Looking back: U.S. 93 'deathtrap' claim disputed; teen rescued from backcountry
A look back at past Pilot articles by Julie Engler
50 Years Ago
April 11, 1974
The Jaycees of Northwestern Montana launched a campaign to point out that considerable improvement was needed to make U.S. Highway 93 safer for public travel. The Jaycees launched a bumper sticker campaign which pointed out the highway is a deathtrap. The Koocanusa Highway Association went on record to oppose the methods being used by the Jaycees. On the one hand, stated Koocanusa President Lloyd DePratu of Whitefish, the Koocanusa Highway Association was attempting to promote increased tourist traffic over Highway 93, while the Jaycees were scaring strangers off by pointing out that it is a deathtrap.
40 Years Ago
April 12, 1984
Eight days after he was offered the job of Whitefish city manager, Sid Fredrickson turned it down. At a special meeting of the Whitefish City Council, Fredrickson said he was withdrawing his name from consideration because there had been “a great deal of apprehension concerning the appointment process.” Fredrickson added, “The city administrator must not only have the support of the council and the community, but must ask for their tolerance during this period of reorganization and learning. I feel that the support is unquestionable there, but not the tolerance.”
30 Years Ago
April 7, 1994
A 13-year-old Washington state boy spent a cold, wet afternoon and part of a night lost in Canyon Creek, east of Big Mountain Ski Resort, after he skied alone out-of-bounds on the Big Mountain. He was found by members of the North Valley Search and Rescue at 10:47 p.m. after spending more than 10 hours alone in the backcountry. The boy was found on the snowmobile track that runs through the drainage, three miles from Chair 7 on the back side of the resort. The boy was soaked, cold and hungry, but not injured.
20 Years Ago
April 8, 2004
The map that details boundary lines for city and county jurisdictions was redrawn and the new boundaries exclude Whitefish Hills, Whitefish Hills Forest, some Haskill Basin lands and two parcels of Stoltze lumber acreage from city planning jurisdictions. All of these parcels were penciled into county jurisdiction. Forrest Sanderson, the chief planner for Flathead County, said the new boundaries reflect December’s public hearing on the matter. Sanders also stressed that the map was a draft document, subject to further consideration, saying, “It’s a proposal to be chewed on by the council and by the public.”
10 Years Ago
April 9, 2014
Smiles, goofy costumes and a few cold beverages ruled the slopes as Whitefish Mountain Resort capped one of its best ski seasons in the last decade. From snorkel-deep powder days to record-breaking skier visits, the 2013-14 winter will go down as one to remember. The snow came early and often, and was nearly relentless in March. The season ended with 317 inches of total snowfall and a settled base of 146 inches at the summit – the deepest in Montana.