Catching up with a busy summer: Our Lake, Patrol, Bitterroot, Northwest Montana state parks

Visiting with Patrol Mountain lookout ranger Samsara Chapman Duffey

One of my favorite views ---- looking down the ridgeline from Patrol Mountain

 Summer weather has defied my expectations of fire and smoke.

Yes, it's been abnormally hot, but we've experienced periods of cool and wet to off that.

That has allowed us to hike more than I thought possible including recent trips to Rocky Mountain Front/Bob Marshall Wilderness favorites like Our Lake and Patrol Mountain, visits to more Montana state parks in Northwest Montana with an opportunity to enjoy an early and generous huckleberry crop.  And, there's been the pursuit of wildflowers like the bitterroot.

I particularly enjoyed my annual trek up Patrol Mountain, a 3,000 foot - 11.4 mile climb to visit Samsara Chapman Duffey, who is spending her 29th summer as lookout over vast stretches of the Bob Marshall and Scapegoat wilderness areas.  I think it was my 26th visit her and her dog, Mae, on a gorgeous and lightly smokey afternoon.  I got to the top, which included wading Straight Creek, in about 3 hours 10 minutes.  I've been climbing this mountain yearly (and sometimes more) for 44 years.

Classic Our Lake scenery

I was surprised to see snow at the bottom of the Our Lake approach waterfall and in the great gully on the lake's south flank.  We tested the snowfield in the gully and found it too icy to ascend.  I make a mistake thinking I could immediately upclimb the adjacent hillside, wasting time and ruining our opportunity to do the Our Lake-Headquarters Pass traverse.  It was still a great day of hiking.

Katie put me on the road to tag Northwest Montana state parks starting with Milltown and Beavertail.  The Milltown Park, in particular, is a fascinating history lesson on dam removal.  Beavertail is really a quiet camping spot just east of Missoula on the Clark Fork.  Despite being high summer we found few folks at either spot.

One of the Buddhas

At the center of the Buddha garden

Then it was on to a couple of U.S. 93 attractions:  the Garden of a Thousand Buddhas and the St. Ignatius Church.  The Buddhist site is quite spectacular, and a real oddity for Montana, not to mention its placement on an Indian Reservation.  I'll return to this spot and spend more time.  There's much to learn here in a large area dominated by Buddhist statues and prayer flags.

Up the road at St. Ignatius we stopped at this mission church, a place I hadn't been in nearly 50 years, and marveled at the more than 50 murals in the church done by Brother Joseph Carignano, a self-taught Italian.

The St. Ignatius altar piece with murals

Then it was on to our overnight stay at Quinn's Hot Springs Resort, a beautiful and pricey spa where we had a spectacular meal and enjoyed the canyon scenery not far from where the Flathead flows into the Clark Fork River.  We had a nice rest.

Onward the following day along the Clark Fork River, we stopped at Thompson Falls State Park with its lovely camping area, sand beaches and tall Ponderosa pine trees.  In the city we also enjoyed the interpretive dam park. 

Katie at Thompson Falls State Park on the Clark Fork

We stopped at the earthen Noxon Rapids dam and power plant  and then, it was on to Libby up the Bull River Valley beneath the towering Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area.  The driving here made me a tad uncomfortable with dense conifer and cedar forests right up to the road.  I was fearful of animals jumping out in front of the car.  It was a lovely drive, though I've concluded I prefer the open East Side of the Divide.

I had forgotten how sparsely populated this area of the state is.  All the hype is on the rich out of staters moving in, grabbing up land, blocking access, constructing mansions and sending property values into the stratosphere. 

We got a run down motel in Libby, but had a nice meal in a local brew pub.

The Kootenai Falls cascades

The Swinging Bridge over the Kootenai River

Our final day we hit the Kootenai Falls and swinging bridge county park to stretch our legs. Then we stopped Logan State Park between Libby and Kalispell, not much more than a campground and a gorgeous lake.  No real hiking here.  There was a brief spot at Lower Bitterroot Lake, where Katie's folks once owned a cabin.

On the way home we visited in Pinnacle and friends, enjoyed a great lunch from their garden produce and were introduced to this tiny settlement just west of Essex.  Tons of huckleberries, the best crop I've ever seen, waylaid us.

We rested in East Glacier Park at Serrano's for a Mexican meal and then back home.

We had covered 725 miles over these three days.

We had seen so much it will take me time to absorb it all.

Yes, I enjoyed the trip.

The bitterroot bloom near Rogers Pass

 

 

 

Summer gets busy: Tilinghast, short style Columbine, Canadian Rockies, Blackleaf

A wall of limestone cliffs on Tilinghast Creek

Katie at the U.S.-Canadian border at the Police Depot Provincial Park

Chief Mountain towers over a small wetland at Police Depot Park

 

 

 

The uppermost Southfork Lake at Castle Wilderness Provincial Park

At Waterton Lakes National Park

Mount Frazier in the Front's Blackleaf Canyon

 

 

 

 

The isolated and rare short stem Columbine

 

 

 

 I've been so busy hiking I haven't had an adequate opportunity to post.

So here's the trips:

•  A gorgeous hike on Tilinghast Creek in the Little Belt Mountains with a half-hearted approach to Big Horn Mountain
• Another trip into the Little Belts in search of the rare and isolated  short style Columbine
• A four-day trip into the Canadian Rockies where we finally made it to Barnaby and Southfork Lakes in the Castle Wilderness Provincial Park in southern Alberta near Pincher Creek.  We also hiked in Police Outpost Provincial Park adjacent to the Montana border south of Cardston.  We hiked Miners' Path city park in Coleman, Alberta near Crowsnest Pass, where we also visited the Frank Slide Museum that explores the history of the slide at the pass off Turtle Mountain that buried more than 80 people. 
• When we got back from Canada, Katie had us hike to the divide between Blackleaf Canyon and the East Fork of Teton River

Which of these was my favorite?

I think the Barnaby/Southfork lakes trip because it was challenging and the last time we tried this three years ago we got turned back by fierce winds and I lost my expensive Garmen GPS device.  (No, I didn't find it)

This time the weather was perfect and we enjoyed the 8+ miles hike with a 2,500 feet elevation gain.  There were extremely steep sections of slippy gravel.  I was sore the next day from bracing myself.

This hike offered incredible views of the Canadian Rockies just north of Waterton National Park into the Crowsnest area and beyond to the north.  There must be dozens of Glacier Park quality areas in the Canadian Rockies.

We were charmed by the Police Outpost park out on the prairie on the Montana border.  It was once a spot that policed the border.  The area offers remarkable views of Chief Mountain, the north end of Glacier and south end of Waterton parks.  There are several shallow lakes in wetlands along the way.  Outpost Lake, though, is quite large and fishable, and there's an island with a bridge to it that can be hiked.  The prairie flowers were outstanding.

We enjoyed walking through a small gate through a barbed wire fence to the U.S. border where there were warnings to return to Canada.

 

 

Annual trek up Fairview Mountain with Katie's Canadian friends; CDT --- Lewis and Clark to Rogers passes

Willow Creek Falls

Katie walking through a field of prairie smoke wildflowers

The Fairview Mountain ridgeline

Sticks in the air:  a sign of success

 The 3,300 feet climb over 8.2 miles verified for me what I suspected:  the Rocky Mountain Front is frightfully dry.

Usually we tromp through some snow on the way up or down. 

Not this year.

Yet, this high spectacular hike was especially fun because we had Katie's friends from Southern Alberta with us --- the Women of Wonder group from the Waterton National Park area.  This is a tough group of climbers, many of whom are ranch wives.  In years past we've led Montana Wilderness Association (now Wild Montana) group hikes up this prominent peak outside Augusta.

Given that Katie is dealing with a blood cancer that affects her ability to process oxygen, I was delighted she made it to the top.

We were somewhat disappointed with the wildflowers.  They were affected by the dry conditions and our unusually high Spring temperatures.  But, the prairie smoke was impressive.

There was fire and smoke obscuring views from the south, probably the Jericho Fire near Helena.

But the skies were gorgeous and we had tremendous views across the Bob Marshall and Scapegoat wilderness areas.  

Even if we hadn't made it to the top, the Fairview Willow Creek Falls hike is enough.

The water was low, but there was enough that the falls were still impressive. 

 It is two miles through the Willow Creek Falls canyon where we left the trail and headed up the mountain. 

 

CDT:  Lewis and Clark Pass to Rogers Pass

Silky Phacelia showing off on the way up Green Mountain

Gordon Whirry at the top of Green Mountain

Purple Townsendia Showy Daisies showing off

Deep red Indian Paintbrush

A bit of beargrass along the way

 This 10 mile hike between passes has also become an annual trip.

We did a guys to gals key exchange.

This hike seems to always include marveling at the amount of digging local grizzlies have done (we call it rototilling).   This usually involves biscuit root.  Sandhill crane sightings in a large camas field on the drive to the Alice Creek Trailhead.  A search for blooming bitterroot on the flanks of Green Mountain. 

This year we positively identified the only water source on this dry ridgeline, a spring on the east side of Green Mountain.

The deep purple silky phacelia really showed off.

We could see some snow on Red Mountain, at 9,411 feet the highest point in the Bob Marshall/Scapegoat/Great Bear wilderness complex.

While I could see the bitterroot pods, no blooms.  That will have to wait awhile. 

 

 

 

Sluice boxes and signs of aging

 

Waterfall on the high, cliffy trail

Many caves in the limestone cliffs above Belt Creek in the Sluice Boxes

The railroad tracks are still visible along the trail

The rail tunnel at my turnaround point

The remains of an old trestle

The Sluice Boxes State Park, a 25 minute drive southeast of Great Falls, is my favorite "go to" hiking spot when I don't have much time.

Normally, I like to do a roundtrip 4.5 miles to an old railroad tunnel.  The state park and trail is a very narrow strip that opens up into the Belt Creek canyon.  The limestone canyon is stunning, with high cliffs, and Belt Creek runs a translucent emerald color through it.  This is where a narrow gauge railroad once operated to serve the many hardrock mines in the area.  Ancient tracks and trestles litter the trail and creek. 

 At the beginning there are high and low trails, with the low trail requiring multiple crossings of the creek. The high trail is above the creek.

A full walk through ---- from Riceville to Logging Creek is eight miles with numerous creek crossings.

I did this trip for the first time some 52 years ago when the land was first proposed for a state park.

I consider it one of the most spectacular sights around Great Falls.

I'm finding that hiking to the tunnel is getting more challenging.  Maybe it's my age, maybe it's that the trail has become so worn and my footing less sure.  It is particularly tough about a third of a mile before reaching the tunnel where steep worn trails and slippery scree makes it precarious. 

Despite is proximity to Great Falls, the trail rarely seems crowded.  Head back I bumped into only two parties coming into the Sluice Boxes. 

A hot, but active week in Flathead, Front and Little Belts

 

One of my favorite spots:  top of Mount Wright with Bob Marshall Wilderness below

Gordon Whirry rests and enjoys Mount Wright

Mark Hertenstein working his way down Mount Wright

Katie in her element in pool below Muddy Creek Falls

 

The "Great Elephant Migration" display in Browning we got to see coming back from the Flathead

 

We were hammered with exceptionally hot weather and smoke from Canadian fires during the past  week didn't stop us from some great hiking.

I did a warmup in the Little Belts with the 5-mile Pioneer Ridge loop (2,300 feet of elevation gain and loss). 

Katie and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary (29 years together) with a trip to the Flathead, where we stayed at the Laughing Horse Inn in Swan Lake and explored the state parks around Flathead Lake.

Then, I did my annual trek up Mount Wright in the Rocky Mountain Front, with the Muddy Creek Falls hike the following day.  

Temperatures during this period soared into the mid-90s, which made time spent around lakes or in deep forests particularly pleasant.  Katie even took a swim beneath the Muddy Creek Falls.

There was no getting away from the heat on Mount Wright, though.  That area had burned so completely in 2007, and a considerable portion of it is above timber line, so we cooked.  We were compensated, though by great wildflower shows and, of course, the view from the top across the Bob Marshall Wilderness all the way to the Swan Mountain Range.  Smoke obscured our views to the north and Glacier Park. We were lucky to hit the Jones Columbine bloom on Wright's limestone ridgeline. 

The snow in the Front is long gone and the streams very low.  It was surprising to see some snow in the Bob's interior.  This doesn't bode well for the fire season.  On the west side of the mountains, the Swan face looked mostly bare, although the Missions retain some snow.

We visited Wayfarer's, Big Arm, West Shore and Lake Mary Ronan parks.  I liked Big Arm the best because of its extensive hiking trails which had great views.

The Laughing Horse Inn is a Montana tourist treasure that we've enjoyed time after time. 

Navigating a late May heat wave: Skidway, Swift (again), Highwoods, Kings Hill

Arrowleaf Balsalmroot on Center Ridge in the Highwoods

Swift Reservoir with Badger-Two Med mountains, the Poia complex, in the background

Lady Slippers along Swift Reservoir

Jones Columbine in the Little Belt Mountains

 If there is any clearer marker for climate change than what we experienced at the end of May, I'd like to know about it.

On Saturday (May 31) we had temperatures on the Rocky Mountain Front as high as 95 degrees!  That was after days of heat in Great Falls and in the mountains.

In year past there were a couple of rules we followed strictly:  don't put in your garden before May 31 (Memorial Day weekend), and keep your skis handy for a Memorial Day snowstorm.

I don't do gardens anymore and I put my skis up three weeks ago.

Since then I've been dealing with the heat and the ticks as I've enjoyed what seems like mid-summer hiking.

We've been on the hunt for wildflowers at Skidway in the Grassy Mountain area between White Sulphur and Townsend, enjoyed the balsamroot bloom in the Highwoods, checked out the calypso orchids in the Little Belts, took a second hike along Swift Reservoir near Dupuyer on the Front (Lady Slippers), and got an eyeful of bright blue/purple Jones Columbine in the Little Belts (I've never seen so many!).

I particularly enjoyed the Highwoods and Swift Dam hikes.

The Highwoods, because the grasses were so bright green and the balsamroots were so bright yellow and the sky so bright blue.

Swift Dam because the lake was an unearthly bright turquoise.

 

 

Have I been commuting to Rogers Pass?

The blue Forget-Me-Not, yellow Yellowstone Draba and pink Douglasia

A rest along the CDT ridgeline

Red Mountain, the Scapegoat Wilderness Area's highest peak, was showing off

The red shale of Rodgers Peak was eye-popping

 It sure seems as though I've been on a commute to Rogers Pass and the Continental Divide Trail these past two weeks.

There have been four trips there to see the early alpine flower bloom as the dominate flower has passed from pink Douglasia to the blue of Forget-Me-Nots.  The yellow Yellowstone draba have been a constant. It used to be that we waited until nearly Father's Day for such a show.

Usually we see our best display on the west side of Rogers (up from the staircase).  But this year the display be even better on the east side as the prolific blue flowers stand out against the brilliant red shale outcroppings heading along the CDT toward Flesher.

The trail is more carpeted in these miniatures than I can remember this early.

 Despite the dryness, the monarch of the west ---- Red Mountain (9,411 feet) is loaded with snow.

I found the ridge leading to Rodgers Peak inviting enough to go up one hike and down another.

Lady bugs are out on the top of Rodgers, and so are the ticks.  I'm nursing a fairly substantial tick bite at the moment. 

Katie led a Montana Wild group of 14 up Rodgers Peak that I joined, and really enjoyed the thrill they experienced seeing the alpine flowers.

We liked it so much we went up a second day in a row with friends Dave and Sandi Ashley from Helena.  On the west side the wildflowers sent up a strong, sweet smell.

If you've got to be stuck in a rut, the Rogers Pass you can't go wrong with the alpine wildflowers bloom.

The CDT flowers have me so agog I nearly forgot to mention our trip to the Pioneer Ridge in the Little Belts where the Calypso orchids are in bloom.

 

The Calypso orchids were in bloom in the Little Belts

 

The mountains are ablooming: Swift Dam, Highwoods, Mount Sentinel

Swift Reservoir looking toward the North Fork Birch Creek valley

We were surprised to find orange paintbrush

Lots of Forget-Me-Nots at Swift

We've been busy enjoying the wildflowers that are blooming everywhere in the mountains.

In the past week we've been to Swift Dam's Hurricane Ridge, the Highwood Mountains Center Ridge, and I've done my annual climb of Missoula's Mount Sentinel.

We're already seeing blooms that appear to be several weeks ahead of schedule, like Forget-Me-Nots, which we saw in clusters at Swift Dam.  

I did a marathon car trip to climb Sentinel, covering nearly 600 miles by taking in the Missions, the east shore of Flathead Lake, the southern end of Glacier Park enroute home via the Front.  I had many stops along the way, including the National Bison Range, Findley Point on Flathead Lake, and the waterfall on HIghway 2 pouring out of the Great Bear into Bear Creek.

The scenery along Flathead Lake, with snowcap mountains, blooming cherry trees and lake vistas was stunning.  The wealthy developments in that area are also stunning, but in a bad way. 

Missoula is bursting at the seams with development, but Mount Sentinel is as beautiful and challenging as ever.  I made it to the top in 61 minutes, which felt very satisfying.  I think it was my best time in several years.  It didn't seem that difficult, either.

Wayne Phillips on Center Ridge in Highwoods

Wayne Phillips joined me trip to Center Ridge in the Highwoods where we counted 17 varieties of wildflowers.  We were both surprised to see the Arrowleaf Balsamroots dotting the hillsides.  I found them in full bloom on Sentinel as well.  

Finally, Katie and I went wildflower hunting at Swift Reservoir west of Dupuyer and counted 34 different kinds of wildflowers.  The aqua color of the reservoir was beautiful against the snow-covered peaks of the Bob Marshall Wilderness and Badger-Two Medicine. 

The Bear Creek waterfall spilling out of the wilderness

The Mission Mountains near Polson showing off