Lots of room for more summer hikes
Our summer hike series for 2010 has a good head start with seven hikes already planned and even published in the Montana Wilderness Association summer hike book, but we have room for more. The dates of the committed hikes are May 29 (East Fork of Blue Creek), June 5 (Thunder Creek), July 8 (Little Spar Lake), July 10 (Star Peak), July 24-25 (Pillick Ridge overnighter), August 28 (Sawtooth Mountain) and October 2 (Scotchman Peak).
In addition, our Extreme Pleinair expedition is slated for July 8 through 12 beginning in Blue Creek and ending at the Ross Creek Cedars. So, as you can see, that leaves lots of open dates and dozens of places to lead hikes on and to.
If you would like to lead a hike, easy, moderate or strenuous; single day or multi-day, we would like to post them to our upcoming newsletters. Deadline for the May/June Peak Experience is April 7. You can fill out a hike form online at https://www.scotchmanpeaks.org/hiking/leading-hikes
If you miss the newletter deadline, no worries. We are willing and able to add hikes to the website at any time.
Friends and Forest Service will team up June 12 to work on Scotchman Peak trail.
One of our most popular hikes is the lift to Scotchman Peak on Trail #65. Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness volunteers and the Kaniksu National Forest personnel will meet at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 12, for a work day concentrating on cleaning up the trail.
Forest Service Trails and Recreation Manager for Panhandle National Forests MaryAnn Hamilton proposed a workday in late winter, and promises to provide everything needed for the day, lunch and volunteers excepted. “I like to keep the group between 15 and 20, with all levels of fitness,” Hamilton says, “since we will be working up the trail and making many stops along the way to repair tread or clean waterbars. I will provide all tools needed (shovels, rakes, loppers). We will have a safety talk at the trailhead, and I usually have two or three Forest Service crew members work with the volunteers.”
This will be a fun, if somewhat strenuous day. Hamilton plans to have everyone back to the trail head by 4 p.m., but volunteers with even a few hours to donate are welcome.
If you want to help with the trail maintenance, or have further question about the work day or leading hikes, e-mail sandy@scotchmanpeaks.org
