Clear Creek 1 – title

It might not be exactly a marriage made in Heaven, but when I stopped in at the local headquarters of Mark Rey’s Secret Service to inquire for the umpteenth time why they haven’t published an updated map of the Lolo National Forest (despite their promises) since 2001, and also to see if I could find out which Forest Service Trails have been cleared this summer, I was able to learn, without even having to invoke the Freedom of Information Act, that they needed a volunteer to help clear a few more the trails in the Plains Ranger District and I decided to help.

What the heck… I’m usually out there somewhere on the trails anyway, and doing a little honest work while I’m there shouldn’t be a really big problem. I don’t mind the smell of chain saw oil, there’s free transportation to the trail heads and the wear and tear will be on their truck, not mine.

So, tomorrow morning I’ll be heading out for a day clearing the Clear Creek trail (USFS Trail 627T) through the Clear Creek Roadless area in the Coeur d’Alene Mountains just south of the border between the Lolo and Kaniksu National Forests. Since I’ve not visited that area before I’m really looking forward to it!

News and (hopefully) photos Friday. (And if I get tired enough maybe I’ll even compose shorter sentences).

RoadlessLand.Org Map

Odds and ends of August 2

Although I’ve probably missed a few, here are the remainder of the August wildflowers that I’ve run across, including a couple that aren’t even flowers at all.

Everyone wants to get into the flower act. I don’t understand what causes this, but I see this bright red color quite frequently on these leaves, and I really don’t think it has anything to do with autumn colors. They can’t go unnoticed.

Another colorful little thing that isn’t a flower either. I have no idea what it is!

Wild Morning Glories… nasty, but pretty!

Another water type flower, at least I found it at the river’s edge. Does anyone else think the lower two blossoms look like sock puppets?

Wild mint (Smells great, too!).

I’d guess one of the many, many species of cinquefoil, but….?

Another water type plant. I think it is different from the one I posted yesterday: certainly the color is a deeper pink.