Wildflower Walks

While the cooler temperatures have been nice, western Montana has also seen considerable rain and even some snow, as two hikers found out yesterday.
If you’re headed out, check the forecast and be prepared for conditions not normally seen this time of year.
Justin Grigg

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Monkshood
Aconitum columbianum
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 [...]

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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 [...]

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False hellbore
Veratrum viride
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. [...]

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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 [...]

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