Glacier Outdoor Center Blog

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered

image from GoogleImages

Even though Glacier Outdoor Center is buttoned down for the winter, we’re still out there in cyberspace. Our online reservation system is waiting patiently (computers are like that) for you to book your spring and summer rafting, fishing excursions, and guided wilderness trips.

Set up the relatives, the friends who are planning a visit next year, the local friends, with a gift of some serious time on the river or in the wilderness.

So, head to our website and pick an activity. Click BOOK NOW, and you are in.

If you are not on the world wide web, you can call 800-235-6781 Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.

Wanna know what others think? Click that link.

Somebody once said that you can get a long way by going one mile at time. Seems like pretty sage advice. Turns out you can go quite a distance if you do it in short trips.

Cruising on Highway 2 from West Glacier up the Middle Fork to the river put in, our legendary Red and Yellow Vans added up to more than 234,000 miles on the odometers. Our epic workhorse vans witnessed the real lives of raft guides on the river in NW Montana for decades.  The vans may be just machines, but they were part of the family, and they have provided us with a lot of memories.  We’re talking about 30 years of hard working, hard driving, and crazy living.

“Those vans have seen everything. There’s not a guide that doesn’t have some story of an adventure in the Red or the Yellow,” says former whitewater and fishing guide Shane Hutcheson. When pressed for deets, all we got was “Uh, no comment…”

Sadly, the Red and Yellow have made their last adventure. This week they made their final journey, leaving the river behind and offering up the ultimate sacrifice at the recycling center.

We wish good rides to our friends. Your next journey is more than the infinite loop you ran for us for 30+ years. You have taken so many people a very long ways, and we will miss you, you big ol’ hunks of steel and junk.

Goodbye old friends

Last Saturday The Flathead Valley Chapter of Montana Wounded Warriors teamed up with Columbia Falls Rotarians to show servicemen returning from Iraq and Afghanistan a good time fishing on the river. Wounded Warriors gives veterans a chance to get together and enjoy the outdoors. Glacier Raft Company provided guides and rafts, Columbia Falls Rotary supplied a steak dinner and funded the event, and Glacier Outdoor Center put the soldiers up for the night in one of their cabins. The veterans, John Greenwood of Butte, Brandon Olson of Billings, and Char Gatlin of Missoula relished the opportunity to be appreciated and treated to a great day of fishing and fresh air. You can read the Hungry Horse News article here.

Our historic float on the North Fork of the Flathead River recently was amazing. Who knew you could have fun and learn at the same time?! (Just kidding, back-to-school kids.)  The “float back in time” attracted about 20 people. Thanks to The Museum at Central School, we learned about some of the history and mystique surrounding the wilds of the North Fork of the Flathead River.

It turns out James Talbot (founder of Columbia Falls) tried to lure James J. Hill of Great Northern Railway, to build the railroad through Columbia Falls. For years, getting coal to the Pacific Northern Railway was tedious. It was brought down river by barges and flatboats with “donkey engines,” loaded on freighter boats on Flathead Lake, then finally loaded onto railways. In fact, Mr. Talbot built the “Oakes” steam-powered paddle boat to travel up the North Fork and bring back coal. Unfortunately, it only made it as far as Coal Creek before it broke apart and went down in the spring of 1892.

(above: James Talbot) If you missed this trip don’t worry–we’re planning another historic float next summer that is sure to be full of fact, fables and fun!

Still looking for something cool to do this weekend? We’ve got the answer!

This Saturday, August 20, Glacier Raft Co. will be teaming up with The Museum at Central School for a “float back in time.” On this unique raft trip you’ll float with historians and learn about the beautiful North Fork of the Flathead River. This isn’t your average field trip; this is a one-of-a-kind-chance to see the North Fork through history’s eyes. You’ll hear interesting facts and fables, and you’ll see where the Oakes Steamship tried to navigate this Wild and Scenic river years ago.

Join us at the Big Creek Campground at 10 a.m. this Saturday. We’ll shuttle from there via Glacier Raft Co. bus to Coal Creek, and then we’ll be on the water! The float should last until about 3:30 p.m. Be sure to wear shoes you don’t mind getting wet. This trip is $80 per person, which includes lunch, river gear and the float trip. Call us for reservations at 406-888-5454 or the Museum at Central School at 406-756-8381. Hope to see you there!

I know you are busy paddling, laughing and enjoying every single moment of your whitewater adventure with us, so if you didn’t have time to snap an action shot of yourself—don’t worry. We take care of that too! We have professional photographers snap photos of your group at the most exciting spot along the way.

Digital photos of your raft trip are available for purchase immediately following your trip.Once you get home, your rafting trip photos will also be available for purchase at our online photo sales site. Just find the date on our website and the name of your guide to find pictures of your trip.

Here’s the best deal! Order a DVD of ALL of your whitewater rafting digital images for $57 including shipping and handling. To purchase the DVD just call us directly at 800.235.6781

Say cheese and remember your trip forever with these photos!

Here at Glacier Outdoor Center we love to have a good time in the great outdoors year round, but we’ve got to admit: we’re especially big fans of summer. It has been an awesome season on the water, and it’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through August. Those school bells will be ringing before you know it … so make sure you get out and enjoy these last few fabulous weeks of summer!  (Of course, September is INCREDIBLE around here…but don’t let the word get out…ha!)

Not quite sure how to fill these lazy late-August days? No problem — that’s where we come in.

Glacier Raft Company offers just about every kind of raft trip available, including half, full and multi-day trips. You can venture out on a self-guided trip or let us do the navigating on one of our many guided trips. Looking to incorporate a little fishing along the way? We’ve got a trip for that. Need a trip that can accommodate the whole family? We’ve got that too.

And no matter which trip you choose, know that you don’t need to be a whitewater pro to go — our professionally trained guides will make sure your adventure is safe, stress free and an absolute blast.

Summer goes by fast — join us on the river and enjoy it while it lasts!

It has shaped up to be a wicked whitewater season, and we’ve been doing a lot of writing about Glacier Raft Co.’s awesome float trips. But, perhaps this has left you wondering: where exactly does all of this floating take place?

Fret not, Glacier Raft grasshopper — here’s the lowdown on the rivers we run.

Every summer, all summer you’ll find us kicking it on the Middle Fork, Upper Middle Fork and North Fork of the Flathead River system.

Not only is the recreation section of the Middle Fork an angler’s heaven, it also churns up Class III rapids early in the summer and some rocking Class II-III rapids as the season progresses. If you’re looking for a unique fishing experience or a pulse-pounding adventure (or hey, why not both?) this is the water to be on.

Another favorite among floaters and fish-seekers is the North Fork. Made famous by its spectacular views, the whitewater in the North Fork checks in at a Class I-II rating. This fun float also provides some excellent wildlife watching — it’s not uncommon to spot black bear, grizzly bear, moose, deer and elk along the way!

Only one outfitter in Montana is permitted to operate float trips down the wilderness section of the Upper Middle Fork –deemed Montana’s mightiest river– and we’re it! The sparkling waters of the Upper Middle Fork curve and bend through 50 miles of the unbelievably gorgeous Great Bear Wilderness Area. And when we say this river is naturally stunning, we’re not kidding: the Upper Middle Fork is considered to be one of the most preserved and protected rivers in the nation.

… So, which one would you like to float first?

Today we are lending a helping hand. The North Fork Land Owners’ Association is hosting its river corridor weed roundup and Glacier Outdoor Center is lending an experienced guide and boat  to take volunteers down the river. These volunteers will be floating from Ford Station to Polebridge, stopping along the way to properly pull noxious weeds off the banks of the river.  The North Fork Land Owners’ Association floatilla wrangles weeds every year and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of this great effort!

The crew is meeting at 11:00 a.m. today and is open to the community.