REI hikes have provided fun and exercise outdoors for 180 students and chaperones who have hiked in the Swan Valley since mid-September 2009, thanks to an REI grant to assist with the cost of transportation to come to the Swan Valley for the day. These hikers came from 8 different schools and organizations from Missoula, Kalispell and Seeley Lake. The program will continue in the Fall of 2010. For more information contact Diann at Swan Ecosystem Center, (406) 754-3137.
Hike options vary depending on age, fitness level and the amount of time available for your field trip.
Novice hikers of any age will enjoy this hilly one-mile trail through an old growth forest. There are lots of wild fungus, rotten logs, wildlife snags and tree species to view.
Hikers of this rolling trail will view evidence of commercial logging and wildfire, while still experiencing a typical closed canopy forest of the Swan Valley. This three mile trail leads to a glassy bend in Glacier Creek so wide and smooth it will remind you more of a lake than a creek. It is especially favorite habitat for eagles, great blue herons, osprey and a variety of ducks.
Walking this rough trail leads to a perfect example of the pristine lakes tucked away in the Mission Mountains Wilderness. This is one of only a handful of lakes close enough to day hike. This hike is a challenge and offers its guests a glimpse of the Columbia Rockies habitat and landscape, the only wetter Rocky Mountain landscape is the Pacific Northwest. The distance is about five miles round trip. It contrasts geographically and ecologically with the east side of the Swan Valley known as the Swan Front.
Hikers must be able to walk a split log footbridge w/handrail to access this trail. This four-mile round trip trail will offer avalanche tongues, unique rock outcroppings, a cedar forest and views of the valley below.
Hiking this trail requires determination and stamina as it is steeper than the other trails and this factor results in the most outstanding views. The trail turn around will be on a somewhat narrow trail approximately 800' above Holland Lake. Don't forget a camera.
Trail options #3 through #5 are recommended for 5th graders and up. A list of day pack equipment will be supplied, but basically kids will need water, lunch, comfortable, proper-fitting shoes and socks.
Here is how it works. Find the REI banner on SEC's home page. To participate, click on the banner to enter the REI Web site. This is where shopping begins. Any purchases online from REI through SEC's Web site earn 5% of the total for the Education Program. Call (406) 754-3137 for more information or come by SEC for an explanation and demonstration.
This is the first opportunity the Education Program has experienced to sustain itself. We are extremely indebted to REI for creating such a funding opportunity. Its success greatly depends on your participation which is basically true of all of SEC's work.
Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI) is a business that originated in the Seattle area in the 1960s. The company's purpose is to: "inspire, educate and outfit people for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship." In 2004 the company opened a branch store in Missoula. Shortly after opening its Missoula store, REI staff was in the Swan Valley assisting SEC with presentations on GPS mapping and Leave No Trace hiking and camping.
Although SEC is best known for its collaborative role on land use issues in the Swan Valley, education is a vital component of this role. Therefore, a segment of SEC's goals, budget and programs includes adult and youth educational opportunities related to Swan Valley ecosystems. Moreover, we believe that ecosystem education begins outdoors. This is rapidly re-emerging as a national awareness. U.S. Forest Service's More Kids in the Woods grant program and Richard Louv's book Last Child in the Woods are in the forefront. Since our first educational project we have been about getting "more kids in the woods." We are convinced of the commonality of SEC's goals and those of REI.
To make a long story short...(as a favorite history professor of mine would say, "it is too late for that"), in the fall of 2009 REI provided SEC with $5,000 to support bus transportation (limit $250/trip) for school field trips to the Swan Valley and for the purchase of new youth snowshoes and cross country ski equipment.
SEC's After School Club for 8-13 year-olds were the first to benefit from the new equipment. The 7th and 8th grade students working on the Barber Creek Pit Restoration project will also have an opportunity to "test drive" the snowshoes and skis this winter. In addition to SEC projects and local school outings, students from all over western Montana will be invited to travel to the Swan for outdoor field trips this fall as funding remains.
Teachers are invited to contact us regarding field trip details as soon as possible. First with high gas prices and now with the slowing economy, school districts' travel allowances remain low. Field trips are often considered too costly because of the expense of the bus, driver and fuel. However, if we offer to pay for the bus, classroom teachers and their classes will be able to join us for three to four hour interpretive hikes. This will greatly expand the number of outdoor field trips possible and permit dozens of students more time in the woods. Thank you REI!
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