When I moved to Whitefish, Montana in February of 1994, Bigfork – 30 miles to the south – was pretty much closed up in the winter. Bigfork has been the artistic center of the Flathead Valley – lots of art galleries featuring a number of talented and well-known local artists, a community theatre, shops and restaurants. Until recently a large percent of the population was summer residents. Now there is enough activity year round for everything to stay open. I moved south of Bigfork in fall of 2002, then bought a home west of Bigfork and my current property is 7 miles north of the village, but Bigfork is and has been my “home” community since the first move in ’02. There is very little “town” as far as residence with most of the population living in the rural area around the village. There is an active and fun Chamber of Commerce and a lot of community involvement in village projects: spring cleanup, holiday decorating, artwalk and numerous festivals throughout the year.
Bigfork is located on a bay of Flathead Lake where the Swan River feeds into the lake. There is a mile of river called the “Wild Mile” which flows from above Bigfork to the bay with enough force to generate electricity courtesy of the electric plant located just before the village and the bay. The “Wild Mile” typically has class III and IV rapids this time of year and is home to the Whitewater Festival, an international kayaking event. Bigfork’s Whitewater Festival is unique in that it is one of the few whitewater competitions that is in a location easy to get to and to watch. An old forest service road which is now public access, borders the wild mile. There are numerous vantage points to get to a spot to watch the kayakers on the race course. At the base of the electric plant there is a hole which makes for the “rodeo” spot where the kayakers do their tricks for points.
The bad news for spectators is that the festival falls on or right before Memorial Day weekend. More often than not, it is cold, drizzly and not all that conducive to sitting by a roaring river…the kayakers are in their suits and under the water as often as on top so I don’t think the rain or cold makes much difference to them…except at night when the majority of them are in tents in the area.
Yesterday morning it was cool and gray, but the rain looked to hold off until this afternoon. I headed to Bigfork to see what I could see and hopefully get a fish taco from the street vendor that normally sells them during the festival. I struck out on the taco – either I was too early or she is not there this year – but I did get some photos…
There is a city park by the electric plant that becomes the “campground” for the kayakers.
Around the bend a bit and to the left of the electric plant is the race course finish and the rodeo spot. The water is wilder here than it shows in this photo.
The bridge over the river as it exits the electric plant area and before it enters the bay was built in 1911 per the plaque. The bridge was recently upgraded but I noticed that when I stood on it to take photos, it was vibrating and rocking from the force of the water underneath. The one car at a time thing always makes me nervous – for some reason, not everyone gets that it really means one car on the bridge at a time…not just one lane…people in a hurry will follow me across without waiting for my car to clear…
The 2 photos above show the power of the water and the height of the rapids a bit better. It is pretty wild in this section right now which is just below the bridge before the river becomes the bay.
From the oppositie side of the bay, looking to the right you can just see the electric plant, the bridge and the rapids below the bridge
From the same point as the above photo – the road goes towards the village – straight ahead is the end of the forest service road – close to the end of the wild mile race course. The start is just after a spillway about a mile distant.
Looking directly at the village – again from the same spot… Those buildings are office space built at the rear of shops that border the Bigfork main street: Electric Avenue.
Still from the same spot but looking across the bay to where the bay joins Flathead Lake.
