Oliver’s Blog

Charlie Wise Homestead Fire

The Charlie Wise Homestead Cabin will not be available for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately there was a fire at the homestead cabin on October 5 last year. The damage is extensive, it destroyed the roof and its supporting structure and everything inside was lost.

Reconstruction will start this summer. I think the main log structure is salvageable but I don’t know yet which direction it will go.

I was working in and around the cabin, cleaning up the yard, stocking the woodpile, replacing beds, armchairs and tables. I did lite the wood stove for some heat and late afternoon while working in the yard we noticed the cabin being full of smoke. I did try to get inside but a wall of black smoke made it impossible. A friend emptied his fire extinguisher through the window into the corner where the wood stove was and I got my pump going that was still in the creek next to the cabin. We started to pump creek water into the cabin but with no noticeable effect. Several passerby helped in the effort. We got a bigger pump from the hostel. Blankenship, Columbia Falls and Bad Rock fire departments responded. We figured it took 6 to 7 hours between when we discovered the fire until it was out. Here are pictures from the day after:

CWH Fire Front
Morning after the fire
CWH Fire back
Roof after the fire
CWH Fire kitchen
kitchen after the fire
CWH Fire ceiling
door and ceiling towards the living room
CWH Fire master bedroom
master bedroom

More Smoke in the North Fork

Controlled burns in the National Forest just outside Polebridge are signaling the end of another long Fire Season. Traditionally these fires help to restore a more historical fire regime to the ecosystem, improve wildlife habitat and reduce hazardous fuels to reduce wildfire risk and aid in potential future fire suppression efforts and improve wildlife habitat.

Controlled burn ending the season
Looks like it is in the Hay Creek Drainage

Hostel closed for the Season

smoky skies

Due to smoke and threats from area wildfires the North Fork Hostel and Square Peg Ranch will close for the 2018 Season.

Smoke has lead to poor air quality and fires have prompted several evacuation orders and warnings on the west side of Glacier Park and the North Fork.

No significant rain has fallen and is not in the immediate forecast.

Numa Lookout

Hiking Season has started for me in Glacier:

Bowman from Numa
Bowman Lake from Numa Lookout

Besides all the good biking on Going to the Sun Road, snow is disappearing fast in some places and it’s time to hit the trails again. Be aware, there are lots of downfall since the big storms we had since last season: On the Numa Ridge Trail I counted 4 to 5 dozen downed trees on the trail!

Rainbow Peak from
Rainbow Peak from Numa Lookout

Where the plow’s at

Camas Bridge to where the Plow is:

Photos along the way:

Lake McDonald
Lake McDonald
GTTSR
Stanton Mountain and Mount Vaught along the Sun Road
GTTSR
at Red Rock Slide
avalanche
Avalanche chute at Red Rock Slide
GTTSR
still lots of snow everywhere
GTTSR
The plow and Haystack Butte and Mt. Gould in the distance
GTTSR
Looking west at Heavens Peak
where the plows are
The rotary plow a little over a mile past Red Rock Slide
Oliver
What a great day!

 

 

Good Bye Social Sharing

This will be the last blog post shared across multiple media services.

In light, actually more like, in growing shadow of recent events we won’t share any more hostel posts on social media. My blog post are still accessible on the hostel’s website: nfhostel.com

The snow finally is starting to melt and post-holing and mud is on the agenda now. Although Camas Road already makes for an early season bike ride!

 

John Frederick Memorial

John
John & Bernie – photo courtesy of Carol Vuchetich

We are celebrating John’s life here at the North Fork Hostel coming May 19, 2018 at 1 PM.

Everybody is welcome. We will tell John stories and share memories, there will also be music and mementoes.

Bring a chair, lounger or hammock. Don’t forget an umbrella if it rains.

We will have a BBQ after we’re done with the remembering. Bring a side or dessert if you want to stick around for it.

Please join us!

Winter views from Demers Ridge

Glorious Day, near perfect conditions, enjoyable every which way you look.

across the way in Glacier
Looking towards Logging and Dutch Creek Drainages
Looking up the North Fork from Demers
Looking into the upper North Fork of the Flathead from Demers Ridge
Demers Ridge
Demers Ridge
View from Demers towards Mt. Brown
View towards Mt. Brown from Demers Ridge