Category Archives: Flathead 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.

May holds wildflowers, birds and more events

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Arrowleaf balsamroot at the National Bison Range.

From wildflower hikes to events on birds and bull trout, there’s a lot going on in May around western Montana! Here’s a sampling of wildflower and other nature-related events:

  • At 6:30 p.m. today – Thursday, May 2 – botanist Michael Krebs will lead a hike on Mount Sentinel with the Clark Fork Chapter of the Montana Native Plant Society. The group will meet at the picnic table at the southeast corner of the University of Montana Campus, near the intersection of Beckwith and Madeline avenues, and hike the Evans Street Trail to the fire road across the face of the mountain. Along the way, they’ll document spring wildflowers for Project Budburst. Call 728-0189 for more information.
  • Also today, May 2, the Montana Natural History Center will hold a seminar titled “Design an All-Season Garden with Native Shrubs” with Marilyn Marler from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the center, 120 Hickory St. Learn how to design a garden for color, screening and wildlife habitat. The event is free for MNHC members and there’s a $5 suggested donation for others.
  • Starting in May and running through June, the Flathead Chapter of MNPS will hold Tuesday morning wildflower walks on Bigfork’s Wild Mile Corridor. Anne Morley and Neal Brown will lead the easy walks along the Old Swan River Road starting at 10 a.m. Meet in front of Showthyme on Electric Avenue in Bigfork. Call Morley at 886-2242 or Brown at 837-5018 for more information.
  • An International Migratory Bird Day celebration will be held at the National Bison Range on Saturday, May 11. There will be videos, trivia, walks and a Migration Challenge. Call (406) 644-2211, Ext. 207, to register and get meeting place and time. The day also marks the opening of Red Sleep Mountain Drive for the summer season, weather and road conditions permitting. The 19-mile, one-way gravel road climbs to the high point of the range, traveling through grassland and forest. The refuge and scenic drives open at 6:30 a.m., and the visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Start Red Sleep Mountain Drive by 6 p.m. to complete the trip before the refuge closes as dark. Bird Day events are free but fees, starting at $5 for private vehicles, are charged for the scenic drives.
  • MNHC and the Endangered Species Coalition will hold a native plant sale and bull trout lecture to celebrate Endangered Species Day on Thursday, May 16. The plant sale is 5:30 to 7 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Fort Missoula Native Plant Gardens. The bull trout lecture, by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Wade Fredenberg is at 7 p.m. Both events, at the center at 120 Hickory St., are free.
  • On Saturday, May 18, from 8 a.m. to noon, MNPS’ Clark Fork Chapter will hold its annual plant sale at the Missoula Farmers Market at the north end of Higgins Avenue. Arrive early for the best selection.
  • Also on Saturday, May 18, the Glacier Institute will hold a course titled “Glacier’s Harlequins” with John Ashley starting at 8:30 a.m. Learn about and observe harlequin ducks in Glacier National Park as they feed and court during breeding season. There will be a slideshow, discussion and walk along upper McDonald Creek near Going-to-the-Sun Road. The course will end about 4 p.m. Meet at the Glacier Park Field Camp Meeting Hall just inside the West Glacier entrance to the park. Transportation will be provided during the course. Cost is $65.
  • MNPS’ Clark Fork Chapter will have a Dyer’s Woad pull on Tuesday, May 21, starting at 6:30 p.m. Dyer’s Woad is a noxious weed in the mustard family. Meet at the main Mount Sentinel trailhead on the east side of the UM campus. Call 544-7189 for more information.
  • MNHC will hold a Naturalist Field Day titled “ID and Ecology of Local Grasses” with botanist Peter Lesica from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 25. The group will learn about grasses in the classroom, then visit several sites in the field. Call 327-0405 to register. Cost is $70 for MNHC members and  $80 for others. Some scholarships are available. Meet at the center, 120 Hickory St. Transportation to field sites is provided.
  • Also Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26, is the Loon and Fish Festival based in Seeley Lake. Organized by Alpine Artisans, the festival features art, films, wildlife exhibits, loon viewing and a wildflower hike to Holland Falls. Events are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Native plant events include wreath workshop, more

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Native-plant events are winding down with winter approaching, but there are a few around western Montana in November – including a wreath workshop for the holidays!

The Clark Fork Chapter of the Montana Native Plant Society presents Elaine Sutherland, who will discuss “How Surprising Complexities in Historical Fire Patterns Shaped Today’s Forests” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, in Room L09 in the University of Montana’s Gallagher Business Building. Sutherland has studied Montana forests for the U.S. Forest Service for two decades.

Botanist Mel Waggy and Terry Divoky of Windflower Nursery present “From the Mountains to the Prairies: Conservation Efforts at the MPG Ranch” at the Flathead Chapter of MNPS at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, at the Teakettle Community Hall, 235 Nucleus Ave. in Columbia Falls. The 10,000-acre MPG Ranch includes forestland in the Sapphire Mountains, grasslands and riparian areas along the Bitterroot River.

The Montana Natural History Center will hold a Holiday Wreath Workshop on Thursday, Nov. 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden in Missoula. Create holiday decorations using local conifers and plants. Admission is $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers, and registration is required. Call 327-0405.

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.

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.

June bloom events in western Montana

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June is here, and western Montana wildflower-related events are picking up.

On Tuesday, June 7, join the Flathead Chapter of the Montana Native Plant Society and Glacier National Park biologist Tara Carolin for a two-hour walk up the Columbia Mountain trail east of Columbia Falls to see spring blooms. Meet at the Columbia Mountain trailhead at 6 p.m. Bring water and a sack dinner. For more information, contact Carolin at 755-9412 or writetaraywc@yahoo.com.

The Glacier Institute will lead a spring wildflower walk in the Marias Pass area from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 10. The “Spring Wildflowers Along the Rocky Mountain Front” course with instructor Ellen Horowitz is for ages 18 and older, and is limited to 13 participants. Meet at the Glacier National Park Field Camp Meeting Hall. Fee is $65.

On Saturday, June 11, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the Clark Fork Chapter of the Montana Native Plant Society will hold its biennial “Native Plant Garden Tour and Low Tea.” Visit native plant gardens in the Rattlesnake Valley and meet the people who created them. The tour can be done by bicycle, and directions will be handed out from 10:30 to 11 a.m. on the south side of the Montana Native Plant Gardens at the old Botany greenhouse west of the University of Montana’s University Center. Plants and seeds will be available for sale, and the tour will end with refreshments from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Bring water, snacks and lunch. Call 258-5439 for more information.

On two Thursdays, June 16 and 30, the Montana Natural History Center will hold its “miniNaturalists at the Gardens” program from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Gardens. Cost is $1 per child for MNHC members, $3 nonmembers. The program is best for ages 2 to 5, and children must be accompanied by an adult. The program engages youngsters in the exploration of the natural world through fun hands-on activities, games and play in a native plant garden setting. For more information, call 327-0405.

Finishing the month is the 2011 Mountain-to-Meadow Half Marathon and 5K Fun Run at Lolo Pass, on U.S. Highway 12 on the Montana-Idaho border. Both races pass Packer Meadows, which are usually full of blooming camas. Registration deadline for the Saturday, June 25, races is Wednesday, June 22. Cost is $25, with children ages 12 and younger free. The race begins at the visitor center at 7:30 a.m. PDT. For more information, email runlolopass@discovernw.org.

Western Montana wildflower events for March

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With spring on the way, the Montana Native Plant Society has a couple of events in advance of the season:

On Wednesday, March 16, the Flathead chapter will hold “Celebrating Glacier’s Centennial: A Botanical Journey.” Photographer Chris Peterson will share his images of Glacier National Park’s flora – as well as fauna and scenery – at 7 p.m. at Glacier Discovery Square, 540 Nucleus Ave., in Columbia Falls. The event is free. For more information, call Rachel Potter at (406) 892-2446.

On Tuesday, March 29, the Clark Fork chapter will hold an Herbarium Night. Botanist Peter Lesica will offer tips on learning common plant families. The event is at 7:30 p.m. in Room 303 of the Botany Building on the University of Montana campus.

Native plants, native wildlife, your backyard

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Using native plants to attract native wildlife is the subject of a presentation at the Flathead Chapter of the Montana Native Plant Society’s meeting in Columbia Falls next week.

David Schmetterling’s presentation is titled “Conservation Gardening: Landscaping with Montana Native Plants for Montana Native Wildlife in Your Own Backyard.” It begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Glacier Discovery Square, 540 Nucleus Ave.

Schmetterling, a biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and a Missoula resident, will discuss using native plants to create a sustainable garden and also habitat for native wildlife. His presentation is free and open to the public.

For more information, call Terry Divoky at (406) 387-5527.

Also, check out Schmetterling’s Montana Wildlife Gardener blog about his family’s garden and more.

Justin Grigg