Recently, I heard someone compare Montana to an origami crane, a place filled with interesting corners. Here's another spot Mike and I explored for the first time.~
Mountain Lakes and Mysteries
Over Labor Day weekend Mike and I went on a two night backpacking trip to Cedar Lake. We had both wondered about this area for years and finally carved out some time to make the 12 mile trek to the lake.
We studied the map and did a Google Earth search of the area, but a regular web search revealed no first-hand accounts of a trip to Cedar Lake. Could this mean it wasn't a great place to go? Perhaps lack of info means few people go there? Like our No Man Lake trip a few years prior, this would be another Madison Range mystery for us to solve.
Hitting the Trail
The trail to Cedar Lake begins along a nice creek with striking rock outcroppings and some cool, mossy terrain. We saw two parties on horseback from the nearby Diamond J Ranch and these were the only people we would see all weekend.
The terrain soon opened and we undulated along the wide, open landscape Fan Mountain loomed on one end of the horizon and Lone Peak loomed in the other. From here, you could see the Big Sky tram, the North Summit Snowfield, and a huge west-facing bowl that will never see as ski lift as it sits in the wilderness area. It was a great view of a familiar landmark.
After reveling in the open terrain, we entered a non-descript, weedy forest. Here we meandered without inspiration for a few miles, before we caught our first view of the cirque near Cedar Mountain. As the trail took us higher, the huge rock walls of Cedar Mountain came into view.
Soon, we arrived at the cirque where the stunning Cedar Falls tumbled down the mountainside. The waterfall is marked on the map, but we weren't sure what we would find. Sometimes it seems as if features marked as waterfalls are nothing more than a wimpy little cascade but this was the real deal. Cedar Falls begins with a big plunge followed by several cascades before a final plunge that peters out into a creek. This is definitely bigger than any of the waterfalls in Hyalite Canyon and perhaps one of the bigger falls in Montana outside of Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks.
About 1,000 feet and one mile above us sat Cedar Lake. We decided to camp down low and head for Cedar Lake in the morning. The only people we had seen were the horse parties early on so we had the massive basin to ourselves.
Heading to the High Country
In the morning we headed up the cirque not sure what we would find. From our camp spot, we could not see a trail and we wondered about possible routes up the steep face.
Our journey started with a creek crossing before we navigated some bigger rocks and steep, grassy terrain. As luck would have it, we soon stumbled across an actual trail.
The trail switchbacked up the mountainside. Along the way we came across a rock that had names and dates carved into it. We had heard that there had been some mining activity in the area and we came across some old remnants at a camp spot below the cirque so so perhaps these were carvings from the people who worked in the area.
Upwards we went. Loose gravel and some skittery rocks. Huge steps over some big rocks - almost down on all fours. But the hard part was soon over and we found ourselves at Cedar Lake. The rock walls of this beast of a mountain continued to rise 1,200 feet above us. (We couldn't see these walls from the cirque.) Spectacular!
It is always inspiring to be high up in the mountains and the long ridgeline of Cedar Mountain wrapped around. Temperatures were pleasant and the wind was still. Cerulean skies, stunning blue-green water, no one but us. Magical.
Mike and I explored the flat area around the lake and came across a damn and an abandoned headgate dated 1981 - this date corresponded to one of the dates on the carved rock. Other relics from days gone by included metal scraps and a wheeled contraption held together by piece of wood. A wheelbarrow sat tipped to the side, its last load hauled long ago. Lots of stones were moved into rows and piles, and a channel was built into the lake outlet.
It is always interesting to come across relics like these. From previous trip, we were aware that there had been mining activity in the area but was there an actual mine at Cedar Lake? What was the damn built for? How long did this activity last? Who were these people and how did they stumble upon Cedar Lake? So many questions, so few answers. Scenes like this always leave a lot to the imagination.
After lingering for about a hour, we headed down. For me, it was a bit daunting to the descend the loose rocks and exposed terrain, but I made it unscathed. The trip to Cedar Lake was worth it.
After lounging on a big rock, Mike and I moved our camp several miles down the trail to a spot near Shadow Lake. We awoke to a cool morning and made the quick hike back to the car before the rains came.
Another amazing trip.
~
More Mountain Wanders
Thanks for the detailed description! This is the only place we really found one. We're gonna go for it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for checking out my blog Lisa. Have a great trip!
ReplyDeleteThanks! We can't find the road to it! Did you have to drive through private land?
ReplyDeleteI think you may need to drive through private land but I don't remember there being a problem. If I'm remembering correctly, it's 12 miles to the lake. I think it is longer than it should be because you have to go around some private land.
ReplyDeleteDid you start at Jack creek?
ReplyDeleteYes, we did.
Delete