In Jewel Basin, snow as far as the eye can see
The mountains look relatively snow-free from the valleys, but up high there’s plenty of snow left to melt. As the summer weather is getting closer, June 1 seemed like the right time for an attempt at the summit of Mount Aeneas in the Swan Mountains and the high point of the Jewel Basin.
The road to Camp Misery is bumpy, but remains clear up until a mile short of the trailhead. A line of cars sat in a makeshift parking lot where the snow got too thick to drive through. While I loaded up my pack in the warm sun, a white sedan decided to rev through a pile on the road, and almost got stuck, but remained persistent. Now they know that Spring is no joke on high mountain roads.
The hike along the road was the first indicator that the trip would not be an easy walk. The warm sunlight makes the snow soft, and was like walking through powder. Ski tracks and footprints marked the trail into the trees, where I got some relief from the sun and the trail got steeper. Where the trail bends around, and Flathead Lake comes clear into view, the south–facing trail becomes dirt again and I was able to remove the snowshoes. It then went back to snow for the remainder of the hike.
Getting to the junction of Alpine Trail #7 and the Loop trail, I took a direct route up the mountain to the north side of the communications tower, and the hill before the final summit push. If I had known about the dangerous amount of cornices along the ridge, I would have chosen an alternative route. Looking into the Jewel Basin, I saw a bird flying over the cliff walls, and the remnant marks of avalanches remained in the sun’s heat. I made my way past the communications tower, where I saw footprints continue towards Aeneas’ summit.
The footprints ended where the trail got steep. Aware of the cornices, I decided to attempt traversing along the side of the mountain. However, one foot slipped and I was millimeters from sliding hundreds of feet down to the bottom of
the saddle between the communication tower and Aeneas, so I decided to turn back. With the melting snow, the mushy base did not offer a stable route, and there was still plenty of snow on the mountain summit. It was once again a reminder of the serious risks one takes when taking on an adventure in the high country in spring. I collected my breath, took some photos of the clear day over the Swans and headed back to the car.
On the trail back, the purring of a cat spooked me. Was I just hearing things? Probably. But my hastened pace got me back to the car in just over an hour, despite the snow. I also spotted a moose or an elk track that hadn’t been there before, but I was not waiting around to make new friends.
With the amount of snow still high up, and the precipitation we got down low this weekend, there is still plenty of skiing from Camp Misery. One should consider skiing with a partner, it is a great predator deterrent. But I do enjoy the solitude.
In total the hike was about 9 miles in just over 5 hours.
