Snowmobiles in the Bob
Forest Service Irked by Wilderness Sledders
By Kellyn Brown, 2-15-07
If you are going to snowmobile, stay out of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Mission Mountains Wilderness and Jewel Basin hiking area, or expect to be slapped with up to a $5,000 fine.
A recent flight over the area, where snowmobile tracks were spotted, has prompted Flathead National Forest officials to release a friendly reminder: motorized use, including snowmobiles, has been barred in the areas for decades.
“There are several opportunities for snowmobile activity and it is disheartening to see these violations of designated wilderness and Jewel Basin,” Swan Lake District Ranger Steve Brady said in a prepared statement.
It appears, according to the Forest Service, that snowmobilers have entered the wilderness from Swan Valley, despite the area being clearly marked as closed. Thus, forest officials will respond with additional flyovers and patrols near key access points.
For more information about snowmobiling and winter recreation on the Flathead National Forest, call the Forest Service office at 406-758-5252.
I consistently see bilers well beyond the Wilderness boundary up Camas Creek in the Selway Bitterroot - they are usually a couple of miles beyond the boundary.
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