~*~ Hornet Lookout ~*~

“The pot at the end of the rainbow”

Miles: 2!

By the time we tore ourselves out of bed on Friday morning, we were just happy to have nothing to do. Actually, this might be the one morning that I woke up, had coffee, and laid right back down on the couch to take a nap with Brad. After all, we had sufficiently exhausted ourselves yesterday and there was no need to over exert ourselves this morning. Our plans for the night were to head up the North Fork Road almost the entire way to Canada. Brad had made reservations at a really great spot called Hornet Lookout, a historic fire lookout built in 1922 in Flathead National Forest.

We headed out around 3:30pm and decided to stop in Columbia Falls to have dinner at the Back Room of the Nite Owl Restaurant. They have the most amazing BBQ ribs!!! <drool> I had ribs with baked beans, cole slaw and fry-bread. If you have never experienced fry-bread…you need to do so immediately. It is sweet and rich and delicious! Brad had BBQ Beef Brisket with a side salad and fry-bread. I think he said something about taking my fry-bread but no way in hell was that going to happen. Of course I washed it all down with Moose Drool from Big Sky Brewing. Since it was 4:30pm when we arrived at the restaurant, we were just a little bit younger than the majority of the clientele at that time. In fact, I would say that we were easily less than half the age of most of them – we single-handedly brought down the median age by a whole hell of a lot. Dinner was absolutely delicious, and we left with some leftovers to be able to enjoy later in the evening.

By 5:30pm we were back on the road. From Columbia Falls, you only have “civilization” for a few more miles before hitting the North Fork Road which basically runs alongside the Flathead River. It turns to dirt and gravel at that point and although we only had to drive 45 miles, there is no speeding on a road like that! It was a long, loud and bumpy ride for those miles, I tell ya. No sense in trying to play the iPod in a docking station when it just bounces right out with every pot hole. Although it was a fairly long ride, it was a beautiful one. We passed quite a few people that were paddling in the river and almost the entire ride is lined with the mountains of Glacier National Park. I don’t think there will ever be a time that I will get used to that view. We passed through Polebridge where Brad had promised me we would stop on our way back through. Not that there is anything there but the Mercantile, but from what I understand, that’s enough!

We turned on Whale Creek Road and followed that for about 4 miles before turning towards Hornet Lookout. The next 5.2 miles to the trail head were on yet another narrow and hair pinned forest road. This is another thing that I will never get used to…driving on something that in my opinion, should barely be driven on. Brad put it in perspective when he mentioned how logger’s drive on these mountain roads. Logging trucks! On these roads! Heck…we were safe and sound in the Jeepasaurus but I can not imagine barreling down this road in a logging truck. No thanks. The view is great and all but that would be like riding a mule down the Grand Canyon – it just ain’t happening.

It was about 7:00pm by the time we finally reached the trailhead. All we had to do was throw on our boots and we were set to go. Thankfully it’s only a mile hike to the lookout. I was excited to see it because I’ve been looking forward to this trip for probably 3 months now. It’s not every day that you are able to spend a secluded night on a mountain top with 360* views, a shelter and know with absolute certainty that you are going to have the place to yourselves. Fire towers in the East are just that, towers. I suppose if you were feeling ambitious or daring you could sleep in one, 100 feet above the ground on a rickety structure with wind whipping and rocking the place like no tomorrow. Me? I’d rather be in something that is built firmly on the ground while still being able to capture the beauty of the surrounding landscape.

By 7:15pm, we were on our way. Brad took off like a shot up the hill. Yes, there are switchbacks. But switchbacks don’t necessarily mean that it is going to be easy going. I’m not good at hiking uphill fast right off the bat and within two minutes, I was sucking wind and my legs were screaming. I guess I should have stretched…or left 10 minutes before him. I never did catch my breath. As we climbed, dark clouds in the West threatened to open up on us and empty their contents all over the place. I was just hoping that the rain would hold off until we made it to the lookout. When we finally reached what should be the ridge, you still couldn’t see the lookout anywhere…huh…wonder where it is. As we ascended, I heard loud claps of thunder and then a voice yelling “yeehaw!” At first I thought it was a joyous shout for the thunder but soon realized Brad had finally caught a glimpse of our home for the night.

As I approached, I fell in love with the place immediately. This small little structure, maybe 12x12 total sat by itself seemingly on the edge of this beautiful mountain. It was all boarded up and while Brad opened the combination lock on the door (it comes with your reservation confirmation), I took a couple of pictures. It was slightly ominous as the dark clouds had continued to roll in and were taking over the view we had to the north and the west. I could see the rain falling in the distance. Immediately after getting into the shelter, we went to work opening the wooden shutters on the outside, propping them carefully up and securing them so we could enjoy the 360* view from the confines of the shelter. Not a moment too soon because within minutes, the skies opened up and the rain came down.

The inside of Hornet Lookout is quaint and cozy and comfortable. There are two cots available and enough floor space for 3-4 people if you are friendly with those people. There is a table, chairs, a Coleman stove with plenty of propane, a couple of propane and gas powered lanterns, a woodstove for cooking, utensils, frying pans, a pot, board games, cards, dice and what seemed like everything you could possibly need to survive a night in the wilderness. If we had known more about what was going to be available, we would have packed more accordingly. As it was, we brought only cold items to eat thinking it would be more hassle than anything else to have to cook for only one night. Plus, dinner at the Back Room had done a decent job of filling us up. However, it would have been nice to bring some pancake mix and fresh huckleberries for the morning. And maybe, just maybe, some coffee for the addicted.

There is a loft in the lookout that you can get to if you know how to, or are smart enough to figure out how to, use the ladder. Fortunately I was enjoying this little spot with quite possibly the smartest man that I know so it wasn’t an issue in the long run. He managed to get that ladder squared away without too much trouble. In the loft, directly in the center of the room there is a table that holds an alidade, (an instrument consisting of a map mounted on a round rule marked off in degrees) used in mapping.

As soon as the rainstorm blew through, our view to the South was obscured by deep dark clouds. I looked out the window and saw the start of a rainbow…a beautiful, bright and vibrant rainbow. Within minutes, it was a double rainbow and you could clearly make out every color and every inch of both arcs. It was truly the most amazing sight of a rainbow I have ever seen in my life. It looked like a gateway to some kind of enchanted land…and as I hurried outside for a better view, I smiled. In my sights I had this quaint little shelter standing against a dark sky brightened only by two colorful arcs of light. In the window of the lookout, I could see Brad fiddling around and checking things out. I smiled not only for the view but for the realization that I was looking at everything I could possibly need or want in life. It was enough to make my heart ache a little…not wanting any of it to end.

Brad came out and joined me for the view. We had a good laugh at the fact that the rainbow seemed to end right in front of us. As a matter of fact, that rainbow went immediately behind the privy. I always thought there was some truth to the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow…but just a pot at the end of the rainbow…that was something else entirely.

We spent the evening reading the register that so many people before us had signed – there were some funny stories dating back almost 5 years. More than a handful of people had also made the trek in the winter, which is much more difficult considering you aren’t able to access the trailhead from the road at that point. You would have at least a 6 mile hike, assuming that you could get your car down Whale Creek Road to the Hornet Lookout turnoff. It would be an amazing place to stay in the dead of winter – though I can’t imagine it being any more serene and silent than it was at this time of year.

The weather eventually cleared up in every direction so we were able to see forever. To the Northeast, we had views all the way into British Columbia, Canada – not much of a stretch considering we are only about 10 miles from the border itself. By using the alidade in the loft, we were able to really get a bearing on our location…it also helped to realize that Kintla Lake is what we were staring at! We didn’t have a heck of a lot of time for views in the evening as the sun was beginning to set. The air had chilled quite significantly so we turned on the lanterns, put on some warmer clothes and curled up on one of the cots to watch the sun go down. Was it romantic? Absolutely…until we started mouthing off and being sarcastic…which is par for the course where we are concerned. It is beyond dark here…you can not see any lights anywhere. Brad even remembered to bring a star gazing map so that we could check out the constellations. We attempted it for awhile after noting the Big Dipper, but it was really chilly outside and we were both too tired to stay up later until the stars would really be out in force.

Before going to sleep, we had a little snack of summer sausage, cheese and crackers…and more trail mix…that damn trail mix will never go away! We also tested out some of the theories presented in the shelter register and were happy to discover that they tested positively! I didn’t have warm pants to sleep in and I had a summer sleeping bag so I did warn Brad before I turned in for the night that it would be very likely at some point in the evening I would end up crawling onto his cot for warmth. Twin cots are probably not meant for two people to sleep in but if I get cold, all bets are off. We both fell asleep pretty quickly to the sounds of absolute silence.

I didn’t sleep all that well through the night ~ I was a little bit chilled here and there. Blue skies were surrounding us in the morning – what a fantastic day it promised to be! The clouds hanging low in the valleys below looked like masses of snowfields sitting under the mountains. Kintla Lake had disappeared under the cover of the big white blankets and all around, the mountains peaked out about them. There was a thin layer of frost on the grass so I’m sure the temperatures dipped down pretty low last night. I was a little surprise at the lack of wind on the mountain…we were exposed and I was sure it would be blowing at least minimally, if not in full force. Alas, it was peaceful and quiet and serene.

We had made scones a couple of days ago when in Kalispell and brought them, along with a little jar of Huckleberry Jam, to feast on in the morning. I had also discovered an interesting food item at the local outfitter that I had to try. Hillside Coffee has a line of self-heating beverages (and soups)! I had gotten a Mocha Latte (normally I am not a foo-foo latte drinker, but it sounded pretty dang good at the time…kind of hot cocoa with a kick). Anyway, they are single 10 ounce services (retailed around $3.50). The instructions are easy to follow – you pull the tab off the bottom of the can and turn it upside down to mix the quicklime and water. In 6 minutes (or thereabouts) you have a nice hot cup of mocha latte! Yummy! Supposedly it will stay hot for 45 minutes, but I didn’t test that theory…I just drank it. My final thought on the coffee is that it tastes good, does what it says it’s going to do, but its way too pricey and heavy for normal backpacking trips. I’ll stick with my Folger’s singles, thank you very much. For this kind of quick hike in, it was perfect and tasty and a cinch to prepare (one step and self-contained). Added bonus is that the cans are recyclable.

We sat on the front steps, enjoying the warmth of the sun, scones and coffee. It was a perfect morning in every way. I have learned, however, that the mere act of waking up and eating breakfast just exhausts Brad to the point that he needs to immediately take a nap. So, after we ate, he went back to bed. I spent a little time writing in the register and while I was doing so, a lone little mule deer came sniffing across the mountain top. He didn’t seem to mind when I shuffled outside onto the steps to sit down and watch him eat. His ears perked up and he checked me out before going right back to his business of eating breakfast. At one point he crossed about 20 yards in front of me where there happened to be a small clearing in the trees that gave way to a stellar view of Glacier National Park in the distance. My first and only thought at that moment was “how Montana”. It looked like every backcountry wilderness picture I could imagine. New light of day, mountains, trees, blue sky and wildlife. Yeah, I could get used to this.

Even when we arrived last night with the storm rolling in, I had pretty much decided that Hornet Lookout was already going to be one of my favorite campsites and places ever. It would be quite hard to beat…and I don’t see that happening any time in the near future. I went about packing my stuff up and cleaning the cabin (man…I have to everything while Brad sleeps!!!) I made sure to make plenty of noise while I packed and cleaned so I could lay a guilt trip on Sleeping Beauty when he woke up. Though he doesn’t really fall for that because ultimately, he got out of cleaning so that’s all he cares about. F**ker. I wasn’t in a hurry to leave, I just felt like doing something. He is quickly learning that when I get up, I’m up…and I don’t really stop too much until night time when I’m ready for bed. I have never been very good about being idle. I try but I don’t do well.

We spent a reasonable amount of time the night before as well as this morning, discussing how we could build one of these. While it’s completely unrealistic to think we would be able to find this kind of location to build one, actually recreating the structure itself would not be difficult at all. By the time we were ready to leave in the morning, we were ready to go to Home Depot and start selecting the materials we need. I have no doubt that we will build one someday. Apparently the cottage in Maine is just too damn big for him.

Around 10:00am or so, we had gathered all of our belongings and made sure the lookout was nice and organized. We swept the floor and put everything back the way it was when we arrived. I must say, the place was surprisingly immaculate when we got there and we wanted to be sure to leave it the same way! Brad had brought along his trusty little tripod so we went outside to take a few pictures with both of us in it. Usually it’s the “Brad Show” or the “Kim Show” when we hike. All went well until I decided we should get a picture with us hanging out of the windows of the lookout. It sounded good in theory but holy crap…nothing like setting a self-timer and then having like 15 seconds to run madly around the lookout, in the door and get yourself in the window before the timer goes off. It made for an amusing round of photos, to say the least. We didn’t really get a great one of both of us in the lookout but it was fun trying. When done with the photo shoot, we put the windows down and locked the place up tight. I must admit, I didn’t really want to leave.

Fresh deer tracks and elk tracks (and was that grizzly hair?) were on the trail as we descended but we never caught a glimpse of either. It was a quick mile down but the day was much nicer than what we hiked up in last night so we had some nice new views to check out as we walked. I need brake lights on my pack or my butt because I tend to stop on a dime to snap a picture and I keep waiting for Brad to barrel into me or send me flying down the mountain. Hasn’t happened yet, which surprises me because I never give notice of my stopping. Hehe

Once we got back to the car, we unloaded all of our crap and set off back towards Kalispell. We stopped in Polebridge at the Polebridge Mercantile where they have cold drinks, coffee, incredibly yummy baked goods (in fact, I was cursing the woman who kept coming out of the kitchen with freshly baked items…they looked and smelled divine!). We decided to have lunch there since it was right about noon time. Brad had a meatball parm sandwich and I had a chicken one (right out of the oven). They were like gourmet hot pockets, I think. Incredibly delicious! We sat on a log outside of the Mercantile and enjoyed the sun. I think that this little village (?) would make a perfect location for a horror movie. It’s got all of the right features and is in a perfect location. I wonder about the people living there because there is nothing for so many miles…they have to be at least a little bit “Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ish”, no?

After our lunch, we hit the road and headed back to Kalispell. Hornet Lookout was a great way to end a fantastic week in Montana! I am definitely looking forward to a return trip there, possibly in the winter if I can convince Brad he wants to snowshoe out to it. I can be convincing when I want to be!

Pics from Hornet Lookout

What I Learned in Montana

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