The trail begins at a fork. One direction leads one-half mile downhill, to Fairy Lake. While the other is Sacagawea Peak Trail. The short trek down to Fairy Lake is well worth the venture. Whether you do it before the rest of the hike, or after, is a personal choice.
The Sacagawea Trail is a short, but strenuous, 2.2-mile (one-way) hike, that begins in a Pine Forest. The trail continues into Alpine Tundra. Shortly thereafter, there’s a handful of switchbacks that reach the saddle. Where the trail splits in two directions. The left leads to Sacagawea Peak while the right heads to Pomp and/or Hardscrabble Peak.
I chose to climb Sacagawea first. It was the peak I’d come for and I wanted to be sure I summited it. The final approach moves through loose rock and scree but is pretty straight forward. Climbing Sacagawea first turned out to be the right decision.
I took in the view with reverence while snapping up photos. The goats continued to approach the summit, eventually passing 3 feet in front of me. They were incredibly docile. The family continued to stare at me as they passed by. After speculating, I’ve deduced that people have been feeding them.
I’ll take this moment to note, if you’re anywhere in nature, around wildlife, then it’s important you do NOT feed them. Wildlife can become dependent on humans for food. This can cause adverse health risks due to malnutrition. It can also create a potential public health risk as well.
One Down and Two to Go!
I descended to the saddle and decided to make the journey up to Pomp Peak. The climb was steep and included minor sections that needed bouldering. There were a couple parts where I had to scramble over scree as well. As the rule goes, the more difficult the journey the more rewarding the achievement. And it this one did not disappoint. Pomp provided the best views of all three.
I climbed over the ridge, to the summit, where the view extended out past the immediate rock layer. Suddenly, Hardscrabble Peak seemed much closer than it appeared from Sacagawea’s saddle. So, I decided to summit that one too.
In the distance, I could see some thunderstorms building on the horizon. So, I cut my time short on the summit. After capturing a few pictures, I moved on quickly.
I began to climb down the backside of Pomp Peak. I discovered many loose rocks and a makeshift trail that led to the saddle. The trail continued to climb to Hardscrabble Peak, but not without some struggles first.
On the other side of the small summit, the trail weaved back and forth between loose scree and alpine tundra. This made for cautious maneuvering. It ensured that no loose rocks would eject from beneath me as I climbed to the summit. I could see rain moving in from a distance, so I decided it’d be best to be quick. I snapped a few pictures and headed for the Sacagawea saddle.
After the small scree summit, the climb down was straightforward. I was able to skirt under, and around, the side of Pomp Peak. Each summit provided different views of the Crazy Mountain range in the east. Then, there are the Spanish Peaks and the Tobacco Root Mountains to the west.
I will be back to this inspiring hike. It has many incredible views of the Bozeman valley, and the mountains that encircle it. I would definitely recommend any part of this hike to any outdoor enthusiast. I look forward to knocking Naya Nuki off my list as I try to hike the entire Bridger Range. Looking for an easier hike, then check out my article about Triple Tree Trail south of Bozeman.
