Montana. There’s more cattle than people and it's home to the largest Grizzly Bear population. Usually after a vacation, many need another vacation to recover. Not in this case. Montana delivered a “one-stop, fill-my-tank” shop.
On our travel day into the Treasure State, I pulled a 24 hour day. Day 2 was a little foggy, but that didn’t stop us from hiking what is known as the “M.” It’s a 1.6 mile loop and the elevation is 850 feet. It took us roughly 45 minutes to get to the top. We didn’t realize there were a few paths to choose from. Unknowingly, we chose the difficult path. It certainly set the tone. We did notice a lady proudly hiking along, her hands were clasped behind her back opening her chest. I knew there was something to this hiking choice so of course I tried it and YEP, we certainly implemented that pro tip for our other hikes.
We hiked the “M” a few more times and added to our hike list:
The Drinking Horse, Storm Castle, Grotto Falls, Palisade Falls.
Drinking Horse by far was the most beautiful. Strom Castle was the most difficult but most rewarding. We are talking 7,165 feet of a reward. By the time we got to the top we were thrilled we didn’t have to use our bear spray! Bear spray is a MUST! Besides the breathtaking views, I certainly enjoyed the mountain top critters. I named him Alvin. The sweetest chipmunk I have ever met.
All in all, if you are looking for a vacation spot that is the description of God’s Country boasting scenes from The Sound of Music… you’ll want to visit Montana!