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When Sandi Hilderman looked through her late brother's possessions, she found a package with hundreds of handwritten pages in a manila envelope. They were his stories from his career as a wildland firefighter. "This is a story he never told our parents, although we knew he got injured," Hilderman said during a book tour in Condon on Oct. 25. "But it is a story about a fire and how he was trapped in one of them." Her brother, Robert Ritchey, served as a wildland firefighter for decades at the...
Kyle Peltier from Seeley Lake prepared for the Appalachian Trail (AT) as his second leg of hiking the triple crown last winter, but he didn't know how different it would be from the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) he hiked in 2021. Nearing his 23rd birthday, Peltier has hiked 4,853 miles in the past few years. "The AT is basically some hiking with glorified rock climbing while carrying a 30 pound backpack," Peltier said. "The AT is basically an obstacle course." According to Peltier, the terrain...
Missoula County has announced a later property tax due date after officials said the state sent tax roll information late. The new deadline for property tax bills will be Friday, Dec. 8, according to an Oct. 25 press release. Paper bills must be postmarked by the date. Usually tax bills must be sent to the county by Nov. 30. With the delay, bills are reaching residents the first week of November. Although residents will get a physical bill, the county encouraged those who could to pay online at missoulataxes.us. People can also drop off their...
Glacier Country Tourism, the official tourism marketing, management and stewardship organization for Western Montana, is seeking applicants for positions on its volunteer board. Applicants must live in Glacier, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli or Sanders counties, and work in a tourism-related business or organization. “Now more than ever, this is an important and dynamic time to be in the tourism industry,” says Racene Friede, Glacier Country Montana President and CEO. “Hundreds of businesses in our eight-county region depend on to...
When then-sixth grader Nic Little Coyote heard about the logo contest for Seeley Lake Elementary he decided he would submit a design. Eagles are sacred in his Northern Cheyenne culture and he enjoyed drawing. Now six years later, Little Coyote's logo continues to be a symbol of SLE school pride. The Seeley Lake Elementary Parent Teacher Club adopted the logo and is now offering SLE Spirit Gear. Little Coyote was raised on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Lame Deer, Montana. He moved to Seele...
Missoula, Mont., October 19, 2023—Beginning today, the Lolo National Forest is accepting applications for 60 permanent seasonal jobs through November 22. These positions are being filled as forestry aides and technicians who will work in a variety of natural resource and recreation functions and can make a difference by helping to reduce the threat of wildfires, improve habitats for wildlife, decrease the spread of invasive plant species, enhance visitor experiences, and so much more. These positions are ideal for individuals who are d...
I had an invitation from a friend to do one last float before he put his boat up for the season. The weather was due to turn cloudy and cool. We were looking for a blue-winged olive mayfly hatch to bring some fish o the top, and a day of fry fly fishing to top off our season. Before our schedules cleared, a midweek chance of rain prediction morphed into four inches of snow and a stretch of chilly – or downright cold – days to go with it. I used to be up for launching and loading a raft in tho...
Thirty-five years Ago... 4-Wheelers donate to ambulance Officers and several members of the Five Valley 4-Wheelers club in Missoula came to Seeley Lake last Thursday bearing a gift for the Seeley Lake QRU (Quick Response Unit). Mike Whitman, president of the 4- Wheelers, presented Cindy Lewis, RU president, and other QRU members with a check for $1,000. The donation was made during a regular meeting of the QRU. The 4-Wheelers sponsor the 4th of July Mud-0-Rama held each year at the Wilderness...
The Swan Valley Community Council is going ahead with a long-term process to add potential zoning and community plans to the area, which split the crowded room over what would be appropriate to keep landowner rights. The council also heard a plan to get 24 hour coverage from the sheriff's department, got an update from its Montana State legislature representatives and listened to the community club during a two and a half hour meeting on Oct. 17. Missoula County Planner Andrew Hagemeier told...
The inside of Seeley-Swan High School's auditorium has been transformed into an eerie maze, and the school's drama class hopes to get locals screaming during a one-night haunted house special on Oct. 27. The drama class, led by teacher Katy Pellett, spent the last several weeks designing a maze and building different exhibits that the unsuspecting guests can walk through. Each room has a different theme made by the students, featuring the scariest masks the group can find. "I got a full class...
New Bear Buffer Zone regulations will go into action after Missoula City Council finalized the decision to expand the zone, including new regulations around garbage storage in the Potomac Valley. Potomac will be requiring bear resistant garbage cans by Sept. 1, 2024. The ordinance revising the Missoula municipal code will be instituted over a three phase multi-year plan. The proposed rules are an outcome of the work of the Bear Smart Working Group, which is a public-private partnership of bear experts, agency representatives, and concerned... Full story
A leakage study determined the Holland Lake Wastewater System has been spilling sewage at a very high rate into the surrounding ground, an issue that the Forest Service said will be fixed under state guidelines. If the Forest Service does not complete the necessary maintenance deadlines, it might face legal trouble with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, which said in an Oct. 18 letter that some fines associated with the lagoon could run up to $10,000 per day. The study showed that...
The beauty of glass drew Sheri Burden’s curiosity to explore the art and craft of stained glass 40 years ago. Buying a book and supplies for her new passion gave her the start she needed. “My inspiration comes from what I see around me,” Burden said. “I see something like the beautiful fall leaves we’ve had this season and made stained glass leaves that have been very popular.” Burden is a stained glass artisan from the Swan Valley. She was one of several artists who participated in the Tour of the Arts on Oct. 14 and 15. The Alpine Arti...
Seeley Lake, Montana – The Clearwater Resource Council (CRC) recently released a report on the findings of its water quality monitoring over the past two years. CRC collected water samples from six lakes in the Clearwater Valley in 2021 and 2022: Lake Alva, Lake Inez, Placid Lake, Salmon Lake, Seeley Lake and Big Sky Lake. The community of Seeley Lake has no central sewage system, relying on individual septic systems. This has led to concerns that groundwater may be contaminated from poorly functioning or concentrated densities of septic s...
Alpine Artisans’ 2 Valleys Stage opens their 2023 season with a community concert on Sunday, Oct. 29 with the exciting San Diego band, Jarabe Mexicano. This five-person Mexican American band will be presenting Dia de Los Muertos: “A Celebration of Life” with music and stories that highlight the importance of family connections and the power of cultural remembrance for Latinos and their descendants. Their electrifying performances show how this multi-generational ensemble embraces change while still honoring the past. These celebrations can take...
Thirty-five Years Ago... Thursday, October 27, 1988 Local Artist's work accepted for New York City art show By Suzann Vernon Seeley Lake artist, Jeff O'Boyle, creates paintings based on his views of the Montana landscape -the fallen leaves of autumn; the wild birds near the lake; the rippling water of the Clearwater River. The American Artists Professional League recently accepted one of O'Boyle's paintings, called "Autumn Groundcover", for display during their annual show. The prestigious organ...
The owner of the Holland Lake Lodge announced he will not continue a partnership with a Utah company to expand the resort and plans to sell the site. Christian Wohlfeil told the Pathfinder on Oct. 14 he has revoked his request to the Forest Service to expand or transfer ownership to the Utah-based resort company POWDR. The lodge is now for sale, and Wohlfeil hopes to find a buyer before the next business season starts. Wohlfeil said the decision came from two reasons: the inability to complete...
A leakage study determined the Holland Lake Wastewater System has been spilling sewage at a very high rate into the surrounding ground, an issue that the Forest Service said will be fixed under state guidelines. The study showed that the wastewater system had leaked 19.5 inches of effluent over eight days. The state-approved leakage is six inches per year. That's roughly 148 times the legal limit. “This excessive leakage constitutes a discharge without a permit in violation of the Montana Water...
Seeley Lake, Condon and Ovando schools welcome several new educators for the 2023-2024 school year. Seeley Lake Elementary had two new teachers join its staff: third-grade teacher Ali Williams and first-grade teacher Janet Kiely. Swan Valley Elementary welcomed Angela Mock as its new principal. Seeley Swan High School has recruited two new teachers as well: Warren Bunde and Lori Skyrud. Former SLE science and math teacher Patti Bartlett joined the Ovando School staff. Angela Mock is a 17-year...
The Seeley Lake Community Council heard new plans for the Clearwater Resource Council, clarification on current Sewer Board actions and added a new council member at its Oct. 9 meeting. Dave Torrell, the new executive director from CRC, said the group has had some leadership changes over the last few years, and his goal is to get the organization more involved in local projects about the environment. “This valley is prime for issue-based programming for several reasons,” Torrell said. He said Seeley Lake’s want to stay rural while respe... Full story
There is a common thread of community care and support for Veterans, Seniors and the community between the Seeley Lake Senior Center, Food Pantry, Veterans and Families and others. After meeting Barb Knopp, President of Seeley Lake Veterans and Families, when she visited the Deer Lodge Southwest Montana Food Pantry to pick up 80 bags of meat for Seeley veterans, the Deer Lodge Pantry wanted to do a food distribution in Seeley Lake. "A 600 pound food donation on Sept. 23 by the Deer Lodge...
The woman accused of starting multiple fires near propane tanks in Seeley Lake had gotten into an argument at the Chicken Coop, bought fire starter from Roveros and tried to burn down multiple structures because “she was so upset with what happened with the people of Seeley Lake (that) she needed to do something to show them she was unhappy.” Makayla Dembowski, a resident of Idaho, had been waiting on a load of wood from Pyramid Mountain Lumber, and decided to do some drinking in her vehicle before walking across Highway 83 to the Chicken Coo...
Two dogs around Seeley Lake drew concerns from residents after the animals attacked a goat and caused other problems for multiple-days. The two dogs, both huskies, were first reported by Missy Kesterke, who watched the pair attack her goat on Oct. 8. Kesterke said her goat Dixie is still alive and recovering. The dogs have been sighted several times after that, most notably eating a deer carcass, harassing horses and other livestock and chasing someone’s cat up a tree. The dogs were promptly reported to animal control. Missoula County Animal C...
Sparrow's Vine held its annual banquet on Friday, Oct. 6 at the Seeley Lake Community Hall. This marked their 13th year as a Parenting and Pregnancy Resource Center. A delicious BBQ meal with all the trimmings was enjoyed by the crowd. The "dessert dash" that followed had everyone scrambling for wonderful baked goods. Board Chair Debbie Anderson gave a short report of the year and a brief history of the reasons why the group have a parent resource center. Kayla Binder shared her experiences...
While the title alone should interest us in Christopher Preston’s latest book, I found it to be a remarkable and engrossing read. Once started, it is difficult to put down, and for those of us in our valley who live close to nature, it is optimistic as well as cautionary, and challenges us in surprising ways. Preston will be reading from his new book, “Tenacious Beasts” at Alpine Artisans’ Open Book Club 7 pm, Oct. 21 at the Seeley Lake Foundation Building. The event is free and everyone is welcome. Species which have rebounded against overwhel...
