Snowmobiling Kootenai Country in Northwest Montana
Continued from Page 1
A glimpse of what backcountry
exploration via
snowmobile looks like in Kootenai Country.
Photo courtesy of
Joe and Cindy Miller.
The LC SnoKat Club was formed in the mid-1960’s and has worked to develop and improve snowmobiling opportunities within their area. North and west of Libby, one major network of trails now offers more than 150 miles of snowmobile cruising. The central hub for these trails found at the intersection of Pipe Creek and Seventeen Mile Roads. From the parking area located there, four major snowmobile trails can be accessed: Big Creek Baldy, East Fork Purcell, Purcell, and Quartz Creek.
Although separate from one another, three of those four major trails loop together and provide many options for riders to plan their day out while navigating varying routes which share a commonly convenient starting and ending point of rendezvous.
Up the East Fork of Pipe Creek, a 30-mile marked and groomed loop trip is also popular and can be linked with a side trip to the Big Creek Baldy Lookout and Warming Hut. Great views of the Yaak and the Kootenai River can be accessed along this loop. The warming hut, a log cabin shelter located just below the lookout, contains a wood stove, indoor seating and a vault toilet
The LC SnoKats work cooperatively with Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Club meetings are held at the David Thompson Search and Rescue Barn on the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. One of their most popular club events, the Annual Fun Run will soon be held again on Saturday, Feb. 6.
Troy’s Snowmobile Club, the Northwest Montana Snowmobile Enthusiasts, formed in 2004 to focus on snowmobile recreation development in the greater Troy area. In a relatively short period of time, club membership has grown substantially and spread geographically.
Area trails which are maintained and groomed by the Troy club include Keeler, Spread Creek, Whitetail and Pete Creek. Remote rides and outstanding views are available from any one of these trails. A warming hut can be found at Keeler Mountain. The next group ride for the Troy Club will be held on March 14. Bound for Buckhorn Ridge, the group will leave the Troy Bowling Alley at 10 a.m. for Meadow Creek access.
More information on the NW Montana Snowmobile Enthusiasts of Troy can be obtained by visiting www.troysnomobileclub.org or contacting Jerry Wandler at 295-4322, email wanzy@frontiernet.net.
Additional information on the LC Snokat Club of Libby can be found by visiting www.lcsnokatclub.com or contacting Lenny at 291-0589.
Both the Libby and Troy area snowmobile clubs can also be contacted for more information on avalanche training, a critically important class for all riders to consider prior to recreationally exploring our beautiful yet potentially dangerous backcountry landscapes.
Libby Senior Center reports 300+ Meals-On-Wheels delivered weekly
Janean and Joanne McBride were focused on gathering their lunch deliveries inside the Libby Senior Center this past Wednesday as the winds howled steadily outdoors and provided an eerie soundtrack for the Meals-On-Wheels routine distributions.
In January of 2019, the kitchen served on average 200 meals per week – including about 80 home deliveries. The McBride sisters along with about 10 more volunteers currently help the senior center each week by putting together meal sacks and/or delivering one of the 300-350 home delivered meals currently now distributed each week.
According to Dedi Coy, Director of the Libby Senior Center, there are just two regular cooks who make all those meals possible by cooking and cleaning at the center kitchen each day.
“We do have the Libby Logger Boys Basketball Team coming in to help with grab-and-go meals every Tuesday, too,” Coy shared. “We really appreciate them.”
Though the center remains closed to social gatherings, many of its amenities remain accessible. Greeting cards are sold at $1 each or 6 for $5. A library of books and puzzles is available for loan. Liquid supplements such as Ensure are sold at discounted rates with a proper referral or prescription from your dietician or doctor. And medical supplies are regularly loaned out (wheelchairs, walkers, etc.).
The Senior Center also welcomes donations for their medical supply closet. Anyone interested in offering a helping hand with dinner or lunch routines and/or
deliveries is welcome to contact the center for more information on how to help.
All inquiries may be directed in attention to Dedi Coy by phone (406) 293-7222 or via email at
libbyseniors@gmail.com.
The Libby Senior Center is located at 206 East 2nd Street.
Photo by Stacy Bender,
The Montanian
Cold storage expanding at Libby Food Pantry
On Thursday, January 14, volunteers with the Libby Food Pantry gathered to receive shipment of a new freezer for their facility. “Things did not go as smoothly as we had anticipated,” shared Chloe Adamson, pantry coordinator and volunteer. “It proved quite the challenge to move the heavier parts off of their pallets and into our building, but our incredible volunteers never cease to get the job done.”
Through a CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, & Economic Security) Act grant awarded in late November of 2019, the Libby Food Pantry was able to purchase the new freezer, secure its pending electrical installation, and buy several food items to fill pantry shelves and cold storage including hams and turkeys for the holidays.
According to Adamson, the freezer is a welcome addition to the local panty’s facility. “We are going to be able to eliminate the four chest freezers currently in use. This is a big deal. It is hard to get in and out of those freezers and keep track of inventory at the same time. Plus they are so innefficient energy-wise.”
Photo by Stacy Bender, The Montanian
Photo by Stacy Bender,
The Montanian