most exciting, days as will be crossing the East Fork of the Bitterroot River and then hopping on the famous Continental Divide Trail on our nine mile hike to Oreamos Lake.
Day 4: Our only two-pass day means we will experience some of the most stunning, panoramic views and best opportunities to view mountain goats. Today’s passage continues along the Continental Divide Trail and over Pintler Pass and Rainbow Pass before camping at our destination, Rainbow Lake.
Day 5: Today’s journey takes us past some of our old haunts such as Rainbow Pass, Johnson Lake, and Falls Fork Rock Creek as we head to the northeast section of the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness. Tonight we camp at one of the larger lakes, Edith Lake.
Day 6: Today includes one of our shortest hikes, a mere 4.8 miles. However, this short day include gorgeous views as much of the day is spent hiking along the Hi-Line Trail on Porter Ridge. Our destination is Tamarack Lake (that includes an island) and nearby Glover Basin. This short day and beautiful destination leaves time for exploratory day hikes and refreshing dips.
Day 7: Our last day is our second longest day (approximately eight miles), luckily, we have almost nothing in our packs and it is almost all downhill. This long, but easy day allows for some last minute pictures and reflection and comradery as we get off the trail just in time for lunch.
Logistics
Getting There
The trailhead is located approximately 65 miles from Butte and 101 miles from Missoula, Montana. Bozeman is farther at 140 miles, but it is probably the best airport destination for participants flying to Montana for this outing, as it has more flights. Public transportation to the trailhead is not available.
Specific information and directions about the trailhead and vicinity will be provided to approved trip members. Departure bulletins will be sent prior to meeting in Montana. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to arrive at the meeting place at the specified time
Getting There
The trailhead is located approximately 65 miles from Butte and 101 miles from Missoula, Montana. Bozeman is farther at 140 miles, but it is probably the best airport destination for participants flying to Montana for this outing, as it has more flights. Public transportation to the trailhead is not available.
Specific information and directions about the trailhead and vicinity will be provided to approved trip members. Departure bulletins will be sent prior to meeting in Montana. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to arrive at the meeting place at the specified time.
Accommodations and Food
Your trip includes all meals from lunch on the first day through breakfast on the last day. Bear canisters, stoves, and cooking equipment are provided. All group gear and food will be re-distributed each day.
Given the altitude, almost all dinners will include a soup as a supplement to the main course. Main courses often include chicken and fish based tacos, pastas, and rice dishes. Lunches are on the go and so often consist of tuna, summer sausage, cheese, crackers, peanut butter, and flatbreads. Breakfasts will often include granola, oatmeal, eggs, and breakfast tacos. Coffee, tea, and snacks are included, but connoisseurs should bring their own.
All kitchen duties, including filling water bottles, will be shared by the entire group. Water filter pumps are provided
Trip Difficulty
This trip is rated 4 out 5 as we will be hiking approximately 50 miles and traversing numerous passes. You will need to be in very good physical condition and be able to carry a pack weighing approximately 45 pounds (Your personal gear should weigh no more than 25 pounds and you will be distributed approximately 15-20 pounds of food and group gear). The trail follows creek valleys, lake basins, meadows, and high plateaus while meandering over high passes through a collage of beautiful alpine tundra and rock-bound lakes. The trailhead elevation is 6,200 feet, and we will hike as high as about 9,000 feet. If you do not live in a location at least a mile high, please arrive at least one day early to acclimatize. Steep grade training (stairs, high grade treadmill, steep trails) is a must as is good cardiovascular training.
The weather in the Anaconda-Pintler region can be unpredictable. As with other areas in the northern Rockies, it can snow any month of the year. Brief afternoon thunderstorms are common in the Rocky Mountains and are to be anticipated at the time of our trip. Prolonged rain is possible so all participants should be prepared for periods of wet weather. Daily afternoon temperatures in the 70s and 80s are common in late July and early August, and cool crisp nights -- possibly as low as the 30s -- are to be expected. Late July and early August is one of the most pleasant times to explore this wilderness when overall conditions are enjoyable. The mountains should be in their mid-Summer prime, with water flowing and flowers blooming!
Equipment and Clothing
The Sierra Club provides the commissary gear, food, water purification, bear canisters, and a group first-aid kit. You are responsible for everything else that you want/need. In addition to your personal gear, you will be carrying a share of the group food/gear -- approximately 15 pounds, though your leaders will try to get this down to 12 or 13 pounds each. Please keep the total weight for your personal gear below 25 pounds and make sure your backpack has enough capacity for the bear canister and gear, which will be a little larger than two one-gallon milk jugs. In this region, a good rainsuit -- pants and jacket (not a poncho) -- is essential, as we may encounter several days of rain. Be sure to bring a good supply of dependable insect repellent (DEET). Prior to the trip, the leaders will provide an extensive list of gear to the participants. This list will include items that are essential, such as backpack, tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag rated to 20 degrees or lower, boots, personal first-aid kit, personal medications, and raingear.
References
Books:
- Schneider, Bill and Russ Schneider; Hiking Montana. Published by Falcon Press.
- Arakava, Mort; Hiking the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness.
Maps:
- The Anaconda Pintler Wilderness Map is published and distributed by the U.S. Forest Service through the Beaverhead, Bitterroot and Deerlodge National Forests of Montana, as well as through the U.S. Geological Survey.
- USGS 7.5-minute quadrangle topographic maps; Carpp Ridge, Warren Peak, and Kelly Lake.
All are optional. The leaders will happily share theirs.
Conservation
Sierra Club founder John Muir wrote "if people could be gotten into the woods, even for once, to hear the trees speak for themselves, all difficulties in the way of forest preservation would vanish." Our trip will be in an area "permanently" protected by Congress, the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness, administered by the U.S. Forest Service. Unfortunately, most of the magnificent wild land in the West is not protected and is at great risk from oil and gas exploration, logging, and off-road-vehicles. During this trip, we will have several evening conservation discussions about our nation's wild public lands, which are rapidly disappearing, and the need to protect this nation's magnificent wild lands.
We will also discuss how you can get involved in a way that works for you: writing or calling your representatives, showing others the beauty of our natural places, or becoming politically active. On this trip we'll discuss and practice Leave No Trace (LNT) camping and ethics.
The purpose of these discussions is to encourage you to get involved by urging your delegates in Congress to support the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA) and other public land protection issues. NREPA would protect 18 million acres as Wilderness from just below Yellowstone northeast through Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, an area which encompasses the last great expanse of native biodiversity in the continental United States. The bill's primary objective is to protect the land from fragmentation caused by development and roads, thereby allowing plants and wildlife to migrate between the area's ecosystems in patterns necessary to maintain biodiversity.
In 2014 America celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. The Sierra Club, various other organizations with a wilderness focus, and the four federal wilderness management agencies vigorously planned this celebration. The goal of the effort is to assure that a broader public knows about the concept and benefits of wilderness. Sierra Club Outings is a vital part of the celebrations for wilderness.
While the Act was far in the future when our outings program started, we were already promoting the principle behind it: to forever set aside from human developments certain special places, by civic agreement. This is the basic principle on which the Sierra Club was founded. The wilderness anniversary gives us an opportunity to highlight our organization’s leading role—in publicizing this principle, in passing the 1964 Act, and in achieving more designated wilderness since then.
Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.
Staff
Important Notes
- Carbon Offsets
- Carpooling
- Electronic Billing and Forms
- Electronic Devices
- Equipment
- Essential Eligibility Criteria
- How to Apply for a Trip
- Leader Gratuities
- Medical Issues
- Non-discrimination Statement
- Participant Agreement
- Seller of Travel Disclosure
- Single Supplements
- Terms and Conditions
- Travel Insurance
- Trip Feedback
- Trip Price
- Wilderness Manners