Hidden deep in Montana’s Mission Mountains, known by few and reached by even fewer, this high alpine lake feels like a true hidden gem. Early in the season, icebergs float on its glassy surface, and the towering peaks cast sparkling reflections over the frigid water.

Justin and his brother, Travis, spent hours trekking to the lake, hauling a paddle with dreams of “riding” an iceberg, only to find out the ice hadn’t broken loose from the shore yet. The brothers stomped, jumped, and hacked at the ice with the paddle until it finally broke apart. After paddling the iceberg around the lake, a well-earned nap in the sunshine was in order. “We had the whole place to ourselves. Just us, the mountains, and the icebergs. It felt like we were in the world’s largest infinity pool.”

Mission Mountains, Montana | 2023