Page 10 - Flathead Beacon // 11.9.16

NEWS
NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK
ANACORTES
CANADA OROVILLE
WASHINGTON
NORTHPORT
EUREKA
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
EAST GLACIER
Paci c Northwest National Scenic Trail
Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
OZETTE
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK
MONTANA IDAHO
Paci c Crest National Scenic Trail
GRAPHIC NOT TO SCALE. ILLUSTRATION BY SHARILYN FAIRWEATHER
From Glacier to the Paci c
Paci c Northwest Trail Advisory Council meets in White sh to discuss the future of the country’s newest scenic trail
BY JUSTIN FRANZ OF THE BEACON
WHITEFISH — For 1,200 miles, from Chief Mountain in Glacier National Park to the Paci c Ocean, a footpath mean- ders through the mountains of Montana, Idaho and Washington.
While the Paci c Northwest National Scenic Trail may not be as well known as some of the nation’s other long-dis- tance paths — including the Continental Divide Trail, the Paci c Crest Trail and the granddaddy of them all, the Appala- chian Trail — a small group of people is working tirelessly to elevate its status. As part of that e ort, the Paci c Northwest National Scenic Trail Advisory Council met in White sh last week for its bian- nual meeting to discuss the route’s future.
The two-day meeting on Nov. 2-3 at Grouse Mountain Lodge included repre- sentatives from all levels of government, as well as historians, recreation advo- cates and a timber representative.
“We’re seeing a lot more interest in hiking long trails like this, but the work done here is important to everyone, even those just hiking short sections of it,” said Eric Smith, deputy superintendent of Glacier National Park, during his open- ing remarks on Nov. 2. “This is a trail that crosses an incredibly diverse landscape, from the east side of Glacier National
The bridge over Lake Koocanusa. BEACON FILE PHOTO Park all the way the Paci c Ocean.”
According to Matt McGrath, Paci c Northwest National Scenic Trail Pro- gram Manager for the U.S. Forest Service, the 1,200-mile trail was rst proposed in 1970 and was designated a national sce- nic trail by Congress in 2009. That desig- nation required the Forest Service to cre- ate a management plan. McGrath, who is based in Portland, Oregon, said that is especially challenging because the trail passes through seven national forests and three national parks.
“Instead of managing the trail as small segments, we want to manage it as a whole,” he said. “Of course all of these national parks and forests have their own management plans, so the challenge for us is to gure out how we t into those plans.”
The trail begins at the Chief Moun- tain Customs Station on the U.S.-Ca- nadian border in Glacier National Park. From there, it veers west, passing Water- ton Lake and crossing the Continental Divide near Chapman Peak. The trail
follows Bowman Lake and exits Gla- cier at Polebridge where it enters Forest Service land. The trail continues west to Eureka, where it brie y follows U.S. Highway 93 and then Montana High- way 37 from Rexford to the Koocanusa Bridge. It then heads into the woods for the remainder of its journey to Idaho and on to Washington.
At least 400 miles of the trail are cur- rently on existing roads, and McGrath said one of the challenges in develop- ing the route is getting it o highways. He said the section of trail along Mon- tana Highway 37 near Rexford is a prime example of an area where supporters hope they can construct a new trail. However, that could be a decades-long process, and McGrath noted that it has taken nearly 40 years to get all of the Paci c Crest Trail o highways.
Perhaps the biggest challenge facing supporters is promoting the trail while maintaining its remote and rustic nature.
“There is a real sense of adventure on this trail — you really do need a map and a compass to hike it, and that’s something people really enjoy,” McGrath said.
For more information about the Paci c Northwest National Scenic Trail, visit www.fs.usda.gov/pnt.
jfranz@ atheadbeacon.com
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NOVEMBER 9, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM