Sept 10 2006: Helena, MT, USA; MT USA snowmobile news story; GREAT FALLS (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging a winter travel plan for the Big Snowy Mountains that was negotiated more than two years ago. U.S. District Court Judge Don Molloy of Missoula last week ruled in favor of the Lewis and Clark National Forest, Montana Wilderness Association and Montana Snowmobile Association, which negotiated the agreement for winter recreation in the mountain range 15 miles south of Lewistown. The Central Montana Wildlands Association filed a lawsuit to block the winter travel plan in late 2004. Get this Montana snowmobile news story here..

March 10th - 2006; The Annual West Yellowstone SnowBlast Poker Run will be held on Friday, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Snowmobilers of any age and experience are welcome to participate. Rental snowmobiles are available in West Yellowstone for those without one. Registration is at the Old Airport located on the western end of West Yellowstone. The run will cover stops along the Madison Arm Trail. Cost is $5.00 per hand with a 75% payback and the rest going to charity. Last year’s Poker Run raised over $3,500.00 in donations for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. The goal of the poker Run is to mix fun with charity. This year’s donation will be presented at 4:00 PM on Friday in the Arctic Cat tent.The Poker Run is part of the annual West Yellowstone’s Snow Blast. This year the Blast is presented by Arctic Cat and WPSA and will again host the “Largest Party on Snow,” attracting snowmobile enthusiasts from around the world. Join the party this year on March 10-12 for the WPSA National Snocross Race, concerts by Jo Dee Messina and Blake Shelton and the snow-covered splendor of West Yellowstone. The West Yellowstone Snow Blast Snocross is the penultimate round of the 2006-2006 PowerSports Snowmobile Tour title chase. It will feature WPSA’s top professional Snocross racers and is scheduled to take place at the former airport in West Yellowstone, Mont. The race will be telecast on ESPN2 on March 27 at 5 p.m. EST.
***

KALISPELL (AP) — Authorities on Friday released the name of a Columbia Falls man killed in a snowmobile crash a day earlier. Independant Record

Storm forces FWP helicopter to land at remote airstrip; HELENA; Severe weather this week forced the landing of a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks helicopter at the remote Spotted Bear Airstrip near the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The airstrip is about 50 miles south of Hungry Horse Dam, and in winter is reachable only by snowmobile or aircraft. Aboard the chopper were biologist Erik Wenum; Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commissioner Vic Workman; and agency pilot Randy Sindelir. They were conducting the annual winter elk survey in the South Fork of the Flathead Drainage, in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. On the return flight Monday, a sudden snowstorm produced white-out conditions and high winds. The pilot was able to fly to the Spotted Bear Airstrip to wait out the storm. They spent the night at Spotted Bear Ranch, and were brought out by snowmobile the next day. On Wednesday, the pilot was able to go back in by snowmobile and flew the helicopter back to Missoula. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.