To and Fro...

Hither and yon....this is shooting across the valley from the Bitterroot side to the Sapphire Range, the other wilderness area. Little Hamilton lies at the bottom of the valley to the left. Designated wilderness areas like the Bitterroot-Selway Wilderness on the west side and the eastern flank Anaconda-Pintlar Wilderness, which is the Sapphire Range, are wild and roadless. No motorized vehicles are allowed except on two old trails that cross each one. Skalkaho Rd. crosses the Sapphires and ends up at Philipsburg, an old mining town full of colorful Victorian buildings. It passes by the bottom of a large waterfall and has steep drops. Not for the faint of heart. The Elk City Road crosses the Bitterroots to Elk City, a tiny community that doesn't exist in the winter. Crossing this road takes a large 4x4 and lots of gas. It is only passable in August. So the only way in and out of the Bitterroot Valley is the north/south running Highway 93, which is mostly 2-lane and crosses passes on both ends. You'll see lots of trips from this highway :-)