Tag Archives: Polebridge

Vehicle reservations for Glacier National Park go online March 2 at 8 am

Mountain edge in foreground (Tinkham Mountain) with glacier in background (Pumpelly Glacier) - Glacier NP, Jacob W. FrankHere’s the latest on this year’s “vehicle reservation” (they are not called “tickets” anymore) system for gaining entrance to Glacier National Park.

Highlights:

    • Tickets …er, uh… vehicle reservations will be required to enter the park’s Going-to-the-Sun (GTSR) corridor and at Polebridge.
    • A separate reservation is required for the GTSR and for Polebridge. GTSR reservations are good for 3 days, between 6:00am and 4:00pm; Polebridge reservations are good for only 1 day, between 6:00am and 6:00pm.
    • Vehicle reservations will be required from May 27 to September 11. They will be available 120 days in advance on a rolling window starting March 2 at 8:00am. Like last year, reservations cost $2.00.
    • Vehicle reservations can be purchased from recreation.gov, either online or through their call center.

See the press release for more details.

North Fork specific details not mentioned in the press release (Camas Road transit, local boating access, etc.) will be discussed at the Interlocal on February 9.

Vital Ground, Nature Conservancy team up on North Fork Flathead easement

View From Polebridge Palace

From a press release announcing the recent “Polebridge Palace” sale . . .

A property that helped turn Montana’s North Fork Flathead River into a conservation stronghold is changing hands but remaining wild, as The Vital Ground Foundation has teamed up with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and new landowners on a conservation easement protecting 142 acres of forestland and wildlife habitat known as Polebridge Palace.

On the pine-strewn benches above the North Fork Flathead, the area will remain a haven for grizzly bears, Canada lynx, and other sensitive wildlife, as well as a part of the protected Glacier National Park viewshed that annually attracts millions of domestic and international tourists. Meanwhile, TNC can ensure an undeveloped future for a place that once hosted the group’s early momentum-building events in the valley.

“We’re very excited,” said Greg Lambert, transactions manager for TNC’s Montana chapter. “We decided a few years ago that the best option for TNC was not to own it, but as a conservation organization, we wanted the property protected in perpetuity and would never have sold it without an easement in place.”

The agreement includes TNC selling the acreage to new private buyers while donating a conservation easement to Vital Ground, a nonprofit land trust based in Missoula that works to connect and protect key habitat for grizzly bears and other wildlife. The easement stipulates that the new landowners will not develop the forested property beyond its current house and small outbuildings, keeping the bulk of the property preserved as habitat that will help reduce bear-human conflicts in the area.

Read more . . .

Cliff swallows return to Polebridge; mosquitoes disappear

Cliff Swallow

The Missoulian posted a nice article about Polebridge’s burgeoning cliff swallow population . . .

A building boom has hit the North Fork of the Flathead, and for once, the neighbors are celebrating.

“They’re building a town right in our town,” Polebridge Merc owner Will Hammerquist said of the colony of cliff swallows that has claimed eminent domain on the eaves of his solar barn. “They arrived about two weeks ago. And do you see any bugs? Look at what they’ve done to the mosquitoes.”

Indeed, Polebridge feels remarkably bug-free compared to the forests of Glacier National Park just minutes to the west. The tiny birds feed on flying insects. What appear to be drunkenly random flight paths actually trace life-and-death pursuits of food on the wing.

Read more . . .

Impromptu ‘Science March’ in Polebridge

Science March in Polebridge, Apr 22, 2017 - Debo Powers photo
Science March in Polebridge, Apr 22, 2017 – Debo Powers photo

Debo Powers reports . . .

Visiting biologists staged an impromptu “Science March” in Polebridge on Earth Day, April 22, in solidarity with hundreds of thousands in Washington DC and around the globe who marched to support science and research-based policy. Several North Fork residents joined in making the statement in front of the Polebridge Mercantile.

Northeast Kootenai Complex Proximity to Flathead NF Map, Aug 29

From a recent announcement on the Northeast Kootenai Complex InciWeb site . . .

A map of the Marston and Sunday Fires of the Northeast Kootenai Complex showing their proximity to the Flathead National Forest is now posted here on InciWeb and also under the “Maps” tab. This should give residents in Polebridge and other nearby residential areas a better view of the proximity of the Marston Fire to where they live. The fire has NOT moved onto the Flathead National Forest and is approximately 20 miles away from Polebridge. Residents who are concerned about the fire are asked to contact the Northeast Kootenai Complex Fire Information Line at (406) 882-8308 and stay updated on the incident through the Northeast Kootenai Complex InciWeb site.

See/click on the map below. For a full resolution version, download the PDF version (1.3MB).

Northeast Kootenai Complex Proximity to Flathead NF Map, Aug 29, 2015
Northeast Kootenai Complex Proximity to Flathead NF Map, Aug 29, 2015

2014 Bear Fair coming to Polebridge August 23; needs your help

The 2014 Bear Fair is coming to Polebridge on August 23, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. It’s a great opportunity to get various groups together and learn about everything from electric fencing to bear spray. The last time there was a bear fair in Polebridge  (July 9, 2011), there were 200 people there!

Besides all the good information about bears, the sponsoring groups usually provide lunch, which will be cooked by the Northern Lights Saloon, a tent for presentations, and porta-potties.

Problem is, all this requires money. So, the organizers are asking both groups and individuals for assistance.

Individual donations can be made online here: https://www.mtoutdoorlegacy.org/donate/bear-fair-2014.

Or, contact one of the organizers for more information:

Terence McClelland   tmmcclelland@fs.fed.us  406-871-1855
Lindsey Stutzman   lindsey.a.stutzman@gmail.com  406-212-1803
Tim Manley   tim.manley@bresnan.net  406-892-0802

Same-day coverage of Polebridge Fourth of July parade posted

Polebridge 4th of July 2013Well, now. The Daily Inter Lake posted coverage, with photos, of the Polebridge Fourth of July parade almost before the last pulled pork sandwich was consumed. They couldn’t quite get a handle on the idea that there are no parade organizers and they listed Larry Wilson as “part of the North Fork Preservation Association” (cough, cough), but it was a nice article . . .
[July 5 update: The Hungry Horse News also got into the act and posted a fairly extensive photo gallery from the parade. There are many familiar faces]

The Fourth of July means many things to many people, but one recurring theme is freedom.

Freedom from Great Britain, freedom from tyranny, and, in Polebridge, freedom from order.

The tiny community 35 miles north of Columbia Falls has held a small parade for several decades on Independence Day, and the requirements for getting in are quite strict.

“It’s not planned,” said parade marshal and 34-year Polebridge resident Rob Fisher. “If you want to be in it, you just show up at high noon.”

Continue reading . . .

An ideal backdrop for relaxation and reflection

The Missoulian has a flattering travel article about Polebridge and the surrounding area . . .

This is the perfect place to celebrate a birthday.

Tucked along the edge of Glacier National Park, this iconic town proved an ideal backdrop for relaxation and reflection as another year passes. Not that you need a reason to visit, however. Polebridge is good for the soul any time and on any occasion – and did just the trick on a recent visit with good friends and great food.

Continue reading . . .

Resolution of Polebridge area arson case still pending

The resolution of Kent Johnson’s arson case is still pending . . .

The case of the Polebridge man charged with setting fire to a neighbor’s yurt and outhouse in September 2010 is still pending in Flathead County District Court.

Kent Johnson initially faced a felony arson charge, with a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $50,000 fine, and a misdemeanor assault charge, with a maximum sentence of six months and a $500 fine . . .

According to a plea agreement worked out with the county attorney’s office last year, Johnson would receive a two-year deferred sentence for the felony and misdemeanor charges if he agreed to sell his house and land in Polebridge and move out of Montana within six months of the plea agreement being granted by a judge . . .

Continue reading . . .

‘Unlikely accident’ claims kayaker’s life on North Fork

From today’s Daily Inter Lake . . .

The woman who drowned on the North Fork Flathead River on Wednesday afternoon has been identified as Shawna Thomas, 51, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Thomas and her husband were in a rigid-framed collapsible kayak when they came around a corner on the North Fork four miles south of Polebridge, encountering tree root balls as obstacles on both sides of the river channel.

Continue reading . . .