By KD Dickinson and Jean Clark
This fall has been a special gift, with the beautiful weather. One doesn’t have to go far to enjoy a little outside time in the evenings after a hard days work. One of our favorite evening activities is to go for a modest walk or even a strenuous hike. With so many trails taking off from different places in town, one can be up and above it all in minutes.
A leisurely walk down the Kim Williams Trail will remind anyone how gorgeous our valley is and how generous our community has been. Another favorite walk, a little more of a workout, is a hike up Waterworks Hill that takes off from the lower Rattlesnake. This will give you a really nice view of the sunset, nice prairie flowers, sweeping hills and a nice vantage point of the Rattlesnake Wilderness.
But we especially enjoy the trails up Sentinel. Wow, talk about getting above it all. In a matter of minutes you can be perched above the valley with a bird’s eye view of both town and the wilderness. It’s such a great workout, but you can make it as strenuous or as leisurely as you please. There’s often a sense of camaraderie with your fellow hikers, even if it’s just a friendly nod and smile. There’s an unspoken mutual greeting of “Wow, what a great place to walk, a nice evening, and a good life here in Missoula.”
Whether you hike to the “M”, stroll around your neighborhood, wander the Lincoln Hills Loop or summit the Pengelly Trail, it’s all about appreciation of the peace and beauty we share in our community. A special thank you goes out to all those who worked so hard to preserve this space and make our community so much richer.
Remember, next time you’re sitting in traffic, the hills are all around you, and you can escape to them so easily, even if only in your mind for a few minutes during your busy work day.
Filed under: Northside & Westside Neighborhoods | Tagged: hike, trails, walks | Leave a Comment »




