THE BOATS a History of Boat Concessions in Glacier
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Voice of the Glacier Park Foundation ☐ Spring 2019 ☐ Volume XXXIV, No. 1 THE BOATS A History of Boat Concessions in Glacier The good ship St. Mary on St. Mary Lake, circa 1920. Colorized photo courtesy of Fergus Prestbye. In this issue: • The New Musical Tradition at Glacier Park Lodge • Hitchhiking and Hiking in the 1940s • Oddities and Idiosyncracies of the 1960s • A Gearjammer’s Return • John Turner Passes Away at Age 103 • Reunions and Partings • Inside News of Glacier Park Sun Road Planning at a Key Juncture The National Park Service soon will In 2013, the Park Service began Glacier’s Preliminary Alternatives release a Draft Management Plan for developing alternatives for manag- also suggest requiring permits for Going-to-the-Sun Road. The Draft ing Going-to-the-Sun. Through a day hiking on some trails during Plan will set out a Preferred Alterna- public scoping process, it formu- peak season. The number of hik- tive and other management options lated Preliminary Alternatives in ers on popular trails such as the for review and public comment. the Spring of 2015. Those alterna- Highline and Avalanche Creek has This will be a crucial step in Glacier tives are posted on the Glacier Park increased dramatically. website. National Park’s response to enor- One alternative calls for a “flexible mous increases in visitor traffic. The Preliminary Alternatives offer decision-framework” for respond- Glacier had 2.1 million visitors in options for maintaining, increasing, ing to various “triggers” (visitation 2012. By 2017, the number had in- or discontinuing shuttle service on levels, numbers of vehicles, trail use creased to 3.3 million. Last year, the the road. The number of vehicles levels, and the like). The alternative number was nearly as high (2.9 mil- allowed on the road (especially if sets out various responses, properly lion), although the Howe Ridge Fire shuttle service were discontinued) calling for managers to use the “least compelled the evacuation of much of might be controlled “by timed entry restrictive actions first.” or a reservation system.” Time limits the Park’s west side in August. These The Park Service will develop and for parking are among the measures increases have caused severe conges- choose among these alternatives (or proposed, as are expanded parking tion on Going-to-the-Sun and other others) in its pending Draft Manage- spaces. roads, in parking areas and on trails. ment Plan. Well-informed public comment will be crucial to its ulti- mate implementation. The Glacier Glacier had 2.1 million visitors in 2012. By 2017, Park Foundation looks forward to the number had increased to 3.3 million. offering its comments on the Plan. We urge members visiting the Park Glacier Park Foundation Officers: to evaluate conditions there and help P.O. Box 15641 John Hagen, President us formulate constructive comment. Minneapolis, MN 55415 Carol Dahle, Vice President www.glacierparkfoundation.org Mac Willemssen, Secretary [email protected] Tessie Bundick, Historian Board of Directors: Jim Lees, Treasurer Joe Blair Laura Chihara, Webmaster The Inside Trail takes its name Mike Buck Rolf Larson, Inside Trail Editor Tessie Bundick from the famous old trail Laura Chihara which connected Glacier Janet Eisner Cornish Park Lodge with the vanished Brian Cross The Glacier Park Foundation was Carol Repulski Dahle formed by Glacier Park employees chalets at Two Medicine, Joyce Daugaard and visitors who have a deep love for Cut Bank, and St. Mary. The Ray Djuff this special place. The Foundation is name thus emphasizes the Emily Trapp Hackethorn commited both to the importance John Hagen of wilderness preservation and to publication’s focus on the the importance of places like Glacier Einar Hanson as classrooms where people can lore and history of Glacier Paul Hoff experience wilderness in intense National Park. We invite Mark Hufstetler meaningful ways, learning not only a submission of historical, Jeff Kuhn love for the land, but also a respect Linda Young Kuhn that nurtures the skills necessary to scientific, or anecdotal ar- Rolf Larson preserve that land. The Foundation ticles, commentary, poetry, Greg Notess has a special interest in Glacier Park’s John Sauer history, traditions and visitor facilities. or artwork for publication in Rick Taylor future issues. Mac Willemssen 2 ☐ Spring 2019 ☐ The Inside Trail INSIDE NEWS of Glacier National Park Boat Concession Up for Bids two boats on St. Mary Lake and one 48-year-old Wei Liu, of Tempe, AZ, Glacier National Park’s historic tour each on Two Medicine Lake, Swift- died near the boat dock at Lake boats are operated under a 10-year current Lake and Lake Josephine. McDonald Lodge. After he was concession contract. The current reported missing, his car was found The concessioner will be required contract expires at the end of 2019. at the lodge. A dive team deployed a to rent small watercraft, as the Boat Bids have been solicited for a new remote operated vehicle underwater Company presently does. Mo- contract. Proposals were due by the which found his body. torboats are to be rented on Lake end of April. McDonald and Two Medicine Lake. Conservancy Projects The Glacier Park Boat Company has Kayaks, canoes, and rowboats are The Glacier National Park Conservan- operated the boat concession since to be rented in specified numbers cy raises private funds to supplement 1938. It submitted a bid for the new at Apgar, Lake McDonald Lodge, the federal budget for Glacier Na- contract. Competing bids may have Many Glacier and Two Medicine. tional Park. The Conservancy hopes been submitted by other compa- to provide $2.3 million for projects in The prospectus gives financial data nies, including those that presently Glacier in 2019. (This is in addition from recent years. It reflects the operate boat concessions in other to the Conservancy’s Sperry Action enormous upsurge in visitation to national parks. The Park Service Fund of $2 million to help fund the Glacier Park. In 2015, the Boat Regional Office declines to release renovation of Sperry Chalet.) Company earned $1.4 million in rev- information on pending bids. enue from 68,459 boat tour passen- One striking project is an observa- The Glacier Park Boat Company gers. In 2017, the Company earned tory at the St. Mary Visitor Center, owns its boats, four of which (the $2.1 million from 86,109 passengers. with two telescopes in a small rotat- DeSmet, the Sinopah, the Little ing dome. The dome was construct- The prospectus includes criteria for Chief, and the Morning Eagle) are ed in 2018 and will begin operating evaluating bids. A Park Service panel listed on the National Register of this summer. Screens outside can be will score bids from 0 to 5 on four Historic Places. If another opera- viewed by visitors, and remote access primary factors: (1) protecting, con- tor is granted concession rights, the will be available. Glacier and Wa- serving and preserving resources; (2) Boat Company could sell the his- terton have been designated as the providing visitor services at reason- toric boats or could simply remove world’s first International Dark Skies able rates; (3) financial capability; and them from the Park. A new operator Park. (4) the amount of the proposed fran- might seek to buy the historic boats chise fee and other consideration paid The Conservancy will contribute or might build a new fleet. to the Park Service. It will score bids funds to 64 projects in Glacier (not The prospectus for the new contract from 0 to 3 on environmental man- including Sperry Chalet) in 2019. states that the Park Service “desires agement, and from 0 to 2 on increas- Among those projects are bear man- boats that reflect the historic nature ing accessibility. Notably, experience agement, boat inspections to prevent of the boat tour experience in the and background will be assessed but mussel infestation, protection of Park.” It specifies characteristics will not figure into the scoring. native fish, and research on lynx, elk, like those of the current fleet – a mountain goats, and other species. Tragedy at Lake McDonald v-shaped hull, with seats mostly The winter of 2018-19 was unusu- The Conservancy is funding many covered, painted white, with accent ally harsh. Flathead Lake, south of internships and volunteer programs colors approved by the Park Service. Glacier Park, froze for the first time to supplement Park Service staff. The new contract will authorize (but since 1993. Lake McDonald froze These programs are vital to help serve not require) two boats on Lake Mc- as well. It attracted many visitors for the greatly increased number of visi- Donald, where the DeSmet histori- ice fishing, skiing, or just walking tors to Glacier. The Conservancy will cally has been the sole vessel. It will on the ice. Tragically, one visitor fell fund eight interpretive interns, three maintain the current complement of through and drowned. backcountry interns, and a service- The Inside Trail ☐ Spring 2019 ☐ 3 (Continued from previous page) and-resources-management intern. this summer. Patrons will order at The Rising Sun registration the counter, receive a number, and building that houses the Two Dog The Conservancy also partners with sit down for delivery of their meals. Flats restaurant was repainted yel- the Montana Conservation Corps to The object is to serve more patrons low instead of brown. Swiftcurrent fund crew that assist with trail main- as Park visitation increases. was covered with a fabric instead of tenance and other projects. There plywood for the winter, due to the are youth crews, adult crews, crews Veteran managers are returning for painting. of military veterans transitioning to both Pursuit and Xanterra at all the civilian employment, and Blackfeet major lodges.