Mount Helena Gives and Gives and Gives

There really is a little of something for almost everyone on Mount Helena.

Mount Helena rises to a total height of 5,464 feet (1665m), about 1,400 feet (426m) above the Helena Valley. There are at least 33 miles (53k) of trails spread out across the 36 named trails that run across, around, and away from the hill. No fewer than a dozen trailheads give you access to the hill in a huge variety of trail types. 

In addition, it’s quite lovely just to look at- with Helena wrapped around its lower flanks. People walk or run on the trails daily. During the cold, dark months, I see headlamps at the top nearly every morning when I walk the Lab at 7am. 

It, of course, provides birders, wildflowerers, and photographers with months of enjoyment. 

Mountain bikers are spread out all across the hill on any even half-way decent day. There is a modest rock climbing area on the cliff face. I’ve seen Nordic ski tracks all over the lower slopes.

But this always brings a huge grin to my face when I see this. Telemark tracks down the face on the fresh 12 inches (30cm) of snow we received a couple of days ago. I watched a neighbor walk out his front door with is fat skis over his shoulder yesterday. I know at least some of those tracks belong to him. On occasion, I see a single wide track and I know that snowboarders are going ‘off-piste’ on Mount Helena, too. 

All of that rolled into one nice little, year-round package deal.

That, my friends, is a city park that knows how to take care of its people!

I took these images this morning when I was walking the Labrador in Centennial Park.