South Hills Helena, May 19, 2019 Gals Explore New Area in Helena South Hills
On a gray day, three GiG gals headed to Helena, hoping for no rain. The predictions were for rain and wind in Great Falls all week, so we went south since the weather looked more favorable that direction.
And we were right. We didn't get rained on and no wind! Although, we were quite cold when we started, necessitating gloves and jackets.Susan never did strip down to her last layer, I think a first for her. Mary kept all five of her layers on the whole time, with Katie taking off one layer just to put it back on once we reached our ridge top snack break. We did encounter a few hikers (two with dogs) and quite a few bikers, who were a bit scary due to how fast and silently they came upon us. But everyone was respectful and polite. The hikers yielded to uphill traffic while we stepped off the trail for the bikers, so they wouldn't have to lose their momentum. We took the Don't Fence Me In trail to the Water Line to the TR to the Pinchot to the Rodney Ridge and Meadow trails, which completed a nice loop. At the far end of the Rodney Ridge trail, we continued up a spur trail to view the Top of the World view spot and then backtracked to our loop. The views were lovely even though the low clouds blocked the far mountains. We could still see snow-capped peaks as well as the surrounding hills, houses and creeks. The trail is a variety of forest, meadow and ridgelines with views. We also saw 14 flowers: fitillary, 9-leaf biscuitroot, cous biscuitroot, American vetch, fairybells/red twin berry, pasque flower, arrowleaf balsamroot, buttercup, phlox, douglasia, virgin's bower/clematis, skunkcap sumac, shooting star to name a few. A few times we were confused about the trails as there were unmarked social trails. However, with the aid of the South Hills Trail map and our cell phones, we easily found our way. The trip took us just under 3 hours to complete, and then we headed to lunch at the Brew Pub, but first we stopped at the Base Camp to purchase more maps and take a look at gear. We got back to GF just after 4 p.m. to face the howling winds. |
North Fork Highwood, May 13, 2019: Late Season Still Produces Flowers in Highwoods
 Pasque flower
A group of nine ladies headed out after work to the Highwoods to try the North Fork Trail for an evening hike. There were clouds looming over the Little Belts but the Highwood mountains looked inviting. It was nice to have Bonnie along on the drive because she was raised in the area and gave us some history and showed us the family ranch with all of the newborn calves that her brother now runs. She also pointed out some sketchy bridges and guided us on the dirt road.
We arrived at the parking area and then crossed a small foot bridge to the trail head. All though the hike is a short one, it is a little steep and starts in the trees and heads to a ridge where the view are super. You can see Baldy which still has some snow on the top of the mountain. After the ridge we came to a stand of trees and five of the group lead by Katie, headed to the top. The rest of the group continued along the trail to meet up with them. When we stopped we were in voice contact with them but they did not show up so our group turned around and then waited for them on the ridge. We started down the trail and very shortly the group was in view. Although the flowers are late this year, we still saw 20 different varieties, including pasque, cous biscuitroot, fritillaries/yellow bell, sugar bell, chickweed, woodland star, shooting star, golden pea with the arrowleaf balsamroot just starting. We were dismayed to fine that motorcycles had used the trail and also there were other vehicles had climbed a hill by the parking lot when motorized vehicles were to remain on the road. After a beautiful evening for a hike we returned to Great Falls at 8:30 just as a few drops of rain came down. Thanks Amber and Jeanne for driving. The ladies who went were: Amber, Rose, Judy, Jeanne, Beth, Katie, Gail, Bonnie W and Christi. |
Many Glacier Waterfalls, May 11, 2019: Snow Shortens Hikes on Warm Many Glacier Day
Two groups of the GiG headed out for a day in Many Glacier to see Apikuni and Redrock falls. Both groups found more snow than expected.
Longer Group hike 6 a.m. group Brenda Brooks Susan Woyth Viki Gallagher Judy Held Amber Pedersen Mary Somerfeld Karen Spencer Kuntzie Kuntz Highlights of our trip: Kuntzie woke up late so that gave Susan time to grab a coffee while we waited. At the turnoff Amber made the rookie mistake of not speaking up about the bathroom and wound up having to 'read a sign" on the side of the road prior to arriving in Browning. As we entered the park Susan was deeply concerned about how low the water was and expressed her dismay several times. Finding an open bathroom proved more challenging than we first thought. Pete, a lone hiker was very helpful with suggestions...there was great little loner pit toilet in a parking lot behind the Many Glacier hotel that we finally found. We made our way back to the Apikuni trailhead and began our journey. We ran into Pete again taking pictures of the pasque flowers (crocus), and he joined us to the falls. The trail was nice with minimal snow to traverse. The temperature was perfect and the wind was practically non existent (no, really!) The elevation gain was just enough to get the heart pumping! Judy decided pants were optional and did not need her under tights-- and Amber quickly learned the Lesson of the day: Snow does not mean cold! The Apikuni Falls were absolutely beautiful and it was great little jaunt to get our day started. Pete continued on above the falls and we met with the sister GIG group on our way back down. We were all so enthusiastic about our great little loner pit toilet we decided it was worth another stop on our way to the Bullhead lake trailhead. Some folks had mentioned a Mama bear and cubs on the road but we did not see anything other than an impressive pile of scat. The trailhead to Bullhead lake looked quite promising until about 500 ft. past the bridge. Much of the trail was shaded by trees and the snow had not completely melted. Probably 75% of our journey to Red Rock Falls was through the snow. We had nice deep moose tracks to helps us avoid some of the deeper post holing spots but never did find our moose guide. We had lunch at Red Rock Falls and after a brief, unsuccessful scouting trip to find the trail to Bullhead Lake we determined it was not to be. Kuntzie had already determined she was not going any further! The snow was far too deep and we did not want to risk losing Judy up to her hips again! The snow coming back was very slushy and slippery and the post holing was quite frustrating as well. Our only wildlife were some gophers and ducks with white stripes. We did earn ourselves a nice little merit badge for finding lost bear spray and sunglasses on the way out. Once we changed out of our slushy shoes we just could not miss the opportunity the stop by our great little loner pit toilet again. As we left the park and started into the reservation we all shared in the concern for just how low that darn water really was! Gas in Browning and on to dinner at Buffalo Joe's. Our sister group was already there and eating and after a small panic by the hostess we all enjoyed an wonderful meal. All in all it was a great day in the park and good times were had by all! Shorter Group HIke Our group left Great Falls at 7:00 a.m.: Gail, Maria, Anita, Jeanne, and Jo Ann. Gail drove. We stopped in Browning for gas and snacks; then, proceed on to Many Glacier. There was snow on part of the trail to Apikuni Falls. Not difficult, but on the way down we wore our Yak Traks; the snow was melting and slippery in spots. As we were going up the trail, we met the other group coming down. The Falls were beautiful and the snow-capped mountains glistened in the warm sun. Then, we proceed on to the bathroom and lunch at the Many Glacier picnic area on Swiftcurrent Lake. After lunch, we proceeded on to Red Rock Falls Trail. However, after a short time on the trail, observing other hikers post holing and falling in the snow, Gail suggested we turn around and all quickly agreed. Then, we went to the Many Glacier Hotel to check out the trails. Again, too much snow. We took photos and relaxed in the sun, enjoying the spectacular view of the snow covered mountains. The hotel was in various stages of renovation, including painting the outside. Maria and Anita took a peak inside. On our way home, we stopped at Buffalo Joes in Dupuyer. We had 6:15 p.m. reservations, but since we hiked less than planned, we arrived around 4:30 p.m. Since dinner service begins at 5 p.m., we ordered off the lunch menu. The food was fair, not as good as in past stops. We then proceeded on to Great Falls. A sunny, warm, scenic day in Glacier was enjoyed by all. Who went: Maria, Gail, Jeanne, Anita, Jo Ann |
Morony to Ryan, May 7, 2019: Evening of Hoodoos, Ticks, Rock Formations
Twelve gals headed out for an evening walk along the north shore of the Missouri at 4:15 p.m., going from the Morony Dam trailhead to the Ryan Dam trailhead. First we parked a car at Ryan and then continued to Morony. We enjoyed a slight breeze but not the winds we had expected while the storm clouds kept their distance, hanging over the Highwood Mountians, so the weather really cooperated. The river was gorgeous as were the hoodoos and the few flowers we saw: cous biscuitroot, phlox, golden peas, sumac, cushion milkvetch and American vetch. The eye of the needle and the hoodoos stood out along the bank. One thing that really surprised us was the silt that formed numerous sandbars even though the water was high.The run-off from the farms must be getting worse. We wondered how the flow of the river was being affected with the narrowing of the main channels. We didn't see any snakes although several gals collected a tick or two, especially those hiking toward the front. Sara even had one embedded, we think a first for a GiG hike. We got back around 9 p.m. Who went: Maria, Susan W, Judy, Amber, Jo Ann, Gail, Bonnie, Sara, Susan C, Rose, Kuntzie, Katie |
Trout Creek Canyon, April 27, 2019: 22 Steam Crossings Create Trout Creek Obstacle Course
There probably wasn't a dry foot after we finished our 6.5-mile hike in the Trout Creek Canyon by York, as the creek was running high. We had 22 stream crossings, some of which were tricky: see-saw logs, slippery rocks and muddy shorelines. A few of the gals wondered what they had gotten into.
But the creek wasn't the only obstacle of the day; we also had ice and snow as well as felled trees to maneuver over and ticks to pick out of our clothing and hair. The day started at 7 a.m. We arrived at the trailhead by 9 and hit the trail at 9:20 after a quick bathroom break at the Vigilante campground. Of course, no spring trip to Trout Creek would be complete without looking for the Kelseya uniflora rose. We saw some great blooming specimens above the entrance kiosk (which were too far away to see well) and also at the end of the main trail, about one-mile down the road. This spot, however, requires an off-trail, through the bushes, trek for a good viewing; several of us ventured for a close-up look of the dainty flowers; however, those who did picked up a few ticks in the process. The rest of the Kelseya mats we saw were not flowering yet. We only saw a handful of people and two bikers on the trail. When we started, we were the only vehicles in the parking lot. On the way back through the canyon, several of the gals gave up on rock hopping and simply walked through all of the crossings, preventing any falls. At the very end, we came across a solo climber working his way up one of the rock faces. He did have a rope anchored at the top. We watched as he ascended and clapped when he reached the top of the pinnacle. After our hike, we had a discussion about where to eat, the York Bar of the Grubstake. Decision was the Grubstake, so we headed past York toward the Lincoln exit in Helena for our late lunch/early dinner. We were so happy to fit in a hike with an impending blizzard on the way. We had only had a few sprinkles; we were able to drive back without much precipitation too. Although we had canceled a trip to Glacier as the weather had already turned for the worse to our north, we weren't disappointed in our canyon obstacle course. We arrived back in Great Falls around 5:30. Who went: Brenda, Susan W, Viki, Judy, Paula, Amber, Susan C,Maria, Beth, Katie |
Juniper Bay Holter Lake, April 24, 2019: Gals See Bighorns, Views, Snake
Bighorn sheep, a dead deer, pair of American kestrels, hawks and wildflowers--yes it is spring, and three GiG gals had a beautiful warm-weather hike at Holter lake.
We started at 8 a.m. and got on trail by 10. We were treated to a flower show: pasque, fritillary/yellow bells, shooting stars, phlox, douglasia, nine-leaved biscuitroot, alyssum, Wyoming kitten tails and sumac. The trail starts up going uphill to a ridge, but we went off trail to the top of a knob; we named it Rattler Peak since Katie saw a rattle snake. She heard it and then saw it coiled up under a rock, waiting to strike. As she backed away, the snake did too, retreating into its den under an overhanging rock. From then on, we were very cautious around the rocks and tapped our poles on those we had to go by on the trail. Luckily, we didn't see any others. But we did come across a deer carcass and then higher up, the a hide that we figured was from the carcass that a cat probably dragged. At the top, we had a snack, but not wanting to take off our packs or sit down for fear of ticks (we never did see one, thank goodness). We enjoyed the views over the lake, marveled at the erosion of silt into the sides of the lake and marveled at the back side of the Sleeping Giant. Then we dropped down the mountainside to the Log Gulch campground to have our lunch at the nice picnic tables there. We even had nice outhouses for our use. We talked to a ranger there, who was getting prepared for the summer season. He informed us that there were some changes to the campground, trying to alleviate some of the partying in the past. He also said some of the sites would be reservation now, so people didn't have to rely on first-come, first-served. We told him about the rattler and he knew about it. He also mentioned mountain lions, which furthered our thoughts about the carcass we saw earlier. Then we headed back uphill to return on a loop trail to the Juniper campground. Along the way, we happened upon five bighorn sheep, all females and yearlings. The day was gorgeous with clear blue skies with fluffy white puffy clouds. Who went: Amber, Susan and Katie |
Essex, April 4-7, 2019: GiG, WoW Enjoy Izaak Walton Together with Snowshoeing, Games, Soaking while Facing Post-Hole Snow Conditions, Mouse, Spiders
The GiG and WoW (Women of Wonder from the Waterton area) headed out on Thursday from their respective homes to meet at Marias Pass for snowshoeing on the Pike Creek Trail. The GiG left at 6:45 and arrived right at 9:30 but behind the Canadians. As the GiG left Browning, we received and call from an upset Mary N who had overslept her alarm and wouldn't be able to come until later in the day as she was driving from Missoula.
The trail was pretty good, with not too many postholes, until we arrived at the base of Flattop Mountain. We enjoyed breaking into the burn area, the dead trunks pretty against the snow and the views of Summit and Little Dog Mountains coming into view. All was going well until Anita fell into a tree well up to her waist. Luckily, Paula was able to dig her out quickly as one snowshoe had caught under a buried branch. After a few more sunk, we decided the snow conditions weren't good to continue, so we turned around about a mile and a half into the hike. It was still a fun trail with pretty views. Since we cut the hike short by two miles, we arrived two hours early into the Snow Slip for lunch; and since the weather looked like it would turn rainy the rest of our days, we decided it would be best to make this a long day and hike to Garry Lookout after lunch. No sense climbing the mountain if you can see anything, we figured, so we might as well go for it on a clear day. This turned out to be a good decision--the views were fantastic. The only bad thing was that the Garry Lookout snowshoe was the one Mary really wanted to do, so with no cell service, all we could do is swing into the Izaak Walton on our way and hope she had arrived. She had--she was in the parking lot. We loaded her up into Katie's car and headed down to mile marker 168, hoping the pull out was plowed. It was. We got on trail at 3 p.m. but didn't get done until 7 p.m., yet it was still light. The snow was uneven, with some sinking, which took us a bit longer. We even faced some bare spots. At the top, we didn't find an igloo as in years past. We surmised that the weather had been too cold this year; however, the waitress at the lodge later told us there just wasn't enough snow to build one. The cold wouldn't have stopped them from building it, she said. Then it was back to the lodge to check in, the Canadians at the main lodge and the GiG at the Withrow house, a block away. Some had a soak in the hot tub, showers for others. Beth and Amber arrived around 8:30 p.m. and joined us for a Get to Know You activity with the Canadians at the Withrow house. Most everyone enjoyed the game, saying they not only learned about the Canadians but also about the gals in our own group. On a side note: The Withrow house had a mouse; it skittered around several rooms, including the bedrooms where Katie and Anita were. We tried to shoo it outside, but instead it went behind the stove. We informed the front desk person, who sent over a maintenance man with two traps. Apparently, the workers had been trying to catch the mouse for some time--nice they told us. We also faced many, many spiders. Anita, being an arachnophobe, wanted them all killed, but they just kept hatching. We must have killed over 100, each night more coming out. The next day, we left the lodge at 9:30 a.m. for snowshoeing on the Izaak Walton groomed trails. We took the Essex Creek Trail, connected to the Towering Pines and ended on Pileated. Instead of snowshoes, most used yaktrax, with minimal sinking. Then after lunch, we met back up at 2 p.m. for a hike along the Ole Creek trail over the hanging bridge that spans Ole Creek--which gave the newbies a thrill--stopping for side trips along the horse fords to see the convergence of Ole Creek and Middle Fork of the Flathead River. Gorgeous. Back at the lodge, we had a lovely, albeit pricey, dinner at the lodge (the Huckleberry Bread Pudding was amazing) and then finished with a game of Left, Right, Center in the downstairs lounge for some while others soaked. Katie asked about the mouse at the front desk. They said it was caught by the foot and they took care of it. They thanked us for showing them where the mouse had gone under the stove. The next day, we said goodbye to the Canadians (it was sprinkling, so they didn't want to snowshoe before they left, and instead went grocery shopping in Browning), while GiG headed to West Glacier for hiking the Fish Creek Bike trail into the campground and possibly Rocky Point. On the way, we happened upon a rock slide. Emergency vehicles blocked the road. Luckily, there was a pullout, so we could swing around the rocks and continue. The snow was a bit uneven again, but we were able to use yaktrax instead of snowshoes with minimal sinking.When we arrived at the campground, we were greeted to nice views, wind and no other people, a first for some of us in West Glacier. We ate a quick lunch at the picnic area in the cold wind and took the campground street back to the Camas road and followed it to our cars. Along the way, Susan tried to right a sign that had turned upside down. Then we drove to Apgar, shopped and took photos across Lake McDonald, so pretty surrounded with snow-capped mountains. Then it was on to the Snowslip for a late lunch/early dinner so we could then just stay and relax at the lodge or the Withrow house, play Catch Phrase/Dominoes and not drive again. Amber and Beth watched basketball games, but Amber joined in the games. A few took a one-mile walk around the town of Essex, marveling at the names on the cabins, the very fancy and the very rustic. The next morning, it was raining and had been all night, By the time we went to breakfast at 9 a.m. the rain had turned to snow. it looked like winter again. Our drive home wasn't too bad (we left at 11) --just a few slushy patches necessitating slower speeds over Marias Pass. As soon as we got to the east side of the mountains, the weather started clearing. By the time we hit Browning, we had clear skies with clouds in the distance. On the way home, we stopped in Browning, Bynum (we hoped the shops would be open, but they weren't) and Choteau. Unfortunately, we didn't see the migration of snowgeese, even though we drove by Freezeout Lake. Two swans were in a pond, but that was it. We arrived back in GF by 2 p.m. Who went: Susan, Mary Irene, Mary N, Anita, Amber, Beth, Jeanne, Sara, Katie (Canadians: Laura, Kathy, Carol, LaVern, Joan, Sharon, Paula, Dina |
Looking Glass Highway, March 23, 2019: Mountain Views Make up for Post-holing with Joint Trip with Canadians; Susan C. Enters 100-Miler Club
We left town at 7 a.m., meeting our sister group from Canada--the WoW (Women of Wonder/Waterton) at the East Glacier convenience store and gas station by 9:30. Then we continued to the trailhead where we met Laurie, who is from East Glacier. She had a rare day off from waitressing at the Two Med Grill. All told, we had 16 gals ready to snowshoe, with two (Desirae and Gail) taking a more leisurely pace and going four miles, while the rest of us signed up for the 7.5 miler.
The weather prediction was for a cloudy day bringing rain at night, but we had blue skies to start along with a bit of wind. As we headed out, we realized the snow wasn't very settled after our weird year of no snow through January and then tons of snow but below zero temperatures in February. With no chinooks, the snow never formed a solid base, hence those with smaller snowshoes were falling in all day. Even those with tails and larger shoes were sinking at times. Luckily, it wasn't too many postholes or we may have given up. Had we done so, however, we would have missed the absolutely stunning views of Rising Wolf Mountain (the largest land mass, but not highest, mountain in Glacier Park). The surrounding mountains, though not as commanding, were also impressive: Scenic Point, Henry, Apistoki, Lone Walker, Sinopah, Rockwell, Never Laughs, Bisonhead, Painted Teepee, Red and Spot mountains, among others. Each round of the bend brought a different perspective and new peaks into view. Along the trail, we saw many different tracks, some we thought might be wolverine, a small cat of some sort and a mountain lion. We made it just over 3.5 miles in, past the seven-mile highway marker to the wide pull out in the road. This area, Laurie calls "Rising Wolf Curve," a fitting name since this handsome red mountain dominates the skyline. Lower Two Med lake was still frozen but with areas starting to thaw. At our lunch spot, we could see the total white of Two Med Lake, not showing signs of any melt yet. As we stopped, we felt the chill and pulled on our caps and coats against the wind. But once we were back on trail, we warmed up quickly. As a side note, Katie started to pull out her water bottle and saw a Bud Light next to it. Actually, it was empty. Susan had found it on the road and decided we should pick up trash. On the way back down, we spotted bear scat and many moose droppings, more than on our way up. As the snow softened, more gals took tumbles as the snow collapsed under them. Of course, those of us with cameras had to document the fall-ins. We arrived at the cars at 3:30, while the other group finished at 1:30. They walked the Two Med road and chatted until we returned. Then it was time to say goodbye to the Canadians and Laurie while the Great Falls group headed to Choteau for dinner at the Log Cabin. We were hungry and thought about stopping in Dupuyer at Buffalo Joe's, but we called and they said they were booked for the night with a wedding and other parties. We had to put off our appetites for another 40 minutes, but that put us closer to home. We thought we might see some snowgeese and swans on the way past Freezeout lake. We did see a pond of swans near Fort Shaw but nothing else. We arrived in GF at 7:30, a great day of exercise and camaraderie. And when Katie got home and added up the miles, she discovered that we welcome Susan C to the 100-miler Club! Congrats, Susan. Who went: GF--Gail, Desirae, Joanne, Paula, Susan W, Susan C, Viki, Sara, Mary S, Amber, Katie, EG: Laurie; Canada--Laura, Dina, Paula, Joan |
Kings Hill to Silver Crest, March 16, 2019: Perfect Powder Makes for Fun Day, Quick Day
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The Kings Hill to Silver Crest is a fun walk through hike, necessitating at least two vehicles for a car shuttle to the top while leaving one at Silver Crest, the ending point. We had one more twist in our shuttle day: We were dropping off Maria at Showdown for a morning of skiing on a memorial day for a friend of her son's.
We left Great Falls at 8 a.m. and were on trail at 9:45 after a stop at the Inconvenience Store in Neihart. We had a cramped ride with 7 gals and gear, including skis in Katie's Traverse; luckily, it was a short ride to Showdown, where we left Maria off, telling her we would return around 2 p.m. The day was beautiful with no wind as we started the climb up the Ranch Creek/O'Brien Creek back country ski trail. We did have to break trail all of the way to the bowl where the snowmobilers play, but the snow was powdery, so it wasn't bad. We all took our turns out front. When we hit the bowl and the Powerline trail, we saw a few snowmobilers, but not many, and they were staying away from the creek areas where we were as the snow wasn't stable. We saw several places where the water and thin ice were visible. Then we crossed the bowl area to get on the road. Katie pointed out where to go to hit the E-Loop on Silver Crest if we were on skis; some wanted to see the loop, so we took the quarter-mile spur trail until we met the groomed trail. We actually saw two skiers on the E-Loop, which is the first time. Usually no one is on this run. Then, when we turned around, we met a couple following our tracks. They said they were doing O'Brien Creek; we informed them that they had missed their turn quite a ways back. We told them they could backtrack, which might be quite a long way or instead head up the Powerline and back to their car at the top of Kings Hill. They could also have cut cross country to hook back up to the trail, but that might not be a good idea without a GPS. We could tell that gal wasn't into making for even a longer day, so we told them to go the Powerline for sure and save O'Brien for another day. Then we backtracked to the cat track and followed it around to the Silver Crest Parking lot. We made very good time, arriving at 12:30, which put us back at Showdown by 1 p.m., so we thought we would have a cool drink or some snacks while we waited. Then we found Maria was already waiting for us inside, so it worked out perfectly. We got back around 2:30. Who went: Susan, June, Viki, Sue, Amber, Kaite and tag-along Maria |
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Seeley, March 8-10, 2019: GiG Gets Pinched by HiPo; Unlucky at Shake-a-Day;
But Snowshoeing Fun, Shopping, Camaraderie Prevails
Leaving Great Falls @ 4:00 we rushed through Vaughn receiving a $55 speeding ticket from a very cute MT Highway Patrolman. Arriving in Seeley Lake at 6:30 Mary had a delicious homemade soup dinner w/coconut cake for dessert waiting for us. We headed to bed looking forward to a relaxing morning awaiting the arrival of Susan & June. Getting word from June that her husband was having heart issues sadly, Susan & June cancelled.
We then had a delicious breakfast of French Toast made by Kuntzie. (Best French toast ever!) Heading out around 11:00 we hiked four miles on the canoe trail. We had blue skies, no wind, and a narrow trail. It was gorgeous! Returning to town we stopped at the Coop for “Shake-a-Day” & a beverage. Leaving as losers we headed home having h’dorves & cocktails. After 2 hours of great gossip we sat down to a delicious salmon dinner, twice baked potato, asparagus & a salad. We then played Codename & Pip! Mary & Kuntzie were great coders & Gail is a fabulous Pip! We headed to bed around 10:30. The next morning we woke up to eggs, bacon, & toast. (dreaming of the French Toast) we had full bellies! Around 12:00 we hiked to West Fork of the Clearwater road for 4 miles which was beautifully groomed for us. We ran across several snow mobilers that were very kind & considerate. A few of us took off our snowshoes & walked to the car. We then went shopping downtown Seeley. Sue & Kuntzie helped out the economy of Seeley Lake. Then on to refreshments at the Coop. Once again we were losers @ Shake -a-Day. Skipping the quilt store we headed home for showers & h’dorves! While practicing face plants we witnessed 4 deer walking across the lake toward our house, they were very cautious. At 6:00 we went to dinner at the Double Arrow. Cosmos & wine started us off w/ salads & steaks. It was the best! After a remediate math lesson, we paid our bill. We finished the day with cinnamon whiskey Alpines & some funny old times stories. Rising Sunday morning, we had Jeanne’s Strada which was devine! After packing, we hiked one mile out to the middle of the lake. We owned the Lake, it was ours! Hiking back to the cabin we stripped the beds & split. Without a visit by the Highway Patrol we made it safe & sound to Great Falls by 4:00! |
Mary N's Recipe
TORTILLA SOUP 1 onion, chopped 2 oz Taco seasoning (dry) 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp dried oregano 3 small cans diced green chili, or to taste 3-4 Garlic cloves, pressed 2 +TBS butter 2 TBS Olive oil 1 1/2 quart chicken stock or broth 1 cup chopped bite size tomatoes 6 shredded corn tortillas (thickner and flavor) 3/4 lb queso dip (potato chip aisle) 1 lb Grilled chicken or 2 cans of Cosco chicken 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 pint heavy cream GARNISH cilantro matchbook cut corn tortillas, fried (or chips) Green onion, finely sliced Sour cream Avocado, diced 1.Sauté onion with spices, taco seasoning, and green chili. 2.Add chicken stock, corn tortillas and diced chicken, boil 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and cheese, simmer 30 minutes. (If not creamy enough, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 pint heavy cream and simmer 30 more minutes. (I typically add 1/2 the amount of heavy cream.) (NOTE:I have made it w just broth wo heavy cream and queso) |
Memorial Falls, Jefferson Creek, March 10, 2019: Newbies Take to the Snowshoeing
No one slept in on this spring ahead day, as two newbies and a returning gal joined four more experienced GiG members for a fun day of snowshoeing. First, we stopped at the Inconvenience Store after our 8:30 start from Great Falls for a potty break and snacks. We had fun visiting with the new manager as he showed us how he rearranged the store, putting our preferred items in unexpected places.
Then it was off to Memorial Falls. Katie made the decision to ditch the snowshoes, which turned out to be a bit of a mistake. At first, all was fine as we walked the third of a mile to the lower falls without incident, In fact, the normally icy spot was covered with snow, so we had no fear of slipping. so all was well so far and the falls very beautiful. However, when we headed to the upper falls, things got a bit deep, about a foot and a half deep to be precise. But everyone bucked it up and post-holed to the upper falls. This falls wasn't as pretty as it usually is due to too much snow covering the ice crystals and icicles. Debra felt a bit queasy on this hike--maybe it was the uphill, maybe the post-holing, but luckily, she recovered by the time we started on Jefferson Creek. We hiked three miles up and back to the Pack it In, Pack it Out Sign and had lunch on the bridge. We saw some fun snow-rollers, some thinking they looked like cinnamon rolls, others roses. But we didn't see the usual elk tracks or other signs of wildlife. The creek has some lovely snow formations in it, though, and it burbled up between the iced-over areas. The sun shone on us the entire way with little wind, so most of us were down to shirt sleeves or shells. On the return, we practically raced the last mile, so we got back almost an hour earlier than expected. After our hike, we stopped into Bob's and said hi to Janice the new owner and met two other new employees. Janice said the months were pretty good despite the bitter cold that kept many skiers at home. She also said it had really picked up this weekend with the warmer weather. We arrived back in Great Falls before 2 p.m. The newbies all made the entire way and seemed to do well. We hope to see Desirae, Debra and Amber back on the trail soon. And many had new snowshoes that they had no trouble getting used to. Who went: Susan W, Amber, Debra, Desirae, Viki, Judy and Katie |
Sluice Boxes, March 7, 2019: Frozen Belt Creek Provides Backdrop for Warm Day
It might not have been warm in Great Falls, but it was roasting at the Sluice Boxes State Park, where Katie and Susan W decided to snowshoe. The car showed 48 degrees by the time we returned to the cars, and we were sweating, wishing we hadn't worn our Cuddle Duds.
We left town at 8:15 and got on trail by 9:15 after a quick drive to the top trail to see if the pull out was plowed, which it was. Then we headed back down to the bridge and began our hike. To snowshoe the Sluice Boxes, conditions must be perfect: enough snow and frozen creek. It can be a muddy mess or the creek not solid enough to cross, which is required, four times. The sun was out and we had fun exploring the old buildings, smelter and machinery from the old mining days as we hiked along the old railroad bed of the "Fish" train that ran between GF and Neihart, through the old town of Albright. The creek had solid crossings, although as the day wore on, and we returned, the ice had noticeably melted. We saw many animal tracks and scat, including a big cat, that appeared to be living in the grotto/cave as its tracks and scat were at the entrance. We imagined it might be sleeping in there as we passed by, a scary thought. We saw several places where it had bounded down the hills after deer and two places where an altercation had taken place, the snow packed down and tracks and evidence everywhere. The beauty of the cliffs, the creek and snow can't be overstated. We even saw several eagles soaring overhead. A flock of chickadees kept us company as we had lunch. We turned around when we came to the first ruined trestle as climbing down among the scattered boards we deemed too hard with not being able to see our footing beneath the snow. Several places were a bit iffy, especially on the return as the snow rapidly started to melt, making it hard to trudge through. Both of us felt our muscles at work in these tough snow conditions, such a change from the morning when we had had fluffy powder. Overall, we had a great day and were so happy to be back outside again after a month of below-zero weather. On a side note, we came across a back country skier, who had never been in the area before. Who went: Susan W and Katie |
Sacagawea Springs, Feb. 2, 2019: Calm-Before-the-Storm Morning Hike to Sulphur Springs
After yesterday's crazy snowshoe on the 747 trail, this lovely morning walk along the Missouri following in the Lewis and Clark expedition footsteps was a welcome stroll. Maria called it "day two of bootcamp," but it really was pleasant. With temperatures in the 40s, we shed our layers and enjoyed the warm breeze as we knew the thermometer would be dropping later in the day, bringing in below-zero weather.
The day started at 8 a.m. at Paris Gibson Square. Thirteen of us went despite not knowing how icy or muddy the trail would be.So we came prepared with snowshoes, yaktrax and old boots/shoes we didn't care too much about in case the gumbo piled onto them. Yet, we found the trail to be mostly dry. We had a few icy spots, especially in the shaded coulee areas (of course they were on the downhill/uphill sections) and a bit of mud too. But we all enjoyed the views of the Missouri River Breaks, the unbroken plains that looked almost identical to what the expedition would have seen: no power poles, no structures, just river and waving grasses. We marveled at where Belt Creek enters the Missouri as well as the rapids that can cause havoc with those floating the river, but we really enjoyed seeing the springs that supposedly healed Sacagawea after Clark's bloodletting failed to cure her from a major illness (Probably PID (pelvic inflammatory disorder caused by gonorrhea). Read more here. Most of us knelt down to touch the water, which is artificially dammed into a pool now. Beyond the pool, the water has coated all of the rocks with its minerals, giving them a gray cast with nothing else growing. The distinct sulphur smell emanated from the pool and stream, yet the water temperature isn't warm, but rather about room temperature. We all wondered how the sulphur smell bubbled up through the earth's crust and what causes it. Read more here. We also discussed how the state tried to give the old homestead area plus $10,000 for a grant writer to the Little Shell Band of the Chippewa Tribe so that they wouldn't be homeless anymore. However, they declined as they felt they didn't have the money to restore it. Read more here And more We ended the day at 11 a.m., a wonderful hike before our sub-zero days start. Who went: Susan C., Susan W, Mary S, Sara, Jeanne, Jean, June, Viki, Carolyn, Sue, Kuntzie, Maria, Katie |
747 Trail, Feb. 1, 2019: Tree Wells and Avalanche "Woofs" Make for a Scary, Long Day
"That was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life," proclaimed Maria at the end of a very long day on the 747 Trail. So the day started pretty well, with us driving to Kings Hill at 8 a.m. A quick stop at the Neihart Inconvenience Store, and then we were at the parking area by 9:30 a.m. It was warm, 34 degrees, but with a breeze; so far so good.
We knew that the climb of Porphyry Peak would be our toughest thing of the day, so we prepared ourselves. Katie had recruited her husband Tom and his friend Wayne to break trail on the backside of the mountain and show us the way (Tom had gone on Wednesday and had lost the trail, so Katie was worried. Tom said he went an extra mile; we didn't want to follow his tracks and go 7 instead of 6 miles, so he was cutting a new trail the correct way, based on an earlier GPS reading). However, they were on skis, so they started an hour later than we. We agreed to meet at the warming hut "Top Rock Cafe" on Showdown around 11:30. As we started the climb, we did have to break trail, Camille leading the whole way, so she got a good workout. Maria, Viki and Rose were unfamiliar with the climb of Porphyry so they didn't know what to expect. Maria was a bit worried with all of the up, up, up until she saw the lookout tower perched above us, at which point, she knew she could make it. About this time, Tom caught us on his way up, but Wayne was a bit back. They thought that we were farther ahead than we were, so Tom skied back down and then up again as he waited for Wayne, which allowed us to get a bit farther up the hill. Tom and Wayne caught us about a quarter mile from the hut, where we ate a snack (some had lunch, but we had to forget about hot cocoa as no worker had showed up) before heading down the 747 Trail, Tom and Wayne leading the way. side note: At the hut, the ski patrol workers were very worried that we were headed to the Mizpah Bowls. They warned of extreme avalanche danger. We assured them that we weren't heading to the bowls but to the 747 trail, with which they weren't familiar. Anyway, after Tom got on what he thought was the correct trail, he and Wayne left us and skied fast down the hillside. We followed slowly in their ski tracks, Katie using some painter's tape to mark the trail. About a half mile down the 1.5 mile section, we started falling into tree wells and sinking in around deadfall. Several fell, Susan four times. Once, Susan fell through to her waist and couldn't move her feet. Katie used her poles to loosen the snow around her and then dug her out. What happened was her foot was caught under a downed tree and under a small tree that was burried in the snow. Viki helped clear to the front of Susan and held back the little tree, while Katie freed the back of Susan's snowshoe. It was an all-out effort for Susan to regain her feet and get herself out of the hole. Viki and Rose also ended up in tree wells; luckily, they were very limber and were able to right themselves on their own. But the snow was very unstable. We started hearing very loud woofing sounds, and slabs of snow would crack and sink a few inches, throwing us off balance. Maria suggested we spread out so not so much weight was on a section of snow at a time, and Katie and Viki were packing the snow down and on purpose going down so that Susan who followed wouldn't fall again. It was very tenuous going, everyone trying not to fall again and the eerie woofing of avalanches coming down around us. It took us 2.5 hours to go a one-mile stretch with all of the postholing and time it took for those who fell to get back up. We were never so thankful to hit the cat track, but we still had 2.5 miles to go, some uphill. We also noted that we didn't come out at the trail marker, so we were slightly off trail. After a long 2.5 more miles, we did make it out by 4:15. Maria's hips were hurting, Susan's legs were really feeling it, and we all relished getting off our feet as we sat down in the car. By this time, we all thought climbing Porphyry had been a piece of cake compared to the last half of the hike. Welcome to backcountry snowshoeing! As it was getting late, we opted not to stop for a drink and bathroom break at Bob's and instead headed home with a quick stop at Armington junction to use the restrooms. It was just before 6 p.m. when we arrived back to 4B's. But Susan reminded us all that we should still go on the Sacagawea hike in the morning. Four of us took her up on it. Who went: Susan, Camille, Viki, Rose, Maria, Katie |
Mount Helena, Jan. 26, 2019: We Welcomed Rose to Mountain Climb
On a bluebird day with lots of wind, we welcomed Rose to the GiG. We all marveled at her matching outfit while talking about how we have hiked with mismatched mittens, mismatched gloves and even two different hiking boots. Mary S recounted how she took two different shoes on a trip to Atlanta; Katie related how her husband tried to climb Patrol Mountain in two left boots. But the real interesting tidbit happened at the end of the day--read on!
Christi led us on the Dump Out trail, one the GiG had never traveled, so we had a new experience on our climb of Mount Helena. We usually take the Prospect Shafts or Prairie trail and then take the 1906 down. We have also gone on the Hanging Draw and Powerline. The newbies to this area marveled at the fact that it is a city park, purchased by the Prickly Pear Land trust. Some of the land is BLM too. For Helenans, it is like our River's Edge Trail, well used and loved by the local strollers, bikers, hikers, dog walkers. We decided that Yaktrax or ice cleats would be better than snowshoes, given the trail was well worn and snow not very deep; it was a great choice. We battled a bit of wind, but we were mostly protected in the trees and coulees on our way up. The day was warm, in the high 30s, so the wind wasn't too cool, especially on the going up part. As we climbed, the views kept getting better and better until we reached the top with 360-degree scenery! What sights we could see, looking down on Carroll College campus, Fort Harrison, the Cathedral and Last Chance Gulch, not to mention Mount Ascension, the Elkhorn Mountains and the Sleeping Giant. After taking many pictures, we decided not to eat lunch on top due to the wind and instead head back to the picnic table, located about halfway back to the parking area. However, the table was out of the sun and not out of the wind, so we did have to bundle up, putting on extra layers. Our lunch was a very quick due to the cold, so we blew down the mountain, making it back to our cars just after 1 p.m. Then, for one car, it was a quick stop at the Park Ave. Bakery; we decided we earned a cookie for the ride home. At this point, we also ducked into the bathroom at a brewery, where Jean discovered in the mirror that she had put on two very different earrings, proving that our day truly was one of mismatched items, all expect Rose, that is. We arrived back home by 3 p.m. after our wonderful windy, but very sunny, day. |
Flesher Pass, Jan. 12, 2019: Don't Tell the Hunters: Elk Everywhere on Flesher Pass
Any time you hike to a pass, you expect wind. at least in Montana, so we were pleasantly surprised when the day started out calm and sunny from the get-go. We left Great Falls at 8 a.m. and arrived at Flesher Pass around 9:30; and by the time we geared up, we hit the trail at 10 a.m. At the pass, it was a fine 23 degrees, yet down in the valley the thermometer had hovered around zero, making many of us wonder if we had brought enough warm layers. We needn't have worried.
After a quick group picture at the Flesher Pass/Continental Divide Trail sign, we headed straight uphill to our first overlook, catching a glimpse of the Mission Mountains and Scapegoat Wilderness areas. After our picture shooting, we noticed right away is that we couldn't see the trail. Why not? Elk tracks. Not just a single-file line; elk tracks all over as if a herd of 1,000 ungulates had trampled the whole area. We saw so many tracks and had to skirt around so many elk piles, we just could not believe our eyes. Almost every tree had indentation around it where elk had slept. We saw this the the entire way; for almost two miles the elk had completely trampled the area, obliterating any sign of a trail from prior snowshoers or skiers. But elk tracks weren't the only prints we saw. We also spied cat tracks among the hoof prints. So we kept an eye out in the trees and overhanging branches just in case a mountain lion decided we looked like a nice meal. Luckily, we didn't happen upon any kitties today. Without a clear trail, we took turns guestimating where we needed to be, looking for cut logs and clearings to guide our way. In this way, we also traded off trailbreaking as the snow was quite deep in places; yet in others, we found bare ground, especially under the trees. And snowshoeing over the uneven elk tracks was a bit tiresome. By the time we turned around, the snow was turning from powder and icy in spots to corn from the heat. It seemed more like spring snow than early winter. We need more snow, for sure. All day, we enjoyed gorgeous views to the southeast (with a bit of a haze indicating an inversion in the valleys still), but we never did find the overlook to the northwest on the nice rock outcropping. We did, however, make it to the wolf lichen forest, the dead trees covered in the lime-green parasites wowing our eyes. On this hike, we welcomed Judy to our group--her first snowshoe. And she liked us so much, she decided to join! On our way home, we stopped at the Amish/Mennonite Deli in Vaughn for ice cream and other goodies to take home. We arrived home by 3 p.m. Who went: Sue M., Gail, Susan W, Susan C, Mary S., Maria, Paula, Judy, Christi, Kuntzie, Carolyn, Brenda, Jean, Viki, June and Katie |
Porphyry Peak Climb, Jan. 6, 2019: First Hike of the New Year Gets Hearts Pumping
"It was a snow beaching," Susan W, aka, Happy Camper, said after she fell over into very powdery deep snow, necessitating a rescue. But that was toward the end of the hike when we were speeding down the mountain as the snowflakes started flying.
The day started at 8 a.m., and we got on trail by 9:30, slowly making our way up the mountain, breaking trail the whole way until we hit the cat track at Showdown that wound us around the back of the mountain to the base of the lookout tower. Some of us realized how much the Christmas baking was slowing us down, but we realized we could do this climb. Most of those on today's trip were also planning to go on the eclipse snowshoe adventure, so this was a good test of our endurance; plus doing it first in the daylight was a good idea. As we neared the top, we could really feel the wind picking up and see the clouds closing in overhead, leaving just a slim strip of sunshine on the surrounding mountains, which was pretty. By the time we were on top, the wind was picking up the powdery snow and blowing it in our face. Since the weather was turning, we decided to walk the short distance to the ski hill to eat our lunch in the warming hut. And warm it was. Susan W discovered that the heaters were right under the benches that ran along the outside walls, so those needing to warm up sat there. And some purchased coffee or hot chocolate as an extra warm treat to go with their lunches. Then it was back outside to the wind and blowing snow, which encouraged us to hoof it down the mountain without stopping. We made it to the cars just after 1:30, a record, I'm sure! After a brief bathroom break and drinks at Bob's Bar, we headed home. We did see Tony and teased him a bit about being back at the Bar since he had sold it before Christmas. He said he had to finalize the books on his last quarter and then he would truly be done. And he gave us his phone number and promised to take us to the stone arch on a summer hike. We arrived back in Great Falls at 3:15; a very fun day with a bit of a challenge. |