Walking, running, dancing, anything that gets a person moving, is a good thing. Whether it’s moderate or vigorous exercise, people need to stay active in order to stay healthy. The Mineral Community Hospital Wellness Committee has set up programs to help area residents become a little healthier. They’ve set up a six-week program with participants walking 150 minutes per week.

The program began June first and will end on July 12. It includes information which can be found on a U.S. Department of Agriculture website: choosemyplate.gov. This site has exercise and nutrition information along with a wide variety of programs to fit every age and lifestyle.

As a result of the walking program, an evening of “information and exploration” took place through a consortium of the Great Burn Study Group, the Montana Wilderness Association and the Mission Valley Back County Horseman groups. The groups talked about hiking, camping and the area history on Wednesday, June 22 in the Ambulance Station of the hospital in Superior.

The meeting was a great way for people to learn about the outdoor opportunities in the area, and the work that goes into maintaining the trails and camp sites.

Jim Cyr, a well-known area hiker and historian, gave a short talk about leading groups into some local lakes in Mineral County. He has been to all 57 lakes, multiple times and will share the history and show hikers interesting historical facts. For example, where Indian fire rings can be found, and pioneer headstones.

The first hike was planned for Friday, June 24 with a six mile round-trip to the Idaho/Montana state line above Bonanza Lake. However it was rescheduled for Tuesday, June 28 because of bad weather. He also plans on taking a group to Cliff and Diamond Lakes. The date for that hike is to be determined.

A third six-mile hike is scheduled for Saturday, July 9, from Hoodoo Pass to Heart Lake. This will be a one-way hike and shuttles will be provided to bring hikers back to the starting point.

For all these events, hikers will meet at the Mountain View Village Assisted Living at the hospital. They will need to bring water and snacks, and wear good hiking shoes, and bring a first aid kit if available.

All hikes are free of charge and people can contain Monte Turner at (406) 822-5122 for more information.

Beth Kennedy, with the Forest Service, also gave a presentation on Wednesday evening. She showed slides of lakes, trails and local events. One event, held in May, is the “11 miles to Paradise” river trail run. This event attracts over 300 runners, which starts at Quinn’s Hot Springs. She also talked about the Trail Rail run, which was held a few weeks ago in St. Regis. Which also attracted nearly 200 runners. She emphasized the point that these trails are popular and have economic value.

Laura Nelson, with the Mission Valley Backcountry Horsemen, talked about activities their group does in the area. Though they are located in Ronan, members regularly clear a lot of trails for the Forest Service around Mineral County. Including Flat Rock Trail near Camel’s Hump.

She said they do it because they use the trails in the area frequently, “there are over 23 thousand miles of trails in Montana. The Forest Service doesn’t have the workforce to clear all of them.”

Beverly Dupree, with the Great Burn Study Group, discussed some of the work their group does in the area. It started over 40 years ago as a result of the 1910 fires. They help with weed mitigation and invasive species control. In some areas they have volunteers who pull weeds, like knapweed. They spray for weeds in the back country, or they may use biological controls. The group is planning six trips this summer starting on July 7. They will go into French Lake, Kelly Creek, Goose Lake in Idaho, Straight Creek, Heart Lake, and Dalton Lake. They are always looking for volunteers, from age 8 to 88, to help with their projects.

Montana Wilderness Association representative, Bert Lindler, said they have compiled a lot of information about the area. There are 150 hikes available on wildmontana.org which are free and open to the public. They give people the opportunity to enjoy Montana’s wild places with experienced volunteers to guide them. Hikes in Mineral County include Hub Lake on July 2, Heart Lake on July 28, and Schley Mountain near Alberton on August 18.