Ringing Rocks

Often hiking, biking, skiing, climbing and other outdoor adventures can be fatiguing.  I remember reading about a Wilderness Society hike that was 17 miles long.  Since the time hiked ventured out on a 12 mile hike I whined constantly the last three miles, I gave the 17 miler a pass.

If you are not in great shape, consider going to Ringing Rocks.  Off of I 90 westbound after Whitehall and before Butte, take the Pipestone exit and turn right.  There are an abundance of roads in the area for four-wheeling.  Delmoe Lake has a campground for camping.  It doesn't matter if you don't have a four-wheeler and if you don't like to camp because you can drive to the Ringing Rocks in your sedan from the interstate highway.

We found it entertaining to climb the pile of rocks and tap them with a hammer. When you tap most of the rocks with a hammer they musically ring.   A lunch, friends, a hammer, and a good time, what more could you ask?

For Experienced Explorers Only

My friends and I have had a great time with the Helena Area Hiking Guide by Cedron Jones.  As I've said before, anyone using this guide will want to invest in a GPS.  Taking a friend with you is also a good idea.  And when Jones says, "For experienced hikers only"  rock climbing gear may be indicated.

When we decided to take hike 8 on page 28, the hike on the east side of York bridge, we  had some previous experience with the guide.  Our previous experience led us to believe that we probably wouldn't complete the hike exactly as described the first time through.  Our other hikes with Jones book were thick with comments something like this, "Oh, we were supposed to go all the way to the top of the other side!"   And, "Is this the steep descent on the map, or is that one over there?"

We hiked #8 York Bridge, East side, in April. There is something about hiking near the Missouri River in April:  less snow, milder temperatures, and the steady stream of "Oh yuck!" as hikers find ticks.

In spite of the ticks and Kristy wrestling with the dog for room in the back seat of my Olds Alero on the way there, we had a wonderful time in the great outdoors.  We found the remains of an old mining siphon, ditches, and the hack site for falcons.

Next, we came to the place that Jones describes as " ...a mini wilderness--- a rugged scenic even hiking guide authors might get lost in.  It has arches, cliffs, narrows..."
Not having brought rock climbing gear with us since we haven't a clue how to use it, we turned back when we reached the experienced hiker area and descended to the river/lake below.

As for the climb up from the lake: If you get your jollies from stopping every 10 minutes to dump sliding dirt out of your shoes, take this route!  These little things are what make a hike memorable, right?

Smoky Skies

Two out of five weekdays last week were days of smoke filled, dreary, gray skies.  When smoke fills this air I wonder what would be worse - smoking a pack a day or taking a hike.  Cabin fever set in, and Friday my hiking partner and I ventured out into the smoke.  We hiked a loop on the Open Space trails:  McKelvey Trail (Dump Gulch) to Hanging Draw Trail to the Dump Out Trail, up the Prospector Shafts to the Backside Trail to the West End Trail  down to the McKelvey Trail.

Would we avoid the smoke if we picked some trails with higher elevations?  Maybe, maybe not.

Pray for rain!

Bike Riding

On Labor Day we biked on the river trail in Great Falls.  I LOVED this bike ride.  It was comparatively flat, most paved in the city, and was well provided with restroom facilities and drinking fountains.  

Biking along the river was wonderful!  I had forgotten how much water the Missouri River moves. As you progress north, the pavement ends, but there are really nice trails that run by Ryan Reservoir and Cochran Reservoir.

My favorite part of the ride was a detour to Giant Springs State Parks.  It was shady and beautiful. Over a million gallons a day of pure, clear water, burbles up from the springs and flows into the Missouri.  Altogether, a great day.  

Lots to Do

The Wise River area is a place in the outdoors where there is an abundance of things to do.  In this area you can hunt for crystals at Crystal Park, hike and hike and hike and hike, visit a Ghost Town, and visit Hot Springs about 30 miles away.

I was disappointed with some aspects of the National Forest in this area.  My map showed many trails that could be accessed with a motor vehicle 50 inches or less.  This promised access did not prove to be accurate. Possibly, I purchased an outdated map last year. Bobcat Lake trail (supposedly 3 miles into the lake, but a killer hike of more than three miles) is only for the use of motorcycles now.  Four wheelers are permitted on one trail into Odell Lake.  However, the trail is horribly rocky and steep, so you will probably need all the fillings in your teeth reattached after the ride. Obviously, the purpose of this Odell Lake trail is to kill off anyone who rides four wheelers.

My husband and his friend, Dave, braved the rocky trail to fish in Odell Lake.  When they reached a meadow near the lake, there were two four wheeler tracks.  Two riders had left the trail and plowed through a beautiful meadow, tearing it up.   It is discouraging to have a few short sighted, selfish imbeciles who are devoid of respect for the forest ruin access for everyone.

There is another trail into Odell Lake where only hikers and horses are permitted.   This trail has rails to tie horses and parking for horse trailers.

The provisions for horses and horse trailer made me wonder if the reigning powers in this forest are riding enthusiasts or have investments in dude ranches. My map indicated that the Mono Creek Trailhead No. 2086 provided access for vehicles 50 inches or less near the high Torrey Lake in the Pioneers.  According to the map, a rider need only hike the last couple of miles into the lake.  Not True.  The trail is set up for horseback riders for the eight mile journey into Torrey.  Unfortunately, horses are very expensive and time consuming.  Most  people don't have the time, money,  or expertise to keep horses for trail riding. So if you don't have horses, plan on an overnight backpack trip into Torrey Lake.  Eight miles in and eight miles out.  Those who are out of shape and not staying at a dude ranch, or are not horse owners are out of luck.

Trails with destinations of three miles are less are scarce in this area.

The Ghost Town of Coolidge is fascinating.  The town must have been fairly large at one time.  I was puzzled by the signs warning against taking artifacts and destroying property. It's hard to imagine what havoc anyone could wreak on the piles of wood that were once buildings that are scattered everywhere. There has been no effort to save any of the buildings, except for one large home where a tin roof was installed. Our friends assured us that when they last visited 35 years ago all the buildings that are now wrecks were still standing.

After visiting the ghost town, our friends took us to Elkhorn Hot Springs for swimming.  I didn't see any guests, the restaurant was closed, and there was green algae on the bottom of the pool.  We opted out.  If we wanted to drive about 30 miles, we could gone swimming at Jackson Hot Springs.


If we visit this part of the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest again, I am going to plan ahead.  A weight loss program with an enhanced physical fitness program seems in order if I want to see the choicest places.  Although, I do have friends with horses. Maybe riding lessons are in order?

A Hike with a View

It won't be long before we are snowed out of the high country.  Now is the time to hike up high. One high hike with a great view is Trail 117 to Horsethief Park, over the top of the Elkhorns to 343 over the mountain and connect with Trail No. 301, Casey Meadows.

Directions
For this hike, leave a car at Casey Meadows and ask a friend to drop you off at Forest Service Trail 117. From Helena, take Highway 12 East toward Townsend.  Shortly after Winston, you will see a National Forest Access to Pole Creek.  Use this access.  Follow the road through private property.  There is a ranch near the trailhead.  Both Tr. 117 and 115 start at this point.

Description
This hike is a grunt. It goes steadily and fairly steeply uphill. There is plenty of water along the trail  as you climb because there are numerous springs on the mountain.  Once you get to Horsethief Park, the trail is not quite so steep while you walk through the park to the top of the mountain.  In late June or early July, look closely in the Park for Pygmy Bitterroots.  You enter trees again near the top of the mountain.  There are trail markers near the top also.

The view from the top of the mountain is spectacular.  Stop and enjoy it for an hour or so.  After you cross the top to the other side of the Elkhorns, the hike is an extremely steep down hill.  You may want to pass on this hike if you have bad knees or a fear of heights.  Numerous trails weave in and out on the steep down hill descent.  Keep your eye on Casey Meadows, on your left as you hike down the mountain.  As you descend, watch for a sign directing you to Casey Meadows and Trail No. 301.  Once you reach the meadows it is an easy three mile walk out.

Fishing and Me

Lake where we camped and fished

 

Trout my husband caught that went belly up and got off the hook

 "Well, should I get out the fishing rods?" my husband asked as we were sitting on the banks of a serene mountain lake.

     "Why ruin a perfect day?"  I asked.  

My fishing experiences often remind me of the TV sitcoms where a furious, frustrated golfer marches down to the water hazard and plunks all his clubs into the pond.  TV writers must not fish.  Otherwise the sitcoms would show some episodes of frustrated anglers, full of puncture wounds from fish hooks, breaking their rods in half as they pitch them into the creek.

 I keep telling myself that I need to go fishing more often, and then I will not be so aggravated. I wonder how many hours of fishing practice I will need before I can tie my tippet to the leader of my fly rod in less than a half hour.  Will the first fly I tie on my rod always mysteriously vanish after 15 minutes of fishing, no matter how carefully I consult the Orvis knot manual as I painstakingly tie it to my tippet?  Will I ever choose the fly the fish want to bite?  Will I ever realize I have a fish on my hook quickly enough to set the hook and actually catch the fish?  Will I ever spend more time fishing than the time I spend untangling my line from patches of Canadian Thistle? I knew it was time to call it a day with fly fishing when the dog decided to mosey by my fishing rod and got the hook of my fly lodged in his ear.

After wrestling the dog to the ground so I could remove the fish hook from his ear, I decided to switch to fishing with a lure. My second cast saw my lure fly into a willow bush.  I removed it from the bush to find the fishing line bore a remarkable resemblance to a granny square, and the lure had vanished from the swivel. After cutting off all the tangled line and tying on a new swivel,  I did manage to hook about an eight inch trout.  True to form, the fish got away before I could set the hook.

So my final question is, Will fishing ever be fun or will it always be aggravating?  If I knew the answer to that question, I would know whether to throw in the towel and stick with my camera or keep trying to fish.