Mario Locatelli | Hiking with Mario in Montana’s Bitterroot Mountains

Published: May 10, 2011

Climber and hiker Mario Locatelli, affectionately dubbed the “Montana Mountain Goat,” shares some of his favorite trails in this new hiking guide to the Bitterroot Mountains.  

The guidebook tells how to access 26 of the major canyons on the range’s eastern flank, from Sweeney Creek and Bass Creek to the north, to Blodgett and Mill Creek in the middle of the valley, and southward to Watchtower and Soda Springs Creek.

The book’s 35 chapters also explore avalanches, endurance hikes, winter hiking, snow caves, the area’s flowers and wildlife, and the virtue of packing out what you pack in. The book is also loaded with 178 color photographs by Locatelli, fellow hiker Patrick J. Chaplin and others.

In the foreword, the author’s long-time hiking companion George Corn notes that Locatelli has “introduced two generations of Montanans to the Bitterroots – and not just loving these mountains, but living them. It’s appropriate that he introduces and shares this beautiful range with a wider audience.”

Locatelli certainly brings a wealth of back-country experience to his new venture. In his first book, The Mountain Goat Chronicles, he tells of climbing the 50 highest peaks in North America after the age of 70.

Hiking with Mario was published by Stoneydale Press, Stevensville, MT, and sells for $14.95 softcover. Learn more at www.stoneydale.com.