Last weekend was our anniversary, so we decided to celebrate by going on an "official" hike (i.e., not just walking around our neighborhood). We chose Crow Creek Falls because it was only 25 miles south of Helena, it included water, and it looked relatively level (compared to some of the others in my "Hiking Montana" book). What we neglected to consider, however, that the directions there mentioned the last 17 miles being on a "good dirt road." It turns out that what a "good dirt road" is in Montana is exponentially worse than a "good dirt road" in the Midwest. Thus, instead of taking 90 min for us to get there, it took us almost 3 hours. Uff-dah. My Forester handled it admirably, but we had to go incredibly slow to avoid the sharp rocks, ginormous potholes, and occasional rock slides.
But once we got there, it sure was beautiful! While I love the mountains of Montana, I really miss the water of Minnesota. It was so refreshing to hike along a lovely creek.
Unfortunately, this hike was "busy by Montana standards" (per my guidebook), and that held up when we got to the falls at the end of the out-and-back trail. There was a group of about 15 people who were sitting on all the spots where you could actually see the falls (since they were kind of hidden behind a rocky outcropping) and they refused to move or to follow social distancing. Even after we finished our lunch and back 30 min later, they still refused to move. Supper aggravating to go all that way and then not be able to enjoy the falls! Which is why I decided that the creek was the highlight of the hike anyway.
In other news, Mike has been continuing to do a ton of wood chopping, and Rose and I have been chipping in with the wood stacking.
Finally, homeschool at EFC has started! Here is Rose's first day of school picture for 3rd grade:
1. 1/1/20 - 2 mi - out and back
2. 1/5/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
3. 1/11/20 - 2 mi - out and back
4. 1/19/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
5. 1/26/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
6. 2/1/20 - 4.25 mi neighborhood loop
7. 2/2/20 - 2 mi - out and back
8. 2/9/20 - 2 mi? - sledding, and to/from the neighbors
9. 2/15/20 - 4.25 mi neighborhood loop
10. 2/22/20 - 1 mi? - Lincoln Sculpture in the Wild
(there were at least a few more in here that I, alas, forgot to record)
11. 4/5/20 - 2 mi? - up to the highest peak in our neighborhood
12. 4/10/20 - 2 mi? - down a new drainage next door and back around by the gardens
13. 4/12/20 - 2.5 mi - out and back
15. 4/22/20 - 1 mi? - down to the parking lot to pick up my car
16. 4/26/20 - 2 mi? - over to "Pride rock"