Glacier Outdoor Center Blog

This past weekend Glacier Outdoor Center guides Marc Evans and Karsten Carlson had fun taking two different media folks from Snowshoe Magazine and The Daily Interlake on snowshoe excursions along Lake McDonald and up Scalplock Lookout in Glacier National Park.

It was a beautiful day to be in Glacier Park. With bluebird skies, the views were endless. Follow this link from Trails.com to see the route.

Courtesy of Ryan Alford

Ryan Alford, owner of Snowshoe Magazine, traveled from Denver, CO to spend the weekend with us. In two days he covered about 18 miles on snowshoes. Ryan took a ton of photos and tells us he enjoyed his weekend. Ryan not only toured Glacier Park and stayed in one of Glacier Outdoor Center’s cabins but he also ate in local eateries including Packer’s Roost, The Belton Chalet, The Glacier Grill, Trapline Cafe and The Bandit Saloon. And he met up with Glacier Park’s Centennial Coordinator, Kass Hardy at Park Headquarters. Kass provided some great insight about what is happening this year in conjunction with the Centennial Celebration. Look for Ryan’s write-up soon in Snowshoe Magazine.

Dillon Tabbish, a local writer for the Daily Interlake, also had a great time on the trek up Scalplock Lookout. Look for Dillon’s story about the adventure this Thursday, March 11th in the Outdoors Section in the Daily Interlake.  Dillon’s a local, so he knows how great this area is, but even he said it was an experience to remember forever.  Thanks for joining us, Dillon–it was great!

Courtesy of Ryan Alford

Look forward to seeing the reviews! Check out our Facebook page to see the coverage or follow us on twitter: @glacierraftco.

Some say Glacier Raft Co/Glacier Anglers co-owner Darwon Stoneman is way too dang lucky.  Whether it’s hunting season or fishing season, he always bags the big one.  The thing is, he’s lucky so often that there’s a chance that there could be a bit of skill involved as well.

March came in like a fluffy, warm little lamb on Monday, so Darwon and guide Marc Evans hit the river with a few good friends.  Former guide Bryan Anderson rowed Darwon into a honey hole that delivered big time.  Yep, that’s another monster.  Check out the great pictures taken by Marc.

Bryan wrote about the day in this blog post featured in Flyfish Magazine.

Here’s an excerpt from the Flyfish Magazine blog post:

The morning started out with heavy valley fog that burned away by noon to reveal bright skies and the snow-capped Rockies. Throughout the day, layers came off as the sun became hot on our backs. In equal intervals the layers went back on and a good winter coat came in handy as the sun eventually left and kept us wishing for July and a pair of flip flops.

The cutthroats here in the Flathead River are developing spawning colors and getting ready to make their annual trip to the tributary streams that surround Glacier National Park. The idea is to intercept those fish before the pilgrimage begins. When the timing is right, you’ll see sizable average fish in decent numbers.

Although we did see two fish rise to something on the surface, a dry fly never hit the water. In the end, MFC’s streamers and nymphs worked well and brought nice fish to the boat. We pulled the Flathead Trifecta–cutthroat, rainbow and bull trout. With the run in its infancy, there are most certainly better days to come.

You can read the rest of the post and see more of Marc’s pics by clicking here.

We’re lucky to live where we live, but we’re excited to share it…so start planning your fishing adventures with us!  Also, we’ve got great deals on fishing gear including rods, reels, flies, fly boxes and more in the fly shop at Glacier Outdoor Center.  And we’ll see if we can talk Darwon into letting some of his luck rub off on you!

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!

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/

We had a great base going on the trails.  All we were missing was some creamy delicious icing on the cake.  And we are getting it now.  A light snow is falling and is giving the trails a velvety coating, perfect for skating.  The word is out, and we have been busy getting folks from all over fitted with boots and skis.  We even had two triathletes come all the way from Singapore to skate the trails.  They were tearing up the course.

As always dogs are welcome after noon, and we have a couple ski-jouring teams out now.  So bring your skis, your dog and and lay some track!  See you soon at the Glacier Outdoor Center, your Nordic skiing headquarters.

With all this new snow in the Flathead Valley, we have been busy grooming  and prepping the Winter Trail System at Glacier Outdoor Center.  Today, it’s official- We are open for the 09/10 Winter Season! The Winter Trail System at Glacier Outdoor Center is 10 km of Nordic groomed trail and a separate 2 km snowshoe trail.  We’ve also got a fully stocked Nordic rental shop available. Conditions are great and the winter season is here in full force.

Here are rates and additional  information:

Daily Trail Pass: $8.00 per person
Kids 10 & under ski FREE.
Daily Dog Trail Pass: $2.00
Season Pass: $50.00
Family Season Pass: $95.00
Private Warming Cabin: $119-$229 per day
Private Warming Cabin w/ HOT TUB: $269 per day
Log Cabin Accommodations in West Glacier: See Cabin Rental

And, don’t forget, we are having our Glacier Nordic Day January 2nd 2010. Bring your family and friends for this great day with specials on rentals, free trail use and activities for the whole family.

Come out and see us in beautiful West Glacier.