100 Miles of Trail Clearing

Let's face it, we all like to enjoy the great outdoors on a clear crisp summer day. The last thing you really want to do is hard manual labor when you're trying to enjoy a day in the backcountry. But each year 100's of miles of trails here in Northwest Montana must be cleared and maintained in order for everyone to enjoy, and importantly to reduce user impact from folks going off trail to get around fallen trees.

A group of off-road motorcyclists I ride with clear literally 100's of miles of trails each summer. It's hard work but richly rewarding to be able to contribute to the community in this way. This past Sunday six of us cleared more than 50 miles of trails on the Swan Range of the Flathead National Forest. We worked hard but enjoyed the quiet escape of the backcountry, tremendous scenery as well as a challenging ride. There are miles and miles yet to clear, but nearly all the trails in the Swan Range north of Strawberry Lake are clear and ready for hikers, horsemen, bikers and motorcyclists to enjoy!

Montana Dog

We took the boat across Flathead Lake to "The Docks" restaurant in Lakeside for dinner last night. New management, a fresh remodel on the deck and boat docks along with a new Mexican menu has transformed The Docks into my new favorite boating destination. The food was great and you can't beat the setting sun shining against the Swan Range as a backdrop. But enough about that - this guy rolls into the parking lot on a giant street legal ATV with a dog on the back - he comes in for dinner and the dog sits/sleeps on the ATV for the entire time! Montana dogs are pretty good at staying in the back of a truck but this dog was too cool!

The Little Belt Mountains

I love Montana... The more I explore areas of the state that I've never seen the more I know that there is no place else I'd rather be...

I spent the last weekend of June with friends exploring dirt roads in the Little Belt Mountains of the Lewis and Clark National Forest. My favorite roads were FS 839 and Logging Creek Road. FS 839- follows the ridge top up to nearly 8000 feet in elevation - offering incredible vistas and high alpine escape from the 90 degree heat below. Logging Creek Road follows this cool crisp trout stream for miles...

Both roads are in excellent repair and are suitable even for passenger cars. Make a loop from Kings Hill Pass on Hwy 89 north of White Sulphur Springs - take FS 839 west for about 25 miles then follow Logging Creek Rd. until it intersects back with Hwy 89 just north of the town of Monarch (directly across the Hwy from the intersection with County Rd.427). Make sure you are well equipped with water, snacks and a full tank of fuel and enjoy!

Love Montana. Live Montana.