|
|
|
| |
The Lolo National Forest in Montana sort of straddles the "banana
belt" of the state which is the general Missoula area. This
part of Montana is generally warmer than other parts of the state
during the winter and with less snowfall. All that changes though
when you head up into the mountains and thus the beginning of
the Lolo National Forest.
With elevations ranging from 4,000 to 9,000 feet you can expect
the usual range of extremes. When we camp in the Lolo National
Forest every fall, we come prepared for a wide variety of weather.
Important pieces of gear are sunscreen, a sun blocking hat, a
wind blocking jacket, a warm long sleeve top, a couple pairs of
wool socks, broken in boots, a pair of sandals, a light pair of
hiking pants, warmer pants, a matching set of long underwear,
gloves and a knit hat. A quality tent that can withstand moderate
storms and a sleeping bag that is rated at least to 30 degrees
F in real world use are essential in this national forest. We
say this a lot about sleeping bags, but it is very important.
Make sure you know how your sleeping bag handles real world temps.
Testing it out in your house isn't going to prepare you for nights
in a mountain national forest. Few things ruin a camping trip
like sleeping cold. Usually that is the one thing you will remember
with the most vivid detail after your trip.
A good supply of water is a must. Many of the campgrounds do have
water pumps,, but sometimes they are out of order and they shut
down early in the fall. We like to fill up on water jugs before
arriving, and we also invest in a water filter for backup use.
We have found that spending $60 on a water filter usually pays
for itself in a year or two in gas saved by not having to take
water trips back to town. This is one of the most popular filters:
Water filter 
The Lolo National Forest like most mountain areas has common afternoon
thunderstorms in the summer. These are usually very brief, but
they can bring lightning so don't treat them too lightly. You
want to be away from high points, cliffs and tall trees that provide
an easy target.
We have never found mosquitos to be a particular
problem in the Lolo. The forest and parks out east are much worse
for bugs in our experience.
The Lolo National Forest can easily drop to freezing at night
in the summer. Keep those wool socks handy.....
January maximum: 29 minimum: 15
April maximum: 55 minimum: 30
July maximum: 81 minimum: 49
October maximum: 65 minimum: 35
Image Note: Old growth ponderosa pine trees deep in the Lolo National
Forest of Montana.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Download the Rock Creek Campground Pack for Lolo
National Forest in iPod, Quicktime, iTunes, WMP 12 and VideoLan
format. See what the campgrounds are really like.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Parkcamper: Northern Rocky
Mountains Edition features
the campgrounds of Glacier,
Yellowstone, Grand Teton,
Badlands and Theodore
Roosevelt National Parks.
Click the DVD to order!
|
|
|
|
