Excursions to Mount Blackmore
This is the third and final hike I want to highlight. I don’t want to get boring.
The first one I posted about Montana was Storm Castle Peak.
Il secondo che ho pubblicato nel Montana è stato Hiking at Sacajawea Peak.
The trip to Montana left me a lot of emotional impressions and I thought they were personal, but after that I read what Montana is called and it made me realize that it is loved by many, it’s a general feeling.
Montana has several nicknames, none of them official, including “Big Sky Country”, and “The Treasure State”, and slogans that include Land of “the Shining Mountains” and more recently “The Last Best Place”.
Mount Blackmore, located in the Gallatin National Forest, is a beautiful, volcanic peak located just south of Bozeman, Montana.
Located just below the peak is Hyalite Canyon, a hang out for local climbers. Also, located at the base of Mount Blackmore is Hyalite Reservoir.
The are no permits nor fees for climbing Mount Blackmore.
Parking is free and passes are not required.
Length. 20.8 km. Elevation gain. 1,145 m
This 20.8km round-trip trail near Bozeman, Montana.
Generally considered a challenging course, it takes an average of 7h 40min to complete.
This is a popular trail for bird watching, although I didn’t see any birds that day, camping and hiking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during the quieter times of the day.
The first 6.5 km are mostly wooded, about 2 hours of walking.
Unlike the Dolomites, where you often arrive at the foot of the mountain by car or cabin, here you have no alternative, you have to walk a lot before to start seeing the mountains.
The last 4 km of the route opens up with wonderful views. From that moment the hairpin bends that will take you to the summit begin.
I wouldn’t consider this a difficult hike, but a challenging one, 7 hours and half of constant walking you must have good physical preparation.
If you are lucky enough to go in July when the snow melts and the mountains are filled with flowers, the show is guaranteed.
It’s still a busy trail by Montana standards, but to be expected since the trail is only 30 minutes from downtown Bozeman and the views from the top are stunning.
Many decide to camp, alone with their dog or dogs who of course have their own backpacks to carry. Unfortunately I didn’t photograph them, but I can guarantee the dogs had the bags on their backs. It must be considered that there are no mountain huts like in Italy where you can eat, drink and sleep, you have to bring everything with you.
In regards to wildlife conservation or safety, be careful of bears. My friends told me that while hiking the Blackmore Trail, they had found a dead moose along the trail near Blackmore Lake and the next day they read that Grizleys had been sighted in the area and killed moose.
That’s why everyone brings water, food and bear spray with them.
Mount Blackmore is normally climbed in the months of May to September. There is a lot of snow in winter.
One of the things that keeps you on your toes is knowing that Montana has the largest concentration of grizzly bears in the United States, after Alaska.
The second are the fires that can develop during the summer season and are not rare.
Fires is the most feared thing in summer.
My host family smelled the air in the morning, because if there was a fire somewhere they would smell it.
Despite being classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as natural disasters, only 10-15% of fires start naturally. The other 85-90% are caused by human causes, including unguarded campsites and flames born from garbage, cigarette butts and arson.
There are three conditions, natural or due to human action, necessary for the outbreak of a fire: the presence of fuel, oxygen and a heat source.
Firefighters summarize these three elements as a “fire triangle”.
Luckily, I didn’t see any bears or fires during my vacation.
I hope you are as lucky as I am when you decide to visit Montana.
Mount Blackmore is normally climbed in the months of May to September. There is a lot of snow in winter.
to the attention @PattyBlack and @mariacristinafossa - @plavarda
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Ciao Deni buona settimana a te
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