The Sperry Trail (description)

The trail to Sperry starts across the road from the Lake McDonald Lodge parking lot, near the head of Lake McDonald. You're immediately into the old growth forest of cedar and hemlock along the south edge of the Lake. The Lake McDonald Horse Corral is located a bit to the left as you start. The elevation of the trailhead is about 3200 feet, and it's 6.7 miles to Sperry from here.

The trail works its way up the base of Mount Brown through a series of switchbacks. About 600 yards up the trail you'll cross a small streamlet aptly named Midget Creek, it runs all summer. It's 'up' from here. About a mile up, the Mount Brown Lookout trail forks to the left, and a bit further the Snyder Lakes trail also forks to the left. The trail then drops down to Crystal Ford on Snyder Creek, the horse ford to the left, the footbridge to the right. On the other side of the bridge the Fish Lake trail forks to the right. This is the last trail junction until you get to Sperry.

It's 'up' from Crystal Ford for another half mile or so over the west ridge of Mount Edwards. As you come around the ridge to Sprague Creek valley you'll notice the forest changing into pines, firs and larch. The wild flowers change with the season, and wild huckleberries can sometimes be found, depending on the season. The trail finally levels out a little for a few miles along the south side of the ridge.

The trail works its way up the Sprague Creek valley and an ever changing forest until you reach a long switchback that starts you up the southern rock mass of Mount Edwards and into view of Beaver Medicine Falls off to the right.

A series of smaller switchbacks take you up into the next little valley and alpine forest above the falls. Note the valleys are "U" shaped, carved by glacial ice, not water. As the alpine forest thins out around you, you should be able to spot the chalets perched on the cliff above and to the right. The smaller kitchen/dining room to the left and the hotel to the right. So close! But you've still a way to go, mostly more 'up', but don't give up!

The trail continues along Mount Edwards crossing over to Gunsight mountain at the top of the valley. Sperry Chalet is on the west side of Gunsight mountain, Sperry Glacier is up on the northeast side of Gunsight and can't be seen from here.

Beaver Medicine Falls

As you stagger up to the footbridge over Sprague Creek, you'll sense you're breathing 'mountain air', and it will give you the 'lift' you need to finish the last bit to the chalet. You're now in Mountain Goat territory. The Sperry Glacier trail forks to the left just below the chalet. As you wobble up to the dining room door, you'll be an average 4.5 hours older (might feel like more) and 3300 feet higher than where you started from. Catch your breath, a drink of water, then go out on the dining room porch and see where you started this adventure, 'way down there by the lake', but you're at Sperry Chalet!

Check in at the desk and get the bad news, the hotel is further 'up', and your room might be on the second floor!

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