Mosaic Monday #66: Spring Fever

Easter wreath for our church

It may be only February 9, but recent events have conspired to push my mind (and heart) forward to Spring.  Reading your blog posts, sprinkled with pictures of crocus emerging from the earth.  Meeting with the church Flower Committee to plan for Lent, especially the pretty pastel colors that signify Easter morning.  Discussing summer camping plans with Spousal Unit, since the application deadline for Glacier National Park is March 15. 

I reached for my hiking journal, and promptly got lost among the wildflowers and lakes.  Who knows how much time passed before I re-focused and decided to share two excursions from Spring 2019?  (My structured self pushed to write about a hike on September 6, 2017 - in chronological order, it's the next one for a post, but you whimsical, will-o-the-wisp types will be happy to know that heart ruled over mind this time.  After all, these Spring hikes fit the theme and my mood.)  Enough of the preamble, let's hike!

Thursday, April 18, 2019 - Apgar Lookout - 9 miles out and back (Entry 45 in the journal)

Our first hike of 2019 was designed to initiate our training with our new backcountry camping gear, so we didn't mind repeating a hike we had previously completed with our son in May 2017.  I carried 15 pounds and Spousal Unit hoisted 25, and we were both comfortable, even when we encountered snow from the last switchback to the summit.  At points, we could walk on the edges of the trail, but at the higher elevations, the snow was easily 5 feet deep.

Near the summit

And how do I know the depth?  At the summit, I went to use the pit toilet.  No luck.  I couldn't get the door open, but I could have walked directly onto the roof from the snow pile!  I wish now that I had taken a picture of it!

View of Lake McDonald from the summit

Given this hike was nearly a month earlier than the previous time we came this way, flowers, plants and animals were not as abundant.  Some buds were just beginning to pop.

Traction is often more critical going downhill, since gravity is "helping" you, so we strapped on our Traxx and reversed course.  In no time we crossed the bridge and skirted the paddock for the trail ride horses (summer only).  At this elevation,  life was a little more evident - deer, Columbian ground squirrels and a mountain bluebird shared the quiet meadow.  I couldn't help but imagine that they were enjoying the peace which exists before the tourists/horses arrive. 

On our way home, we stopped at Glacier Distilling.  Although we have passed it often, this was our first visit.  A craft distillery and tasting room nestled in the foothills of Glacier National Park, it specializes in small-batch whiskeys that "reflect the rugged beauty of our surroundings".  So good!

Bottom right: "Fireside Chat" cocktail - Fireweed Cherry Bourbon,

blood orange, charred rosemary shrub, sparkling soda

We went home with a botte of the Fireweed Cherry Bourbon!

Thursday, May 23, 2019 - Finger Lake Trailhead - 7 miles total (Entry 46 in the journal)

Our training regimen continued with this hike, featuring a shorter distance and less elevation but with more weight in our packs (18 for me and 30 for Spousal Unit).  I was thrilled that we quickly came across a huddle of several Calypso Orchids. (See 3/9/18, 10/1/17 and 7/1/17 for more pictures of my favorite Montana flower.)  Our strategy to choose a hike at a lower altitude in order to avoid snow and see more wildlife was already paying dividends!  This hike also boasts three lakes within a short distance, which can be beneficial when hosting guests with a moderate level of fitness.  So, this trip served as reconnaissance for the future. Win, win, win!!!

We originally planned to go to Finger Lake first, but the signpost we expected was missing, so going straight led us to Lagonis Lake. 

Flowers were abundant, drawing critters such as this caterpillar.

Middle: Star-flowered False Solomon's Seal    Right: Common Paintbrush

Upper left: Blue Violet    Upper right: Silverberry

Bottom: Common Paintbrush

At this low elevation, we were surprised to see beargrass.  And it had already formed heads for blooming.

We re-traced our steps, locating the turn we missed.  On the way to Finger Lake, you pass through a meadow teeming with desert parsley, shooting stars and blue-eyed mary.

Middle: Shooting Stars     Right: Hearleaf Arnica turns its face to the sun

Finger Lake features a dramatic flat rock outcropping, an ideal spot for snacking while overlooking the lake.  Serviceberry bloomed profusely, framing the lake with frothy white.

Casting a final glance back at the idyllic scene above, we sauntered along the trail to the final lake in this triple crown of jewels - Hole in the Wall Lake.  The trail traverses a marshy area, and thankfully a log boardwalk was built in 2015 to get over it with dry feet.  As you approach, you catch a whiff of the pungent aroma emanating from the prolific skunk cabbage in the marsh. 

Middle: Skunk Cabbage   Left and Right: Unidentified plant that was also numerous in the marsh

The trail climbed steeply from the marsh, but only briefly before flattening and leading to the lake nestled against a stunning backdrop of sheer cliffs with red striations on the opposite shore.  

Spousal Unit tried his hand at fly-fishing, but it was difficult with the tree-crowded shoreline.  We employed our water filter for the first time to prepare our lunch and refill our water bottles.  The Mesquite BBQ Seasoned Chicken with Beans and Rice was terrible - too much tomato and powdery tasting.  This certainly would not be one of the meals we would take into the backcountry!

We arrived back at the trailhead by 3pm, which allowed plenty of time for a stop at the Stillwater Bar.  Cheek to jowl with the Stillwater River, it's a terrific setting to sip an adult beverage and re-cap the day's adventures.  And to dream about the hiking adventures to come!

Mosaic Monday

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My Hiking Journal - Entry 3

Wednesday, May 10 – Apgar Lookout – 9 miles out and back

It's hard to believe we have been in Montana for 2 months - ONLY 2 months?!  We have packed in so much already, my senses tell me it's longer. I have learned a great deal about the flora and fauna of the Flathead Valley, such that my notes from our early hikes seem almost childish.  But guess what?  You are the beneficiary of my augmented knowledge - I am going to take editorial licence and ensure that my identifications are correct, even if they don't reflect the notes I took that day. OK with you?

Behold the Glacier Lily (which I originally identified as a trout lily).  I still remember the flash of gold next to the trail and my sense of excitement.  I asked Number One Son (#1S) to hold its head up so that I could get a good shot of the stamens.  As I learned later, this lily is one of the first wildflowers to bloom in the spring.  It is especially known for its capability to emerge through the snow as it is melting.  So, when you see a proliferation of freshly bloomed Glacier Lilies, you know that the snow has only recently receded.  It is known by several common names, including yellow avalanche lily, glacier lily, and dogtooth fawn lily. 

The Flathead is currently at high risk of fire due to dry conditions and an incoming weather front that brings strong winds that will fan any fires that exist or start.  The Apgar Lookout Trail is an example of the outcome of wildfires, such as the one in 1994 that cleared many of the trees from the slopes.

This saddens me, of course, but it also means that you have clear views of the mountains in all directions.

As you can see, snow was still abundant the day of the hike.  While it can be challenging to traverse, snow has its benefits.  Tracks!  Based on animal tracks (hoofprints) and scat (poop to you and me), bighorn sheep had gone before us on this trail. 




Great pictures!  Mountains are always majestic, but the snowcaps make them pop.  Apgar Lookout peers over Lake McDonald, which provided a grand mirror for the peaks at the far end of the lake.

Despite the prevalence of the white stuff, the ground squirrels were out in force at the summit.  Also, a Rufous Hummingbird buzzed us during our snack break!  I was gob-smacked (British term for speechless) that it would be flying around at that altitude!!!  What could it possibly have been pollinating?

We reluctantly headed down.  In the wet areas near streams, Western Tailed Blue butterflies would leave the mud and flit around us - all my attempts to creep up on them for photos were desperate failures.  As a consolation prize, I snapped these trillium, a known spring flower from my Ohio days.

Trillium turn pink as they reach the end of the bloom

Toward the end of the hike, a bridge crosses McDonald Creek.  A lone fisherman had left his chair to seek a better vantage point.  Looking behind me, I could see the junction of the creek with the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, clearly carrying a load of silt transported by the snow as it left the slopes of the mountains upstream.

There is something about expectation that sets a boundary, isn't there?  We originally planned for a 5 mile hike; this expanded to 9 miles round trip because the road was closed 2 miles before the trailhead.  As best we could determine, it was the fault of the nesting pair of osprey - they had chosen a tree quite close to the road!  So, rather than blame the ospreys, we went for pie!

From the Huckleberry Patch website: Located nine miles from the west entrance of Glacier National Park, HUNGRY HORSE, MONTANA claims fame as the wild huckleberry capital of the West. This sweet tart wild berry grows only in moist mountain areas and cannot be commercially grown. Wild berries are not sprayed with chemicals or fertilizers. Berries are hand picked when ripe and processed without artificial colors, flavorings or corn syrup. "Vaccinium" huckleberries are blue-black or blue-reddish, depending upon soil and habitat and grows on a slender shrub 2 - 6 feet high.

Linking to Nature Notes