Glacier Mountaineering Society

Sat, Jul 15 2023 - Hanging Valley (Cabinet Mt Wilderness) (View Original Event Details)

Coordinator(s):		Cindy Weaver, Michael Contrada
Participants:		Cindy Weaver, Michael Contrada, StefanieC, Eric Smart, Lydia R, Jessie Opel, Denise White, Dave Archibald, Dennis Bonawitz, Abigail Torgerson, Dennis Eaves

Write Up:
Hanging Valley is a true, glacially sculpted valley suspended high on the west flank of Treasure Mountain with two large lakes in the Cabinet Mountains. Our hopes were for either summiting Treasure Mountain or traveling off trail over a ridge into Sky Lakes for a ‘cool loop hike’. The trail is a spur trail off Flower Creek trail. Trail condition description from "Trails of the Wild Cabinets": This is a primitive trail, a ‘man-way,’ with steep grades, cliffs, downed trees and brush to content with. We forded Flower Creek at the junction and started up toward the Hanging Valley. Expecting the steep grades and brush, we veered right at an ambiguous junction thinking we needed to head up. It was a trail for awhile and then, as often happens, petered out. Meanwhile, Dennis Eaves and David Archibald, who had downloaded loaded gpx tracks called out “its down here.” Someone called from above “I think I found it up here.” Several of us were ‘caught in the middle’ and headed up and then down. In the end, we all had to go back and down which involved some steep terrain, downed trees and brush that were promised in the description. But, it need not have been. Dennis and David cruised up to the lake (albeit it was a steep trail) arriving 45 minutes before the rest of the group. Several of the group went swimming in the refreshing waters. Most people at least cooled off their feet. With the extra time taken in the off-trail adventure, there was no time for either Treasure Mountain or the cool loop. Next time. We rewarded ourselves with a nice tailgate après hike. 7.47 miles round trip, 2,766 ft ascent.

Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Tim Anderson at twamontana@gmail.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.