Buffalo Lakes with Glacier NP in the background. (Keith Hammer photo)
Swan Rangers found love, snow and lots of wildflowers in the week ending Saturday, June 6, 2020!
Click here or scroll down to see the details and photos showing how elevation, aspect and attitude are everything!
While the Swan Ranger Saturday group outings remain suspended until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic, we will get a report out each week with items of interest to folks trying to get outside for some "social distancing" and spirit-calming fresh air.
Chris and Fawn celebrated their 10th ring-exchange anniversary at Lunch Rock in Wolf Creek Canyon. They first met on a Swan Ranger outing and celebrated this anniversary with 20 ticks and one mosquito! They report the Echo - Broken Leg Trail is mostly clear to Wolf Creek, except for about one-quarter mile of easy-over-or-under downed trees near Deer Creek. (Chris Gotschalk photo)
Linda and friends hiked to Strawberry Lake, reporting the trail is now cleared of downed trees and snow-free - until you get to the lake! (Linda Anderson photo)
The Flathead National Forest's June 3 Facebook post shows this and other recent photos of the Jewel Basin parking lot, a reminder that there is still lots of snow on northern aspects (which includes most of the NE side of the Swan Range) while SW slopes facing the Flathead Valley may give the impression the snowpack is mostly gone!
Joel Vignere again provided photos of multi-headed wildflowers, this time shooting stars along the Foys to Blacktail Trail!
Keith and Pam, who also met on a Swan Ranger outing over a decade ago, hiked to Buffalo Lakes just east of Marias Pass. They wished Mary was along to see one of her favorite wildflowers, Townsendia, pictured here. (Keith Hammer photos)
They report wildflowers are peaking there, including these globe flowers.
Keith named this plant the "clock plant," whose branches are constantly moving in the wind and sweeping all the pebbles aside!
If you have interesting photos of your socially distant times outdoors, send them along with a description to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and we'll try to work them into these weekly reports!