Tin Cup Creek Hike (Darby, MT) 

Tin Cup Creek trail near Darby, MT is a 16-mile trek from the trailhead to Tin Cup Lake (at 11 miles) and then to Triple Lakes in Idaho. The entire hike has a 5,500-foot ascent. The trail fords the creek three times at 3.3, 6.3, and 9.1 miles. My wife and I hiked to the second ford for a 12.5-mile in-and-out hike (with only a 700-foot ascent). The trail is well maintained to the first ford. The trail is more overgrown between the first and second fords, plus there are more bogs, streams, and blowdown to navigate. No bug issues. This hike provides a spectacular view of four Bitterroot peaks over 9,200 ft. The Shard is the third highest peak in the Bitterroot Range.