This hike is cosponsored by the Montana Jewish Project and the Great Falls Jewish Hikers.

We will be meeting at the Waterline Trailhead parking lot on Oro Fino Gulch Road at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 4.

We will go along Waterline to the middle trail (forget name at the moment), then to Rodney meadow, Rent Money, Top of the World, down Pinchot Trail, back down to Waterline and presto – we will have done about a 3 ½ or 4 mile loop. There will be a 10 minute Torah discussion about halfway through the route. Afterwards, some of us are going to grab a bagel.

I hope you’ll join us on Sunday, June 4!

Detailed directions thanks to Claudia below. Martha

Screenshot from Google maps

See some specific directions below.

Once you are on South Park Street (also called “Main Street”), continue south past Park Ave Bakery and Blackfoot Brewery on your right and Lewis and Clark Public Library on your left. You will come to a fork in the road – Oro Fino Gulch to your left, Grizzly Gulch to your right – veer left onto Oro Fino Gulch. You will see a small parking area on your left about half mile up the road – this is the Waterline Trailhead.

If you have any trouble parking here, you could choose to park on Grizzly Gulch by veering right instead of left at the fork, and parking in lot you will see just a few yards up on your right.

1. I-15 South to exit 192 (Prospect Ave/Hwy 12)

2. Turn right onto Prospect Ave. (one way street; get in left or middle lane – both allow you to turn left)

3. Turn left onto Montana Ave. (you will see Safeway, then Jimmy Johns on your left; tire place on the right)

4. Drive up to Broadway St. (past the Capitol on your left)
Turn right onto Broadway St.

5. Follow Broadway to Park Ave. (dead ends at Park Ave)
Take left onto Park Ave. and up past brewery on your left, library on your right.

6. You will come to fork in the road, Oro Fino Gulch to your left, Grizzly Gulch to your right – veer left onto Oro Fino Gulch.

7. Waterline trailhead will be on your left about half mile up. Parking area there.

1. I-15 North to exit 192 (Prospect Ave/Hwy 12)

2. Turn left onto Prospect Ave. (one way street; get in left or middle lane – both allow you to turn left)

3. Turn left onto Montana Ave. (you will see Safeway, then Jimmy Johns on your left; tire place on the right)

4. Drive up to Broadway St. (past the Capitol on your left) Turn right onto Broadway St.

5. Follow Broadway to Park Ave. (dead ends at Park Ave)
Take left onto Park Ave. and up past brewery on your left, library on your right.

6. You will come to fork in the road, Oro Fino Gulch to your left, Grizzly Gulch to your right – veer left onto Oro Fino Gulch.

7. Waterline trailhead will be on your left about half mile up. Parking area there.

1. Highway 12 turns into Prospect Ave. Stay on Hwy 12/Prospect Ave. (one way street; get in left or middle lane – both allow you to turn left)

2. Turn left onto Montana Ave. (you will see Safeway, then Jimmy Johns on your left; tire place on the right)

3. Drive up to Broadway St. (past the Capitol on your left) Turn right onto Broadway St.

4. Follow Broadway to Park Ave. (dead ends at Park Ave)

5. Take left on Park Ave. and up past brewery on your left, library on your right.

6. You will come to fork in the road, Oro Fino Gulch to your left, Grizzly Gulch to your right – veer left onto Oro Fino Gulch.

7. Waterline trailhead will be on your left about half mile up. Parking area there.

1. Continue on Hwy 12 into town (turns into Lyndale, also called Euclid)

2. Turn right onto N Benton St. (Van’s Thriftway, then Hardees on your left)

3. Benton turns into Park Avenue. Continue on Park Ave – past City-County Building on your left, then and brewery on your left, library on your right.

4. You will come to fork in the road, Oro Fino Gulch to your left, Grizzly Gulch to your right – veer left onto Oro Fino Gulch.

5. Waterline trailhead will be on your left about half mile up. Parking area there.

Submitted by Aaron Weissman.

From Wendy: If anyone is interested we can arrange carpools to Helena. Google maps says that the ride is 1 hour 35 minutes from my house, but going through the canyon could slow us down – it has us going maximum speed through the canyon and I know I don’t drive that fast through there. I think we should meet at 745 at Smiths parking lot (near the gas pumps) and arrange rides from there. By the time we figure out rides we should be on the road by 8 which should be enough time.

I do need to stay in Helena for a Montana Jewish Project board meeting after the hike (the organization that bought the synagogue building) but I think Aaron and I will be driving separately so Aaron will be able to transport people there and back – and if necessary my car can hold more people and we can switch cars on the way home so he can load more people into my car to take them back to Great Falls.

Does that sound reasonable? I don’t think we need to take a ton of cars to Helena so by meeting at 745 we have a few minutes to arrange rides.

I believe we will be gathering for bagels with the Helena folks after the hike for those who want, so either bring a lunch or be prepared to buy a bagel. Or maybe there is a car that just wants to head back without bagels since I am sure we will have several cars traveling to Helena.

The Montana Jewish Project presents a unique and intimate house concert with Nani Noam Vazana in Helena on Tuesday, June 28 at 7:30 P.M. Nani composes and sings in the endangered Judeo-Spanish language of Ladino.  Her soundscape bridges this ancient tradition to modern life.  She has performed at the Kennedy Center and is ranked on the Top 20 World Music Charts in Europe.

Please click here to find out more about this Israeli singer/songwriter.
Please click here for more information about the concert in Helena or to purchase tickets.  Seats are limited.
Please click here for information about the Montana Jewish Project.