Rec trail work proceeding on budget

By next summer, recreationists will be able to hike or bike from Lion Mountain Loop Road to Beaver Lake Road on a new single-track trail that includes a spectacular traverse of a cliff band overlooking Skyles Lake.

That section of the A Trail Runs Through It project should be completed and open to the public by summer, said Steve Thompson, chairman of the trail project's steering committee, and Greg Gunderson, of Forestoration, who is helping oversee trail construction.

Eventually, the A Trail Runs Through It project is expected to run completely around Whitefish Lake, crossing the BNSF Railway tracks at the head of the lake near Lazy Creek and continuing around the east side of the lake, across Big Mountain and down Haskill Basin.

"It's been a great community partnership that has gotten us this far, including the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, local volunteers, neighboring landowners, the Forest Service and the city of Whitefish," Thompson said. "We're creating a wonderful new model for expanding recreational access and conserving open lands across private, state and federal ownerships."

The project received a significant infusion of cash and help from Silicon Valley entrepreneur Michael Goguen, who owns a large home near Beaver Lake. As part of a recently concluded land swap with the state, Goguen gave the city of Whitefish $3.1 million for trail construction and design and agreed to pay for building the 2 1/2 miles of trail that crosses his property south of Beaver Lake Road.

The city is the "landlord" for the trail project, which means it holds the money and will help the state collect recreation permit fees for use of the trail. Although the trail crosses private and Forest Service lands, much of it will be located on state public school trust lands. In exchange for withholding large-scale development on those lands, the state will collect revenue from recreational use and timber sales.

An example of this is the new 20-space parking lot and 450-foot long improved road that provides access at Lion Mountain Loop Road. The state will charge 6 percent of the appraised value per year for the acreage taken up by the parking lot.

The project is on budget. About $134,000 was spent this year, including about $50,000 for the new parking lot and trailhead at Lion Mountain Loop Road. A "bomber-proof" single-vault unisex restroom will be installed there sometime next year.

"Hopefully, people will have ownership in the trail and won't vandalize it," Thompson said.

Another $30,000 was spent on carving a trail across a rocky cliff band above the parking lot. Workers packed in hand tools, as well as generators for electric jackhammers. They also ran about 400 feet of pneumatic hose up to the cliff band to operate rock drills. Jeff Cameron, of Master Blaster, set the charges for blasting through the cliff band.

About 10 contractors and about 50 different individuals so far have worked on the project, Gunderson said. Six different Montana Conservation Corps groups worked on the trail, in addition to high school groups with volunteers ranging from 14 years old to adults.

Midway Rental donated use of the electric jackhammers, Western Building Center reduced prices on hand tools purchased by the trail group and Nelson's Ace Hardware donated four hand tools. Those tools will be used for years to come as the trail is built around Whitefish Lake.

About 4 1/2 miles of 39-inch wide single track has been completed between the cliff band and Beaver Lake Road, including the section paid for by Goguen. The trail is considered "family friendly," Thompson said. The entire trail system averages less than 8 percent grade; however, there are short segments up to 12 percent.

The trail intersects with Beaver Lake Road about three-quarters of a mile from Beaver Lake. Parking is available at the lake, but the trail group plans to build a new trail parallel to the road for about three-quarters of a mile back toward U.S. 93, where a trailhead that will accommodate a fair number of vehicles and a kiosk will be built, Thompson explained.

Work on the trail from the Lion Mountain Loop Road trailhead to the cliff band will be completed next year. The trail group decided to hold off construction of that section of trail until after the state completes a logging project in the area.

Horse riders will be able to use the trail from Beaver Lake Road to a spot near the cliff band, where a short spur trail and hitching post will be built. Thompson said the narrow trail across the cliff band area could pose user-conflicts between hikers, bikers and horses. No horse off-loading facilities will be provided at the Lion Mountain Loop Road trailhead.

Volunteers are needed to help complete a spur trail from the six-space parking lot at Skyles Lake to the main trail. Gunderson and Thompson believe work on the 2,000-foot section of trail could be completed this fall, but the trail will not be open to the public this year.

"The grand opening of the trail will be next summer," Thompson said. "The best way for people to get a sneak preview is to volunteer for trail work this fall."

Two identical orientation meetings for volunteers will take place at the city council chambers on Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 6-7 p.m. and at the Whitefish Library's conference room on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from noon to 1 p.m.

"Please bring any co-workers, friends or family members interested in helping out," Gunderson said. "There will be a variety of hand work to do, from strenuous to fairly easy, so please do not shy away even if you don't consider yourself a lumberjack."

A lot of the work could involve raking dirt away from the constructed trail, he explained. The state has set strict standards for removing dirt from the trail.

An important component yet to be completed is a trail-use license with the state. But although DNRC is mandated to generate money for public education, the steering committee has decided not to require trail users to purchase a recreation permit in 2010 in hopes people will voluntarily donate to support the trail, Thompson said.

"I'd like to recognize the hard work and dedication of our steering committee and other volunteers who have helped guide this project," he said. "They are Whitefish attorney Diane Conradi; city councilors Nick Palmer and Nancy Woodruff; city parks director Karl Cozad; neighboring landowner Bick Smith; Anne Moran, Pete Seigmund and Greg Poncin at DNRC; Becky Smith-Powell at the Flathead National Forest; and project coordinators Greg Gunderson and David Noftsinger."

Tax-deductible donations for the project can be sent to Flathead Gateway Partners, TRTI Project, P.O. Box 1895, Whitefish MT 59937. Donations also can be made through the Facebook page for the Trail Runs Through It. For more information, visit online at www.trailrunsthroughit.org.