Mount Blackmore Summit

This past Saturday, Vida and I decided to hike up to the tippy-top of Mount Blackmore (10,154 feet ASL), the highest peak in the Hyalite group of Peaks in the Gallatin Range. The best way to describe this hike is an ass-buster. It gains over 3500 feet at a steady always up slope in about 6 miles. But man are the views worth it. Oh, did I mention mosquitoes? We had a few; well, we actually had a biblical style plague of the pesky bloodsuckers. Usually, the higher you go, the less of a swarm is possible. Today was the exception that proves the rule. At the very summit we encountered an electrical buzz. Is it static build-up from the approaching thunderstorm? Nope, it was thousands upon thousands of mosquitoes, and I guess you forgot the bug dope (sorry Sweets). One of the real treats were the chirping Pikas of the talus slopes below the final pass.