The Scapegoat Mountain
adventure travel trip
is High Country Adventure! Bring your sense of adventure, bring
your camera but leave your cares and worries at home when you join us on the
Scapegoat Mountain wilderness travel trip. This is a 9 day roving camp where we travel into high
country, crossing the continental divide twice and exploring the magnificent
Scapegoat Mountain. Your eye and camera will encounter spectacular mountain
vistas, shear waterfalls, a color array of wild flowers and high country
wildlife (elk, mountain goat, deer, etc.).Day
1 - Pack and Ride
We leave the trail head at Indian Meadows for a horseback trail ride through the lakes
country to our first camp at Meadow Creek. We will ride past Heart, Webb, Parker
and Meadow lakes where there is a good chance to view moose in their natural
habitat. Lunch will be at the Ranger station on picturesque Webb lake. By
night-fall you'll have 14 miles in the saddle.
Day 2 -
Ride the Burn
Today is an easy 8 mile horseback ride to Camp creek camp. You will see nature at work
on the regrowth of the 1988 wildfire area. This special ecology provides
nutrients and regrowth which supports an increasing elk population - keep your
camera ready for a chance at encountering that big bull.
Day 3 - Layover
We will layover a day at Camp Creek and use it as a base for a short side
trip to the picturesque North Fork Falls. The falls are on the beautiful
Blackfoot River and have a magnificent set of shear drops. Enjoy lunch to the
relaxing sound of the rushing water and for the hearty, the feel of cool
mountain stream water on your feet. This is a relaxing day in preparation for
the climb into high mountain country the next couple of days.
Day 4 - Off
Trail Adventure
Today will be an adventure - the ultimate wilderness travel! As the mountain men forged their way through the
mountains using only their sense of direction, so we will travel cross country
using no trails. We will be climbing 2500 feet into high country on our way to
camp at the old Carmichael ranger outpost. We will ride past a spectacular
ridged rock formation known as Devils Staircase. After going over the top, we
will drop down into Cooney Creek where we may find wild strawberries (season
dependent) and again be ready for encounters with elk. You will be ready for a
good nights sleep in our camp on Cooney Creek.
Day 5 - High Ride
Get ready for a good day of horseback riding - following switchbacks in the high country as we
follow Tobacco Valley to Dobrota Creek climbing from the valley floor over the
continental divide. Lunch on the divide will give us our first look at Scapegoat
Mountain and provide spectacular close-ups of glaciers and the glacier lilies
blooming as winter snow relinquishes its' icy grip. We will ride down to the
base of Scapegoat to our camp at Half Moon Park. Your camera will be busy today
with spectacular scenery and a good chance for seeing mountain goats on
Scapegoat mountain.
Day 6 - Explore Scapegoat
This is a layover day providing an opportunity to explore Scapegoat
mountain. We will visit beautiful Spring Falls as we climb (horse) higher up the
mountain. A spectacular view from high on the mountain will enhance our lunch.
After lunch we climb on foot to the level of your comfort - for the hearty we
will climb to the top (9200 feet) for an unparalleled mountain vista. Again your
cameras will be busy - be ready for views of mountain goats. If you up to it,
sunrise from Half Moon Park will provide a view which is almost reverent.
Day
7 - Saddle Up and Ride
After our foot work yesterday, we are ready for a nice 10 mile horseback ride down
Welcome Creek to Dearborn River. We will be ready for a good nights rest, roll
out the 'ole bed roll and kick back for some cowboy stew.
Day 8 - Ride High
We continue our horseback ride down Dearborn River past Whitetail Creek and climb into
high country over the continental divide again, this time using Black Tail Pass.
Get your cameras again as we enjoy lunch and some more spectacular scenery. We
will camp early where you can relax overlooking the horses grazing in the meadow
below camp, reflecting the past weeks adventures, all the wilderness travel and preparing for your return
to civilization.
Day 9 - Trailhead
We take our final horseback trail ride, down the Chaps Gap trail, past Heart lake and back
to Indian Meadows trailhead. We will have a renewed spirit and strong memories
as we trade our saddles for a seat in a vehicle. What an adventure holiday -
wilderness travel, sights and sounds that re-enforce the memory of a wonderful
adventure travel trip!!
There will be images etched in your memory forever,
along
with a new appreciation for the environment and its' wildlife.
Thank you for joining us in this adventure travel to
this wondrous high country
environment!
