A PLACE FOR ALL

Robert Shaffer Double Arrow Ranch Landowner’s Association

The leaves and needles are turning, hunters are out and the smell of autumn is in the air. Winter is right around the corner and the Seeley-Swan Valley becomes a whole new world, with an entirely new set of recreational activities for the hearty souls that live here (and a few visitors).

The Driftriders maintain one of the top rated snowmobile trail systems in the United States, and we do get quite a few riders from out of town (and out of state) visiting the area to enjoy them and the many backcountry snowmobile areas they lead to. The Seeley Lake Nordic Ski Club grooms/maintains an extensive cross country trail system known as the Seeley Creek Nordic Trail System and sponsors several ski clinics and races throughout the winter months. This is a separate trail system than is managed by the Driftriders and snowmobiles, snowshoeing, hiking and dogs are not allowed in order to avoid potential safety issues.

Speaking of dogs, we have several mushers and sled dog teams that live and train in the area. Most are affiliated with or members of the Montana Mountain Mushers which sponsors several events in the area with the best known being the 300 mile “Race to the Sky” in February.

The Race to the Sky is from Lincoln to Seeley Lake and is a qualifying event for the Iditarod. Montana’s own Jessie Royer has won the Race to the Sky several times and has several top 5 finishes in the Iditarod.

I have bumped in to some of the mushers and their teams while out snowmobiling and they are fun to watch.

The Seeley-Swan Valley is well known for its abundant wildlife, and winter brings the opportunity to view it with a different lens. When snowmobiling, I tend to take the road (trail) less travelled and that has yielded some observations that a summer tourist would never see. Whether it’s a bull elk escorting his little harem through several feet of snow or watching a fox snow diving for voles (hilarious), there is much going on when you shut your sled off and look around. I am always amazed at how many mountain lion tracks (and kill sites) I see on the trails groomed by the Driftriders.

Winter is also the time when we see a big changeover in the makeup of the bird population.

The Robins and Hummingbirds give way to the return of Pileated woodpeckers and Stellar’s Jays from higher elevations. The Pileateds, Stellar’s, Nuthatches and Chickadees provide lots of entertainment as they fight over seeds and suet. Winter may seem brutal at times, but there is plenty of life happening all around if you take the time to observe it.

I personally like winter in Seeley Lake because of the quiet solitude that can be had. It is the time of year that we take the town back from the hordes of summer visitors/tourists. I am fully aware that many of our businesses need the revenue from the summer visitors to stay financially healthy, but it is in winter that Seeley Lake feels like “home”. It is in winter that the local residents look at each other with a knowing eye – that unspoken secret handshake that exists between full time residents of a small tourist town.

It is in the winter time that I feel a larger sense of neighborliness and camaraderie with those that choose to deal with all the aspects of living here. Like many of us, many of my friends and family come here from out of state to visit in the summer, but it is the winter when I connect more with my hometown friends and neighbors. As the sun sinks further to the south and the days get shorter, it is time for Tuesday Pinochle and Friday movie night to occupy those long nights.

For some (myself included) it is a time for quiet inflection. The wonderful stillness after a fresh snowfall is so peaceful as to be surreal.

That peacefulness allows the mind to wander in to state of calmness almost like a dream. Life slows down and doesn’t seem so urgent. As I warm my garage up to do my “winter maintenance” on ATV’s, chainsaws, and sort out my fly fishing gear, it doesn’t seem like chores.

I do realize that being retired and not having to report to work every day and care for children changes my perspective, but I think life slows down even for those who are still working and raising families.

Most of the winter “activities” in the area are geared more towards the local residents and when you go to them there is still that sense neighborliness and camaraderie amongst those that live in “our” town. Winter causes us to “tighten up” as a community – a kind of group solitude if you will.

Winter is coming...cherish it!