Celebration set for new Nordic trailhead

Whitefish Legacy Partners and Glacier Nordic Club are celebrating the grand opening of the new Big Mountain Trailhead on Saturday, Jan. 13.

The event includes free Nordic ski demos, guided group ski and snowshoe outings, hot cocoa and snacks from 2-4 p.m. For the full schedule visit www.whitefishlegacy.org.

In partnership with Whitefish Mountain Resort, the city of Whitefish, Flathead Land Trust and F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co., the trailhead provides year round access to 5.5 new miles of the Whitefish Trail through Haskill Basin and winter access to the 23KM Big Mountain Nordic Trails groomed by Glacier Nordic Club and Iron Horse Golf Club.

The new trailhead will replace access from the Willow Lots at Whitefish Mountain Resort while providing a more beginner-friendly Nordic ski route. Users are asked to respect multi-use rules on the groomed trails with fat-bikers, snowshoers, and walkers staying to the side to maintain grooming.

The Big Mountain Trailhead is located 3.2 miles up Big Mountain Road, above Ptarmigan Village and Lookout Ridge. The event is free and open to the public.