Helena, Montana was a mining town. A lot of towns around here were mining towns. Gold was discovered in Confederate Gulch and with each successive discovery, more people poured into the region. Most of the people who remain in Helena have government jobs, be they county, state, or federal. Helena is, after all, the state capitol. It also possesses a pleasant mountain with a moderate hike.
We had been huddled away in our hotel, working for several days, so now was the time to get outside and stretch our legs. The hike has a steady, modest incline that alternates between knee-high grasses and brush to shady trees. After avoiding most of the summer’s heat in temperate national parks, this was probably the warmest hike we had engaged in for a while. All the same, the view you can see of Helena and the surrounding areas is gorgeous.
