Be Bear Aware       MT Hunter Ed       MT Hunt Planner       MT Fishing Guide       Lightning Safety

FlatheadTrails.com

Great Northern Mountain - Great Bear Wilderness

(SummitPost.org - Bob Sihler, Posted 9/2/10Great Northern Mountain is part of the the Flathead Range and is the monarch of the Great Bear Wilderness. It is not high as great mountains go, but its ruggedness, remoteness and northerly latitude make it a great and challenging peak that offers Glacier Park-like scenery without the Glacier crowds. From the summit, there are outstanding views of southern Glacier National Park, nearby summits such as Mount Grant, and the receding Stanton Glacier. It is a beautiful mountain with beautiful views, and it is a gem among Montana's many.

Right photo: Great Northern's west face - By saintgrizzly

Great Northern is not a mountain that is very easy to see well from paved roads. When one is close enough to the peak to see it in any detail, trees usually obscure the view. But from U.S. 2, which parallels the Middle Fork Flathead River on the northern side of the wilderness area, there are occasional glimpses of two snowy peaks... (Read entire article)



FlatheadTrails.com

Really Endangered? - Activists will stop paying for wolf kills in Idaho and 5 other states

(Belingham Herald, - Rocky Barker, Posted 9/1/10) The Defenders of Wildlife will end its ground-breaking program to compensate ranchers for livestock losses on Sept. 10. The private program has paid out more than $1.4 million for losses from wolves and grizzly bears since it was started in 1987. Defenders said then it would continue the program until the predators were no longer protected as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act...

...Idaho Department of Fish and Game Director Cal Groen said Monday he remembers a different promise - to pay ranchers until wolves were no longer protected at all... (Read entire article)



FlatheadTrails.com

Too Many Places To Hunt - Advice on figuring out where to hunt on Montana's overwhelming 30 million acres of public land

(Montana Outdoors, 2007 - Dave Carty, Posted 8/24/10) At around 275 pounds, my buddy John is no candidate for "Dancing with the Stars." But for a few days every September he puts on his game face and the two of us chase blue grouse in the vast public forests of southwestern Montana. Last year I hunted with John while also working the kinks out of a new setter puppy, named Hanna. It turned out that I found the first birds before Hanna did. They flushed and vanished, but she relocated them a few minutes later, back on the ground. This time when one of the grouse went up, John snapped off a shot and it dropped like a stone. Hanna made her first wild-bird retrieve and proudly returned with the grouse in her mouth.

That particular section of national forest is great for blue grouse, and it's a spot any hunter could find on his own. Whether for grouse and other upland birds, waterfowl, or big game, Montana is blessed with millions of acres of public hunting land. These include state and national forests, state wildlife management areas (WMAs) and fishing access sites, federal waterfowl production areas (WPAs) and national wildlife refuges (NWRs), and other land owned and managed by the state and the Bureaus of Land Management (BLM) and Reclamation (BOR). In total, Montana contains more than 30 million acres of public hunting land.

The only drawback to having so much public property available is figuring out just where to begin. Fortunately, land management agencies provide exceptional maps detailing the boundaries of their holdings. All a hunter needs is a pair of legs and the willingness to do some exploring... (Read entire article)



FlatheadTrails.com

Whitefish Resort Announces New Uphill Travel Policy

(Flathead Beacon 8/17/10) Whitefish Mountain Resort announced a new uphill travel policy last week, laying down clear guidelines for skiers, snowboarders and snowshoers who wish to ascend the slopes of Big Mountain during the winter. The new policy is less restrictive than what resort officials instituted in March, and takes steps to address the key desire outlined by locals during an April public comment period: allowing evening ascents and descents until 7 p.m., as opposed to the former policy, which forbid uphill travel after the chairlifts closed for the day... (Read entire article)



In Search of the Elusive Montana Huckleberry

(FT 8/10/10) It is that time of year again, the time when you can find carloads of people traveling up to their secret mountain destination in pursuit of one of our great treasures, the Montana Huckleberry. While this past weekend was my first official trip into the mountains to refill the annual stock, I was reminded of the season the previous weekend during a wilderness backpacking trip when we were slowed a bit because we kept stopping along the trail to forage on the tasty red and purple beauties.

Huckleberries in Montana come in various color shades between red and dark purple. They are a little more tart and flavorful than their Blueberry cousins, are of the genus “Vaccinium” of which three species account for most of the berries commonly found in western Montana...(Read entire article)



FlatheadTrails.com

Climbing Little Matterhorn - Glacier NP

(SummitPost.org - Vantana) Little Mattherhorn is a small peak that sits above Avalanche lake at the foot of Sperry Glacier. It rises sharply on all sides forming a striking spire that reminds one of the Matterhorn of European fame. The elevation gain from the base is only about 600 ft. While this peak is diminuitive compared to the much higher surrouding peaks, make no mistake, the climb can be intense and has a few exposed pitches that can be dangerous for those with limited climbing skills. If your tolerance to exposure is low, this may not be a climb for you. However, once on top the views are quite rewarding. One can see Sperry Glacier, Snyder lake, Avalanche lake, Floral Park, Mt Edwards, Gunsight Peak and Mt Reynolds among others.

Getting to the base of this peak is not easy and requires some hiking. It requires a full day to summit and return without camping overnight. There are two standard approaches and both start at the Sperry Chalet Trailhead across from Lake McDonald Lodge... (Read entire article)




Hiking the Ten Lakes Scenic Area

(FT 5/8/10) Ten Lakes Scenic Area, northeast of Eureka, MT in the Fortine Ranger District of Kootenai National Forest, is situated within the northwest portion of the Whitefish range. While it never has been designated an official wilderness area, it is managed as such by the Forest Service. There are a number of trails into and within the Ten Lakes area which provide a wealth of hiking and horse packing opportunities. There are also traditional camping areas at Big and Little Therriault Lakes.

The Ten Lakes area is accessed from US Highway 93 (three miles north of Fortine) by Grave Creek Road (#114). Turn right and follow 14 miles to the junction with Road #319. Keep to the left and continue 14 miles to Road #7085 then on to the end... (Read entire article)



Featured Stories Archive



Additional Resources/Links:

Glacier National Park Flathead NF Kootenai NF MT FWP Glacier Avalanche Search and Rescue Bob Marshall Wilderness Glacier Nordic Flathead Co NorthShore Nordic Glacier Nordic Big Sky Fishing Flathead Valley Flathead Valley Flathead Valley The Whitefish Trail


FlatheadTrails on Facebook       FlatheadTrails on Twitter       RSS Feed    

Home       About       Search Trails/Resources       Maps       Contact