Today's mountain trip was extra exciting when we came across a bear along the way. We got a chance to watch and photograph him for a bit, as he would repeatedly stop and look at us and then meander up away from us some. At one point he was smelling our scent in the air. And when we saw him a second time further up the road, he stood up on his hind legs and looked at us before wandering back into the trees again. 

​We had the overlook to ourselves for about an hour to hang out on the rocks with a beautiful view of the Bass Creek Crags. We had a mix of sunshine and wind. We also enjoyed watching a raven and a turkey vulture soaring above and below at times.

​A partial view of the upper portion of Little St. Joe. You can't quite see the top from this viewpoint, but you can see the snow is melting. We need to take a trek up there again one of these days. It's a steep hike, but the views from the top are definitely worth it! :)

Lots of flowing water this time of year. And lots of green. A perfect combination. :)
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​With a mix of hiking, hanging out at an overlook with views, and seeing a bear...
we had an awesome time on the mountain!

We never know what we might see.
We just get out and go and keep our eyes open for the unexpected.

I'll end this post with a little video clip my daughter took of the bear.
​It's not the steadiest video, but it does show him meandering along. :)

If you enjoyed this post, leave me a comment and a thumbs up.
And be sure to check back for our next mountain adventure.
See you soon! :)

​It was a lovely spring day with a temp of 67 in the valley. But when we got to the trailhead, it was noticeably cooler at 57 degrees with the snow and increased elevation. As we hiked into the canyon, the temperature grew colder, dropping to somewhere in the 40's. We went from spring to winter in just a matter of minutes. But the beauty is there regardless of the weather. And we enjoyed every bit of it. That's Montana! :)
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With less water flowing down the mountain this time of year, the falls are not as large as they are in late spring and early summer, but I still enjoy the cascading water. :)
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Brrrr! The coldness coming off of the water feels like air conditioning.
​It's definitely the wrong time of year for that! Back to the trail to keep moving.

More beautiful views as we traverse through the wonderful open meadows that are created by more avalanche chutes along the way. 
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The views are amazing here! Awesome place for a photography and snack break! :)
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More views as we go through the rock field. I love the large bench and table rocks!
​(If only I could take some of them home with me.)
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Getting closer. We will go between these two mountain slopes to get to the lake which sits just beyond. The backdrop at the other end of the lake is now coming into view.
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As we head through an opening between two ridges that close in together just before the lake, we look over to see that we are passing by what was once far off ahead of us. Almost there! :)

We arrive at our destination and continue hiking around the north side of the lake hoping to find more views and less wind than at the east end. And we did. :)

When we hiked into here last year, we didn't have time to hike around the lake, so this is our first time of going beyond the east end of the lake. Part of the hike around Bass Lake seemed kind of similar to hiking around Big Creek Lake. ​Both are very beautiful! 
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How long does it take to hike around a mountain lake?
​That largely depends on how many pictures you take!! LOL! :)

Although still a little breezy, we chose a spot down by the lake to hang out for a bit and enjoy a little campfire along the rocky shore.
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​I love watching the sparkles dance on the water while I soak in a little sunshine!

This solitary goose was our only company at the lake.
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Almost forgot to get a group photo. Took a quick snapshot as we were leaving the lake. Not the best of lighting here, but it will have to do for this time. Gotta get going. :)
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One last look back at the lake as we are leaving. I can picture my son skiing on the slopes when there is more snow on them. As his mom, I always wish him to "be safe and have fun" when he heads out. As for us, it's now time to get back before dark. :)

Back on the trail again to retrace our earlier footsteps. We never came across anyone else coming in or going out, so we enjoyed having the trail and lake completely to ourselves for the day. I love the solitude of being in the mountains by ourselves! :)
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Looking back down a portion of Bass Creek Canyon. A whole lot of awesomeness!
(We'll be hiking back through those trees shortly.)
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Nature's bench with a view. Love it!! Tell me again why we need to go back? ;)
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Okay... since we must get back, I'll try to take less pics and keep moving.
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Gotta take a little time to hang out in the meadows on the way back, too.
Soooo peaceful and relaxing with beauty in every direction! :)
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I took this photo of the aspens as we were almost back to Pinball Wizard, with about 5 miles left to go. From there I don't have any more pictures to share of this hike on our way back, as I've already taken plenty of photos of the lower portion in many of my shorter day hikes. So I'll end my post with one more photograph of the lake. :)

Everyone did great, and we had a lot of fun!
I'm looking forward to our next rock climbing adventure! :)

Mid-winter, 4-mile hike up Bass Creek in the Bitterroot Mountains.
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The temp was a bit brisk, but overall not too bad. It felt great to be out hiking again, and as always, amazing to be in the mountains I so love. What a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours on a weekend afternoon. :)
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It was a beautiful spring day with sunshine and blue skies for a nice 7-mile afternoon hike up Bass Creek the other day. Spring brings extra waterfalls spilling down the sides of the canyon walls. The sound of the water seemed especially refreshing while hiking in the hot sun. As always, we enjoyed the lovely views while getting a bit of exercise in the wonderful outdoors. :)