Huckleberry Bandit! (Keith Hammer photos)
Eleven Swan Rangers hiked to Black and Jewel Lakes on a somewhat smokey Saturday, September 2, 2017!
They had a chat about Bob Marshall's epic 1928 hike through Jewel Basin and the Wilderness that now bears his name!
Click here for a map of the Jewel Basin Hiking Area!
The Rangers on the Swan Crest, after discussing "if we hike down there, do we have to hike back up?"
First glimpse of Black Lake on the descent!
Black Lake.
The world's shortest sign points the way to Blackfoot Lake, but . . .
. . . Rangers only went as far as the first Jewel Lake, shown here with Tongue Mountain in the distance!
Huckleberry bushes are starting to show their fall colors!
Fragile, wonderful Anemone seeds viewed through a smokey sky filter!
Flathead Lake and the Flathead Valley seen through a smokey sky filter!
You'd think a hike would have to be really miserable in order to willingly return to a place called Camp Misery!
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!