Category Archives: News

Trail 2 open for the year

Trail 2 Maintenance, July 7, 2016

The North Fork Trails Association is pleased to announce that Trail 2 is now open. Randy Kenyon, Alan Peura and Bill Walker removed all the downfall and brushed the trail out a bit on July 7.

Trail 2 is a popular trail running from Moran Basin Road to Coal Ridge, the location of a number of old lookouts, including the 1928 “Coal Ridge Patrol Cabin.”

We were in a hurry to clear the trail because there is an upcoming hike along Trail 2 to Coal Ridge in conjunction with the Montana Wilderness Association’s Wilderness Walks program on July 16. See the NFTA schedule at https://nftrails.org/calendar/#activities for details, including a registration link.

Passing the (hard)hat on the 4th

Polebridge 4th of July Parade, 2016 – Floating on the 4th

John O’Hara had a great idea for this year’s Polebridge Fourth of July parade. There’s a delay between the time the parade passes through town outbound and when it gets turned around for the return trip. John brought in a popular local magician to perform during this intermission. At the beginning of his act, he announced that the North Fork Trails Association was in need of funds and asked folks to toss whatever they could spare into the hardhats NFTA members were passing through the crowd.

Polebridge 4th of July Parade, 2016 – Pole Dancers

We did well, collecting $178 in short order. That was enough to make it a very good day for our humble organization, but then “Cheryl and Mike,” whose “Polebridge Pole Dancers” float won first prize, donated their prize money ($100) to the NFTA and matched it with another $100! Make that an excellent day!

Polebridge 4th of July Parade, 2016 – Glacier NP

A big thank you to John O’Hara for setting up this scheme, to parade participants “Cheryl and Mike” for their generous donation and to all the NFTA members (including hat-passers, Dick Leigh, Alan Peura and Logan Funk and magician victim “Mrs. Polebridge” Janet Leigh) who helped us pull it off.

National Trails Day celebration a big success in the North Fork

Thanks to Debo Powers for this report . . .

2016 National Trails Day – Trail Crew

Seventeen people (including 9 members of the North Fork Trails Association) showed up last Saturday morning to work on the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNT). The PNT passes through the North Fork on its way from the Pacific Ocean to Chief Mountain on the east side of Glacier National Park. The event was organized by Stephanie Campbell, the regional manager for the PNT. Several members of the Montana Conservation Corp joined other volunteers to work on the trail. A delicious lunch was served for volunteers at the Polebridge Mercantile following the trail work.

National Trails Day in the North Fork! – Sat., June 4

Love Trails? Join Us to Get Outside & Give Back!

Join the Pacific Northwest Trail Association, Montana Conservation Corps, and the North Fork Trails Association for a day of outdoor fun, stewardship, and community on the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail!

– Tell me more!: After meeting at Polebridge Mercantile in the morning, we will carpool to the Hay Creek Trailhead, hiking while removing trail brush and obstacles. Be sure to bring your own pack with warm layers, rain gear, and plenty of water and snacks! Long pants and sturdy footwear are a must!

– I’m in! But is there food?: Barbecue lunch provided by Polebridge Mercantile and the Pacific Northwest Trail Association.

– How do I get there and back?: Meet at Polebridge Mercantile @ 9:15am or take a MCC shuttle to Polebridge from Columbia Falls’ Super 1 leaves @ 8:15am. Shuttle back to Columbia Falls from Polebridge leaves at 2:30pm.

For more information contact Stephanie Campbell: scampbell@pnt.org or 765-465-9891.

**If you plan on attending, please RSVP to scampbell@pnt.org.**

View/download the
National Trails Day
event poster
(JPG, 411KB).

Check out the ‘National Trails Day on the Pacific Northwest Trail’ Facebook event page.

Forest Service backs off (for now) on reductions in Montana trail maintenance funding

Trail 2, mile 2, Flathead NF, July 10, 2014 – by W. K. Walker

In the face of some angry senatorial blow-back, the Forest Service has restored full trail maintenance funding in Region 1. For now . . .

The U.S. Forest Service has dropped its proposal to reduce funding for trail maintenance in Montana. The agency originally planned to reduce appropriations for Region One, which includes Montana, by 30 percent over the next three years. This included a potential loss of $1 million to Montana’s federal trail budget this year.

U.S. Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester criticized Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell last week for failing to prioritize trail maintenance in Montana. The agency proposed revising its formula for funding trail maintenance across the U.S. with an added emphasis on higher population centers. In Region One, there are 28,000 miles of federally managed trails.

The agency on Friday said it would reconsider the formula change and withdrew the proposal.

MWA rolls out online Montana hiking guide

MWA – hikewildmontana.org poster

The Montana Wilderness Association announced today their shiny, new online hiking guide for Montana at hikewildmontana.org. Here’s what Brian Sybert, MWA executive director has to say about it:

Today, we’re celebrating a new chapter in MWA’s long and proud tradition of connecting people to Montana’s special places that deserve protection. We’re celebrating the state’s first-ever online, statewide trail guide – hikewildmontana.org.

Made possible by a generous grant from the Montana Office of Tourism, hikewildmontana.org is a one-stop, comprehensive tool for finding a trail in just about any given area across the state, east or west.

Hikewildmontana.org allows users to:

Discover trails recommended by local residents.
Locate trails on an electronic map.
Choose a perfect path based on distance and elevation gain.
View waterfalls, badlands, ancient forests, big views, and other natural wonders.
Review trail conditions added by recent hikers and add their own trip reports.
Contribute their own trail descriptions.
Find a great place near the trailhead to stay for the night or have breakfast, a burger, or a beer.

I encourage you to read more about the guide or check out hikewildmontana.org now and see all the great hikes that await, either in your backyard or the next time you visit Montana.