Squalls and wind on Flathead Lake! (Keith Hammer photos unless otherwise noted)
Fourteen Swan Rangers hiked the Phillips Trail on a somewhat squally Saturday, April 15, 2017!
There was surprisingly little snow - as in none as far as the Flathead Lake overlook!
Click here for a map of the Phillips Trail on Crane Mountain.
The gang over Crane Creek!
While even the lower reaches of the trail offer views of Flathead Lake, they get better as you climb upwards!
If you like ponderosa pine, you'll probably like the Phillips Trail!
If you are a woodpecker, you probably enjoyed pecking ants out of the galleries in this old snag before it fell over!
Things are starting to sprout from the forest floor, including this unopened glacier lily . . .
. . . this early buttercup (Pat Jaquith photo) . . .
. . . and this spring beauty! (Pat Jaquith photo)
The Swan Rangers meet every Saturday at the Echo Lake Cafe for breakfast at 8:30, leaving at 9:30 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. (Note: breakfast and leave times will shift an hour earlier May 6).
When hiking in bear country, remember to carry bear spray and avoid the 3-D's: dawn, dusk, and darkness.
Everyone is welcome!