We decided to weather the throng of Labor Day campers by going into the city for the holiday. Two days it took to figure out there is no throng in Montana, so we hitched up and moved out towards the wild beauty of the Teton River Valley.
Mill Falls Campground is a long way back a dirt road, and the only campground on the South Fork. We knew we were taking a chance driving in on the holiday weekend, but when we found the campground full, we just checked our MVUM(motor vehicle use map) for the Lewis and Clark NF and found a spur that ended on the cut bank of the river.
Mill Falls proper. We took a Labor Day hike to the foot of the falls and found the whole place deserted. An icy plunge at its base led to a prolonged sun bake in the fern-covered grotto for us three.
We built fires under cartoon-colored skies, then quickly huddled closer to the flames as the temperature plummeted after nightfall. Big, bold constellations spun lazily overhead, and many, many marshmallows were tanned to perfection.
Team Rebecca, ready for a brisk hike upcanyon, through forested switchbacks, across scree fields, and up waterfalls to a cirque glacier pond called Our Lake.
1500′ elevation climb put the falls from the lake in site, still another 600 feet above our heads.
The pure waters of the lake. We watched 40mph gusts turn sections into whitecaps followed by periods of utter calm. Alpine tundra and a low willow clung to the rock. Tried fishing, but only caught a funky dogfish as long as a finger.
