Jeff Schmerker
Early season destination
The west and south faces of Mt. Sentinel are typically the first spots around Missoula to melt off and dry out, so the Crooked Trail can be a good early spring option. This old road is open to mountain bikers and hikers. It starts roughly at the top of the Mo Z trail on the southwest flank of Sentinel and contours around the north side of Pattee Canyon, linking up to the Crazy Canyon Trail about 2.5 miles later. From the front of Sentinel, the city is apparent and occasionally loud, but as soon as you round the flank of the mountain the noise goes away and it's another world entirely.
