It’s December 21, 2009, just a few days before Christmas, and I need to get out of the house. I’m hurt that the Pattee Canyon trailhead is only an 8 minute drive from my front door step. It’s 36 degrees cold, but I know the trails will be here, so grab my hiking boots and put on my new slip resistant boots.
Pattee Canyon is located at the southern tip of Missoula Montana, about 10 miles from the University of Montana campus. It has three parking areas each at different elevations. It also has a picnic area, camping area and Folf field if you feel like it. The trails are open year-round and even on the coldest days you’ll find several die-hard hikers traversing the beautiful scenery.
I decide to start my journey at the lower trailhead labeled ‘Crazy Canyon’. Before taking off, I have to make a point to drop all the stress of the day and just “be” in nature. The trail takes me right up the side of the mountain with very little backtracking action. It’s great here, but my anti-slip straps are proving to be a good investment, they don’t slip at all.
At the top of my hike, I come across an old rotten tree stump with a single white egg on top of some of the dried up remains. At first I think it might have fallen out of a nest, but upon closer inspection it’s an unbroken chicken egg… strange. I let it be. There must be a story behind this strange phenomenon, but I don’t want to ruin my walk with too much mental activity.
I take a different path in the decent. I realize it’s easy to rush downhill, so I have to control myself. I do this by drawing attention to the clean, fresh air and letting the stillness of nature soak into my being. I know it sounds a bit… mystical, but that’s what I expected from my hikes in Pattee Canyon.