The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Last week we gave you an overview of fall foliage areas that are close by where you live. Today, let’s get more specific about one area.

That is the Bear Paw Mountains, a Mecca for fall foliage.

First as to timing, it is everything. I have gone over Marias Pass to behold the most beautiful fall foliage ever, then come back through the next day only to find it all gone. A frost and a wind can take the foliage away in a few hours.

As a rule but not hard and fast, around the first of October the foliage is thought to be prime in the Bear Paw Mountains. And yet I have found it getting a little later in October in the past few years. This September has been cold enough that foliage might be colored best close to October 1 once again but don’t be afraid to drive out on a route and look several times a week. That is how you find the glorious foliage.

Easiest of all the grand Bear Paw foliage to see is to go up the Beaver Creek Highway to the ski bowl. Some of the best of all fall foliage can be found along this road and some of the best colors can be seen here as well. Lots of reds and even pinks mix in with the brilliant gold of the aspens.

Remember aspen trees grow in pods so what looks like fifty or more trees is all one pod so that pod is going to change color all at the same time.

Coming from Big Sandy, and having a vehicle with good clearance, go up the Coal Mine Road, join the Sandy Creek Road, pass through wonderful foliage forests and pass the old vermiculite mine. Then go up over a steep divide between Sandy Creek and Beaver Creek and fall down to Beaver Creek and head back to Havre. This tour requires a lunch and is a great way to spend a Saturday, especially when there is a mulligan in the crock pot waiting at home.

Another beautiful route is to go south of Havre or south of Chinook out the Clear Creek road. When you get to the Y separating the Clear Creek road from the Hungry Hollow road, head east up Hungry Hollow to Murphy Butte for some spectacular foliage. Retrace your tracks back to the Clear Creek road and then head south over an easy divide and down Birch Creek to Warrick. At Warrick head west or toward Baldy and you will again end up at upper Beaver Creek. That is another beautiful way to see fall foliage.

Enjoy! Next week we will venture a little further away.