North Meadow Creek, Tobacco Root Mountains, MT

[grizzled]

This trip was our traditional annual July 4th pilgrimage to North Meadow Creek.  As in some previous posts, this trip was a Jeep trip via Sterling/Swayback Road from Norris, MT and FS Road 965 to Upper Twin Lake.  We completed day hikes, first of which was via FS Trails 6338 & 6338 to Mckelvey, Mine (Alpine), and Cliff Lakes and then onto FS Trails 6339 and 6335 to Kidd Lake.  The second day, we did some off-trial before hitting FS Trail 6340 below Bradley Meadows and then some more off-trail to lady of the Lake-Lake.

At the divide between North Meadow Creek and Hot Springs Creek/Revenue Flats.  Ward Peak in background.

Upper Twin Lake, Friday afternoon.

After getting camp set up, we did a short hike to the upper end of the lake.  Lots of fish in the inlet-most yellowstone cuts.

The rest of the party observed a couple of cow elk with calves in that meadow but I missed them.  Saturday morning we did a 10 mile day hike past McKelvey, Mine, and Cliff Lakes ending in the next drainage to the south at Kidd Lake.  The last several years the weather was either rain or snow, or the place was still buried with the latter.  This year is was perfect.
McKelvey Lake.  Cliff lake sits in the bowl behind it.

A couple shots of Cliff.  Nice cuts there also.

Outlet below Cliff Lake.

Meadow between McKelvey and Cliff Lakes.

To be continued.

Ward Peak at the divide between Mckelvey Lake and Kidd Mountain.

Remains of a mine building in the upper Kidd Lake drainage.

Accessory buildings-----ATV trail goes right by this site.

We departed the FS trail a short distance below those buildings and headed off-trail directly for Kidd Lake.  Found a long abandoned cord wood pile.

Kidd Lake nestled right up against the base of Ward Peak.

The Frisbee Mine cook house on the way back to Upper Twin Lake.

Pond in a meadow below Upper Twin.

Camp at Upper Twin Lake.

To be continued.

Sunday morning, we packed up camp and stashed the gear in the Jeep and then headed up past Bradley Meadows to the un-named lake we are pretty fond of.
Upper Twin, Sunday morning and yes, the weather had changed.

Bradley Meadows.

The un-named lake.

Lots of flora at the lake.

Below the un-named lake.

Bradley Meadows on the way back to Upper Twin.

Upper Twin Lake on the way out.

continued.

And finally, can't have a thread without at least one Jeep shot, even if it's one of the new-fangled variety.
At Upper Twin just before heading home.

On the trail.

And what our friends were driving-not really sold on these.  A lot faster than a Willys flatty perhaps, but tend to get wheels in the air way more often.  The JK was much faster in the rocks.