And so we did.

Earlier today -- while Kansas City and St. Louis were snowed in -- we went looking for the white stuff here in Montana. The valley is dry, temps range from upper 30s to mid 40s during the day and sun, when it's out, is ridiculously bright.  We headed west of the town of Hamilton for Blodgett Overlook Trail (http://missoulian.com/news/article_7d962721-ccc9-5b51-9d1e-bdfbe596dba4.html).

Alex up ahead, on the trail.

We've been on this steep-but-short (1.4 mile) switchback trail to the overlook in early summer, and its edges are alive with wildflowers. Today snow covers most of it, except where sun has melted all into a muddy, mucky mush. 

Fresh tracks of dog?

I use ski poles for balance and spiky slip-on crampons for traction.  Against my poles at one point, I see tracks of dog, or wolf. I'm hoping wolf. The local paper reports that there are as many as 13 packs of wolves in the Bitterroot, as of a 2012 count. That's up from 11 packs the year before, with numbers of individuals down just a bit (http://www.ravallirepublic.com/news/local/article_be602e24-9290-11e2-aa2d-001a4bcf887a.html).

Rubber-edged slip-on crampons.

I find, when we get back to the car, that one of my slip-on sets of spikes is gone.  It must've gotten sucked off in the muck, because I didn't feel or hear or notice a thing.  Anyone on Blodgett Overlook who finds one crampon set might put it on the bulletin board at the trail head and I'll pick it up next time. haha!

Lone buttercup emerging, trailside.

One last bright spot in this hike (before we drive down what is a very scary, narrow and icy switchback road -- much worse than the hike itself) is the sighting of a trailside buttercup!! Woohoo! Spring is on its way. I can't wait to see the full flush of wildflowers when I return next (to retrieve my crampons?).