Frank Vitale
It was early summer in 1992, in the northern Whitefish Range. Four riders were moving slowly along the narrow rocky ridge on Trail #114 to where it joined Trail #19, and eventually up to the top of Tuchuck Mountain. I was told that the name “Tuchuck” in the Kootenai language, means “the thumb.”
It was a beautiful sunny day with a light westerly breeze. Wildflowers were in full view everywhere. Some of the open subalpine slopes looked as if they were rototilled with clumps of dirt overturned and rocks strewn everywhere. Obviously, grizzly bears were working over the slopes and
Our editorial team includes several staff writers, each contributing their specialized knowledge to enhance the depth and breadth of our event and story coverage.