Back in March we hiked into Jewel Basin. We could only drive partway up the road, because it was snow-covered, and then we could only hike part of a trail because, again, we ran into snow and couldn’t continue. But now that it’s summer, everything is different. We went up with the von Niederhauserns, who are visiting from Colorado for the week.
I can see why the area is named Jewel Basin… it’s absolutely magnificent. So many trees, green hillsides, and a commanding view of the Flathead Valley.
We couldn’t resist a couple of family photos.
Much to our surprise, as we neared the top of the trail, we ran into snow. In July!
Sure, it looks pretty, but as we continued to forge along the trail, we found that it was getting deeper. Aaron, who is four, was struggling. And the rest of us were sliding around as we attempted to keep our footing on the slopes. As a result, we couldn’t actually get down to Twin Lakes and had to settle for a view of the emerald water from high above.
Even though we couldn’t quite reach our goal, the trail was fabulous. We’ll be back… maybe in a few weeks, when the snow has finally melted?
