Tamarack Lake | Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness, Montana

I'm once again setting out with Kenny, The Idahonian! We're heading into the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness for the first time!
Check out Kenny's channel: / @theidahonian5321

[@thathikingguy]

I can think of no better location for a siesta than that second lake. What an awesome adventure! The views and landscape are just incredible and I’m so glad you shared it Travis. Thank you

[@mountainwanderer]

Thank you! My body demanded that siesta! I was running on empty at that point, but a couple hours rest did the trick!

[@LifeIsBetterByTheBrook]

Welcome to Central Montana! One minute it can be sunny and 90° and in 15 minutes it can drop to 60° with rain or hail. I always brought a jacket with me whatever the weather. I grew up in the north central on the Hi-Line. Now we live in the northern Idaho Panhandle and ❤ it! Warms my heart to see Timber on 17:14. My Lab mix passed on the 30th 💔. He was 18 and a great trail dog like Timber. His last big hike was 2 years ago.

[@mountainwanderer]

I love the Panhandle too! I'm always prepared for some weather... though that hail was something else! Sorry to hear about your pup. We love them so much and it is heart breaking to lose them.

[@LifeIsBetterByTheBrook]

@@mountainwanderer I'm heading back to the Salmo-Priest in a couple of weeks. Love that area!

[@mountainwanderer]

I think that there is a fire near there right now.

[@LifeIsBetterByTheBrook]

The fire was contained the weekend we headed up to the area, but the road to the trailhead was still closed. We backpacked slightly east of there on the ICT section of the Upper Priest River Trail. Wow! It's an old growth forest with trees 8'-10' in diameter. It was absolutely amazing! If you haven't been, it's worth the trip. There are several campsites before America Falls. We hiked in using the long trail so we could experience the magical forest.

[@rkw4565]

Well, that was more exciting than you wanted it to be for a while there! Glad to see the old Superfly held up to the battering. And once again, y'all are traipsing around some beautiful country.

[@mountainwanderer]

I had my doubts that it would survive that, but you have to give those things credit!

[@dianneorton9415]

Good to see you Brother. Thayne

[@mountainwanderer]

Good to hear from you! I went through Anaconda on the way home, almost stopped had the Old Works Golf Course, just to see how it has changed since we played it.

[@PumpkinVillage]

What beautiful country and those hail storms were no joke. Thanks for another outstanding video and take care, Al

[@mountainwanderer]

I'm glad I got some of that storm on video or maybe no one would believe me!

[@DrJohn493]

Good to see you made it out for a multi-day trek. Almost needed a hardhat for that start...then a rain hat...then a suit of armor at camp. Been caught in pea-size hale high up on the Colorado Trail but nothing like that. Beautiful destinations! Enjoyed the vicarious hike along with you!

[@mountainwanderer]

So true! I've never been through a storm like that one! Glad my gear survived!

[@hyoh-wu]

Hail on a lake ...that was a cool shot. Some definite beautiful golden hour shots in there for sure. Hail Yeah!

[@mountainwanderer]

That shot was all Kenny - I believe he may have suffered some direct hits getting that video! Wish you could've been with us! Let Hooper know that that was a great route!

[@hyoh-wu]

@mountainwanderer Will let him know the video is up. Definitely some neat area...but hiking through that exposed burn seems like it was one of Dantes 7 levels of hell.

[@mountainwanderer]

@@hyoh-wu It could've been worse hiking through the burn - 1st day, it rained - 2nd it got to me at the end, 3rd was short and not hot, 4th day we were in the forest most of the hike.

[@birddogfarms6981]

Pretty much had it all on that trip....hail, rain, sunshine, etc. Nice looking lakes you guys stayed at. Thanks for posting.

[@mountainwanderer]

It was a beautiful area for sure! Hiking through so much burn was not my favorite. I kept thinking what a paradise it would've been before the burn.

[@NorthwestWanderer]

awesome outing travis! holy christ that hail looked like it was beyond the real deal

[@mountainwanderer]

I've never experienced hail that large! Kept expecting it to blast through my tarp!

[@desertflinger11]

Cool storm! Love your videos too. Keep it up and have a sip of whiskey for me.

[@mountainwanderer]

Thanks! Will do!

[@valwentz]

Free ice! Perfect for mountain drinks;)

[@mountainwanderer]

We did talk about that after the storm!

[@ChristianPaulPhotography]

Awesome adventure! That’s some beautiful wilderness! That hail storm at your first camp was super gnarly! 😱 Carp Lake was pretty sweet! Thanks for taking us along! 🥾⛰️

[@mountainwanderer]

I've never been through a hail storm like that one! It was an experience!

[@ChristianPaulPhotography]

@@mountainwanderer I've been in a couple of them in the Uintas. We had one at Toquer Lake that turned the ground white for a few hours. Temps dropped too. Glad it was a quick storm and didn't stick around.

[@ricklarry4212]

What an incredible hail storm, Travis. I'm glad you Kenny and Timber survived it, I hope your truck wasn't damaged. After that it seemed like you had good weather, nice sunsets and beautiful campsites. Thanks for sharing and happy trails.

[@mountainwanderer]

The weather definitely got better after the hail storms! ... Thankfully!

[@bobparsons77]

Wow..one amazing hailstorrm.

[@mountainwanderer]

I've never been through anything like that before!

[@Olympic_TryAthlete]

Another great video. Outside the Midwest, I think I’ve only seen hailstones that big once when I was a kid. Being caught in a burn area during a storm would be a little nerve racking. Not so much because of the hail, but I wouldn’t want to be amongst all those snags when the wind picked up. At the same time, few things are more awe inspiring than a good mountain thunder storm. I’ve been wanting to visit that area for a while. Glad there are still some nice pockets of green. Those lakes are gorgeous.

[@mountainwanderer]

Those 2 storms were wild! I wasn't very excited to be walking through burn so much, but was relieved that each time we got to the lake, there were live trees!

[@brendadavisscrapitydoda1284]

Hello new friend nice to meet you. Absolutely beautiful.

[@mountainwanderer]

Hello! Welcome to the channel! Thanks for coming along with us!

[@SaraB1686]

That footage of the hail hitting the water was cool. That's good the weather cleared up. Looks like it was an awesome adventure!

[@mountainwanderer]

It was a hell of an adventure! You should've come with us!

[@danfinn4027]

I've been thru Wisdom a lot on trips from Dillon to Darby and have never noticed this mountain range. Thanks for sharing this video. It was an eye opener.

[@mountainwanderer]

It was kind of the same thing for me. I have driven past them many times, but this was the first time I went in there.

[@bearlycamping]

What kinda luck is that to be walking through burnt trees during a hail storm 😅 Awesome video

[@mountainwanderer]

Bad luck! 😂

[@jenb.6440]

Travis, we've missed you!! Great video, thank you so much for sharing!! We're looking forward to the next one!

[@mountainwanderer]

If I'm not on you tube, it's because I'm in the mountains!

[@falconmoose5435]

Yet another cinema gem. Love your work. Miss the country.

[@mountainwanderer]

It made me think what a paradise it must've been before it burnt! Because it was still beautiful with all of the trees burnt.

[@falconmoose5435]

@@mountainwanderer But we know burning is good. Need emergent veg to sustain animals. Thank you for the response. You are fun.

[@jacobrclark58]

You've got to love the Anaconda's! We went to Tamarack lake a few days after you were there. Johnson and Carpp lakes are nice but get busy especially on the weekends. I always enjoy your videos!

[@mountainwanderer]

Right on! Tamarack was my favorite lake, by far! Walking through the burn is a bummer, but the lakes are nice at least.

[@jacqueline7118]

OMG! The size of those hailstones, amazing! I bet those felt "not so good" when they bounced off the head, wow. Wonderful spot, thanks for sharing. :) :)

[@mountainwanderer]

Not, it didn't feel great! It also sent Timber trying to hide under me.

[@jacqueline7118]

@@mountainwanderer Poor Timber. :(

[@theidahonian5321]

Only a true outdoorsman could survive weather like that.

[@mountainwanderer]

Well said. I agree!

[@pilowespo]

That hail was crazy! Beautiful area! I've been wanting to back there since we explored that area a few years ago on a road trip. We camped at the East Fork Reservoir and stared at the Continental Divde, wondering what's up there. Now you showed some of it. Thanks for sharing! Great video! Hike on!

[@mountainwanderer]

I already want to go back! I didn't care too much for hiking through the burn section, but there are some amazing mountains there!

[@pippaboor5027]

Great vid & audio as always, Travis; I swear you continue to get better and better with each production. I hope Kenny didn't injure his noggin getting those hail shots on the lake to share with you! I'm heading down to nearby Eagle Cap Wedn to witness first hand the effects from the Sturgill Fire last year. I expect Green Lake to be toast. Last, our Mariners just swept the Angels!

[@mountainwanderer]

Thanks! I'm trying to get better each and every video. The Mariners are starting to make a push for the playoffs!

[@RhodySeth]

Holy hail! That lake shot was crazy.

[@mountainwanderer]

It was pretty intense! Glad we had some cover for that second storm!

[@bradwilliamsphoto]

Another great video! Thanks for sharing!

[@mountainwanderer]

Thanks for watching!

[@cynthiaschwartz559]

Great video, we just got home from Anaconda. My husband's aunt has a cabin that we visit every year. We have done a lot of hiking in pintler mountains. We happen to hike that area the next day after you left. We would love to have you both come back to our cabin for some beers and steak. My husband said if you backpack this area agian next year we would like to have you stay at the cabin if you would like. Have a great day!

[@mountainwanderer]

How cool is that?! Too bad we missed you! I will definitely be back to this area again! Trouble with me, is I don't know when! Thank you so much for that generous offer, because beer and steaks are some of my favorite things!

[@thebigskyguy]

Absolutely stunning

[@mountainwanderer]

Despite the fire damage, there were still some incredibly beautiful spots!

[@tangenttrails]

Some exciting weather. Looked to be about quarter size hail?

[@mountainwanderer]

It could've been! I've never been through a storm with hail that big!

[@CWS-h5z]

Tamarack Lake....Oh, the light, the light!!

[@mountainwanderer]

The light was really amazing!

[@sierrashere6957]

Oh yeah, . . . Where have you been? No Notifications from boob tube, so glad I found your channel again

[@mountainwanderer]

We've been in the same place the whole time!

[@raktoda707]

Beautiful video!

[@mountainwanderer]

Thanks for watching!

[@IdahoSolar]

Awesome video Travis. The Pintlers have been on my go to list but the extensive burn area always causes me pause. Trying to decide where to go for my big September trip The Pintlers, Beartooth or the Wind River are on the short list.

[@mountainwanderer]

I'll be honest walking through so much burn was a bummer. All the lakes we went to were beautiful and mostly unburnt though. Those are great choices you have for your trip! With any luck, I'll hit all 3 of those ranges this year! Pintlers: ✅

[@brhino1017]

Like the old adage goes Travis. If you don't like the weather in Montana....wait five minutes. I didn't see any "Snake Bite" medicine on this trip.

[@mountainwanderer]

It didn't make the video, but the crow was there!

[@Dangerousoldman]

Not only are you walking trails I am really familiar with, you’re wearing my boonie sir. Too bad you didn’t go up and over Warren pass from Johnson lake and stay a night at oreamnos lake. The most terrifying thunderstorm I have ever been inside caught me up there one night. I do mean caught inside of it. And terrifying is an understatement. Tamarack is one of the best lakes up there, good choice. The views from Warren peak are pretty far out too. I’ve had bear problems at Edith lake. Hike on my friend.

[@mountainwanderer]

Well obviously you have excellent taste in trails and boonies! Thanks for the info! I'm not sure when I'll get back in there, but I hope it is soon!

[@Dangerousoldman]

@@mountainwanderer thanks for sharing the vid ✌🏻

[@lulugallo7032]

❤❤❤!!!!🙏❤️

[@mountainwanderer]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@lulugallo7032]

@@mountainwanderer Your very welcome & my pleasure. Have a awesome day as well, Lulu.

[@brendadavisscrapitydoda1284]

I love nature

[@mountainwanderer]

You and I both!

[@ShiningNoctowls]

🌧🌈

[@mountainwanderer]

It was a lot like that!

[@lornabartlett2744]

Did you know the rainbow is a complete circle?

[@ShiningNoctowls]

@@lornabartlett2744 Mhm, it's a healing circle coming "full circle" indeed; slan go foill(bye for now) 🌧🌈

[@SkiCounseler]

At least Tamarack wasn't burnt up. Only a few lakes in the Pintlers have escaped fire.

[@mountainwanderer]

The 3 we went to were pretty good at the lake. Carpp Lake was burnt down to the water on one side, but most of it is still good. I wish I could've seen this area before the fire...

[@JamesRobertSmith]

How old are those burns?

[@mountainwanderer]

I wish I knew that info, but I don't. Sorry.

[@vs123]

Fire forests

[@mountainwanderer]

That is a good way to describe them!

[@paulvannoy8872]

Anyone know what program was used to show the map in the intro?

[@mountainwanderer]

Since I made it, I think I'm qualified to answer this. I got the maps from CalTopo and animated it using Apple Motion.