Hiking and Recreation
As most of the Mission Mountains fall under special protection, land use is limited largely to recreation.
The best time to hike in the Mission Mountains is between the beginning of July and October. Winter ends late in the high country and even in the beginning of July hikers will often find high passes and lakes snow-covered and wet. Snow starts to fly as early as October and hiking season is over by the end of the month. Winter recreation is best in the spring months. June is wet, but between February and May one can do some great winter camping, snowshoeing and skiing.
Hikers unfamiliar with the range should know that only a few of its hikes are "easy". The terrain, especially in the south is very steep and trails are not always kept clear. If you leave the trail and start scaling the rocks you will find out quickly that 1.5 billion year old mudstone is very brittle and not a very reliable hand hold. Climb around with caution. In the daytime it can be very hot, but nights are very cold, so pack accordingly. Though the Missions aren't huge, it is always a good idea to bring a map. The USGS topographic maps of the area are available at local sporting goods stores and not a bad thing to have in your pack.
Because the range is a protected wilderness area motorized trail bikes, motorcycles, three- and four-wheelers, snowmobiles, hang-gliders and mountain bikes are not permitted. Getting caught with one will result in a ticket.
The range has about 45 miles of official trails. Experienced hikers can, however, break off onto the plethora of game and Indian trails that often cut through the rougher terrain. Horses can be taken used on most official and some other trails, but Missions are a rough and before riding in the Missions riders should consult local experts. People wishing to take horses into the range need to consult the Flathead National Forest requirements, which include hay restrictions and other rules.
Non-tribal members passing through land belonging to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are required to carry a valid tribal lands-usage permit, which can easily be obtained at local sporting goods stores. The pass is good for one year and allows access to the Mission Mountains, stretches of the Flathead River, among others.
Read more about this topic: Mission Mountains
Famous quotes containing the words hiking and/or recreation:
“The westerner, normally, walks to get somewhere that he cannot get in an automobile or on horseback. Hiking for its own sake, for the sheer animal pleasure of good condition and brisk exercise, is not an easy thing for him to comprehend.”
—State of Utah, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“Media mystifications should not obfuscate a simple, perceivable fact; Black teenage girls do not create poverty by having babies. Quite the contrary, they have babies at such a young age precisely because they are poor—because they do not have the opportunity to acquire an education, because meaningful, well-paying jobs and creative forms of recreation are not accessible to them ... because safe, effective forms of contraception are not available to them.”
—Angela Davis (b. 1944)