Tuesday, November 10, 2026
45.0°F

Teams combing Canyon Creek Road area for missing snowmobiler

DERRICK PERKINS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 11 months AGO
by DERRICK PERKINS
NEWS EDITOR Derrick Perkins serves as News Editor at the Daily Inter Lake. He oversees daily news coverage and works closely with reporters to plan, edit and publish stories across print and digital platforms. Perkins helps coordinate coverage of local government, public safety, business and community developments throughout Northwest Montana. He works with the reporting staff to strengthen journalism while maintaining consistent daily coverage. His role helps ensure the newsroom delivers timely, accurate reporting that readers rely on. IMPACT: Derrick’s work keeps readers informed about the decisions and events shaping their communities every day. | December 14, 2022 12:15 PM

About 30 rescuers were searching the Canyon Creek Road area behind Big Mountain on Wednesday for an 87-year-old man who went missing the day prior.

Authorities said Charles Kind was expected back from snowmobiling about 2 p.m., Dec. 13. Officials discovered his vehicle and trailer in the Canyon Creek parking lot, but Kind remains missing.

Authorities describe Kind as typically donning all black outdoor gear — bibs, jacket and helmet — and was on a 2023 Arctic Cat Blast boasting a blue, white and black color scheme.

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Flathead and North Valley Search and Rescue and Two Bear Air are participating in the effort to find Kind. Sheriff Brian Heino said poor weather on Dec. 14 limited the use of aircraft.

The region is under a winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service through Thursday afternoon with two to four inches of snow predicted. Lows overnight Dec. 13 in the Whitefish Range dipped into the teens.

Heino said searchers had erected a temporary base at Canyon Creek.

Authorities urge anyone with information regarding Kind’s whereabouts to contact the county’s dispatch center at (406) 758-5610 (select option No. 1).

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or [email protected].

photo

A photograph of 87-year-old Charles Kind on a snowmobile. Authorities say he was expected back at 2 p.m., Dec. 13. (Photo courtesy the Flathead County Sheriff's Office)

photo

A photograph of 87-year-old Charles Kind's snowmobile. Authorities say he was expected back at 2 p.m., Dec. 13. (Photo courtesy the Flathead County Sheriff's Office)

ARTICLES BY DERRICK PERKINS

Motorist charged with felony for collision with road construction worker in 2025
November 7, 2026 2 a.m.

Motorist charged with felony for collision with road construction worker in 2025

The motorist accused of hitting and seriously injuring a road construction worker near Bigfork in June 2025 is now facing a felony charge in Flathead County District Court.

November 5, 2026 11 p.m.

Man suspected of cutting a bad check to a Kalispell business receives suspended sentence

A man accused of passing a bad check at a Kalispell log home construction company in 2025 earned a suspended sentence earlier this year.

November 4, 2026 11 p.m.

Evergreen father accused of wounding child with shotgun sees charges dropped

Prosecutors dismissed last month the felony case against an Evergreen father accused of wounding his child with a shotgun blast in February.