Coldwell Baker Wachholz and Company Wrote:

Whitefish Mountain Resort, Winter Sports Incorporated had a positive increase in their seasonal revenues.  The weather cooperated giving them the most snowfall in the last 11 seasons and one of the top three seasons of the last 50 years.  As a local Flathead Valley resident who has skied the hill over the last 15 years, I was happy to see some of the recent improvements, such as replacing chairs two and seven, and high speed quad upgrade to chair one.  The new base lodge is beautiful, however not perhaps as family friendly as it has been in the past.  WSI's management has contended that they need to move into the twentieth century with the services they offer if they want to remain competitive, and they aren't trying to change the character of the resort in the process.  There is some strong dissention in the town of Whitefish as well as throughout the valley regarding this thought, however it is the price we all must pay as we adjust to the inevitable growth.  Those in power at Whitefish Mountain Resort seem to want to maintain the balance of being a destination ski resort while still preserving the neighborhood ski hill some of us are used to.  Personally I hope they can achieve thier goal.

Read more about the year at Whitefish Mountian Resort here

 

Contact us regarding the Flathead Valley or Whitefish Mountain Resort at:
propertyinfo@cbwrealestate.com406.751.4304

Check out the video below for information about Whitefish.  Email us at propertyinfo@cbwrealestate.com if we can be of any assistance.





Enjoy!

Written By: Carmen Hobson Real Estate Agent in our Kalispell Office

So you want to move to Montana?  What do your friends think?  Probably one of two things:  “I’m so jealous!”, or “You’re nuts!”  It doesn’t seem as if there’s a happy medium between the two, and my husband and I are very happy that we didn’t listen to naysayers when we purchased our property in the Flathead Valley several years ago.  Our adventure started with an anniversary trip, and after a few days here, we were convinced that we had to be part of the beauty and mystery of Montana.
 
When you first arrive, the unbelievable sovereignty of the snow-capped mountain ranges  is mesmerizing.  Your mind wanders through thoughts of the wilderness those mountains contain, along with endless opportunities for hiking and fishing, hunting and riding, skiing and swimming, or just peacefully enjoying  the quiet stillness of the woods.  It seems as if every bend in the road is graced with crystal clear lakes, surrounded by deep green pines and flowered meadows.   You’ve heard rumors of the bears and moose that frequently appear on doorsteps, and they truly do.  You’ll revel at the immense size of the grizzly down by the river bank, and be amused by the tranquil expression of a moose in quiet repose.  The bald eagles coast effortlessly in the clear sky, foxes chase chipmunks ‘round the trees, and wolves play hide and seek with you as you pass them by.  You’ll see these things as you drive from one quaint town to another, gathering a feel for how unique they all are.  Yet,  as you chat with the locals, there is a cohesiveness that is quite evident.

One moves to Montana for the lifestyle.  In today’s hustle-and-bustle world, Montana has kept it’s independence from the pressures of our compulsively driven society.  The people here are intelligent, strong-willed and hard-working, but have not lost sight of the fact that time is a precious commodity.  It is not unusual to nudge a door on the local mercantile, only to find it locked during what you’d believe to be “normal business hours”.  You might be lucky enough to observe a sign alluding to when the proprietor may return, but don’t count on it.  Where did they go?  Maybe for an afternoon of skiing on Big Mountain,  or canoeing on Bitterroot Lake with the kids.  Perhaps they just wanted to do a little shopping in the quaint village of Bigfork, on the banks of Flathead Lake, or catch an early dinner and live music at my favorite spot, the Cottage Inn in Kila.

If you have an adventurous spirit, don’t let fear of something new hold you back.  As the old adages go, “You only live once”, and “Time is truly short”, so pack those bags for an excursion to Glacier Park, or a float trip down the Flathead River.  Allow yourself to drink in the splendor of Montana, and you may never return  from whence you came!


 

 
To Contact Carmen regarding living and working in the Flathead Valley See below:
406.871.8760
carmen.hobson@coldwellbanker.com

With the weather starting to warm and the snow going away, the golfers are eagerly anticipating the golf course openings.  We have plenty of choices for world class golf here in the Flathead Valley--nine championship courses within a 40 mile radius. Ranked by Golf Digest as a top 50 golf destination, the Flathead becomes clogged with golf visitors in the prime months of July and August.  This makes it fabulous to live here and be able to golf during the leisurely shoulder seasons.  Costs for golf rounds are reasonable, it is easy top get on the courses and challenging play makes it some of the best off season golf available in the northwest.  Come join the locals for a unique golf experience--or relocate here yourself and encounter it anytime you'd like.

For more information regarding the Flathead Valley or relocating inquire here 

For more information about available golf click here: www.golfmontana.net

This time of year there are so many places to fish, and so many types of fish to fish for.  Everything is biting everywhere – it’s one of the most under-utilized seasons for fishing. 

Just a couple of weeks ago, my husband and I spent the better part of Saturday out on the 12 inches of ice on Lake Mary Ronan, jigging for perch and salmon.  We could hardly get our jigs to the bottom for the perch before the salmon would grab them up half way down.  It’s rare that you’re faced with the problem of having to throw salmon back, but with a limit of only 10 each, it became a reality within an hour, when we realized we already had 20 laying on the ice.  By the time we left we had a 5-gallon bucket full of good-sized perch as well, and that was after throwing back anything under 9 inches.

As we were driving home we were looking out at Flathead Lake, trying to see if we could spot our friends who had taken their boat out for some lake trout fishing.  Although we couldn’t spot them, we heard later that they’d caught over 75 fish that day, and 3 that were over 20 pounds.

Sunday afternoon we went fishing on the river with my dad and a couple of friends.  In just a few hours they caught a nice array of pike, lake trout and bull trout.  The wind was more than a little chilly, but the weather’s steadily improving, and it won’t be long before we can shed our coveralls!

We’re also planning on spending a weekend or two at a friend’s cabin out on Bitterroot Lake, ice fishing for salmon, where the limit is 20 per day per person.  It’s fun to get a bunch of people together and pool your efforts in the salmon slaying.  I was concerned that we needed to get our weekends set quickly, but my husband reassured me that the ice only gets better as this month progresses.  As the chance of snow is slimmer, it reduces the possibility of the messy slush on top of the ice, but it still gets below freezing at night to keep the ice solid.  Some years he’s been able to ice fish as late as May!

This time of year, it certainly seems that the biggest decision to make is how to squeeze a 40-hour week into the fewest number of days, so that you have more days open for all the possibilities.

Don’t forget fishing licenses expired February 29th!  You can apply for your 2008 fishing license and printout a temporary license immediately at https://app.mt.gov/Als/Index.

 

 

See for yourself--view this link below there is so much to do in Whitefish that we wouldn't consider living or working anywhere else.


Whitefish Recreational Video

To contact us for more info on the area: Please email us here

Well its official--something that most of us in Northwest Montana have known for decades has finally been published in the national media.  Kalispell is touted as a "Terrific Low Tax Town" in Retiree Magazine in their edition of Where to Retire Magazine.  Kalispell makes this ranking among only eight terrific towns in the Nation--WOW those of us who have been living here for 10+ years already knew that and were trying to keep it a secret from the rest of the folk who may want to let the cat out of the bag!  Yes, we know that we have a fabulous place to live with four seasons of recreation, and for that benefit we may have to suffer through a week or so of below zero temperatures but compare that to the bugs in the Midwest or to the humidity in the South or to the flooding and mudslides in California and I'll take -30 degrees for a week gladly!  Since we are living longer now it is imperative that we retire somewhere where we can enjoy the leisure activities that are important to us--those of us who are lucky enough to have lived in Northwest Montana prior to retirement get to enjoy them anyway, so I guess we can share them with those of you who want to check out Kalispell the "Terrific Low Tax Town" and everything we have to offer.  To read more click here.  To contact us regarding purchasing real estate for when you retire click here

For the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce click here

Ryon Brewer,  Sales Associate with CBW's Missoula Office wrote:

You Can Have More of it in Missoula! This week Mayor Engen and Commission Jean Curtis delivered the "State of Missoula" speech to a large crowd. The jist of their reports was very positive: Missoula continues to grow, overall growth was at 3.8% in 2007 with a positive outlook for 2008. Both city and county governments are focused on dealing with the quality of life issues this kind of growth generates. For example, in 2006 the passage of a large open space bond has led to the purchase of several key properties in Missoula County aimed at preserving our rural heritage. Second, work is proceeding quickly on "UFDA" (pronounced "oofduh") which is an important planning tool for managing growth in the urban fringe development area, where we expect 15,000 new homes in the next 20 years. Both governments continue to work toward extending our open space, parks and extensive trail systems to make sure the lifestyle we moved here to enjoy remains intact.


Click here to read the local newspaper

Click here to view a Missoula Area video



To contact Ryon and find out more about the Missoula area click here
Or call him directly at: 406.240.1111

It’s minus 18 and the wind is blowing… why do I choose to live in this State? I don’t remember a winter storm like we experienced over the weekend since we had 11+ feet of snow in the winter of 1996-1997. That was a humdinger of a year! My husband plowed snow for the City of Kalispell that winter. They would work the night shift moving snow and then he would come home and plow out our driveway. He’d sleep for a few hours before heading back to the City and more snow removal. I didn’t see much of my husband for two months. It got to the point with many residents where the only way out would be to hire a front-end loader to move the snow tunnels back a few feet.  

So why then do I choose to live here?

Minus 18 is cold, granted, but to be honest I have lived in colder, much damper climates and below zero here is when it starts to feel a bit uncomfortable, anything above that is quite easy to live in. Have you cross-country skied in a t-shirt with no other sounds except for the schlepping of your skis? Have you woken up in the middle of the night and thought it was the middle of the day because the moon is so big and reflecting bright white light off the snow? Have you experienced the Northern Lights, now that is worth having your friends call you at 2:00 am to tell you to look north? What about downhill skiing or snowmobiling through the snow ghosts?So my point is the winters here in northwestern Montana are not so bad and if you are an outdoor enthusiast winters just mean a different piece of equipment from your spring, summer or fall escapades. Come enjoy we’ve plenty of space for everyone.



If you'd like to read more about northwest Montana's sub zero tmperatures click below:
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2008/01/22/news/news01.txt

To contact us please:
Click here

This morning while preparing for my day I stop and look out my windows to the East. My eyes go directly to Mount Aeneas, one of the highest peaks in Jewel Basin Hiking area in the Swan Mountain Range on the East edge of the Flathead Valley.  I can see light reflecting off the old radio tower, just before the peak and my eyes continue north to Noisy Creek Notch.  I think of the many times I have hiked in Jewel Basin and as I start to think of future hikes my eyes return to Mount Aeneas and in my mind I am momentarily on the last part of the trail to the top of the peak.  As I climb carefully over rocks to avoid tripping I pass within just a few feet of a couple of Mountain Goats. They are so sure footed they seem to have no fear of tripping and falling over a thousand feet to Picnic Lakes below! Upon reaching the summit I am rewarded with 360-degree views, looking down Flathead Lake to Polson, across the Flathead Valley to the Cabinet Mountains, and peaks in Glacier park, the Great Bear, Bob Marshall and Mission Mountain Wilderness.  Before my decent I place a couple of rocks on one of the rock cairns.

Back in my living room I am reminded of why I live here.  The beauty is expansive and there is an abundant supply of year round outdoor activities just a short trip from the doorstep of those of us who live here and those who visit.  But living here is the ultimate and my hope is all residents take in the beauty and opportunities of the area in whatever way they can enjoy.

Jewel Basin and the surrounding area offers many wonderful day hikes (or longer) to sparkling lakes and scenic vistas. The trailhead at camp misery is about a 45-minute drive from Kalispell.  The parking lot gets quite full on nice summer days but the area is large enough to provide solitude.  For fewer crowds hike the Jewel in the fall. It’s beautiful and the Huckleberries are sweet! Many of the lakes offer some excellent high mountain fishing as well. Hiking in Northwestern Montana is unlimited with endless trails in Glacier, the Swan valley, and many wilderness areas to name a few.

For additional Hiking and recreational opportunities the Flathead has to offer contact Lori:
                                             (406) 751-4300  business
                                             (406) 250-7807  cell
                                              lori.pfankuch@coldwellbanker.com

For information on Hiking in Jewel Basin and other areas:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/flathead/wilderness/Wilderness.htm