A view from the overlook just below Crater Notch! (Pat Jaquith photo)
Fourteen Swan Rangers hiked in two groups to Crater Notch and Birch Lake on Saturday, August 20, 2016!
Crater Notch offers a nice, steep climb, while Birch Lake via Camp Misery offers a more mellow hike!
Click here for a map of the Crater Notch Trail.
Click here for a map of the Jewel Basin Hiking Area!
Rangers cross Birch Creek on the way to Crater Notch! (Norma Linsky photo)
Thanks to DNRC's logging of the first portion of the Crater Notch Trail, there's lots of thistle blooming! (Fawn Simensen photo)
An alpine view of Flathead Lake from just below Crater Notch! (Pat Jaquith photo)
A view of the Flathead Range, looking east from Crater Notch! (Norma Linsky photo)
It's not far from Birch Lake (seen here) to Crater Notch on Alpine #7, leaving a nice swap-car-keys-mid-way loop for another day! (Donna Hathaway's phone's photo)
The Swan Rangers meet every Saturday at the Echo Lake Cafe for breakfast at 7:30, leaving at 8:30 for a partial day outing in the northern Swan Mountains and foothills.
They carpool from the Swan River School parking lot next to the Cafe.
When hiking in bear country, remember to carry bear spray and avoid the 3-D's: dawn, dusk, and darkness.
Everyone is welcome!