Polebridge will have its usual (I use the term advisedly) Fourth of July parade this year. Here’s how the Hungry Horse News puts it:
“The Fourth of July parade at Polebridge will start at noon… The Northern Lights Saloon will have an outdoor barbecue in the afternoon and serve dinners. Polebridge has one of the most unique and shortest parades in the valley, often with hilarious political overtones. The event usually draws 1,000 to 2,000 people each year.”
The HHN also points out that there will be no fireworks (well, duh — lots of trees and long grass?) and no outdoor live music (not officially, anyways).
Here’s more North Fork coverage from New West. This article by Maggie Neal Doherty concerns her early season hike to Akokala Lake . . .
After 23 miles of dusty potholed road and a stop off at the Polebridge Mercantile for a hot turkey sandwich to add to my lunch, I pulled my camera from my backpack to shoot the stunning expanse of Bowman Lake in the spring – lake blue and mountains draped in white.
The shot didn’t happen.
In my rush must-hike-because-the-sun-is-finally-shining moment, I forgot a few things for my hike to Akokala Lake in the North Fork region of Glacier National Park. My memory card was at home, left in my computer; and as I would come to learn five miles later, so were my much-needed snowshoes.
Glacier National Park posted their weekend update today. The bulk of it discusses the ongoing work to get Logan Pass and the remainder of Going-to-the-Sun Road opened up. There’s still lots of snow to plow and no official opening date yet . . .
Plowing and rehabilitation work continue on the Going-to-the-Sun Road (Sun Road) and currently there is no estimation on when the upper sections will be cleared of the winter snow. Glacier National Park officials anticipate being able to announce a plan for additional visitor access beyond the current vehicle closure at Avalanche Creek.
Unprecedented winter snows and late spring snow storms slowed plowing progress on the Sun Road this spring. Plowing has been completed on the lower section of the road, which has allowed contractors working on the Going-to-the-Sun Road Rehabilitation Project to resume paving work between Logan Creek and the West Tunnel. Once the paving work is finished, increased access to areas of the Sun Road, beyond Avalanche Creek, may be allowed. Park officials hope to define what access would be available, sometime next week. However, until the full length of the Sun Road is plowed and open to traffic, the west side vehicle closure will remain at Avalanche Creek.
Looks like flooding concerns are easing off a bit. Here’s an early morning post to the Daily Inter Lake . . .
A couple of warm days and a few heavy rainstorms haven’t resulted in many changes to area river levels, Flathead County Office of Emergency Services Director Scott Sampey said Thursday.
But, that could change, he said.
Forecasts call for the main Flathead River and the Middle Fork at West Glacier to reach action stage today or Saturday.
Warm weather and a deep mountain snowpack will continue to cause concern for western Montana in coming days.
Flooding is expected across the region, starting late Thursday for many smaller tributaries and creeks. Flooding along major rivers is expected late Friday and early Saturday, said Dan Zumpfe, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Missoula…
As for the Flathead, snowmelt from Canada will push the river to flood stage, likely causing problems for communities such as Polebridge and Columbia Falls.
“All (of the rivers) will be going at or above flood stage in the late Friday/early Saturday time frame,” Zumpfe said. “The good thing about this warmup is that it is short lived.”
The National Weather service has issued a flood watch for the upper end of the Flathead drainage. Currently, they are forecasting a brief period of flooding for the North Fork at the Canadian border starting late Thursday/early Friday, but not for Polebridge. Here’s the official wording . . .
… Flood Watch in effect for all stems of the Flathead river from Friday morning through Sunday morning…
The National Weather Service in Missoula has issued a
* Flood Watch for all stems of the Flathead river in northwest Montana… including the following County… Flathead.
* From Friday morning through Sunday morning
* warm temperatures this week have enhanced melting of the record snow pack throughout the Flathead river basin. Steady rises on all stems of the Flathead river are forecast and flood stages may be reached as early as Friday.
* Small streams that feed the Flathead may also rise and approach flood levels this week and through the weekend.
Precautionary/preparedness actions…
A Flood Watch means there is a potential for flooding based on current forecasts.
You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible flood warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.
In this week’s Hungry Horse News column, Larry Wilson talks about the important role of volunteerism on the North Fork, with Sondreson Hall as a prime example . . .
A couple of weeks ago, I commented on all of the work done by the North Fork Landowners Association Board of Directors and the various committees. Their efforts have ensured a great season for social and educational activities.
To me, it is even more important that they have returned the landowners association to the original goals and values envisioned by the founders of the North Fork Improvement Association, the original landowners association.
The spate of warmer weather is expected to increase water flow in the Flathead River. The current forecast for the North Fork shows it exceeding flood level briefly at the Canadian border late Thursday/early Friday.
The Daily Inter Lake has a write-up . . .
With a significant warming trend expected this week, the National Weather Service is forecasting increased flooding potential for some Western Montana rivers, including the Flathead River.
The Flathead River at Columbia Falls could reach or exceed flood stage by Thursday or Friday, but other rivers such as the Whitefish and Stillwater Rivers are no longer expected to exceed flood stage without a major rain event, meteorologist Bruce Bauck said during a conference call on Monday.
The North Fork Bear News is out! If you are on the mailing list, you should have it now or be getting it soon. If you are not on the mailing list, or just don’t want to wait, you can read it online here (in color, no less).
This year’s issue has lots of good content about bears, but its primary motivation is the (unnecessary) risk to “Patti Bear,” a young female North Fork grizzly. Here’s what the Bear News people have to say . . .
Patti Bear & hummingbird feeder
Dear Fellow North Forkers:
A few of us have resurrected the North Fork Bear News in response to Tim Manley’s warning at the winter Interlocal meeting that he may have to remove Patti Bear this summer if she gets another food reward. We don’t want to see that happen, and we’re confident the rest of the North Fork community doesn’t want to see it happen either. So we’ve decided to get the word out, and we invite you to do the same.
It’s been a long time since the North Fork has lost a bear because of human food rewards, and we have a good reputation for keeping our camps clean and our bears safe. Patti Bear’s story isn’t over yet – Manley says she can still learn to stay out of trouble and he’s made it clear that the last thing he wants to do is kill a bear. But now more than ever, her survival is up to us.
Preventing Patti or any other bear from getting a food reward is simple, and most of us know the drill: don’t leave food or garbage out where bears can get to it. But if it’s so simple and we know the drill, why is a grizzly bear’s life on the line because of human food rewards?
It’s a question each of us needs to ask ourselves if we are serious about the welfare of bears on the North Fork. And it’s not a stretch to say that the welfare of our neighbors and their property is at stake, too. Most of us know what a food conditioned grizzly bear can do to a cabin, or to a person.
Putting up electric fencing, cleaning up dog food or garbage, or removing dead ground squirrels from the yard can be inconvenient, and everyone enjoys seeing birds at a birdfeeder. The question ultimately becomes whether a bear’s life is worth a little extra cleanup or giving up our birdfeeders. We think it is. With a little extra effort on all our parts, Patti Bear can stay wild, free, and alive.
From the just-published North Fork Bear News . . .
The U.S. Forest Service in cooperation with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Glacier National Park and others is sponsoring a community bear fair on July 9th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Polebridge Mercantile. The event will feature educational talks, booths and displays (including a culvert trap to check out in case you’ve been curious…), great food (of course!) and an opportunity to learn more about bears and how to keep them safe. There will even be pots of flowers to give away to those who renounce their hummingbird feeders and a fushsia raffle for a couple of lucky winners. Come join the fun!
