Surprise Lake (Clarks Fork, MT)

Drainage: Clarks Fork (MT)
Approaches: Lady of the Lake — 7.75 mi, 6 on trail with 1.75 mi off-trail; 1,600 ft up, 450 ft down

Elevation: 9,922 feet
Fish: Yellowstone cutthroat (FWP)
Coordinates: 45.08780, -109.83146
Bugs: Minimal on our visit

Getting there

The documented approach is from Lady of the Lake, 7.5 miles with the last three off trail.

We came the long way. Surprise came on the third day of a thru hike that started at the Lady of the Lake Trailhead. A thru hike takes two vehicles. We left one at the Clarks Fork end of the Beaten Path, drove around to Lady of the Lake in the other, and started walking. Set the shuttle rig before you leave, not after.

The hike

From Weasel Lake it is about a quarter mile east-southeast, roughly fifteen minutes of easy walking across open rolling bench country with a full pack. No tread, but nothing technical either. After Stash and Weasel this is the third lake in under half a mile, and the shortest leg of the entire trip.

Surprise is small, about three and a half acres, tucked in among the high shelf lakes. FWP lists Yellowstone cutthroat.

Sodalite is the next water east-southeast, a mile and a quarter on, and that stretch walks a good deal harder than this one.

Tips & safety

• Navigation: no maintained trail through this upper basin. Continuous route finding between the shelf lakes, though this particular leg is as easy as the shelf gets.

• Fishing: FWP lists Yellowstone cutthroat.

• Camping: Surprise sits at 9,922 feet on open rolling bench, above the last real timber, so there is no wind shelter to speak of and the shoreline is rock and low ground cover. At three and a half acres it is a small pocket of water with limited shore to work with. We came through in the afternoon on a moving day without scouting sites, so take this as terrain description rather than a report on what is available.

• Thru hike logistics: this is point to point, not a loop. Your ride has to already be parked at the exit trailhead.