Snowmobile tragedy touches us all
A carefree day of ripping around the backcountry on snowmobiles Saturday turned tragic when a massive avalanche at Red Meadow Lake killed two young Kalispell people.
Our hearts go out to the families of Christopher Schmalz and Danelle Bloom, who died in the accident, and to Dan Kenfield, who survived burial in 6 feet of snow and debris, but lost his girlfriend and cousin.
We are grateful that a fast-thinking group of snowmobilers in the area was able to get to Kenfield and save him in time. They did their best to rescue Schmalz and Bloom as well.
We are also thankful to search-and-rescue teams and others who braved high avalanche danger themselves to recover the bodies of the victims on Sunday. Search-and-rescue coordinator Tom Snyder did what he had to when he halted the search Saturday night. Endangering volunteers in the dark and foul weather where they could not even assess the condition of snowy slopes around them would have been foolhardy. Taking that risk would not have saved either of the victims, who had likely perished even before organized search teams arrived Saturday.
We can, and should, talk about lessons learned in safety precautions and protocol. But for now, we join others in the valley in their sorrow for two lives cut short.
It's just a small step, but noteworthy nonetheless, that biodiesel has arrived in the Flathead.
Largely as a result of consumer interest, the first local gas station has introduced a biodiesel blend at the pumps. Michael's Exxon West is selling B5, a blend of 5 percent biodiesel (made from soybeans) and 95 percent petroleum diesel.
The biodiesel component is not only supposed to run cleaner, with fewer emissions, but also to improve performance. Biodiesel improves the lubrication in engines and is also a cleansing agent.
For now, the price is higher than for regular diesel, but some people think it's worth it. Like everything else, the final decision will be up to consumers, and if the demand is sufficient, you will probably be seeing more alternative fuels available at the pumps in the coming years.
It was nice to see Conrad Burns stepping forward last week to pledge his support for the Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning and vow that the museum will not close.
Burns, of course, has gotten into a world of PR hurt recently because of his association with indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, but the senator says his support for American Indian causes had nothing to do with donations from Abramoff or anyone else.
We certainly hope that is the case. In the meantime, the senator remains in a position to help all Montanans, and it is appropriate that he, along with his colleague Rep. Denny Rehberg, is using his influence to help the city of Browning keep one of its few major tourism resources.