1. Does Chief Mountain customs to Belly River Ranger Station and return make a good day hike? I know it is supposed to be a steep climb at the end on the way back to Chief Mountain. About a twelve mile round trip I guess.
I like it lot. It is a river valley hike but quite open and with great views and meadows. The ranger station has wonderful views and if the ranger is around will often invite you in for a look around. You can wander down to the Gable creek campground or over over to the suspension bridge over the river with slight extra effort. You visit the horses/mules for a bit if they are around and that interests you. The climb at the end is a nuisance but not all that bad.
2. How about a loop - hiking out the Lee Ridge trail to its intersection with the Gable Pass trail and then on that trail to the Belly River Ranger Station and then to Chief Mountain customs? I recall hearing that the descent on the Gable Pass trail to the Ranger Station is a bit steep. Looks to be about 16 miles.
Even better. The first few miles out the Lee Ridge trail are in the trees but then you break out into the best views of the whole area. You can see way up into the Belly River and way out onto the prairie. The trail down to the ranger station is a knee pounder all right but just take it slow. Or if you prefer a steep climb to a steep downhill do it in reverse.
3. Does a hike on the Lee Ridge trail and Gable Pass trail (or is that trail east of the intersection actually the Otatso Creek Trail?) to Gable Pass and/or Slide Lake and return make a good day hike? Looks to be about 16 -17 miles round trip.
The Lee Ridge trail to the Lee Ridge/Gable Pass trail junction is spectacular in its last miles and well worth a day hike. I would say the the trip from the junction over to Gable Pass and down to Slide Lake, while nice, doesn’t have quite the scenic/effort ratio as the other options. The trail down to Slide is steep and rocky and in the trees for a large part of the distance. It is all nice enough but I probably wouldn’t go past the junction on a Lee Ridge day hike unless I was headed to the ranger station.