Scenic Montana Trails event to introduce bike trails

Scenic Montana Trails (SMT) is continuing its efforts to develop all-season trails for bicycles, fat tire bikes, e-bikes, ATVs, UTVs and snowmobiles in the Seeley Lake area. An event held June 21-23 will introduce bike trail plans for the Nordic ski area off Morrell Creek Road. SMT has been working in partnership with the Forest Service, the Nordic Ski Club and a trail designer to develop the trails.

The bike event is designed to introduce people to SMT and the proposed new bike trails, and provide maps and information about local biking opportunities. A free BBQ will be held from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. Saturday, June 22 with the trail designer and SMT members in attendance.

The event will be held in the music festival lot south of Cory's Market. On Friday evening and Saturday morning local knowledgeable bikers will be available to answer questions. Free dry camping will be available for tents, campers and RVs from 5 p.m. Friday to 4 p.m. Sunday. Porta-potties will be on site.

"In a 2015 trails project survey, the community expressed interest in a single-track bike trail in the Nordic Ski Trails system, signage in the Horseshoe Hills area and re-establishing the Rice Ridge trail," Cathay Kahnle, SMT vice president for mountain biking, said. "SMT is working with the Forest Service to accomplish these things."

Bike and ski trails will be separate for winter use and the new trails will effectively double the trails in the summer. Most will be multi-use trails for hiking, biking and winter-time fat tire bike and snowshoeing use. Some trails will be set aside for single-track bike riding only because of the more extreme nature.

"We've been looking for ways to expand trails and winter use for fat tire bikes," Kahnle said. "New trails in the Nordic ski area would be used by regular bikes in the summer, and fat tire bikes in the winter."

Since the trails are on Forest Service property, the plan has to be approved through the National Environmental Policy Act, which will take public comment in the process. The plan is expected to come up for public comment in the fall.

Community support has been shown by the Seeley Lake Community Council, Seeley Lake Community Foundation, Nordic Ski Club, Seeley Lake Regional Outdoor Center for Kinetic Sports (ROCKS) and the Seeley Lake Ranger District.