Diamond & Cliff Lake

We made our annual camp trip up to Diamond & Cliff Lake this past week.

We spent 3 wonderful nights in one of God's most beautiful creation.

The last time we went up was the beginning of August last summer, and the differences were amazing.

Snow, lots of it, still residing up on the mountain. Huckleberries that were almost ready aren't even really berries, yet.

True to form, the weather was crummy for almost one whole day this trip. We spent some time in and out of the camper and around the fire that day.

I love our camper bamper.

The lake was pretty high, too. All that water towards the bottom of the picture wasn't there last year.

This was the evening of the rainy day.

But, the third day dawned with partly cloudy skies, so we headed up the one mile hike to Cliff Lake to check it out up there and hopefully do some fishing.

For a short hike, it is one of the most jam packed ones I know. You go from forested area around a lake to alpine hillside to more forested area and another lake. Plus there are tons of wildflowers, great views of the bottom lake from the middle part of the hike, and this year there was snow!

A butterfly on the dandelion...

Yellow Flower

Towards the beginning

Pretty pink flowers

Cute kids!

Yellow & Pink flowers

A hillside full of beargrass

Erik sawing limbs off a tree that had fallen over the trail.

View of Diamond Lake from the trail

Cool purple flower

Bright pink flower

Shooting stars! One of my favs!!

There were streams and marshy areas all over the place. It is still run-off season up there.

We had some wet and muddy areas to traverse.

And snow. Hard, dirty, slippery snow....

with moose tracks in it.

I couldn't believe all the snow still up at Cliff lake. It was breathtaking.

So beautiful.

Pictures do not do it justice.

Erik threw his line in a few times, but the fish were not biting. 

The sun came out and it felt great to sit in it.

See all the streams/run off on the hillside?

So much snow.

Check out the snow cornice! That thing is HUGE!

Heading back down the trail.

Flowers and snowy mountain in the background.

We had a wonderful time hanging out and playing as a family. And we loved our time at Diamond/Cliff Lake. It's definitely one of our most favorite places in Montana. And if you think I'm going to tell you how to find it, you are sorely mistaken. ;-)