There are few things I enjoy more than a hike through nature on a pleasant day. When we were in Montana this fall we decided to go on the "River Trail", which follows the Clark Fork River. It was a nice sunny afternoon, warm enough so that jackets weren't needed although a little cool in the shade.
The Clark Fork is a fairly long river (almost 500 km in length). This trail starts at the river's edge at the Ferry Landing boat ramp access and passes under a bridge on highway 135, between the towns of Paradise and St. Regis. The Clark Fork is a great fly-fishing river although today was for walking, not fishing.
(Views of the Clark Fork River close to the beginning of the trail)
After a few hundred yards the trail enters the forest and soon begins a moderate ascent. You walk beside a creek so you get to see a variety of habitats.
After some huffing and puffing, we got some nice views of the Clark Fork River as a reward for the hard work. It was a wonderful place to rest and enjoy the view.
One of the fun things about doing this hike in the fall was the amazing variety of mushrooms we passed along the way. I'm sure some of these are edible, although we never risk eating them unless we're 100% sure, so we were satisfied just to take photos...
Several fungi were growing directly on the trunks of fallen trees, and these are always of special interest to me. They were really quite attractive...
An unusual green "shelf" fungus on the exterior of this tree....
...and another growing on the outer edge of the tree cross-section.
We had our dogs with us on this walk, took our time with them (their noses sniffing everything), and stopped for a break at the highest point of the hike. In time we doubled back. Overall, a very nice experience.
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