My Page: Maggie Neal Doherty

Rafting

Impromptu adventures tend to be the finest. Case in point, last Friday afternoon I called a girlfriend to see if she’d like a reprieve from the August heat by taking a dip in Whitefish Lake. She upped the ante and offered me a spot on a raft for a twilight float on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River.

Already dressed for playtime on the water, I added my lifejacket to my bag and made my way to my girlfriend’s to load dogs, coolers, and prep for our whitewater float.

Hiking

There are many reasons why I go hiking.

Just as John Muir encouraged, I go to the mountains and seek their good tidings. I go to witness the short-lived wildflower blooms, the commanding power of a family of mountain goats straddling a pinnacle, the expansive view of mountain peaks, jewel-toned lakes and the roll of the plains, and the feeling of release that comes from hours of putting one foot in front of another on the trail.

Adventure Rockies

Through the high meadows we hiked towards Natahki Lake. Glacier’s wildflowers were in full, lush bloom as we followed an old stream bed to a cliff band below the lake. Goat trails, as they typically do, provided an excellent path through the scree and onto more stable rock.

We had a quick break along the shore of the azure lake and then made our way to Altyn Peak, climbing the northwestern slope, admiring the deft mountain goats lounging in a snowfield. From the top of Altyn (7,947 feet), we again snacked and took in the views of the Swiftcurrent Valley.

Trail Work

Pull, don’t push! When you’re working in the Bob Marshall Wilderness with a crosscut saw, this is the rule.

For five days in July, “Pull, don’t push!” became my mantra. Without the whine of the chainsaw or the stench of two-cycle engines to burn your nostrils, it is the sing of the blade, powered by two people, that makes trail crew work possible in Montana’s largest wilderness complex that said no to roads, vehicles and motorized anything in the late 1960s, largely thanks to one man, Robert Marshall.

Six of my friends and I signed up with the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation (BMWF) for one of their many volunteer trail crew projects. Our goal was to free a section of downed telephone line on the Historic Phone Line along the South Fork of the Flathead River in the 1.5 million acre complex. For 15 years the BMWF has placed volunteers deep within one of the country’s largest and most remote wildernesses to help maintain and preserve the many trails, cabins and artifacts that encompass a place affectionately referred to as “the Bob.”

Rock Climbing

When you think of rock climbing in Montana, the Kila crags don’t come to mind as the most spectacular, impressive or challenging areas, but this little gem just west of Kalispell satisfies the climbing itch when the weather is crummy and you don’t want to travel far to find routes.

However, I should mention that I’m not really a climber. I try. I don’t know how to lead, unless it involves dancing and that complicates matters with the men folk, but I’m always up for an outdoor adventure.

A recent Sunday showed promise in the weather and in stalling obligations like unpacking my entire new house; it was motivation enough for me to rally a good bunch of friends – all but one of whom are more advanced in their rock climbing skills than me – to meander from Whitefish to the Kila crags.

Hiking

After 23 miles of dusty potholed road and a stop off at the Polebridge Mercantile for a hot turkey sandwich to add to my lunch, I pulled my camera from my backpack to shoot the stunning expanse of Bowman Lake in the spring – lake blue and mountains draped in white.

The shot didn’t happen.

In my rush must-hike-because-the-sun-is-finally-shining moment, I forgot a few things for my hike to Akokala Lake in the North Fork region of Glacier National Park. My memory card was at home, left in my computer; and as I would come to learn five miles later, so were my much-needed snowshoes.

Spring and early summer hiking presents a mixed bag of conditions up here and I was hoping for a somewhat clear trail. It was exactly that. Somewhat clear and, as I had anticipated, very wet and muddy. The lesser traveled hike is 11 miles with an elevation gain of 800 feet. The trailhead begins at the Bowman Ranger Station, starts in the dense mixed conifer forest and grinds up the ridge. Most trails at Bowman either trace the east or west sides of the lake. Akokala Lake trail runs around Numa Ridge and settles between Kintla and Bowman Lake. 

Cycling

For the past seven years, my rite of spring is biking Glacier National Park’s Going-to–the-Sun Road. The famed road that bisects the park and crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass reopens each spring. Before the onslaught of summer visitors and vehicle traffic, there’s a narrow window for pedestrians to explore its length. Flathead Valley residents like me eagerly anticipate the road’s opening, checking the daily status of the plow crews and waiting for that perfect sunny day to take the two-wheeled approach to traveling the road.

This year, I invited my boyfriend and his parents to join me on my annual spring adventure and we took advantage of a surge in mid-May temperatures for a midweek ride. Human activity in and around the park is starting to emerge from a long winter and many of the hotels, restaurants and rafting companies are beginning to take the boards off their windows and prep for the summer slam. Passing through the entrance gate, cars were only allowed to drive 10 miles to Lake McDonald Lodge and pedestrian traffic was permitted another eight miles up the road to Logan Creek. Typically on weekends, there are no hiker or biker restrictions.