However, I’ve spent more time hiking and snow-shoeing on the sections a little farther north, around Stemple and Flesher Passes.
Once on the ridge, snow conditions changed – But they were still decent. It was all good, but my favorite section was a 5-mile stretch that started six miles into our walk, and ended where we started switch-backing down to Rogers Pass. Fall returns. Lewis & Clark in Montana. . View all posts by bigskywalker.
Change ). I’ve been wanting to snowshoe northward on Continental Divide Trail (CDT) from Rogers Pass to Lewis & Clark Pass and back for quite some time. Map of the CDT between Rogers Pass and Green Mtn. So, this past Wednesday (10/24/18) my daughter (Amy) and I made the 37-mile drive to Flesher Pass, and then hiked the CDT for 13.5 miles to Rogers Pass where my wife (Mardi) picked us up that afternoon (52-mile drive from Helena).
Thanks for sharing! Although the snow was fairly deep in places, the surface was so hard that I didn’t sink in. This was an outstanding article, with great photos and explanation.
as long as I kept moving. From there, our views of the Scapegoat, the Front, and the prairie were outstanding. ( Log Out / To get there turn north onto Alice Creek Road (between Lincoln and Rogers Pass) and follow the gravel road for 11 miles to the trailhead (road is often impassible during winter). More about the return trip in 1806. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I like to have a hot shower and sleep in a real bed after a long hike, so for now I’m content to enjoy small sections of the CDT close to home. Grew up in Harlem (MT), married (Mardi), 4 grown children, retired - taught high school science 37 yrs (Helena High Earth Science 1994-2019), enjoy hiking, peak-bagging, trail-running, snow-shoeing, and kayaking. During the hike we ascended 3,268 ft. and descended 3,817 ft. – with much of the elevation change coming at the beginning and end of the hike (see link to interactive graphic below). Walking on the surface of of hard snow is easy, but when you’re sinking 2-3 feet into the soft stuff, every step is a struggle.
Order Online Tickets Tickets See Availability Directions {{::location.tagLine.value.text}} Sponsored Topics. At the southern end of the Flathead National Forest, Highway 200 winds its way over the continental divide on its way from Missoula to Great Falls.
( Log Out / To learn more about Lewis & Clark Pass, take the photo tour – and be sure to read the captions. There is also a MAP Page, which allows one to see a thumbnail image and the weather data from any of the RWIS sites by clicking on its icon on the map. On their way back, the expedition split up near present-day Missoula. Shows elevation profile – We did it in the opposite direction. Then from there it’s 5 miles of world-class views as you walk within a stone’s throw of the Divide.
Despite the wind, I enjoyed this 12.6-mile out and back walk along the CDT. The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) is one of three long trails that run the length of the USA from south to north. I parked at Rogers Pass, climbed a wall of plowed snow along the north side of the highway, strapped on my snowshoes, and started hiking at 8:30 am. for 2 miles up to that big open area we liked so much. I didn’t quite make it to Lewis & Clark Pass.
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Someone had been on the trail earlier in the week, so the first mile of switch-backs up to the Continental Divide was lightly packed – perfect for snowshoeing.
Starting at Highway 200, follow the trail (long switch-backs!)
Sometimes people ask me if I might ever hike one of them, and my standard response is, “probably not, although I reserve the right to change my mind”. Like a box of chocolates.
Roger's Pass South Web Camera - Lincoln, MT - Web Cameras on Waymarking.com, Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point.
By the time it's reached Roger's Pass it has achieved an elevation of well over a mile.
Rogers Pass Rogers Pass is a mountain pass that rises 5,610 feet above sea level and is located on the Continental Divide in the U.S. state of Montana.The pass is adjacent to Helena National Forest and is traversed by Montana Highway 200, providing the shortest route between the cities of Great Falls and Missoula, Montana. Black Elk Peak: High Point in South Dakota, Peak-Bagging in the Little Rockies: Mission Peak & Indian Peak, Headquarters Pass to Our Lake Traverse west of Choteau, St. Mary Peak and Trapper Peak in the Bitterroots, Sacajawea – High Point in the Bridger Mountains, Nordic Skating on the Mighty Mo near Helena, East & West St. Marys Peaks on the Flathead Reservation, Ice Cave in the Big Snowies south of Lewistown, Floral Park Traverse in Glacier Park: Logan Pass to Lake McDonald, Hike through the Goat Rocks Wilderness in Washington, Crown Mountain on the Rocky Mountain Front, Peakbagging in the Sweetgrass Hills northeast of Shelby. The Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail are the other two. It’s a wind thing. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. or not. The significance of Lewis & Clark Pass is that this is where part of the Corps of Discovery crossed over as they returned from the Pacific in July of 1806.
I did the hike during the summer several years ago, but wasn’t sure I could make it that far on snowshoes – You never know what type of snow conditions you are going to encounter in the high country. As much as I enjoyed the walk, smoke from distant fires limited my views, so I’d been waiting for a chance to do it again. ( Log Out / It was a very windy at times, but we were dressed appropriately, and the views more than made up for it. (Photo Tour), Walk the line . . My blog post from October 2018. What a difference clear skies make! All this data is telemetered to a central location and appears on the appropriate web page in real time.
The single camera here is looking southwest in the Missoula direction. However, nine consecutive days of warm sunny weather took care of the early season snow. The nearest weather station for both precipitation and temperature measurements is ROGERS PASS 9 which is approximately 8 miles away and has an elevation of 4,200 feet (1,430 feet lower than Rogers Pass). A second look. ( Log Out / Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. (Photo Tour). But the Sun was shining and the forecast called for reasonable temperatures, so it was a good day to give it a go. Nez Perce men guided the explorers to the pass, but didn’t venture any farther due to concerns about encountering the Blackfeet. However, a much easier way to access Lewis & Clark Pass is by way of a 1.5-mile hike that starts from Alice Creek Road west of the pass. As one can see in the photo from the web cam, the highway is a bit twisty and turny here.
Zoom out to see the Rogers to Flesher section. ( Log Out / On the Continental Divide Trail. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Earlier this month a storm dumped over a foot of snow on that part of the CDT, so it looked like my Flesher to Rogers hike might have to wait until next summer. on the CDT – Big Sky Walker, Peak-Bagging in the Little Rockies: Mission Peak & Indian Peak, Headquarters Pass to Our Lake Traverse west of Choteau, St. Mary Peak and Trapper Peak in the Bitterroots, Sacajawea – High Point in the Bridger Mountains, Nordic Skating on the Mighty Mo near Helena, East & West St. Marys Peaks on the Flathead Reservation, Ice Cave in the Big Snowies south of Lewistown, Floral Park Traverse in Glacier Park: Logan Pass to Lake McDonald, Hike through the Goat Rocks Wilderness in Washington, Crown Mountain on the Rocky Mountain Front, Peakbagging in the Sweetgrass Hills northeast of Shelby. Photo Tour of our hike from Flesher Pass to Rogers Pass. Below: This map marks hikes that have been featured on bigskywalker.com so far, including several in Glacier Park – Select full screen to expand, zoom in for more detail, or click on a marker for a link to the post. For an extra 3-4 miles, turn right and follow the CDT to the summit of Green Mountain or turn left to climb Red Mountain a couple miles to the north. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The Corps learned of the pass from tribes west of the divide who used it to travel east of the mountains to hunt buffalo. Definitely do the whole Flesher to Rogers section if you can. Unfortunately, the same wind that created these favorable conditions was my constant companion, varying from 10-30 mph throughout the day. This section stays fairly close to the actual Continental Divide as it passes through big open areas that would normally provide outstanding views of the Rocky Mountain Front and the Scapegoat Wilderness.
Below: This map marks hikes that have been featured on bigskywalker.com so far, including several in Glacier Park – Select full screen to expand, zoom in for more detail, or click on a marker for a link to the post. To see my blog, go to bigskywalker.com. ( Log Out / We started at 9 am and finished at 4 pm.
Small bites. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Seven of the RWIS sites are data only and one has a camera only, while the rest have both a camera and data sensors. Hike along the CDT from Flesher Pass to Rogers Pass. To see my blog, go to bigskywalker.com. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. From the main RWIS page one may select the image or the data page for each of the 73 cameras.
This past August I followed the CDT from Flesher Pass to Roger’s Pass for the first time.
( Log Out / The nearest town to this camera is Lincoln, nearly 20 miles to the west.
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*Anaconda Hill would be a good destination for this out and back hike – You will find a good description of this hike (and many others) in 100 Classic Hikes: Montana, a new guide book by Douglas Lorain. Hike as far south as you want, take a break for lunch, walk back to Rogers Pass, drive home, take a hot shower, and sleep in a real bed – My kinda day. Get directions, reviews and information for Rogers Pass in , MT. We did end up walking through about a mile of shallow snow from mile 3.5 to mile 4.5, but not enough that we needed to put our gaiters on. It makes me want to hike the trail. After 6.3 miles of hiking, I reached the summit of Green Mountain – high point on this section of the CDT, and a nice vantage point for admiring the pass. This section of the CDT stays very close to the wind-swept Continental Divide. But, if you can’t make arrangements to be picked up, I recommend an out and back hike from Rogers Pass*.
No wheels?
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Photo Tour of the Rogers Pass to Green Mountain hike. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. McCann Butte and Beyond in Northcentral Montana, Trout Creek Canyon with the HHS Outdoors Club, Rogers Pass to Green Mtn. From Helena, the closest access to the CDT is at MacDonald Pass, only 15 miles west of town.
Map of the Rogers Pass area.
Considering the huge amount of snow that has accumulated in our back yard (Helena), I wasn’t optimistic as I drove to Rogers Pass Sunday morning (3/10/19). I removed my snowshoes for a couple of those barren stretches, but spent much of the day snowshoeing on hard, drifted snow several feet east of the divide.
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Copyright (c) 2020 Groundspeak, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Below are weather averages from 1971 to 2000 according to data gathered from the nearest official weather station. Walking the Line – March 10, 2019. . A section to remember.
Grew up in Harlem (MT), married (Mardi), 4 grown children, retired - taught high school science 37 yrs (Helena High Earth Science 1994-2019), enjoy hiking, peak-bagging, trail-running, snow-shoeing, and kayaking.