Climbing to Spring: Peak Bagging Mt Haggin

Mt Haggin is a 10,607 foot peak overlooking the little city of Anaconda, Montana, on the west slop of the Great Divide. It was named for a principal in the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, James Ben Ali Haggin. Like most of our peaks, you can bag it by scrambling--no technical climbing required. I can see it from my home in Walkerville 25 miles east (a little old town on the hill above Butte America)--Haggin is the first peak on the right:

The Trek

Friend Dave Carter had some chores at home (Hey, aren't you supposed to be retired?), so MollyTheDog (MTD) & I set out on a solo trip. Weather was perfect for the long hike (and climb, beginning at c. 5500 feet) in, cool and a bit rainy, with Mt Haggin closed in by weather:

Much of the trail in is along an old maintenance road to Hearst Lake, named for George Hearst, a partner of Haggin and father of William Randolph the newspaper magnate (some sort of waterline regulating structure along the road):

Here's MTD on the low dam built to "improve" (increase water storage) the lake:

From the lake, the trail to a pass between Hearst and Haggin Lakes is difficult to follow. It was once a maintained trail, but the blazes have faded and are hard to discern:

In open areas along a scree slope, the well-built trail has held up a little better:

In other places, watch for the old, sawn logs and the occasional rock cairn:

We camped at treeline, near an old cabin at c. 8800 feet. It's connected to two iron wires that run to the peak (wonder what they were for?):

I used to carry a big pack with as much gear as I could stuff into it, but in recent years I keep it under 30 pounds unless I'm out for more than a few days. One way to shave weight is by cooking over an open fire with a pot on a dingle stick. Do this only where fires are legal and there are established fire rings:

The sky cleared and the night got very cold, great morning for a climb (view to Mt Haggin from camp):

Had to break ice to get water for morning coffee & oatmeal:

The route up is over scree and alpine meadow, with some well defined traces of an old trail. I stay on the rocks where possible to minimize damage to the tender plants. Here's MTD at the impressive monument (note ammo can with a peak journal for climbers to sign):

What a view! West to the rest of the Pintler peaks:

And northeast down to heart-shaped Hearst Lake (camp is in the small meadow at treeline on the lower left):

The trip down is always a little quicker. We glissaded down this long snowfield (MTD slid on her belly). Note the pink snow, from a psychotropic algae (How do I know that?):

The day grew warm as we reached the meadow, and MTD was happy for a swim in the little glacial pothole below camp:

Trees

Treeline is dominated by Alpine Larch (Larix lyalli), a graceful, slow-growing, long-lived conifer that loses its soft, feather needles in winter:

Larches along the upper edge of treeline were just beginning to grow their needles out (they'll drop in late September):

Rule of Life for the larch and other subalpine trees--it doesn't pay to stand tallest, as lightning will find you (note spiral burn streaks on trunk):

Sadly, the other dominant tree -- Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) -- are dying out, killed by a blister rust:

Whitebarks are being considered for an Endangered Species Act listing. Their cones bear pine nuts and are an important food source for black and grizzly bears.

It's happened before. The subalpine area is dotted with the skeletons of other great trees killed by a human-introduced pathogen c. 1900 (photo below). How much of our ecosystem can we afford to destroy?:

Wildflowers

The hike in traverses a mile or so of parkland, with Blanketflowers (Gaillardia aristata):

As you enter the lower treeline of aspen and lodgepole (where there it's higher with more moisture than the parks), there are Woods Rose (Rosa woodsii):

Yellow Columbine (Aquilegia flavescens; some with a pink tinge):

Along the woodland creeks, Mountain Bluebells (Mertensia ciliata):

And in the scree, Mountain Gooseberry (Ribes montigenum):

The alpine wildflowers on the flanks of the mountain are the real show, however. At first glance, it appears to be a buttercup monoculture. Look closer, and there is great diversity. Small & low is the rule for alpine plants, such as Littlebunch Lupine (Lupinus lepidus; note size):

Here's are some of what I found, in alphabetical order, beginning with Alpine Avens (Geum rossii):

Alpine Lousewort (Pedicularis sudetica var scopulorum; ugly name, gorgeous flower):

Alpine Milkvetch (Astralagus alpinus):

Alpine Spring Beauty (Claytonia megahiza -- my favorite find of this trip):

Cushion Phlox (Phlox pulvinata):

And Mountain Sorrel (Oxyria digyna):

And some that I could not positively identify, though I think I got the genus correct. PLEASE DO correct me if I've erred!

Some sort of Blazing Star (Mentezelia sp)?:

Cushion Draba (if you want a botanical challenge, try to figure out particular Draba sp!):

A Waterleaf (Phacelia sp):

This one's a total mystery; maybe a Sedum sp?:

Conclusion

Why? Because "it's" there:

SkyWatch Friday: 3 Days of Music & Skies

For the 3-day 2009 National Folk Festival, about 120,000 people converged on Butte, Montana in the Northern Rockies--more than three times our normal population and about double the peak population of c. 1915. The festival began with a gorgeous, clear blue sky at the Original Gallows Frame (a mineyard converted into an ampitheatre):

Morning of Day Two, mare's tails filled the sky--a sure portent of weather to come:

Sure enough, Day Three came with rain beginning in early afternoon, though it did not seem to dampen the crowd's spirits at the dance tent:

Hope to see you at next year's National Folk Festival in Butte America!

Three Days of Peace & Music: 2009 National Folk Festival in Butte America

For the second of a three-year run, Butte, Montana hosted the National Folk Festival. With up to seven stages going simultaneously for three days, no one can take in everything. No matter: any act you hear will be an example of the very finest music to be heard in that genre: ONE MORE YEAR IN BUTTE -- DON'T MISS IT! (and it's all free)

Festivities opened at the Original Stage, a former mine yard with great views, perfect weather (the norm for July in Butte),:

a big and very appreciative crowd (though EcoRover generally doesn't like crowds, when there's a music festival 's'alright),:

and a horse parade by representatives from the seven Tribal Nations of Montana:

How nice for folks from all over America to discover that Butte is more than a burnt out old mining town:

For each of the three nights, we closed the evening at the dance stage. Here, with Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited, an amazing Chimurenga group from Zimbabwe:

Saturday noon began with the soothing Finnish folk tunes played by Wilho Saari on the kantele--a gazillion-stringed instrument sort of like a complex zither:

Later came the hit of the festival (it helped that we had Karina Patch with us to cheer on her compatriota), the superbly entertaining Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano:

Their performance included some "children's songs," like this one warning pretty young women about the dangers of lecherous old men:

With the much larger crowds this year (compared with last), you had to be early to each venue to get a good seat. The Mariachi band had folks packed in for two full city blocks from the stage:

Sierra Hull won the "upcoming artist to watch for" category hands down. This young Bluegrass musician picks a mandolin like a-ringin' a bell (check out this video, even though it's from a few years ago and she's even BETTER now):

So many acts, so little time. Any stage you came upon provided some new incredible musical experience, such as Melody of China (the guy here is playing aspen leaves!):

Then it was dance 'til dark (and, at our age, that's about when we drop!) to the tunes of the Colombian vallenato band, Los Macondos:

Followed by the rich Cajun beat of BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet:

Wow. Sunday morning we slept in 'til 7 a.m., took a walk to clear our heads of a late night (and a few pints thanks to Quarry Brewing), and then started the day easy with some cowboy poetry and tunes by DW Grothe:

And a yodeling lesson by the always-entertaining musician, horseman, and storyteller Wylie Gustafson (he's the man behind the infamous Yahoo! yodel):

A few rain showers moved through the valley to close out the festival, so things got "cozy" at the stages with tents. That's OK, Butte people like to be close, and 2 minutes next to us and you're our new best friend, whether it's watching the breakdancing of the Massive Monkees or the red hot champion fiddler, Texas Shorty:

Dance every day! Yep, you betcha, we closed 'er up moving our feet to Los Macondos and the big finale band, Bill Kirchen & The Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods (with George Bedard--listen to a video of these old rockers here) (battery was dead so I nabbed this pic from Kirchen's website):

Not a big music fan (is that possible?)? There much more: this year's sub-theme was the "culture of the horse," with everything from mule packing to trick roping.

Also, in additional to the "official" festival, there were many spin-off attractions at the local coffeehouses and bars. As god said upon creating each new thing in the world, "'s all good."

Mark your calendar and save the date: 09 - 11 July 2010. See you in Butte America!