Summer Hikes for Kids

Today someone with small children asked me about hikes that could be suitable for her family. To my mind, this means hikes that are short, have water, and don’t have much uphill. 

It’s puzzling that small children can jump on and off the couch, climb on the washer, dryer, and counters, but thirty yards into a hike they sit down saying they are exhausted.  Flexibility is the key with children.  They become bored with walking for very long.  Our family used to stop often and try to identify wild flowers using our reference books.  We stopped and took pictures.  We stopped and had special hiking treats.  We stopped and put our feet in the creek.  We stopped and stopped and stopped. For years I wondered if we would ever finish a hike.  But the kids grow up and you can’t keep up with them. 

Here are a few hikes that might be fun with children.  All but the first are in the Helena National Forest.

Hike	Directions	Trail Description	Notes
Spring Meadow Lake	Take Euclid avenue to the west side of town. After Linden Avenue, watch for a Montana State Park Sign. Turn onto Joslyn.  It curves and becomes Country Club Avenue.  Spring Meadow Lake is on the Left.	Flat, paved trail all around the lake. Flush toilets.  Paddle boat rentals	Get a license and a few fishing poles and fish! Kid under twelve don't need a license of the adult has one.  Bring a bathing suit, bucket, towels and swimming toys.  A canoe is great too.
Casey Meadows Tr. No. 343	Take I-15 South.  Exit at the Montana City Exit.  Turn left to cross over the overpass, looking for Johns Street on your right, just after Papa Ray’s Casino.  Turn onto Johns Street.  Soon, it becomes McClellan Creek Road.  Follow McClellan Creek Road for several miles into the Helena National Forest.  Keep following it.  You will go down a hill and cross a plank bridge and curve right.  Keep following.  Look for the Crystal Creek sign on the right. Turn right at the sign.  Follow the road for a few more miles to the Casey Meadows Trailhead.	With small children, I would only hike about ¼ mile to where a log bridge crosses the creek.  We stop there and play in the creek The entire trail is 3 miles into Casey Meadows and 3 miles out again.  It is an old road with a slow incline.  The incline becomes steeper and the trail narrow after you cross the second log bridge before the meadows.	If you play at the first log bridge, watch out for stinging nettles upstream between the creek and bridge. There could be snow here until mid June
Willard Creek Trail Tr. 347	Take I-15 South and exit at the Clancy Exit.  At the off ramp, turn left.  Drive over the overpass and turn right and follow the frontage road to Warm Springs Creek Road. Turn left onto Warm Springs Creek Road (Elkhorn Care Center).  Follow Warm Springs Creek Road for several miles into the national forest.  Stay on the Warm Springs Creek Road until you come to a Forest Service Road on your right to the Willard Creek Trailhead.  Follow this road for a couple of miles, passing the horse trailer parking, to the trailhead.	This trail runs down hill for about a mile to a creek. For small children, I would end the hike at the creek.  At the creek, are picnic tables. Spencer Stratton put new picnic tables in the area for his Eagle Scout project. After the creek, the hike changes from an old road to a trail.  If you turn left, you will hike 2 more miles, for total of 3 miles, and come out at the Casey Meadows trailhead - the lower trailhead.  If you turn right, you end up in the Tizers, after miles and miles.	There could be snow here until mid June You can take a jogging stroller as far as the creek. The barrier across the Willard Creek Road is closed in winter.   In late July and August the grass Sweet Timothy, which many people are REALLY allergic to, abounds in this area.
South Fork Lakes Tr. 127	Take Highway 12 East past Townsend.  Turn right at the Bunk House Bar.  Follow the road past Radersburg into the National forest.  Either take the South Fork Road or the Jenkins Gulch Road off the main road.  Both roads are on the left as you head South up the main road. The road ends at the South Fork Lakes trailhead.	The hike is only about a mile in and a mile out.  The first part is on a boardwalk through a swampy area. After the swampy area, you climb upwards, fairly steeply for a while.   The trail leads to two pond/lakes.	The last part of the road to the trail is very rough, and you may drive through a stream in spring and early summer. The swampy area has an abundance of beautiful flowers. Bring mosquito repellent.

Men Fear Us, Elk Love Us

As anyone who loves the outdoors knows, a  risk of outdoor activities is encounters with wildlife.  My friends and I make noise and stay on the trail.  This cuts down on problems.  So far my most worrisome encounter was with an elk.  Yes, an elk.

In June 2006, my daughter Kristy and I decided to take a hike to Horse Thief Park (I would love to know the story behind that name).   We started on Trail 117 near Pole Creek and hiked to the other side of the Elkhorns down into Casey Meadows, Trail 343 where we left a car to drive out.  

After a long, steep climb, we decided to soak our feet in a streamlet near the bottom of the Park.  As we enjoyed  some rest and  lunch, we noticed a cow elk peeking at us over a rise, her ears twitching.  Then, she started for us.  Kristy and I considered three facts:  1) Elk are large. 2) We were unarmed. 3) Elk calve in June.

In a frenzy, we slipped on our boots and hiked as rapidly as my breathing would allow up the steep meadow. The elk followed, although we soon realized her demeanor was more curious than threatening.  Every now and then, I sounded a mini air horn I kept in my pack to intimidate threatening animals. It was the closest thing we had to a defense.   At least, I thought it was a defense. 

After the elk followed us for a ways, my dog decided enough was enough and began barking at her heels.    She ran off.  To speed the elk on her way, I sounded the mini air horn.  She immediately returned to within 50 feet of us and shadowed us all the way up the meadow.  Evidently, instead of being intimidated by mini air horns, elk LIKE them. 

When we reached the top of the meadow, we found a herd of elk which our friendly elk must have been trying to rejoin.  Relieved, we saw her run off with the herd. 

Now I know that if I want a close view of an elk, I should bring my air horn.  With my luck, if I ever run into a bear I’ll find pepper spray is his favorite flavor and he has a penchant for older women.

Items of Interest

The Things kids find interesting on hikes

Arrow leaf balsam root

Friends that come with us

Lichen on rocks

Bluebells

Preferences

I’m always entertained by the number of people who profess to love hiking, but refuse to come every time they are invited to hike.  I was at a social function a while back where the guests were asked to tell something about themselves.  I giggled a little to myself when one woman stated that she “loved” to hike.   My hiking partner, Gail, and I have asked this woman to come hiking with us several times. She has refused every invitation with excuses that rival the director of Star Wars for creativity.  If memory serves, this “hiker” said she needed to redecorate her kitchen bulletin board last time we asked her to come hiking with us.  I’ve noticed many others who also say they love to hike, bike, or camp.  Just don’t ever ask them along, because they don’t want to come.

Perhaps this woman is exercising wisdom and discretion.  Possibly, she has heard stories of our hiking adventures and has decided to forgo our company in the name of safety, propriety and decorum, or some other understandable reason.   Still, I can’t shake the feeling that in reality this woman would rather drink poison than venture out into the National Forest for a day hike.

What puzzles me is, why say you like to hike when you don’t?  I’m not a Biblical scholar, but I’m fairly certain that there is no mention of hiking as a requirement for salvation. Different people like different things.  Both Gail and I like to hike, but we also like to do many other things.  Gail is a fabulous knitter, sews purses and quilts.  I also like to quilt, ski, read,  and write.  I happen to hate embroidery.

Discretionary time is time to spend doing the things you like to do.  You should not have to apologize for your likes and dislikes.  Do the things you like to do.