In summer it’s time to venture into the backcountry and camp under the stars, sit by the campfire, listen to wolves howl in the night, wake to calls of cranes at sunrise. Yellowstone National Park beckons with over 1,300 miles of tra
The simplest approach to packing consists of a pack saddle and a pair of panniers (bags, boxes, or baskets that contain cargo). This French word, often corrupted to “panyard” in the West, has been around since Shakespeare, who used it in one of his plays.
Floating a river is great recreational fun. Here are 5 great floats that, mid-summer, are suitable for most skill levels and water craft. Three are big rivers, and two are small. They may, depending on flow rate, be a little long for rafts and drift boats, so be sure to check with local sources of information regarding estimating floating times.
Forming the westernmost buttress of the broad swatch of peaks that comprises the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, the Swans lie within an hour’s drive of Missoula but well off the beaten path of the skiing masses.
