To the Editor,
Each spring, I put
together a hit list of trail runs I want to complete that season, selecting
them on the basis of beauty, length and accessibility. Last summer, some good
running buddies and I completed the Devil’s Backbone (Gallatin Crest Trail) and
the Sky Rim Traverse in Yellowstone.
This year, I’ve got my
eyes on the Lionhead Trail by Hebgen Lake. My husband Mike has been raving for
years about its high-alpine single track, lack of travelers and expansive views.
In mountain biking circles, Lionhead has a coveted set of trails maintained
with pride by the southwest Montana chapter of the International Mountain
Bicycling Association.
But did you know the
Lionhead landscape is currently under review, as part of the U.S. Forest
Service’s Custer Gallatin Forest revision
plan? The organization has outlined a series of potential
scenarios for the area, including some that would completely close the whole
area to mountain biking. While I’m not a mountain biker, I support mountain
biking in places like the Lionhead, as well as other issues regarding access.
The Forest Service’s
goal is to protect the landscape, which may require designating the Lionhead as
a non-motorized backcountry area. Thankfully the USFS has proposed this in
Alternative E, but they need to know that people want to see that designation
in the final decision.
We need to keep
special places like Lionhead accessible. That’s why most of us moved here,
isn’t it? We came for the winter but stayed for the summer because of what this
area has to offer. I hope you will also voice your opinion.
For more information
and to make your voice heard, visit tinyurl.com/caracgnf or contact the Forest Service by mail at Forest Plan Revision
Team, P.O. Box 130, Bozeman, MT 59771.
Kate Ketschek
Big Sky
