[outdoors]
MOUNTAIN HIGH How many times have you seen a kayaker getting tossed around by six-foot rapids and paddling like his or her life depended on it and thought,“You know what they need? More obstacles. Dodging boulders at high speed just doesn't seem like enough anymore.” Whitewater kayaking was, is, and has always been the funnest way to nearly drown yourself while not making any money. Once you get over the initial shock of getting tossed around in near-freezing water and being smacked in the face by trout swimming upstream, you get to enjoy the wonderful tradition of the “beer boot,” which involves drinking a full beer that’s been poured in the sweaty, slimy booties that you have been wearing all day. But kayakers, as strange as they may seem, often have big hearts, and do their best to give back to the community (as long as it's a great excuse to go out and play).
Case in point, the Fifth Annual Blackfoot River Challenge will be held this Saturday and Sunday on the Blackfoot river, in support of the Missoula Food Bank. The contest kicks off with a downriver race starting at Johnsrud Park at 10:30 a.m Saturday, followed by a sprint race at 4 p.m. The slalom race will take place on Sunday at 10 AM, and continues until the last competitor crosses the finish line. Beer boot optional. —Eben Wragge-Keller The fifth annual Blackfoot River Challenge will be held at Johnsrud Park, just east of Missoula on the Blackfoot river. Participants pay $20 to compete in one event and $25 for two or more. All proceeds go to the food bank, in addition to whatever non-perishable goods people bring in. Visit blackfootriverchallenge.blogspot.com or find the Blackfoot River Challenge Facebook page.
Photo by Cathrine L. Walters
THURSDAY JUNE 27 Chris McCandless wannabes take note: the Sierra Club in Missoula is offering an evening outdoor survival class that will cover finding shelter, water and signals. Class starts at 6 PM. To learn more, email Mike at jarnevic@earthlink.net. If you really want to get away from it all, check out the Rocky Mountain Map Gallery’s presentation, “Hiking Off the Beaten Path: Lesser-known backpacking trips and day hikes in the Northern Rockies.” 7 PM. 1710 Brooks St. Call 542-1541 or email contact@rockymountainmaps.com for more info.
FRIDAY JUNE 28 Find out how much of Western mythology and legends was determined by gosh-darn east coasters when author Russell Rowland presents “The Evolution of Western Identity,” a campfire lecture that’s part of the “Montana’s Multitude of Myths, Misconceptions, and Little Known Facts” summer speaker series. 8-9 PM at Beavertail Hill State Park.
SATURDAY JUNE 29 Pack up some moist towelettes, a couple boxes of Pop Tarts and lots of Gold Bond for Montana’s longest mountain bike race, the 24 Hours of Rapelje. The event takes place near Columbus and helps support Stockman Cafe. Join a team or test yourself with a solo run. For more info go to 24hoursofrapelje.com. Run, don’t walk, to Potomac’s Pioneer Days, featuring 11- and 6-mile trail runs and a 1-mile fun run covering the hills surrounding the scenic Potomac Valley. All proceeds benefit the Potomac School and Community Center. Call Emily at 244-0004 for more information. In conjunction with an outdoors survival class, the Sierra Club presents a weekend outing where participants will hike, set up backpacking equipment and learn survival techniques. Find out more and sign up by emailing Mike at jarnevic@earthlink.net. Join the Clark Fork Chapter of the Montana Native Plant Society on a scenic St. Mary’s Peak hike, which is about nine miles round-trip with 2,500 of elevation gain. Delights include seeing
the lovely alpine forget-me-not eritrichium nanum blooming. Missoulians meet at the southwest corner of the old Wal-Mart off Highway 93 South at 7 am. Bitterrooters meet at the intersection of Indian Prairie Loop and Highway 93 at 7:15 AM. Call Clare at 728-0189 for more info. No need to wear moccasins or leather duds when seeing the same views as Lewis and Clark did 207 years ago, during the Lolo Pass Sixth Annual Mountain to Meadow Half Marathon and 5K Fun Run/Walk. Starts at 8:30 AM MST/7:30 PST at the Lolo Pass Visitor Center, off Highway 12 on the Montana-Idaho border. Register and learn more at runlolopass.org. Celebrate and fundraise for the Swan ecosystem by burning hella calories with the 11th annual footrace, starting at 9 AM, which ranges from a half marathon to one-mile fun run. This year adds a mountain bike race at 11 AM with up to 34 mile routes. Begins at the intersection of Falls Creek Road and Highway 83 in Condon. Live music, dancing, beer and food kicks off at 4 PM with Cash For Junkers. Register and learn more at swanecosystemcenter.org. Johnny Depp sure ain’t the first person to dress up in a goofy faux-Indian outfit. Richard Ellis presents a campfire talk, “The Changing Image of American Indians in Film,” including visual images from decades of films that incorrectly portray Native Americans. 8 PM. Salmon Lake State Park, five miles south of Seeley Lake off Highway 83. Free.
SUNDAY JUNE 30 In conjunction with an outdoors survival class, the Sierra Club presents a weekend outing where participants will hike, set up backpacking equipment and learn survival techniques. Find out more and sign up by emailing Mike at jarnevic@earthlink.net.
THURSDAY JULY 4 Tell your children “I was there” by attending the inaugural Dynamite Dash in Lincoln. The event takes place at Hooper Park and features a 1-mile, 5K and 10K run/walk. More importantly, there is a 1-mile beer run. Check out the calendar of events at lincolnmontana.com.
missoulanews.com • June 27 – July 4 , 2013 [37]