I’d heard rumors of its existence, but was never able to pinpoint its location. Determined to find it, I cruised slowly along McIlhattan Road. Near the Valley View Veterinary Hospital, I spotted a dirt driveway that led to swinging ranch gates. I pushed open the gates and drove into an empty snow-covered parking lot. I drove up to a trailhead signboard and looked around. Eureka! I had finally located Snowfill Park.
Chloe, my mixed-breed cattle dog, ran in circles around the truck as I pulled on my Nordic ski boots and grabbed skis and poles from the bed of the pickup. When I clicked the toe of my boots into my bindings, Chloe took off like a shot, running along a set of ski tracks leading up a hill to the east. It was late November and there apparently wasn’t enough snow to facilitate trail grooming. Nonetheless, a classic Nordic trail had been blazed by previous visitors along a flagged 5-kilometer course that snaked through the park. I grabbed a poop bag from the trailhead dispenser and skied off after Chloe.
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When I reached the upper end of Snowfill Park, I paused to take in the view. The snow-filled Bridger Mountains rose precipitously to the east. To the west and north, rolling hills gave way to wheat fields and, beyond that, to upscale subdivisions. If you ignored the view to the south n of the distant landfill and its outbuildings n the landscape would be darn near perfect. What utterly amazed me, however, was that Chloe and I had this entire 37-acre off-leash park to ourselves. On a weekend afternoon, no less.
Tail constantly wagging, Chloe bounded happily through the park, taking a complete inventory of wildlife tracks and doggie scents. At one point, a tiny set of rodent tracks intersected with the brush-stroke imprints of owl wings in the snow. Then, no more rodent tracks. The number of deer tracks crisscrossing the park evinced that these agile ungulates had no problem hurdling the dog-friendly smooth-wire field fence that surrounds much of the park.
Except for the occasional stalk of wheat stubble that would catch your ski, the skiing was quite good. The terrain is rolling, so you can build up a good head of steam on the downhill sections of the trail. When my wife and I visited Snowfill Park a week later (after some of the snow had melted) we saw a father-son team sliding down one of the park’s sledding hills. The sledding was steep and thrilling, but much safer than the “extreme” conditions on Peets Hill. Another couple was hiking on Hedvig’s Trail, their dog enjoying the unbridled liberty of an off-leash experience.
RISING FROM CONTROVERSY
According to Bozeman Recreation and Parks Advisory Board member David Cook, the origins of the Snowfill recreation area can be traced back to a controversy over Burke Park. Three years ago, a local survey revealed a high number of citizen complaints about dog waste and off-leash dogs in city parks. A special Dog Committee was formed by the Bozeman Recreation and Parks Advisory Board to study the issue. One of the committee’s chief recommendations was to increase the number of open spaces where dog owners can exercise and socialize their dogs.
Margie Taylor, Executive Director of Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter, said that when it comes to properly socializing a dog, off-leash dog parks are an absolutely essential tool.
Bozeman Animal Control Officer Connie Lien (a Dog Committee member) agreed. “I feel strongly that dog owners need fenced dog parks in as many locations as possible to enhance dog exercise and socialization. It is a proven fact that well exercised and trained dogs are unlikely to bite humans, attack other dogs or run away.”
The Dog Committee suggested a potential site for an off-leash recreation area: a 37-acre section of the City Landfill property that has never been used for waste disposal. Somehow, the parcel became known as Snowfill Park. The city agreed to allow the parcel to be used as an off-leash recreation area, but stopped short of declaring it an official city park.
THE COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER
Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) began galvanizing public support to turn the landfill property into a multi-use recreational area that also served as an off-leash dog park. Recreation and Parks Supervisor Ron Dingman and GVLT Trails Program Coordinator Gary Vodehnal worked together to brainstorm what such a facility might offer. They envisioned that the recreation area would include a Nordic ski trail, a number of sledding hills and a multi-use hiking/running/biking trail. At the same time, friends of Bozeman artist and avid Nordic skier Hedvig Rappe-Flowers approached GVLT about creating a four-season recreation trail to honor her after she had been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. It was decided that Snowfill would be the ideal location for Hedvig’s Trail.
In December 2006, the “Buff in the Bozone” calendar, featuring female friends of Hedvig’s pursuing their recreational passions in the buff (printed free of charge by Insty-Prints) was offered as a fundraising tool, and the public responded generously. Rappe-Flowers passed away in January 2007. Between calendar sales and other memorial gifts, sufficient funds were raised to create a 1.25-mile, six-foot-wide “natural fines” trail that loops around the perimeter of Snowfill Park.
A lot of work is required to turn a vacant parcel of land into a dog-friendly, multi-sport recreation area. Barbed-wire fencing was torn out and replaced with smooth-wire field fencing. Unfortunately, a runaway grass fire burned sections of the fencing this summer, so dogs need to be either under voice control or on a leash. Extensive weed control is being performed to rid the park of a stubborn crop of thistle. A gravel parking lot has been graded and will be eventually fenced in to aid in dog control. The City of Bozeman cuts the grass along the path of the Nordic trail in preparation for ski season, and has performed drainage improvements. Trail-grooming expert and tireless volunteer Stuart Jennings has signed on to groom the Nordic trail when there is sufficient snow.
“The community really came together to make the Snowfill recreation area and Hedvig’s Trail a reality,” GVLT Executive Director Stephen Johnson said. “The level of support has been fantastic.”
The GVLT is continuing to raise money for additional fencing, improved signage, park benches and continued weed control. Interested donors can contact GVLT at 587-8404 or visit them online at www.gvlt.org. You can also support this effort by visiting the Snowfill recreation area and using it as a socialization and recreation destination for your dog.
