The Montana "Man Trip", part II: Butte to McCart Lookout

Enough of this staying-in-hotels business; it's time to head to a fire tower!  We left Butte and had a few hours to drive out to McCart Lookout near Sula, Montana.  A large part of the drive was along the famed Big Hole River, so we stopped to fish a bit.  The water was very high (we were standing on flooded turf).  We didn't quite understand how to fish that big water from shore, so we didn't dedicate much time to it, but I did manage to catch my first fish on fly!  





This Mountain Whitefish was my first fly rod catch ever.  I pulled out the reg book and saw that the limit was liberal, so kept the fish for dinner.  We cooked it whole in tin foil on the campfire and it was tasty.  The pink flesh turned mostly white after cooking and the seasonings that Laura added complemented it well.

As we drove farther west, we got to a section where float boats were permitted and man was it crowded.  We counted close to ten parties on some of the larger river bends and there wasn't a stretch that wasn't being fished.


We stopped to fish a few smaller streams.  They were more tame, but we had trouble keeping flies out of the brush.  I think more practice is in order before our next trip.


After crossing into Idaho for a mile or so, we cut back into Montana and on to Sula.  There, we headed east towards the tower.  Along the way, we spotted these Bighorn Sheep enjoying a mudpit and some grass.




When we got to the trailhead for the tower, we had to basically empty the car and repack what we'd be taking up for the night.  Then we had a 1.5 mile hike up to the top, gaining ~550 feet via switchbacks.  It took us about 50 minutes, stopping to get used to actual topography a few times.  We arrived to find this awesome structure and great views.  

We cooked on the Coleman stove, wood stove, and campfire.  Thankfully, prior guests had left a pile of split wood so we could get a fire going right away.  We replenished the stock before we left, but it was nice to have ready when we got there.  I woke several times to add wood to the wood stove to keep it warm in the tower, something that I was glad I passed on the second night.  Our sleeping bags were enough for the 50s at night.

McCart Lookout fire tower

McCart Lookout fire tower

McCart Lookout fire tower

McCart Lookout fire tower


To be continued...

- John

Laura's wildlife log:

Driving to McCart and fishing the Big Hole:
tons of Osprey
6 Sandhill Cranes
1 Bald Eagle
Pronghorns
Mule Deer
Bighorn Sheep
Red-Winged Blackbirds
Yellow-Headed Blackbirds (Laura's first)
"peeps that wagged their tails"
20 Nighthawks out in the day swooping right near our faces on the river
2 Red-Naped Sapsuckers (beautiful woodpeckers)


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