In the summer of 2020, with all the uncertainty of the world, I was fortunate enough to meet up with my family for our annual backpacking trip. My Dad, husband and I began this tradition 4 years ago and each year it has grown in participants and mileage. Our 2020 trip took us through the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness beginning along the West Stillwater river, past the breathtaking Lake Plateau, over Jordan Pass and down the Stillwater drainage. Combining the West Fork Stillwater Trail #90 & the Main Stillwater Trail #24 we ascended almost 6000 feet over the course of 38 miles in 5 days.
Day 1: Breakneck Meadows
Day 1 starts bright and early as we head up the road towards the Stillwater Mine. The road to the trailhead is not for the faint at heart as this long, narrow gravel road climbs 8 miles over the ridge separating the drainages. We arrive at the West Fork Stillwater Trailhead excited to be off the grid for the next 5 days.
The hike to Breakneck Meadows is relatively easy compared to the rest of this trip, with an average grade of 2% we ascend over 900 feet in 8 miles. The trail follows the West Stillwater drainage most of the way and passes through several smaller meadows before reaching Breakneck Meadows. The day is gorgeous with clear blue skies and very little cloud cover. The area lives up to its remoteness as we do not see any other people the entire day. As we approach Breakneck Meadows we come across some bear scat reminding us all of the locals we will be spending the evening with. We reach Breakneck Meadow with plenty of light left in the day to set up camp, eat dinner and relax.
Day 2: Lake Diaphanous
Day 2 begins just as beautiful as day 1. After eating breakfast and packing up our stuff we head out towards Lake Diaphanous. We are once again treated to a bright blue sky as we cross this mile long mountain meadow. The trail through Breakneck Meadows seems to go on forever but we were thankful for the easy grade as we know the ascent to Lake Diaphanous will be tough. After leaving the meadow the trail meets back up with the West Stillwater river and follows it for the next few miles. At about mile 12 the grade becomes steep for about a mile before it levels back out again. There are quite a few river crossings within this stretch so we take advantage of the easy grade and keep our water shoes on until the final ascent. At one point a young couple with a dog pass us but they are the only people we see on this day.
As we approach the ascent to Lake Diaphanous we change back into our hiking boots. Over the next two miles we slowly switchback up the trail until we reach Lake Diaphanous. At 9,610 feet this is the highest point of our trip. Looking out to the north we are blessed with a magnificent view of the valley we just traversed. As we set up camp the clouds roll in and we are treated to the sound of thunder echoing through the mountains. We eat dinner as the rain begins to fall and quickly retreat to our tents for the remainder of the night.
Day 3: Jordan Lake
The morning of day 3 we awake to a slight chill in the air and lots of hungry mosquitos. We waste no time packing up camp and hitting the trail. The plan for the day is to begin heading south past Wounded Man Lake, over Jordan Pass to Jordan Lake. We are once again treated to a beautiful day with blue skies and very few clouds.
Only a mile from Lake Diaphanous Wounded Man Lake sits in the heart of the popular Lake Plateau. Located between the Boulder and Stilllwater river drainages Lake Plateau is surrounded by gorgeous mountains and has a number of high country lakes to visit. As we continue south making our way to Jordan Pass we cross paths with the first humans of the day. Throughout the day we see 5 more people making it the 2nd most populated day of our trip.
At mile 18 we begin the climb to Jordan Pass. The switchbacks up the pass are narrow and as we climb we meet up with some backcountry horsemen. As we move off trail to let them pass we are greeted by their 3 friendly pups. We continue climbing making our way up the mountain until we reach the pass at 9,380 feet. Jordan Lake is only a short mile and a half from the pass so we press on excited to get to camp and enjoy the remainder of the afternoon.
As we arrive at Jordan Lake we meet another young couple who are making their way up the trail. Surprisingly we have the entire lake to ourselves, we set up camp and spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing by the lake. After 3 days and 21.5 miles we are all exhausted and in need of a good nights sleep. As the sun begins to set we head to bed knowing tomorrow will be a big day as we will make our descent to the Stillwater river.
Day 4: Stillwater River
Day 4 begins with sunshine and smiles. This will be our longest day as we will descend almost 3,000 feet over the course of 9 miles. The trail out of Jordan Lake is steep and descends 1000 feet within the first mile. For the next 6 miles the trail takes us through an old burn leaving us exposed to sun for the majority of the day. Hot and tired we finally arrive at the junction of Trail #24, twenty eight miles after we began our trip. Mentally and physically exhausted we are all ready to tap out. The only problem is there is literally nowhere to set up camp. We have two options, stay on course following Trail #24 north along the Stillwater River or detour and head south on Trail #24. We decide to continue north so that in the morning we won’t have to retrace our steps. As we make our way down the trail we begin to second guess our decision. The banks of the Stillwater are marshy and there is very little area that is flat or dry. After 2 long miles we finally come to a little clearing that is just big enough to accomodate all 7 of us.
We waste no time setting up camp as a thunderstorm begins to roll in. We cook dinner and retreat to our tents fully prepared to spend the evening hunkered down. Luckily the storm passes quickly and we are able to enjoy a fire and each others company on our last night in the backcountry.
Day 5: Stillwater River Trailhead
Day 5 we wake up to another gorgeous blue sky day. We take our time packing up camp and enjoy the stillness of the morning. As we head down the trail we reflect on the past 4 days, although this is our last day we still have 8 miles ahead of us. The trail continues north as it heads toward Tripod Point, past Cathedral Peak and down to Sioux Charley Lake.
We see the first humans of the day as we approach Sioux Charley Lake. After not seeing anyone the day before their smiling faces are a nice welcome. This turns out to be the most populated day as many people day hike to Sioux Charley Lake. When we arrive at Sioux Charley Lake we take a moment to soak our feet in the cold mountain water although we don’t stay long as we still have 3 miles to go.
From Sioux Charley Lake the trail passes through a heavily wooded area before coming out in a narrow canyon. The power of mother nature is evident as the once slow moving river is now roaring through the canyon. 5 days and 38 miles later we arrive at the Stillwater Trailhead. Happy to be back in civilization we celebrate with burgers and beers.
Romping Tramps 