Occidental – Occidentalist

Summit, Rapid and Hard Creek Lakes

Post author:Occidental
Post published:2026-08-26
Post category:2026 Idaho
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In mid-July the heat came, and the air turned a smoky gray-brown, blotting out the blue sky. By mid-August it was hot and smoky so long I was starting to forget what a blue sky looked like. Then, finally, a short break in the weather came. The sky cleared and turned back to blue, and we got a short break from the relentless heat. It was time to pack the backpacks and get out on the trail. With loaded backpacks we headed south and hit the trail to Summit and Rapid Lakes.

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Across Southwest Montana

Post author:Occidental
Post published:2026-08-15
Post category:2026 Montana
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As we wrapped up Yellowstone and left the crowds of the park behind it was time for find a quieter spot for a couple days. Our remaining travels traversing southwest Montana would very much be dominated by river drainages. To start out this trend it was down the Yellowstone and up Boulder Creek where we settled in for an evening of afternoon thundershowers (the first in a series of afternoon storms).

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Yellowstone, North

Post author:Occidental
Post published:2026-08-14
Post category:2026 Montana Wyoming
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After our day on the Beartooth Highway we were up early in hopes of spotting some wildlife as we traversed the northern portion of the park on our way back to Montana. What we were really hoping for was a wolf roaming the Lamar Valley. What we got was bison, elk, deer and pronghorn. Not bad, but not a wolf. The bison were causing the usual traffic jams as we worked our way across the…