Autumn Creek

Autumn Creek

The trail begins at the historic Marias Pass, the route through the mountains for which the Lewis and Clark Expedition searched unsuccessfully. The 5,200-foot pass is one of the lowest routes over the Continental Divide. While the pass was used by the Salish and Kootenai Indians trekking to buffalo hunts on the plains, the warrior Blackfeet Indians kept most early explorers away. It wasn’t until the late 1880s that a Great Northern Railway surveyor found the pass. The railroad punched a route through in 1891. The highway was completed in 1930. As skiers get their gear ready, and before crossing the railroad tracks, the view above the trees to the northwest is worth a photo. Little Dog Mountain, at 8,610 feet/2,624.5 meters is probably named for Piegan Indian Chief Little Dog, or Imiti-koan, meaning puppy. The trail travels toward Little Dog Mountain in a lodgepole forest near the Continental Divide. Once in the trees, the trail is a gentle single track. Three Bear Lake at .66 mile is a good turn-around point for beginners; the trail becomes more challenging after this point. Surface quality: Skier-tracked.

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