New to you.
I prefer to feature recent hikes on this blog, but from time to time I will post hikes that were done before I started blogging in November of 2016. Since I haven’t done anything blog-worthy over the past few weeks, this seems like a good time to tell about the day three friends and I climbed Hollowtop Mountain (10,604 ft.) in the summer of 2014. (Photo Tour)

horsesThis photo was taken several miles north of Three Forks in March of 2018.

Steep, but scenic and pleasant.
Because of its proximity to Butte, Bozeman, and Helena, Hollowtop is a fairly popular destination. It is the highest peak in the Tobacco Roots, stands over 10,000 feet tall, and is #20 on the list of most prominent peaks in the state – all traits that add to its appeal. However, the four of us (all teachers at Helena High) had the place to ourselves as we climbed it on a perfect Wednesday in mid-August of 2014. We left Helena at 6 am, drove 85 miles to the trailhead, and then relied on Peakbagging Montana to guide us to the top. The book, which was written by Cedron Jones, explains how to climb the highest peak in every range in Montana. We took Cedron’s advice, choosing the “west approach” via the South Boulder River Road, which he describes as “the steep but scenic and pleasant west face.” It was definitely “steep” – although the hike is less than 3 miles one-way, the elevation gain is 3,700 feet! It was “scenic and pleasant” too – not a lot of loose scree, very little bush-whacking, and great views. After a nice lunch on the summit, we walked over to the summit of Jefferson (10,513 ft.) before heading down. It was great day-hike with good friends. We arrived back in Helena at 6 pm.

Below: This map marks hikes that have been featured on bigskywalker.com so far – Select full screen to expand, zoom in for more detail, or click on a marker for a link to the post.