WHITEFISH, Mont. -- A Day in the Life.
It's morning on the Big Mountain. I crawl out from underneath the soft down-filled comforters in a room at Kandahar Lodge and drive down the winding mountain road into still-drowsy downtown Whitefish.
I park the car next to a couple of Harleys on East Third Street and amble (that's what you do in the West) into the Buffalo Caf? where, if you don't order the Huckleberry pancakes, the patrons -- everybody from bikers to businessmen -- look at you like you were from Mars. Or Canada, just a couple hours north.
The main event for the day is golf. At nearby Whitefish Lake Golf Course, a 36-hole facility that plays host to 63,000 rounds in its seven-month window (April-October) before the snow turns the Flathead Valley into a winter wonderland. It's not yet 8 a.m. and Whitefish Lake GC already is buzzing with activity. On the North Course (6,604 yards, par 72), built in 1936, long-time season pass holders hold court and wait their turns on the first tee to wind through the tall, mature pines.
Like most things in these parts, the North Course comes with a story. In the late 1920s, several leading Whitefish citizens decided it was time for a golf course, and purchased more than 100 acres of land on the town's west side for $1,600. But even in those days, $1,600 didn't go very far and group eventually turned to a federal program sponsored by the Works Progress Administration, which provided grants to cities for building emergency landing fields.
The property owners put together their request to the WPA, which was granted. The owners then donated the land to the City of Whitefish. That's how Whitefish Lake became a community golf course/emergency landing strip. Many of the locals still chuckle about how a bunch of "middle of nowhere" yokels put one over on the feds.
The South Course (6,563 yards, par 71), with holes that play along the banks of Lost Coon Creek, is generally preferred by tourists and younger players. But you can't go wrong with either course in terms of playability and particularly scenery, whether it's the Big Mountain in the background or eagles and wild turkey in the foreground. If you're lucky, you might even catch site of an elk or moose.
Yes, there are bears out here, too, but generally their visits to town are rare. There is a story, however, of the time a few years ago when there was an abnormal number of bear sightings in town. Turns out that a woman who had recently moved with her family to Whitefish put out pizza every night in order to glimpse the animals. Word is the woman spent a few nights as a guest of the town's jail.
Oh yeah, the golf courses. John Steidel, who designed the South Course, also did the re-design work on the North Course to how it looks today.
The Flathead Valley has eight golf courses within 45 minutes driving time of each other. In addition to the 36 holes at Whitefish Lake, two of the more popular are Big Mountain Golf Club (formerly Northern Pines), designed by former U.S. Open champion Andy North and Roger Packard, and Eagle Bend, a 27-holf facility featuring 18 holes designed by William Hull and nine by Nicklaus Design.
Big Mountain (7,015 yards, par 72), about 10 minutes from Whitefish, is a links-land course framed by Ponderosa Pines with some terrific views of the Flathead Valley on the front side. The back nine is a bit tougher as one get to the 13th through 16th holes that play along the fertile farmland of the Stillwater River.
The 193-yard 16th hole is particularly impressive as it is all carry over the Stillwater River. It's a good setup for the 555-yard, par-5 17th hole and the 444-yard, par-4 18th hole that finishes the green dug out of a gully.
Eagle Bend is 45 minutes from Whitefish in the eclectic town of Bigfork, where the rich and famous go to browse its galleries and antique shops. Bigfork is one of the country's great mountain towns, sitting for 100 years where the Swan River joins Flathead Lake.
Eagle Bend (6,742 yards, par 72), which many rate as the top course in Montana, features some severe elevation changes and some holes with spectacular views of the Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. The 500-yard, par-4 18th hole is certainly one to remember, starting off from an elevated tee box with views of Flathead Lake and descending to a green guarded by bunkers on both sides.
The most spectacular amenities of all, however, is Glacier National Park. About 25 miles from Whitefish, Glacier National Park is more than one million acres of some of the most beautiful land in North America. The "Crown of the Continent" has six lodges, 66 backcountry camp sites, more than 700 marked hiking trails and 643 lakes.
Only around 50 of the ancient glaciers that carved this land remain and scientists expect those to be gone within 100 years. The best way to see the park is the drive along Going to The Sun Road that takes you to a national park visitor's center. There you can hike a trail on the Continental Divide down into a valley millions of years old.
More detailed studies are available through the Glacier Institute, which holds adult field seminars and youth field science camps on the park's geology and biology.
Whitewater rafting, fly fishing, trail ride, boating and lake fishing also are available in abundance.
After 36 holes, it's time to head back downtown. You have to love a place that serves free beer and every day from 4-6 p.m., the Great Northern Brewery offers its finest microbrews. The flagship brand is Black Star, which features a "double hopping" process the company claims gives the beer a distinctively crisp and full-bodied taste. The Tasting Room in the brewery's second floor offers other selections, such as Wild Huckleberry, Snow Ghost and Big Fog, along with a great view of Big Mountain.
At 7,000 feet, Big Mountain dominates the 60 square miles of the Flathead Valley and has more than 3,000 skiable acres and 78 marked runs. In the spring, summer and fall, the Danny On Trail (named for a local skier killed on the mountain) has several hiking routes to the summit, where Montana's Big Sky opens to vistas of Glacier National Park 25 miles away. Huckleberry picking is a favorite activity for hikers on Big Mountain and it's common to see children (and adults) return from the summit covered with a red gloss of huckleberry juice.
The U.S. Forestry Service operates a small environmental education center at the summit that displays various plants and animals (including bears) that inhabit Big Mountain and its environs.
The visit to the Great Northern Brewery complete, it's time to dine. And perhaps after imbibing in the brewery's fare, it's good that many of Whitefish's eclectic dining opportunities are within walking distance along Central Avenue, the city's main drag.
The Great Northern Bar & Grill, a saloon (only the swinging doors are missing) on Central Street is Ground Zero for Whitefish locals and tourists looking for a taste of uncluttered northwest Montana culture. Hank Jr. and Merle Haggard trade songs on the jukebox. At the billiards table, your opponent might be a local fishing guide or a Chicago millionaire who just bought several acres along the banks of Whitefish Lake to build a second home.
Thirty years ago it was hard to find anybody who wanted real estate on Whitefish Lake. Nowadays it's hard to find anybody who doesn't -- and equally as hard to find real estate.
It's getting late. The Hag is on his third round of "Silver Wings" and I'm running out of quarters for billiards.
Big Mountain and the down-filled comforters beckon.
A Day in the Life. And life here is very good.
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