Glacier Outdoor Center Blog

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.

After a winter (and an ENTIRE spring) of powder days and headlines about La Nina here in Northwest Montana, we are ready for fun summer days on our rafts or along the shore with fly rod in hand. But snow that piles up must melt and flow down.  Reports show that the snowpack water content levels for the Flathead River basin are currently 200% of average. That’s some heavy H20!  We’re so excited to have plenty of water for a full summer of river adventures, including whitewater river rafting, fly fishing, wilderness camping and scenic floating.

Our friends at Quadrocopter took an FRV Hexakopter out for some video flights following the snowmelt east from the Continental Divide. There are some amazing shots of the Flathead River’s Middle Fork and South Fork converging.

The video is just a taste of how beautiful this area is. Book your river trip today.

So, yeah, we had a big snowstorm this morning, but here at GOC all we can think about is summer sun and whitewater trips. So while we wait impatiently for bluer skies and warmer water, we decided to team up with our pals from the Great Northern Resort to teach local kids some river safety skills.

Recently Glacier Raft Co marketing guru Rachel VandeVoort and Great Northern Resort GM Carl Motes-Conners brought the Glacier River Schools’ youth river safety course called The River Sense Program to sixth, seventh and eight-graders. Sixteen of Whitefish Middle School’s health enhancement classes learned basic skills regarding rafting equipment, self-rescue, risk awareness and navigation. Carl is an independent River Rescue Instructor for Rescue 3 International as well as an American Canoe Association Raft Guide Instructor, and is certified in First Aid/CPR.

Whitefish school administrators say river safety is an important part of their students’ overall education, especially as young people prepare to enjoy local waterways with their friends and family this summer.

We’re bringing the course to Whitefish High School later this month.  Whitefish school administrators encourage parents to talk with their children about the importance of river safety.   Parents can also sign their kids up for The River Sense Program taught on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River this summer.   Registration is open through both raft companies.  Both companies also offer river safety, whitewater skills and boatman classes for adults through Glacier River Schools.

Shallow Water Crossing

We’ve got our course dates dialed in for the 2010 season! Join The River School at Glacier Raft Company to brush up on you boating or river rescue skills. Learn more about individual courses at The River School. Hope to see you on the river!

• Apr 30 – May 2        Whitewater Rescue Technician
• May 15 – 16                Intro to River Skills
• May 17 – 23               The River School
• May 28 – 30              Whitewater Rescue Technician
• Jun 7 – 13                   The River School
• Jun 18 – 20                Whitewater Rescue Technician
• Jun 26 – 27                Intro to River Skills
• July 17 – 18                Intro to River Skills
• July 29                       Level I River Sense
• July 30                       Level II River Sense
• July 31 – Aug 1         Level III River Sense

Join Glacier Raft Company’s River School for exciting whitewater rescue courses and general river skills courses. We’ve added another whitewater rescue technician course July 17-19. We also still have an introduction to river skills course July 25 & 26. Call us at 406-888-5454 to get signed up! See you on the river.

Check out footage of everyone swimming in the notch. These are students in Glacier Raft’s Whitewater Rescue Technician course for May. Try not to get sick watching. Next time I’ll try to keep my head still while swimming. Check out the classes at http://glacierraftco.com/guide-school.htm#river%20skills. Hope to see you on the river!

Our first river education courses of the season were great! All the participants had a great time and we’ve got more capable river enthusiasts out on the water now. Photos and Video to follow.

Glacier Raft Company is pleased to announce that we are now offering river education courses for kids and teens. If you or yours would like to learn more about rivers and river safety, then join us for our river sense program in July and August. We will cover all kinds of topics to help keep you safe in and around rivers. Our instructors are certified with Rescue 3 International and the American Canoe Association. There is minimal inside time and maximum river time, with the Level 2 & 3 courses taking place on the whitewater stretch of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. We are currently developing the webpage for riversense, so check back soon. Call 1-800-235-6781 for details. See you on the river!

Making Dinner

Have you wanted to brush up on your river skills? How about learn more about planning and packing for an extended trip? Join Glacier Raft Company for its extended river trip workshop in May or June. To learn more visit the river education page.