Hiking the M

A couple of weeks ago, one of my friends invited me to hike the M with her. It was Friday afternoon and I had been debating whether I should go to Bridger or not, but as it was getting a bit late for Bridger to be worth it, I decided to hike with her.

The M is Bozeman's iconic hike; chances are if you've visited you've seen the giant white MSU "M" on the side of the Bridger mountains. It's visible from pretty much anywhere in town. It's fairly short, it took us probably an hour and a half total with breaks. My friend brought her dog, so we stopped at the top to throw a stick for him and take a little break.

There are a couple of different routes up, one which is easier and has a lot of switchbacks, and another which leads basically straight up. On the way up the easier trail are several "shortcuts" which lead up steeper trails. We took the easy way up and the direct way down. Overall, it was a fun hike, and it was nice to get outside a do something other than go snowboarding. The trail was still kind of slushy and muddy in places, but was definitely in good condition.

Here's me at the top of the M. The picture at the top is the view from the top. If you visit Bozeman, I would recommend it for a short excursion. The view from the top is beautiful and all of Bozeman is visible. It's good to get outside!