Gray sky meets a flat Flathead Valley bottom! (Keith Hammer photos)
Eleven Swan Rangers hiked the Birch Flats area on a mostly gray Saturday, December 8, 2018!
Birch Flats is located largely on DNRC lands along the foot of the Swan Range, between Jewel Basin Road and Mud Lake.
An old DNRC logging road paralells the Echo - Broken Leg Trail and offers views of the Swan Range and Wolf Creek Canyon!
These characters provided a bit of color on an otherwise gray day!
To DNRC's credit, it has removed the large culvert from its logging road so it doesn't plug and Birch Creek can flow freely!
This white pine and its plentiful cones provide some contrast to the gray sky!
A cattail topped with a little snow that is topped with a little hoar frost!
This little black bear has not denned yet. Perhaps it is staying up to see Santa on Christmas Eve!
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.
When hiking in bear country, remember to carry bear spray and avoid the 3-D's: dawn, dusk, and darkness.
Everyone is welcome!