To find hiking routes in May, invest in Helena Area Hiking Guide by Cedron Jones. This books gives information on several hiking routes within 20 miles of Helena. Many of the routes are low enough in elevation to hike in May. It has been fun trying to find the routes and hiking in new places.
Probably because of Cedron Jones' book, many of these routes are now well marked by BLM. The Spokane Butte area near the Canyon Ferry Lake and Scratch Gravel are routes that are very accessible this time of year. In the Scratch Gravel area, there are several hiking and biking routes.
A GPS is handy when using the Helena Area Hiking Guide. Also, I like to read through the book in advance and look up some of the terms, so I know what the author is talking about. For example, Jones talks about a col in hike 17, Travis Peak area. I needed to look "col" up in the dictionary to know to look for "A depression or pass in a mountain range or ridge." Random House Unabridged Dictonary, 2nd Edition (1993). For me, the routes are always longer or more expansive than I thought they would be. When Cedron Jones says a hike is difficult, bring rock climbing equipment and a friend to belay for you.
Interesting! A col! I think i might stick to his easy routes!
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