Cabinet Mts. get map appeal
y CAMERON RASMUSSON
Staff writer
SANDPOINT — Right in time for the 50th anniversary of the national wilderness program, Idaho and Montana residents have a new way to explore the Cabinet Mountains.
Local nonprofit the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness teamed up with the Montana Wilderness Association and the U.S. Forest Service to replace the out-of-print, 22-year-old maps of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness.
The result is a set of documents that will not only help nature lovers navigate the 94,272-acre wilderness but also open its splendor up to them through photos, activity recommendations and history education.
“It’s really a complete resource for the Cabinet Mountains,” said Friends of Scotchman Peaks Director Phil Hough. “Hopefully it will be there for people who want to get out and hike and enjoy them.”
That’s especially true for wilderness enthusiasts who, up until this point, had few guides available for the mountains. The previous set of maps, published in 1992 by the Forest Service, had fallen out of print and were quickly falling into obscurity. Hough could only think of a couple locations in town where an individual could even hope to find them.
Not so with the new maps. Distributed by the USFS ranger stations, any outdoors lover can find them at chambers of commerce, libraries, real estate offices, outdoor and sporting goods stores and tourist services throughout Bonner County and Lincoln and Sanders counties in Montana.
Perhaps you’ve made the jump into the digital realm of e-readers, tablets and smart phones? No problem: Gadget lovers aren’t left in cold thanks to free apps for Android and iOS funded through Clearwater Montana Properties as a free tool to help enjoy the CMW. To access it, go to www.avenza.com/pdf-maps to download the application onto your device. Then go to www.wildmontana.org/cabinethikes and download “GeoPDF.”
A project spearheaded by the Montana Wilderness Association, the maps received a spruced-up coat of paint from Friends of Scotchman Peaks member Sandy Compton, who used his skills as a writer and a graphic artist to present the wilderness in all its beauty and splendor.
“Sandy really is a storyteller by nature, and he approached (this project) in exactly that way,” Hough said.
The new maps tie in nicely to the nonprofit’s year of wilderness celebration. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act of 1964, which protected 9.1 million acres of federal land across the nation. FOSP members are anticipating other big events to commemorate the occasion, including a celebration July 11, 12, and 13 at Bull Lake Rod and Gun Club in Troy, Mont., and a Wiley and the Wild West music and entertainment show in Riverfront Park in Libby, Mont.