The long-awaited Gateway to Glacier Trail between Coram and West Glacier is now complete, thanks to the efforts of a very dedicated group of trail supporters.

The $850,000 project was six years in the making, and certainly was well worth the wait. This section of trail extends the trail route from Hungry Horse to West Glacier and there’s more coming. Plans already are in the works for a path from Columbia Falls to Bad Rock Canyon.

While the nonprofit Gateway to Glacier group shepherded the project, organizer Val Parsons aptly pointed out during the Oct. 14 ribbon-cutting ceremony that it was a collaborative effort involving many entities, from Flathead County and the state Department of Transportation to local businesses, volunteers and many local donors.

The icing on the cake will be the completion of a welcome kiosk in the coming weeks that is being built in Hungry Horse by ironworker Jeffrey Funk. The unique kiosk will be a trail staging area featuring a portion of the 1894 Old Steel Bridge that once spanned the Flathead River.

The entire Gateway to Glacier Trail effort has been a successful grassroots undertaking that’s so indicative of Flathead folks. They see a need, dig in their heels and go the distance to make it happen.

Venue gets a new look

An exciting change is on tap at the Flathead County fairgrounds.

The Trade Center, which always seemed big enough to hold a football game inside, is going to be the home of year-round soccer and possibly other sports, thanks to an innovative plan to put artificial turf in the building.

A new company called Montana Sports Indoors is rolling out about 2,600 square feet of new indoor turf inside the Trade Center. This could be an opportunity for the facility to be of greater use for a variety of functions, including other sports, and the turf can be rolled back up and put away when not needed. Expenses for the project have been covered by a handful of donors, so the county gets the benefit without additional investment.

The plan for the upcoming winter includes nine-week soccer leagues for ages 10 to 18, 18-plus and 35-plus, as well as an adult co-ed league.

Congratulations to fair manager Mark Campbell for helping the county to put this deal together.