Independence Mine - Blue Lake 9/5 (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Sep 11, 2017
Threads
32
Messages
777
Location
Bozeman, MT
I'm gonna run up to Independence Mine / Blue Lake on Saturday. It's on my bucket list for this summer. I'm expecting it to be full of ATVs Saturday but that's my best day to get out. From what I understand the trail is not too difficult and I'm guaranteed new pinstripes. :hillbilly:

Posting up if anyone wants to tag along for all or part of it. (Disclaimer: Not a club run and I might be packing kids and dogs. :bounce:)

I'm flexible on departure time, but thinking of leaving around 9 am from Bozo. Over by way of Swingley Road. Lunch/Snacks up at the Lake. Then back home around dinner time. Or maybe dinner/beer in Livingston.

Post up or PM if interested.

---
@3GT4R I think it was you I was talking to at the last club meeting.
 
Matt-

I just ran this with a few guys a few weeks ago... @adventurefamly @ttFJC and it is a great trail, it is uneventful as far as obstacles.

It would make for one LONG day. We rolled at 9am from Bozo and stopped at the Natural Bridges for 30-45 minutes and aired down... we hit the trail head by lunch, and the lake by 4pm or so.

It's about a 1/2 million miles of rough corrugated road, and yes pin stripping is standard.

It could be done in a day but it's gonna make for a LONG day. Just a heads up. We camped at the top, it was epic. I think leaving Bozo at 9am and eating lunch at the Lake would be wishful thinking at best. We left camp the next day at 9am ish and hit the pavement about 3ish with a long lunch. The pavement ends and starts at Natural Bridges. Bryan brought his trailer, and we stopped at the ghost town and for a few photo ops... which did slow us down a few times but nothing major.
resized shot.jpg
 
its well worth the long haul. i try and make it out there at least once a year. Top five for sure. Get gas in big timber just to be safe. Ask me how i know
 
Last edited:
Yeah, one long day! The Prospector and I left town Saturday at 10 am and got back around 9:30 pm. Super cool area though. Worth the drive for sure. We saw a few ATVs up there, but it wasn't nearly as busy as I thought it would be. Only two other full size rigs on the trail, a new jeep and an old jeep. Old Jeep had carb issues and was sputtering up the trail, and losing tranny fluid. I didn't see them on the way out, so I'm guessing he did ok. On the way back, we hit up the Grand in Big Timber for dinner. One of my favorite places. Rolling into Bozo that night you could see the pink haze from the Bridger fire behind Kelly Canyon. Both of us were pretty stunned since the fire looked pretty harmless that morning as we left town.

Had I two days, I would've fished a bit at the lake and along the Boulder. Next time...

IMG_4906.jpg


IMG_4965.jpg


IMG_4910.jpg
 
i usually take the shortcut from livingston, saves some miles and is nice country. comes out somewhere north of the natural bridge. probably doesn't save any time but keeps off the interstate from livingston to big timber
 
Matt-

I just ran this with a few guys a few weeks ago... @adventurefamly @ttFJC and it is a great trail, it is uneventful as far as obstacles.

It would make for one LONG day. We rolled at 9am from Bozo and stopped at the Natural Bridges for 30-45 minutes and aired down... we hit the trail head by lunch, and the lake by 4pm or so.

It's about a 1/2 million miles of rough corrugated road, and yes pin stripping is standard.

It could be done in a day but it's gonna make for a LONG day. Just a heads up. We camped at the top, it was epic. I think leaving Bozo at 9am and eating lunch at the Lake would be wishful thinking at best. We left camp the next day at 9am ish and hit the pavement about 3ish with a long lunch. The pavement ends and starts at Natural Bridges. Bryan brought his trailer, and we stopped at the ghost town and for a few photo ops... which did slow us down a few times but nothing major.
View attachment 2429087
That trail is a pinstripers paradise :) but I can't wait to do it again.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom