Day 4:  Kiowa Junction to Heart Butte Cutoff Road, 13 miles

Today we started at the Kiowa Junction following Hwy 49, Looking Glass Road. Our numbers are small this morning but our spirits are high due to a restful night sleep. We start to follow Hwy 49 that starts as an immediate uphill climb. The climb is 4 miles. As we start, the morning air feels the perfect temperature, not too chilly but enough to cool us as we work up a sweat. The sun is not up yet but an orange glow fills the east. We breathe deep as our heart rates increase, my nose fills with the wonderful smells of sage, asters, willow, aspen, all growing along side the road. It’s going to be a wonderful day.



Sunrise on the Looking Glass Road



As the sun peeks over the horizon into the pristine valley from which Lake Creek flows we pause and take a moment to soak in the beauty. As we stand we learn that this area’s fate has twisted. An oil company has recently purchased the mineral rights to this valley. The potential for an oil well to occupy this area is now high. As we stand openmouthed with shock, the importance of this walk is as bright as the sun that has now greeted us. We start to walk, stronger now, but our eyes are still glued to the valley below and the mountains that rise above. A grizzly across the valley makes his way up out of the bottom and a hawk flies overhead. We cannot let this happen. Not here.   

Before we know it we have crested the top and our feet fall more easily on the downward slope. We are now looking into the Two Medicine Valley. Lower Two Med Lake stretches west and we see a small glimmer of Middle Two Med just above it. The Suns heat is now increasing and there isn’t a breath of wind. The lake is a mirror. Water is everywhere; listening will reveal the trickle of small springs along the road. 

We make our way down into East Glacier and we have two miles to go. Today we have reached a total of 50 miles, more than half way to our destination. Tomorrow we will continue on from our camping spot at the junction of Hwy 89 and Heart Butte Cutoff, East on the Heart Butte Cutoff to the junction with the Heart Butte Road.