Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • FA L L 2 0 1 6 16 DAY ONE: HOLLAND LAKE TO UPPER HOLLAND LAKE (6.75 MILES) For this year's trek, we opted to access the wilderness via Flathead National For- est's Holland Lake North trailhead, located approximately 25 miles northwest of the tiny, bustling town of Seeley Lake. Despite the weight of our packs (mine weighed in at just 37 pounds this year), we were rested, fed and energized for our adventure. It is easy to feel invin- cible on the first day of a backpacking excursion. After bordering the northern side of Holland Lake, the trail began to rise from the Swan Valley, offer- ing sweeping views of the forest surrounding the lake's emerald water below, and a vast carpet of green extending to the snowcapped Mission Mountains on the western horizon. We wove on through the valley, Holland Lake Trail repeatedly greeting us with cascading waterfalls, until we reached our day's endpoint at Upper Holland Lake. DAY TWO: UPPER HOLLAND LAKE TO GORDON CREEK (5.9 MILES) After shaking morning rain from our tents, we set out upon the leg of the trip I most anticipated. is was the day we would stand witness to Ptarmigan Peak — the muse that had captivated my attention and drawn me to this area of the wilderness. From the west bank of Upper Holland Lake, we crossed over the Swan Range, finally entering the Bob Marshall Wilderness via Gordon Pass. Suddenly, we were thrust into the daunting grandeur of Ptarmi- gan's presence. Below its sheer rock wall, fed by snow which never fully melts away, the mountain cradled the blue-green waters of Lick Lake. e juxtaposi- tion of an infantile loch being protectively embraced by sharply twisted rock is a true marvel of nature — a scene both commanding and intimate. During our descent into the Lick Creek Valley, we met numerous hikers whose adventures had been F I N D Y OU R A D V E N T U R E • SP I R I T A N D I N S P I R A T I O N • BOB MARSHALL WILDERNESS Ptarmigan Peak IT'S PECULIAR HOW EASILY THE WILDERNESS BEGINS TO SHAPE US ONCE WE REMOVE OURSELVES FROM CIVILIZATION.

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