Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • FA L L 2 0 1 8 16 6 NEED SPECIFIC PYRAMID LAKE PHOTO PYRAMID LAKE A popular portal for pack trains headed into the southern interior of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, Pyramid Lake also offers easily accessible high-country fare for hikers. Using a system of old roadbeds, the trail never exceeds a moderate grade as it climbs through second-growth timber and tumbling subalpine meadows with views of the Seeley Lake drainage and the snow- girded Missions beyond. Subalpine trees surround much of the shoreline of Pyramid Lake, but the lake doesn't feel closed in, possibly because Pyramid Peak's exfoliated slopes sit so close. Well-used campsites perch on low rocks on the southwest shore of the lake, which recedes quite dramatically late in the season. e worthwhile tradeoff for late-season hiking is the striking larch display in October—when your hunting-season attire should be as bright as the larch needles. GETTING THERE At the north end of the town of Seeley Lake, turn east off Montana Highway 83 onto Morrell Creek Road (Forest Road 477). Drive 1.1 miles, then bear left onto FR 4353. Continue 5.9 miles, then turn right onto FR 4381. Continue 3 miles to the large trailhead loop (elev. 5240 feet). HOLLAND FALLS Looking for a shorter alternative to the Upper Holland Lake Loop? e popular 3-mile roundtrip hike to Holland Falls suits families or hikers looking for a leg-stretcher after a drive up the Seeley-Swan Valley. Tracing the pine-shaded shoreline of Holland Lake, the trail gains little elevation as it goes past several inlets and bays toward the lake before climbing in earnest through aspen-shaded talus slopes to the waterfall. Holland Falls plunges some 30 miles into a broad basin, where large rocks and storm-felled logs provide picnic perches. A tangle of user-created paths climb the steep walls of the catch-basin, but spray from the falls and loose soil make the going treacherous. Several rock outcroppings afford aerial views of the lake, where one can watch for osprey clawing cutthroat out of the lake's blue depths. GETTING THERE See directions for Upper Holland Lake Loop, page 13. 7

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