Mid-winter, 4-mile hike up Bass Creek in the Bitterroot Mountains.
Due to a cold circulating around our household for the past few weeks, it had been quite a bit since the girls and I had gotten a chance to get out in the mountains. I was really missing going for our regular hikes, so I'd been really looking forward to this one as everyone was finally getting well enough at the same time.
We got started in the later afternoon and only had a couple of hours available, so we decided to hit Bass Creek which is close to home. Because this trail is very familiar territory, I knew we would be up to the dam in about 40 minutes or so (if I didn't stop to take too many pictures along the way), giving us time for a nice little break to take in the views before heading back down.
 | Winter is a beautiful time to be in the mountains. I love the crystal clear reflections in the water, only to be disrupted from some ice floating on top in areas. |
| Beautiful views to behold all around. The hard part is leaving, as I always want to stay longer to take it all in. So I capture as much of it as I can in photos. |  |
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. :)
 | This truck was parked near the trailhead. Someone is definitely geared up for being able to go anywhere they want to in the middle of winter here in western Montana! |
