Winter comes to the North Fork

We did it again. Thanks to hosts Jan and Alice Caldwell and Mark and Margaret Heaphy, the North Fork celebrated another Christmas with good, plentiful food and great friends and neighbors.

Thanks to Mark Heaphy, the nearly three feet of new snow was cleared from the parking lot. The crackling fire had warmed the hall, which was decorated with boughs and a multitude of Christmas lights and a beautiful Christmas tree.

A moment of respectful silence for those unable or too ill to attend, our servicemen and women serving around the world, and a special thought for the passing of Helen Ramon and Olaf Bjorge, longtime North Forkers who will be remembered.

As usual, North Fork cooks provided a varied feast, and it was impossible to sample everything. Turkey, ham and plenty of gravy (thanks to Joe Novak) provide a base, with Becky Braunig’s stuffed peppers and Trish Walsh’s deviled eggs for spice to lead your taste buds toward more than a dozen side dishes, including Tanya Fontain’s Russian treats, salads, potatoes, baked beans and more. You have to be careful to save room for dessert.

After everyone was stuffed, Gary Haverlandt, Jan Caldwell and Steve Berg led the singing and the community hall rang with good cheer for the present and best wishes for the new year.

Although Flathead Valley seems to have less snow than usual for this time of year, the North Fork has been dumped on. Over three feet of snow fell in the last 10 days. Even with the normal settling, we definitely have enough snow to get out the snowmobiles — not to mention snowblowers and snow shovels.

Best part of the heavy snow is the North Fork Road. Flathead County spent most of the week clearing and then reclearing the road. Thanks to Randy, the grader operator, we now have our winter pavement in place — no dust, no potholes until spring.

Although the road is smooth and traction is good as long as temperatures remain below 35 degrees, the North Fork Road should still be driven with caution.

Snowpack is no place to slam on the brakes. Deer, elk and moose can be on the road anyplace, but it seems they are only on sharp corners. Logging trucks are hauling this winter and, although careful, they cannot stop on a dime. Plus, folks with low cars hate to give up the center of the road, which can force you to the edge.

With caution, the North Fork Road in winter is a great way to experience our great scenery, see wildlife, watch the creeks and river, and just enjoy the pure air. Last trip, I saw mule deer, whitetails, elk, one moose and a bald eagle and watched the alpenglow fade on Glacier’s peaks. It doesn’t get better than that. What do you think?