Our FIRST HIKING Experience in Montana

There were lots of "bear" food - These are "Snow Berries"
There were BLUE and RED berries as well

Stanton Lake

Little "island"

Mama - at the beginning of hike

At the beginning of our hike - Garvin

Garvin and I made our FIRST MONTANA HIKE - 19 September 2009...Garvin thought that he and I needed to take up HIKING as our new "togetherness" activity...So, we went and bought each of us our first pair of "hiking" boots (we match by-the-way)and bought a book on "Hiking Montana"...

Garvin...went through the book...and choose a hike that was labeled "EASY"....Yeah, right...the first 20 minutes was UP HILL!!!! So, I decided...that the NEXT HIKE, I get to choose....I, also, reminded Garvin that it was probably a "polished" hiker who RATED each trail....We will be better prepared next time...

We met along the path...a HUNTER...with his rifle...He was BEAR HUNTING....It seems it was the 2nd day of BEAR SEASON...He said he only saw a small one...but, not close to the trail...Hmmm....We didn't have pepper spray or a gun on our person...but, decided to venture onward, anyway...

Another...two people we came across...were 2 young men...By, this time...we were stopping and resting...every so many paces....We had read that an experienced...hiker...could make this hike in about 30 minutes...We knew that couldn't be true...in the first 20 minutes of our hike....The boys told us...that it normally took them about 45 minutes...(didn't help our egos much) Oh...by-the-way...both these boys had guns strapped to their legs....Oh...well, we will keep truckn'... I was determined we were going to FINISH the hike....

Also, ran across a young woman hiker...She had her "pepper spray" on her hip...nice and handy and her knife...And...on our way back...we came across a family...also, with pepper spray attached to the back packs....Hey...I had my CAMERA!!!!

The only living thing outside of being human...was I nearly stepped on the tail end of a snake...and one lone squirrel....but, I got Lots of INCREDIBLE pictures of our trail...nature....and the lake....It was WORTH...the near heart-attack...level of our hiking experience....Hope you enjoy the PICTURES of STANTON LAKE TRAIL 146 (all trails are NUMBERED in Montana) - setting is in the Flathead National Park...The only means of getting to the Stanton Lake...is to HIKE IN....ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!!!