Spring in full swing: more Freezout, River's Edge, Mount Sentinel, Buffalo Jump

Working our way off the jump sit precipice

An example of the rock art we found

The sedimentary layers of the jump

More rock art

 

 

 Spring is in full swing, and so the usual I'm doing my usual kick out the kinks hikes.

In the past week that has meant hikes along River's Edge Trail to Sacajawea Springs and to the Chaos Trail, a couple more visits to see the migrating snow geese and swans, a quick-hit climb of Mount Sentinel in Missoula, and a walk-through the First Peoples' Buffalo Jump (formerly the Ulm Pishkun).

I'm still having odd problems with my lower legs that feel like they become encased in concrete when on a long hike.  They loosen up if I rest.  I don't know what to think, particularly after I got a vein clinic procedure last August that was supposed to have cleared this problem.  It stems from veins that won't pump blood from my feet back to my heart.  Once I get going the calf muscles take over and do the pumping.  The feeling in the legs is disturbing, particularly when descending steeply as I had to do on Mount Sentinel.  It creates a balance problem.

The 5K Sacajawea hike was a delight, but I picked up my first tick of the season.  I expected to see wildflowers.  None are out yet.

I was able to climb Mount Sentinel to the top in less than an hour (just barely), so I was pretty pleased with that, despite the difficulties descending.  I thought I might see several kinds of wildflowers, but spied only a single buttercup.

Buttercups:  my first flowers of spring

The snow in the Missoula valley and all along my drive there from Great Falls was sparse and going fast.  Could be a long fire season upcoming.

The highlight of the week was the First People's Buffalo Jump Hike, a mere 11 miles south of Great Falls at Ulm.

Katie and I had scouted a possible walk-through from the north side parking lot to the headquarters on a clear, warm winter day.

Four of us did this hike and really enjoyed it.  Most people don't know the north side of this area is open, with a nice loop trail.

On top, it meant hiking a fence line to the edge of the jump itself, which we walked along, enjoying Rocky Mountain Front, Big and Little Belt, and Highwood mountain ranges views along with the prominent buttes; Square, Crown, Shaw.

We walked along the bottom of the jump and found ancient Indian rock art ---- ocher colored hand prints, an animal depiction, and artwork carved into the rock itself.

We had a car parked at the north end (just off the Ulm-Vaughn Road near the McIver Road junction, and at the headquarters.

It was a 4.4 miles hike with about 600 feet of elevation gain.

The hike reminded me that we've got to get the grandkids there.

I made it to the top of Mount Sentinel in under an hour.