C-Falls couple to open hostel downtown

The tourism business in Columbia Falls recently got another shot in the arm, with a new hostel opening up this summer in a remodeled home that dates back to the time of town’s founding.

Greg Fortin, a backcountry climbing and skiing guide, and his wife Mistie, a nurse at North Valley Hospital, closed on the house on Seventh Street West, half a block from Nucleus Avenue, in May. Greg said county records date the house back to 1892 when Columbia Falls founder James Talbott may have used it as a bakery or store.

Greg put his construction background to work opening up the plaster and lathe walls to install updated wiring and plumbing.

He was still hanging sheetrock last week but said he’ll be open for business by mid-to-late July.

“I have a booking for July 23,” he said.

The River Rock Hostel will have offer a private bedroom with a queen bed for $75 a night and three bunk beds at $35 a night.

Guests will share the kitchen facilities for cooking and a common area with a gas-fired stove for lounging and exchanging stories. Stays are limited to seven nights.

“I’ve thought about something like this for some time,” Greg said. “I needed a place to serve as an office for my guiding business. We could add on to the property some day.”

The property at 24 Seventh Street West includes two empty city lots and lies on a popular biking route, Greg noted. Groceries, laundry, restaurants and a microbrewery are all a short walk away.

Tourism has been strong in the Flathead in recent years, he added. His company, Glacier Adventure Guides, has seen a lot of business guiding climbers in the Kootenai National Forest during the summer and backcountry skiers in Glacier National Park during the winter.

The Fortins bought a home in Columbia Falls about seven years ago. Greg has been in the Flathead about a dozen years, and Mistie has been in the Flathead about 18 years. She has worked with the Whitefish Fire Department and Three Rivers EMS as a paramedic. She’s also had experiences with hostels in her travels.

“This is a central location,” she said. “We hope our guests utilize the local businesses.”

For more information, visit online at riverrockhostel.com or www.facebook.com/RiverRockHostel.