Category Archives: Bitterroot Valley

A wildflower celebration and more western Montana hikes

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A few western Montana wildflower-related events taking place in May escaped my attention in an earlier post:

  • This Saturday, May 11, Lone Pine State Park near Kalispell will join National Wildflower Week celebrations. Games and crafts are at 1 p.m., a hike is at 1:30 p.m. and a wildflower costume contest with prizes is at 2:30 p.m. The event also serves as the start of the park’s May and June wildflower walks, Saturdays at 11 a.m. The event is free.
  • The Montana chapter of the Sierra Club also has a few outings in May, starting this Saturday, May 11. At 8 a.m., a women-only hike will take place around Lake Como near Darby. The group will stop for lunch at the falls at the head of the lake. The hike is 7 1/2 miles with minimal elevation gain. Register by contacting trip leader Janet Fiero at (406) 203-2164 or janetfiero77@gmail.com by 4 p.m. Friday, May 10.
  • At 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 15, the Sierra Club will hike to the top of Mount Sentinel, looping via the Hellgate Canyon and “M” trails. Distance is 6 1/2 miles with 2,000 feet of elevation gain. Register by Tuesday, May 14, by emailing Mary Owens at trekker320@aol.com.
  • And on Monday, May 20, the Sierra Club will hike the North Loop Trail at Mount Jumbo at 9 a.m. The 5-mile trip will gain about 800 feet of elevation. Register by 4 p.m. Sunday, May 19, by emailing Maria Ibarbia at maire-mt@earthlink.net.

New ‘Twist’ on cellphone photography

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I’m always up for trying out new photo or video apps on my iPhone, especially exploring their usefulness in the field, where conditions are less controlled.

Recently, I came across one called FocusTwist that seemed interesting for close-up wildflower photography. Basically, the app takes several photos of a subject and combines them into a single, re-focusable image. Viewers can then click on different parts of the image to adjust. Try it above in the image of trillium flowers in the Bitterroot Valley’s Mill Creek.

I tried the app several times before actually posting an image, mostly because I was trying to get the end result just right. It can be tricky if there’s even a slight breeze, and I probably wouldn’t even think about it for wildlife photos.

In the end, I’m satisfied with it and foresee using it in the future.

Abundance of wildflower events in June

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With spring ending and summer starting in June, it’s the perfect time to view wildflowers – and there are plenty of events planned from the Bitterroot Valley north to Glacier National Park and the Tobacco Valley.

Here they are, by date:

This Saturday, June 2, the Flathead chapter of the Montana Native Plant Society will take a two- to three- mile hike to view flowers on the mossy Johnson Mountain terraces. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at the rest area at the soccer fields next to Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish. Bring lunch. Call (406) 892-0129 for information and to sign up.

The Clark Fork chapter of the Montana Native Plant Society will hold a weed pull at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, in John Toole Park, along the Clark Fork River off of South Fourth Street East. Bring weeding tools. Call 542-2640 for more information.

Also on Tuesday, June 5, the Flathead MNPS chapter will be hiking at Columbia Mountain. Glacier Park biologist Tara Carolin will lead the two- to three-mile hike to view late spring flowers. Meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Columbia Mountain trailhead. Bring dinner. Call 888-7863 or email writetaraywc@yahoo.com for more information.

The Glacier National Park Fund’s Friday Hiking Club begins on June 8. The Glacier Fund isn’t leading the group or providing interpretation – the hikes are intended to be a fun, social outing. The June 8 hike is to be determined. The group will go on a 12-mile outing to Huckleberry Lookout on June 12, and a 9.4-mile outing to Scalpock Lookout on June 29. Carpooling may be available from the Glacier Fund office in Columbia Falls. Call (406) 892-3250 or email glacierfund@glacierfund.org to register.

Also on Friday, June 8, the Glacier institute will hold a course titled “Spring Wildflowers along the Rocky Mountain Front” with instructor  Ellen Horowitz. After a slideshow, participants will observe wildflowers on the Firebrand Pass Trail in Glacier National Park, hiking about two miles. Bring lunch. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Glacier Park Field Camp Meeting Hall in West Glacier. The group will return at about 4:30 p.m. Cost is $65.

The Clark Fork MNPS chapter will hold its third and final Dyer’s Woad pull at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 12. Meet at the “M” trailhead. Call 544-7189 for more information.

The Montana Natural History Center will offer advice on plants to pull and plants to leave at “Which are Weeds? A Native Plant Gardener’s Conundrum” from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 14, at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Gardens. There is a $5 suggested donation for the public; MNHC members are free.

Steve Wirt will lead a course titled “Orchids: Glacier’s Precious Beauties” for the Glacier Institute on Friday, June 15. After a slideshow, participants will take several short hikes along the park’s Camas Road, upper McDonald Creek and/or Inside North Fork Road in search of 10 to 15 orchid species. Bring a lunch. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Glacier Park Field Camp Meeting Hall. The course will end at about 5 p.m. Cost is $65.

MNHC’s Saturday Discovery Day on June 16 will go hiking from 10 a.m. to noon on the Mount Jumbo Saddle Trail. Participants will look for flowers, insects and birds. Nets, binoculars and journaling tools provided. Meet at the trailhead at the top of Lincoln Hills Drive. There is a $5 suggested donation for the public; MNHC members are free.

On Saturday, June 16, MNPS’ Clark Fork chapter will visit the MPG Ranch in Florence to view wildflowers and bunchgrasses, and learn about conservation efforts there. Meet at 8:30 a.m. in the southwest corner of the parking lot at Missoula’s Wal-Mart, 4000 U.S. Highway 93 S., or at 9 a.m. behind the IGA grocery store in Florence. Call 273-6140 or 258-5439 for more information.

Also on Saturday, June 16, MNPS’ Flathead chapter will visit Dancing Prairie Preserve, just north of Eureka. The native prairie habitat has been preserved by The Nature Conservancy, and botanist/ecologist Maria Mantas will lead participants on a tour of native grasses and prairie wildflowers. Bring lunch and gloves for weed pulling. Meet in Whitefish at 9:00 a.m.; call (406) 837-0066 or email mmantas@tnc.org for location.

The Montana Native Plant Society will hold its annual meeting Friday, June 29, through Sunday, July 1, at the Lubrecht Experimental Forest near Greenough. Outings, meetings and meals are planned.

On another MNHC Saturday Discovery Day, June 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., naturalist and photographer Hobie Hare will lead an outing to Upper Gold Creek, about half an hour from Missoula. Meet at MNHC, 120 Hickory St. Cost is $25 for adults and $15 for children for the public, $20 and $10 for members. Registration is required; call 327-0405.

A day of service for western Montana trails

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National Trails Day is Saturday, June 2, and there are several opportunities in western Montana to get out and lend a hand.

While most projects occur on National Trails Day, a couple of them are planned for later in the month.

As a reward for your service, some events include a barbecue afterward!

The following are western Montana events – click through for times and more detailed information, or follow the link above for events in other parts of the state.

  • REI, Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership and the Montana Conservation Corps will pull weeds and perform basic maintenance along the “M” Trail on Mount Sentinel.
  • The Back Country Horsemen of Missoula will have a “Leave No Trace” demonstration camp; handouts on trail use; bicycle/equestrian helmets for sale; water, snacks and dog treats for the public; and will paint a fence and clean up the main trailhead at the Blue Mountain Recreation Area. The group will also conduct a survey of trail users.
  • At the Milltown State Park site, Montana State Parks will plant native shrubs and trees along a trail to the bluff overlook and a Boy Scout troop will install park benches made from salvaged logs.
  • The Ninemile Ranger District will hold the Ninemile Family Fun Run – with 1K and 2K events – at Grand Menard Picnic Area near the Ninemile Ranger Station. The U.S. Forest Service; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; and the Montana Natural History Center will also provide educational activities.
  • The Montana Conservation Corps will work on several trails at Herron Park in Kalispell.
  • The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation will perform seasonal work on the trail to Stanton Lake near Hungry Horse.
  • On Saturday, June 9, Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness will hold a workshop on old-growth ecology in Heron and go on an afternoon hike.
  • On Saturday, June 30, the Scotchman Peaks Friends group will have workshop on wetlands and riparian areas in Heron and go on an afternoon hike.

Wildflower events bloom late for May

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I’m late with my roundup of wildflower-related events this month, but there’s still plenty going on:

On Saturday, May 12, Lone Pine State Park in Kalispell will hold events in honor of National Wildflower Week, May 7-13. A hike for the whole family will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. followed by a wildflower craft, and an adult hike will take place from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Call (406) 755-2706.

The Montana Native Plant Society has several events this month:

The Clark Fork Chapter will hold a Dyer’s Woad Pull at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, on Mount Sentinel. The two-hour pull will help control the noxious weeds and restore native grasses. Meet at the Mount Sentinel trailhead at bring rain gear, just in case. Call 544-7189. A second weed pull is planned for Tuesday, May 29, at the same time and location.

Also, a wildflower walk is planned for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, in the Rattlesnake Recreation Area’s Spring Gulch. Annie Garde and Madeline Mazurski will lead the easy hike, which leaves from the main Rattlesnake trailhead. Call 258-5439.

The annual Montana Native Plant Society Plant Sale will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 26, at the Missoula Farmers Market, at the north end of Higgins Avenue. More than 50 species of native plants will be available.

On Tuesdays in May, The Native Plant Society’s Flathead Chapter will hold wildflower walks along Bigfork’s “Wild Mile” corridor. Anne Morley and Neal Brown will lead the two-mile outings along the Old Swan River Road from 10 a.m. to noon. Meet in front of Showthyme. Contact Morley, (406) 886-2242, or Brown, (406) 837-5018.

The Flathead Chapter will give a presentation titled “Beautify Your Yard With Native Plants: Tips, Tricks and Inexpensive Ways to Add Native Plants to Your Landscape” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 16. Laura Law will discuss how she transformed her Columbia Falls yard from lawn to a series of small gardens incorporating native plants. There will be a slideshow and tour of Law’s garden.

On Thursday, May 31, Morley will also lead a two-mile guided naturalist hike on the Sprunger-Whitney Nature Trail starting at 10 a.m. Meet at the trailhead. Drive about seven miles south of the Swan Lake Trading Post in Swan Lake on Montana Highway 83, turning west at the Point Pleasant and Sprunger-Whitney signs one-half mile south of mile marker 64. Follow the signs to the trailhead. Call (406) 886-2242.

The Montana Chapter of the Sierra Club will lead a couple of hikes in May:

A women-only outing is planned for Saturday, May 19, on the trails that loop around Lake Como, south of Hamilton. The hike is 7 1/2 miles with minimal elevation gain and a stop for lunch at the falls. Email Janet Fiero at janetfiero77@gmail.com to sign up.

A loop hike on the Stuart Peak Trail and Wallman Trail in the Rattlesnake Recreation Area will take place Wednesday, May 23. It’s eight miles with 500 feet of elevation gain. Email Mary Owens at mowens320@gmail.com to sign up.

The Montana Natural History Center is offering a “Native Wildflower ID Crash Course” from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 24, at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Gardens. There is a $5 suggested donation; MNHC members are free.

And the Swan Ecosystem Center will lead a walk to Holland Falls, above Holland Lake, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 27. It’s part of the Loon and Fish Festival in the Seeley Lake area.

Walk for May 13

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Jacob’s Ladder

Polemonium pulcherrimum

Description: Pale blue to lavender tube-shaped flowers with white or yellow at the center and five white stamens extending outward. Grows in clusters on stems up to 12 inches with paired leaflets. Blooms May to June in moist, grassy soils along streams and in open forests. (“Wildflowers of Montana,” by Donald Anthony Schiemann)

Recently seen: Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge outside of Stevensville.

The walk: The Lee Metcalf refuge is a nice place to take an afternoon stroll with your family and dog (leash required). Highlights include wildlife and views of the Bitterroot River and mountains. From Stevensville, follow the Eastside Highway a quarter-mile east to Wildfowl Lane and turn north. Stay on Wildfowl, going northwest a little more than two miles to a parking area on the west side of the road. Here the refuge has a system of short trails. The main Metcalf Trail is paved and runs a half-mile south, with two nearly half-mile loops – Cottonwood and Slough – branching off along the way. The Ponderosa trail is a nearly one-mile trail that loops northwest of the main path. Look for Jacob’s Ladder under the trees near the southern end of the main trail.

Justin Grigg

Pink petals

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Bitterroots are beginning to bloom in the North Hills, one of the best spots to see them in Missoula.

The Waterworks Hill trailhead, for the ridge just north of downtown, is on the west side of Greenough Drive, about a quarter-mile north of the Interstate 90 overpass. Follow the trail along the fenceline up the hill to the northwest. Look for the pointed pink petals of bitterroots on the gravelly ground just off the rock-lined path. Waterworks Hill’s caretakers ask that hikers stay on the trail.

Reader Steve Slocomb reports that he is seeing them in the foothills above Corvallis in the Bitterroot Valley. See his photos here.

Anyone else seeing them on trails outside of Missoula? I’d love to take a trip out of town to find them this year.

Justin Grigg

Reports online and off

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I’ve received a few wildflower reports in recent days from people following me on Twitter and in the office.

In the Bitterroot Valley, Twitter user wapiti_waters is seeing pasqueflowers, shooting stars, arrowleaf balsamroot and dogtooth violets.

Twitter user oh2bnMT saw yellowbells and shooting stars on a walk up Mount Jumbo.

And Missoulian sports editor Bob Meseroll reports that glacier lilies are out on Evaro Hill. I, too, have seen glacier lilies, on a run out Deer Creek Road.

Thanks to all, and keep me posted.

Justin Grigg