It's our Anniversary

That's right, the Glacier Institute has been around for 25 years. Here's a bit of trivia for you, the Glacier Institute was founded in December of 1983 (hence the anniversary) but we didn't offer courses until the spring of 1984.

To honor this auspicious occasion we are having a gala celebration!!

Please join us for a night of fun, live entertainment, great food, great wine and a silent and live auction featuring incredible items such as an original oil painting by Marshall Noice, vacations, experiences and much more.

Tickets for this gala event are $75.00/person and will benefit the Glacier Institute's mission of providing excellent outdoor educational adventures to students of all ages.

For more information call the Glacier Institute office at 406-755-1211.

We look forward to seeing you there!!

Glacier Park visits up 14.3 percent

Associated Press/Daily Inter Lake

Visitor numbers at Glacier National Park were up 14.3 percent from January through June compared with last year.

According to the National Park Service Statistics Office, 484,458 visitors entered Glacier during the first six months this year, compared to 423,883 in 2008.

Park Service numbers show that 327,572 people visited Glacier last month, up from 287,000 in June 2008. May also was a busy month, with visitation up 20 percent from a year earlier.


"The Glacier Park numbers are our indicators," said Dori Muehlhof, executive director of the Flathead Convention and Visitor Bureau. She said lodging businesses are reporting solid bookings for July.

July and August are the busiest months for Glacier visitors.

Join us for Glaciers & Glacial Geology...

This Wednesday, July 22nd as we learn the fundamentals of glaciers: why they form and how they move. View the features of glacial erosion and deposition with a deeper understanding as we make our way up to Logan Pass for a hike in the alpine ecosystem.

For more information on the Glaciers and Glacial Geology course view our website at www.glacierinstitute.org.

Join us for lunch!

Join the Glacier Institute at the 1st Ave. East Cafe for food and fun on July 14th. Lunch will be served from 11:00 to 2:00 and will include soup, salad, bread, dessert, coffee or iced tea for $9.00. The 1st Ave. East Cafe is generously donating all proceeds to the Glacier Institute's Big Creek programs.

The Glacier Institute staff and board members will be on hand to assist in the food, laughter, door prizes and fun!

Join us on the 14th and support field-based learning experiences. It's Learning Gone Wild!

Ms. Joyce Baltz, Executive Director
The Glacier Institute
Kalispell, MT. 59903

Dear Joyce:
I am writing to thank you and your staff for the marvelous week my Girl Scout troop had at the Glacier Institute’s outdoor education center at Big Creek on June 7- 11 this year. The Big Creek staff, the facilities, the programming, and of course your great outdoors made the trip a tremendous success for each of our girls, and for me and the other troop leaders who joined them.

Beau Servo’s firm, good-natured leadership set the tone for our group for the entire week. He expected teamwork, attention, participation, and just plain work from the girls, and he got it. My scouts happily did all that was asked of them, and learned a tremendous amount about cooperation, as well as freshwater streams, wildlife, fire ecology, orienteering and wilderness skills. They also got to explore Glacier Park, hike up to the panorama of Avalanche Lake, and even learned to fly fish!

Beau’s attention to detail provided a safe environment, and his well-balanced staff (five young, well-prepared men and women) offered great role models for our 13 and 14-year-olds.

Big Creek’s operation offered its own lessons. It gave our suburban children an understanding of what it means to live life “off the grid.” Conserving, composting, and having electricity only a handful of hours each day was a useful experience for the girls. They were so happy to be outdoors all the time at the base of Huckleberry Mountainthat not one missed their iPod or cell phone!

Joyce, when I first contacted your office about this trip, I wasn’t sure what sort of experience we’d have in Montana. What we received from the Glacier Institute was instruction, accommodation, and life skills of the highest quality. Every family in my troop thanks you for providing this wonderful experience for their child.

I’d also like to thank Rachel Zeigler in your office for ably fielding my telephone calls, and being in charge of the arrangements for this trip. She gave us confidence to board the Amtrak train and travel 1,700 miles to Big Creek, and we’re glad that we did.

Thank you again for all that you and the Glacier Institute do.

Girl Scout Troop 274

WEST GLACIER, MONT. – Glacier National Park officials announce plans to extend vehicle access on the west side of Going-to-the Sun Road (Sun Road) from Avalanche to Big Bend by mid morning Friday, June 19, conditions permitting. Crews continue to clear snow and ready the alpine section of the Sun Road near Logan Pass, and the entire 50 miles of the historic Sun Road will soon open to vehicle traffic across Logan Pass as soon as road conditions and weather permit. Contractors will also pave the storm damaged section of road near the east tunnel concurrent with final road preparations.


As of Friday, June 19 the west side Sun Road will be open 29 miles between West Glacier and Big Bend. Vehicle access is open to Jackson Glacier Overlook on the east side of Sun Road, a distance of 14 miles. The Inside North Fork Road is currently closed at Logging Creek Ranger Station and Fish Creek Campground due to road repairs. Hiker/biker access is not allowed during the construction on this section of road. All other roads in Glacier National Park are open.


In addition to plowing and widening of snow banks for two-way vehicle access, preparation work on the alpine portion of the Sun Road also includes the assembly and installation of removable guardrail, installation of signs, clearing debris from culverts and along the road as well as road sweeping. Photos of spring snow removal are available at:
http://www.nps.gov/glac/photosmultimedia/plowing2009.htm.

River Otter Family Camp

Enjoy a weekend with your family and spend time exploring Big Creek!

This camp features hiking, wilderness skills, outdoor activities, and fun evening programs. Together families will have the opportunity to learn about the natural diversity of the area, look for wildlife and make exciting discoveries along the trail. The camp is a great introduction for families to connect with the outdoors in a safe, fun and educational environment.

Come to the North Fork Valley and experience summer camp as an entire family!

June 27-29, 2009 - Saturday-Monday

For parents (grandparents, aunts, and uncles too!) and kids. Ages 8-12 are welcome with an adult.

$200 for parent and child, $85 for each additional family member