Trail damage now at $500,000 to $1 million

Hungry Horse News

Glacier's trails also took a beating from last November's flooding, Park Superintendent Mick Holm said last week.

Current estimates run from $500,000 to $1 million in total damage to trails and the bridges that serve them, he said.

Trails from Two Medicine to Many Glacier have been affected. In Many Glacier, for example, the bridge over Swiftcurrent Creek was damaged, boardwalks were washed up into the trees and trails became trenches three, four feet deep in places where the water ran down them.

The trail damage hasn't even been completely inventoried - it snowed before crews had a chance to get out on them.

But it's expected that high country - and popular trails - like the Highline Trail and the Siyeh Pass Trail, were damaged.

Holm said fixing the trails would likely be a multi-year project. The Park won't increase the number of trail crews workers this year - logistically, the Park can't manage and house more people, he said. But trail crews will work an extended season and the Park will look to get help from the Montana Conservation Corps as well.

The Park will also look to private help. The Glacier National Park Fund, along with Glacier Banks of Whitefish, Kalispell and Columbia Falls have teamed up to raise $150,000 toward trail repair and rehabilitation.

To date, the fund, with help from $20,000 from the banks, has raised about $50,000 of the $150,000 goal.

To give a donation to the Glacier National Park Fund, you can make a donation at the Whitefish, Kalispell or Columbia Falls branches of the bank, or you can donate directly to the fund through its Web site at: http://www.glacierfund.org/ where a special link has been established or by regular mail at the Glacier National Park Fund P.O. Box 5600, 540 Wisconsin Avenue Whitefish, MT 59937.