BOU AVENUE
Big Butte
On 28 December 2024, Zosia Zgolak and I hiked up Big Butte, a prominent landmark in the city of Butte, Montana.  This was a transition day for us as we moved our holiday home base from Bozeman to Missoula, and Big Butte provided an opportunity for us to stop and stretch our legs a bit.  The ascent is short and largely trivial (multiple routes start from the trailhead parking area located at 46.02196, -112.55719), but the top of Big Butte does provide a nice viewpoint of the entire city and surrounding landscape.  Big Butte is also famous for the large "M" which can be seen on its eastern flank both day and night.
Watch out for broken coconuts here! Zosia goes through a fence at the trailhead for Big Butte.  She would later return along the gated road at left.
Still a hands-in-pocket kinda hike! The trail up the west side of Big Butte is short but steep.

The city has a tired feel to it...

The city of Butte is spread out below Big Butte.

 

Kinda creepy! Here is a zoomed-in view of the statue, Our Lady of the Rockies, on a ridge across the valley.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
Ironically, the highest point doesn't have the best views! Zosia and Sonny pose near the high point of Big Butte (1924 metres).
M is for... Big Butte's "M" was built in 1910 to honour the Montana State School of Mines, known presently as Montana Technological University.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
Another easy one for padding peakbaggers' numbers! Total Distance:  958 metres
Round-Trip Time:  37 minutes
Cumulative Elevation Gain:  68 metres

GPX Data