Mt. Sacajawea

We have arrived in Bozeman. The entire town evokes a feeling of outdoor living. Camp outfitter stores, food co-ops and a Patazonia clothing store line the main street.

We set up camp in the Crazy Mts. at 6000 feet and had the Bridger Mountain Range as our front door for two days.

On Wednesday we set out for Fairy Lake and the trail head to Mt. Sacajawea. Its peak extended 9680 feet into a clear blue sky. After six days of mostly driving, we were looking forward to being on our feet for a while.

The initial climb was through tree covered hills. This gave way to switchback trails on the rocky saddle between Mt. Sacajawea and Mt. Hard Scrabble. All around us were views to infinity. From the ridge of the saddle we fought strong winds to the upper edge of Sacajawea and up to its peak. Once there, we fought our urge to stay forever. Sweeping views of three mountain ranges surrounded us.

It was 2:30 by the time we began our descent. A short detour heading down brought us just feet from a mountain billy goat. This time we had remembered our camera, and the goat and the views were exposed to a roll.

Looking back at that mountain from ground level left us with the feeling of having conquered the sky.