Mount Helena, a hike rather than ski, with wildflowers already!

Cut Leaf Daisy

Buckwheat

Katie on her way to the top

Pasque flower

Phlox

It was 70 degrees Sunday and I didn't want to ski in the soup, so we headed to Helena for a quick hike up that city's Mount Helena.
We were not disappointed by what we found, despite the scores of times we've done this hike.
We found six different varieties of alpine wildflowers already in bloom on that mountain's flanks:  fritillary, phlox, Pasque flower, Cut Leaf Daisy, Douglasia, Buckwheat, and dandelion.
It is about 1,000 feet in elevation gain from the parking lot and the route we took covered 3.3 miles.
It was a great way to wake up the legs after a winter of considerable backcountry skiing.