First Day Hike Offered at Placid Lake State Park

Many of us are gearing up for productive Christmas and New Year’s festivities. Maybe with friends and family, taking some personal time to travel out of the area to warmer climates; and some of Seeley Lake’s temporary and seasonal residents are planning to come here to enjoy some of our everyday peace, spirit and small town charm.

If you are anything like me, than I bet you can close your eyes and see all the great food, treats, candies and pies. Just the thought of home cooked meals and cookies has me salivating while picturing how good they look and how great they smell.

Christmas break is a great time to spend relaxing and recharging your batteries, while spending quality time with our loved ones and letting them know how much we appreciate them in our lives. Why not take a little bit of time and start your year off right by taking yourself and your loved ones out for something that is great for both your heart and your mind?

Placid Lake State Park will be hosting a “2016 First Day Hike” Jan. 1, 2016. This fifth annual First Day Hike will offer a great way to get outside, exercise, enjoy nature and welcome the New Year with friends and family.

Come out and join Placid Lake State Park Manager on an interpretive hike over top of Placid Lake. In a fun, and casual format you can expect to learn about some of the lakes historical and modern significance. The hike will be approximately one mile in length and will take place almost completely on the lake ice.

Participants can expect to learn some basics of winter safety and survival including: Effects of cold and hypothermia, dressing appropriately, drilling ice test holes and checking ice thickness, how to start and build a warming fire in snow conditions and, if time and interest allows, we will also go through some basics of ice fishing. Remember, anyone wishing to try their hand at ice fishing must have a valid fishing license.

Finally, we plan to have a small sampling of both snow shoes and cross-country skis for participants to try on and experience. Because cross country skis need to have an individual fit, there may be less opportunity to try these for participants.

First Day Hikes originated over 20 years ago at the Blue Hills Reservation, a state park in Milton, Mass. The program was launched to promote both healthy lifestyles throughout the year and encourage year-round recreation in state parks.

Last year marked the first time that all 50 state park systems participated in the event; Montana State Parks has participated in the event every year since it became a nationally promoted event in 2010. This fifth annual First Day Hike coincides with the National Park Service centennial celebration.

All state park systems throughout the U.S. owe a debt of gratitude toward the early efforts of the National Park Service at the turn of the 18th century. In 1917 the National Park Service designated its first Director Stephen Mather through legislation.

The idea for a National Park was originally conceived and realized in the U.S. with, as many people know, Yellowstone National Park. It was greeted with overwhelming popularity and success by the public, who continued clamoring, championing and demanding for more parks.

Unfortunately, there was not sufficient funding to meet all the needs and desires for both the creation of various parks, along with their inherent operational and infrastructural needs of any such park. Mather saw an opportunity to formalize his idea for a State Park movement. This idea for every state to have its own state park commission would allow every state to manage priceless sites that, through lack of size or location, were not quite up to National Park standards but still very worthy of protection.

From these humble beginnings, the idea for state park systems began to find their place through public support and gained momentum for the protection of diverse lands at the local state level.

If a casual and relaxing interpretive hike is something that interests you, plan on meeting me at Placid Lake State Park - Day Use Area (located on the north end of Placid Lake) beginning at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 1. The hike should be over at approximately 12:30 p.m. depending on how many hike participants arrive. Please dress warm as there are no public facilities for you to warm up in.

Snowshoes or cross-country skis are permissible and encouraged, however cross-country skiers will not be allowed to pass the hike leader due to ice safety concerns. Bring enough drink to keep yourself hydrated and any snacks or food you might want while on the hike.

If you wish to bring a pet, it must be on a leash at all times to ensure that others are comfortable and not distracted. Anyone wishing to ensure a spot on the hike, or if you just have general questions, is encouraged to call the park manager and hike leader Ryan Sokoloski at 406-677-6804 prior to Jan. 1. Although unlikely, if lake conditions are dangerous, the event will be canceled.

This event is free and open to anyone who is interested and every effort will be made to aid and accommodate all participants.

I’ll see you out in your Montana State Park.