…of the season. Follow along as the last ABWF stewardship tour watches the season change while off trailing a few miles above Yellowstone National Park terrain.

wood sign by trail reads Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Custer Gallatin National Forest — The start of the AB Wilderness along the Low Specimen Trail

My final backpacking trek of the summer 2026 season appeared to be very fall-esque in nature. I joined the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation for another stewardship tour, this time to the furthest reaches of the Absaroka mountain range from where I live and play. Maybe that is why I chose this particular trek. Or maybe because it’s so close to Yellowstone. Ok, both obvs. Add the squeezing-it-all-in factor since I would begin teaching the Monday after completing the trip.

Here’s the irresistible description from the website where I signed up for this tour:

Knox Lake is a frequented destination, as it provides excellent fishing for pan-sized brook trout. Fawn Lake is a unique glacial "pot hole" on the south side of the impressive Ash Mountain (10,243'), famous for the historic "Kreiger Ditch" once dug by miners attempting to bring water to Crevasse Mining District. The real attraction of this tour is the high-altitude Divide between the two lakes separating Horse Creek and Bear Creek. Reaching heights in excess of 9,500 feet, the views into Yellowstone National Park and the Northern Range are unparalleled, and clocking in over 10 miles for the day. The final day out from Knox Lake is short, giving opportunities to rest, explore Fish Lake or even Monitor Peak. Throughout the tour, we will be recording social encounters data, clearing trees, cleaning water bars and campsites as encountered.

For more info, peruse the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation Trail Projects page.

map of Horse Creek Divide with the route in red and each campsite marked with orange dots — The CalTopo map of the route created by ABWF crew members.

I’ve been excitedly anticipating this trek since signing up. It boasted all the things I love about hiking/backpacking: off-trail adventures, outstanding views, opportunities for wildlife sightings, and trail camaraderie. As the days drew close to taking off, I became unnecessarily nervous about my route finding skills.

Regardless, this culmination of my summer experience lived up to the hype. I even joked with the crew leaders that I appreciated their delivery of a stunning carefully curated backpacking experience in Yellowstone country. Why so great? I’m so glad to share the information with you!

‍ Day one - fawn lake

two adults in grey shirts chop branches off a fallen log that lies across a trail — Clearing trails

Although we didn’t bring a crosscut saw to log out the trail, we did at least trim off all the branches. Here the two crew leaders knock out the heavy duty clearing needed. Behind the scenes, the other volunteer and I cleared all the dead branches and brush from the trail.

The Friday began by meeting at the park at 7:30am to load up for the 3-hour drive to Jardine, an old mining “town” above Gardiner, MT. First, indulge in Cattail Bakery treats. Second, pick up the other volunteer along the way. Third, enjoy the insanely gorgeous drive down Paradise Valley. (Seriously, if you haven’t been, it’s a must visit.) We dropped a car at the Bear Creek Trailhead and backtracked to where we would start—Palmer Mountain trailhead—munching on road snacks while traveling along the rough forest service roads.

The short five miles to Fawn Lake included views, a steep climb during the final push, and great conversation getting to know each other and the responsibilities of the weekend. We also chatted with one local and learned how to document the data we were tasked with collecting for the Forest Service. Arriving at camp, we busied ourselves with collecting firewood for a campfire, filtering water, and setting up tents.

Another requirement of collecting data is observations while at camp. The trail and camp was surprisingly devoid of visitors. A reason could be due to the proximity to Yellowstone where visitors focus their time and energy on rather than outlying trails above the park. The area is known to be used heavily by hunters and outfitters though.

The four of us enjoyed dinner by the campfire, told stories, and ignored the rain that began to fall. Eventually, we put out the fire and crawled into our tents to attempt to sleep. Our tents sat between massive bear scat piles so I held a bit of nervous energy despite how close our tents were huddled together.

Four square images from the hike include one of the crew leaders trimming branches off a fallen tree and all of the hikers walking along the trail with mountains in the distance.

a small, green colored lake is flanked by evergreen trees — Fawn Lake

The lake sat downhill from our campsite and offered a serene setting for the time we spent there.

day two - off trailing

a man walks up a hillside of bright red soil while the sun rises over the distant mountain peak — A crew leader leads the way up an incline along the old shepherd’s driveway.

Day two started with a frosty, overcast morning yet quickly burned off into an inversion when we headed uphill. Although we began walking on the trail, within one tenth of a mile we veered into the woods and began trekking directly through the forest towards a scree field. Along the bottom of the scree field we discovered the old sheep herder’s route to follow towards Ash Mountain.

It led us up to a dry drainage that we climbed to a wide, grassy area. The inversion views behind us were spectacular and the surrounding rock outcroppings were unique enough to warrant my constant picture taking actions. Then, we came to an edge that overlooked a meadow and views of the Beartooth mountain range far beyond. We all audibly ooohed and ahhhed as we came upon it and stood at the edge of the drop. Below us lakes glistened in the sun and fall colors displayed evidence of the crisp air around us.

rocks descend into a meadow where the grass is a mixture of fall colors and the trees are deep green — Overlooking the Hellroaring Cabin meadow area, the crew relished second brekky. If you recall Sprite and Wolverine Whisperer visiting that spot earlier this summer, great catch!

A panoramic view of Horse Creek Divide.

Enamored with the view we decided to tuck into second breakfast to make it last. Continuing on, we zigzagged down the steep embankment and turned left (north) to skirt the mountain we just descended from and ducked into the trees. Still descending, we stepped carefully down through rocks and fallen trees. Faster than expected we discovered the Ash Mountain Way trail we were aiming for and looked for signs of its decommissioned status.

By the time we sat in a meadow for lunch, we had traveled through forest, scree fields, a grassy plateau, across lava rock piles, and pristine meadow with lakes. The geography boggled my mind. During lunch we pulled out our tent flies to dry in the sun and warm breeze. The easy traveling kept us in great spirits and we discussed climbing a mountain peak the next morn before our trek out.

Finn_shepherds driveway drainage_portrait.jpg

shepherds driveway drainage_portrait.jpg

After lunch we climbed what one ABWF staffer named Spaceman Pass, which is full of red volcanic basalt or rhyolite and looked like a molten amphitheater designed for giants. Cairns guided us towards more meadows where we would find our trail junction and our halfway point. At this point a member of the team needed to check on a hot spot on their heel so we stopped to soak in the sun while they adjusted moleskin.

This portion of the trail flew by for me and it felt quick to arrive at our final junction to aim for Knox Lake. With only 1.5 miles left the uphill battles we experienced were taken in stride. Each pond we walked by offered picture perfect moments and I couldn’t help but feel lucky to visit this new to me area. When we arrived at the lake, we found some illegal fire rings to disperse before finding camp.

After setting up camp, I went to explore more of the lake and lucked out with a bald eagle sighting. I spooked the creature and it swooped in front of me then landed in a tree across the lake. I may not have been lucky to see any wildlife along the trails this summer but every ABWF trip has graced me with a bald eagle viewing. If you’ve been following along for a while, you know the significance of those sightings for me and how uplifting they are to my heart.

The large campsite proved to be a nice spot to enjoy another campfire, funny tales, and an extra large dinner with treats. One of the crew leaders plied us with chocolate and apple cider while the other regaled us with humorous tales of his siblings. The cider really hit the spot and time with these fabulous humans built unforgettable moments.

peeking through trees out to a lake that abuts a pyramid shaped peak — Knox Lake

The jewel-toned water under Monitor Peak is a known fishing paradise. Only four miles from the trailhead, we were shocked it wasn’t a busier weekend at this location.

Day Three - Knox Lake

a hiker extends both arms for balance while walking across a log above a creek — Trail Memories

The short four mile hike included this creek crossing, hunting for ripe thimbleberries, and discussing the various types of rock faces of the surrounding mountains.

A leisurely morning had me up early in attempts to see wildlife. Not a single moose, elk, or bear showed itself. Not. A. Single. One. The joke that they’re all in town eating our garbage continues. We all broke down camp quickly when we heard raindrops. They dissipated mere seconds after appearing though so we took our time enjoying breakfast. We only had four miles to travel to the Bear Creek trailhead after all.

Once we retrieved the second car from Palmer Mountain, we determined to stop in Emigrant for lunch at the barbeque joint. I’d been wanting to check it out someday. The sunny day was perfect for a road trip. The leaves of the trees along the banks of the Yellowstone River shined their golden fall hues under the sun. We passed a bighorn sheep beside the road and laughed at that being our wildlife sighting.

Music, views, and good company. Also, the cookies I brought for the ride home topped off the BBQ beautifully. I couldn’t ask for better and am deeply appreciative for the chance to join this trip. The crew leader and I discussed which tours to sign up for next year. Are you ready to join me?