Trail builder recognized for dedication
Flathead Audubon recently awarded Val Parsons with their Conservation Achievement Recognition Award for the 17 years of tireless work she put into the Great Northern Historical Trail, from Somers to Kila, and the four years she spend with the Gateway To Glacier Trail, which will see work this year.
The 22-mile long Great Northern trail was built along the new U.S. 93 bypass and abandoned railroad tracks west of Kalispell. Parsons took several leadership roles in developing that project, including four years as president of the Rails To Trails Northwest Montana citizens group, writing grants, holding meetings and communicating with agencies.
After moving to West Glacier in 2006, Parsons discovered the need for a bike path in the Canyon.
“Every time I rode my bike to Glacier Park, I’d scream as double-semi trucks passed by at 70 mph just six inches away,” she said. “I used to ride all over Kalispell without being scared.”
Parsons took a leading role in promoting a long-sought trail to connect Coram to West Glacier. An organization took shape in summer 2010, with citizens from West Glacier, Coram, Hungry Horse, Martin City, Columbia Falls and Kalispell meeting monthly. Grants were lined up and matching funds were raised.
“They were neat people to work with — it taught me a lot,” Parsons said. “It was an incredible effort by the communities in the Canyon.”
An 8-mile long separated pedestrian and bike path along the north side of U.S. 2 is expected to be completed by this fall. That trail will link West Glacier to an existing trail from Coram to Hungry Horse. The Montana Department of Transportation will incorporate a bike path with its reconstruction of U.S. 2 from Hungry Horse to Columbia Heights, where a trail exists.
The Gateway To Glacier Trail group is now working on getting a trail built from the Teakettle Fishing Access site to Columbia Heights, either along U.S. 2 or along the Flathead River to the fishing access site near Bad Rock Canyon — or even both.
Parsons handed off the leadership role for this segment to Columbia Falls volunteers, including Sarah Dakin, who replaced Parsons as president. When completed, a separated pedestrian and bike path will connect Columbia Falls all the way to West Glacier, the entrance to Glacier National Park.
“I’ve known Val since the First Best Place started organizing,” Dakin said. “I appreciate her fortitude in sticking with this project. She is the guiding light for the project.”
Dakin noted that Parsons brought from the Kalispell path project both her knowledge about how to get things done and important connections. The trail group has received a lot of help from MDT, she said.
“Val’s a great community builder,” Dakin said. “We’ll get a trail from Kalispell to Glacier Park one day.”
Funding for the 3-mile segment to Columbia Heights has been lined up through the Federal Land Access Program with an MDT match, Dakin said. How soon that trail segment is built depends on how soon Congress passes a transportation bill and how fully funded it is, Dakin said.
“They tell us we’re on the short list for the FLAP money,” Parsons said.
But fundraising continues to shore up a maintenance fund for the Canyon trail and for the Columbia Heights segment, Dakin said. She also noted that the Hungry Horse to Coram segment is “in dire need of repair.”
“It’s pretty old. It was built in the 1990s,” Parsons said. “We’re lining up funds. Maybe it will see a seal coat and some striping at intersections.”
The Gateway To Glacier Trail group will host its second Story Slam fundraising event in the chapel building at the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls on Friday, March 13, from 6 to 9 p.m. The evening will feature a few “celebrity” storytellers and a smackdown competition for everyone else. Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for age 6-17 and free for children 5 or under.
For more information, visit online at www.gatewaytoglaciertrail.com.