Guided snowshoe walks offered across state

The Daily Inter Lake

January marks the beginning of the sixth season for the Montana Wilderness Association's popular Winter Snowshoe Walks program.

This year, 47 guided snowshoe journeys are planned for some of the state's most magnificent backcountry, according to a news release from the wilderness group. If you want to experience the quiet beauty of Montana's backcountry splendor, this program is for you.

This year there are plenty of outings for families with children, moderate walks for the more experienced, and strenuous trips for adventurous types.

All outings are free and open to the public, but participants need to make reservations by contacting the hike leader. The Montana Wilderness Association will provide snowshoes for participants if necessary.

Trips will explore canyons on the Rocky Mountain Front, the dense forests of Northwest Montana, the prairie foothills and forests of the Absaroka-Beartooth region, and the Island and Great Divide ranges in the central part of the state.

In Northwest Montana, there are 10 different hikes scheduled, including easy walks to Stanton Lake, Ross Creek Cedars, Estes Lakes and many more.

The winter walks schedule can be found on the association's Web site at www.wildmontana.org.

Click on "Winter Walks' in the What's New section of the home page.

You can also view each walk separately when you go to the "Events Calendar" and click on the specific date of each hike.

For more information, call 755-6304 or e-mail slund-strum@wildmontana.org.