Alice Creek LC Pass Loop, July 29, 2020: Flowers Provide Eye Candy on Hot Day Hiking Ridges: Loop Hike One of the Best of the Year |
Smashing, amazing, gorgeous--these adjectives don't begin to describe the colorful show the wildflowers provided as we made the 11-mile Lewis and Clark Pass-Alice Creek Loop.
We knew it was going to be a hot one, so we left town at 5:15 a.m. This adventure was a hike to get Susan W back on her game after being ill with a bug that affected her lungs and stamina. We were all determined that she would make this hike after not having the energy a few days before. And on Amber's advice, she had drunk a quart of water the night before to hydrate.
So we hit the trail around 7:15 when it was still a cool 47 degrees; but with the sun shining down, it did feel hotter. This section of trail was full of tall, bright magenta fireweed under the burnt trees from the 2017 Allice Creek Fire and purple harebells.
We slowly made our way to Lewis and Clark pass, as Katie decided going counterclockwise would be easier, with more flat spots on the uphill than the other direction that we had just done. After the pass, we turned left onto the CDT (Continental Divide Trail) where the rocks turn granitic, with crystallin sand and many rocks on the trail that are hard on the feet. This type of rock lasted almost until the top of Red Mountain, at which point, the rocks went from igneous to sedimentary. This area is very interesting for rock formations. Just across the pass on Green mountain, the rocks are full of blue-green tarnished copper.
Most of us were happy to tag another peak and then the scenic ridge walk began: the cliffs so stark with their drop offs and layers of mudstone. After the ridge walk, we entered a section of trees that had not been burned. Under these trees was a beautiful meadow full of bright red Indian paintbrush among other flowers. We must have seen around 100 different varieties on this magnificent loop hike.
The last uphill section before we got off the CDT and headed down the last four miles to our cars was a bit taxing on Susan, but she did well. Then it was down, down, down, with stops at the springs to dip in our neck coolers for an "ah" moment of relief as the sun was really beating down at this point. Still the temperatures were in the 70s as opposed to the 90s we were having in Great Falls. We felt lucky to have this entire hike to ourselves and live so close to these opportunities.
We arrived back to our cars around 2 p.m. Mission accomplished; Susan did well and felt fine. She is back on trail with us now!
Who went: Beth, Amber, Nora, Susan, Katie
We knew it was going to be a hot one, so we left town at 5:15 a.m. This adventure was a hike to get Susan W back on her game after being ill with a bug that affected her lungs and stamina. We were all determined that she would make this hike after not having the energy a few days before. And on Amber's advice, she had drunk a quart of water the night before to hydrate.
So we hit the trail around 7:15 when it was still a cool 47 degrees; but with the sun shining down, it did feel hotter. This section of trail was full of tall, bright magenta fireweed under the burnt trees from the 2017 Allice Creek Fire and purple harebells.
We slowly made our way to Lewis and Clark pass, as Katie decided going counterclockwise would be easier, with more flat spots on the uphill than the other direction that we had just done. After the pass, we turned left onto the CDT (Continental Divide Trail) where the rocks turn granitic, with crystallin sand and many rocks on the trail that are hard on the feet. This type of rock lasted almost until the top of Red Mountain, at which point, the rocks went from igneous to sedimentary. This area is very interesting for rock formations. Just across the pass on Green mountain, the rocks are full of blue-green tarnished copper.
Most of us were happy to tag another peak and then the scenic ridge walk began: the cliffs so stark with their drop offs and layers of mudstone. After the ridge walk, we entered a section of trees that had not been burned. Under these trees was a beautiful meadow full of bright red Indian paintbrush among other flowers. We must have seen around 100 different varieties on this magnificent loop hike.
The last uphill section before we got off the CDT and headed down the last four miles to our cars was a bit taxing on Susan, but she did well. Then it was down, down, down, with stops at the springs to dip in our neck coolers for an "ah" moment of relief as the sun was really beating down at this point. Still the temperatures were in the 70s as opposed to the 90s we were having in Great Falls. We felt lucky to have this entire hike to ourselves and live so close to these opportunities.
We arrived back to our cars around 2 p.m. Mission accomplished; Susan did well and felt fine. She is back on trail with us now!
Who went: Beth, Amber, Nora, Susan, Katie
Alice Creek/Lewis and Clark Pass Loop, July 26, 2020: Group Splits: Some Go Green Mountain; Some Do Red Mountain Loop
After a day of soaring views and wonderful wildflower shows, the GiG declared, "I'd do that one again."
The day started at 6:15 with a missed meeting of Viki at the pass. Luckily, we found her at the turn off for Alice Creek, so all was well. We didn't see any wildlife on the way in, but with Covid virus, we were mostly traveling alone with no one to watch while the driver kept eyes on the road. We got on trail at 8:30 a bit late for a sunny day on an exposed trail, but the temps weren't supposed to rise above the low 70s. The burn was actually beautiful, making for more views and sun for the flowers. We saw showy fleabane daisy, spiraea, and fireweed and harebells in this section. As it was mostly flat, we made good time. However, about 2.5 miles in on a gently sloping trail, the path took a decidedly steeper turn. At this point, Susan, coming off an illness, didn't think she could continue. After a discussion, Beth, Mary and Amber, who all came in one car, said they would take her back and then start from the other end and meet us around Red Mountain. So we said our goodbyes, thinking we would see them later on the trail, hoping Susan was okay. As we climbed to the ridge, it was hot; it was a good incline, but once we hit the top, the flowers were amazing in the meadows. The cliffs were jagged too, maiking for a lovely ridge walk. We did come across two men on a rocky outcropping above us. At first we thought it might be Amber, Beth and Mary. but no. At this point, we started yelling Yoohoo at intervals, thinking they were fast hikers and might be coming upon us soon. We stopped for lunch at the edge of a cliff area with views. The area was very burned, with even the ground blackened. Paula had to put a jacket on as the wind had a chill to it and she was in shorts and short sleeves, so we decided to get back on trail to prevent hypothermia. We enjoyed the ridge walk and flower show a bit longer: the blanket flowers, harebells and Indian paintbrush with buckwheat. Then we faced more uphill, but it looked worse than it was. i guess we had strength from our lunch break. Along the way, we kept hollering out, wondering when we would run into the other three, but we never did. We kept an eye out for grizzlies along the way as we saw several digging patches and bear scat, most at least a day old, thankfully. A few far-off cairns/rocks gave us a start at times, but we didn't see any wildlife except birds. After our climb, we descended to Red Mountain and put two stones on the cairn in remembrance of our two GiG members whom we have lost: Chrissy and Colette/Coco. We hit Lewis and Clark Pass, paused for pic by the sign and then were started by a big black dog that approached us from the back, its owner not calling it off or anything. In bear country, this was a bit unnerviing. We shooed it away, but it kept coming back at us. Finally, we looked back and owner and dog were gone. Then we flew down the road, the last mile and a half to our cars, running into a group of people with four dogs. These dogs ran past us and didn't bother. As we approached the parking lot, we were anxious to see if Beth's car and Susan's car were both gone. We wondered if the other gals decided to call it a day, Susan's car was gone but not Beth's, soi we surmised that they had decided to do the entire hike and would be about three hours behind us. We got off trail at 2:20 and arrived home around 4:15. We really set a record for our group on an 11-mile hike. At six p.m., we learned the others were at Rogers pass. They had gone in the other direction and had gone up Green mountain instead of Red, so it was a Christmasy-type of day! They would have gotten home around 7 p.m., still three hours behind us. We checked in with Susan. She was tired but otherwise fine. So we all had a good day. Info from Green Mountain Group: We maintained a steady pace and enjoyed the journey as we ventured East if the Alice Creek trailhead. The lightening caused Alice Creek Fire from three years ago, (thanks go to Amber for looking that up) did not allow for any shade throughout. The cool breeze was appreciated! The ground/soil was still charred and black, yet bunches of lupine, fireweed, yarrow, Harebells, golden rod, bunch grass, and other flower species dotted the ground. No new trees were observed, but some trees were spared from the fire’s path. At the Lewis and Clark Pass, we hiked south on the CDT for 1.5 miles, with the trail being fairly steep and tallus laden. With the various colored strata, the rocks had stories to tell- if only to understand them! 😀 Beth did manage to collect a few - her backpack could hold no more and was she was very excited by the unique characteristics of each treasure packed home. Near the top of Lewis snd Clark Pass, we saw a wooden post with wrapped with barbed wire and a few nails pounded into it. We wondered if it was placed there intentionally to collect bear fur for DNA sampling. There was a big clump of hair on it. One extremely small group of cumulus clouds was in the sky leaving 99% Montana’s brilliant blue sky available to observe for mikes in each direction from the top of Green Mountain. Once on top, Mary opened a rusty metal box which contained some small wet documents- li like a ledger or small notebook - and a prescription bottle with a local photographer’s business card in it. We found the USGS benchmark, took some pictures and ate a snack, while enjoying the views before we headed back down the mountain. Definitely, a fun filled afternoon and we all felt a sense of accomplishment! Who went: Paula O, Viki, Susan, Beth, Amber, Mary S, Katie |
Bitterroots on Rodgers Peak Pass, July 22, 2020: Finding State Flower Bitterroot Makes for Evening Magic
Evenings can be a magical time to hike in summer, with long evenings stretching until 10 p.m. or later. With it being a good year for bitterroot, we decided to hike up toward the Rodger's Peak area to see if the ones Katie saw blooming last week were still open.
We left Great Falls just before 4 and were on trail by 5:20. Katie's husband Nora came along for the drive and planned to shoot straight up the ridge to the peak and beyond, so Nora decided to join him. If he didn't see the bitterroot, he would return down the trail to let us know, so we didn't rush up for no reason. The rest of us took the long, but easier, way to the pass just before the peak where the bitterroot were. The hike was lovely, as we passed through patches of huckleberries, grouse whortleberries and various flowers. The berries were a nice distraction when we needed a breather. It was around 80 degrees when we started but with a nice breeze. The flowers started right away with horse mint, lance-leaved stonecrop, harebells and bright red Indian paintbrush predominating. As we made our way up, we were grateful not to see Tom or Nora, giving us hope that out state flowers were still blooming. When we did arrive at the pass/shoulder of Rodgers Peak, there they were: not too many, but bright pink blooms standing out among the dark slate-colored rocks. Nora was there too, waiting for us while Tom went on to climb the peak. We saw many flowers that we assumed were in bud stage, but as the light waned, we noticed that more and more closed and rolled up. We realized that the bitterroot must close as the light wanes, so we were glad that we kept forward progress before they all shut for the night. So, we decided evening may not be the best time to find our state flower. We enjoyed the surrounding views in this spot as well, while Rose and Carol walked another quarter mile up the trail looking for more bitterroots, but to no avail. It was a bit breezier at the pass, not unusual, but we found a spot on the other side of some rocks to block the wind enough to sit and enjoy the views of the plains while we ate our hiking dinners. We watched Tom as he went off trail, making his way through the cliff side of Rodger's Peak. It was so pleasant that we didn't want to leave, but Katie scurried us along as she didn't want us to be driving home at dark. The hike down was even more scenic, the light playing on the mountains as we walked the ridge. We ate a few more hucks and got to our cars around 8:30. We arrived home at 9:45 after a glorious drive through the buttes, the evening light dancing upon them. Pure magic. |
Devil's Glen, July 18, 2020: Wildflowers and Water Combine for Great GiG Trip on Warm Day
The six Gig hikers headed out of Great Falls at 7 AM toward Augusta and then another 24 miles to the Devil's Glen trailhead. We stopped at the Falls Creek trailhead and wondered if we were on the right track to Devils Glen trailhead.
We drove down the road and found our destination in just over a mile. The parking lot had two large horse trailers and proceeded to unload five or six horses, and maybe a mule. Starting our hike we headed down the path that runs along private property for a stretch before we were in the Lewis and Clark Forest. The pack train caught up with us in short order, loaded with gear, rifles and some full size camp chairs. We asked where they were going and the person that was walking and leading his horse said they were headed back to a place where they found an elk head and horns. It looked like a well planned expedition of women and men for a summer trip into the Scapegoat Wilderness Area. After about two and a half miles with beautiful views of Steamboat Mountain and many other peaks, we came to our lunch spot. The Dearborn River is crystal clear with pale blue to a deep shade of turquoise water, with the rocks rounded by time and the movement of the rushing water. After our short break we headed another 3/4th of a mile where we could walk down to the river. Jo Ann was our expert guide to all of the wild flowers which were many. Jo Ann spotted Chocolate Lily seed pods, another location to check for blooms next year. Wild Bergamot, Blanketflower, Red Clover and Harebell were the most prevalent wildflowers. The sun was bright and the temperature increased as we ventured down the path. The area is known for Rainbow trout and we saw quite a few people with fly rods that would be trying their luck. With the temperature over 80 degrees it was good to get back to the air conditioned car and change into sandals and head to Augusta. Some of our party stopped at the Buckhorn for a burger which never disappoints. Everyone agreed it was a beautiful day and we were grateful that we lived in Montana. Who went: Jo Ann, Gail, Karen, Rose, Noreen,and Brenda |
WILDFLOWERS
Bedstraw, Northern Bergamot, Wild Biscuit Root, Nine-Leaved Blanketflower Buffaloberry Butterfly Weed Clover, Owl's Thin-Leaved (pink) Clover, Red Coneflower, Prairie Daisy, Cut-Leaved Dogbane Flax, Blue Fleabane, Showy Geranium, Sticky Goldenrod Goldenweed, Cushion Harebell Hemlock, Water Indian Paintbrush, Red Kinnikinnick Meadowrue, Female Mullein, Wooly Onion, Nodding Parrot’s Beak Penstemon Pineapple Weed Rose Silveryberry (not in bloom) Spirea, White Stonecrop, Lanced-Leaved Thistle Yarrow WILDFLOWER SEED PODS Anemone, Cut-Leaved Chocolate Lily Orchid, Striped Coralroot Prairie Smoke (Old Man Whiskers) Pussytoes Solomon's Seal, False Solomon's Seal, Starry (aka) Wild Lily of the Valley |
Hogback Cliff, Wagner Basin, McCarty Hill, July 15, 2020: Three hikes, three orchids, three grouse, one coyote, one bear
Three small hikes plus some orchid hunting made a nice daylong event for three of the GiG. We started at 7 a.m. and headed to Hannan Gulch for our first of several adventures.
The first hike was to the Hogback Cliff, or what we call the "Crago" cliff in honor of Ellen and Mary N whose cabin is nearby. Ellen was the one who showed us this special place that overlooks the Sun Canyon. We did the bushwhack from the back and made a loop coming down the trail by the forest service cabin, stopping by the memorial to the Mercy Flight that crashed in 1987. Read more here.
When we started along the river, we ran into a coyote on the trail, which slinked away from us as we approached. The wind was pleasant as we made our way to the top, with a bit of bushwhacking and views of Gibson Dam. But the views were outstanding. Then it was down the regular trail, a forested walk to the road.
Then since we had so much planned for the day, we drove our vehicles to Wagner Basin trailhead, with the goal to find the giant helleborine orchids, which we did. We also found fields of owl's clover, water hemlock rimming the swampy area, and two hides of bighorn sheep that met their end, probably to wolves, but no live sheep. We also stopped by the skull tree as Josy had never seen it. Here, we had our lunch at the picnic table and enjoyed the views of Castle Reef and Sawtooth mountains. On this part, Nora recognized several bird calls, including a yellow throat.
Then it was on to show Josy the pictographs as she hadn't seen them. From there, we got on the Beaver-Willow road to continue on our last hike to McCarty Hill but we took a quick stop at the fen to see the round-leaved orchis, a small dotted pink beauty among the boggy areas.
Once on the road, a grouse crossed the road slowly and went under Katie's car. She abruptly stopped and got out. Sure enough, mama was under the car in the shade, not wanting to move. Katie was able to clap and make noise to flush her out.
Then, Katie, in the lead, bypassed the parking area for our next hike and almost reached Scoutana before she found a turnaround. This stretch of road was unbelievably bad, with sharp rocks poking out, but, luckily, no one got a flat tire. Her mess up, caused us to go back over the rough area and then go it again on the way home. Sigh.
So we backtracked to the trailhead and had a nice time climbing McCarty Hill, something none of us had done yet. The flowers were amazing: buckwheat, blanket flowers (Indian blanket) and lupine in particular. But the trail wasn't too easy to follow, so we were on this game trail and that, walking through grasses to get to the top.
On top were several limber pines with male and female cones. The female were bright green, very pretty, but buzzing with wasps. We wondered if they were a special wasp to pollinate these trees.
On the way down, we heard some clucking. Katie wondered if it were grouse. But then the call faded. But then right in front of Josy, a dusky grouse flew out and into a tree limb, frightening us. Her babies ran for cover too. Following this event, we looked downhill and Katie said, "A mountain lion" as she saw an animal run from some willows below us, across the meadow into some brush and trees. But we looked again as it ran and realized it was a bear, a light cinnamon color. What we took from this: bears hide in the willow areas and you can't see them--make noise when going into such areas. The human voice scares the bears--since social distancing, we have to raise our voices, which is a good thing, apparently, in bear country.
In this section, we got off trail a bit but Josy led us down to the road a short distance from our cars.
Thus ended our three-hike day, a total of 7 miles on the day. We made a loop back home, having to travel through Fairfield since the highway to Augusta is closed due to construction.
Who went: Nora, Josy, Katie
The first hike was to the Hogback Cliff, or what we call the "Crago" cliff in honor of Ellen and Mary N whose cabin is nearby. Ellen was the one who showed us this special place that overlooks the Sun Canyon. We did the bushwhack from the back and made a loop coming down the trail by the forest service cabin, stopping by the memorial to the Mercy Flight that crashed in 1987. Read more here.
When we started along the river, we ran into a coyote on the trail, which slinked away from us as we approached. The wind was pleasant as we made our way to the top, with a bit of bushwhacking and views of Gibson Dam. But the views were outstanding. Then it was down the regular trail, a forested walk to the road.
Then since we had so much planned for the day, we drove our vehicles to Wagner Basin trailhead, with the goal to find the giant helleborine orchids, which we did. We also found fields of owl's clover, water hemlock rimming the swampy area, and two hides of bighorn sheep that met their end, probably to wolves, but no live sheep. We also stopped by the skull tree as Josy had never seen it. Here, we had our lunch at the picnic table and enjoyed the views of Castle Reef and Sawtooth mountains. On this part, Nora recognized several bird calls, including a yellow throat.
Then it was on to show Josy the pictographs as she hadn't seen them. From there, we got on the Beaver-Willow road to continue on our last hike to McCarty Hill but we took a quick stop at the fen to see the round-leaved orchis, a small dotted pink beauty among the boggy areas.
Once on the road, a grouse crossed the road slowly and went under Katie's car. She abruptly stopped and got out. Sure enough, mama was under the car in the shade, not wanting to move. Katie was able to clap and make noise to flush her out.
Then, Katie, in the lead, bypassed the parking area for our next hike and almost reached Scoutana before she found a turnaround. This stretch of road was unbelievably bad, with sharp rocks poking out, but, luckily, no one got a flat tire. Her mess up, caused us to go back over the rough area and then go it again on the way home. Sigh.
So we backtracked to the trailhead and had a nice time climbing McCarty Hill, something none of us had done yet. The flowers were amazing: buckwheat, blanket flowers (Indian blanket) and lupine in particular. But the trail wasn't too easy to follow, so we were on this game trail and that, walking through grasses to get to the top.
On top were several limber pines with male and female cones. The female were bright green, very pretty, but buzzing with wasps. We wondered if they were a special wasp to pollinate these trees.
On the way down, we heard some clucking. Katie wondered if it were grouse. But then the call faded. But then right in front of Josy, a dusky grouse flew out and into a tree limb, frightening us. Her babies ran for cover too. Following this event, we looked downhill and Katie said, "A mountain lion" as she saw an animal run from some willows below us, across the meadow into some brush and trees. But we looked again as it ran and realized it was a bear, a light cinnamon color. What we took from this: bears hide in the willow areas and you can't see them--make noise when going into such areas. The human voice scares the bears--since social distancing, we have to raise our voices, which is a good thing, apparently, in bear country.
In this section, we got off trail a bit but Josy led us down to the road a short distance from our cars.
Thus ended our three-hike day, a total of 7 miles on the day. We made a loop back home, having to travel through Fairfield since the highway to Augusta is closed due to construction.
Who went: Nora, Josy, Katie
Powerline Loop Summer, July 11, 2020: Interesting Surprise on Powerline Loop, so Different in Summer
Karen, Katie and Susan decided to see what the Powerline Loop looks like without snow, so they headed up to the top of Kings Hill Pass to check it out on a Saturday morning at 7 a.m.
We were surprised that a biker pulled up too; otherwise, no one else parked at the top yet. The biker said he was headed out on a 50-mile mountain bike day ride. We marvelled at that, when our hike was around 3 miles totatl.
As we started on the trail, it was already confusing where to go with people staying in the campground. We cut across by the picnic tables and found the service road headed toward Showdown. Along the way, we surprised a doe, quickly crossed over and then to our surprise, crossed again in front of us, very slowly, curious.
The first part was a bit brushy, but then it the trail was very straightforward on the plow roads of the ski hill. Just before we hit O'Brien Park, we had a bit of blow down to step over but really not bad. Once we hit the bottom area, where we usually have lunch, Katie had the brilliant idea to hike the meadow to the stream and then head up the powerline from there. Well, it wasn't such a great idea as we were in a swamp; but the flowers were pretty, probably due to the wet. There were many many shooting stars, their magenta heads bobbing in the wind along with green and white bog orchids and elephant heads..
As we made our way through the much toward the powerline, we abandoned the thought of going over to where we see the stream poking out from the snow, but we found a pond instead. But it was really a deep underground spring. What a surprise. No wonder the area was so wet. The spring created a deep, crystal clear pool that we gazed into for a while before getting to the hard part: climbing up the powerline.
Once we made it up the steep hill, it was very quick back to the cars. But we noticed a lot of construction and a rerouting of the road. We think the Forest Service must be adding more sites in the campground. The fence and a new higher road are being developed.
At the very end of our trip, two snowshoe hares, now turned brown for summer, jumped out by us. As we reached the parking lot, we realized we didn't get out a moment too soon as the parking lots were filling up with trailers of ATVs. We just missed the motorized crowd.
The drive home was a bit scary as so many ATVs were being driving on the highway and could only go about 35 mph. But we really coudln't pass because truck after truck pulling RVs or trailers of four-wheelers were coming the other way. Welcome to hiking on a weekend.
We arrived home around 12:30. A nice morning walk in the mountains:
Who went: Karen, Katie, Susan
We were surprised that a biker pulled up too; otherwise, no one else parked at the top yet. The biker said he was headed out on a 50-mile mountain bike day ride. We marvelled at that, when our hike was around 3 miles totatl.
As we started on the trail, it was already confusing where to go with people staying in the campground. We cut across by the picnic tables and found the service road headed toward Showdown. Along the way, we surprised a doe, quickly crossed over and then to our surprise, crossed again in front of us, very slowly, curious.
The first part was a bit brushy, but then it the trail was very straightforward on the plow roads of the ski hill. Just before we hit O'Brien Park, we had a bit of blow down to step over but really not bad. Once we hit the bottom area, where we usually have lunch, Katie had the brilliant idea to hike the meadow to the stream and then head up the powerline from there. Well, it wasn't such a great idea as we were in a swamp; but the flowers were pretty, probably due to the wet. There were many many shooting stars, their magenta heads bobbing in the wind along with green and white bog orchids and elephant heads..
As we made our way through the much toward the powerline, we abandoned the thought of going over to where we see the stream poking out from the snow, but we found a pond instead. But it was really a deep underground spring. What a surprise. No wonder the area was so wet. The spring created a deep, crystal clear pool that we gazed into for a while before getting to the hard part: climbing up the powerline.
Once we made it up the steep hill, it was very quick back to the cars. But we noticed a lot of construction and a rerouting of the road. We think the Forest Service must be adding more sites in the campground. The fence and a new higher road are being developed.
At the very end of our trip, two snowshoe hares, now turned brown for summer, jumped out by us. As we reached the parking lot, we realized we didn't get out a moment too soon as the parking lots were filling up with trailers of ATVs. We just missed the motorized crowd.
The drive home was a bit scary as so many ATVs were being driving on the highway and could only go about 35 mph. But we really coudln't pass because truck after truck pulling RVs or trailers of four-wheelers were coming the other way. Welcome to hiking on a weekend.
We arrived home around 12:30. A nice morning walk in the mountains:
Who went: Karen, Katie, Susan
Lionhead Butte, July 9, 2020: A Flat Tire on Hot Day Impedes Climb of Butte in New Area
Just over a year ago, a rancher put a conservation easement on land, which allows hikers to enjoy the Birdtail and Lionhead Butte area. So, the GiG decided to check it out.
Birdtail Butte can't be climbed without rope, so our plan was Lionhead. We left Great Falls at 7 a.m., thinking an early start would be good since the butte has no shade and we would be exposed the entire way. But Josy's car had other ideas: it took a rock to a tire, splitting it. Susan, Katie and Judy didn't notice at first that Josy wasn't behind us as we were all driving our own cars, due to the coronavirus outbreak, and also practicing distancing between cars to keep the dust down. But when we arrived at the trail head and Josy didn't show up for over 10 minutes, Katie called as we did have one bar of service. But Josy didn't answer. So, Judy drove to find her, returning in 20 minutes to say she had a flat but was having trouble getting the spare off from under the vehicle. She said she would return to help as she could. Susan and Katie got a few steps walking the road and just talking. A couple in a pickup came by and said the gals were just about finished changing the tire, so Katie and Susan had hope. A few minutes later and first Judy and then Jody's cars came down the road. So we put our gear on, rolled under the barbed wire gate and were on our way. Then it was up, up, up the side of the butte, just after crossing the creek, which was pretty low. A few cows bellowed at us, keeping a leery eye at us humans, since they all had calves. Bushwhacking all the way, through service berries, sage and roses, we battled a beating sun; Susan, coming off a cold, tired and overheated a bit, so we stopped under the few pine trees that there were on the way up. Then we continued on, rounding the far end of the butte to take the easy way up, a nice ramp that even had a game/cow trail. The grasses were high, making our walking slow, especially since under the grasses were many rocks, some fairly large that must have tumbled off the butte or been pushed down by spring runoff and snow. So, we had to watch our footing. We also kept an eye out for snakes, but we didn't see any. As we neared the final ascent, Susan was really over heated. Katie sent Josy and Judy to climb the high point while she took Susan slowly up the easy side, so that they could get some views and hopefully a breeze on top. Susan rested some more, but we made it and enjoyed looking across at Josy and Judy as they did some rock hopping, circled around the butte and came up to join us for lunch. Two limber pines provided a bit of shade to eat under, while Judy said how the rock ledges were a bit scary and that the top had some sort of big bugs flying at them, so that's why they came down fast. We enjoyed the views of the surrounding buttes, Josy using her peak visor app to ID many of them (Fishback, Black, Cecilia, Skull, Haystack) and the views of the Rocky Mountain Front with Caribou peak and Castle Reef really showing. After lunch, Katie hurried everyone along, reminding that the day was to get into the mid-eighties. She did not want to be out during the heat of the day with no shade. So off we went, down, down, watching our step for hidden rocks. Josy led us down quickly with one rest stop under the same pines from the way up. Then Josy went ahead as she only had a donut tire and wanted to start getting back to town as she would have to drive slowly. Judy needed to get to work, so she went quickly too, while Susan and Katie tailed each other, making sure the other two weren't broken down on the way back. We got back to town around 2:30, about one hour later than expected, but we thought it would have been more with the heat, rests, and a flat tire. Josy called to say she made it to Westside Tirerama, and they were taking good care of her. We felt bad that she would have to get all four new tires, but she said she was grateful that she didn't have a blowout on the highway. All in a day. |
Orchid Hike, Sun River Canyon, July 8, 2020: Gals Muck through Swamps to Find Hidden Orchid Flowers
 Giant Helleborine orchid
On a clear blue-sky day, but with much wind, three Giggers headed out for an orchid-finding expedition in the Sun River Canyon area. For part of the trip, we had botanist "Ranger" Wayne Phillips along, to help us locate these elusive beauties.
We first stopped to see lady slippers, an area that has both mountain and yellow versions, sometimes crossed. Wayne told us it was the only documented place in Montana with the white and yellow together. He also said that the Sun River Canyon hosted more orchids than anywhere else in the state. The lady slippers were a bit beyond their time and not as plentiful as usual. We noticed many cottonwood trees had been felled as well as weed spraying. We surmised the habitat had been drastically changed as well as the weed spraying possibly killing the fragile plants. We did find one northern green bog orchid in this area. Then we continued down the road to find some more. We found more green bog orchids as well as the dainty, pink-spotted round-leaf orchid. It's such a special variety. Then it was off to Hannan Gulch to find the giant hellegorine. After peering down to spot the round-leaf orchid, we were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to find the giants, the plants being 2-3 feet tall and the flowers 10 times the size of bog orchids. We didn't see any lady tresses or white bog orchids as we had hoped, but a few of us had appointments, so we cound't muck around too much in the boggy swampy areas. We usually see sheep in this area, but no luck today. The other notable flowers of the day were mock orange, owl's clover, wintergreen, lupine, bergamot, and buckwheat. We left Great Falls at 7 a.m. and arrived home by 3. Who went: Gail, Jo Ann, Katie and guest Gigger, Wayne |
Colorado Mountain, July 2, 2020: Colorado Mountain: Bushwhack, Paddywhack, Cut Leg to the Bone!
 Barking Bronco Riding
Up, over or through was the saying of the day, as the GiG bushwhacked their way to the top of Colorado mountain from sheer determination. We could not believe how much deadfall was on the trail.
It all started from Great Falls at 7 a.m. with us arriving just after 9 a.m. at the Moose Creek cabin trailhead. We had two groups, one going a shorter distance to the lunch spot, and those wanting to summit A family was staying at the cabin; they asked where we were hiking and we proudly said, "Colorado Mountain," not knowing what a challenge this eight-mile 2,200-feet-of-gain hike would be. The beginning of the hike is a bit steep; Bonnie J, just coming from living in Vegas for two years, felt it, but then the trail leveled a bit to a reasonable incline. The forest was pretty, with green grasses underfoot and a few flowers, especially lupine, and showy phlox. After all the rain we had had the last few days, we expected a muddier trail, but we only came across one boggy spot on the way up--more on that later. We had a fun hike to just below the ridge, our usual stopping point for lunch; but before the ridge, we came across quite a few downed trees--and may cut ones. In years past, there have been a few downed lodgepoles that were easy to step over, but there seemed more this year. After a few log hoppers, we gained the ridge, took a break and had lunch. It was now 11:30. After lunch, we said goodbye to Karen and Bonnie J, who planned to just do four miles. Paula had considered it but decided to soldier on. And that is when the bushwhacking really began. At first it was a few more logs, then bigger logs, then logs crisscrossed over each other. Katie led at first, breaking off branches with her poles and stepping on them to break a path so that no one got impaled while climbing over. We also belly crawled under, necessitating taking off our packs at times. Sometimes, we pulled back branches, as many of the trees were still green so the branches would not break. And it was slow going. Josy took over lead after Katie injured a leg on a poking branch. Beth and Amber coined the term “barking bronco” as we straddled these fallen pines. After about a full hour of bushwhacking and only getting one mile up the trail, Sara and Paula decided they had had enough. If they had only known that they only have a handful of trees left after the hundreds we had already conquered, but there was no way to know. Susan left her pack with them, just taking a water bottle. Then Katie said we had about an hour to go. Amber wondered if they knew if would take that long. She and Beth decided to go back to get Susan's pack so they could head back if they wanted to. The other four kept forward progress toward the peak. In this area in particular, we saw tons of bear and elk scat plus elk prints. We wondered through wildflowers and sage brush until we could see the top, a very welcome sight about now. On the top, we were greeted with 360-degree views: the Big Belts, the Elkhorns, the Bridgers, Adels, Tobaccoroots, Bridgers, the Lewis and Clark ranges, Absolutely amazing. So, it made the bushwhack worth it, not thinking we had to do it again. On top, the standout flowers were buckwheat, wall flower and biscuitroot. Amber and Beth thought we might be able to skirt some of the deadfall if we stayed right, on the leeward side of the mountain, so we decided to try it. And we did avoid some deadfall; however, we got into a bog. Beth almost lost a shoe in the muck; Amber and Judy may have ruined theirs. At this point, Katie and Beth compared leg gouges. When Beth showed hers, we noticed how deep it was. As she pulled up her legging, the scab came off and it really started bleeding. We could really see the flesh; it didn't look good. So we got out the first-aid kit, disinfected and bandaged, but it was still bleeding. But we soldiered on. Since we skirted around, we now had to get back to the trail, Katie checked the GPS, We had dropped too low into a drainage, so up we went to get back on trail, of course, through thick downfall, Josy still leading. By this time, some gals were getting blisters from wet feet, but they didn't want to stop to change socks. Amber had a big hike the next day. She wondered how she would make it with wrecked feet and wet boots, but she was hanging tough and planned on two big hikes in a row. So we soldiered on again, through tons of brush to regain the trail. Josy spied cut logs, yay! We were back on trail, but back on bushwhack too. Then Katie saw a way around some of the logs on the left side. It was smooth sailing with only a few trees, but Josy saw a cut log way off to the far side and followed up. Sure enough, we were off trail again. It had swung to the right while we had gone left. A quick look at Katie's GPS confirmed it. So, we backtracked uphill a few hundred feet. This time, we really were on a good trail with only the occasional log to cross. Home free, or so we thought. About now, some were running out of water, the 2-3 liters that they had brought for what we thought would be a more moderate hike. But we knew the last 2.5 miles would be fast without many downed logs. So, we skipped along. But Susan was hitting the wall and fell off the trail, perhaps tripping on a twig. We made her sit down and have a quick snack. Then it was downhill all the way, but we slowed the pace, so no one did any more tripping. The cabin was a sight for sore eyes. We had been on trail for 8.5 hours to hike 8.5 miles stretched to 10 with our off-trail wanderings. The it was time to head home, most of us in our own cars due to coronavirus. Beth decided to head to the immediate care to get care for her wound. It did require two stitches and a good cleaning to stop the bleeding. Amber and Judy stayed in town for dinner. Josy headed out and Susan followed Katie to make sure they both got home okay. On the way home, Katie about hit another deer. Oh, my. We arrived home by 8:30 p.m, a far cry from the 5:30 we expected. Who went: Sara, Paula P, Susan, Josy, Judy, Amber, Beth, Bonnie, Karen, Katie |
Lewis and Clark Pass, June 27, 2020: Wind Danced Flowers; Gals Held onto Hats
A cloudy, windy morning, we left Great Falls at 7:30 a.m., meeting Shelley in Simms at 8:05 a.m. We arrived at the trailhead at 9:30 a.m. After getting our gear ready, we presented Bonnie W with a 100-mile GIG mug.
The skies looked ominous. Everyone agreed with Gail that we would turn around if it started to rain. The wind continued, but no rain. Wildflowers danced in the wind making it difficult to take photos. Our hat chin straps tugged against wind gusts of at least 30 mph. As we climbed closer to the pass, we viewed a large field of bistort swaying in the wind. After reaching the pass, we took photos at the Lewis & Clark Pass sign and found a spot somewhat out of the wind to eat lunch. We took more photos and headed back to the cars. The wildflowers were not as abundant as last year in late June. But, we saw fields of fireweed that will be lovely when it blooms. Heather, Bonnie W and Karen headed back to Great Falls. While Gail, Jo Ann, Shelley, and Catherine ate lunch at the Bushwacker in Lincoln. Shelley dropped Jo Ann off in Simms to ride back to Great Falls with Gail and Catherine. Shelley proceeded home to Conrad. The Great Falls group arrived around 4:30 p.m. A windy but fun day in the mountains, and a historic pass that most of us had not visited. Who went: Heather, Bonnie W, Karen, Gail, Jo Ann, Shelley, Catherine |
WILDFLOWERS
Alum Root, Roundleaf Anemone, Cut-Leaved, creamy white Arnica,Heart-Leaved Arnica, Seep-Spring Bedstraw, Northern Blanket Flower Buckwheat, Suphur Buckwheat, Yellow Chickweed, Mouse Eared Chokecherry Cinquefoil Collomia, Narrow-leaved/Tiny Trumpet Dandelion, Salsify Fireweed (fields of it not yet in bloom) Geranium, Sticky (Pink) Indian Paintbrush-Red Jacob's Ladder Kinickinick Lousewort, Parry's Milkvetch, Drummond's Monkeyflower, Yellow Parsley, Fern-Leaved Desert Penstemon, Fuzzy Tongue Penstemon, Slender Blue Phacelia, Silverleaf Phlox, Cushion-White Prairie Smoke (past its prime) Pussytoes Saxifrage Sedge, Small-Winged Stonecrop, Lance-Leaved Stoneseed aka Gromwell aka Lemonweed Townsendia, Parry's Yarrow |
Buffalo Lakes and Lubec Ridge Climb, June 26, 2020: Bushwhacking, Wading in Bogs: The Views Were Worth It!
It's a strange year, with the east side of Glacier National Park closed for the season, due to COVID-19 worries for the Blackfeet Tribe, so we need to branch out a bit for places to go. So the hike into the Buffalo Lakes and Lubec Ridge fit the bill: it has pretty lakes, wonderful wildflowers and views into our beloved east side of Glacier.
This area lies within the Badger-Two Medicine area, which abuts the Blackfeet Reservation on one side and lies across the Highway from GNP on the other. It's a sacred place for the Blackfeet, who fought to have the mineral right leases rescinded. This summer, the last potential developer gave up his rights. Of course, the National Forest trails aren't often the same as the park's: signage can be rare, trails more a braided or less traveled and include more bushwhacking and fall down that hasn't been cleared. This hike was no exception, except we went off-trail on purpose at times. So, yes, it was a day of bushwhacking! It started off at 6:30 a.m. with three gals from Great Falls meeting Madelon from Eureka, both with a two hour 15 minute drive to the trailhead along Highway 2, tucked into a small pull out. Madelon arrived first; luckily, we met up as there is no cell service in this area. The trail was fine to begin with. Katie led off the main trail to a field of blue camas for pictures. Then we headed right up the ridge, gaining views in no time. Then she wanted to take everyone to the shores of the lakes, so we dropped down and had a bit of bushwhacking to get across a creek in the next drainage. The pine trees were in bloom, releasing tons of blossoms when we bumped the branches. Plumes of what looked like smoke erupted every time we hit one. For a while, we wandered around the west side of the lake, running into two other people at the head. So far so good. Then we rounded the second lake, but the going got rougher on the third, with bushwhacking through alders along the side and then going into the marshy bank area. We did see bear and moose tracks and signs in the mud. Once we rounded this last lake, we were surprised to see a trail leading up the ridge. It was easy going until right before the top. Josy did a great job picking her way and leading to the top, which was very windy. We lost our balance a time or two, but really enjoyed the flowers: biscuitroot, crazyweed, lupine, larkspur, sticky geranium, lance-leaved stone crop, woolly groundsel, to name a few. And the views were amazing of the mountains: Summit and Little Dog, Red Crow, Dancing Lady, Calf Robe The it was back down, with Madelon and Josy scouting the way, this time heading for the east side of the lakes. We did fine until we neared the lake, when we got too low for a bit and got mired in some muck, but once up higher, we were awed by the green rushes in the lakes against the mountains and azure sky, so stunning. Once we rounded the last lake, Katie took a bad turn through the bushwhack to get back across the stream. Again, we faced alders and pines with their pollen. Then we reached the wide-open area. Katie thought we were home free, but we didn't see the orange trail and gas well signs as we should have, so we headed to the west The trail started back in the direction of the lakes: more bushwhacking, Katie thought as she figured we were one drainage over before dropping down. Josy, thankfully went ahead, crossing a drainage; however, she didn't find a trail, so we waited while she looked. Soon, with the wind, we were out of shouting range; we started to worry about getting separated, never a good thing. And Madelon had a dinner she wished to attend later in the evening so she was aware of her two 'o’clock deadline Josy, of course, was loath to come back through the brush, hoping to find a way down; We started hollering for her to come back, not sure if she could hear us. We worried some more, but not wanting to bushwhack over ourselves, not sure if we knew where she was anyway, Then we heard a faint voice, but way below us, so we went further down until we could hear Josy better. We were grateful that we could hear her now! Then there was a place for Josy to more easily move to us through the brush. We all so grateful to have her back with us and thankful that we didn't have to do the bushwhack that she did! And she did it in shorts! Both she and Madelon, who also wore shorts, will earn their Mountain Mama legs from this trip! After we were back as a group, Madelon said she was so grateful that in normal times she would hug Josy! Katie figured if we returned to the open area, even if we didn't find the trail, it would be a lot easier going down the grassy open area than bushwhacking through alders and rose bushes. So, we retraced our steps. No one wanted to do any more game trails though bushes today. When we returned and dropped a bit lower, voila! The trail and the signs appeared. We hadn't dropped low enough after coming to the opening the first time. Then it was a hustle down the trail, actually an old road, all the bushwhacking behind us. Madelon made it back with plenty of time to spare, around 1:30. Then we went our separate ways. Madelon and the Great Falls gals arrived home at just after 4 p.m. Wonderful day. Who went: Madelon, Josy, Susan, Katie |
Sunset Mountain, June 24, 2020: Foot-High Chocolate Lily with 13 Flowers; Many Others Speckle Trail
Who went group one: Jo Ann, Doreen, Gail, Paula P, Sue M
Who went, group two: Katie, Amber, Judy
The weather looked bad, so both groups moved up the hike by a day, from Thursday to Wednesday. Then even Wednesday looked a bit iffy, so the first group decided not to make a sunset trip to Sunset mountain but a morning trip.
The other group ended up canceling as severe damaging thunderstorms and hail were predicted. Insstead, the weather on Thursdaay morning looked better.
Group one left Great Falls at 8 a.m. on our way to Sunset Mountain; the first hike that no one in our group had ever been on before. The trail, an unpaved road, is located about one-tenth of a mile down the highway from Rogers Pass parking area. The weather was warm and sunny, but we found a few shady stops. There were many wildflowers, which Jo Ann identified for the group.
At the top, we lunched in the shade; then proceeded down the trail. Along the way, Jo Ann spotted several Chocolate Lilies and an Early Coralroot. Everyone had a good time. We were back in Great Falls around 2:30 p.m.
Who went: Gail, Jo Ann, Sue M, Paula P, and Doreen.
Group two was under a timeline, as Judy had a doctor's appointment at 1 p.m. for a loose crown. So we left town right at 7 a.m. and hustled up the trail. Somehow, we missed the chocolate lily that Jo Ann told us about: a rare with flower with an even rarer number of blossoms: 13. Usually, this lily might have two or three blossoms on a stalk, so this specimen was highly unusual. Even H. Wayne Phillips, a botanist, couldn't believe this flower.
Both groups passed it by on the way up, but both spotted it on the return. But this wasn't the only amazing flower: the Indian paintbrush was especially bright red, the yellow of the arrowleaf balsamroot almost hurt the eyes.
The other outstanding flowers were valerian, elderberry, buckbrush/ceonothus, arnica, and miner's candle.
As we approached the top and the towers and huts, a work truck wtih three workers approached waving hello. The walk is on a dirt access road, used to service the radio, TV and cell towers on top.
On the way down, Judy noticed her sunglasses were missing. She thought she may have dropped them at the top when she took pictures. Amber said she would drive her back up, but hoped the men in the truck wouldn't be coming down as the road is single track.
Even though it wasn't in the evening, Sunset mountain didn't disappoint.
Who went, group two: Katie, Amber, Judy
The weather looked bad, so both groups moved up the hike by a day, from Thursday to Wednesday. Then even Wednesday looked a bit iffy, so the first group decided not to make a sunset trip to Sunset mountain but a morning trip.
The other group ended up canceling as severe damaging thunderstorms and hail were predicted. Insstead, the weather on Thursdaay morning looked better.
Group one left Great Falls at 8 a.m. on our way to Sunset Mountain; the first hike that no one in our group had ever been on before. The trail, an unpaved road, is located about one-tenth of a mile down the highway from Rogers Pass parking area. The weather was warm and sunny, but we found a few shady stops. There were many wildflowers, which Jo Ann identified for the group.
At the top, we lunched in the shade; then proceeded down the trail. Along the way, Jo Ann spotted several Chocolate Lilies and an Early Coralroot. Everyone had a good time. We were back in Great Falls around 2:30 p.m.
Who went: Gail, Jo Ann, Sue M, Paula P, and Doreen.
Group two was under a timeline, as Judy had a doctor's appointment at 1 p.m. for a loose crown. So we left town right at 7 a.m. and hustled up the trail. Somehow, we missed the chocolate lily that Jo Ann told us about: a rare with flower with an even rarer number of blossoms: 13. Usually, this lily might have two or three blossoms on a stalk, so this specimen was highly unusual. Even H. Wayne Phillips, a botanist, couldn't believe this flower.
Both groups passed it by on the way up, but both spotted it on the return. But this wasn't the only amazing flower: the Indian paintbrush was especially bright red, the yellow of the arrowleaf balsamroot almost hurt the eyes.
The other outstanding flowers were valerian, elderberry, buckbrush/ceonothus, arnica, and miner's candle.
As we approached the top and the towers and huts, a work truck wtih three workers approached waving hello. The walk is on a dirt access road, used to service the radio, TV and cell towers on top.
On the way down, Judy noticed her sunglasses were missing. She thought she may have dropped them at the top when she took pictures. Amber said she would drive her back up, but hoped the men in the truck wouldn't be coming down as the road is single track.
Even though it wasn't in the evening, Sunset mountain didn't disappoint.
Willow Creek Falls, June 21, 2020: Waterfalls, Flowers, Wildlife Stun Gals on Rocky Mountain Front Hike
Two groups traveled to Willow Creek Falls. The first group led by Jo Ann and Gail left Great Falls at 7 a.m., and Shelly met them in Augusta. We were delayed a bit by road construction. The second group led by Sara and Viki left Great Falls at 8 a.m., and Viki met them in Augusta. The sky was partly cloudy with temps in the 70s. Perfect hiking weather.
Upon arrival at the trailhead, the private property owners were exiting the gate and gave us permission to go through, nice that we did not have to climb under the barbed wire fence. Immediately, we were rewarded with a field of wildflowers and took lots of photos. When we arrived at the creek, we were pleased that our water shoes were not needed; someone had placed logs for crossing. Wildflower identification (64 flowers) and photography continued the entire hike. Shelly looked for fossils and the elusive heart-shaped rock. At lunch she and Karen spotted fossils on rocks next to where they were sitting. Jo Ann and Karen each removed a tick from their clothing. Shortly after lunch, on our return, we met the second group. They stopped for lunch; then headed down the trail and arrived at the parking area about five minutes after the first group. The second group arrived a little late to the trailhead as Sara, who was driving, took a wrong turn at Scoutana and continued on the road to the Gibson Reservoir. After we stopped to talk to some bicyclists, we realized that we had to turn back. It added about an hour to our drive, but now Sara know the way to Willow Creek! Only three of the 11 hikers had hiked this trail. All were impressed with the stunning mountain scenery, the waterfalls, and the wildflowers. Who went: First Group – Jo Ann, Gail, Catherine, Karen, Shelley. Second Group – Sara, Viki, Cathy K, Bonnie W, Heather, Paula P. |
WILDFLOWERS WE SAW
Alum Root, Roundleaf Anemone, Cut-Leaved, creamy white Anemone, Cut-Leaved, Pink Anemone, Cut-Leaved, Yellow Arrowleaf Balsamroot Biscuit-Root, Nine-Leaved Bluebells Buckbrush/ceanothus Buckwheat, Suphur Buckwheat, Wyeth's Chickweed, Mouse Eared Chokecherry Cinquefoil, Shrubby Clematis, Purple Virgin's Bower Collomia, Narrow-leaved/Tiny Trumpet Daisy, Cutleaf Dandelion, Mountain Dandelion, Salsify Death Camas, Common aka Meadow Flax, Blue Gential, Green aka Monument Plant Geranium, Sticky Pink Geranium, Sticky White Groundsel, Wooly Hound's Tongue (noxious weed) Indian Paintbrush-Red Iris, Missouri Jacob's Ladder Kinickinick Larkspur Lousewort, Parry's Lupine Meadow Rue, female (no males) Milkvetch, Drummond's Miner's Candle, Northern Oregon Grape, Creeping Parsley, Fern-Leaved Desert Penstemon, Fuzzy Tongue Penstemon, Slender Blue Penstemon, Shining Phacelia, Silky Phacelia, Silverleaf Prairie Smoke and Old Man Whiskers Pussytoes, Alpine Pussytoes, Rosy Pussytoes, Tall Pussytoes, Woods Raspberry Rockcress, Nuttals Saxifrage Serviceberry aka Sarvisberry aka Saskatoon Solomon's Seal, False Solomon's Seal, Star Flowered False aka Wild Lily of the Valley Stonecrop, Lance-Leaved Stoneseed aka Gromwell aka Lemonweed Strawberry Sugar Bowl Townsendia, Parry's Violet, Blue Violet, Canada Wallflower Yarrow Yellow Owl's Clover Yellowstone Draba |
Fairview Mountain, June 20, 2020: Summer Solstice Climb of Fairview Mountain |
We left Great Falls at 6:30 a.m. taking the back way to Augusta through Fairfield due to road construction out of Simms.
We wanted to get out early due to thunderstorms predicted in the afternoon, and this being early in the year, we knew it would take us longer to do some climbing.
And our legs weren't the only thing that slowed us down: the flowers called us to take a ton of photos. We must have seen over 50 different varieties from the verdant valley flowers including wild iris to high alpine beauties just emerging as the snow melts such as spring beauties, alpine forget-me-nots, glacier lilies and spring beauties.
So, the trail starts in a meadow, crosses a creek (over which, someone had placed logs so we didn't need our water shoes). and then gets alpine fast. The rocky limestones holds many fossils, especially crinoids; we did find a few as well as what we think is an ancient coral.
Then we hit the series of waterfalls t, called Willow Creek Falls, hat tumble down the rocky cliffs before we head off trial for the climbing portion.
We had a snack at this junction, while Katie and Tom discussed routes. Due to the weather, we decided to take a more direct, but steeper, route so that we could get to the top by 1 p.m., the rule being get off a mountain by 2 p.m. as that is when the electric storms usually gather in the Rockies. So far, we had averaged just over one mph with the fossil hunting and picture taking and the clouds were starting to loom.
On the way to the top, we passed through what looked like a dead white-bark pine forest. In fact, we kept hearing a bird call and Beth said it had black wings; we figured it might be a Clark's nutcracker. Lots of gorgeous snags to set off our picture shutters again, but sad that the trees died. In this section, Tom picked up four ticks. Then we continued, admiring the three different anemone variety of flowers with Tom pushing on to the 1 p.m. deadline.
And we did make it. It was a tough climb, making for an 8 versus 10-mile day, but we did make it to the top by 1 p.m. We ate our lunch and enjoyed the views for a half hour before heading back down. The views on top were stupendous, even if we had mounting clouds. We viewed the Scapegoat escarpment, a long circular wall where we will be backpacking to later this summer.
We retraced our steps, back to the waterfalls, through the meadow to the stream crossing and through the final meadow.
We got back to the cars around 4:30 and home by 6:30, with some stopping in Augusta for a bite to eat. Katie and Tom both found a few more ticks when they showered, Yuck.
Who went: Mary, Amber, Beth, Katie (Tom and Gordon guides)
We wanted to get out early due to thunderstorms predicted in the afternoon, and this being early in the year, we knew it would take us longer to do some climbing.
And our legs weren't the only thing that slowed us down: the flowers called us to take a ton of photos. We must have seen over 50 different varieties from the verdant valley flowers including wild iris to high alpine beauties just emerging as the snow melts such as spring beauties, alpine forget-me-nots, glacier lilies and spring beauties.
So, the trail starts in a meadow, crosses a creek (over which, someone had placed logs so we didn't need our water shoes). and then gets alpine fast. The rocky limestones holds many fossils, especially crinoids; we did find a few as well as what we think is an ancient coral.
Then we hit the series of waterfalls t, called Willow Creek Falls, hat tumble down the rocky cliffs before we head off trial for the climbing portion.
We had a snack at this junction, while Katie and Tom discussed routes. Due to the weather, we decided to take a more direct, but steeper, route so that we could get to the top by 1 p.m., the rule being get off a mountain by 2 p.m. as that is when the electric storms usually gather in the Rockies. So far, we had averaged just over one mph with the fossil hunting and picture taking and the clouds were starting to loom.
On the way to the top, we passed through what looked like a dead white-bark pine forest. In fact, we kept hearing a bird call and Beth said it had black wings; we figured it might be a Clark's nutcracker. Lots of gorgeous snags to set off our picture shutters again, but sad that the trees died. In this section, Tom picked up four ticks. Then we continued, admiring the three different anemone variety of flowers with Tom pushing on to the 1 p.m. deadline.
And we did make it. It was a tough climb, making for an 8 versus 10-mile day, but we did make it to the top by 1 p.m. We ate our lunch and enjoyed the views for a half hour before heading back down. The views on top were stupendous, even if we had mounting clouds. We viewed the Scapegoat escarpment, a long circular wall where we will be backpacking to later this summer.
We retraced our steps, back to the waterfalls, through the meadow to the stream crossing and through the final meadow.
We got back to the cars around 4:30 and home by 6:30, with some stopping in Augusta for a bite to eat. Katie and Tom both found a few more ticks when they showered, Yuck.
Who went: Mary, Amber, Beth, Katie (Tom and Gordon guides)
North Shore Missouri River, June 18, 2020" Snake on Trail Gives a Scare at End of Nice Hike along the Missouri with Flowers, Hoodoos
After three and a half days of rain, Karen, Jo Ann and Katie were aching to get in a short hike, this time to see prairie flowers. We started at the Ryan Dam trailhead but headed west toward Cochrane Dam rather than the usual Morony. We went to the falls overlook and then continued to the Ryan Dam/Great Falls overlook, where some powerlines secure to hoodoos high above the island.
It was interesting to get another vantage point from on high. On the way going, we marveled at the flowers, the prickly pear and yucca blooms in particular. On the way back, we took a jump as a rattle snake gave us his warning shake and coiled ready to strike. Boy, did Katie take a leap as she was closest to the little bugger. He wasn't very big but he gave us a big fright. Luckily, we were steps from the car or we would have been timid on the trail after that. We saw almost 30 wildflowers on this desert soil, surprising really with how dry it is. We left at 3 and were back by 6 p,m, |
Flowers we saw
Yucca Prickly pear American vetch split pod milkvetch white penstemon yarrow prairie roses Hymonoxys acaulis bull thistle butterfly weed sulphur buckwheat cushion goldenweed cushion buckwheat sulphur buckwheat American vetch Scarlet globemallow bastard toadflax dalmation toadflax/butter and eggs dame's rocket sweet clover alfafa Missouri milkvetch Miners candle dusty maiden daisy blue flax leafy spurge geyer's onion 
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Skidway Hill and Kings Hill, June 12, 2020: Mountain Climb Turns into Two Peaks; 70+ Flowers; Jo Ann Fulfills Dream of Photographing Limestone Columbine aka Jones Columbine |
With a very hot day expected and not many able to go, we ditched the idea of a big climb with no shade to wildflower walks, in search of the elusive limestone or Jones columbine, which only resides on rocky mountain tops.
We were to have two groups: one leisurely wildflower walk group and one group that would split off to climb Grassy Mountain. Instead, we did something in between: we did two wildflower walks, but the mountain climbers convinced the walkers to hike to the top of two small peaks. And we weren't disappointed with the flowers.
We left Great Falls at an early 6:30 a.m. in an attempt to beat the heat, stopping briefly at Memorial Falls for a break. We arrived at Skidway at 8:45 and were on trail just before 9 a.m. Even in the parking area we started to see flowers: Indian paintbrush (red and sulphur) and lupine really showed their faces. But the flowers kept coming. On this portion of our hike, we named over 70, including chocolate lily, fairy slippers and early orchids. We even saw a white clematis or virgin's bower. See our list below.
This hike stays in the trees among lush meadowlands, but we went off trail to tag Skidway Hill, a former ski area for the people of the area including Townsend and White Sulphur Springs. We saw the remnants of the lodge and ski tow and enjoyed the views of the surrounding mountains, including Edith, that largest peak in the Big Belts. Then we took a glance up the mountain at what would have been the climbers path that we will save for a cooler day when more gals can join us.
Then we headed back into the trees and continued our three-mile loop to our cars. We arrived at the cars at 11:30 a.m. After our hike into the Big Belts, we decided to hit another high point, this time in the Little Belts and halfway on our way home: Kings Hill. Jo Ann is not called "Flower Finder" as her trail name for nothing. She is a member of the Native Plant Society and sure has an eye. It is she who spotted the early coralroot orchid and chocolate lilies when the rest of us would have walked right by them, so when Katie said there was an opportunity to see limestone columbine on Kings Hill, she was up for it, even though it would mean a six-mile day, more hiking than she had done in a year. And it was uphill all the way on our next three-mile adventure.
Before we jumped into our cars for Kings Hill, we said goodbye to Sheila, who decided to stay for some fishing instead of the second hike. We arrived at Kings Hill in about an hour and started up, hitting a bit of snow on the old road and trail. Along the way, Jo Ann and Katie found even more flower varieties than what we had seen at Skidway, marking over 70 flowers in the 80s if you count the white versions), but the real treat was on top: among the rocky outcroppings lay dozens of limestone columbine, their bright violtet-blue heads with yellow centers seeming to smile at us through the wind that was whipping at the top. But it was all worth it. Jo Ann finally was able to photograph this special flower.
To help her out, Amber played Sherpa, carrying other people's water and running back and forth to get her exercise. We figured she put on an extra mile going to the top and back several times.
We got down around 3 p.m. and were home by 4. A wonderful day.
Who went: Jo Ann, Karen, Sheila, Amber, Susan, Katie
We were to have two groups: one leisurely wildflower walk group and one group that would split off to climb Grassy Mountain. Instead, we did something in between: we did two wildflower walks, but the mountain climbers convinced the walkers to hike to the top of two small peaks. And we weren't disappointed with the flowers.
We left Great Falls at an early 6:30 a.m. in an attempt to beat the heat, stopping briefly at Memorial Falls for a break. We arrived at Skidway at 8:45 and were on trail just before 9 a.m. Even in the parking area we started to see flowers: Indian paintbrush (red and sulphur) and lupine really showed their faces. But the flowers kept coming. On this portion of our hike, we named over 70, including chocolate lily, fairy slippers and early orchids. We even saw a white clematis or virgin's bower. See our list below.
This hike stays in the trees among lush meadowlands, but we went off trail to tag Skidway Hill, a former ski area for the people of the area including Townsend and White Sulphur Springs. We saw the remnants of the lodge and ski tow and enjoyed the views of the surrounding mountains, including Edith, that largest peak in the Big Belts. Then we took a glance up the mountain at what would have been the climbers path that we will save for a cooler day when more gals can join us.
Then we headed back into the trees and continued our three-mile loop to our cars. We arrived at the cars at 11:30 a.m. After our hike into the Big Belts, we decided to hit another high point, this time in the Little Belts and halfway on our way home: Kings Hill. Jo Ann is not called "Flower Finder" as her trail name for nothing. She is a member of the Native Plant Society and sure has an eye. It is she who spotted the early coralroot orchid and chocolate lilies when the rest of us would have walked right by them, so when Katie said there was an opportunity to see limestone columbine on Kings Hill, she was up for it, even though it would mean a six-mile day, more hiking than she had done in a year. And it was uphill all the way on our next three-mile adventure.
Before we jumped into our cars for Kings Hill, we said goodbye to Sheila, who decided to stay for some fishing instead of the second hike. We arrived at Kings Hill in about an hour and started up, hitting a bit of snow on the old road and trail. Along the way, Jo Ann and Katie found even more flower varieties than what we had seen at Skidway, marking over 70 flowers in the 80s if you count the white versions), but the real treat was on top: among the rocky outcroppings lay dozens of limestone columbine, their bright violtet-blue heads with yellow centers seeming to smile at us through the wind that was whipping at the top. But it was all worth it. Jo Ann finally was able to photograph this special flower.
To help her out, Amber played Sherpa, carrying other people's water and running back and forth to get her exercise. We figured she put on an extra mile going to the top and back several times.
We got down around 3 p.m. and were home by 4. A wonderful day.
Who went: Jo Ann, Karen, Sheila, Amber, Susan, Katie
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WILDFLOWERS WE SAW
Alum Root, Roundleaf Anemone, Cut-Leaved, creamy white Arnica, Heart-Leaved Arrowleaf Balsamroot Baneberry Biscuit-Root, Cous Biscuit-Root, Nine-Leaved Bistort, American Bittercrest, Alpine Bluebells Blue-eyed Mary Buckbrush/ceanothus Calypso Orchid aka Fairy Slipper Chickweed, Mouse Eared Chocolate Lily Cinquefoil, Drummond's Collomia, Narrow-leaved/Tiny Trumpet Columbine, Jones aka Limestone Crazyweed, Silky Currant, Black Current, Wax Cushion Goldenweed Daisy, Cutleaf Daisy, Showy Fleabane Dandelion, Mountain Death Camas, Common aka Meadow Douglasia Fern-Leaved Desert Parsley Forget-Me-Not, Alpine Forget-Me-Not, Many Flowered Stickseed Forget-Me-Not, Woods Geranium, Sticky Pink Geranium, Sticky White Groundsel, Arrowleaf Groundsel, Wooly Hound's Tongue (noxious weed) Hymenoxys, Acaulis/Stemless Indian Paintbrush-Lime color Indian Paintbrush-Red Indian Paintbrush-Salmon color Indian Paintbrush-Pallid (yellow) Jacob's Ladder Kittentail, Wyoming Larkspur Lupine Meadow Rue, female Meadow Rue, male Milkvetch, Drummond's Northern Miner's Candle Orchid, Early Coralroot Oregon Grape, Creeping Pasqueflower Pearly Everlasting Pennycress, Field Phacelia, Silverleaf (leaves only) Phacelia, Threadleaf Phlox, Cushion Prairie Smoke Pussytoes, Woods Rockcress, Drummond's Rockcress, Nuttals Saxifrage, Rusty Saxifrage, Snowball Serviceberry aka Sarvisberry aka Saskatoon Shooting Star Solomon's Seal, False Solomon's Seal, Star Flowered False aka Wild Lily of the Valley Sorrel, Mountain Spring Beauty, Pink Spring Beauty, White Stonecrop, Lance-Leaved Stoneseed aka Gromwell aka Lemonweed Strawberry Sugar Bowl Valerian, Sitka Virgin's Bower/Clematis (purple) Virgin's Bower/Clematis (white) Wallflower Western Sweet Cicely Woodland Star aka Prairie Star Yellow Violet Yellowstone Draba |
Windy Peak, June 9, 2020: Gals Buzzed by Military Helicopter on Windy Day on Windy Peak
Who went:.
Brenda, Judy, Noreen, Amber and Beth We parked at Thain Creek campground near the trailhead #454 and walked over to Briggs Creek Trail #431. The two days prior to our adventure, rain soaked the area and we were prepared for lots of mud and stream crossings with high water - we were pleasantly surprised as there was very little mud and the stream crossings were fairly easy to navigate and cross. Before the hike, we determined that everyone would take turns in the line so everyone would lead and experience different perspectives. We ventured through the lush forest and oohed and aahed at the vibrant and abundant arrowleaf balsamroot - the hillsides were covered. We merged with trail 454 and continued until we reached the base of Windy Peak. We left our packs at the sign and trekked up the hillside to the peak. Upon reaching the top, a military helicopter flew right by us - actually a little lower in elevation than we were - it surprised us all. Individual and group photos were taken at the top and we descended down to our packs. It was VERY windy (hmmm...we all know why it is so named) and when we reached our packs, tucked behind some rocks and ate our lunches and enjoyed the beautiful views. No mammals were spotted but we did observe large single ungulate tracks that we guessed were from a moose. The many crossings towards the end of the trail were conquered by all and we all managed to stay dry. It was a delightful day with many laughs and great memories! |
Windy Peak Loop, June 4, 2020: Unnamed Peak, Arrowleaf Balsamroot Wow Gals on Long Hike
Over nine miles and bushwhacking gave three Giggers a workout on a pretty day that highlighed all the flowers the Highwood Mountains had to offer.
The day started at 7:30 a.m. and took over an hour to travel the very bad road going into Thain Creek area. We parked where the road splits into North Fork Highwood Creek and Thain Creek. Then we took the 411 trail across the road that meets with the trail at the campground. By 9 a.m., we were on trail with our watershoes packed just in case the 13 creek crossing required them, but we discovered bridges, logs or rockhopping sufficed to get across all the streams. At the beginning of the trail, we had to check the GPS at one junction. We ended up heading in a counterclockwise direction, which was new to Katie. As we headed up, some of us realized it was early in the season as our legs and lungs took a bit to get adjusted to the uphill climb. We took adequate stops to get water and admire the 45 flowers we saw along the way. Nora used her Seek app to help us with a few names, but for the most part, we were familiar with the blooms we saw. After we reached the first pass, we continued around a small peak and then to another, the largest on the horizon. Katie thought it was the Windy Peak as it was bigger and we were approaching from a different direction, so we headed up the ridge, Susan in the lead. Going up was pretty easy. On the way, we looked back and spied a man and a dog on the trail. Then he decided to follow us and caught us on top when we were taking off our packs to rest and have our lunch. Nora discovered the hiker was someone she knew: Dan Levine, so she chatted a bit. We enjoyed the views of both sides, green hills all around covered in bright yellow arrowleaf balsamroot reflecting in the sun. After lunch, Katie had the bright idea of going off the far side instead of going back the way we came. It got us down all right, but not without a lot of bushwhacking through trees, on talus and over junipers. Nora guided us down most of the way down very steep terrain. But no one slipped or got hurt; we were happy to see the trail though. Then we continued along the ridge, reaching the real Windy Peak and pass in about a mile. No one really felt like going up another high point, even though it was much easier, 250 feet lower than the peak we climbed. Then it was down, down, down with most of the creek crossings ahead of us. We enjoyed the different zones of flowers (see list below). We completed the Windy Point loop and threw in a peak, so on the way home, we also went back a different way, completing another loop. Our day ended at 5 pm. back to Great Falls. Who went: Susan, Nora, Katie |
Flowers we saw
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Rodgers Peak, afternoon, June 1, 2020: Storm Brews But Gals Make it to Top, Welcome New Member
GiG welcomed Noreen to the group with a quick afternoon trip up Rodgers Peak; and it was quick since the clouds started rolling in.
We left Great Falls at 1 p.m and were on trail by 2:30 and off the mountain by 5:15 in time to greet the other group going up in the evening. On our way up, we saw tons of wildflowers, going from the glacier lily zone to the alpine forgetmenots and douglasia above the treeline. (See list of flowers we saw). We faced a bit of blowdown, having to skirt off trail to get around trees. And we saw many huckleberry blossoms, promising a good crop come August. As we climbed and got out of the trees, the wind really started whipping us. Some of us peaked over the rocks at the first saddle only to walk back quickly for fear of being blown off the cliff. This area had the best display of alpine flowers: pink douglasia, blue forgetmenots and yellow cous biscuitroot and yellowstone draba. As we neared the second pass, we stopped as a big thunderhead was looming over it. Instead, we took a break and ate our dinner, hoping the wind would blow the cloud away, but it didn't. So Katie said that we would head straight up and get to the peak that way instead of going to the pass and going up the less-steep backside as we usually do. Some of the gals thought she was crazy as it was a stiff climb, but once we got going, no one had any problems. Then on top, with the wind howling, we took a quick picture before descending quickly. A few gals even risked the lightening with sticks in the air. We did want to get down before any thunder storm started. Plus the wind wasn't very pleasant either. We made it down before even a drop of rain fell or any lightning started. Then Katie headed up Rogers Pass in hopes of finding chocolate lilies while everyone else headed home. A fun time and Noreen, the newbie, said she would be back hiking with us soon. We hadn't scared her away. |
Flowers
alpine forgetmenots douglasia wild anise arnica sitka valerian Western tobaccoroot yellowstone draba cous biscuitroot larkspur Indian paintbrush glacier lily chickweed ballhead waterleaf strawberries huckleberries kinnikkinnik Pasque flower shooting stars Jacob's ladder Oregon/Holly grape red twinberry or Utah honeysuckle spring beauties |
Swift Dam, May 25, 2020: Turquoise Water, Yellow Glacier Lilies Contrast in the Burn Plus a Crying Moose Calf at Swift Reservoir |
"I hear voices," Viki said as she turned her ear to across the lake. The rest of us heard it too, but it wasn't human. It was something in distress.
That incident came toward the end of our day, which started at 7 a.m. with a quick stop at Freezeout Lake to pick up Viki. But we couldn't find each other, so our two cars plus Viki continued on to Dupuyer for a meet up after a quick phone call. This time we found her. On a side note, we noticed the Bear Aware signs at the rest stop, which reminded us that a man had just been mauled here.
At 9:30 a.m. we arrived at the parking area (which was blue with numerous Jacob's ladder covering it) to find it had only two other vehicles, surprising on Memorial Day, but it's a strange year with the coronavirus. We expected a few more campers, but maybe most people had pull out already.
The day was a bit cloudy but warm with plenty of wind. We hoofed it up an uneven trail due to horse prints to the top of the cliff that reveals sweeping views across the lake and down on the dam itself. We explored a bit on the rocks, taking pictures, admiring the color of the water as well as the abundant wildflowers: shooting stars, pasque flowers, Yellowstone draba, douglasia, rock cress, Jacob's ladder.
After enjoying the top awhile--and the warm wind--, we continued down the trail that revealed different zones of wildflower color. In some areas, the penstemon cropped up; others magenta douglasia, others yet the yellow of glacier lilies contrasting with the black logs in the burn area. And the wind died down the rest of the way, once we entered first the trees and then the burned area.
After about a mile and half, we came to Hell Roaring Spring, a natural spring that pours over 200 gallons per minute right from the side of the trail. The water was so clear, the rapids pure white.
We went off trail in a few places to venture out on places that jutted into the lake so that we could get views down the length of the reservoir. On one of these places, we took a break for lunch before continuing to the confluence of South Birch creek near the head of the lake. We did have to go over the edge a bit to get out of the wind. While eating, we saw the only other hikers pass below us on the trail (we did see another party headed out as we neared the cars).
When we got to the South Birch Creek crossing, Susan said we should have brought water shoes, thinking we should continue on by wading the creek, but we figured a 6-7 mile hike was enough, so we turned around. When we did, Viki heard what she thought was voices coming from across the lake. We all listened and then knew that it was an animal in distress. We peered across the lake until we saw something by the water. Katie used her zoom lens to see it was a baby moose. She watched it hobble down the cliff side with a hurt, maybe broken, back leg, crying the whole way. We saw it enter the water, still crying. No sign of the mother around. We figured it was too injured to keep up with mama and away from predators, so mama had to abandon. Our spirits were so down at this point, pondering the cruelty, but also necessity, of nature.
Susan and Viki couldn't take the crying so they continued while Anita and Katie continued to watch as the calf tried to get into the very deep water, dipping a hoof in but changed its mind and walked back up the steep shore, still bawling. None of us wanted to see a predator come toward the cries, so we left in a very sad mood, knowing there was nothing we could do for this wee one.
As we headed back, we noticed fresh road apples. We really wondered how horses could have passed us on the way; Then we remembered the horse ford. Apparently, they must have gotten by us when we were at the Birch Creek crossing. Our last observation of the day was a dusky grouse female, leading us away from her next.
After getting back into the cars, we headed for the spillway waterfall, which was gushing this time of year, thundering over the stair-step wall into a deep turquoise pool. We tried to imagine what it was like during the flood of '64, which took out this dam, sending a huge wall of water downstream, which in turn, took out the dam on Lower Two Medicine Lake, killing 28 people. Read more here.
Then it was back to town. We said 'goodbye' to Viki as we wanted to head back via Conrad and the Interstate to avoid the weekend traffic from Missoula and other places on a two-lane road. Interestingly, the traffic usually non-existent on this road, we heavy going in the other direction; must have been coming back from Tiber.
We arrived back home at 5 p.m., earlier than expected.
That incident came toward the end of our day, which started at 7 a.m. with a quick stop at Freezeout Lake to pick up Viki. But we couldn't find each other, so our two cars plus Viki continued on to Dupuyer for a meet up after a quick phone call. This time we found her. On a side note, we noticed the Bear Aware signs at the rest stop, which reminded us that a man had just been mauled here.
At 9:30 a.m. we arrived at the parking area (which was blue with numerous Jacob's ladder covering it) to find it had only two other vehicles, surprising on Memorial Day, but it's a strange year with the coronavirus. We expected a few more campers, but maybe most people had pull out already.
The day was a bit cloudy but warm with plenty of wind. We hoofed it up an uneven trail due to horse prints to the top of the cliff that reveals sweeping views across the lake and down on the dam itself. We explored a bit on the rocks, taking pictures, admiring the color of the water as well as the abundant wildflowers: shooting stars, pasque flowers, Yellowstone draba, douglasia, rock cress, Jacob's ladder.
After enjoying the top awhile--and the warm wind--, we continued down the trail that revealed different zones of wildflower color. In some areas, the penstemon cropped up; others magenta douglasia, others yet the yellow of glacier lilies contrasting with the black logs in the burn area. And the wind died down the rest of the way, once we entered first the trees and then the burned area.
After about a mile and half, we came to Hell Roaring Spring, a natural spring that pours over 200 gallons per minute right from the side of the trail. The water was so clear, the rapids pure white.
We went off trail in a few places to venture out on places that jutted into the lake so that we could get views down the length of the reservoir. On one of these places, we took a break for lunch before continuing to the confluence of South Birch creek near the head of the lake. We did have to go over the edge a bit to get out of the wind. While eating, we saw the only other hikers pass below us on the trail (we did see another party headed out as we neared the cars).
When we got to the South Birch Creek crossing, Susan said we should have brought water shoes, thinking we should continue on by wading the creek, but we figured a 6-7 mile hike was enough, so we turned around. When we did, Viki heard what she thought was voices coming from across the lake. We all listened and then knew that it was an animal in distress. We peered across the lake until we saw something by the water. Katie used her zoom lens to see it was a baby moose. She watched it hobble down the cliff side with a hurt, maybe broken, back leg, crying the whole way. We saw it enter the water, still crying. No sign of the mother around. We figured it was too injured to keep up with mama and away from predators, so mama had to abandon. Our spirits were so down at this point, pondering the cruelty, but also necessity, of nature.
Susan and Viki couldn't take the crying so they continued while Anita and Katie continued to watch as the calf tried to get into the very deep water, dipping a hoof in but changed its mind and walked back up the steep shore, still bawling. None of us wanted to see a predator come toward the cries, so we left in a very sad mood, knowing there was nothing we could do for this wee one.
As we headed back, we noticed fresh road apples. We really wondered how horses could have passed us on the way; Then we remembered the horse ford. Apparently, they must have gotten by us when we were at the Birch Creek crossing. Our last observation of the day was a dusky grouse female, leading us away from her next.
After getting back into the cars, we headed for the spillway waterfall, which was gushing this time of year, thundering over the stair-step wall into a deep turquoise pool. We tried to imagine what it was like during the flood of '64, which took out this dam, sending a huge wall of water downstream, which in turn, took out the dam on Lower Two Medicine Lake, killing 28 people. Read more here.
Then it was back to town. We said 'goodbye' to Viki as we wanted to head back via Conrad and the Interstate to avoid the weekend traffic from Missoula and other places on a two-lane road. Interestingly, the traffic usually non-existent on this road, we heavy going in the other direction; must have been coming back from Tiber.
We arrived back home at 5 p.m., earlier than expected.
Falls Creek, May 17, 2020: Social Distancing in Effect for Trip to Falls Creek
We missed a whole month and a half of hiking and snowshoeing due to our governor's order to "stay inside" for the past month due to the novel coronavirus COVID-19. Currently, Montana is in Phase I of a three-phase plan to open the state back up, which includes outdoor recreation.
So three of us headed out at 7 a.m. to the Rocky Mountain Front out of Augusta to visit the newly opened Falls Creek area, a gift made possible by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation along with other donations. Our gals had taken a winter trip to see the frozen falls, so now we had the opportunity to see them in the spring.
Roni, Karen and Katie all drove separately to the trailhead, stopping at Augusta just to regroup and then Bean Lake to use the outhouse before hitting the trail. The gravel road was pretty good, except one section with very large, deep gravel, clearly marked "rough road." We also faced several detours for road construction between Simms and Augusta.
Only one other vehicle was at the trailhead, so we knew we wouldn't have a crowd. We got an early start just so we wouldn't run into many people. Plus, the weather looked a bit threatening in the direction of the mountains, which probably further discouraged a few from getting out on a Sunday.
As we walked toward the falls, we were treated to a few spring flowers: pasque flowers, buttercups, and shooting stars were the main attractions along with phlox and a clump or two of douglasia. As we came around the bend to the second meadow area, we spied the cairn making the place to head off trail to see the main waterfall. And it was spilling, even though some ice remained.
Then we continued upstream, hugging the creek and going off trail for views. looking down on argillite rock, similar to Glacier with its aqua and maroon hues. At one point, a road had been cut down to a crossing, a place created in the cliff for the cattle to drink as this land used to be part of a working cattle ranch. We followed the road down to the gorgeous stream that had a nice swimming or fishing hole in this area.
Then we climbed back up to the main trail until we got to the second falls, at which time it was really starting to sprinkle. We could have continued another half mile to the main crossing of the creek, but it would be too high water to cross at this time of year; with the weather moving in, Katie thought it best to turn around, so we did.
As we hiked, Roni told us the amazing, but frightening, story of how her husband survived heart attacks, stents to repair blockages, an air ambulance flight to better health care to repair major aortic tears and a three-and-a half week recovery to now be working full time again. (And how Roni and her family survived the stress and worry too). It brought tears to our eyes.
We arrived back at the cars around 11 and back home by 1:30, for a total of just under four miles.
Who went: Roni, Karen, Katie
So three of us headed out at 7 a.m. to the Rocky Mountain Front out of Augusta to visit the newly opened Falls Creek area, a gift made possible by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation along with other donations. Our gals had taken a winter trip to see the frozen falls, so now we had the opportunity to see them in the spring.
Roni, Karen and Katie all drove separately to the trailhead, stopping at Augusta just to regroup and then Bean Lake to use the outhouse before hitting the trail. The gravel road was pretty good, except one section with very large, deep gravel, clearly marked "rough road." We also faced several detours for road construction between Simms and Augusta.
Only one other vehicle was at the trailhead, so we knew we wouldn't have a crowd. We got an early start just so we wouldn't run into many people. Plus, the weather looked a bit threatening in the direction of the mountains, which probably further discouraged a few from getting out on a Sunday.
As we walked toward the falls, we were treated to a few spring flowers: pasque flowers, buttercups, and shooting stars were the main attractions along with phlox and a clump or two of douglasia. As we came around the bend to the second meadow area, we spied the cairn making the place to head off trail to see the main waterfall. And it was spilling, even though some ice remained.
Then we continued upstream, hugging the creek and going off trail for views. looking down on argillite rock, similar to Glacier with its aqua and maroon hues. At one point, a road had been cut down to a crossing, a place created in the cliff for the cattle to drink as this land used to be part of a working cattle ranch. We followed the road down to the gorgeous stream that had a nice swimming or fishing hole in this area.
Then we climbed back up to the main trail until we got to the second falls, at which time it was really starting to sprinkle. We could have continued another half mile to the main crossing of the creek, but it would be too high water to cross at this time of year; with the weather moving in, Katie thought it best to turn around, so we did.
As we hiked, Roni told us the amazing, but frightening, story of how her husband survived heart attacks, stents to repair blockages, an air ambulance flight to better health care to repair major aortic tears and a three-and-a half week recovery to now be working full time again. (And how Roni and her family survived the stress and worry too). It brought tears to our eyes.
We arrived back at the cars around 11 and back home by 1:30, for a total of just under four miles.
Who went: Roni, Karen, Katie
Priest Butte, March 28th, 2020: Priest Butte Becomes Last Hike Before Statewide Shelter in Place
Today was a test, a test to see if we could hike but at the same time maintain a socially safe distance in light of the coronavirus threat. We didn't always pass this test. It was too hard not to help one another when scrambling over rocks, or not to hold another's poles or hand off a camera for a quick picture.
But we had an excellent time on what is to be our last hike in light of Governor Bullock's shelter in place proclamation that was to go into effect the next day. We left Great Falls at 6:30 a.m., just a few minutes late to see the snow geese lift off, but in time to have quite a show of wings overhead on our drive. We had a caravan of eight cars, too many really to keep track of, and Bonnie W got separated. We caught up to her at Priest Butte Lake, but the parking lot was full so we couldn't turn around. We finally found a place and backtracked to the road with Bonnie in tow this time. Then we parked, and nine of us entered the gate, clearly marked "state land," including Sooz's sister-in-law and Kuntzie's husband. The wind pelted us a bit but it was a fairly warm wind as we headed up the main butte, the one with the three white crosses (one blew down two weeks ago in a week of particularly strong winds). The staircase leading up the top and the area of the crosses is a bit rickety and at a steep angle. It didn't give anyone too much of a scare until the way down. Several tried different ways to keep from falling: backing down, going over the side to the rocks or sitting down on each rung. At the top, we marveled at the views of the gorgeous snow-capped mountains of the Rocky Mountain Front and the beauty of Priest Butte Lake in the other direction; with its shore lined with swans and pin-tailed ducks hugging the ice line. After we descended, we looked at the dinosaur tracks before saying goodbye to Sooz and sister-in-law.They had had enough and didn't want to climb the other three high points on the butte. The rest of us continued, climbing the other high points, seeing the inlaid stones, placed carefully by the Blackfeet Indians for ceremonial purpose, which point toward the sacred Sweet Grass Hills, seeing the shed snake skins clinging to bushes, scrambling up rocks on the last butte, and enjoying the views. On the third butte, Kunzie climbed on top of a hoodoo, giving us and her husband quite a fright as the hoodoo was on the edge of a cliff. But she made it up and down safely, posing with sticks in the air, even. Then we retraced our steps, some needing help on the back scramble, checked for ticks, used hand sanitizer to protect from coronavirus; then we headed home in our separate cars. Who knows when we will be hiking together again? The lockdown starts tomorrow. Interesting facts: The crosses were erected in commemoration of the three Jesuit priests who started a mission to convert Indian children. The crosses were replaced by iron crosses by the Jaycees, who later erected the steel ones we see today.The original courthouse in Choteau was built with sandstone mined from Priest Butte. Read more Who went: Sooz and sister-in-law, Kuntzie and hubby, Susan W, Debra, Judy, Bonnie W, Katie |
Freezeout Lake, March 23, 2020: Social Distancing Forces GiG to Drive Separately to See Swans
Debra, Gail and Katie headed out at 6:45 a.m. in separate cars to protect against coronavirus (COVID-19) to make the half-hour drive to Freezeout Lake. We hoped to see the snow geese, swans and many ducks fly from the ponds to the grain fields at break of day. And indeed we did.
The dawn was beautiful with pastel colors filling the skies, outlining the Rocky Mountain Front, along with the cries of the geese as they prepared to lift. We got out of our cars to take some pictures and listen to the cacophony, but we kept far apart to prevent spreading coronavirus in the off-chance one of us had been exposed. We were among about six or seven others viewing the spectacle. Every once in a while, the cold wind forced us back into our vehicles to warm up. We were on the south end of the main pond, viewing a group of maybe a thousand geese, hoping to see a major lift off, but it never happened. Groups of 25-50 flew away and a few from other overhead flocks landed and took off again. However, we saw many groups from other ponds flying in the distance, wave upon wave. By 8:30, the show was just about over, but Katie and Debra headed up to Priest Butte Lake to check for swans while Gail headed back to town. The edges of the lake were covered with hundreds, if not thousands, of tundra swans along with some geese and ducks.We stayed briefly at the side of the road to marvel at them. We didn't get any miles out of this outing, but observing nature was worth it. Who went: Gail, Debra, Katie |
Seeley, March 13-15, 2020: Facemasks, Hand Sanitizer, Social Distancing Mix with Snowshoeing at Mary's Cabin
No, we didn't wear facemasks, but we worried, as the coronavirus ramped up and went from a concern to serious while we enjoyed Mary N's cabin, probably the last trip most of us will take in a long time.
While we snowshoed and played games, Governor Bullock closed schools and casinos and shut down visitation at prisons and senior-care facilities. Missoula, Billings, Butte and Helena shut down bars and restaurants, except take out. We learned the term "social distancing." And so it went. So much changed since we headed out on a Friday for Seeley Lake that it almost felt like a different world that we came back to. In addition to the coronavirus scare, we also faced bad weather and possibly very bad roads on our return trip, but we soldiered on. After checking with our drivers, Roni and June, who said they were fine with driving home very slowly if the blizzard really hit, we left Great Falls at 8 a.m., stopped at the Deli Vaughn for breakfast, stopped again at the High Country Beef Jerky store since a bus was at the gas station. June had never stopped at this store, so she was in for a treat. The snow was just starting as we crossed Rogers Pass, but lightly. We arrived at Seeley around 11, unpacked, ate lunch and headed out for snowshoeing. We figured it would be our best day. Mary led us on the Canoe Trail, one most of us had done before. The day was calm, but the snow old and icy, not the powder we have in the Little Belts. The mountains were surrounded in clouds, and the pussy willows just starting to come out. After, we went back to Mary's to cook dinner. Susan made her lasagne, Deb some garlic bread and Katie asparagus with Parmesan bechamel.Jeanne provided apple crumb pie for dessert. Then it was game time: we had a rousing three games of Catch Phrase, with Jeanne providing the most hilarity of the night with her definition of "hickey." Ask her if you want to know, but maybe you had to be there. On Saturday, the snow was still coming down from the night before. June, Katie and Susan headed out on a walk before breakfast, seeing a small herd of deer, the veterans memorial and then stopping for a latte.Then Katie and Gail cooked breakfast as we took our time since the snow was coming down and the temperature around 10 degrees. But we were still lucky to be out of Great Falls since GF had a foot of snow instead of two inches and was well below zero. So we held off until after lunch to head out. And who should knock at the door, but Kuntzie, carrying a spray can of disinfectant and a roll of toilet paper! She said she came to save the day. Actually, we were concerned about using all Mary's TP since everyone had made runs on the stores for food and TP. Everyone was out. We talked to our husband's who were trying to get some supplies to be told the store shelves were basically bare, especailly the paper and cleaning aisles. Then it was time to get going if we were to get any exercise in for the day. June got us going, but Gail and Cathy decided to stay behind. This time, Mary took us on a walk without snowshoes on a snowmobile trail on the closed Clearwater Creek road. We even got a glimpse of blue and some sun off and on, revealing some of the peaks in the Swan Range. Then we headed back to the cabin to clean up, go to the Chicken Coop to do Shake a Day and finally to dinner at the Double Arrow Lodge. No one was lucky at dice; however, several of the gals caught the eye of one of the men at the bar, who kept buying them free drinks. The Double Arrow didn't disappoint. Everyone's dinner was excellent, but dessert was pie again back at the cabin. We were too tired to play games, so we headed to bed after checking the road report. It looked bad: several roads closed, including Rogers Pass with black ice most of the way back to Great Falls after the Ovando junction. The next morning, we were in a hurry to get back to GF to give us lots of time to travel the bad roads and get our ahead of the new snow predicted. June made her special Amish pancakes; then we packed and headed out, but not before we stopped at the grocery store to see if they had anything on the shelves. We had reports that people had stormed the stores in Great Falls and cleared out the food as well as the toilet paper and cleaning supplies.The store did have most everything, so we bought a few things before we got back on the road. We were smart to get an early start, the roads weren't too bad except on Rogers Pass where it was snowing and a bit of a ground blizzard, but nothing compared to the night before. We got back to over a foot of snow on the ground. Who went: Mary, June, Susan W, Roni, Deb M, Gail, Katie and surprise guest, Kuntzie |
Porphyry Powerline Loop, March 8th, 2020: Mining District Bust Turns into Powerline Loop with Tour of Homes on the Side
, bypasSometimes, plan have to change. We started out planning to snowshoe to the Big Seven abandoned mine in the Neihart Mining District, but quickly changed our minds when we chatted with the guys club at the Inconvenience Store, who warned us that the road was way too icy and narrow to travel on it safely. So we changed our plans to the Powerline loop on Porphyry.
We left Great Falls at 7:45, after a bit of confusion on meet time; we then picked up Paula P at the Sluice Boxes turn and then newbie Kalah at the Cougar Canyon.Little did we know, we could have picked her up at her house, not too far from Paula P's. By the time we had our potty break and chat at the Inconvenience Store, it was 9:30 when we reached Kings Hill Pass for the start of our trek. The weather was warm with no wind, so many of us stripped layers before we even started, knowing the first part was uphill, so we would get hot fast. Most of the way was uneventful; no one really fell (Viki took a small stumble), we didn't happen upon any tree wells or other obstacles causing issues, so we moved along fairly fast. Amber led, breaking trail, though the snow had a good base. Along the way, Kalah put up a few more pieces of marking tape to help guide the way on future trips on this trail that has few blue diamonds.And Susan said why not add the porphyry loop to the powerline loop to add a bit of distance, so we did, bypassing the O'Brien Creek trail and continuing on to the old abandoned trail. When we hit the powerline portion, those who had not done this section were wondering how they would make it up this steep, steep hill, but we all made it, some panting more than others. Amber practically ran up it, making it in 10 minutes, her goal. Then she returned to offer to take packs from anyone who needed a little help getting up the last hill. From there, it is mostly downhill back to the cars. We arrived just before 1 p.m. Then is was off to Cougar Canyon for lunch/snacks and drinks. The gal serving us was by herself and so service a bit slow, but we were in no rush since we finished early, due to the change in hikes. During lunch, we discussed books we had been reading, from Brenda with Where the Crawdads Sing to Paula O Beneath the Scarlet Sky to Katie The Volunteer. But our day didn't end there: Kalah had told us about buying her place by Riceville and invited us to stop in on the way home, an opportunity we were only too eager to take her up on it. So, we stopped at Kalah's new dream home, which she purchased from the Ferrin's. It was fun to see how nice it was: the loft, the sauna, the logs, the guesthouse, and greenhouse,triple-car garage; but the views were over the top! All of the oohs and ahs didn't start to describe how gorgeous the mountains and valleys look from her windows on both floors. Then Paula P offered us a tour of her cabin, just beyond Kalah's. This cabin was built by her husband, who greeted us at the door from his perch on the porch. The drive to Paula's cabin was interesting, with its steep curves on a narrow road.We were glad we didn't have ice. We arrived back in Great Falls before 4 p.m. Who went: Paula, Susan W, Amber, Brenda, Kalah, Paula P, Roni, Paula O, Katie Read more about the abandoned mines in the Neihart mining district and its history. Read about the toxic chemicals at the mine |
Showdown Ski, March 5, 2020: Great Snow Year for Skiing
Another fun day at Showdown.
Several picked up their season passes good for the remainder of this season and all of next.
We were off the chair at 10:05. Snow conditions were well groomed after the 5” of show that had fallen since Sunday. There was a little bit of wind but not the gusts that we have had recently in GF :)
Steady skiing till lunch. Enjoyed sharing a table with other ladies from Great Falls. No lines in the morning but we had to wait a bit for the double chair for one run in the afternoon. Ha. Richard, the attendant of the double chair shared that this was his 19th season at Showdown. Thanks, Richard!
We all noticed our skis were sticking somewhat in the afternoon. Science teacher, Karen, gave us a brief lesson about pressure, weight and temperature (Karen please add if you wish)
We each made our way to the “Hole in the Wall” in the lodge to reflect on another terrific day of snow, some sun, and how great it is to take off our ski boots.
Those who went: Suzie and friend Sherri, Karen and friend Terri, Gail and Maria
Several picked up their season passes good for the remainder of this season and all of next.
We were off the chair at 10:05. Snow conditions were well groomed after the 5” of show that had fallen since Sunday. There was a little bit of wind but not the gusts that we have had recently in GF :)
Steady skiing till lunch. Enjoyed sharing a table with other ladies from Great Falls. No lines in the morning but we had to wait a bit for the double chair for one run in the afternoon. Ha. Richard, the attendant of the double chair shared that this was his 19th season at Showdown. Thanks, Richard!
We all noticed our skis were sticking somewhat in the afternoon. Science teacher, Karen, gave us a brief lesson about pressure, weight and temperature (Karen please add if you wish)
We each made our way to the “Hole in the Wall” in the lodge to reflect on another terrific day of snow, some sun, and how great it is to take off our ski boots.
Those who went: Suzie and friend Sherri, Karen and friend Terri, Gail and Maria
Another fun day at Showdown.
Several picked up their season passes good for the remainder of this season and all of next.
We were off the chair at 10:05. Snow conditions were well groomed after the 5” of show that had fallen since Sunday. There was a little bit of wind but not the gusts that we have had recently in GF :)
Steady skiing till lunch. Enjoyed sharing a table with other ladies from Great Falls. No lines in the morning but we had to wait a bit for the double chair for one run in the afternoon. Ha. Richard, the attendant of the double chair shared that this was his 19th season at Showdown. Thanks, Richard!
We all noticed our skis were sticking somewhat in the afternoon. Science teacher, Karen, gave us a brief lesson about pressure, weight and temperature (Karen please add if you wish)
We each made our way to the “Hole in the Wall” in the lodge to reflect on another terrific day of snow, some sun, and how great it is to take off our ski boots.
Those who went: Suzie and friend Sherri, Karen and friend Terri, Gail and Maria
Several picked up their season passes good for the remainder of this season and all of next.
We were off the chair at 10:05. Snow conditions were well groomed after the 5” of show that had fallen since Sunday. There was a little bit of wind but not the gusts that we have had recently in GF :)
Steady skiing till lunch. Enjoyed sharing a table with other ladies from Great Falls. No lines in the morning but we had to wait a bit for the double chair for one run in the afternoon. Ha. Richard, the attendant of the double chair shared that this was his 19th season at Showdown. Thanks, Richard!
We all noticed our skis were sticking somewhat in the afternoon. Science teacher, Karen, gave us a brief lesson about pressure, weight and temperature (Karen please add if you wish)
We each made our way to the “Hole in the Wall” in the lodge to reflect on another terrific day of snow, some sun, and how great it is to take off our ski boots.
Those who went: Suzie and friend Sherri, Karen and friend Terri, Gail and Maria
Priest Butte, March 5, 2020: Priest Butte Becomes Last Hike Before Statewide Shelter in Place
With no snow on the ground in the low country, the GiG decided to hike instead of snowshoe this week. So Katie contacted Linda S, who contacted Dave Shea, a retired ranger and naturalist, to see if Priest Butte were a possibility, and it was!
So three people from Great Falls picked up Viki in Fairfield and then we met Linda and Dave at the Priest Butte gate, for our climb of the four peaks of Priest Butte. With those of us planning on 20 peaks in 2020, we were happy to cross off another. (Katie's husband Tom was a tagalong too. Dan Bennett was also going to attend, but then his wife wasn't well, so he canceled). On the way up (600 feet of easy climbing), Dave told us how Priest Butte got its name from Jesuit missionaries who put up a school for Indian children. Then the crosses were put up and Easter services even performed on top. The crosses were wood, replaced by iron and finally by steel. Dave also told us about the snakes that frequent the area to mate and shed their skins as well as showing us dinosaur footprints. He pointed out the native grasses and some of the plants. He has catalogued over 90 species on the butte.This butte was used for vision quests by the Blackfeet. From the butte, we had fantastic views of the Rocky Mountain Front with its snow-capped peaks as well as soaring bald eagles. We could also hear the cries of the snowgeese on Freezeout Lake. To get to the top with the crosses, we had to ascend a rickety wooden ladder, but it wasn't too bad. But boy, we had a surprise on top: One of the crosses had toppled over; Linda and Dave had been on the butte two days ago and it wasn't knocked down then, so it must have happened the last two days of "storm-warning" winds that we had had with gusts of 50+ mph, which closed the highway to Fort Benton. We then summited all four of the "peaks" of Priest Butte, the last one requiring a bit of scrambling on hands and knees. We could look over to Rattlesnake butte, its twin. Both buttes provided sandstone for the Choteau courthouse, first Priest butte, but that courthouse burned down. The current one is constructed from Rattlesnake Butte sandstone. The hoodoos were amazing. On the way home, we saw tundra swans, snowgeese and six bald eagles thinking they might have goose for dinner.The birds are just starting to show up on their migrations, two weeks earlier than usual. Who went: Katie, Viki, Paula and Linda From the Choteau Acantha Priest Butte and its companion Rattlesnake Butte to its west are local landmarks three miles southeast of Choteau along U.S. Highway 89. Visible from 40 miles away, the buttes, or detached tableland, have a long history with the community. Native Americans, and later, pioneers, used the buttes as an invaluable guide in their travels through this section and they served as one of the best lookout stations in the neighborhood. Priest Butte got its name from a nearby early Jesuit mission that was established to serve the Blackfeet tribe in 1859-1860. Rattlesnake Butte was once called Table Rock or Grindstone Butte, a tribute to the iron-rich sandstone ledges that top the butte. The conspicuous rimrocks are capped by a dense layer of sandstone, the fi ne-grained Virgelle Sandstone, underlain by the Telegraph Creek Formation (mudstone and sandstone) and Marias River Shale. Settlers in 1893 opened the fi rst stone quarry in the area on Priest Butte. That year, contractors blasted out rock and carted it to Choteau where they built the fi rst county court house and jail. That courthouse burned down in 1897. The courthouse seen today was built in 1906 from rock quarried from Rattlesnake Butte. In the 1930s, the Choteau Methodist Church started having an Easter sunrise service on the promontory. In 1942, a church group erected three wooden crosses there. In 1961, the Choteau Jaycees replaced the wooden crosses with iron crosses, and in 2002, |
Showdown, Feb. 20, 2020: After a Week with 57 Inches of New Snow, Showdown showed us her best!
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Bluebird day with 12” of packed powder. The groomers had the runs ready for an absolutely awesome day.
We left Great Falls at 8:00 and were on our first run by 10:00 ( we would have been there sooner but had to follow the snow plow) No lines with soft and consistent snow conditions. A 45-min break for lunch gave us our downhill fix. Will we do it again……….consensus was a unanimous YES. Those who went : Suzie and friend Sherry, Karen and Maria |
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Wagner Basin, Feb. 19, 2020: After a Week with 57 Inches of New Snow, Showdown showed us her best!
The drive to Augusta was sunny, lighting up the mountains along the Rocky Mountain Front the whole way. Five gals from Great Falls met people from Whitefish, Missoula and Clancy at the Mannix General Store before heading to the Sun River Canyon for our Wagner Basin and Pictograph hike. And yes, it did turn out to be a hike instead of a snowshoe.
On the way, we were treated to views of Sawtooth Mountain to our left and Castle Reef to our right with the North Fork of the Sun River in between before we turned off the road to cross the bridge into Hannan Gulch. Sara introduced the group to the work of MWA while Katie explained a little bit about the area, how a squatter named Hannan built a cabin and out buildings that were later commandeered by the forest service to create the Sun River Ranger District headquarters. She also explained about the Rocky Mountain Front being the entrance into the Bob with 59 species of concern from short-eared owls to shews to a dessert toad. From there, Katie decided we should hike into Wagner Basin first since it was so windy and save the pictographs for when the sun was higher. The Basin already had sun shining on it. The snow was only a few inches deep, so we ditched the snowshoes and opted for yaktrax or just boots. Before going into Wagner Basin, Katie led the group to the Mercy Flight Memorial plaque that commemorates the deaths of two doctors, a nurse and pilot whose helicopter went down on a sightseeing sidetrip on return from a training in Many Glacier. Drs. Stoick and Grimes and Nurse Berndt lost their lives while videotaping bighorn sheep in Hannan Gulch. It is assumed a gust of wind caught the pilot off guard. Due to the accident, the Mercy Flights today fly heavier copters, the crew must wear helmets and boots (they were in tennis shoes), the crews must report their position every 15 minutes and no sidetrips or sightseeing is allowed. As we headed into the basin, Katie explained that the cabins were on forest service leased land. We saw Mary N's cabin along the way and saw where we normally park. The snow wasn't even deep enough to cover the rocky section, so we had to watch our step. Luckily, it wasn't icy. On this stretch, Katie noticed very large canine prints and many sheep tracks. We surmised that two wolves were chasing the bighorns in this area, that very morning, since the snow was fresh. In the basin, we picked up another set of much smaller tracks alongside one of the larger ones. We figured these tracks were either a young wolf or a coyote following the wolves to eat some leftovers. Luckily, we didn't happen upon a kill site; however, we did see where the sheep scattered in all directions and the wolves separating to surround the herd. Most headed to the river. Then we arrived at our destination in the basin: the skull tree. This tree has various skulls hung on it, all painted on the forehead with birds. Mary N's niece is the painter. Inside her cabin are many of these artworks. We also saw a white-tailed deer run across the field. Then we turned around and retraced our steps to the cars. We decided to eat lunch on the bridge before heading out to see the pictographs. After a quick lunch, we walked the trail along the shore of the North Fork Sun to the pictographs, which lie at the head of Mortimer Gulch. Many have been faded by weather and some taken home as souvenirs, but many nice ones remain, especially hand prints. After we hiked back to the cars, we finished by looking back at the cliff at the head of the basin. Katie explained what a nice hike it is in the spring. Then we said our goodbyes in Augusta and headed home. We arrived back in Great Falls around 3:30 p.m. Who went from GiG: Sara, Rose, Jaye, Katie |
Skidway, Feb. 17, 2020: First Trip to New Area Provides Fun But with Harrowing Ride Home
Thank goodness Amber was driving; some of us couldn't even watch the road, the whiteout was so bad we couldn't see the ditches or center of the road. Amber had to rely on the rumble strip and reflector poles. But first, the beginning:
Katie almost canceled the trip due to bad roads indicated on the road report over Kings Hill Pass, but she decided we should go anyway but drive via Helena and Townsend, only about 15 minutes longer to the trailhead at Skidway campground and home of the former Skidway Peak ski hill. It was a good choice as the roads were dry and clear until the last mile or so going into the former ski area. We had a stop in East Helena and arrived at the trailhead at 10 a.m. after leaving Great Falls at 7:30. As we started on the trail, it appeared to be broken with both a snowshoe and ski track, so we had a fairly easy time for the first mile or so. Then the track became scarce and then disappeared altogether. We think people were doing a small loop through the campground area or up and back and not doing the entire loop. By the time we reached the ridge, we needed a break, but the wind had picked up and the snow had started. We grabbed a quick bite and continued on. Katie had scouted ahead a bit, hoping to spot a blue diamond trail marker, but she climbed the Skidway hill instead and encouraged the others to do the same to claim a peak in the 2020 Peaks Challenge. Then it was on to looking for the trail. Since there were no trees along the ridge, determining which direction the trail headed was near impossible as we didn't have our usual blue diamonds posted on trees to guide the way. We did see one trail, but it headed uphill. Katie didn't think that was the right direction, predicting it continued on to climb Grassy Mountain, so she took off on the downhill side and did spy a blue diamond--Whew! We were back on trail. And the trail in this section in particular needed breaking. Amber followed by Roni did the brunt of the breaking, some of the snow knee deep. The blue-diamond back-country markers were pretty easy to follow for the most part. In a few spots, we put up a piece of blue marking tape that Susan had brought along to help others in the future follow the correct way. In the end, we were able to complete the entire loop of about five miles. By the time we reached the car, some of us were tired. Paula said it well, "I'm out of gas," which set up perfectly for a soak at White Sulphur Springs. By now, the snow was really coming down. So Paula and Roni took in the warm waters (Roni had never been before), while Amber, Susan and Katie walked main street checking to see which restaurants were open on a Monday. They also stopped in to Red Ants Pants. Then the group met back up and went to dinner. Roni had a bit of a reaction to the sulphur, so her skin was very red for a while. We ate at Bar 47, and had a great waiter who catered to us quite a bit. From blue-cheese burgers to wedge salads, we enjoyed our food. Could be we were just hungry after our hard trailbreaking. We finished before 5 p.m. so we still had quite a bit of daylight left. Katie talked to Amber--the roads looked snow-packed and icy most of the way home. However, going through Helena would take even longer since we were in White Sulphur now. Amber said she didn't mind driving in snow as long as it wasn't too icy. The road report indicated snow cover, but not black ice, so off we went--big mistake. The roads immediately started to get snow covered; then it was snowing so hard it was hard to see the road; then the mesmerizing flakes started in; plus the temperature really dropped, so the inside windows iced up, making visibility even worse. The whole time we wondered where the plows were. We didn't find the answer until we reached Armington Junction: Two were are the gravel area. The entire drive until Armington Junction was white-knuckle for Amber but she handled it well. We took a brief stop at Bob's Bar, but other than that, she drove for one hour and a half on very bad roads. At Bob's we wondered if we should just get rooms for the night, but decided to carry on. We came across several stopped vehicles, one in the ditch with its read still in our lane. Amber had to stop quickly to avoid hitting it. It was a near miss. At this point, Paula mentioned her cabin by Sluice Boxes. Again, we wondered if we should give up on driving for the night, but we kept going. Luckily, we made it back all in one piece and no going in the ditch. I don't think the GiG has ever had this scary of a ride before. We were so grateful for a great snowshoeing day with the gals that ended safely. |
Falls Creek, Feb. 15, 2020: Icy Trail Necessitates Yaktrax, Careful Stepping on Way to Falls as GiG Explores Newly Opened Area
The gals decided to check out the new Falls Creek Trail, just recently purchased by the Rocky Mountain Elk foundation along with other entities. These groups were able to raise funds to secure an easement on this side to an area that has been landlocked for some time. Read more here.
Another new thing was a new face in our group: Paula P We left Great Falls at 8 a.m. and got on trail by 10:15 after a quick stop in Augusta to pick up Viki. . Deciding that we only needed yaktrax and not snowshoes due to just a few inches of snow on the ground, we headed up the old road watching our step. The snow wasn't very deep; so between icy patches, we also had to keep an eye out for rocks and buried logs. We saw a few tracks: coyote and deer plus voles and birds. This hike is quite short, so it didn't take us long to arrive at the grand finale; after a few small water falls and ice flows that drew "oohs" and "ahs," we saw it: a massive falls cascading down the narrow valley of Falls Creek. Our vantage point was from above on a cliff; so again we had to watch our step as the kinnickkinnick was a bit slippery where it poked through the snow. We continued on a bit farther until we had a nice view of the stream set against the mountains. By now, it was lightly snowing, so we really didn't get good views. However, the weather was fairly warm and the wind calm, a surprise from the prediction of 35 mph gusts. Then we retraced our steps to the cars, took off our yaktrax and headed to Augusta. On the way, we met a man walking at a fast pace. We stopped to see if he needed a ride somewhere, but he said he was just out for a walk, yet he seemed out in the middle of nowhere. On the way back, we took a wrong turn and then went back the other way; the road was a bit rougher than the way we came in but not bad. Then it was a late lunch at the Buckhorn Bar. Our waitress was friendly and laughed at our special orders and Brenda's wiping the pickle juice off her plate--after all, a pickle is green. The waitress said she would have done the same. On the way home, Brenda told us funny tales from her school. Some of us learned about the term "furry," as a preferred gender type. We arrived back home at 3:15. Paula said she had a good time. We hope she joins us again. |
Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon, Feb. 7-10: We Should Have Brought our Climbing Gloves and Other Surprises
Bonnie did a heck of a job organizing a GiG trip to the Las Vegas area, but she forgot to tell us to bring climbing gloves--more on this later.
Our flight into Las Vegas was uneventful; we did see a few GF folks that some of us knew and visited with them. After we landed, Bonnie was there to pick us up and take us to dinner at Brio, an Italian restaurant. We all liked our meals and then headed to Bonnie's house to get settled and discuss our first day of hiking, this one in the Valley of Fire. Saturday dawned beautiful with blue skies and a breeze with a predicted high of 70 degrees. The next day, the winds were supposed to be 30 mph with a chance of rain and snow. This valley is very sandy, so we didn't want to get caught in a sand storm; nor did we want to get caught in a flash flood, another disaster awaiting those who dare the valley in rain with all its washes. Here, we took a series of short hikes, the longest being two miles; however, the scenery was so different from what we are used to that we kept stopping to take look around and take pictures. The vivid yellows, tans, whites against reds and oranges popped.We saw elephant rock, arch rock, and a few others, all around a quarter-half mile each. We hiked up the stairs at Atlatl Rock to see the petroglyphs and decided to encircle it too for even more petroglyphs (half mile). Boy were some of us sorry we didn't have high top boots as our feet sank in the sand, filling our shoes. The Fire Wave, perhaps the most impressive, was also the longest at 1.5 mile, but we also took a side trip of a half mile down a wash as well as climbing to the top of a knob for a picture opp--waving our hands, of course, in honor of the trail name. The white and red layers looked like painted stripes, forming pattern upon pattern in this area, including a wave pattern, hence the name. Beth noticed some rock that didn't look like it fit in the area. It was a conglomerate among the sandstone, which breaks apart into gravel. We also hiked the White Domes trail (1.25miles), and along the drive, we took in the Seven Sisters, large sandstone monoliths some 20-30 feet high. Finally, we toured the Visitor Center to learn even more about the area and its flora and fauna, from bighorn sheep to burros to desert tortoise to road runners to snakes (rattlers, gopher snakes, sidewinders) and lizards. We hoped to see tortoise and burros, but were disappointed. However, we did see a herd of bighorn sheep. For Sunday, our second hiking day, we were off to Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area.We took two main hikes: Calico Hills, an up and down, up and back, hike among gorgeous red rock formations and Calico Tanks, a hike that leads to natural water storage areas and a view of Las Vegas. But we were in for a surprise on the Tanks hike: Bonnie didn't tell us to bring our hiking gloves on her packing list, but that is what was needed. The beginning of the hike was pretty tame, flat on a wide path, which led to an Agave Burn area, where Native Peoples cooked, similar to dutch oven cooking. The cracked rocks and ash, many feet deep, are still visible. Then about one third of the hike required rock scrambling, some sections with a bit of exposure. When the cliffy areas got steep and the footholds narrow with drop offs, only three continued, due to the scare factor of getting back down. However, the views of the Vegas skyline and the unique rock features were amazing. The hike did require some nerve getting back down, which was tougher than climbing up, but we all made it without a scratch or a fall. And did we mention the weather during the scrambling? It was very windy, gusts up to 30 mph, with some snowflakes. In fact, some views of the mountains looked hazy due to the snow squalls. We all three froze and were grateful to get back into the car, nice and warm. So with our last hike done for the day, Bonnie drove us around the circle to see a few more sights. We did get out and hike one more half-mile section to Ash Springs on a brand new boardwalk. On the way out, we went by the place said to most often have burros. We did't see any, but we did see hundreds of Joshua trees, a real treat. We also learned these 1,000-year-old trees aren't really trees, but rather a kind of yucca plant. Then it was back to Bonnie's for a quick shower before eating out at a Mexican restaurant, Lindo Michoacan. Again, everyone liked her food. The next morning, we helped Bonnie clean up a bit, stripped the beds, jumped on the air mattress and cleaned bathrooms and did some laundry before walking to breakfast at the restaurant located right in Bonnie's gated community. Then we tried to order a Lyft ride, since Katie had a 50 percent off coupon; however, no car confirmed the ride even after a half hour. So Katie cancelled and tried Uber. We got a ride right away. We said goodbye to Bonnie who was headed to work for the afternoon. We had an interesting Filipino driver who used to be a caregiver for Roy of Sigfried and Roy of white tiger fame. He said Roy was very demanding, talking about reading all night to him in dim light and wiping his butt with three people to help.Even with an occasional $400 tip, he said it wasn't worth it for what he had to do. Interesting. We got home with no other incidents. Tidbits from our stay:
Who went: Bonnie, Susan, Beth, Maria, Katie |
747 Trail, Feb. 2, 2020: After a Week with 57 Inches of New Snow, Showdown showed us her best!
We left Great Falls at 7:30 in hopes we would be back in time for the 4 p.m. Superbowl as some had parties to get to. The day was gray, promising some snow, but the roads were good despite overnight snowfall predictions.
So Mary N made good time, getting us on trail by 8:45 even though we stopped for a bathroom break at the Neihart Inconvenience store. Wind was also promised along with the snow, but since we were mostly in the trees, we didn't feel it much. On the way up, Aaron Weissman stopped us in his ski patrol outfit, reminding us to stay single file along the edge and watch for skiers and boarders as we ascended the mountain. Luckily, few were on the mountain today, probably due to the weather predictions of high winds coupled with the big football game. We reached the top in one hour, forty minutes, possibly a record for us as it usually takes us a full two hours, and popped into the Top Rock Cafe for a snack and bathroom break. Nora kindly bought us all hot cocoa as we warmed up before tackling the long downhill on the backside of the mountain. Then it was off we went to see if Katie's husband Tom had created some tracks for us. In the past, we have gotten lost on this trail as it isn't well marked. We have bypassed the turn and also gotten off track after the turn, so we planned to add more marking tape to the trees to better mark the trail. The trail starts on the O'Brien/Ranch Creek trail. O'Brien branches off and then we knew we needed to branch at the 747 trail marker. As we went along, following ski tracks on Ranch Creek, we thought we had gone too far and bypassed the turn again, so Katie pulled out her Gaia gps to check. We were within a few steps. We did find the trail and headed down, coming upon Tom within a quarter mile. He had gone the wrong way and retraced his steps so we wouldn't make the same mistake following his tracks. he had made arrows in the snow marking the correct way. So we got that straightened out and put up more marking tape that Susan had brought with her. But soon we rand out, so tthe last half of the downhill still doesn't have good markers. We made it to the bottom of the mountain and then had to encircle it on the snowmobile trails. Luckily, no snowmobiles came by today, although we did hear engines in the distance. We figured the superbowl was keeping everyone partying before the game. As we traversed the snowmobile trail, Mary kept wondering if we went too far as it is a good distance before we pick up the O'Brien Creek trail again, but we didn't miss any turns this time, spotting the yellow cross country skier sign that warn snowmobilers of skiers crossing their path. About this time it really started to snow, covering our tracks as we went. Then the wind started picking up too; we were so glad to be ending and not starting. Mary shook the snow off her car, and we tried to keep it from blowing in as we put our gear back in. We arrived at the car by 1:30 pm and arrived home before 3, well ahead of the kick-off time of 4:25. |
Katie's Easy Pear Parmesan Appetizer Recipe
3-4 paremesan rounds Sliced pears Cherry jam Softened cream cheese. Cook premade or make your own parmesan cheese rounds by putting in microwave for 1 minute or one minute 30 seconds until crisp. Use shears to cut into wedges while still warm. Spread some cream cheese on the wedges. Add a dollop of cherry jam (cherry jalepeno is really good too) Add a pear slide to the top. |
Kings Hill to Silver Crest, Jan. 19, 2020: Search and Rescue Operation Starts the Day
After leaving Great Falls at 7:30 a.m., we arrived at Silver Crest around 9 and were greeted before the parking lot by Search and Rescue vehicles. Then as we exited the car to use the outhouses, a helicpoter came in blowing snow into our faces.
We asked what was going on, but the crew wouldn't give us much information other than to say they were on an active search operation. We asked if we could watch for anything since we would be in the back country, but they said 'no, we have everything under control." But it was still on our minds all day. After parking our shuttle car in the lot, we found we couldn't get out, due to all of the sleds, S and R vans and other vehicles gathering for the rescue. We had to get out of the car and ask them to clear a path for us. Then it was on to the top of Kings Hill, all seven of us cramming into Katie's Highlander for the 10-minute ride. The day started out cloudy and snowing just a bit as we headed on the uphill part of our snowshoe adventure. We took a few breathers but we all did well on this part of the trail. Katie pointed out the blue diamonds along the way, so that others could learn the trail and, hopefully, lead others in the future and help guide the way as the trail is tricky in parts. Susan led the way on the last stretch going into the snowmobile park as a group she had been with earlier had missed a turn. And she had brought marking tape to tie on the trees in hopes no one misses turns again. As we approached the flat area, we came across deep ruts that snowmobiles had made. It is frustrating when others don't respect the quiet trails and tear up the ski tracks. There is room for everyone if we are just cognizant of all users. High winds had been predicted, so we expected to be blasted when we entered the snowmobile area, but really, it was more of a breeze than a wind. And the sun was out. Our moods went up a notch for sure as the sun warmed us and the blue sky shone on us. This section can also have a bit of a trick getting across the park area, avoiding snowmobiles while looking for blue diamonds that mark the trail. Katie pointed out that if hikes just go straight across the park, they will hit the snowmobile road, turn right and be going the right way. And this is actually better for skiers than following the diamonds that make for a backtrack that cause more skiing on the snowmobile track than necessary and possibly dangerous, especially on weekends when the sledders are out in droves. We saw a variety of tracks (snowshoe hare, canine, bird, vole, deer), hoping to spy lynx, but no luck. The few we thought might be cat, were dogs from the mushers. They must have had at least one dog off sled, possibly with booties on. We arrived back at the cars in the Silver Crest parking lot at just after 12 p.m. noon, with the Search and Rescue just packig up and leaving. We spotted two SR workers we knew and quizzed them about what happened. Luckily, the two stuck snowmobilers who had spent the night outside were in good condition, just very cold, so we had a happy ending on that situation. Camille got after one rescuer who mentioned that the people were in their 70s and what were they doing? Given that some of our gals are in their 70s and many of us approaching, she was right to give them a word or two.. Read about it here. Katie and Camille shuttled the cars. The roads were bare mostly, making the shuttle very quick. Then it was off to Bob's Bar for lunch, yum. And home before 3 p.m. Fun day. Read more about the Search and Rescue operation here. Who went: Camille, Susan, Heather, Bonnie W, Nora, Doreen, Katie |
Nora's GOLDEN LENTIL SOUP WITH SWEET POTATOES, COCONUT, SPINACH & LIME Recipe
SERVES: 6-8 NOTES:Only add salt at the end lest the lentils become tough- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled (mine was around 375 grams) 1 medium yellow onion, peeled 1 ½ cups split red lentils 3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced 3 inches fresh ginger, peeled and minced 1 14.5 ounce (428 ml) can crushed tomatoes 14.5 ounce (428 ml) can light coconut milk 4 cups water 2 teaspoons ground turmeric ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste) 1 ½ teaspoons black mustard seeds 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin 2-3 dried curry leaves (optional) ground black pepper, to taste 2 cups tightly packed baby spinach (or more if you like) 1 lime, juiced sea salt, to taste chopped cilantro and yogurt garnish Set a box grater over/inside your slow cooker insert. Grate the sweet potato directly into the insert. Grate the yellow onion directly into the insert as well. Rinse the red lentils thoroughly, until they stop foaming up in the strainer. Shake the excess moisture off and transfer them to your slow cooker insert. To the insert, add the garlic, ginger, crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, water, turmeric, cayenne, mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves, and black pepper. Give it all a good stir. In all honesty it’s going to look sort of gross at this point. Place the insert into your slow cooker unit, lock the lid on top, and set the cooker to “high.” Let the soup cook for 4 hours. Once the 4 hours are up, carefully remove the lid and stir the soup up a bit. Add the spinach, lime juice, and enough salt to season to your liking. Stir the soup one more time and lock the lid back on. Keep the soup going on the “high” setting until the spinach is wilted. Serve the soup hot with chopped cilantro and a dollop of yogurt. |
Mount Helena, Jan. 26, 2020: Warm Springs Too Hot for Some
Christi, Paula, and Debra went on an adventure up Mount Helena. After a quick stop at Bob's Valley Market (where they have flushies... no restroom at the trailhead), we headed to the Dump Trailhead on Mount Helena. The weather was great with a few suspicious clouds in the distance. We quickly decided to don our yak traks.
We ventured to the top of the mountain, getting passed by some trail runners! After enjoying the views and snapping some pictures, we headed back down. Thankfully the weather stayed beautiful. We headed to The Broadwater for lunch, then 2 of us enjoyed the hot springs.
There is a nice sitting area with comfy chairs and a couch for anyone who doesn't want to enjoy the water. We did, however, get a good reminder that you shouldn't stay in the hot water for too long! Yes, there's more to the story, but you will have to ask us face to face.
Paula and Debra then headed back to Great Falls while Christi stayed in Helena (bet that's a surprise!)
Who went: Chrisit, Paula, Debra
We ventured to the top of the mountain, getting passed by some trail runners! After enjoying the views and snapping some pictures, we headed back down. Thankfully the weather stayed beautiful. We headed to The Broadwater for lunch, then 2 of us enjoyed the hot springs.
There is a nice sitting area with comfy chairs and a couch for anyone who doesn't want to enjoy the water. We did, however, get a good reminder that you shouldn't stay in the hot water for too long! Yes, there's more to the story, but you will have to ask us face to face.
Paula and Debra then headed back to Great Falls while Christi stayed in Helena (bet that's a surprise!)
Who went: Chrisit, Paula, Debra
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Porphyry Peak, Memorial Falls, Jan. 26, 2020: Ladies Show Newbies How to Snowshoe
It was a beautiful day today to hike up to Porphyry Peak. We were accompanied by 6 other ladies, some of whom are very new to Great Falls (a few were military) and couldn't believe their good fortune to be in this new, serene, and much slow-paced surroundings. It was fun seeing things through their eyes!
A couple had never snowshoed before and really enjoyed it. We spent about 30 minutes at the top, having lunch, hot cocoa, etc. One gal had brought along home-baked cookies which all enjoyed.
We had sun the entire day. It felt pretty warm. With some being new to the area, we stopped and hiked (didn't snowshoe) to the upper Memorial Falls, took some pictures of the partially frozen waterfalls and then drove back to Great Falls. Below is a group photo during lunch and one of some of the gals, including Nora, at the beginning. Nora and Judy got their first peak of 2020 in!
Who went: Judy and Nora (plus other women new to snowshoeing)
A couple had never snowshoed before and really enjoyed it. We spent about 30 minutes at the top, having lunch, hot cocoa, etc. One gal had brought along home-baked cookies which all enjoyed.
We had sun the entire day. It felt pretty warm. With some being new to the area, we stopped and hiked (didn't snowshoe) to the upper Memorial Falls, took some pictures of the partially frozen waterfalls and then drove back to Great Falls. Below is a group photo during lunch and one of some of the gals, including Nora, at the beginning. Nora and Judy got their first peak of 2020 in!
Who went: Judy and Nora (plus other women new to snowshoeing)
Flesher Pass, Jan. 22, 2020: Snow and Wind Turn to Sun and Views Along Flesher Pass
The gals had another journalist along, this time from the Helena Independent, on their MWA trip to Flesher Pass.
It all started at 8 am with a gorgeous drive facing the snow-capped peaks of the Rocky Mountain Front. Three gals from Great Falls faced an icy drive over Rogers Pass up to Flesher to meet with three others from Helena, one of whom didn't show up. Camille, June and Katie met with Mary Ann and Tom, the journalist. We all quickly put on our snowshoes as the wind was howling, blowing snow into our faces. It was also slightly snowing. The day looked very cloudy, and we wondered if we would get any views at all. We also marveled at the clearcut path that had been logged, obliterating the trail in places.In fact, in one place it is very hard to pick up due to slash piles and no trees for markers. There is one small arrow marking the way that takes a bit to find if you aren't sure of the way. But June and Katie had done a prior hike, so they were able to identify the sign quickly. And we did get some views about this time as the sun had come out. We were surprised to find that sections of the trail were still broken, despite the snowfall we had been getting. In other parts, the blowing snow had completely covered the trail. Tom and June did most of the breaking as we made our way to the top of a mound before turning around. A few of us fell, but nothing serious while Mary Ann lost a powder basket from her poles. On the way back, we didn't retrace our steps, instead following the road. On the way, just before the cars, we came across piles and piles of the logs that had been cut. They had a sign on them indicating they were for sale. We arrived back at the cars at 12:30, way ahead of our 1:30 estimate, so we headed into Lincoln to use the bathrooms and buy snacks at the convenience store before heading to the Blackfoot Pathways Sculpture Garden. Since we still had extra time, June suggested we stop to see the giant bear at the Forest Service office and also ask about the cut logs.The lady there said they were cut by Northwest Energy as part of a powerline. We asked if she was sure they weren't a fire break from the Stemple Pass fire last summer, but she said no; that the Stemple fire didn't threaten Flesher Pass area. Then it was on to the sculpture garden to meet our guide Becky Garland and her Welsh terrior Sarge for a lovely, informative tour, explaining about the origins of the park, the artists and interpretation of each piece along the way. For the tour, we met with some skiers along with Katie's husband, who had been invited since we had had so many drops. We had a group of eight as Tom hadn't come with us, instead returning to Helena after the snowshoe. We were able to use boots instead of snowshoes, but there was about six inches of fresh snow, so we did get a workout as we enjoyed the sculpures. We arrived back in town around 5 p.m. Later, Tom emailed us to say he had contacted the Forest Service, and the field officer said the clearcuts were the result of fire suppression efforts. Mary wrote to MWA to see what is going on with the logging. Hopefully, we will get to the bottom of this. Update: We talked to Ranger Duane in GF and he assures us it is a fire break as he helped make it. Read the article here. Who went: Katie, June, Camille 
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Jefferson Creek, Jan. 22, 2020: 'You Can Let Your Pants Down' in the GiG
Newbie Doreen got indoctrinated into the GiG quickly as several humorous incidents happened this day along Jefferson Creek.
The first took place at the Inconvenience Store in Neihart during a bathroom break. As they entered, they said hi to the three men enjoying their coffee. All went well until Gail came out from the stall without realizing that she still had her pants down as she approached the cashier to pay for some candy. They were down around her legs yet she hadn't even tripped Gail quickly looked up to see if the men had noticed--she didn't think so. Luckily, this is winter, so she had her pink long johns on--not too much different from Yoga pants. She felt so bad, she bought pasta as well as her M and M's. Anyone else would have run out in embarrassment.
But Gail's fun wasn't over. When the gals started down Jefferson Creek, Gail pull out her camera just to fling it into a snowbank. Luckily again, the camera was fine after she brushed off the snow and dried it off. The day was beautiful and the weather warm; the gals saw a few others out enjoying the trail, including Steve Taylor, former mayer or Neihart, and his wife Annie, who both stopped to say 'hi' to Gail.
After lots of laughs, the gals continuted on their hike, making it just past the bridge before turning around.
Then it was off to Bob's Bar for lunch. Everyone enjoyed their meals from hamburgers to Rueben sandwiches. They arrived back in Great Falls at 2 p.m.
In the end, Gail said, "What I like about this group, the GiG, is that you can get out and talk and let your pants down."
Who went: Gail, Doreen, Ann, Bonnie W
The first took place at the Inconvenience Store in Neihart during a bathroom break. As they entered, they said hi to the three men enjoying their coffee. All went well until Gail came out from the stall without realizing that she still had her pants down as she approached the cashier to pay for some candy. They were down around her legs yet she hadn't even tripped Gail quickly looked up to see if the men had noticed--she didn't think so. Luckily, this is winter, so she had her pink long johns on--not too much different from Yoga pants. She felt so bad, she bought pasta as well as her M and M's. Anyone else would have run out in embarrassment.
But Gail's fun wasn't over. When the gals started down Jefferson Creek, Gail pull out her camera just to fling it into a snowbank. Luckily again, the camera was fine after she brushed off the snow and dried it off. The day was beautiful and the weather warm; the gals saw a few others out enjoying the trail, including Steve Taylor, former mayer or Neihart, and his wife Annie, who both stopped to say 'hi' to Gail.
After lots of laughs, the gals continuted on their hike, making it just past the bridge before turning around.
Then it was off to Bob's Bar for lunch. Everyone enjoyed their meals from hamburgers to Rueben sandwiches. They arrived back in Great Falls at 2 p.m.
In the end, Gail said, "What I like about this group, the GiG, is that you can get out and talk and let your pants down."
Who went: Gail, Doreen, Ann, Bonnie W
Porphyry Peak Climb, Jan.20, 2020: Gals Bag First Peak on the Way to 20 in the year 2020!
Susan and Viki led a hike for MWA to climb Porphyry Peak. They had 11 people, including a lady who had come from Emigrant and two from Bozeman, who had stayed in White Sulphur Springs the night before. So the group from GF left town at 8 a.m. to meet these three plus Darryl from Great Falls who said he would meet them at the top of Kings Hill.
However, when the group arrived, no Darryl. So they started out anyway without him. Even if the leaders wanted to call, there is no cell service in the area.
The day was nice with some wind and the group did have some trail breaking despite our group breaking half of it the week before. That much more snow had fallen since we made tracks. The first incident that happend was that Viki realized that with the deep snow she needed gaiters, so she and Amber returned to the cars while the others waited. During the wait, many started to get cold. Luckily, it didnt' take them long to return.
Then another incident: The part around the new fencing was still a bit confusing and Susan and Viki didn't want anyone to fall in or trip by the fencing, which was hard to see as the snow was covering most of it. In an attempt to go around the fence, the group got too close to some trees; poor Rose fell into a tree well as she negotiated around it. But everyone pitched in to dig her out.
As the group made its way up the mountain, someone came up quickly behind them--it was Darryl. He realized his mistake: he had gone to Silver Crest instead of Kings Hill. So he drove up the mountain and followed the snowshoe tracks.
Everyone made it to the top, with the GiG gals bagging their first peak on the way to 20 peaks in 2020. Dissapointingly, the Top Rock warming hut wasn't serviing any food, not even hot cocoa, on this MLK day.
After eating lunch at the Top Rock, the group flew down the mountain, not stopping at all on the two miles to the bottom and back to the cars.
We arrived back in Great Falls at 3 p.m.
Who went from GiG: Amber, Susan, Viki, Rose
However, when the group arrived, no Darryl. So they started out anyway without him. Even if the leaders wanted to call, there is no cell service in the area.
The day was nice with some wind and the group did have some trail breaking despite our group breaking half of it the week before. That much more snow had fallen since we made tracks. The first incident that happend was that Viki realized that with the deep snow she needed gaiters, so she and Amber returned to the cars while the others waited. During the wait, many started to get cold. Luckily, it didnt' take them long to return.
Then another incident: The part around the new fencing was still a bit confusing and Susan and Viki didn't want anyone to fall in or trip by the fencing, which was hard to see as the snow was covering most of it. In an attempt to go around the fence, the group got too close to some trees; poor Rose fell into a tree well as she negotiated around it. But everyone pitched in to dig her out.
As the group made its way up the mountain, someone came up quickly behind them--it was Darryl. He realized his mistake: he had gone to Silver Crest instead of Kings Hill. So he drove up the mountain and followed the snowshoe tracks.
Everyone made it to the top, with the GiG gals bagging their first peak on the way to 20 peaks in 2020. Dissapointingly, the Top Rock warming hut wasn't serviing any food, not even hot cocoa, on this MLK day.
After eating lunch at the Top Rock, the group flew down the mountain, not stopping at all on the two miles to the bottom and back to the cars.
We arrived back in Great Falls at 3 p.m.
Who went from GiG: Amber, Susan, Viki, Rose
Teton Pass, N Fork Waldron Creek, Jan. 19, 2020: One GiG Group Breaks Trail for Second Group to Follow at Teton
After three years of the Teton Canyon Road being closed in the winters, the GiG was pleased to snowshoe one of their favorite trails.The road has been closed since the Teton Pass Ski Resort couldn't find a buyer. Luckily, a local man did purchase it and opened it in January this year. Therefore, the road is now being plowed.
The group that went Saturday was the trailbreakers. We figured we were the first ones to be on this trail in almost four years, so it was pretty special. We didn't see any evidence that anyone had come before us except on the North Fork Waldron Creek section.
The day was a bit windy at first as we geared up, but the grey turned to blue by the end of the day with occasional flakes. And yes, the snow was deep, so we did blaze a nice path for the gals coming the next day, some of whom were new to the area.
After our three-mile trek, we ate at the ski hill. Although the menu is limited with the new owners, everyone felt the food was good: sausage/potato soup, chili, quesadillas and cheeseburgers along with hot cocoa.
We left at 7:30 and arrived back home around 3.
The second group the next day had easy sailing on the trail and, therefore, went a little farther toward the bowl. Desirae had rented snowshoes from Bighorn and had trouble with them. Again, Bighorn had given one of our gals men's snowshoes that kept falling off.
A few ventured off trail a bit to see how deep the snow was. Others were happy for a broken trail. But everyone had to break a bit of trail on the return along the road as the snowplow had piled up snow covering the tracks from the day before. Since the last part is uphill, the trail breaking was a bit hard on a few of the gals.
They too ate at the ski hill, but the cafe got things a bit mixed up. Not everyone got what they ordered..
We left GF at 8 a.m and returned by 3 p.m.
Who went Day One: Nora, Josy, Paula, June, Susan, Katie
Who went Day Two: Sara, Viki, Judy, Susie, Amber, Susan, Jaye, Desirae
The group that went Saturday was the trailbreakers. We figured we were the first ones to be on this trail in almost four years, so it was pretty special. We didn't see any evidence that anyone had come before us except on the North Fork Waldron Creek section.
The day was a bit windy at first as we geared up, but the grey turned to blue by the end of the day with occasional flakes. And yes, the snow was deep, so we did blaze a nice path for the gals coming the next day, some of whom were new to the area.
After our three-mile trek, we ate at the ski hill. Although the menu is limited with the new owners, everyone felt the food was good: sausage/potato soup, chili, quesadillas and cheeseburgers along with hot cocoa.
We left at 7:30 and arrived back home around 3.
The second group the next day had easy sailing on the trail and, therefore, went a little farther toward the bowl. Desirae had rented snowshoes from Bighorn and had trouble with them. Again, Bighorn had given one of our gals men's snowshoes that kept falling off.
A few ventured off trail a bit to see how deep the snow was. Others were happy for a broken trail. But everyone had to break a bit of trail on the return along the road as the snowplow had piled up snow covering the tracks from the day before. Since the last part is uphill, the trail breaking was a bit hard on a few of the gals.
They too ate at the ski hill, but the cafe got things a bit mixed up. Not everyone got what they ordered..
We left GF at 8 a.m and returned by 3 p.m.
Who went Day One: Nora, Josy, Paula, June, Susan, Katie
Who went Day Two: Sara, Viki, Judy, Susie, Amber, Susan, Jaye, Desirae
Powerline Loop, Jan. 11, 2020: Search and Rescue Operation Starts the Day
With predictions of below-zero weather coming the next day, five gals headed out to hit the snow before the deep freeze. What they found was deep, deep powder, fluffy flakes and a bit of wind, but they had a wonderful day.
We started at 9:35 with a slight breeze and a few flakes falling, but the temps were fairly warm. The deep trailbreaking kept us warm as we traded off going up toward Showdown. However, once we turned onto the O'Brien Creek trail, the snow became even deeper without much of a base, and Amber took over most of the trailbreaking. Boy, were the rest of us ever grateful. She plowed right through thigh and --at times--hip deep powder, earning her another trail name: Snow Plow.
With Amber leading, we were able still to make pretty good time, reaching the park area where the snowmobilers play around noon. Here it was quite windy as we were out in the open: no time for a leisurely lunch, we grabbed a few bites before tackling the infamous very-steep-uphill powerline part of the trail.
As we approached the climb, those who had done it before teased the newbies a bit as the trail actually looks much worse than it is. So we lifted our televators and tackled the hill quite well.
We only saw two snowmobilers, who passed us at the top of the powerline. Otherwise, we had a quiet day and saw no one else until we reached the cars and happened upon a snowshoer just heading out. We told her we had broken trail for her.
We finished the trail by 12:35 and headed to Bob's bar for some drinks and soup. We were able to see Janice this time. She greeted us with a hug, was our server and said she hasn't settled in enough yet to join us on an adventure but she hopes to sometime. She also said the business was going well; she had two great cooks, but she would be closing on Mondays and Tuesdays, the two days the ski hill isn't open.
Then we had an uneventful ride home, except for a plow covering Susan's car with gravel and ice breaking loose from her grill and flying at the windshield, frightening us; We arrived home around 3 p.m.
Sidenote: the gals were asking Katie about how she was feeling after her accident. She explained about her hip and ribs but also about the PTSD from the accident and how driving a car is a bit frightening right now. The others shared their accident stories and how they still feel afraid or have flashbacks in certain driving conditions or if a car pulls out in front of them.
Who went: Susan, Debra, Rose, Amber, Katie
We started at 9:35 with a slight breeze and a few flakes falling, but the temps were fairly warm. The deep trailbreaking kept us warm as we traded off going up toward Showdown. However, once we turned onto the O'Brien Creek trail, the snow became even deeper without much of a base, and Amber took over most of the trailbreaking. Boy, were the rest of us ever grateful. She plowed right through thigh and --at times--hip deep powder, earning her another trail name: Snow Plow.
With Amber leading, we were able still to make pretty good time, reaching the park area where the snowmobilers play around noon. Here it was quite windy as we were out in the open: no time for a leisurely lunch, we grabbed a few bites before tackling the infamous very-steep-uphill powerline part of the trail.
As we approached the climb, those who had done it before teased the newbies a bit as the trail actually looks much worse than it is. So we lifted our televators and tackled the hill quite well.
We only saw two snowmobilers, who passed us at the top of the powerline. Otherwise, we had a quiet day and saw no one else until we reached the cars and happened upon a snowshoer just heading out. We told her we had broken trail for her.
We finished the trail by 12:35 and headed to Bob's bar for some drinks and soup. We were able to see Janice this time. She greeted us with a hug, was our server and said she hasn't settled in enough yet to join us on an adventure but she hopes to sometime. She also said the business was going well; she had two great cooks, but she would be closing on Mondays and Tuesdays, the two days the ski hill isn't open.
Then we had an uneventful ride home, except for a plow covering Susan's car with gravel and ice breaking loose from her grill and flying at the windshield, frightening us; We arrived home around 3 p.m.
Sidenote: the gals were asking Katie about how she was feeling after her accident. She explained about her hip and ribs but also about the PTSD from the accident and how driving a car is a bit frightening right now. The others shared their accident stories and how they still feel afraid or have flashbacks in certain driving conditions or if a car pulls out in front of them.
Who went: Susan, Debra, Rose, Amber, Katie
Flesher Pass, Jan. 8, 2020: Blizzard Winds, Blowing Snow Gives Way to Sun and Views
We wondered if we should cancel: the roads had black ice according to the Montana road report, the wind was picking up, and we now had a 60 percent chance of snow, up from 40 percent the day before. But we went, thinking if Rogers pass were too bad, we could hike to Rogers Peak instead of continuing on to Flesher. So we left the DOB at just after 8 a.m. not knowing what to expect.
But June was super driver. We didn't encounter the black ice out of Simms; but Rogers Pass and all the way to Flesher was snowpacked and icy. She handled it well. When we arrived at the pass, the wind was howling, blowing snow in our faces. We really started to get cold as we geared up and put on our snowshoes. Once we got moving, we warmed up, but the snow was still blowing the whole way to the outhouse, and flakes started to come down. At this point as we waited in line to use the pit toilet, we wondered just how far we wanted to go in this weather. And it wasn't only the weather; we had to break trail in one to two feet of snow, not that the deep snow was unexpected. It was powdery, but still an effort, especially on the uphill sections. But we soldiered on, trading off breaking along the way. We noticed that a new trail had been cut; many, many trees had been cut down, and large slash piles remained. The blaze was very wide, resembling a power line trail. We wondered what the lumber crew was up to as the cut part did not follow the CDT (Continental Divide Trail). At first, this cut threw us off; but both Katie and June, the leaders on this trip, knew the trail was dropping too much and going the wrong direction, so we backtracked, trying to find the CDT and get back on track. Miraculously about now, the snow lifted and most of the wind stopped, revealing gorgeous views toward Holter Lake. At this point, Katie got our her phone and checked both Gaia and Google maps to see where we were in relation to the CDT. This helped us find a tree with an arrow on it pointing the way. Everything looked so different with the trees removed. So we finally got back on trail and proceeded another half mile before deciding to stop for lunch. June found us a nice log to sit on, sheltered from most of the wind, except for a few big gusts that blew the snow a bit. Then Katie and June went up to explore the ridge to see if we had any views into the Seeley Valley and the Swan Mountain Range. We had some views, but not that far. So the others followed us to see the vistas spreading on both sides of us. We dropped down from the ridge to retrace our steps to the outhouse. Then instead of continuing to retrace, we took the logging road around, past a pile of wood for sale. As we approached the parking lot, the wind started to pick up again, blowing snow in our faces. June turned the car around to block the wind a bit while we took our snowshoes off and piled into the car quickly to get away from the gusts. Then the snow started again as we drove down the pass. The rest of the way back was better than our way out, with most of the ice melting into slush. June had clear sailing once we drove down Rogers Pass. On the way, we wanted to show Lindsie the Adams Stone Barn, but we couldn't remember which town it was in. We wondered if the barn had been "saved" as we knew it was up for destruction at one time. Closely watching as we passed Simms, then Fort Shaw, then Sun River, we wondered if we had missed it, but we spied it just past the Ramble Inn. (read more here). We also told Lindsie about the assortment of bras gracing the ceiling and walls of this establishment. See for yourself here. We arrived back at the DOB at 2:45. Who went: Katie, Susan, June, Nora, Lindsie |
Jefferson Creek, Jan. 5, 2020: KRTV Reporter Shadows GiG on First Hike of the Year
We had our chance at fame on our first of the year as Lindsie Hiatt from KRTV interviewed us and then came along on our trip, filming along the way. She just moved here six months ago from Fresno, Calif., and was happy to get outside on a trail in Montana. Katie had a fun time talking to her about Fresno, since her grandparents lived there and she visited often in her childhood.
Before we headed out for snowshoeing, Lindsie set up her tripod and large camera to interview Sue and Katie. It took quite a bit of time, but then we were on our way. The day was perfect. With howling winds predicted for Great Falls, we escaped all but a breeze. The sky was blue, and and the trail well packed with a nice base and a few inches of fresh powder. At the bridge, we discussed if we wanted to continue to the three-mile marker, we we did. As we proceeded, we marveled at Lindsie, squatting down low and going off trail to capture shots with her cell phone. She said she was a one-woman show: she does all her own editing, splicing and completing the final product. She uses a combination of the nice cameras and her iPhone for footage. See the interview here. And the video here. Along the way, we ran into a few skiers and one snowshoer, Kalah, who may join our group for future hikes. Then it was off to Bob's Bar for a late lunch before heading home. We had hoped to talk to Janice to see how she survived a year of being the new owner and moving from Texas to Montana. We had such a cold awful winter that we wondered if she were questioning her move. However, we didn't see her. We asked the waiter but he didn't seem interested in finding her for us. The day was a perfect one to start off the new year. Who went: Desirae, Sue and Katie We left GF at 9 am and returned by 3:30. |