Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • W I N T E R 2 0 1 6 16 HERE ARE FOUR SNOWSHOE TREKS THAT INTRODUCE WINTER ADVENTURERS TO THE CABINET MOUNTAINS. Tucked in a moisture-trapping creek drainage high above the Bull River valley on the east side of the Scotchman Peaks, the ROSS CREEK CEDARS SCENIC AREA shelters some truly astonishing tree specimens. A 0.9-mile interpretive trail winds around and under some of Montana's largest, oldest trees. In the winter, snowshoe the three-mile access road to access the cathedral-quiet grove. Stand in awe of snow-covered cedars that attained old-growth status well before Columbus spied the Americas. A viewpoint halfway up the road caps continuous climbing with views of Snow- shoe and A Peaks and the Ibex Creek drainage of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness. DIRECTIONS: From Troy, Montana., drive east 2 miles on Highway 2. Turn right on Highway 56, and drive 18 miles to Ross Creek Road (FS Road 398). Turn right and drive 1 mile to the winter parking area. When it was constructed a century ago, OLD HIGHWAY 2 was considered to be the most spectacular piece of auto road construction in the western United States. Linking Glacier National Park with northwest Montana, the narrow, winding highway stayed high above the Kootenai River, where work crews had blasted it out of the talus slopes of the Cabinets. Today, a modern high- way zips cars along the banks of the Kootenai, but travelers interested in a slower pace — and a slice of history — will find much to enjoy on the old highway, now a non-motorized trail. Several trailheads access the old high- way; from its west end closest to Troy, the old highway passes the trail to William Grambauer Mountain — a short, steep spur trail to shallow Shannon Lake 0.2 mile from the west trailhead is best left for the summer — before ascend- ing a slight hump and then descending to the "new" Highway 2 2.3 miles later. Snowshoers not keen on a 4.6-mile trip can trek to the halfway point for a bird's-eye view of Kootenai Falls. Marvel at the powerful cascades far below; close at hand, admire the engineering work — and sheer brute force — required to blast this road out of the bedrock. DIRECTIONS: From Troy, drive east 2 miles on Highway 2. Turn right on Highway 56 and drive 1.7 miles to Shannon Lake Road. Turn left and drive 1.5 miles to the road's end and trailhead. 1 Family-friendly snowshoeing abounds on the Cabinet Mountains' shorter trails and forest roads. Take an ultralight flight over the Cabinet Mountains: www.distinctlymontana.com/cabinet161 DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL 2

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