Category: News

Final stargazing night of the year moved to Thursday, Sep 26

NGC7293 (383 exp)

Location – the Observatory 197 W Thunderbird Road
Time: 7:00 pm
Date: Thursday, September 26th

Weather is looking good for clear skies this week. Before dark we’ll discuss current happenings in the sky and general astronomy and cosmology trivia. After dark we’ll look for Saturn and Neptune through the telescope and other deep sky objects like galaxies and nebula (like the ones in the pictures here), red giants and star clusters.

M51 (439 exp)

Fire pit will be going so bring along anything you want to cook up or share. Will provide dogs (not pet ones), brats and s’more ingredients.

Spectacular truck fire near Walker’s

Truck and trailer being consumed by fire on North Fork Road, September 6, 2024 - W. K. Walker
Truck and trailer being consumed by fire on North Fork Road, September 6, 2024 – W. K. Walker

Some excitement the afternoon of Friday, September 6: A brand new F-150 pickup belonging to the contractor working on the road project at the upper end of the North Fork Road caught fire. The vehicle was a total loss, along with the load of road cloth on the trailer it was pulling. Continue reading Spectacular truck fire near Walker’s

No prescribed burns planned for the North Fork this fall

According to a recent press release, there are no prescribed burns planned for the North Fork this fall — or in the entire Hungry Horse or Glacier View ranger districts, for that matter. The Spotted Bear, Tally Lake and Swan Lake districts have a few lined up, however. Click on the map for details.

Note that the map does not display “…both landing and hand piles that are not identified on the map which may also be burned when conditions become favorable.” I’m guessing this might include some of the slash and other debris piled at the Ford Schoolhouse site.

Short North Fork Road closure Sep 21 for Cedar Creek Marathon

Many of you probably got a card in your mailbox regarding a short (6-10am) North Fork Road Closure between the Camas intersection and end-of gravel due to the running of the Cedar Creek Marathon on Saturday, September 21.

According to the postcard . . . Continue reading Short North Fork Road closure Sep 21 for Cedar Creek Marathon

Hay Creek Road open – for now

The last few miles of the Hay Creek Road (Road 376) have been closed to vehicle traffic since early last year due to a couple of massive “slumps” that spilled across the road, burying everything in their path, including the drainage culverts. The west end of the road has been essentially impassible until last week when the Forest Service reopened it on a temporary basis. Continue reading Hay Creek Road open – for now

Ford Schoolhouse: Call for Volunteers

Ford Schoolhouse tree removal - fire crew at work
Ford Schoolhouse tree removal – fire crew at work

The Forest Service is hoping to assemble a work crew to do a few projects at Ford Schoolhouse during the last week of August. Potential projects: Replace the south sill log on the building, and/or begin installing sub-flooring for a new floor that will be installed next summer. (Curiously, the old floor that they removed this summer did not have any sub-flooring.)

Contact Lois Walker at lewalker@nvdi.net and she will pass names to Ryan Powell, the Forest Service archeologist who will be in charge of the work.

Northwest Montana Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in effect Saturday August 3 at 12:01 am

It’s that time again! From the official press release . . .

August 1st, 2024 — Interagency fire managers are implementing Stage I Fire Restrictions that will go into effect at 12:01am Saturday, August 3rd, 2024 across the Flathead National Forest, Kootenai National Forest, Glacier National Park, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation – Northwestern Land Office, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 1, Lincoln County, Flathead County, and Sanders County. Continue reading Northwest Montana Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in effect Saturday August 3 at 12:01 am

First Aid/CPR/AED Course July 23

First Aid SignageBob Lee will once again be giving his well-regarded First Aid/CPR/AED class in the North Fork this summer. It is an all-day course, starting at 9:00am and wrapping up by 4:00pm. The date is Tuesday, July 23. The course will be held at Sondreson Hall. Cost is $45/person. Bring your own lunch and drinks. Class size is limited to 10 people.

The course offers two-year AHA certification in First Aid, CPR and AED usage. If your job requires certified First Aid training, your current certification is expiring or if you just want to get up to speed on such things, this is an excellent way to get it done.

Contact Bill Walker, 406-407-2764 or wkwalker@nvdi.com to sign up for the course.