Missoula Trails

 One activity I've missed desperately since osteoarthritis set in was walking for miles. But now, with a new hip, I'm back out there hiking with hubby, little by little. Missoula has many trails around town, mostly fairly level, which I need for now. The Clark Fork Trail goes along the river on both sides of the city. Here we found a creek that is running into the river. It must be even prettier when the leaves are on the trees.

Okay, hang up the cane and pose!

At the KOA office I found a magazine featuring all the hiking, biking and horse back riding trails in the area. We tried the one by the old Fort and came upon this well kept military cemetery.

A portion of the 1 1/2 mile trail. The fields and trees are still very brown, soon to be green again in a few weeks.

My favorite trail so far is this one, the McClay Flats Trail, along the Bitterroot River west of town. The bench is so very inviting!

I love this strange Ponderosa tree along the route. It's difficult to tell if it's 4 separate trees or one tree that somehow got divided a short way up the trunk.

So peaceful!

Walking here is easy on the feet, as the trail is cushioned with pine needles.

We were intrigued with this creek, or canal. The ice shelf was actually several feet above the water. I'm not sure how that happens. We found the same thing in the photo below.

This trail, the Tower Street Trail, goes along the Clark Fork. The ice we found here is, again, several feet above the surface of the river and the bank. Beware to anyone who might step out on that shelf! They would find themselves in some very cold water! As the days go by I find myself feeling stronger, needing my cane much less, and more than ready to try other trails around the city, even ones that take us uphill and down! Are you ready, Mr. Keith?

End of Year Highlights

We haven't been able to go anywhere for a few weeks so I looked through my photos to see what would stand out.
Here is one of the most unusual contraptions I've seen for awhile. Mr. Keith and I were in the local music store where I was selecting new piano music for my Christmas gift. This piano looks like a big clam! I wonder if they will find a buyer for it?

Since we've been having some freezing temperatures we wanted to see how frozen the Clark Fork River was getting. To our surprise as we stepped onto the overlook we saw that not only were there big banks of ice, there were actually swimmers in there braving the waves. And the cold! Brrr! Not me!

Climbing to the "M" above the University is popular at anytime. If you enlarge this photo you will see several hikers along the zigzag trail.

Fishing is such a sport in Montana. Mr. Keith is standing by a sculpture that attests to that fact. Caras Park is a great place to hike the trails, to view the river, and to watch other folks out on a good day.

I got to play piano (Here Comes the Bride!) at a wedding at the KOA Gathering Place. The bride is the daughter of one of our KOA employees. That's me behind the balloons, unseen, but not unheard.

I have a tiny Christmas tree for our 5th wheel, but this year, rather than try to find room to put it, I decorated my jade tree. Works just as well! Without family to entertain or to celebrate with we keep things very low key.

One of our favorite drives is up the Rattlesnake, a valley cut by a good sized creek that flows down into Missoula. It's fairly well populated with lots of houses, but the draw for us is that the deer love to come down from the hills and roam around the neighborhoods, unafraid. We can usually spot at least a dozen in people's yards or in the fields nearby. They didn't mind our rubber-necking.

Opening and closing with a piano — mine continues to give me great joy. Practicing old pieces and trying new compositions is one of my very favorite things to do, both at the end of the year and all through the next one!