Nordic Adventure

A little over a week ago, it would’ve been impossible to go cross country skiing near Missoula, mainly because there was no snow.  Never underestimate Montana though.  Just this past week a fresh dumping of everyone’s favorite white stuff blanketed the valley and the surrounding area.  Good thing too, because it would of been a long drive to Seeley Lake (where the good snow has been) last Saturday for Missoula OEMP’s latest adventure!

The bus was packed with skis, sack lunches, 33 explorers, and a whole lot of energy as we headed to our destination for the day.  For our first ski outing in two years we headed to Lubrecht Experimental Forest.  As a disclaimer, this forest is not where mutant coyotes are created, as one person guessed!  The forest is actually owned and managed by the University of Montana College of Forestry and is a beautiful place for some nordic skiing.  45 minutes later we arrived at the parking lot, bursting at the seams for a chance to glide across the snow.  At least, that was the idea.

Gearing Up

As the group split into three equal parties, we headed out to conquer the ski trails.  The day proved to be one of the best of year, staying a toasty 18 degrees (it was -36 with windchill in Missoula last week folks) with soft snow flurries and eventual sunshine. Volunteer instructors from the University of Montana Wilderness Association and the Zootown Area Nordic Youth club taught newcomers and veterans alike the tricks of the trade.  Soon the winter air was filled with shouts (and some heavy breathing) from the Outdoor Explorers!

At the Starting Gate

After a few hours of nordic goodness we began to hear our stomachs growl.  Back to the bus it was and then on to the Rec Hall (just one of many facilities available for rent at Lubrecht) where a warm fire, hot cocoa, and lunch awaited.  With our appetites satisfied, a group headed back out into the sunshine for more skiing while the rest of us enjoyed ourselves near the Hall.  As is always the case, however, the time came to head back home.  With fresh snow, gorgeous weather, an energetic group, and new things to learn and discover, this Saturday was more than we could have hoped for.  A great start to the year, and an exciting prelude for what’s to come!

A huge thanks to Big Brothers Big Sisters, Zootown Area Nordic Youth, University of Montana Wilderness Association, Lubrecht Experimental Forest, and Outdoor Supply and Rental for making this possible.  Be sure to check our Facebook page for more pics!  Keep exploring!

Solstice on the Saddle

Outdoor Explorers Mentoring Program (OEMP) is a collaborative effort of the Montana Wilderness Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Missoula, and the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center. OEMP kicked off the summer of 2013 with Solstice on the Saddle, a nature hike on June 20^th to the Mount Jumbo Saddle in Missoula, Montana.

We started off the event with a simple picnic dinner. As we ate storm clouds rolled in from the west across the city of Missoula. Fortunately, the rain didn’t last long as it passed over us and we started our hike.

The Mount Jumbo Saddle is a great location for a short nature hike because it offers amazing views of both the City of Missoula and East Missoula. The saddle area is culturally significant to local Indian tribes as a place to access the Clark Fork Valley without traveling through Hellgate Canyon.

Going back even farther in time, we talked about the geologic significance Glacial Lake Missoula. From the Lincoln Hills trailhead we observed evidence of the ancient glacial lake in the hillsides and talked about the enormous size of the lake. Bigs, adult mentors, and Littles, participating students shared what they already new about the history of the Missoula Valley.

We hiked along the Saddle Trail and learned to identify local wildflowers. Matches, a pair of a Big and a Little, walked together and made observations about their surroundings.

 

At the top of the Saddle we stopped and pointed out familiar Missoula landmarks and more evidence of Glacial Lake Missoula.

 

Next each match worked together to complete a nature scavenger hunt. They found items that were fuzzy, symmetrical, different colors, different textures, and different shapes.

After sharing what each group found for the scavenger hunt, we continued across the Mount Jumbo Saddle to get a view of East Missoula and the Clark Fork Valley. Zack Porter shared the interesting history of the Milltown Dam Restoration Project with the group.

The whole group enjoyed rewarding views of our natural surroundings. Just before the rain returned we made it back to the trailhead and said our good-byes. Until next time Outdoor Explorers!

 

Author: Lizzy Douglas, Outdoor Explorers Mentoring Program Coordinator

Photographer: Lizzy Douglas

Birds of Prey

“Aren’t raptors dinosaurs?”  I guess you can’t trust movies anymore.  As it turns out, modern birds of prey are also called raptors.  And this evening, we were going to have an up-close and personal time with them.

Meeting at Council Grove State Park just outside of Missoula, we started things off with barbecuing hotdogs and hamburgers.  Council Grove sits right on the banks of the Clark Fork River and is famous for being the site where the Hellgate Treaty was signed between the U. S. government and the Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d’Orielle Indians to create the Flathead Reservation in 1855.  Tonight, however, we were here to make it famous for another reason.

After enjoying dinner, cooked by the one and only Steve Archibald, it was time to get things rolling.  Calling everyone to circle up, we had our friends from Wild Skies Raptor Rehab Center, Brooke, Kerry, and Jesse take center stage.  They began to explain the difference between birds of prey and other types of birds.  As Brooke and Kerry were talking, Jesse walked discreetly over to their car.  When he returned, a saw-whet owl no larger than a coffee mug was perched on his gloved hand.  Everyone’s ears were still listening to Brooke, but you can bet every eye in our group was staring at the little bird.  And rightly so!  Before we knew it Brooke had an owl on her hand too, this one a long-eared owl,  giving our group a closer look at the birds than most of us will ever get again.

Brooke Showing the Long-eared Owl to the Group

Next came an owl pellet dissecting activity.  The matches each were given a pellet to dissect and tools to do so.  Some got really into it!  Others………not so much.  To be blunt, an owl pellet is the indigestible remains of an owls dinner that it pukes up.  They look just like hairballs, but by dissecting them, you can tell what they ate for dinner.  All in all, a very educational activity.  The owls these pellets came from were on a steady diet of shrews and moles.  Pretty organic!

Trying to Find Some Birds

After seeing injured birds up close and dissecting meal remains, it was time to do some birding.  Everyone geared up with a pair of binoculars and a water bottle, and off we went.  Inevitably we found ourselves standing by the Clark Fork River, searching for birds in the air as we would for treasure in the ground.  It seemed we were in red-tailed hawk territory, as we saw a good number of them.  As we made a loop back to where we started, we came to a perfect spot to view an active osprey nest.  The pair of birds just sat there, perching at the top of their tree with pride.  Apparently, this wasn’t their first rodeo.

Eventually we came back to the parking lot, and the festivities for the night ended.  By this time we all had one thing in common: we all wanted a pet owl or hawk.  A hawk license isn’t too hard to obtain.  It is, however, illegal to have an owl as a pet in North America.  I guess we all have a reason to move to Great Britain now.

Looking at the Osprey

Thank you to all our partners that made this trip happen! Big Brothers Big Sisters of Missoula, the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center, the Montana Natural History Center, and especially Wild Skies Raptor Rehab Center! Be sure to check our Facebook page for more photos, and check out the Wild Skies website at http://www.wildskies.org/.  Happy summer, and keep exploring!

3rd Annual Clark Fork River Cleanup

This years event was the 10th Annual cleanup in Missoula

April 20, 2013.  It was a cloudy, cool morning at Caras Park, in Missoula, MT.  Some would be deterred by such unpromising weather.  Some wouldn’t think it was worth it to spend 2 hours picking up trash along the banks of the Missoula’s main river, let alone if there was a chance of rain.  We, however, were not of the faint of heart.  Dark clouds and cool wind were nothing but a challenge to be accepted.  And accept we did.  Armed with plastic bags and gloves, we marched towards the banks of the river, intent on doing our part in this years battle against litter.  The 10th Annual Clark Fork River Cleanup was underway.

This year was our third consecutive  year participating in the Clark Fork Coalitions volunteer event.  Every year nearly a thousand Missoulians gather at Caras Park in downtown, Missoula, to receive instructions and meet up with other team members.  From there everyone scatters to their assigned section of the river to pick up whatever they can find along the banks of the river.  It’s an incredibly popular event.  This year, the Coalition reported that 900 volunteers removed 6 tons of trash from 15 miles of riverbank– a record turnout for the river.  Way to go Missoula!

Angie Sportin’ the OEMP Sign

Trash wasn’t the only thing we picked up though.  A match from Outdoor Explorers came across several Rubber Boa’s, a native species of snake to Montana.  Very small ones, but they were pretty active this particularly morning.  You never know what you’ll find in the outdoors!  Although volunteering for events like the Cleanup aren’t exactly the outdoor adventures we usually do, volunteering is something we value at OEMP.  As part of a community, it’s our responsibility to contribute to the public health of our city.  We encourage you to give back to your community; to help your neighbor; to do your part to make the place you live the best it can be.  You just might find you’re not only giving, but you’re also gaining.

Thanks for keeping up with our latest adventure, and a big thanks to the Clark Fork Coalition for putting on a great event this spring!!  Be sure to check out their website if you get a chance: http://www.clarkfork.org/river-affinity/river-cleanup.html. Check back soon for an update on our latest trip, and check out our Facebook page!  Keep exploring!

Snowcaving Trip

At the end of January, we had a day of snowshoeing up Pattee Canyon (just outside of Missoula) lined up for Outdoor Explorers.  Unfortunately, the three days leading up to the trip date were filled with rain and temperatures in the high 30’s.  No snow = no snowshoeing.  Thankfully, March 2 had a much better outlook.  Montana cooperated by providing fresh snow, blue skies, and a warm Saturday.  Snow shovels and snowshoes were packed into the back of the volunteers car.  12 energetic explorers were packed into the passenger van.  If all went as planned, this Saturday was going to be packed with adventure!

A Match Works on Their Snowcave

An hour later, we pulled into the parking lot at Lolo Pass Recreation Area.  After a good stretching of the legs, donning of stocking caps, and a safety talk, we hit the snowshoe trail for a short hike to our spot for the day.  Walking on top of 5′ of snow, we finally came to a small hill.  If you know anything about building snowcaves, then you know that they can collapse if not constructed properly.  In the interest of avoiding any suffocations on this trip (good plan yes?), we had a short lesson on how to build a snowcave so that it is stable.  After the lesson, we turned the explorers loose to stake their claim on a spot of the hillside and dig their own shelter.

Soon it was lunch time, and the group enjoyed a well earned meal.  During the break, wilderness professional Ken Straley, from the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center in Missoula, gave a talk on snow.  Explaining how snow was formed, how avalanches occur, and how to deal with avalanches, Ken quickly became everyone’s favorite bearded man on the trip.  No competition there!

Wilderness Professional Ken Straley Teaching About Snow

Rejuvenated by the break, most of the matches decided to go on a snowshoe hike for the remaining hour we had in the area.  Led by volunteers Dylan Lang, and Lizzy Corliss, the group geared up and marched off down the trail.  The remaining match and three staff members started construction on an igloo to cover the entrance to one of the four sizable snowcaves.  It’s amazing how much you can accomplish in such a short time!  Some impressive caves and tunnels were dug in the short time we had up at the Pass.

Strapping up for Some Snowshoeing

Eventually it came time to gather our gear and head back to the parking lot.  But, what winter trip would be complete without a snowball fight?  And so the few of us who had stayed behind to work on an igloo hid to ambush our snowshoeing comrades.  Ambush we did.  Victory we claimed.  Glory we gained!  As we hiked out, we all grabbed some free hot chocolate from the visitors center, piled back into the vehicles, and headed back to Missoula.

I wasn’t in the van for the ride back, but I heard it was dead quiet, as volunteers and matches alike snoozed the whole drive.  Not surprising.  Fun is hard work.

As always, thanks to all our partners and donors from Missoula for making this trip possible!  Check back in a few weeks for a recap of our upcoming Archery Trip, and check out our Facebook page for more photos!  Keep exploring!

The Greatest Archer

Fact 1: foxes don’t actually make amazing archers.
Fact 2: Next Thursday night, kids and their mentors from BBBS Missoula will be introduced to the sport of archery. Maybe some Robin Hoods will be born?

A Guy Can Dream Can’t He?

We probably won’t get something like this erected this Saturday when OEMP goes up to Lolo Pass Recreation Area, but hey, a guy can dream can’t he?

New Year, New Gear

Anyone getting new gear? Itchin’ to get outside and use it? P.S. – OEMP is receiving gear donations………………………

Christmas Wish

Do you wish you were here? So do we…………

Snow, Tracks & Christmas

Montana gets snow.  That’s a given. In Missoula, however, we usually don’t get very much because of warmer temperatures.  You could describe Missoulians during the month of November as, “snow crazy.”  We want the white fluffy goodness like crazy, but it usually doesn’t come (and stay) till later.  But it finally came early this December, and not a moment too soon.  The day before our wildlife tracking trip this month, we got 4″ of snow in Missoula.  You could say there were a lot of smiles in the valley.

We started the day with Mr. and Mrs. Clause cooking up some flapjacks for the crew, and like professionals at that!  Never in all the land was there such a fine display of skill with a pancake turner.  After everyone had their fill of fruit and syrup covered pancakes, we loaded up the van and headed towards our destination for the day.

Originally we had planned on visiting the Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area in the Seeley area, but the combination of fresh snow, icy roads, and a two-wheel drive 15-passenger van forced us to call an audible.  Luckily, it’s not hard to find a place to see some wildlife in Montana.  15 minutes later, we were climbing out of the van.

At Kelly Island we met up with Mike Thompson, the regional wildlife manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.  We gathered around Mike as he pulled out a couple tubs from his SUV.  Off came the lids, and out came pelts of almost every four-legged critter you can find in the state, from Mountain Lion, to Lynx, to Wolverine. The kids got a chance to put their hands on every pelt and learn a bit about each as well.  Once we all felt like experts (in our minds anyway), we released them to explore and find what they could in the surrounding woods.

Mike Thompson Shows the Kids Some Pelts

On the drive over, we had the opportunity to hand out some early Christmas gifts.  Each little got a wildlife tracking book!  They were able to put these to use right away in the woods.  The area we were at was a treasure trove of animal signs!  Looking for anything from tracks, to scat, to signs of animals, the kids tried to find anything that they could to fill out the wildlife Bingo cards we had given them.

Tracking Some Critters by the River

To end the adventure, everyone built snowmen.  I gotta say though, I’ve never seen such creativity with snowmen!  Not a single traditional snowman was built, being passed up for snowmen armies, snow-princesses, and snow castles. All in all, the clear skies, fresh snow, and awesome group made for a beautiful and adventurous December day!

The Snowman Army

It’s been an exciting and learning filled year for all of us at OEMP Missoula, and we can’t wait for more adventures in 2013!  Thank you to all of our partners, volunteers, and matches that have made this year so much fun.  As always, check out our Facebook page (give it a “LIKE”!) to see more pictures!  We wish you all  the merriest of Christmas’, and a very prosperous New Year.  God bless.