Swan Rangers and the Swan Range! (Keith Hammer photos)

Sixteen Swan Rangers hiked The Nature Conservancy's Swan River Oxbow Preserve on a sunny Saturday, February 28, 2015!

The Preserve is open to the public for foot travel and lies between the Swan River Wildlife Refuge and Porcupine Road, just south of the town of Swan Lake.

A signboard includes a trail map and information about the flora and fauna found in the Preserve - which includes the rare water howellia found only in small portions of Montana, Idaho and Washington!

While there is some open water, like this spring, . . . 

. . . the oxbow itself is well frozen over and, with this "winter's" boiler plate conditions, hikeable! But flooding of this oxbow and nearby ponds each Spring is essential to the survival of water howellia!

The walk-and-belly-glide nature of these tracks is a dead giveaway for otter!

By the time the Rangers got to the Swan River and Porcupine Bridge they'd seen tracks of weasel, pine marten, coyote, and otter - and at least one Ranger caught a glimpse of a coyote or fox on the way back to the cars!

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!