Students at Missoula public schools and the University of Montana take spring break this year from March 29 to April 2, and that usually means time for family travel.
Why not plan a trip to see one of the best wildflower blooms in the West at Death Valley National Park in California?
Death Valley is famous for its spectacular spring wildflower displays, but those are the exception, not the rule. Only under perfect conditions does the desert fill with a sea of gold, purple, pink or white flowers. Although there are years where blossoms are few, they are never totally absent.
This year is shaping up to be better than previously thought, according to the park’s most recent wildflower update.
What about the heat? While summer highs top 120 degrees, spring is “very pleasant” and the most popular time to visit.
“March’s lamblike entry has brought reports of bitterroot sprouts on the hillsides and crocus blooms in the Missoula Valley,” writes reporter Rob Chaney in Tuesday’s Missoulian. I’ll have to ask him about those bitterroots.
And those brown leaves left hanging on trees since last fall’s cold snap? No need to worry – new growth will likely bring them down.
The bluebirds and robins are flying about, and buttercups are on the verge of bursting open at Missoula’s Blue Mountain National Recreation Area. Spring is nearly here, and with it I return to blogging at a freshened-up WildflowerWalks.com.
While we wait for the wildflowers, here’s a bit of eye candy from the upcoming “Life” series by the Discovery Channel and BBC!
Well … sure. Missoulian reporter Rob Chaney goes on the hunt for wild mushrooms in the Mission Mountains, where recent rain has brought out fungi aplenty.
It’s open house season for the fairies and wood elves of Montana’s mountainsides.
Those toadstool dwellers may be imaginary, but their domiciles of record are in profusion this time of year. More than 3 inches of rain landed in Missoula in the past month, making it one of the wettest Augusts on record. That did amazing things for the mushroom community.
On a recent trip in the Mission Mountains, nearly all the wildflowers were faded and gone. But a closer look revealed bright yellows, reds, pinks and greens of mushroom growth.
Granted, fungi don’t carpet whole hillsides like the beargrass did this year. You find them on the carpet, or even underneath it – around ankle-height in the brush and under logs.
Don’t despair. Just look differently, within foliage instead of above it, in dim places instead of sunny spots.
Description: Purple-blue blossoms about 1 inch wide with one sepal that develops into a hoodlike cap. Flowers form a loose cluster atop stems 2 to 5 feet tall. Broad, alternate leaves are divided into three to five sections, each of which is toothed. Grows in wet meadows and along streams. Blooms late June to early August. (“Peterson Field Guides’ Rocky Mountain Wildflowers,” by John J. Craighead, Frank C. Craighead and Ray J. Davis)
Recently seen: Heart Lake Trail near Superior
The walk: From the west side of Interstate 90 in Superior, follow Diamond Road 20 miles to the Heart Lake trailhead. (At five miles, the road turns to gravel and follows Trout Creek southwest.) From the trailhead, follow the path south through the trees along the South Fork of Trout Creek, crossing several smaller creeks on log bridges. Look for monkshood growing up from the bushes along the trail. The trail climbs gradually along the creek, then switchbacks up the east side of the valley. The trail crosses several more small creeks, the last without a bridge; step on the large rocks poking out of the water instead. At the trail junction on the other side of the creek, turn south and walk the last hundred yards or so to Heart Lake at two miles. Stop here and return to the trailhead, or continue on a trail around the east side of the lake and up to Pearl Lake, about a half mile farther.
Missoulian reporter Rob Chaney wrote this the other day. Not exactly floral, but huckleberries are fragrant.
You didn’t hear this from us, but it’s a great huckleberry season this year.
As secretive as they are, there’s not much huck hunters can do to hide the berry-covered hillsides around western Montana. A wet spring and a couple of midsummer rainshowers have provided ideal growing conditions for the popular wild fruit.
“It’s doing very good,” Huckleberry Patch gift shop supervisor Shauna Clevidence said one morning this week while juggling a rush of customers at 9:45 a.m. “The lower patches have already been picked, so people have to go to the higher elevations.”
Description: Yellowish-green flowers about one-half inch across clustered on branches atop 3- to 6-foot stem. Four- to 12-inch oval leaves with coarse, parallel veins grow from base. Found in wet meadows and open areas. Blooms June to early August. (“Peterson Field Guides’ Rocky Mountain Wildflowers,” by John J. Craighead, Frank C. Craighead Jr. and Ray J. Davis)
Recently seen: Two Medicine Lake Loop in Glacier National Park; Jewel Basin east of Bigfork.
The walk: The Two Medicine Lake South Shore Trail begins next to the boat dock at the end of the road, about 4 3/4 miles inside Glacier National Park from the Two Medicine entrance station. Follow the trail in and out of the trees, across Aster and Paradise creeks, and through the brush at the base of Sinopah Mountain for 3.4 miles to a junction. Look for large, leafy, green false hellbore in low, moist areas past the end of Two Medicine Lake. Continue on the path to the west for half a mile to Two Medicine Creek and another junction. Turn northeast and hike about a quarter mile to another junction. Turn east and follow the North Shore Trail about three miles back to the Two Medicine campground. From here walk on the road through the campground and back to the parking area at the boat dock. Along the way, there are several short side trails that lead to Paradise Point (under half a mile from the main trail), Aster Falls (one-tenth of a mile), Rockwell Falls (just over a mile) and Twin Falls (one-third of a mile). Of these, Rockwell Falls is most worth the extra effort.
For me, picking a favorite Montana dayhike is nearly impossible – there are just too many to choose from in this great state. And my response can vary depending on any of several factors: the time of year, the sights along the trail, the destination, driving time, distance and – perhaps the biggest – dogs or no dogs.
Last year, my trail of choice would have been Goat Flat and Upper Seymour Lake in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness near Philipsburg.
It was my first time on this trail and in this wilderness. The path sets out from Storm Lake and switchbacks up to just below 10,000 feet on the Continental Divide at Goat Flat, a sweeping, wildflower-filled plateau with 360-degree mountain views. From there it drops back down to cool, clear Upper Seymour Lake with a handful of campsites and great swimming. All in about 5 1/2 miles (11 miles round trip).
So far this year, I’d say it’s the 16- to 18-mile Dawson-Pitamakan Loop in Glacier National Park, featured as last week’s Wildflower Walk. (Distance depends on whether you take the boat across Two Medicine Lake.)
On any trail in Glacier, you’re guaranteed big mountains with big views; beautiful streams, lakes and flowers; and perhaps some snow or wildlife. On the Dawson-Pitamakan Loop, it’s more about what’s missing: the crowds. This and any other trail in the Two Medicine Valley are nearly empty compared to other parts of the park. And while you can only see the glaciers in the distance, you will still be wowed with every step.
These are both big trails that take some getting to. When I think about everyday hikes – trails that I can do on a whim – the picture changes.
The Bitterroot Mountains are a quick drive south of Missoula, and Blodgett Canyon on the northwest edge of Hamilton is a classic hike there. What I like best it’s accessible in any season. In summer, there’s plenty of greenery and a cascading stream. Fall brings reds and oranges to the canyon floor, and if you look closely you may find a foraging moose or two. In winter, it’s an easy snowshoe adventure. And spring brings flowers and waterfalls from the granite walls above.
This brings me to the point of this post: a survey.
Below you’ll find a link to SpeakUpMissoula.com, where I’ve started a topic about favorite dayhikes. I know where I like to go, but what are some of you’re favorite spots? Sign in and add a trail, or vote on an existing entry. At the very least, maybe you’ll get an idea for your next outing.
Description: Bowl-shaped flowers three-quarters of an inch wide consists of six cream or greenish-white, petal-like segments with a greenish gland at base. Blossoms cluster atop stem 6 to 28 inches tall with 6- to 12-inch-long grass-like leaves growing from base. Grows in mountain meadows, rocky slopes and forests. Blooms June to August.
Recently seen: Dawson-Pitamakan Loop in Glacier National Park.
The walk: To reach the Dawson-Pitamakan trailhead from Glacier’s Two Medicine entrance station, drive about 4 1/2 miles west on Two Medicine Road. The parking area is located on the north end of the Two Medicine campground, where a bridge crosses the creek at the lower end of Pray Lake. Hike across the bridge and follow the trail north at the first junction, rounding the base of Rising Wolf Mountain and continuing up the Dry Fork Creek drainage. At about 1 3/4 miles, cross the creek and continue up the valley, following the trail west at the next junction. At about six miles, the trail splits before reaching Oldman Lake. Take the fork toward Dawson and Pitamakan passes, climbing two steep, switchbacking miles to Pitamakan Pass. Look for elegant camas in the dry, rocky soil along the upper switchbacks just before the pass. From Pitamakan Pass, continue a short distance uphill to just above Cut Bank Pass; at two junctions along the way, follow the path to Dawson Pass. The trail continues around the west side of Mount Morgan and Flinsch Peak, offering alpine views all around. It then switchbacks down to Dawson Pass at about 11 1/4 miles. Look for elegant camas again in this area. From Dawson Pass, the trail descends steeply almost two miles to a turnoff for No Name Lake. Continue down the trail 1 1/2 miles to a junction near the west end of Two Medicine Lake. From here, it’s a 3 1/3 mile walk back east along the north shore of the lake to the trailhead or about one mile to the boat dock at the top end of the lake, where you can ferry down the lake and return through the campground to the trailhead. Total distance is about 18 miles returning along the lake or 16 miles by boat.
