October 1, 2022

On the Road Again

The day we were flying back to Montana we looked at a house. I had gone the day before without Peter to check it out being 70 percent sure it wasn’t going to work. But it was actually very cool, much better than expected and we went back together to check it out the next day right before we got on the plane. It turns out that one day delay probably cost us the house. At least we had a beautiful hike starting at Storm Castle Peak Trailhead to console us.

Do you ever to that? Question simple decisions after the fact? Had we put in an offer the first day I looked at it we would be moving back to Cincinnati, much to our surprise. It was really a once in a lifetime house and thinking about that now is definitely a bit frustrating. I know that sounds like an impossible statement, but when I share about it later you’ll understand.

Right now I don’t want to jinx things since we do have a signed backup offer in with the sellers. Although chances are slim, you never know what might happen. This particular house was already under contract once before and financing fell through. The offer they accepted contains an appraisal gap clause and they waived inspections so we just have to hope something unexpected happens in our favor.

So if you’re someone prone to prayer or putting good juju out in the universe for others, please keep us in your thoughts that things work out as they should.

Once we found out we didn’t get the house, our time back in Montana went back to much like it was before. Working during the day and hiking and cooking after work. We still didn’t catch anything on the Gallatin but it sure is beautiful to look at. We also got back to one of our favorite restaurants, Horn and Cantle, one last time.

Storm Castle Peak Trailhead

Wednesday was our best hike yet. We took on Storm Castle Peak, which is the giant rock we look at from the deck of the cabin. After looking at it for nearly a month, it was past time to give this trek a try.

It’s an almost 2,000 foot gain in just under two miles, so it’s no wimpy hike! It was a little scary for me since most of the trail is right on the edge of the mountain. The Storm Castle Peak trailhead is easily found off of Gallatin Road on the way to Big Sky. Just go over the Gallatin River on Squaw Peak bridge then turn right on Storm Castle Road. You'll go past the helicopter pad and some beautiful views of the Gallatin River. Less than two miles after the turnoff you'll arrive at the trailhead parking on your left.

Storm Castle in the distance with Diamond Girl all packed and ready for the next stop

I’m scared of heights in a way that if seems like falling to my death is a possibility it will give me some anxiety. It amazes me that I'm mostly able to overcome this when I'm snowboarding.

Parts of this hike were on soft forest floor through the trees but parts were on the edge of very rocky terrain where a fall would absolutely cause a serious injury even if it didn’t quite result in death.

I most definitely recommend hiking poles for the Storm Castle trail. It's very rocky and narrow in parts and they're especially helpful on the way down to keep from slipping.

I love my Koviti collapsible poles, they're very light and easy to put in your pack so you don't have to have them out all the time when you don't need them.

Travel essential

There is one item every traveler NEEDS. Some travelers don’t even know they need it, but those are the people that need it most!

What is this forgotten essential of travel life? SPOILERS! Guess you’ll just have to click the button to find out. 😉

FIND OUT WHAT IT IS!!!

The payoff was worth it though, as the views from the top were spectacular. I even have a little drone footage to share with you but I still need more practice. I kept getting the high altitude warning so it was making me pretty nervous.

Near the Storm Castle Peak trailhead you'll also find Storm Castle Creek, the Spire Rock Campground and the Rat Lake trailhead, which is just a little further down the road.

Author

Cheryl McColgan
Cheryl McColgan is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Heal Nourish Grow, where she has published evidence-based health and nutrition content since 2018.
With over 30 years of experience in fitness, nutrition, and healthy living, and nearly 20 years of professional editorial and journalism experience, she brings both subject-matter depth and trained editorial judgment to everything on the site.
Cheryl holds a degree in Psychology with a minor in Addictions Studies, completed graduate training in Clinical Psychology, and is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and E-RYT Certified Yoga Instructor.
She is the author of 21 Day Fat Loss Kickstart, Make Keto Easy, Take Diet Breaks and Still Lose Weight, The Grain Free Cookbook for Beginners, and Easy Weeknight Keto.
Read more about Cheryl and the journey that created Heal Nourish Grow <a href="https://healnourishgrow.com/about">on the about page</a>.
Cheryl McColgan is the founder of Heal Nourish Grow, where she writes about protein, body composition, healthy aging, and evidence-based nutrition, along with the everyday habits that actually make those things work in real life.
With a background in psychology and graduate training in clinical psychology, plus nearly 20 years of experience in editorial and publishing, Cheryl approaches health from both a research and real-world perspective. She’s also been immersed in fitness and nutrition for more than 25 years, which gives her a practical lens most purely academic content tends to miss.
Her work today focuses heavily on protein intake (especially for women), muscle retention, metabolic health, and sustainable fat loss, along with topics like sleep, recovery, and wearable health tech. You’ll also find a mix of high-protein, low-carb recipes designed to make hitting those goals easier without overcomplicating things.
Cheryl’s interest in health and nutrition became more personal after navigating her own autoimmune challenges, which pushed her to dig deeper into how lifestyle, diet, and daily habits impact long-term health. That experience continues to shape how she approaches everything on this site: practical, realistic, and focused on what actually works over time.
What Cheryl Covers
Most of the content here falls into a few core areas:
Protein & Muscle Health: how much you actually need, especially for women and how to use protein to support strength, body composition, and aging
Fat Loss & Metabolic Health: sustainable approaches that prioritize muscle retention and long-term results
Healthy Habits & Lifestyle: sleep, movement, strength training, consistency, and the small things that compound over time
Wearables & Recovery: real-world testing and comparisons of tools like Oura, Whoop and others
High-Protein & Low-Carb Recipes: simple, realistic meals that support your goals without feeling restrictive
Travel & Lifestyle: wellness-focused travel, outdoor experiences, and a slightly more elevated take on healthy living
If you're new, here are a few good places to begin:
30 Day Healthy Habits Challenge
Protein Foundations
High Protein Recipes
About Cheryl & Heal Nourish Grow
Coaching and Programs

Cheryl McColgan

Cheryl McColgan is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Heal Nourish Grow, where she has published evidence-based health and nutrition content since 2018.

With over 30 years of experience in fitness, nutrition, and healthy living, and nearly 20 years of professional editorial and journalism experience, she brings both subject-matter depth and trained editorial judgment to everything on the site.

Cheryl holds a degree in Psychology with a minor in Addictions Studies, completed graduate training in Clinical Psychology, and is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and E-RYT Certified Yoga Instructor.
She is the author of 21 Day Fat Loss Kickstart, Make Keto Easy, Take Diet Breaks and Still Lose Weight, The Grain Free Cookbook for Beginners, and Easy Weeknight Keto.

Read more about Cheryl and the journey that created Heal Nourish Grow <a href="https://healnourishgrow.com/about">on the about page</a>.
Cheryl McColgan is the founder of Heal Nourish Grow, where she writes about protein, body composition, healthy aging, and evidence-based nutrition, along with the everyday habits that actually make those things work in real life.

With a background in psychology and graduate training in clinical psychology, plus nearly 20 years of experience in editorial and publishing, Cheryl approaches health from both a research and real-world perspective. She’s also been immersed in fitness and nutrition for more than 25 years, which gives her a practical lens most purely academic content tends to miss.

Her work today focuses heavily on protein intake (especially for women), muscle retention, metabolic health, and sustainable fat loss, along with topics like sleep, recovery, and wearable health tech. You’ll also find a mix of high-protein, low-carb recipes designed to make hitting those goals easier without overcomplicating things.

Cheryl’s interest in health and nutrition became more personal after navigating her own autoimmune challenges, which pushed her to dig deeper into how lifestyle, diet, and daily habits impact long-term health. That experience continues to shape how she approaches everything on this site: practical, realistic, and focused on what actually works over time.

What Cheryl Covers

Most of the content here falls into a few core areas:

Protein & Muscle Health: how much you actually need, especially for women and how to use protein to support strength, body composition, and aging
Fat Loss & Metabolic Health: sustainable approaches that prioritize muscle retention and long-term results
Healthy Habits & Lifestyle: sleep, movement, strength training, consistency, and the small things that compound over time
Wearables & Recovery: real-world testing and comparisons of tools like Oura, Whoop and others
High-Protein & Low-Carb Recipes: simple, realistic meals that support your goals without feeling restrictive
Travel & Lifestyle: wellness-focused travel, outdoor experiences, and a slightly more elevated take on healthy living

If you're new, here are a few good places to begin:

30 Day Healthy Habits Challenge

Protein Foundations

High Protein Recipes

About Cheryl & Heal Nourish Grow

Coaching and Programs

See all posts by Cheryl