SPRING SERENITYBy LARRY KLINE – Independent Record – 03/26/09
POLEBRIDGE – I awoke to a thump-thump-thump sound of fresh spring snow blowing off the trees and landing on the metal roof.
It was morning in North Fork Country.
Situated next to Glacier National Park’s western boundary about 20 miles south of the Canadian border, Polebridge offers visitors a relaxed
attitude and sweeping views of the Livingston Range to the east and the Whitefish Range to the west.
And the North Fork Hostel, with its cheap beds and off-the-beaten-path ambiance, serves as an excellent base camp to explore the park’s
west side and the Flathead River’s North Fork.
Named for a lodge pole pine bridge that crossed the river at the ranger station (until it burned in the 1988 Red Bench Fire), Polebridge in
spring is a getaway for wanderers, students, couples, singles and anyone seeking solitude along the snowy banks of the semi-frozen tributary.
Come July, this little town with a year-round population of 14 swells with tourists who want views of Bowman and Kintla lakes, and perhaps a
tasty treat from the historic Polebridge Mercantile, which sports some phenomenal baked goods, and a refreshing drink from the Northern
Lights Saloon.
Cross the new bridge now, though, and you’ll find a largely empty park open for exploration. With the cheap lodging available, this springtime
trip can be an affordable getaway and a chance to see Glacier in a way most never will.
I skied along the North Fork one afternoon earlier this month with my partner-in-adventure beside me, and spent about four hours in the
fresh snow.
It was a day for snow squalls, and we watched the storms drift in and out of the mountains. The river’s ice changed from gray to pale blue
in the shifting sunlight. We followed snowed-in ski tracks, and no one followed us. A curious raptor briefly circled above.
The river and the sky and the snow were ours alone.
Exhausted, we returned that night to pan-fry steaks in the hostel’s large, communal kitchen. There’s no electricity or natural gas in Polebridge,
so we cooked on a propane stove, under the glow of propane lights. A massive old woodstove, its black iron accented with chrome, occupies
one end of the kitchen.
We chatted with Oliver, the hostel’s owner, before heading to bed. He’s run the hostel for six years, and bought the place last winter.
No one seems to know the history of the building, which actually consists of two large old cabins that were moved together in the 1940s.
The hostel’s founder bought the place in 1978, and the inn has since served travelers with character and charm.
Beds are $20 per night. A shower is available, along with the kitchen and living room, for communal use. Couples and families have the option of
private rooms upstairs, and travelers also have a few cabins out back to choose from. More cabins are available north of the hostel in summer months.
Oliver is a friendly and knowledgeable host, and staying at the hostel is pretty simple living (the outhouses are festooned with all sorts of interesting décor). Bring food n a refrigerator is available n and be sure to conserve propane and water during the stay. Guests are expected to clean up after themselves, and Oliver claims to charge double rates to those who don’t do their dishes.
Come prepared, of course n there aren’t many services available in Polebridge. There’s no fuel and only one restaurant-bar establishment with variable hours. The Mercantile has everything a small-town store would have (canned foods, some other groceries and specialty items, along with the baked goods) but it’s best to bring enough food to last.
We chose to rent the Goat Chalet n its former residents were four-legged, according to rumors — and I would recommend the little cabin behind
the hostel to anyone who goes. The cozy structure (probably about 12-by-14 feet) holds a queen-sized bed, a small table and a wood stove
for heat. And it has a great morning-coffee porch, complete with rocking chairs.
The first night, we chatted with a soil analyst while a quartet of University of Montana students played spades. A few other guests read quietly
in the living room.
Rain fell the second night instead of snow, and we awoke to find the thigh-deep drifts crusty with ice. We strapped on the snowshoes and
headed up the Bowman Lake road. Scorched trunks, 20 years dead, reached toward the sky, with new growth already standing tall beneath.
The peaks of the Livingston Range n Glacier’s western front n slowly revealed themselves through the breaking clouds, the blazing sun catching
first one snowfield and then another. Jagged rocks grew out of the mists and then faded once more.
Oliver’s photo blog shows pictures of wolves in the area in January, so we were on the lookout for tracks. We got lucky and found a nice set
of three tracks leading out of the woods. They had followed the road for about 30 yards before turning off into the trees once more.
The tracks had likely been made the night before. I wondered if the wolves were still nearby, and if they could smell us.
I put a finger in the crisp print and traced the marks, trying to imagine the paw and its owner.
North Fork Hostel
How to get there: Drive to Columbia Falls (from Helena, the Seeley-Swan Highway is the most direct route, making for a roughly 500-mile
round-trip). Take Nucleus Avenue north from U.S. Highway 2, and then veer right onto Railroad Street. This curves to the left and turns
into the Montana Highway 486, which is the North Fork Road. Follow the signs to the town and the hostel. Other lodging is available
, including cabins that can be rented from the U.S. Forest Service and the Polebridge Mercantile.
Caution: The first 10 miles are paved before the road turns to gravel with intermittent pavement. We drove it March 14, and it was mostly
solid snow and ice. Four- or all-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended, and tire chains are suggested.
Click here for a complete list of accommodations and prices, and it’s best to call ahead (406-888-5241) for reservations.