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This trail run is a true Montana adventure. We won't lie, the first half of this trip is tough. But the steep climb leads to a gorgeous lake, and then another. By the time you're partway down the nearly 4,000' descent giggling with every switchback, you'll have forgotten the effort it took to get you here.
Prepare yourself, and your quads, to zig and zag down a 3,900’ descent. We call this run the Honeymoon, not just because it begins up Honeymoon Creek, but because by the end of the trip you won’t want to go home.
The first few miles of this climb we earn that descent. The trail steeply climbs through incredible, cool old-growth cedar forests before offering the first views of the day on the steeply treed sides of the eastern Cabinet Mountains.
After a few miles of hard work, however, we pass through two lake basins with the opportunity to cool off with a quick dip before continuing on. A mountain summit caps of the day with expansive views of the neighboring mountain ranges and Thompson Falls far below.
In 2021 a large fire ripped through the Cabinet Mountains just outside Thompson Falls. While a majority of our route takes us through lush cedar groves, and thick stands of Douglas fir, we will run in and out of the burn area. The burned sections offer a unique trail running experience: deep greens of bear grass leaves juxtaposed against blackened tree trunks; primordial cedars giving way to Mordor. Each year we run this trail we get to see the forest in another stage of natural recovery, and as trail runners who love the mountains, we value loving all aspects of the mountains. We appreciate the beautiful variation that fire brings to the hills!
After we reach the peak of the big climb on the top of Mount Silcox, it’s time for some "fun"! The last 4.5 miles of this trail run, we will descend nearly 4,000’ down to the trailhead. With the uphill work done on the front half of the trip, the last few miles is a good chance for you to work on your technical descending skills. Our descent takes us through another portion of that 2021 fire, which means we get more open views of the valley below, and we get to see another part of the natural life cycle of the forest. But this also means that trail conditions for the mile we descend through the burn area are variable from year to year. We could have buffed out trail, or we could see significant log hopping! Montana trail running adventure!
Aside from the last descent, this route is exceptional in the variety of ecosystems we pass through. From the moist cedar grove to subalpine firs to alpine lakes and ridges then back through a lodgepole forest, we will hit just about everything. Don’t miss your chance for this one-of-a-kind trail run.
This trip includes:
The Honeymoon Alpine Running Guides Trip is permitted to be on the Lolo National Forest by the Superior/Thompson Falls Ranger District.
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Prepare yourself, and your quads, to zig and zag down a 3,900’ descent. We call this run the Honeymoon, not just because it begins up Honeymoon Creek, but because by the end of the trip you won’t want to go home.
The first few miles of this climb we earn that descent. The trail steeply climbs through incredible, cool old-growth cedar forests before offering the first views of the day on the steeply treed sides of the eastern Cabinet Mountains.
After a few miles of hard work, however, we pass through two lake basins with the opportunity to cool off with a quick dip before continuing on. A mountain summit caps of the day with expansive views of the neighboring mountain ranges and Thompson Falls far below.
In 2021 a large fire ripped through the Cabinet Mountains just outside Thompson Falls. While a majority of our route takes us through lush cedar groves, and thick stands of Douglas fir, we will run in and out of the burn area. The burned sections offer a unique trail running experience: deep greens of bear grass leaves juxtaposed against blackened tree trunks; primordial cedars giving way to Mordor. Each year we run this trail we get to see the forest in another stage of natural recovery, and as trail runners who love the mountains, we value loving all aspects of the mountains. We appreciate the beautiful variation that fire brings to the hills!
After we reach the peak of the big climb on the top of Mount Silcox, it’s time for some "fun"! The last 4.5 miles of this trail run, we will descend nearly 4,000’ down to the trailhead. With the uphill work done on the front half of the trip, the last few miles is a good chance for you to work on your technical descending skills. Our descent takes us through another portion of that 2021 fire, which means we get more open views of the valley below, and we get to see another part of the natural life cycle of the forest. But this also means that trail conditions for the mile we descend through the burn area are variable from year to year. We could have buffed out trail, or we could see significant log hopping! Montana trail running adventure!
Aside from the last descent, this route is exceptional in the variety of ecosystems we pass through. From the moist cedar grove to subalpine firs to alpine lakes and ridges then back through a lodgepole forest, we will hit just about everything. Don’t miss your chance for this one-of-a-kind trail run.
This trip includes:
The Honeymoon Alpine Running Guides Trip is permitted to be on the Lolo National Forest by the Superior/Thompson Falls Ranger District.
"The chance to run in the remote wilderness with experienced guides gave us the confidence to branch out from our routine trails in Missoula and the Bitterroots...The views, the laughs with Sara and Forrest, and even some trail and running tips along the way make the entire experience more than just worthwhile."
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