Bluebird Day Brings Views, Ice, Mud, Meeting Denise from Sunburst
 Hiking in winter? We sure have been this year as it has been unseasonably warm except for two weeks. So this time, we headed toward Helena at 8 a.m. After a stop at the Mountain View Coop, we arrived at the trailhead at 10 a.m. We welcomed Denise W from Sunburst on her first hike with us after many canceled hikes before we connected. She drove all the way from Sunburst to meet us at 8 a.m. We were impressed. We had planned to meet Mary N from Missoula, but she canceled due to not trusting her two new knees enough to handle the hike; this left those wanting a slower pace to go at the faster pace of our mixed group. But everyone did great. We all made it to the high point with the fabulous views. It is a bit of a hump getting to the top, especially at the start of the hiking season. We did see the beginnings of bitterroot coming up, so this might be a great place to come the first part of June to see our state flower in bloom. The trail had quite a bit of snow and ice in sections, but we managed to maneuver around or cross gingerly so no one fell even without putting on our yaktrax. On the way back, the ice had softened and snow melted, making for a very muddy trail. Some thought the mud was slipperier than the ice. Our cars were caked with mud as we drove out on the dirt road. All in all, it was a nice five-mile hike on a sunny day. We arrived home around 3:30. Who went: Denise W, Gail, Jo Ann, Susan, Kuntzie, Maria, Doreen, Katie |
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