Category Archives: Seeley-Swan Valley

Take in fall colors, then enter photo contest

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Western Montana is awash in fall colors, and more should be on the way!

For me, the first seasonal changes were seen around the streets of Missoula and in Pattee Canyon. And recent outings suggest that larch trees should be going golden in the Rattlesnake Recreation Area and the Seeley Lake area soon – in the past week, both were between yellow and green.

Here are some fall color resources:

For any photographers out there, Missoulian is running a fall photo contest on its Facebook page. The top three vote-getters will receive prizes.

Here are the rules:

  • Upload up to 5 photos a day.
  • Must be a fall photo.
  • Must be from this year.
  • Must be from the Missoula Valley.
  • Deadline to enter is Nov. 2.
  • Voting ends Nov. 9.

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.

Wildflower events for Mom and more in May

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I’m a little late for a couple of early May wildflower events, but here’s what’s going on the rest of the month:

The Clark Fork Chapter of the Montana Native Plant Society has a Mother’s Day outing to see trilliums on Sunday, May 8. Tarn Ream will discuss her 10-year study of Trillium ovatum on an easy trip into the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area that will be co-led by botanist Peter Stickney. Meet at 2 p.m. at the main Rattlesnake trailhead. Call 258-5439 for information.

On Saturday, May 21, the Montana Native Plant Society will hold its annual sale at the Missoula Farmers Market. More than 70 species of Montana native plants will be for sale from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the market at the north end of Higgins Avenue.

Also May 21, the Montana Natural History Center will discuss “Flower Power” for its Saturday Kids’ Activity. The program will look at flowers’ ability to attract pollinators from miles away. It’s at 2 p.m. at 120 Hickory St. Admission is $1 per child for MNHC members and $3 for nonmembers. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and the program is suited for ages 5 and older.

On Sunday, May 29, Alpine Artisans and the Swan Ecosystem Center will lead a hike to Holland Falls to view early blooming flowers. Check with the Swan Ecosystem Center for additional information.

Walk for July 1

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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