Flathead Lake on a calm day! (Keith Hammer photos)
Eight Swan Rangers hiked the Phillips Trail up Crane Mountain on a warm, sunny Saturday, May 11, 2019!
They started from Highway 35, saw wildflowers galore, and found the trail snow-free all the way to the top at Crane Mountain Road!
Don't miss next Saturday's outing, which will be the Rangers' 700th outing and likely celebrated with something bubbly at Lunch Rock on the Echo - Broken Leg Trail!
Click here for a map of the Phillips Trail.
Joking around on the bridge over . . .
. . . Crane Creek.
It was blue sky above towering Ponderosas, but . . .
. . . wildflowers below, including this Calypso Orchid and many more . . .
. . . carpets of Blue-Eyed Mary . . .
. . . patches of Spring Beauty . . .
. . . and multi-headed Shooting Stars . . .
. . . and Glacier Lilies!
For sale: one slightly used and slightly crushed bear bell, reportedly found in a pile of scat along the trail!
The likely culprits were found loitering outside Papa's Woods Bay Market!
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!