Eighteen Swan Rangers broke into several groups and hiked the Peterson Creek Trail on Saturday, November 9, 2013!

The trail has a lot of blowdown from big winds a couple weeks ago, but it turned into a wonderful sunny day nonetheless!

Click here for a free Forest Service PDF map of Peterson Creek Trail #293. 

Click here for Flathead National Forest District maps (free as PDFs).

Upper Wolf Creek Canyon in southern Jewel Basin. (Keith Hammer photos)

Eleven Swan Rangers hiked and sawed their way to Elk Springs on Saturday, November 2, clearing lots of deadfall from last Sunday's storm!

They spent hours clearing the old Bear Creek road, then Echo - Broken Leg Trail #544 from Wolf Creek to Elk Springs - and there's still plenty to be done!

The good news is sawing deadfall keeps you warm when it is sleeting - and Saturday's effort brought the Rangers' total hours of volunteer trail maintenance to 427 hours!

Click here for a free Forest Service PDF map of Broken Leg Trail #544 While it does not detail the area and other trails near Elk Spring, the SW portion of the Jewel Basin Map does.

Click here for Flathead National Forest District maps (free as PDFs).

Inverted valley fog imitates Glacial Lake Missoula! (Keith Hammer photos)

Ten Swan Rangers hiked a sunny Peters Ridge above inverted valley fog on Saturday, October 26, 2013!

They swore they'd not return until the fog burned off, but finally had to give it up and go home!

Click here for a free Forest Service PDF map of Peters Ridge Trail #37.

Click here for Flathead National Forest District maps (free as PDFs).

Entering the alpine with views of Flathead Lake. (Bob Muth photos)

Eleven Swan Rangers hiked Crater Notch Trail #187 on Saturday, October 19, while three kept to the lower Echo - Broken Leg Trail.

Fall colors persist while huckleberries are being replaced by mountain ash berries in bear scat along the way!

Click here for a free Forest Service PDF map of Crater Notch Trail #187.

Click here for Flathead National Forest District maps (free as PDFs).

Flathead Lake from the Phillips Trail. (Keith Hammer photos)

Eleven Swan Rangers hiked the Phillips Trail on Crane Mountain on Saturday, October 12, 2013.

It was an overcast day, but the fall colors were beautiful regardless!

Autumn on the west flank of Mount Aeneas! (Keith Hammer photos)

Fourteen Swan Rangers hiked in several groups to In-Thlam-Keh Lake in Jewel Basin on Saturday, October 5, 2013!

It was sunny and warm on the west side of the Swan Crest and cloudy and cold on the east side!

Both grizzly and black bears continue to feed on huckleberries along Alpine Trail #7!

Click here to read how In-Thlam-Keh Lake got its name.

A rocky stretch near the top of Beardance Trail. (Keith Hammer photos)

Eight Swan Rangers hiked the Beardance Trail above Flathead Lake on Saturday, September 28!

Though the forecast was for rain, they made this nice autumn hike high and dry!

Looking east down Jimmie Ridge to Hungry Horse Reservoir. (Keith Hammer photos)

Ten Swan Rangers hiked up Peters Ridge, over the Swan Crest, and a couple miles down Jimmie Ridge on Saturday, September 21, 2013!

The shrubfields from the 2003 wildfires offer up both beautiful fall colors and great bear habitat!

Alpine #7 view of Strawberry Lake. (Roger Benson photos)

Eight Swan Rangers hiked to Strawberry Lake, then up Alpine Trail #7 to overlook Wildcat Lake on Saturday, September 14, 2013!

It was a beautiful, sunny day and the huckleberries weren't bad either!

Lunch on "Lunch Rock!" (Keith Hammer photos)

Nine Swan Rangers hiked the Echo - Broken Leg Trail as far as Wolf Creek on Saturday, September 7, 2013.

They steered clear of the high country as morning thunder storms were also forecast for the afternoon, but it was a wonderfully cool day for hiking!