Stuart Peak

Stuart Peak is right here in Missoula. I started up it two years ago when I realized I hadn't brought enough water on a hot, sunny day. I would have been fine, but I had just started hiking my new fur baby, and she was downing all the water. (Who wears a black fur coat in the summer, anyway?) After talking to a friend who ran up it a few weeks ago, I thought I'd give it another try, but not from the typical Rattlesnake Trail Head. I had hiked the Ravine Trail in Grant Creek a good many times, and it hooks into the Rattlesnake Recreation Area, and on a map, it looks quite a bit shorter. So, thinking I would shave a mile or two off, one way, up I went. 

For starters, this is a steeper trail. I already knew that, and didn't mind that part, as long as it was shorter. At about 2.7 miles, it hooks up with Sawmill or Curry Gulch trail....not sure which, as they both go up that way. Then it winds around and back down for a little over a mile, before it hooks up with Spring Gulch, or the Stuart Peak Trail. The problem with this part is that it drops 900 feet in this mile. No biggie going down, but remember, you have to come back up at the end of the day. From start to Peak, that's 9.2 miles of hiking, 18.4 round trip. When you know you only have 4 miles to go to be done, that last uphill climb is suddenly very daunting. I took my sweet time here, as it had been a long day already! Long story short, I did NOT shave off any mileage, but I felt like I got extra points for stupidity!

Where you hit the wilderness and have to leave your
mountain bike behind, if you've ridden up...they're not
allowed.

Stuart Peak getting close. I thought I had one mile left,
but it was two miles to go.

Close up on....what is that giant structure? I don't know.
Thought maybe a giant telescope building? Do we have
one of those in Missoula?

Looking down into Missoula

Little path down to the lakes....I was tempted, but I
didn't want to hike back up.