Winter Hiking Lee Ridge Trail No. 295

The Lee Ridge Trail No. 295 is one of our more difficult winter hikes because of the deep snow. But if you like solitude when you're hiking then this one's for you. To get there leave Lolo Montana on Highway 12 heading west. Drive approximately 25 miles, you will pass Lolo Hot Springs, and see the Lee Creek Campground on the left. As you turn into the campground make an immediate right into the parking area. Always check the road conditions for Highway 12 before you go as this road was closed for several weeks this last winter because of avalanche problems.

The trailhead in the campground starts you on the Lee Creek Interpretive Trail. Daisy and I prefer to head up Lee Creek Road for about 3/4 of a mile which is hiking the interpretive trail in reverse. Did I mention the deep snow because you will be hiking on top of 3 to 6 feet of it; even this road will have 3 or 4 feet on it during the winter. This is where you are most likely to meet cross-country skiers. One day we met two ladies, in there 70's, and they were skiing up to the 4 mile mark for their birthday. I sure hope I'm that active in 20 years. You'll see the Lee Ridge Trail No. 295 sign on your left.

Once you start up the trail be prepared for solitude and winter scenic beauty. We hiked this trail a dozen times this last winter and never saw another person. There were ski and snowshoe tracks but we never met anyone on this trail. The road seems to be the main focus for skiers and snowshoeing which is a shame because with skis or snowshoes you could really get back into the Lolo National Forest. Please remember if you're skiing or snowshoeing, with your dog, to keep an eye on them. You may not realize how tired they're getting trying to keep up with you while wading through the snow. I've stayed away from skis and snowshoes for this reason. I have a hard time telling when Daisy is worn out as she seems to always want to keep going. Without skis or snowshoes I know when I've had enough and that's usually enough for her. A couple of times though I was breaking through and having to wade in knee deep snow when Daisy was able to trot easily on top without any problem. I would really like to have had some snowshoes that day.


About a mile or so up the trail you will come to this sign that directs you to the right to continue on Lee Ridge Trail No. 295 and to the Lolo Pass. To continue on the interpretive trail take the left fork. What Daisy and I like to do is head right and follow Trail No. 295 as far as we want to, or can, depending on trail snow conditions. Walking on top of 3 to 6 feet of snow is one thing breaking through and sinking up to your hip every other step is another. Make sure you have your hiking stick with you and it has a snow boot. A ski pole works really well on this hike and you might want to use skis or snowshoes.

Where's the trail? You'll be asking yourself that a lot if there's been a lot of fresh snow. Especially when you can't see any ski or snowshoe tracks. This is an area that has been logged so what looks like a path through the trees may not be the trail, it may be an old skid trail that logs were dragged through. In this picture neither of the paths shown are the trail, it's behind me over my left shoulder. Having a GPS and knowing how to use it would be a big help on this kind of a hike.

Forget trying to find a sheltered place to have lunch you're going to have to eat on the snow. I tramp the snow down a few inches making it easier for Daisy to eat and drink out of her bowls. People have asked me where I got these crushable bowls for hiking. PetSmart carries a whole bunch of travel and hiking stuff for dogs. I just picked out a Ruffwear blue bowl for water and an Outward Hound red bowl for food. Pack lots of energy snacks and water. I get off easy packing water because Daisy likes to eat snow as she hikes along, but she still likes a drink with lunch.

Lolo Pass is infamous for quick weather changes so keep an eye on the sky. On this particular day the weatherman called for occasional snow flurries. No problem, we thought, we like to hike when snow drifts down on us; everything gets hushed up and is beautiful. However, this was somethng besides an occasional snow flurry blowing in from Idaho. We'd been hiking for about 2 hours and this "Snow flurry" had lasted an hour; it showed no signs of letting up. In fact all we could see were dark gray clouds moving in and surrounding us.

"Doug, I'm covered with snow and I don't see any patches of blue sky." Daisy was right and it was scary how fast this snow storm came in catching us by surprise. A mild breeze started blowing and all we needed was the wind to pick up a little and we'd be caught in a full blown blizzard. We turned around and retraced our tracks back down to the Lee Creek Road. It was frightening how quickly our tracks were being filled in and covered up but once on the road it was easy to get back to the parking area. We jumped in our Toyota Tundra and headed back to Lolo in a snow storm. Halfway back to Lolo we drove out of the storm and onto dry roads. Back in Lolo we could see dark clouds heading right for us and sure enough I had to shovel the walk the next morning.

"Doug, what's it say about this boulder?" When coming back down from Trail No. 295 we like to finish our hike by completing the Lee Creek Interpretive trail. The trail is fun and you can learn a lot about different kinds of trees in the forest and the effects of logging, lightning, fire, birds, and other problems that affect the National Forest. You can pick up a brochure at the trailhead at the start of your Hike.

"Doug, are you sure I don't like chocolate?"

Until Next Time,

Doug