The Flathead Valley offers a wealth of groomed Nordic trails for skiers of all abilities, and some of the best are on Blacktail Mountain in Lakeside. Maintained and groomed by the North Shore Nordic Club, the network of trails has something for everyone, from the skate ski racer in training to the casual cross country skier looking for a reason to get outside.
On a recent weekend, many skiers and snowshoers were cruising the well-trafficked trails, and on a day when it was overcast and warm on the valley floor, up on Blacktail, the sun was poking through and the trees were heavy with snow.
A map of the trail network is available on the club’s Web site, http://northshorenordic.org. And though a member of the club assures me they are going to revise the map, it is a bit hard to follow at present. It’s best to just get out there and explore for yourself. There are usually skiers milling about at the trailheads who are happy to fill you in on the different routes. Parking areas are hard to miss. Other guidelines for trail use are available on the club’s site, but dogs are allowed on the Blacktail trails. The club also maintains trails closer to Bigfork at the corner of Foothill and Jewel Basin Road.
How to get there: Head up Blacktail Road in Lakeside several miles until you see the obvious trailheads and parking areas on the left side of the road. As of last week, the lower parking lot trails, at mile 6.5, were not being groomed, but the trails leaving from the lot at mile 8 were.