The trail, a zigzag that drapes repeatedly across the ridge and the border between the two states about 47 miles west of Missoula, used to be a marquee backcountry ride for mountain bikers. That ended in 2012 when the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest, which controls the Idaho side of the trail, approved a new travel management plan that barred bicycles from its portion of the trail.
The ski area north of Missoula had been targeting an opening day of Friday, Dec. 8. Despite what turned out to be inadequate snow amounts as of Friday, it was unclear until Thursday night whether the ski area would even be permitted to open at all, regardless of snow.
The Lolo National Forest issued a draft decision notice approving limited motorized equipment use and limited helicopter and vehicle access needed to breach and decommission the century-old earth-and-timber dam on McKinley Lake high in the Rattlesnake Wilderness.