Mountain bike group gears up on two major trail projects

Ron Brandt, executive director of Flathead Area Mountain Bikers, prefers action to words, but he is excited to talk about two multi-year trail projects that are in the works.  

FAMB is a local nonprofit that builds and maintains trails, conducts riding clinics and participates in mountain bike trail advocacy in the Flathead Valley. 

“We're doing some really cool things right now,” Brandt began. “I've been working on ... two big projects with the Forest Service at opposite ends of the valley.” 

The Taylor Hellroaring project is northwest of Whitefish and the other project is on Crane Mountain south of Bigfork. 

Currently, trail crews from three organizations are collaborating to renew the Ralph Thayer trail, a ridge trail in the Whitefish Range.  

“We started with Montana Conservation Corps and Tally Lake Ranger District, working on bringing the Ralph Thayer trail from Hellroaring Peak all the way out to Werner Peak back from hibernation,” Brandt said. 

Brandt said he thinks the trail was taken off the map when Whitefish Mountain Resort expanded operations into the Hellroaring area. Some of the trail still exists while other sections are unrecognizable. 

“When we get that fully punched through, we’ll have more than 22 miles of trail that goes from the mountain all the way out to Red Meadow Pass,” he said. “That trail has some of the best views of the Whitefish Range. You can see both sides all the way across.” 

The first part of the project is to reestablish the Ralph Thayer trail, then FAMB will build two trails that connect the ridge trail to Taylor Creek Road. Eventually, those trails will drop below the road and connect to Whitefish. 

“There are more than 15 miles of trail approved in this project on the Whitefish face there that will all be community trails reconnecting back to Whitefish,” Brandt said. 

Work on this project began over seven years ago with the initial scoping. Brandt said the main players, along with FAMB, in the partnership are the Tally Lake Ranger District, Whitefish Mountain Resort, Whitefish Legacy Partners and the Forest Service. 

“Even though it’s close, it’s remote,” he said of the location. “It does take a lot of planning to orchestrate, lots of work prior to actual work.” 

FAMB is also cutting trails on Crane Mountain as part of the Bug Creek project, a timber management project outside of Bigfork. 

“We've partnered with the riding community down in Bigfork and the Swan Lake Ranger District and we are taking lead on 15 miles of trail,” Brandt said. “That network has Forest Service mountain bike-specific trails, which is pretty awesome and unique to that project.” 

The new upper bike trails, which total 5 miles, do not allow horses for safety reasons. The lower network is all new and includes just over 9 miles of pack trails, so any non-motorized user can use them.  

“The Bigfork riding community is amazing and super pumped,” Brandt said. “Like many of the things that FAMB does, we are standing on other people’s shoulders to get everybody up higher. There’s been a lot of community input and work."  

FAMB hosted a community dig night in June to kick off the project and there was a great turnout. Brant said he is stoked to work with the community of Bigfork and the Forest Service on Crane Mountain. Another community dig night is being planned for September. 

Brandt has enjoyed working shoulder to shoulder with the riding community in Bigfork. 

“It's a super cool spot,” he said of the southeast end of the valley. “The terrain itself is so unique and so cool down there with amazing views of Flathead Lake in a couple spots.” 

The Taylor Hellroaring and Crane Mountain projects are multi-year projects, but Brant said the phases are well thought-out and that people will be able to ride some parts of the trails as soon as possible.  

“We have shovels in the ground in both projects already. That's good and positive and actually happening,” Brandt beamed. “We've been talking about them, and they are actually happening and I don’t know how to contain the excitement, honestly.”  

He expressed gratitude for all the board members, past board members and community members who have put in time, work and effort. 

In addition to these two major projects, FAMB continues to work with the Forest Service and maintain trails at Foys to Blacktail, Glacier to Gateway and the Whitefish Trail system.  

FAMB has also been working on erosion and water management at Bill Creek in the Tally Lake area and it finalized a 10-year land use license for Spencer Mountain with help from Whitefish Legacy Partners and the city of Whitefish last spring. 

“We license all the trails there,” he said. “It is a big deal -- it's what allows all those trails to be maintained and exist on State Trust Land.” 

To donate to FAMB during the Great Fish Challenge, visit www.flatheadamb.org.

    Trail crews work on the Taylor Hellroaring project despite the snow that fell last week. (Photo provided)