Wildflower Walks

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

The Montana Chapter of the Sierra Club is planning its annual spring wildflower hike to Packer Meadows at Lolo Pass on Sunday.

The eight-mile hike on the Lewis and Clark/Nez Perce Trail will be led by horticulturist Adrienne Hopkins. Bring water and a snack. For more information, contact Hopkins at 543-3755 or e-mail John Wolverton at yodelingdog@hotmail.com.

If you’re headed up to Packer Meadows on your own this weekend, the camas has started to bloom, but the fields are not yet full. Also, be advised that the road from the Lolo Pass Visitor Center to the meadows will be closed from 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday for the Mountain-to-Meadow race.

Call ahead to (208) 942-1234 for camas updates.

Justin Grigg

Anybody else notice the fenceline rising from Interstate 90 into Missoula’s North Hills – bright yellow-green to the west and drab brown-green to the east?

That line perfectly illustrates the battle against leafy spurge.

Here’s an excerpt from Missoulian reporter Keila Szpaller’s Sunday story:

The Parks and Recreation Department’s weed control program started a decade ago, but it took off five years ago when enough sheep grazed on the mountains for enough time. This year, evidence is plain the sheep are chomping with success.

Just take a look at the North Hills, (Missoula conservation lands manager Morgan) Valliant said. A fence zigzags up the mountain, and the pea-green and yellow weed blankets the west side of the fence.

“The comparison is just phenomenal,” Valliant said. “One side is completely yellow with leafy spurge, and the other side, there’s just none.”

That’s a visual cue the sheep are doing their job. Valliant also offers some numbers. In the past, 600 or so sheep were on the job for six months. These days, the leafy spurge feeds fewer sheep and for less time. An estimated 400 or 500 sheep graze for 3 1/2 months.

“That’s directly related to the amount of leafy spurge that’s available for them to eat,” Valliant said.

The story goes on to say that grazing by the sheep has resulted in spraying for weeds less often, allowing wildflowers to bloom.

To find out more and meet the people responsible for the sheep in the North Hills and on Mount Jumbo, read the rest of the story.

Justin Grigg

After several cloudy, rainy and even snowy days last week, the camas is just starting to bloom in Packer Meadows at Lolo Pass.

The Lolo Pass Visitor Center information line – (208) 942-1234 – says it will still be a couple of days before the blue flowers begin to truly fill the fields.

To see the big show, drive eight miles south of Missoula on U.S. Highway 93 to Lolo, then 32 miles west on U.S. Highway 12 to the pass on the Montana-Idaho border. From the visitor center, the meadows are about one mile east on Elk Meadows Road.

Justin Grigg

Bitterroot

Lewisia redivia

Description: White to pink flower 1 to 2 inches wide with 12 to 18 elliptical petals, six to eight petal-like sepals and many stamens. Stands on a stem up to 3 inches tall. Fleshy, green leaves wither before flower blooms. Grows in rocky dry soil of valleys, foothills and mountains. Blooms late April to July. (“Peterson Field Guides – Rocky Mountain Wildflowers,” by John J. Craighead, Frank C. Craighead Jr. and Ray J. Davis.)

Recently seen: Waterworks Hill in Missoula’s North Hills, Pengelly Ridge on Mount Sentinel.

The walk: Bitterroots have been blooming for more than a week on Waterworks Hill, but the show isn’t over. Across the valley, on Pengelly Ridge, they’re just beginning to flower and should be going strong soon. To access the ridge, park at the Mount Sentinel trailhead three-quarters of a mile up Pattee Canyon Road from South Higgins Avenue. Ascend the switchbacks three-quarters of a mile up to the south end of the Sentinel Fire Road. At the junction, follow the Pengelly Ridge trail steeply up the mountain to the northeast. Look for bitterroots beginning about one mile from the trailhead, as the ridge becomes less steep. At 1 1/4 miles, the plants become much more numerous, and as of Tuesday evening were starting to bloom here. The trail continues steeply uphill for about another mile before topping out on the south summit of Sentinel. From here, there are a few options: Turn around and return to the trailhead; hike a short distance north to Sentinel proper, then down and across the front of the mountain on the fire road; or walk down Crazy Canyon Road and connect with the Crooked Trail, which returns to the south end of the fire road.

Justin Grigg

I ran my first Pengelly Double Dip half-marathon on Mount Sentinel and University Mountain on Saturday, and while the word “brutal” could be heard around the start/finish area, many people also took note of the beautiful wildflower display near the top.

The arrowleaf balsamroot, death camas, penstemon, larkspur and bluebells are putting on a good show. If you’re looking for a good hike, you might want to head up the Crazy Canyon Road from the Pattee Canyon National Recreation Area – it would cut the mileage and the climb.

My running also frequently takes me through Missoula’s North Hills, where bitterroots, penstemon and cushion plants are blooming right now. The photo above is from the Waterworks Hill Ridge Trail on Sunday.

Another race is coming up that’s known for its wildflower bounty: the Mountain-to-Meadow half-marathon and 5K at Lolo Pass on Saturday, June 26. The course loops through the mountains on forest roads and passes by Packer Meadows, one of the best places around to see camas bloom. Events get under way at 7:30 a.m. PDT (8:30 a.m. MDT).

The camas may be fading by race day, though, so you may want to head up there sooner. As of Monday morning, the plants were still budding and expected to bloom by the end of the week, according to the Lolo Pass Visitor Center phone message. Call (208) 942-1234 for updates.

The visitor center is about 31 miles west of Lolo on U.S. Highway 12. Packer Meadows is about one mile east of the visitor center on Elk Meadows Road.

Of course, if you’re running, you’ll have to make a return trip with a camera.

Update: Another event that likely provides a good opportunity for wildflower viewing is the Celebrate the Swan Race. The distances are half-marathon, 10K, 5K and one mile. The running gets under way at 9 a.m. at the south end of the airstrip along Montana Highway 83 in Condon.

Justin Grigg

Missoulian reporter Rob Chaney and photographer Michael Gallacher recently took a trip over to the Rocky Mountain Front on assignment, and their story from Volcano Reef in Thursday’s Outdoors section made me want to explore the area, too.

Here’s an excerpt:

“It’s just rough old country,” says Bill Cunningham, an outfitter and writer who abandoned Montana’s big cities to settle in Choteau. “It’s rougher, more austere, more sparse country that isn’t going to appeal to every taste.”

Hearing Front-lovers like Cunningham describe their mountains resembles the geological equivalent of a wine-tasting class. The Rocky Mountain Front bursts abruptly from the eastern plains, compared to the Beartooths’ more prolonged buildup. Its gray-orange limestone has a particularly abrasive nature, unlike Glacier’s soft red and green argillite. And for a place with a dominant landmark called the Chinese Wall, it’s surprisingly accessible.

While the story mostly focused on geology and wildlife, Chaney said wildflowers were also abundant in the area. He provided these pictures of wildflowers that he saw near the base of the reef.

Read the entire story, as well as a recent series on preserving the Front.

Justin Grigg

Wilcox’s penstemon

Penstemon wilcoxii

Description: Blue to purple funnel-shaped flowers with five fused petals forming three lower lobes and two upper lobes. Stems are 16 to 40 inches tall with opposite lance-shaped leaves, some toothed. Leaves are smooth to finely haired. Flowers are on divided branches that grow from a central axis. Found in dry, open or rocky areas in foothills and forests. Blooms June and July. (“Wildflowers of Montana,” by Donald Anthony Scheimann.)
Recently seen: Mount Jumbo.

The walk: The main trailhead for the Mount Jumbo saddle is about two miles north of Interstate 90 on Van Buren Street and Rattlesnake Drive, then 1 1/4 miles east up Lincoln Hills Drive, just past the end of the pavement. The 4 1/3-mile North Loop Trail begins at the gate at the north end of the trailhead area. Follow the dirt track uphill to the northwest and turn north onto a smaller trail that circles the northern Mount Jumbo conservation lands, rejoining the dirt road on the east side of the saddle area. Look for Wilcox’s penstemon starting a little more than 1 1/2 miles into the hike, in the gravelly soil after the trail switches back and provides views of the Missoula area.

Justin Grigg