We are guiding three Montana trips this year. 
Please scroll down for a detailed description of each one.

TRANS “BOB” FROM WEST TO EAST: Napa Point to West Fork Teton
July 3rd- 14th, 2009 (12 days, 11 nights)
BOB MARSHALL WILDERNESS--MONTANA

Gateway City: Great Falls, MT (for those flying) or Choteau, MT (for those driving). Note: Guests will stay in Choteau the evening of July 2 and in Great Falls the evening of July 14. High Country Adventures will make motel arrangements.

Price: $1495 if you bring your gear. Rental packages (sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpack, cover, two-person tent) are available for $50. The price includes all food during the backpack, a food drop to reduce pack weight, community gear, trip planning, permit fees, route map, trip and equipment information, guiding, travel to and from the trailhead, airport shuttle service to Choteau and back to Great Falls, and DVD of our trip. A nonrefundable deposit of $400 is needed to hold your reservation.

Trip Description: From the mighty buttress of the Swan Range to the wildly churning whitewater of the Flathead River’s South Fork to the limestone reefs of the Rocky Mountain Front, this 90-mile point-to-point backpack expedition traverses some of the most varied and unspoiled wild country in the sprawling 2.5-million acre Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. Bracketed by two remote trailheads, this incredible journey is the ultimate WEST to EAST traverse of the “Bob”! We’ll cross five mountain ranges and four major valleys as we explore a wonderland of serrated peaks, verdant old growth forests, spellbinding waterfalls, abundant wildlife, natural fire patterns, clear trout streams, and wildflowers in their early summer glory. Our route begins at lofty Napa Point where a long ridge leads us to the northwest corner of the “Bob” on the crest of the Swan Range. After crossing the Pagoda Range and North Chinese Wall we’ll descend to the vast North Fork Sun Valley where wolves have recently formed a pack. We’ll average 10 miles per pack day with several non-pack days for relaxing, day hiking and climbing. Our climbs will include 8400-foot plus summits never before ascended on an HCA trip, including Stadium Peak and Lone Butte. Early summer is an excellent time to see mountain goats and sheep in their high domain as well as elk moving up to summer in lush meadows. We’ll conclude our epic journey to the Rocky Mountain Front by crossing the rugged Sawtooth Range to a valley bound by towering peaks, recently transformed to a mosaic of burned and unburned forests by the huge 2007 Fool Creek Fire.

Maps: The 1:24,000-scale topographic maps covering our route are “Thunderbolt Mtn-MT,” “String Creek-MT,” “Sunburst Lake-MT,” “Meadow Creek-MT,” “Marmot Mtn-MT,” “Pagoda Mtn-MT,” “Amphitheatre Mtn-MT,” “Bungalow Mtn-MT,” “Trilobite Peak-MT,” “Pentagon Mtn-MT,” “Gates Park-MT,” and “Mt Wright-MT.”

Difficulty: Strenuous.
Minimum Age: 14. Backpacking experience necessary.

    “. .There is exultation. .in subsisting. .miles from the closest human being, which adds tone, vitality, and color to the entire functioning of life.”    --Bob Marshall

THE CHINESE WALL: Walking with Stock
July 17-23, 2009 (7 days, 6 nights)
BOB MARSHALL WILDERNESS--MONTANA

Gateway City: Great Falls, MT (for those flying) or Choteau, MT (for those driving). Note: Guests will stay in Choteau the evening of July 16 and in Great Falls the evening of July 23rd. High Country Adventures will make motel arrangements.

Price: $1360 if you bring your gear. Rental packages (sleeping bag, sleeping pad, two-person tent) are available for $40. The price includes all food during the trip, a full array of beverages, community gear, mules to carry our food and gear, travel to and from the trailhead, Great Falls airport shuttle service to and from Choteau, trip planning, route map, trip and gear information, guiding, and a DVD of our trip. A non-refundable deposit of $400 is due with your reservation.

Trip Description: With pack stock carrying most of our food and gear we’ll enjoy this spectacular 44-mile out-and-back hike to the fabled Chinese Wall while carrying only a lightweight backpack. From historic Benchmark we’ll hike along the sparkling West Fork Sun River with superb views of the sublime Red Buttes, which are composed of flaming red argillite rock. Along the way we’ll hike up to the Prairie Reef Lookout (8863’) for one of the most majestic panoramas in all of the “Bob”. After two pack days and 22 miles we’ll reach the south end of the Chinese Wall—a continuous continental divide cliff face of limestone in the heart of the “Bob” that soars over 1000 feet and extends for 13 miles. Optional day hikes will include scrambling to the top of the Chinese Wall by way of a secret pass for an unforgettable view of both sides of the Great Divide with 360 degrees of wild country as far as the eye can see. During our trek we’ll have opportunities to see and photograph elk and other wild denizens of this east slope Bob Marshall Country.

Maps: The 1:24,000-scale topographic maps covering our route are “Benchmark-MT,” “Pretty Prairie-MT,” “Prairie Reef-MT,” “Slategoat-MT,” and “Amphitheatre Mtn-MT”.

Difficulty: Moderate.
Minimum Age: 12.

    “. .the wilderness is the one thing on earth which as furnished complete and perfect.”    --Aldo Leopold

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH LOOP
July 26-August 1, 2009 (7 days, 6 nights)
BOB MARSHALL WILDERNESS--MONTANA

Gateway City: Great Falls, MT (for those flying) or Choteau, MT (for those driving). Note: Guests will stay in Choteau the evening of July 25 and in Great Falls the evening of August 1. High Country Adventures will make motel arrangements.

Price: $875 if you bring your gear. Rental packages (sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpack, pack cover, two-person tent) are available for $50. The price includes all food during the backpack, community gear, trip planning, permit fees, trip and equipment information, route map, guiding, travel to and from the trailhead, Great Falls airport shuttle service to and from Choteau, and a DVD of our trip. A non-refundable deposit of $200 is due with your reservation.

Trip Description: During our 44-mile wild & scenic backpack we’ll circumnavigate Rocky Mountain Peak (9392’)—apex of the Bob Marshall Wilderness with an opportunity to climb it during our route. After cresting spectacular Headquarters Pass on the Rocky Mountain Front/Sawtooth Range we’ll descend through the flower-studded Gates Park Burn to the sparkling North Fork of the Sun River. The North Fork is an idyllic native trout stream that winds through a wildlife-rich valley bound by the Continental Divide and the Sawtooth Range. From there we’ll descend through broad grassy parks and re-cross the Rocky Mountain Front by way of Cabin Creek Pass. Our route northward to the South Fork Teton parallels rugged Front Range peaks with limestone reefs marching eastward to the Northern Great Plains like ocean waves. Wildlife abound, especially mountain goats and sheep in the high country. This trip will be an ultimate eastside Bob Marshall/Mountain Front excursion.

Maps: The 1:24,000-scale topographic maps covering our route are “Our Lake-MT,” “Gates Park-MT,” “Glenn Creek-MT,” and “Arsenic Peak-MT.”

Difficulty: Moderately strenuous.
Minimum Age: 12