Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Bitterroot National Forest, Montana
Winter weather was on its way, but wasn't supposed to arrive for another day. At least that was the local weather forecast when I left the house. Only 30 short minutes later and the weather folks were wrong again for it was snowing lightly at the trailhead. With 2 sets of footprints in the fresh snow I started out. For 2 1/2 miles it was easy sailing, then it started snowing harder. The young couple who belonged to the footprints were turning around and on their way back to the trailhead as I pushed up the valley. Now the fresh snow was closer to 4 inches deep. This is the log I normally use to cross the slower water. Wasn't going to risk a slip into the water today.
Views up canyon should have had lots of craggy ridges, today it was only an image of one.
Up a bit further and even the critter tracks were all gone. It was if I was the first to travel through this winter scape. As often as I am up this canyon, this was one of the funnest trips. If I didn't know where the trail was it would have been easy to lose the route.
Just past the 5 mile mark there is a great side crew where i often get a drink. Enough ice and snow almost covered it. Still got something to drink there. Sure was some brisk water!
Close to 7 miles up canyon the snow and wind really picked up. Powder was 8 to 9 inches deep. Winter was trying to make up for the late start. Hard for me to show how hard it was coming down...this is the best I can do.
When i turned around to head back to the trailhead I was surprised to find that in less than a half mile of walking my tracks were starting to fill in already. With 12+ inches expected tomorrow, all signs of my passing today will be gone. Next time I'm up this way it will be on snowshoes.
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