We began out ascent of the peak from Middle Cottonwood Creek Trailhead at 6:45 AM. Wildflowers are a common occurrence in the spring and summer months here. At the peak of the Moanalua Middle Ridge Trail, the view of the abandoned Radio Tower comes into view. For anyone with a little bit of conditioning, the overlook past the connecting trail to Sypes is a worthy goal. I hike this trail twice weekly in the summer and the real value is those who push at least 3 miles to the large meadow and beyond to Saddle peak. The first mile is paved and the second is on a gravel road with some moderate size potholes. … You will often see dogs hiking along the route with their owners. The trail follows Middle Cottonwood Creek for about a mile to a signed trail junction (elev. Middle Cottonwood to Saddle Peak, Bridger Bowl Boundary & South Closed Bridger Foothills Fire Wildfire Closures - 26 min. This is one of the high-difficulty hiking trails near town. 5960') at the Bridger National Recreation Trail (label 'B'). A few words about directions..from the intersection of Saddle Mountain Road and Walker it is about 2 miles to the trailhead. Middle Cottonwood Trailhead, Bozeman Picture: views from Saddle Middle Cottonwood Trail - Check out Tripadvisor members' 3,836 candid photos and videos. Middle Cottonwood Trailhead, Bozeman Picture: views from Saddle Middle Cottonwood Trail - Check out Tripadvisor members' 3,824 candid photos and videos. I hike this trail twice weekly in the summer and the real value is those who push at least 3 miles to the large meadow and beyond to Saddle peak. I love that the trail follows the creek for a bit, it is so relaxing, refreshing, and great for doggies. Middle Cottonwood Trailhead, Bozeman: See 16 reviews, articles, and 8 photos of Middle Cottonwood Trailhead, ranked No.27 on Tripadvisor among 47 attractions in Bozeman. The Middle Peak Loop Trail is located in the town of Julian and can be reached by heading to 14592-14674 CA-79, Julian, CA 92036. googlemaps Although this trail is great to explore all year long during each and every season, it's especially delightful during the winter when fresh snow is on the ground. : Stunt High Trail to Saddle Peak This 7.5-mile hike combines Stunt High Trail and a section of the Backbone Trail to visit the 6th tallest summit in the Santa Monica Mountains. Middle Cottonwood boosts some very unique terrain features as you climb out of the lower forest and into high mountain meadows. Topanga Lookout This 2-mile visits the site of an old fire tower that still offers great views of the surrounding mountains. You can also hit the ridge trail and hike to Sacagawea, or over to Fairly Lake. At 0.5 miles the trail crests a minor ridge and curves to the right (south) into the Ptarmigan Creek Valley. I was happy to be on the trail in the cool, damp, early Montana morning, and it made it even better being the first on the trail. Effective immediately - Bridger Foothills Fire All trails from Middle Cottonwood up to Saddle Peak and tying in with Bridger Bowl\'s southern boundary and running … The route is parallel to the Middle Cottonwood Creek. While holding back any visions of being on the verge of setting foot on an old Dharma station (LOST fans, you'll understand once you're there), the 20-30 minute hike to the radio tower is full of its own challenges. You can also hit the ridge trail and hike to Sacagawea, or over to Fairly Lake. ago Heading a bit further north than our start for the ascent of Baldy, we hiked up from Middle Cottonwood Creek. We proceeded south (right) on the trail up the canyon for about a mile until we reached the vicinity of the ridge at the head of Walton Creek (label 'C'). You will see some faded brown signs for Middle Cottonwood. The trail starts higher and took us up to the pass at 8,418 on the topo (just west of the summit). Saddle Peak-MT Weather (Days 0-3): The weather forecast for Saddle Peak-MT is: A light covering of new snow mostly falling on Thu morningTemperatures will be below freezing (max -5°C on Wed night, min -11°C on Tue morning)Winds decreasing (gales from the W on Tue afternoon, fresh winds from the WSW by Thu morning). It ends at the summit of the Saddle Peak. For anyone with a little bit of conditioning, the overlook past the connecting trail to Sypes is a worthy goal. ... You can hike, bike, run your way to Saddle Peak. Once you pass through the meadows the trail skirts around a ridgeline with a fairly exposed edge off to your right (no fall zone) which … The trail follows the bottom of the drainage and creek for the first 45 minutes with very gradual (almost unnoticeable) elevation gain. 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