Gunshots damage ski-trail grooming equipment

Vandals with a .40 caliber handgun, rifle and a shotgun damaged the North Shore Nordic Club’s trail-grooming snowmobile at Blacktail Mountain sometime between the evening of March 16 and Saturday morning, March 19.

More than 50 spent shell casings were found at the site, according to a news release from the club. The club is offering a reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the crime.

The club’s snowmobile was stored in a shipping container that can be seen from the Blacktail Mountain Road, at a distance of about 150 yards. Bullets penetrated the steel container walls and hit the snowmobile.

One of the grooming implements also was damaged by the shots that appear to have been fired from the Blacktail Road parking area.

The club operates a 2009 Skidoo Skandic 900 snowmobile with a retail value of approximately $10,000.

The initial assessment of the damage indicates that the snowmobile can be repaired. However, the club operates on a minimal budget and much volunteer time and effort.

One of the club’s board members, a volunteer groomer, found the disabled snowmobile on Saturday morning as he arrived to groom the trails.

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office investigated the shooting.

The damage represents a big setback for the club’s operations at the end of a great season, according to the news release. The club appeals to the public for any information that might lead to finding those responsible for the vandalism.

 Anyone with information is asked to contact Crimestoppers at 752-8477.

The club will host a “Thanks for the Snow!” party this Friday, March 25, in Bigfork, at the Garden Bar. The event will feature live music by The Bad Larrys, a chili feed and a raffle. A $10 donation is requested. Proceeds support the club’s operations at both Blacktail Mountain Nordic Trails and the Bigfork Community Nordic Trails.