Swan River and Swan Range from Porcupine Bridge. (Keith Hammer photos)

Fifteen Swan Rangers skied and snowshoed to the Mission Lookout on Saturday, January 3, 2015!

It was the Rangers' best snow conditions yet for this 7.5 mile round trip!

Click here for details about the Mission Lookout, which is closed during winter.

A view of Ferndale! (Keith Hammer photos)

Nine Swan Rangers skied and snowshoed the Peterson Creek Road and Trail as far as the first stream on Saturday, December 27, 2014!

The snow was fresh and piling up fast!

Click here for a map of the Peterson Creek Road and Trail.

Destination: Snow line on Peters Ridge (Keith Hammer photos)

Nine Swan Rangers hiked Peters Ridge Road with a "sucker hole" promise of sunny weather on Saturday, December 20, 2014!

The sunny weather failed to stick around, but it was a good bit of exercise and fun companionship nonetheless!

Wikipedia: "Sucker hole is a colloquial term referring to a short spate of good weather that "suckers" sailors into leaving port just in time for a storm to resume at full force."

Click here for a map of the Peters Ridge Road area.

A view upriver toward the beautiful Swan Range! (Keith Hammer photos)

Twelve Swan Rangers hiked along the Swan River above Bigfork on a gray, rainy Saturday, December 13, 2014!

And to think they were skiing fresh snow the week prior!

Krause Basin a winter wonderland once again! (Keith Hammer photos)

Just when you thought it safe to remove the bear spray from your pack belt for the season, eleven Swan Rangers discovered bear beds and wolverine tracks while skiing in Krause Basin on Saturday, December 6, 2014!

Couldn't be sure if the small bear was black or griz, but it had rested and bedded down in a couple places beneath hemlock trees since the snowfall stopped Friday.

Fish, Wildlife and Parks reported last week that only about half of the grizzly bears they monitor had gone into dens thus far.

Wolf Creek in its winter splendor! (Bob Muth and Joel Vignere photos)

Five Swan Rangers hiked the old Bear Creek Road to Wolf Creek on Saturday, November 29, 2014!

The outing began in a blizzard and ended with a bit of sunshine on a chilly day!

See the end of this post for a CHANGE in breakfast and meeting places for NEXT SATURDAY ONLY.

Tree huggers! (Keith Hammer photos)

Six Swan Rangers hiked hidden glades of western hemlock in Krause Basin on Saturday, November 22, 2014!

These off-trail gems offer everything from big old trees to tiny worlds of lichen and fungi!

Sunny terrain in the Swan Foothills! (Keith Hammer photos)

Like moths drawn to a sub-zero flame, fifteen Swan Rangers hiked the Swan Foothills seeking sun and fun on Saturday, November 15, 2014!

They hiked nearly seven miles in the Foothills Ski Area that will be groomed for skiing this winter by the North Shore Nordic Club!

In fact, tonight is North Shore Nordic's annual fundraiser in Lakeside from 6-10 - so visit http://northshorenordic.org for details on the fundraiser, to make a donation, or for maps of its two ski areas (Foothills/Bigfork and Blacktail/Lakeside)!

Mud, Echo and Flathead Lakes! (Keith Hammer photos).

Twelve Swan Rangers hiked the Switchback Trail up to the shoulder of Mount Aeneas on Saturday, November 8, 2014!

It was a gorgeous, sunny Fall day - and perhaps one of the last for a while with frigid temps and snow in the forecast!

Click here for a map of the Switchback Trail.

REMINDER: Swan View Coalition's annual membership meeting is Sunday, November 16, 4pm, followed by potluck at 5 and a music jam session - all at the Mtn. Brook Community Library, 2353 Foothill Road!

The Swan Crest viewed from Crane Mountain! (Keith Hammer photos)

Nine Swan Rangers hiked above valley fog on the eastern slopes of Crane Mountain Saturday, November 1, 2014!

It's a great place to wander in cedar forests among fungal friends!