This year skiers will have more access to backcountry areas in the Canyon Creek area, which presents some safety concerns that the U.S. Forest Service would like to discuss at the upcoming Flathead Forest Friday breakfast chat.
Recreation and avalanche specialists will be at the Pin and Cue Restaurant in Whitefish at 7 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 21 for a no-host breakfast and discussion on the safety challenges in the Canyon Creek area and the highly popular groomed Canyon Creek Snowmobile Trail.
This year skiers at Whitefish Mountain Resort will have direct access to the Canyon Creek area and may choose to ski out of the boundary of the managed ski area and into the backcountry. Two potential conflicts are of concern to Forest Service: skiing in avalanche prone areas and hiking out using the Canyon Creek Snowmobile trail.
“We want to talk with the public about our plans to communicate these dangers, backcountry user education on how to correctly hike on a groomed snowmobile trail and hear ideas on how we can keep people safe in the Canyon Creek area,” Public Affairs Officer Wade Muehlhof said.
Every other month, the Forest Service coordinates no-host breakfast meetings at a local restaurant with the goal of sharing information about what’s happening on the National Forest.
“We hope the event will be a great way to discuss public land management opportunities and challenges that are important to us all,” Muehlhof said.
Those who plan to attend should notify Muehlhof at [email protected] or (406) 758-5252. Responding helps organizers to plan accordingly with the restaurant.