You probably never knew there was such a thing as extreme cross country skiing, did you? Me neither, and actually I wouldn’t argue this is extreme per se. Instead I would have termed our little ski adventure to the tiny outpost of Polebridge, Montana, last winter as more backcountry cross country skiing. No groomed trails here.
For those who don’t know, Polebridge lies just outside Glacier National Park, up a windy, rutted dirt road about a hour north from Whitefish. It’s a very cool place, with one little mercantile and a kick-ass pizza joint. This is a place where dog sledding is in and all cabins are self-contained, or “off the grid”. In the winter it’s simply a beautiful place to be, with the peaks of Glacier National Park providing a dramatic backdrop to an already inspiring landscape. Little did we know the snow-covered ice forming along the North Fork of the Flathead river would offer ideal cross country skiing conditions.
Living in Whitefish last winter, my wife and I had plenty of time to cross country ski; she as part of her training for the US Telemark Ski Team, myself simply because I enjoyed it. But this time around, we joined some friends for a couple days in Polebridge, skate skis in hand. We had no idea the conditions, and terrain, would be utterly perfect for some backcountry skiing.
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