CAMAS LAKES HIKE

Connie and I had a great fall hike into the Camas Lakes on the west side of the Bitterroot Valley.  I have been in there before but this was Connie's first time.  And the best time to go is in the fall when all the leaves and the needles of the larch or tamarack are changing colors.  We did 7 miles total but some of it was boulder hopping and bush whacking.  Really glad we did it though as the fall colors were at their peak.  There are three lakes in a row and we got to the first two, but ran out of time and energy to do the third one.  In the 3.5 mile hike to the second lake we gained 2100 feet in altitude, most of that at the end.  The hardest part of the hike was coming out.  My old knees were starting to hurt coming downhill.

The trail head.

When you get near the creek, the hike is in thick trees and a good trail.

 

Then you start to get into some rock slides and a rougher trail.

Zeph always hams it up when I get my camera out.  

The tamarack needles are really changing colors before they fall off.

Almost all of the vegetation was changing colors.

The aspen from green to golden.

And the views just got better the higher we went.

The first lake.

And of course our "dock dog" wanted to retrieve sticks from the lake.

The second lake.

Connie hiking up by the second lake.

Connie took this picture of some foam designs on the water.

Me and Zeph in a photo op.

The first lake is just visible in the center between the trees.

Lots of color.

A lot of granite provided the walking surface between the lakes. 

And lots of color from the trees to the brush.

I kept busy while having lunch just taking pictures.

Between the first two lakes you have to do some boulder hopping.

This really made my legs tired.  I had some cramps going out and my knees were a little stiff last night.