Montana has a lot to offer the outdoor enthusiast who craves the hard-packed earth of a trail over asphalt. The Bitterroot Valley is no exception, with hundreds of miles of trails all around, both in the mountains and the river valleys. Trails offer access to some of the Bitterroot Valley’s most incredible and remote places. To access these wild places people can bike, hike, or even run the trail systems, and because trails take people away from civilization, it’s important that people keep themselves safe on the trail.
Trail Running:
Trail running is becoming a popular sport. It’s a sport for most anyone who is fit, but it does differ from road running in the technical application of it. Road running often times keeps a person near civilization, and usually the asphalt or concrete sidewalks are moderately flat.
It’s common in road running to consider the workout in terms of distance—how many miles can someone run at a particular pace—but for the trail runner, it’s best to run for time, and, if you are a technical runner, for elevation gained over the course of a run.
Oftentimes the trails will have a much steeper grade than a road, and, in the case of mountain trails, will by nature initially climb to steep elevations as it ascends up the mountain. On certain trails one half mile of steep elevation could equate to an immense effort to run it.
Hiking
Treat hiking similar to trail running, however with a few more caveats. Hikers who cover miles of trail in an afternoon, who plan on a return trip in the same day, should be cautious of the weather, and know when it’s time to turn back around.
Being caught in a thunderstorm at the top of a mountain is no fun. Also, because a hiker oftentimes has the benefit of carrying a backpack, pack enough food and supplies, water—or methods to treat water—to last for the trip. Also, a first aid kit should be a staple in any backpack.
There are other helpful tips to keep yourself safe out on the trails in the Bitterroot Valley—bear spray, proper clothing/footwear, etc. just to name a few—but it’s going to be up to you, as to how you’ll need to prepare for each particular adventure. We hope you continue to safely enjoy your time in the outdoors, and enjoy the rest of the summer.
