[outdoors]
MOUNTAIN HIGH
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In the 1920s, Montana Fish and Game authorities considered the bull trout the “cannibal of the river.” The bull trout’s crime was eating non-native brown, brooke and rainbow species that were brought into the state and stocked as game fish. The times, they have changed, according to Dan Shook, an AmeriCorps member with Montana State Parks. Today, the bull trout is an endangered species and its presence serves as a marker of watershed health. At the Bull Trout Campfire Program at Beavertail Hill State Park, Shook will give a fireside chat about the history of the bull trout, how it strongly features in Salish myths and culture, and give basic information on how to identify it, plus the best practices for catch-andrelease. The bull trout weaves into thousands of years
of Salish history, environmental catastrophes in the state and the current restoration of the Clark Fork river. Shook’s talk is part of Montana State Parks’ “Montana’s Multitude of Myths, Misconceptions and Little Known Facts” series. Shook says he’s seen turnouts ranging from two to 30 people at these events, depending on the weather. Everyone is welcome to come on up and find a spot by the fire. –Kate Whittle The Bull Trout Campfire Program is hosted by Dan Shook at Beavertail Hill State Park, off the Beavertail Road exit on I-90, Fri., June 21, from 8–9 PM. Free. Visit stateparks.mt.gov/camping or call 1-855922-6768 for camping information.
HOP ON BOARD THE CELEBRATION. AND WIN. Help celebrate the many ways public transit benefits us all — reduced traffic, cleaner air, improved mobility — and you could win cool prizes!
8 one-year Bus Passes
$500 Kona Dew Commuter Bike from Missoula Bicycle Works
Big Dipper Coneboy Truck for 1 hour for 40 people provided by M+R Strategic Services
5 Monte Dolack “Going to the Sun” posters ($100) provided by Adventure Cycling
$100 Gift Card from The Good Food Store
$100 Gift Card from Biga Pizza (6) $20 Gift Cards from Domino’s Pizza
Photo by Cathrine L. Walters
THURSDAY JUNE 20 The Shoot Out golf tournament at Canyon River Golf Club, 1268 Bandmann Trail, is a fundraiser for Missoula kids in need. Starts at 9 AM and includes breakfast, lunch and prizes. Call Carol at 728-0560 or Judy at 370-4580 to sign up. The Thursday Night Mountain Bike Group meets on Tuesdays to play polo. Kidding, kidding, they meet on Thursdays at 6 PM to ride trails in the Missoula area. Check thursdaynightmtbr.org to find out locations.
FRIDAY JUNE 21 Active outdoor lovers are invited to the Mountain Sports Club’s weekly meeting to talk about past glories and upcoming activities at Bigfork’s Swan River Inn. 6–8 PM. Free.
SATURDAY JUNE 22 All you Ned Overend wannabes take note: The Hammer Nutrition Missoula XC mountain bike race is a grueling up-and-down affair full of technical riding and breathless climbs. The event takes place at Marshall Mountain Ski Area just outside of Missoula. This year’s event features championship and UCI Elite races today, as well as the Hair of the Dog Super D on Sunday for those who can still pedal. For a full list of costs, events and trail maps visit missoulaxc.org. You’ll be coming around the mountain when you take part in the inaugural Trail Rail Run, which follows the old Milwaukee and Northern Pacific railroad grades from Mullan, Idaho, over Lookout Pass and all the way to St. Regis, Mont. Race lengths include 50 miles, 50K, 30K and 10K. Head to trailrailrun.com. Maybe you’ll finally be able to get a butterfly to perch on your finger, Disney princess-style, after the Native Plant hike up the Blackfoot-Clearwater area to learn about native butterflies and their plants with local enthusiast Bud Jewett. Meet at 12:45 at the Clearwater Junction rest area, and carpool from there to locations with about three hours of easy hiking. Find out more info by emailing Clare at clare.beelman@gmail.com or calling 728-0189. You’ll be bright eyed and bushy tailed after Run Wild Missoula’s Saturday Breakfast Club Runs, which start at 8 AM every Saturday at Runner’s Edge, 325 N. Higgins Ave. Grab breakfast with other participants afterward. Free to run. Visit runwildmissoula.org.
Naturalists take note: Throughout this summer, the Wilderness Institute is taking small groups of volunteers to monitor weeds and recreation impacts in the gorgeous Anaconda Pintler and Welcome Creek Wildernesses. Learn about natural history and invasive species. Backcountry experience is a good idea, but not necessary. Transportation is available from Missoula and a few other towns, dinners are provided. Call 406243-5361 or email citizenscience@cfc.umt.edu with questions or to register.
$476 Health Panel for Men from Community Medical Center
(2) $50 Gift Cards from Shakespeare & Co. Booksellers
Bag of Books from Fact & Fiction ($120)
(2) $75 Gift Cards from The Trail Head
(5) $20 Gift Cards from Worden’s
$408 Health Panel for Women from Community Medical Center
(2) $50 Gift Cards from Scotty’s Table
(2) $269 Mammograms from Advanced Imaging
Bag and Necklace ($100) from Betty’s Divine
$50 Life Flight Membership from Providence St. Patrick Hospital
A loaf of bread a month for a year from Great Harvest Bread Company $25 Gift Card from Bernice’s Bakery
$25 Gift Certificate from Runner’s Edge 2 Pairs of Women’s SmartWool Socks from Hide & Sole
SUNDAY JUNE 23 This weekend, Five Valleys Audobon hosts a trip to observe all the feathered, flighty creatures in the Dillon area, including Melrose, Bannack and Clark Canyon Reservoir. The group is staying at Best Western Paradise Inn, in Dillon. $10, lunch and hotel not included. Group departs from East Broadway Park and Ride at 7:30 AM Saturday. Find out more by emailing Cynthia are bobcyn@live.com or emailing 406-830-5424. If you’re the type of athlete who’ll try anything, then try the Bozeman Tritons Triathlon. This annual Gallatin Valley fun fest features both a sprint distance race and a long course race, with options for all abilities. The long course is the only halfIron triathlon in Montana, and consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile out-and-back bike up Bridger Canyon Drive and over Battle Ridge Pass, and a 13.1-mile run in the Bridger foothills on mostly paved surfaces. The sprint race is a 750-meter swim followed by a 20K out-and-back bike and a 5K outand-back run. For costs and more info visit bozemantritons.org.
TUESDAY JUNE 25 Meet other free-wheeling gals when Montana Dirt Girls meet every Tuesday around 6 PM on Tuesdays for hiking or mountain biking in the Missoula area. For locations and more information, visit mtdirtgirls.tripod.com. Free.
THURSDAY JUNE 25 The Thursday Night Mountain Bike Group meets on Tuesdays to play polo. Kidding, kidding, they meet on Thursdays at 6 PM to ride trails in the Missoula area. Check thursdaynightmtbr.org to find out locations. calendar@missoulanews.com
Enter to win on f or at www.mountainline.com. missoulanews.com • June 20 – June 27 , 2013 [37]