| This time was different. Previous years I had | | | | scrambling the steep path, to my surprise I found |
| settled into a tent near the car at the viewpoint | | | | myself working through a high mountain meadow |
| below Richmond Peak, a timbered ridge to the | | | | area apparently home to a band of mountain |
| north and east of Seeley Lake, Montana. Time | | | | sheep. My heart beat faster as I realized that this |
| and again I had enjoyed the awesome view of | | | | high meadow was tucked in directly below one of |
| the mighty wall of mountain ridge that rose up | | | | the summit cliffs outcroppings. Given the climb to |
| from the canyon below me, towering over all | | | | that point, like my heart could beat much faster. |
| surroundings - the majestic Montana peak of | | | | Another 20 minutes of scrambling, and at last, the |
| Sunday Mountain. From the Richmond Peak | | | | summit ridge for Sunday Mountain was conquered. |
| vantage point the face of the peak, made up of | | | | The view stretched before me down and back |
| bare slide zones, with a few ridges of trees and | | | | into Montana's Bob Marshall Wilderness Area. To |
| brush, appeared to rise almost straight up from | | | | get to the Sunday Mountain summit called for |
| the valley floor below. It was not a mountain wall | | | | another half hour of scrambling, following the ridge |
| that I would expect to yield a trail, a bit of a | | | | up and up until I could go no further, the highest |
| cliffhanger path that would lead to the summit. | | | | point on the mountain ridge. |
| Awakening that Saturday morning in August | | | | What a sense of triumph! In all directions the |
| though, again at the Richmond Peak viewpoint, | | | | ground dropped below me, to the east off into |
| after a quick breakfast, I threw my pack on my | | | | the vastness of the Bob Marshall Wilderness with |
| back. I then hit the trail up the side of Richmond | | | | a large expanse of Grizzly Basin directly below. To |
| Peak across the canyon from Sunday Mountain. | | | | the west from this birds eye view, the steep |
| On a previous hike in the area I had found an | | | | drop off I had just come up opened out on an |
| unmarked trail that departed the mapped trail | | | | expansive view of the Swan Valley with the |
| abandoned logging road leading up the side of | | | | Mission Mountain Range lining the western horizon. |
| Richmond Peak. The unmarked trail crossed the | | | | Below me, drifting lazily on the breezes, an eagle |
| saddle where the canyon rose to meet the ridge, | | | | circled looking for it's afternoon snack. To the |
| and appeared to connect with the Sunday | | | | east from my perch at the top of my world, 2 |
| Mountain face, and then head upwards - at a | | | | or 3 snowbanks in the draws below me |
| sharp incline. I wasn't certain where the trail would | | | | persistently held out for upcoming fall and winter |
| lead, but it sure gave the appearance of providing | | | | reinforcements. |
| a possible access route to the top of Sunday | | | | An absolutely spectacular find on the Swan Range. |
| Mountain. | | | | From that wonderful vantage point other primary |
| With clear blue skies of an incredible Montana | | | | access jumping off routes for the Bob Marshall |
| August day, the climb ahead would still be a cool | | | | Wilderness were visible up and down the Swan |
| one as the sun of the day was to the east | | | | Range. To the north Holland Lake marked the trail |
| behind the Sunday Mountain ridge. No question | | | | system from there, and south Pyramid Peak |
| about it, this was also bear country - Grizzly bear | | | | marked the access routes over Pyramid Pass. |
| country. The initial distance on this unmarked trail | | | | The area - such a wonder, and now I knew there |
| led off through dense, overgrown brush as it led | | | | was another route into the Bob. Truth be known, |
| across the saddle. What better place for them to | | | | even though the climb was, well...., a climb, it really |
| be hanging out than in the dense brush I was | | | | didn't take as long to make it to the Bob Marshall |
| working my way through. | | | | boundary as taking the other two primary routes. |
| Such a huge relief to make it past the dense | | | | Regardless, it was still a physically challenging |
| brush, with no bear tales to write home about. | | | | journey that would lead to a host of aches and |
| Out into the open I was on the lower flanks of | | | | pains in this 50 something Montana explorer. It |
| this mountain I had dreamt of tackling for years. | | | | was certainly great to know that there was a |
| As noted, the trail immediately took a sharp turn, | | | | cozy, comfortable base-camp set up in place with |
| upward in a steep climb. Then, veering off to the | | | | a hot shower when the hammering up the face |
| north across the face, a slightly leveler trek | | | | and back was accomplished. Either direction from |
| ensued as it angled upward across the face | | | | this incredible corner of Montana there were |
| through wonderful fields of bear-grass mixed with | | | | whole sets of quality motel accommodations with |
| a myriad of flowers in a rainbow of colors. It was | | | | soft beds, hot showers or even a Jacuzzi to soak |
| almost beyond belief - trekking through chest high | | | | the tired muscles. Perfect base-camp lodgings |
| fields of flowers on the trail to Sunday Mountain. | | | | were available either locally in the Seeley - Swan |
| The trail led across 2 or 3 avalanche draws filled | | | | Valley, at the northern end in the Kalispell and |
| with bear-grass, then doubled back, requiring | | | | Columbia Falls area, or at the southern end in the |
| scrambling up rock ledges, and again leading off | | | | Missoula area The crowning touches to a truly |
| across the draws. With another hour of | | | | stellar Montana mountain adventure. |