Wildflower Walks

Yellow columbine

Aquilegia flavescens

Description: Flowers are made up of five cream to yellow petals that are open in the front and taper to yellow spurs and five yellow sepals. They stand atop stems 8 to 30 inches tall with basal leaves that are divided into three thin leaflets each. Found in moist meadows, along streams and on alpine slopes. Blooms July to August (”Wildflowers of Montana,” by Donald Anthony Schiemann.)

Recently seen: Stateline Trail near Superior, Gunsight Lake trail in Glacier National Park.

The walk: The trail to Glacier’s Gunsight Lake leaves from the Jackson Glacier Overlook about five miles east of Logan Pass on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Follow the path downhill to the southeast through the forest, crossing Reynolds Creek just below Deadwood Falls at about 1 1/2 miles. Continue southwest along the trail as it roughly follows the St. Mary River to another creek at the junction for Florence Falls at about four miles. (The falls are three-quarters of a mile up the very brushy spur trail.) Cross the creek and ascend up the side of Fusillade Mountain to Gunsight Lake at about 6 1/4 miles. Look for yellow columbine along the last two miles of trail as the terrain break out of the shady forest, also revealing views of Mount Jackson, Mount Logan and Jackson and Blackfoot glaciers. From Gunsight Lake, retrace your route back to the Sun Road, continue the 20-mile through hike over Gunsight and Lincoln passes to Lake McDonald Lodge, or stay the night if you’ve obtained a backcountry camping permit.

Justin Grigg

The Montana Natural History Center is holding a Midsummer Garden Party and Open House on Thursday at Fort Missoula’s Nature Adventure Teaching Garden.

Socialize, get some native plants and enjoy the garden at its summer peak. The celebration is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and is open to all ages. Refreshments will be provided.

For directions or more information, call 327-0405.

Justin Grigg

Pink mountain heather

Phyllodoce empetriformis

Description: Bright pink bell-shaped flowers growing in clusters from evergreen shrubs 8 to 20 inches tall. Found in most soil of higher mountains. Blooms late June to August. (”Peterson Field Guides: Rocky Mountain Wildflowers,” by John J. Craighead, Frank C. Craighead Jr. and Ray J. Davis.)

Recently seen: Stateline Trail to Illinois Peak, southwest of Superior.

The walk: From the west side of Interstate 90 in Superior, drive about 1 1/4 miles southeast on Diamond Match Road. Turn southwest onto Cedar Creek Road (Forest Road 320) and follow it about 25 miles to the Stateline trailhead at Cascade Pass on the Montana-Idaho border. From the parking area, the trail tracks up and down along the ridge through fairly open forest, providing views west into Idaho and east into Montana. At about 1 3/4 miles, the deep blue water of the uppermost of the three Oregon Lakes can be seen on the Montana side of the ridge. Past the overlook, you’ll see pink mountain heather in many open areas along the ridge. (Heather is just one of many flowers that were blooming along the trail earlier this week, including columbine, a variety of penstemon species, purple shooting stars, yellow pasqueflowers, bluebells, gentian, phlox and more.) At about four miles, the trail begins to climb through craggy rocks on the side of Illinois Peak. At about 4 1/2 miles, the path passes a second trail that drops to the southwest on the Idaho side of the ridge; continue southeast uphill a short distance to a grassy junction, following a fainter trail northeast to the top of the mountain at five miles. Enjoy lunch on the open, grassy 7,690-foot summit of Illinois peak, taking in the expansive views of surrounding mountains, then retrace your footsteps to the trailhead.

Justin Grigg

It’s nearly time for my annual summer trip to Glacier National Park. While finding wildflowers there is never difficult, deciding on which trails to hike is more of a chore – albeit one with a great reward. My wife and I are always looking for something new, with lakes, streams, views and some altitude.

This year, we had our sights set on backpacking over Gunsight Pass from the Going-to-the-Sun Road in the St. Mary Lake drainage to Lake McDonald Lodge. The idea was we’d leave our car at Lake McDonald, shuttle over Logan Pass to the trailhead and camp at Gunsight Lake and Lake Ellen Wilson or near Sperry Chalet along the trail.

Problem is, Ellen Wilson and Sperry aren’t yet open to camping. Sperry may be by the time of our trip, but we need a backup plan. (Another problem may be securing walk-up backcountry permits for any itinerary, but we’ll cross that bridge later.)

Here’s where you can help. I’m open to any two-night backpacking ideas you have, with a couple of caveats. The hike must utilize the Sun Road shuttle system or be a loop. We have one car, so can’t shuttle ourselves, and we prefer not to do an out-and-back hike. Several trails are off-limits, as we’ve done them in recent years and want to cover new ground: the Highline from Logan Pass to Granite Park, Swiftcurrent Pass, Piegan Pass, Siyeh Pass, and the Dawson-Pitamakan Loop. (Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park is fair game, too.)

Any ideas are welcome, but there’s no guarantee we’ll use them. Who knows, we may end up only day hiking. No matter what, we’ll enjoy ourselves in the Crown of the Continent.

Update: Lake Ellen Wilson has opened and we have secured a permit for our original itinerary. Hope the “high-angle snowdrifts” are mostly melted.

Justin Grigg

Nodding onion

Allium cernuum

Description: Cluster of 25 to 40 small white or pink flowers, with stamens longer than petals or sepals, that hangs from a bent stalk 6 to 18 inches tall with grasslike leaves growing from the base. Found in dry to moist valleys, open hills and ridges. Blooms mid-June to early August. (“Peterson Field Guides: Rocky Mountain Wildflowers,” by John J. Craighead, Frank C. Craighead and Ray J. Davis.)

Recently seen: Pattee Canyon and Rattlesnake national recreation areas.

The walk: Follow Van Buren Street and Rattlesnake Drive a little more than four miles north of Interstate 90. Turn northwest on Sawmill Gulch Road and continue about a quarter-mile to the main Rattlesnake trailhead. Follow the wide main path along the creek and through the forest, connecting with smaller trails on the west bank along the way. Look for nodding onion in the first couple of miles from the trailhead. Turn around at your leisure, or continue up the 15-mile main trail.

Justin Grigg

Why are flowers here? Are they for us to see and smell? For bees to make honey?

I recently listened to a discussion of this topic by Robert Krulwich, one of the hosts of WNYC’s “Radio Lab” program, and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. The program is about a year old, but is still an interesting listen.

Listen or download the MP3 here, or find it on iTunes here.

Justin Grigg

The Glacier Institute has a couple of courses coming this month up related to wildflowers:

“Photography in Glacier Country” will be held July 21 to 23. Learn to photograph subjects big and small, from panoramic vistas to closeups of flowers. Cost is $400.

“Wildflower Wanderings at Logan Pass” will be July 24. Check out the wildflowers along Glacier National Park’s Highline Trail at Logan Pass. Cost is $65.

For more information, call (406) 755-1211 or follow the links above.

After a long spring of training for the Missoula Marathon, I’ll soon be taking some time off to head up to Glacier. I hope to bring back a couple of Wildflower Walks from the park later this month.

Justin Grigg

Queen’s cup

Clintonia uniflora

Description: Three slender white petals and three similar sepals spread outward from a 3- to 8-inch stem with three green, lance-shaped leaves growing from the base. Grows in shaded forests or forest clearings. Blooms late May to July. (“Wildflowers of Montana,” by Donald Anthony Schiemann.)

Recently seen: Bass Creek in the Bitterroot Mountains.

The hike: The Bass Creek trailhead is about four miles south of Florence on U.S. Highway 93, then about 2 3/4 miles west on Bass Creek Road. A wide path climbs west through the forest along the north side of Bass Creek. Just past 1 3/4 miles, it passes an old log dam with a pond behind it and the trail levels out. Look for queen’s cup primarily along the next shady mile through the forest, although you’ll find it intermittently throughout the hike. At a junction past the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness marker, turn north and wind up the side of the canyon to an open parklike area, then above a big cascade at a little more than 3 3/4 miles. Turn around here, or continue about another 3 1/4 miles up to Bass Lake.

Justin Grigg

Bunchberry

Cornus canadensis

Description: A 1-inch-wide bloom made up of four white bracts surrounding a cluster of small whitish-purplish flowers stands atop a stem 4 to 12 inches tall with a whorl of broad leaves. Found in most woods, meadows and bogs. Blooms May to July. (“Peterson Field Guides: Rocky Mountain Wildflowers,” by John J. Craighead, Frank C. Craighead and Ray J. Davis.)

Recently seen: Clearwater Canoe Trail near Seeley Lake.

The walk: The Clearwater Canoe Trail can be a two-in-one outing, or just do the hike if you don’t have access to a boat. To reach the start of the canoe trail, drive 3.7 miles north of Seeley Lake on Montana Highway 83, seven-tenths of a mile west on Forest Road 17597. Float the canoe trail 3.5 miles downriver to the U.S. Forest Service ranger station on Seeley Lake; when you reach the lake, follow the eastern shore to a small, marked pullout. At the small parking area just above the pullout, follow the path 1 1/2 miles back through the forest and along the river to the canoe trailhead, looking for bunchberry under the trees along the way. A warning: The mosquitoes are abundant along the path; use repellent. Once back at your car, return to the highway and drive south to the ranger station to pick up any boats or people at the pullout.

Justin Grigg

Wild hyacinth

Brodiaea douglasii

Description: One-inch-long tubular blue flowers in clusters of five to 15 sit atop a slender stem 1 to 3 feet tall. Grasslike leaves grow from the base. Blooms late April to early July. Found in dry to moist soil in rocky areas, meadows and open woods. (“Peterson Field Guides – Rocky Mountain Wildflowers,” by John J. Craighead, Frank C. Craighead Jr. and Ray J. Davis.)

Recently seen: Blue Mountain and Pattee Canyon national recreation areas.

The walk: Wild hyacinth appears to be fading at Blue Mountain, but is still blooming in Pattee Canyon. Park at the Crazy Canyon trailhead, 3 1/2 miles southeast of South Higgins Avenue on Pattee Canyon Road. From the west side of the parking lot, follow Trail 302.3 northwest, then north less than half a mile up through the forest to a junction with Crazy Canyon Road. You’ll see a few hyacinths along this section of trail. A short distance up the road, take Trail 302 as it branches off to the northwest, first dropping then climbing up the side of a hill for a little more than half a mile. You’ll find many more hyacinths off the side of the trail on the uphill section. The trail eventually tops out at a grassy clearing and rejoins Crazy Canyon Road. From here, your options are to backtrack or follow the road or several other trails for a longer hike.

Justin Grigg