A $50,000 grant from the Whitefish Community Foundation glided the Glacier Nordic Club past the halfway point toward its $500,000 fundraising goal for Phase 1 of the Big Mountain Enhancement Project.  

Whitefish Community Foundation President and CEO Alan Davis said the facility will strengthen trail access, improve safety for staff and volunteers, and help ensure a high-quality Nordic skiing experience for residents and visitors alike. 

The project is a three-phase mission to improve winter recreation resources on the Big Mountain Nordic Trail system in Haskill Basin. Phase 1 is the construction of the organization's first-ever winter operations facility for equipment maintenance and storage located at the Big Mountain Trailhead.  

“Glacier Nordic Club is extremely grateful to the Whitefish Community Foundation for awarding a surprise capital campaign grant this spring to support this project,” said Jennie Bender, GNC executive director.  

Bender is appreciative of everyone who has made a donation to this project, with special recognition going to the Quinn family, Rick and Sue Williams, Chip Andrews, and the Lisa and Buddy Ide family. The Williams have offered a match grant and are challenging the community to make donations in the month of April to double their impact. 

The new storage building will increase the lifespan of the equipment, provide higher quality grooming and create a must-needed workspace for the hardworking grooming staff. 

It also marks a major milestone for the organization, as they will now have an indoor space to manage grooming equipment. Currently, the Nordic club rents a metal Conex container to store tools and machines at the Big Mountain Trailhead in the winter.  

“Each fall, every groomed venue needs machines, attachments, signs and tools dug out of storage units, taken off trailers and placed at their prospective locations,” Bender said. “Each spring, everything gets taken down and stored, a job that requires master-level Tetris skills to pack back into place.”  

SINCE 1984, the nonprofit club has been dedicated to advancing cross-country skiing in the Flathead Valley.  

While Nordic skiing has a lower economic barrier to entry than many kinds of outdoor winter recreation,Glacier Nordic has affordable prices and scholarship opportunities. Bender said the club prioritizes inclusive programming to make this sport accessible and family friendly.  

The club offers ski rentals and programs for over 250 kids throughout the valley, adult instruction, rental equipment and community events. 

Aside from ski programs, a significant aspect of Glacier Nordic’s community impact comes from its grooming operations, which is the focus of Phase 1 of the Big Mountain Enhancement Project.  

Glacier Nordic grooms 67 kilometers of trails in four public trail systems: Glacier Nordic Center at the Whitefish Golf Course, Round Meadow, Big Mountain Nordic Trails and Meadow Lake Golf Course. These four trail systems see approximately 20,000 skier visits each winter.  

Two venues, Round Meadow Trails in the Flathead National Forest and Big Mountain Nordic Trails in Haskill Basin, are free to the public and attract recreation beyond skiing. These trails welcome snowshoers, walkers, fat-bikers and dogs, and are great ways to access the outdoors during winter. Over 9,000 users accessed the Big Mountain Trailhead last year.  

Glacier Nordic Club membership helps support all these community resources. 

The Big Mountain Enhancement Project addresses the increased need for investing in higher elevation Nordic trails and resources. The Big Mountain Nordic Trailhead is 1,000 feet higher than the Glacier Nordic Center in town, something Bender said has made a big difference in terms of snowpack and has made Glacier Nordic one of the few Nordic clubs in the West to have skiable snow throughout the winter. 

“It has taken at least eight years to get all pieces into place to be where they are today with this grooming facility, and all involved parties are excited to see this completed,” she added. “Reaching this point is huge for Glacier Nordic Club.” 

Phase 2 will focus on trail reconstruction, rerouting and development, to sustain the 25K Big Mountain trail system. GNC is working to support DREAM Adaptive Recreation by developing more beginner friendly terrain near the new building and is working with Whitefish Mountain Resort to reroute some of the loops that overlap with the resort’s expansion.  

Phase 3 will include additional supportive infrastructure such as a new snow cat.  

The goal is to raise $500,000 for Phase 1 by May, so construction can be finished by December, and the facility used for the 2026-2027 ski season.  

GNC thanks its project partners, City of Whitefish, Whitefish Mountain Resort, and Whitefish Legacy Partners. 

To donate, contact Executive Director Jennie Bender at [email protected] or visit glaciernordicclub.org/bmnt-project/. 

Reporter Julie Engler can be reached at 406-862-3505 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at whitefishpilot.com/support.

    Whitefish Community Foundation awarded a $50,000 Major Community Project Grant to Glacier Nordic Club to support the construction of a new storage and maintenance facility at the Big Mountain Trailhead. Harry Meyer, Jennie Bender, Scott Steinmann, Bob McElrath, Edward Blair, Alan Davis, Teresa Quinn, Lynnette Donaldson and Linda Maetzold pictured..
  

    One of GNC's grooming machines prepares for a long morning. (Photo provided)
  

    One section of the 67 kilometers of trail Glacier Nordic Club grooms each winter. (Photo provided)