Work on the remodel of the retail store is coming along fine.
The new floor will be finished this week and the new service counters and displays will be installed.
The new remodel opens up the floor plan for merchandise allowing for better visibility and traffic flow. We’re very excited to debut the new look this spring. Maybe we’ll even have a special open house to show it off before the crowds start coming!
You are probably still thinking about the winter and praying for fresh snow, but up at Glacier Raft Company and Glacier Anglers we are thinking a LOT about the upcoming spring. This kind of spring…
Thinking ahead, we are not anticipating as big a run-off as last year, but fishing should start a bit earlier and the rafting is always good. We always caution earlier season private rafters about changing river conditions and hazards – be careful and always check conditions before you put a craft into the water.
When the snow starts to melt, we will be prepping our guides with a series of pretty intense safety programs to ensure our guests are well taken care of on the river!
We’ll be ready!
These photos are of the efforts we take to maintain a healthy environment for our fish ponds in the winter time.
Aerators in the ponds keep providing the oxygen in the water and maintain open pools allowing natural light in.
When the ponds freeze we have to open them up for the air to escape creating the glacier mini “geysers”- quite confusing to the dog….
As you know, GOC has been buttoned up for the snow months, but there is still plenty of activity around here.
For example, here’s the kind of thing that’s going on outside:
And this is how pretty it is up here right now!
Meanwhile, inside the shop, THIS is going on:
Our remodel continues, under watchful eyes….
We are looking forward to seeing you in the all-new fly shop and retail center this spring. In the meanwhile, sure hope you are out enjoying this incredibly beautiful winter!
Two major magazines have recognized Northwest Montana’s Flathead Valley as a top choice for places to visit and recreate. We are proud that Vogue Magazine and National Geographic have listed the area as premier destinations.
Vogue Magazine listed Whitefish Mountain Resort and the surrounding area as one of six US Destinations of the Month in the ski town category. They had this to say:
“Enjoying a dream location, it is a half hour from the wonders of Glacier National Park and ten minutes from the heady downhill skiing at the Whitefish Mountain Resort.
Most of all, visit—by snowshoe and/or cross-country skis—Glacier National Park, impossibly beautiful, 35 miles away.”
And going even further, National Geographic put Whitefish and the Flathead on the top 25 Best Ski Towns in the World. They also chose Bozeman, Montana to include in this impressive list from all over the planet! We’ll call Bozeman our own too!
In describing the appeal of Whitefish, National Geographic has this to say:
“Whitefish, a former logging and railroad town of more than 6,000 near the entrance to Glacier National Park, has been quietly delivering glitz-free Montana skiing for over half a century.
Whitefish the ski area lives up to its family-friendly billing with good first-timer terrain and an abundance of long, wide-open, roller coaster groomers where skiers and snowboarders of all abilities can get their superhero on. A high-speed quad speeds to the mountain’s summit, which is often engulfed in clouds and studded with thickly rimmed, white trees known as snow ghosts. The ghosts make for atmospheric glade skiing.”
We agree on all counts, and hope you will come to visit our little paradise. Looking forward to seeing you on the slopes!
This weekend is the Whitefish Winter Carnival in Whitefish, Montana! Glacier Anglers is excited to be putting a boat into the float parade.
Our craft will be manned by the Casting for Recovery gang. The theme of the Carnival this year is Fiesta Pescado Blanco (that means Whitefish Festival, folks), so we will fiesta up the drift boat and do our best to show ‘em how we party in West Glacier! If you are around the Flathead Valley this weekend, don’t miss the parade and carnival – it is a ton of fun!
Casting for Recovery was founded on the principles that the natural world is a healing force and that cancer survivors deserve one weekend — free of charge and free of the stresses from medical treatment, home, or workplace — to experience something new and challenging while enjoying beautiful surroundings within an intimate, safe, and nurturing structure.
Parade starts at 3pm on Saturday, but check out the full schedule for all the fun things to do.
Glacier Outdoor Center is remodeling!
We’ve stripped things right down to the walls!
What’s changing? Heck, just about everything. The purpose is to offer all our guests a better fly shop and gear store experience as well as a better experience in booking rafting and fishing trips. Glacier Outdoor Center was great already–this new flow is going to make it even better for staff, guides and you.
We are looking forward to sharing our new look with you this spring. Please plan to come on by and check out all our hard work.
Here’s our man, Mike Cooney, workin’ the stainwork.
This elk is the 2nd largest harvest on record in Montana, coming it at 411 6/8ths.
The family in south central Montana who shot it generously agreed to let us display it at the Glacier Outdoor Center. Come on up this summer and take a look!
Glacier National Park has reported that the 2011 visitor figures dropped by about 15% from last year. Although we’re never happy to hear that kind of news (Glacier Outdoor Center is right outside the western entrance to the Park, so that means fewer folks visiting us too!), we also know when to appreciate the good side of news too.
First of all, 15% lower than 2010, which was an all-time record high in visitation, so let’s keep our perspective, right?And even at the reduced number, there were still 1.85 million people visiting this gorgeous Park. That’s a lotta folks!
And secondly, knowing this information now means we can get on the ball in encouraging everyone around the world to book their 2012 Glacier vacations now! So, come on out! Plan a trip to Glacier. There’s plenty of room for everybody!!
Here are some great examples of what you can experience in the Park. GNP posts ‘eHikes’ and ‘eTours’ on their website that let you take a virtual look around.
If you need more of the eye-candy we posted here, check out the photo gallery on the Park site, where we got these pics. You’ll be packing your bags by nightfall…
And, of course, you can find all sorts of good stuff on our website, and we are here and ready to help you with all of your vacation planning. Need lodging- we got it. Need whitewater – we know just where it is. Need fishing – yep, we’ll take you. Give us a ring or an electronic poke and we’ll schedule a great adventure for you.
The snow may be slow in coming this year, but that doesn’t mean there are not opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts to get some beautiful photos when you are out on the trail, on the slopes, or just doing that winter drive.
We thought we’d find you some nice tips on how to shoot great images during the winter months. If you are close to the Glacier Outdoor Center, our neighbor Glacier National Park beckons and rarely disappoints for great image opps. We like to watch the Lake McDonald Webcam for an indicator of when conditions are ripe – some of the most beautiful shots of the Park are taken right there.
So, here are a couple of quick tips before you head out into the frozen landscape, from professional photographer Jerry Monkman, and the folks at OutdoorPhotoGear.com.
Read all of their hints and tips on their blogsite.
And Dan Bailey, at MasteringPhoto.com has some great equipment advice to keep in mind, along with some great images of outdoor adventure. Check it out here. That’s Dan’s shot at the top of this post.
You got any great winter shots yet? Send them our way, we’d love to share them.
