Squaw (Ch-paa-qn) Peak Hike

As fire season has not yet begun, half-way through the catch-up week at home between weeks of camp nursing, Judy & I spent a day climbing 7,996 foot Ch-paa-qn Peak. The 3.5 mile ridge trail that borders the Flathead Indian Reservation, starts in meadows of blooming Beargrass. Trail 98 climbs 1,836 feet through sub-alpine fir & lodgepole pine forest & through meadows with slate talus slides until it meets trail 707 & trail 746 at this tree marker 0.6 miles below where the talus-covered peak begins. Along the trail, we saw Huckleberries, Lupines, Indian paintbrush, Spring Beauties, Missoula Phlox & several new varieties of blooming plants that I need to identify. Deer, chipmunks, rabbits, 3 hummingbirds & zillions of mosquitos & flies also shared our hike.

After three hours of steady hiking, we reached the summit of Squaw Peak...now called Ch-paa-qn Peak to be politically correct. Judy & I always pray-hike, so she pulled out her cell phone & called to check on the relative who was having an adrenal tumor removed surgically that morning as we rested at the summit. The view is a 360-degree delight. To the NW is the Cabinet Range, N is Flathead Lake & the Bison Range, NE are the Mission Mountains, E is the Rattlesnake Wilderness, S & SW is the Bitterroot Range & SE are the Sapphire Range, Flint Creek & Anaconda-Pintlers.

Two alpine lakes lie at the foot of the talus-covered peak on the north side. A few snowbanks were hidden well on the north side. We saw no snow on the south side trails. What a blessing our good health & this gorgeous scenery continues to be.