A Hike to the "M" Power

Above the city of Missoula, Montana, resting on a mountainside, is a large letter “M” made of concrete. It’s painted white. It’s visible throughout town. There’s a hiking trail leading up to the M, and it’s one of the most popular hikes in the state of Montana. For the past century, students at the University of Montana and city residents have hiked the trail.

For several days, we’ve been taunted by the ever-present M. The M is like the moon – it follows you wherever you go. It’s always there, looking down upon you, beckoning…

Leaving the city of Missoula without hiking to the M would be like visiting Paris without investigating that big bright tower thing that everyone keeps talking about.

This morning -- our last in Missoula for a while -- we dragged ourselves out of our cozy Airstream cocoon, met up with our friend Scott, and tackled the M.

The hike was brutal, confirming how utterly out-of-shape I’ve become. But we did finally make it to the M! Hopefully I worked off a little of that excellent pub chow we've been enjoying in Missoula.

Today we hitch up the Airstream and drive towards Glacier National Park.