Mark Calhoun

MOA # 5 ~ Big Prairie - Glacier N.P. - Winter Trip

Big Prairie - Winter Camping/Skiing Trip...
Polebridge Entrance
Glacier National Park

Distance from Polson to trailhead: 101 Miles
Driving time: 2 hour 18 minutes

One Way Skiing Statistics ~
Polebridge Ranger Station to Big Prairie: 3.59 miles
Skiing Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Ascent (elevation): 64 feet
Trailhead elevation: +- 3535 feet
Big Prairie elevation: +- 3599 feet

Round Trip Skiing Statistics ~
Trip Odometer: 7.34 miles  ~ Maximum Speed: 6.5 mph
Moving Time: 2 hour 25 minutes  ~ Moving Average: 3.0 mph
Stopped Time: 3 hours 17 minutes ~ Overall Average: 1.0 mph
Total Ascent: 64 feet   ~ Maximum Altitude: 3599 feet

This short 3-day trip was the result of our scouting trip a few months back. The weather was pretty good... actually a little too nice for a winter trip... in the teens at night and the 40s-50s during the day. The snow pack on the trail was probably 2-3 feet, but melting rapidly. We were able to set up camp on the river bed just across the bridge from the Polebridge Ranger Station. Our thought was that there would be some elk, a moose or two, or some wolves in Big Prairie... a few tracks, but no wildlife. The skiing was pretty good... we experienced some rain and sleet and the snow was pretty sticky on the way out, but it was a excellent day for an outing. The camp site was great... not sure if it was a 'parking' area or a camp site, but it worked well for the staging of our first Lent-pedition... just like a regular expedition only with fasting, tearing of sackcloth, and weeping and gnashing of teeth. We did hear the wolves at night, and see a bunch of tracks, but no furry creatures up close and personal. A few photos here...

 

MOA #4 ~ North Crow Creek - Mission Mountains

North Crow Creek - Topo PDF here
North Crow Campground/Trail-head
Mission Mountains

Distance from Polson to trail-head: 14 Miles
Driving time: 27 minutes

One Way Hiking Statistics ~
Trail-head to turn around point: 3.87 miles
Hiking Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Ascent (elevation): 766 feet
Trail-head elevation: +- 3735 feet
Turn around elevation: +- 4501 feet

Round Trip Hiking Statistics ~
Trip Odometer: 7.29 miles  ~ Maximum Speed: 3.4 mph
Moving Time: 2 hour 33 minutes  ~ Moving Average: 2.8 mph
Stopped Time: 1 hours 48 minutes ~ Overall Average: 1.7 mph
Total Ascent: 766 feet   ~ Maximum Altitude: 4501 feet

Great trip today... a tad cold, a bit under freezing. First big trip out for the dog. He did a pretty good job for this length of trip. The poor lad did turn up with a broken toenail and a blister or two on his pads, but he looked like he was having a good time.

Montana style bear claw sharpening tool...

MOA # 3 ~ Big Prairie - Glacier National Park

Big Prairie - Wildlife Scouting trip...
Akokala Lake Trailhead
Glacier National Park

Distance from Polson to trailhead: 111 Miles
Driving time: 2 hour 58 minutes

One Way Hiking Statistics ~
Trailhead to NF of the Flathead River: 2.37 miles
Hiking Time: 53 minutes
Total Ascent (elevation): 71 feet
Trailhead elevation: +- 3659 feet
Flathead River elevation: +- 3663 feet

Round Trip Hiking Statistics ~
Trip Odometer: 3.94 miles  ~ Maximum Speed: 5.6 mph
Moving Time: 1 hour 25 minutes  ~ Moving Average: 2.8 mph
Stopped Time: 1 hours 8 minutes ~ Overall Average: 1.5 mph
Total Ascent: 71 feet   ~ Maximum Altitude: 3730 feet

Today I had an opportunity to explore a small area of Glacier National Park with a few friends from church... It was a great day. The hike was short, but we had an opportunity to scout some winter camping areas. Prior to starting our hike we stopped by the Polebridge Mercantile for one of their famous Huckleberry Bear Claws... eat one of these before you fall asleep in the lord. The air was crisp... the snow was fresh... the wolves were big...

MOA #2 ~ Hike to Picnic Lakes

Birch Lake Trail - Topo PDF here
Camp Misery to Picnic Lakes
Swan Mountain Range
Flathead National Forest

Distance from Polson to trailhead: 48 Miles
Driving time: 1 hour 22 minutes

One Way Hiking Statistics ~
Trailhead to Birch Lake: 2.84 miles
Hiking Time: 1 hour 6 minutes
Total Ascent (elevation): 932 feet
Trailhead elevation: +- 5731 feet
Picnic Lakes elevation: +- 6663 feet

Round Trip Hiking Statistics ~
Trip Odometer: 5.72 miles  ~ Maximum Speed: 3.8 mph
Moving Time: 2 hours 13 minutes  ~ Moving Average: 2.6 mph
Stopped Time: 1 hours 17 minutes ~ Overall Average: 1.9 mph
Total Ascent: 932 feet   ~ Maximum Altitude: 6663 feet

Back to Camp Misery!!! Today we made a quick afternoon trip back to the Swan Mountains to visit Picnic Lakes. The weather was awesome... under 40 degrees... light drizzle... snow on the trail... picnic lunch at Picnic Lakes.

MOA #1 ~ Hike to Birch Lake

Birch Lake Trail - Topo PDF here
Camp Misery to Birch Lake
Swan Mountain Range
Flathead National Forest

Distance from Polson to trailhead: 48 Miles
Driving time: 1 hour 22 minutes

One Way Hiking Statistics ~
Trailhead to Birch Lake: 3.74 miles
Hiking Time: 1 hour 21 minutes
Total Ascent (elevation): 476 feet
Trailhead elevation: +- 5731 feet
Birch Lake elevation: +- 6207 feet

Round Trip Hiking Statistics ~
Trip Odometer: 7.61 miles  ~ Maximum Speed: 4.5 mph
Moving Time: 2 hours 47 minutes  ~ Moving Average: 2.7 mph
Stopped Time: 2 hours 10 minutes ~ Overall Average: 1.5 mph
Total Ascent: 997 feet   ~ Maximum Altitude: 6348 feet

Did I mention that my new Garmin Vista HCx is the greatest piece of equipment since the Swiss army knife...

Today we embarked on our first Montana Outdoor Adventure. Zach, Jake, and I headed to the Swan Mountains for a short day hike with some folks from our church. Our original destination of choice was Picnic Lakes, but the trail was still packed with snow. Option two was Birch Lake.   This was a great hike for our first hike in the area giving us great views and a great perspective of the area. From the trail we could see the North end Flathead Lake, the Mission Mountains, and a large stretch of the Swan Mountains. The scenery was awesome, the wild flowers were starting to bloom, and we saw a half a dozen mountain goats. I think the hardest thing to adapt to was the fact that we didn’t have to plan for weeks, pack a boatload of equipment, and drive 10 hrs just to get to the trail head. While I can appreciate the ‘brownness’ of Cheney Lake and El Dorado lake back in Kansas, these high mountain lakes were amazingly clear…

Pictures here...