Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 1 14 These sentinels of the high country exhibit peak color up to one month before their lowland cousins. Therefore, the optimal time to observe alpine larches usually coincides with much of the period during which aspens display peak color in Glacier National Park and the Rocky Mountain Front. Consequently, few people, except for hikers and backpackers, have the opportunity to see alpine larches in their autumnal glory. Western larches, on the other hand, populate valleys and the lower slopes of mountains throughout much of north- western Montana. If weather and road conditions permit, the North Fork area, with its extensive larch stands and gorgeous, glacially carved lakes, is the one can't-miss desti- nation for larch hunters in Glacier National Park. This wilderness enclave is accessible from Columbia Falls and West Glacier via two parallel roads that follow oppos- ing sides of the North Fork of the Flathead River. For the quickest route, take the Camas Road from Apgar Junc- tion to its intersection with the Outside North Fork Road (Montana Highway 486). Follow the latter road north to the Polebridge Junction, recross the North Fork of the Flathead and, from Polebridge, take the Inside North Fork Road to Bowman Lake, via a spur road, or Kintla Lake Campground, where it ends. Either destination provides a spectacular exclamation point to a tour of this remote area. Peak color at Kintla and Bowman lakes typically occurs around October 22-25. Views of larch stands from more southerly portions of the Outside North Fork Road are less stunning but illustrate fundamental characteristics of this species' biology. Young larch trees there are repopulating areas where the skeletal trunks of fire-scorched conifers still stand. Larch seedlings commonly grow at a rate of one foot per year for their first four years. Such rapid growth enables larches, which are highly intolerant of shade, to maintain height dominance over competitors for up to a century. Western larches also are heavily concentrated along sections of the Camas Road, particularly its eastern termi- nus and the bridge over McDonald Creek, as well as the riparian corridor of the Middle Fork of the Flathead, and the Hungry Horse Reservoir. Indeed, the phrase "thick as fleas" aptly describes the population density of larch in mountains surrounding Hungry Horse. If, however, you want to thoroughly explore this area, allocate a full day. The reservoir is circumnavigated by 112 miles of Forest Service roads, of which only eleven are paved. U.S. High- way 2 from West Glacier to Essex and Goat Lick Overlook provides sweeping views of larch stands near Glacier's southern border, plus dramatic, albeit distant, glimpses of one of the park's most distinctive peaks, Mount Saint Nicholas, which closely resembles the Matterhorn. For a representative sample of fall color in areas west of Glacier, take Highway 2 from Kalispell to Libby, then the Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway (MT 37) north to Eureka and from there, follow U.S. Highway 93 south to Kalispell. The most photogenic larch stands visible from this 225-mile loop populate areas traversed by Highway 2, most notably ROBERT SCHMITTOU

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