Cabin Fever Condition Report - North end of Flathead Valley Montana

Oh ya! Rode last night. Spring is here, side roads are still slushy with patches of ice but give it another week or two of warmer temps and it's rock and roll time. Taking the cage up towards Polebridge tomorrow to check north fork road.

Valley roads, feeder roads are icy in the morning (run off still freezing). Lots of gravel in corners, highways are clear.

Tent space is defrosting nicely, fire pit area is a bit swampy still but will dry up over the next two weeks.

Woo hoo! Keep them pics comin'! I'm glad it's breaking up for you. It got to 73 here today! I rode home from work at 1030pm tonight and it was still in the upper 50's! I took the long way home of course. :evil:

Wanted to scout the nearest defrosted riding area

And have a black forest, fresh baked pocket bread sammich!

Hey Buck - ended up here


Here is your turn bud:



We made it to within 2 miles of the Canadian border but I didn't want to get stuck. The north fork road was clear until 3 miles away from the border. I'm going to go back up on my bike in a week or two to scope it out. Kind of a cross it off my list thing to take a pic with one foot in and one foot out :wings:

You guys are going to have an awesome trip! Here is a little scenery teaser (and the pics don't do it justice)

OMR wrote:

Hey Griz, I feel for you man. I keep thinking; just a couple more weeks and I can get out to some riding and it dumps more of the white stuff.
It will probably be late june early july before I can get up to some of my favorite trails.
I have to look at the bright side and maybe concentrate on finding rides to go on lower and closer to home.
Hang on.

I hear ya!

After today's exploration, I don't think the back roads are going to clear for at least a few weeks.

Here are what they look like today about 20 miles north of me

:wings:

WORD!

Can you actually cross the border (for photo ops at least) in that area? That way we can say we went to Canada w/o being shot by the RCMP? Wait...Do they even have guns?

Buck Nasty wrote:

Can you actually cross the border (for photo ops at least) in that area? That way we can say we went to Canada w/o being shot by the RCMP? Wait...Do they even have guns?

The RCMP standard sidearm is the SW 5946 in Stainless or the Single stack version. They also issue the black version to the ERT, who used to have Sig 226's. Notice the logo with the lance equipped Mountie on horseback.

Buck Nasty wrote:

Can you actually cross the border (for photo ops at least) in that area? That way we can say we went to Canada w/o being shot by the RCMP? Wait...Do they even have guns?

I have often wondered about this. I can assure you there are sensors and cameras everywhere, even in the boonies. I see border patrol SUV's nearly every day. Saw two going up when I was coming down from my little excursion.

There are no gates, just an open area with some buildings and signage. Kind of cool in a "I don't know if I should be doing this" kind of way. No people on either side, the crossing has been closed for a long time. I am going to make it part of my adventure when I go up in a couple weeks.

Remember Clint Eastwood, "whadda think, punk? Six shots or seven?"

Woo Hoo
Gonna be busy through Friday with classes, but this weekend is shaping up to be a good one! Hope y'all get out and ride.


griz

How's it looking up there in NW Montana Griz? Still buried?

Buck Nasty wrote:

How's it looking up there in NW Montana Griz? Still buried?

I rode up to Polebridge with two other bikes a couple of weeks ago. All the snow in the fields and main roads was gone but we didn't go west on the interior forest service roads of the Whitefish Range.

One of the guys I rode up with has a pilot buddy and I'll get a hold of him to see if they can check the route from the air. If they can tell us the elevation of the melt, then we'll know if the roads are open.

Sorry I don't have any details for you right now. But so far it is shaping up to be a "normal" spring season. That means unsettled weather (clouds, rain, a little sun, maybe a thunderhead now and then). Today for example it was a raining pretty heavy this morning, around lunch it was partly cloudy and moderate temps, this afternoon it's windy with partly cloudy skies and occasional sprinkles.

There is a common quote up here "If you don't like the weather; wait 15 minutes because it'll change".

You won't have cell phone coverage heading up into Polebridge or from Polebridge to Eureka if you do the Trail Creek route. Either way, prepare for it and it won't be a problem. If you let me know when you are passing through I can be your safety net. You can let me know when you are heading up to Polebridge and when you expect to hit Eureka. If you don't call me from Eureka by a predetermined time I can drive up and find you.

Feel free to email me if you need to ask more questions. It's all part of the "adventure" right?

Thanks Bill. Out weather has been similar here and we happen to throw the same slogan around as you. One month away! I'm stoked!

This was April of last year... So far, this year is better (I prolly just cursed myself)...

February 2010 my driveway only has about an inch of sheet ice under the slushies I actually heard a thumper in town today because all the roads are melted with 40 degree temps the past couple days.

Winter is far from over up here, but I'm thinking I would really like a warm spring over an extended deep freeze!

Later,

griz



Here are what they look like today about 20 miles north of me
[/quote]

Well, its been a week. I'm a little frustrated because the main roads have been clear/wet for a week during the day. But my driveway is 1,300 feet long and still under a layer of ice.

Hoping for a little I tempted the snow gods earlier today by putting down some salt pellets to drill through the ice. Came home from doing a little grocery shopping and it started snowing

Some locals are saying early spring, but I know better. 2008 we got almost half a foot in six hours in June....

So as far as NW Montana weather report goes - highs 35'ish lows 25 with a chance of flurries here and there.

A lot of rain, not enough

37 degrees, overcast, drizzle, rain and fog.

That is all