Glacier Outdoor Center Blog

No matter how many years you’ve managed to dodge the Valentine’s Day bullet, it never seems to get any easier. Sure, flowers and chocolate are great, but what about a gift you’ll both enjoy?  How does a romantic night spent at one of GOC’s rustic cabins sound?!  Pretty good, right?

Glacier Outdoor Center still has a few one-bedroom cabins available for the Valentine’s Day weekend (that’s February 14th guys!)  At $119 per night and use of the snowshoe and Nordic ski trails included, that’s a price you just can’t beat.

And, if you don’t book that cabin before they’re all taken, we’ve still got a great idea for your romantic weekend.  Take advantage of our “Two Hearts Ski as One” promotion.  On Valentines Day, couples get two ski passes and two rentals for the price of one!

To book a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway call us at 1-800-235-6781.  Or, bring your two hearts up on Sunday the 14th to ski as one!

1-800-235-6781  | PHONE: 406-888-5454

It was fun to take The Missoulian reporter Michael Jamison on a recent snowshoe trip in Glacier National Park.  He did a great article about the excursion.  He started the piece with a poetic description of what you’ll find on one of these trips:

From Michael Jamison of The Missoulian:

A filigree of paper-thin ice edges McDonald Creek, knit by patient months of cold and quiet, Mother Nature’s delicate lacework finely wrought in winter white. Above, great pillows of snow slide silent into dark and ancient forests. Red cedar and hemlock, spruce and black cottonwood, the great bare boles of larch dwarfed by soaring summits. Beneath, swirling currents of glacial blue fall down, laughing over lips of black rock, pouring smooth sheets of liquid winter into frosty, frothing pools.
There is no other sound, no other life – just the tracks of those who came before. Deer and otter, squirrel and ermine, snowshoe hare. A raven watches. Snow creaks underfoot.

You can read the rest of the article by clicking here.

photo by Michael Jamison/The Missoulian

This is our second season offering guided trips inside the Park, and it’s going great!  The custom excursions include numerous trail options and varying degrees of difficulty.  Glacier Outdoor Center’s guides are certified in Avalanche Safety Level II and trained by the National Ski Patrol in Outdoor Emergency Care and Mountain Travel. Our guides are local industry veterans who share information about regional wildlife, vegetation, history, glaciations and winter backcountry conditions as well as provide cross-country ski and snowshoe instruction.

We hope you’ll take advantage of the opportunity to celebrate the Glacier Centennial before all the crowds come–give us a call–we’d love to show you what Michael Jamison saw first-hand!

While we’re deep in the middle of winter here at Glacier Outdoor Center by spending our time skiing and snowshoeing and generally having fun in snow, we’ve always got summertime in the back of our minds.

Ahh… summertime – those three (four if we’re lucky) blessed months of sun and fun.

Just last week, the National Park Service statistics office said that more than 2-million people visited Glacier National Park in 2009. That’s huge! It’s a 12.4% increase over 2008. According to an article in the Daily Inter Lake, GNP has more visitors at every entrance compared to 2008, but with substantial increases of 29% at Many Glacier and 10% at West Glacier.

With GOC in West Glacier, of course we’re proud to claim responsibility for at least part of that 10%! All summer long, we’re busy guiding raft and fly fishing trips down the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. And the gear shop and cabins at Glacier Outdoor Center offer a great lodging option for vacationers visiting the park.

This summer, we’re excited that Glacier National Park will be celebrating its 100 Birthday. Check out all the fun stuff the park has planned during its Centennial Summer.

April 22, 2010-Glacier Centennial Green Business Activities-Flathead Valley, MT

April 22, 2010-Glacier National Park Birthday and Program Miracle of America Museum, Polson, MT

April 23-24- Glacier Symposium at Flathead Valley Community College Kalispell, MT

April 30 and May 1, 2010-Death by Chocolate Glacier Park Murder Mystery at Conrad Mansion, Kalispell, MT

May 11, 2010- Glacier National Park 100th Anniversary Rededication at GNP Community Building, West Glacier, MT

May 13, 2010-Glacier Centennial Film Festival at Whitefish Mountain Mall Theater, Whitefish, MT

May 21, 2010- Spring for Glacier (Centennial Art is Auctioned) at Belton Chalet & Lake McDonald Lodge in West Glacier and Glacier National Park, MT

May 24 and 25, 2010-Flathead HS Choir Presents: GNP Centennial Concert Flathead HS, Kalispell, MT

June 10, 2010-Glacier Centennial Film Festival at Columbia Falls High School, Columbia Falls, MT

June 22-24, 2010 and June 26 Glacier Centennial and Glacier National Park Plein Air Paint Out at Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell, MT (unveiling)

June 25, 2010- Centennial Poetry Reading at the Belton Chalet, West Glacier, MT

June 26-29, 2010-Western Governor’s Association Conference in Whitefish and Glacier National Park, MT

June 27, 2010-Belton Chalet Centennial Birthday Party in West Glacier, MT

July 8, 2010-Glacier Centennial Film Festival at Lake McDonald Lodge, Glacier National Park, MT Glacier

July 10, 2010 Centennial Symphony at Rebecca Farm Kalispell, MT

July 20-26, 2010-Glacier Mountaineering Society Centennial Summit in Glacier National Park, MT

July 22-25, 2010-Centennial Heritage Days in Columbia Falls, MT

July 24, 2010-Joe Cosley Collection Unveiling in Columbia Falls, MT

July 29-August 1, 2010-Many Glacier Employee Reunion at Many Glacier in Glacier National Park, MT

July 30, August 2-3, 2010-Centennial Roadshow Hootenanny Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier Park Lodge & Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park, MT

August 11-16, and 18-23, 2010-Glacier Grand Heritage Tours, Glacier National Park, MT

August 12, 2010-Glacier Centennial Film Festival at St. Mary Visitor Center, Glacier National Park, MT

August 13-15, 2010-Centennial Huckleberry Days Whitefish, MT

August 20-22, 2010-Glacier National Park Trail Crew Rendezvous in Glacier National Park, MT

August 22, 2010-Annual National Park Service Employee & Alumni Picnic in Glacier National Park, MT

September 5, 2010-Belton Centennial Employee Reunion

More details of what’s in store for 2010 can be found at: www.glaciercentennial.org. We are looking forward to a great year and hope to see you at some of the festivities!

Wow! Thank you for helping us make our 2nd annual fundraiser for the Humane Society of Northwest Montana a huge success!

Thank you again to the sponsors, donors and supporters that helped Glacier Outdoor Center and Glacier Raft Company: Whitefish Amimal Hospital, Montana Coffee Taders, WAG, Tailwaggers, Belton Chalet, racers and spectators. We had great prizes!
For all you racers and spectators ready to mark your calendars for next year (cabins fill up fast) we are shooting for the second to last weekend of January. For the most up to date info follow us on Facebook or Twitter; or, subscribe to our newsletter  http://www.glacierraftco.com/newsletter/subscribe.htm.

And, the final results for our Doggie-cross 3k course are:
Than Pulsifer & Taz 5:18
Dena Rissman & Dinger 5:35
Billy Carrol & Jameson 5:41
Jen Carpenedo & Ander 5:52
Manolita Connor & Laika 6:00
Chris Connor & Miyah 6:06
Ryan O’Rourke & Que 6:13
Darwon Stoneman & Fisher 6:27
Nic Lee & Kila 7:21
Peter Steele & Rory 7:28
Brad Taylor & Kimo 8:02
Marcie B & Serge 8:19
Jenny & Lupin 8:19
Joe Haun & Bruce 9:05
Matt Graves & Sitka 9:10
Tye Paulson & Maggie and Buddy 9:37
Steve Lund & Ruger 9:54
Terri Stoneman & Rusty 12:10
Darryl Ibilings & Kiska 17:48
Shaun McCullum & Hershal 20:02

Many folks also came to spectate and ski our groomed trails with their dogs to help with the cause.  All dog trail fees collected over the weekend were donated.

Thank you again! We all had such a great time and it was nice to see so many smiles! Please remember if you are looking for a new four legged friend to join your family there are many dogs at the Humane Society looking for a home.  Check out our Facebook page to see all the photos! Glacier’s Facebook Page Or check out Glacier’s Flickr account if you’re not on Facebook.
And… Who let the dogs out….!

Everyone check out our new calendar of events. You can find this in our blog under calendar of events! Here’s the link: http://blog.glacierraftco.com/category/calendar-of-events/

Koa

Good luck to all the racers signed up for tomorrow’s skijoring race! Koa and I wish we could be there, but he’s got some growing left before we strap on the harness. Sad to pass on the race this year, but watch for us to make a bid for the top spot in 2011.

Cheers,

Carl & Koa

On January 30^th Glacier Outdoor Center will host the 2^nd Annual Dog Skijoring Ski race in West Glacier to benefit the Humane Society of Northwest Montana. The Dog Skijoring race will take place at 12:00pm on the professionally-groomed ski track behind Glacier Outdoor Center located on Highway 2 just outside Glacier Park’s west entrance.

Dog skijoring is a unique sport featuring a dog wearing a specially-designed harness to lead a Nordic skier at maximized speed. The skier also wears a harness equipped with a quick release line.  There are two race categories; Dog-Drag and Dog- Cross.  Dog-Drag is short-track sprint with five teams released per heat.  Dog-Cross is 3-kilometer preset course individually run by the racers. Instructors will be on hand, and while no experience is necessary to compete, participants must bring their own eager, run-ready dog.

The Whitefish Animal Hospital and the Humane Society of Northwest Montana will be at the Race Pavilion during the event with volunteers and friendly dogs to greet spectators. The Whitefish Animal Hospital will also have an “Ask a Vet” booth to answer questions about pets.

Racers who pre-register and pay the $25 team fee will have access to dog skijoring harnesses and trail use on January 30th, as well as every day leading up to race day so they can practice.  The fee does not cover rental skis, boots or poles.   Participants can register at Glacier Outdoor Center (406) 888-5454 and the Whitefish Animal Hospital (406) 862-3178. Forty-percent of the registration fee goes directly to the Humane Society of Northwest Montana.

A minimum donation of $5 will enter spectators to win raffle prizes donated by Glacier Outdoor Center and these sponsors: Whitefish Animal Hospital, WAG (Whitefish Animal Group), Montana Coffee Traders, Tailwaggers and the Humane Society of Northwest Montana.  The Cuisine Machine will be an on-site vendor with hot food for purchase.

We’re looking forward to seeing you there, so bring your hounds and come ski with us!

Western States Youth Ski Festival Coming to GOC

For the first time, the Glacier Nordic Club and Glacier Outdoor Center are hosting the Western States Youth Ski Festival on February 27 and 28 for The Race at Glacier. At least 200 young people from Bozeman, Sun Valley, Canada and Washington will attend this two-day event featuring four races – skate, classic, obstacle and downhill. We are so excited to welcome these talented skiers to Glacier Outdoor Center.  The Race at Glacier is open to all youth skiers. There will also be a Master’s Race on Saturday afternoon.

This is going to be a huge event, and the Glacier Nordic Club is going to need some help. If you’re a cross country skier and you’d like to see some young folks test their skills, please sign up to help. Volunteers are needed to help with timing, course maintenance and food on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you’d like to help, please contact Cameron at blakegray@centurytel.net.

Glacier Nordic Club is a Montana community ski club, whose mission is to instill a lifelong love of cross-country skiing. For more information on the Glacier Nordic Club, visit http://glaciernordicclub.com/events/the-race-at-glacier/.  For more information on The Race at Glacier visit http://glaciernordicclub.com/events/the-race-at-glacier/

Thanks to everyone who came out to Glacier Nordic Day this past weekend!  We are definitely excited by the turnout for the event.

We saw a lot of familiar faces, and welcomed many people from out of town and out of state to enjoy West Glacier in the winter.  In fact, so many families showed up, parking filtered out into the highway!  The weather was unseasonably warm for most of the day and the kids were out in full force building snowmen, having snowball fights and running their sleds down any hill they could find.
Whether you were Nordic skiing, snowshoeing or trying out doggie skijoring there was a little something for everyone.  Jameson, Billy-The-Guide’s Lab, was non-stop all day  pulling brave souls around the skijoring loop and catching the ample supply of sticks thrown by the kiddos.
What a great sight to see everyone traversing between tracks, trying both skate and classic skiing and relaxing with Sally in Cabin 9 for a little hot chocolate.

Again thanks to everyone who came out to kick off the Centennial of Glacier National Park and enjoy a great day with us this weekend.  Remember to come back to Glacier Nordic Day next year and don’t forget to check back here for more fun family events.  Next up: 3rd Annual Doggie Skijoring Competition on January 30th!

Dylan Freed having a poor day of skiing in the Wasatch.  Photo by Jay Beyer.