September 13, 2021

      In Big Sky, skiing is not just an outdoor activity. It is a way of life and the star topic of most conversations. Nearly every single person I have met since the day we arrived has asked me the same question… “Do you ski?” My answer has routinely been “not yet.” We both snowboard, but we are also getting old enough that it might not be our best means of transportation down an icy slope, Croix can throw his back out taking a gallon of milk out of the fridge. But according to the 65 year olds flying down the mountains on a pair of skis, it’s a sport that ages with you. That being said, when the snow starts falling, we will both be taking lessons… Pray for us. Until then, and it shouldn’t be long, we will stick to what we know, hiking.

          Saturday night, while sharing a bottle of wine, we decide a hike sounds like a proper way to spend our Sunday morning. With little to no research, we agree on Lava Lake Trail. Twenty minute drive from our house, “clearly marked trail,” lava… sounds sick, you get it. As morning rolls around, we have one cup of coffee, pull up the directions to the parking lot and head out. After a quick drive and a painless parking experience, we realize that we can’t find the start to the trail, and there is no cell reception, perfect. We see two people with huge backpacks and bucket hats (the sign of serious hikers), headed across the 191. For those who don’t know, the 191 is a seriously scary and deadly two lane highway that connects Big Sky to the rest of the world, A.K.A. Bozeman. It is lined with dozens of crosses, has a multitude of blind curves and turns, and no shortage of people driving like absolute A-Holes. Seems like a weird place to put a parking lot for a popular trail, but we have had one cup of coffee people, we aren’t thinking clearly. So like sheep, we follow these strangers across the road, and head up a hill. We have hiked at least half a mile when we start to feel like something isn’t right. There are dirt paths going every which way, no signage, no trail markers, AND we have lost sight of the two hikers. So things are going really well. We come up on three guys smoking God knows what, playing with remote control cars, in the middle of freakin’ nowhere. They obviously seemed like promising information sources. Croix doesn’t want to ask for directions… no comment… so I ask. We are informed we’re not only going the wrong way, but we are on the wrong side of the 191. Imagine that. We walk half a mile back, run across the 191, testing death for a second time, and end up in the same parking lot, with the same problem... no trail in sight.

          Croix proceeds to walk a direction with a dead end… I ask for directions a second time. Luckily, these kind Montanans gave us specific directions. I’m talking “turn left at the oak tree” type directions. He told us we’re in the wrong parking lot (thanks Siri), and the way to go is “spooky, but only for a bit.” Cool. He points to a bridge that forms part of the 191 over the river. He says to walk between the bridge railing and the concrete railing of the highway, then follow the dirt road. lol. ok. The cars are going by at 70mph on a turn, there are scuff marks on the railing, and the space between the bridge and the concrete blocks is about 8 inches at the widest point… yeah, we are side stepping on a bridge, instead of moving the car. “Spooky” isn’t the word I would use. After walking the dirt road for a quarter of a mile, we spot some parked cars and people who look like they are getting ready for something serious. Foreshadowing. We pass the trail information sign and don’t even stop to check it. We know the hike is about six miles, but quickly realize it’s a rocky, uphill leg burner straight out the gate. Bear spray in tow, we think we will be able to see one coming if need be, but it’s near impossible to look for bears or enjoy the insanely beautiful setting without stubbing toes or tripping over said rocks. But, it’s stunning. About a half mile up we hear water, and see a cascading stream to our left, with little waterfalls scattered every few meters. It’s September, so the leaves are changing colors, and a lot of the trees are displaying beautiful hues of gold and red. The foliage is lush, the air crisp, and there is not another hiker to be seen. We are loving it so far.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         Within a mile into the hike, thinking there is a sharp rock in my shoe, I reached down to get it out. To my surprise and demise, it’s not a rock, it’s a freaking blister. Half. A. Mile. In. (Insert obscenities). Nevermind that, because the further we hike up the mountain, the more beautiful our surroundings get. We come to terms with the fact that this hike is legitimately entirely rocky, entirely uphill, and I’m entirely not acclimated to the altitude in Big Sky yet. The hike to Lava Lake has a 1,620 foot incline, reaching 7,130 ft in elevation... I can't breathe and I’m slow AF, compelling Croix to ask how my blister is doing. Conveniently, I now have one on the other foot, so I can’t feel the first one. Silver linings. Not taking for granted the copper colored leaves, and sounds of waterfalls and streams around us, we are trying to figure out how far we have actually hiked (and how much more ass burning we have to endure til we reach the top). And just then, the hill we had been trekking up for three miles, finally plateaued. We saw flecks of sunlight glimmering on the water, and we knew we had reached the lake, and it did not disappoint one bit. It was even better than I imagined it would be. We traversed some lava rock and made our way across the lava lake beds to reach a shore point with a breathtaking view. We spent quite a bit of time up there, not talking much, just silently trying to take in where we were, what we were looking at, the air we were breathing, and the reality that this is where we live. We're blessed. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

 

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       It's a given, this will be a hike we'll enjoy time and time again, so we were able to leave the lake, and begin our decent of the mountain, with hopes of returning soon. Not surprisingly, the way down brought a new perspective of the beauty we were met with on the way up (even more color, and better views of the streams and waterfalls). After reaching the end, and another death defying bridge cross, we returned to the car with smiles on our faces. Our first official hike on our first official Sunday in Big Sky…  the perfect way to start this next chapter of our story. And to think, we almost missed it because we thought we needed to  follow the path someone else was taking... good life lesson... don’t trust people in bucket hats.