I wasn’t in Montana long enough to adjust to the time zone, so I got up early on my last day to catch a hike before I flew home. I am not normally a hiker, but when the trails are right there, a person doesn’t have a choice. I even packed hiking boots.
The Drinking Horse Mountain Trail, built in 2001, is a 2.5-mile hike with 700 feet of elevation. The internet described it as “Easy to Moderate” and “Good for Children”. I figured I chill 90-minute loop would be the best way to wrap my time out west.
Getting places before sunrise is easy when you’re surrounded by mountains.
Even though the trail was a loop, I took a picture of the map just in case. I didn’t need it, but it gave me something to pretend to look at while I was catching my breath.
As I worked my way up the trail, there were plenty of benches to grab photos (and gasp for air. so much gasping). The sun slowly worked it’s way up the valley as I went along. You can see it getting brighter in these photos.
At the top, with the sun over head, you could see everything. It was awesome.
I was gassed. “At least the rest of it is downhill”, I said.
There were a couple of places where you could see a small path off of main trail, where maybe people were adding small spurs to get to photo ops. This one was obviously a path to that treacherous-looking rock formation on the left. The park added the barrier to give folks an extra minute to consider their common sense, I suppose. I didn’t need the extra time.
It is difficult to describe just how steep these switchbacks were. I hope this photo does it justice. There weren’t many on the way down, but it was like this the whole way up. “Easy to Moderate” my ass.
The descent was otherwise a delight. I can’t help but reiterate what a beautiful part of the country this is. Back at the bottom of the trail, having survived the experience, I took a minute to enjoy some of scenes.
I didn’t notice this sign on the way in. It all worked out, though.
And with the hiking done, I rolled out to the airport and home.
The Bozeman airport is really something. I’d go so far as to call it “pleasant”. They really lean into the dinosaur fossils here, but I didn’t have time to get to the big museum with the skeletons. Next time.
