Continental Divide Exploring

Continental Divide Exploring

While visiting at a family cabin near West Yellowstone, I took the chance to explore a bit on a trail I had hiked briefly back in 2007ish. The Sawtell Peak Trail in the Bitterroot Range / Centennial Mountains does not go to Sawtell Peak. Rather, it meanders west of it for a while right along the continental divide. This divide also serves as the Montana-Idaho border, so step on one side of the ridge line and you’re in Idaho, step on the other and you’re in Montana. Very cool. I hiked it a bit with the Mrs., plus our bro- and sis-in-law Gregg and Rachael. When we hit the ridge that goes west up to Jefferson Peak, I convinced them to leave the trail (which goes to the basin and a small lake just NE of the peak) to try and bag it. We didn’t make it far, but it was a fun adventure. On the way back I wanted to hit Browers Spring, the contested headwaters of the Missouri River, which is just about 1/4 mile off the trial, but we didn’t have time for that either. Next time…

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Looking north up the contintental divide as it branches off the trail. Down the basin to the right (SW) is the Missouri River headwaters.
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Looking northeast-ish, Henry’s Lake in the distance
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Looking West up the Mt. Jefferson ridge

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