1. Australian hiker stops in Montana during attempt to become first woman to walk length of the Americas

“I never thought I’d get this far,” Lucy Barnard said. “I just thought I’d try and be a benchmark for the woman who tried next.”  The 2024 Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Barnard, has set a goal of becoming the first woman to walk the length of the Western Hemisphere, from Argentina to Alaska. The route from the southernmost tip of South America to the top of North America is 30,000 kilometers and spans 13 countries.  

2. Bill to ban mRNA vaccines passes out of House committee

A bill that would ban the use of mRNA vaccines, including for Covid-19, is on its way to the House floor after passing out of committee in a party-line vote.  

3. Glacier National Park faces summer of uncertainty

“I’m standing here as deputy superintendent saying I don’t know what’s going to happen in Glacier in two months,” said Pete Webster at a March 24, 2025 meeting with the Glacier National Park Volunteer Association.

4. Glacier Park's Heavens Peak and the seldom visited lookout prove to be a challenge

While Heavens Peak certainly isn’t the most prominent peak in Glacier National Park, it holds a sense of isolation and uncertainty. It’s frequently shrouded in fog, encompassed by almost impassible alder and devil's club on all sides. Heavens meta-sedimentary smooth stone slabs extend to the heavens, and its snow fields never quite melt out.

5. Glacier National Park hits brakes on vehicle reservation system

“We don’t think that people driving in the dark to get to Logan [Pass] is good for the park or good for the visitor,” Superintendent Dave Roemer said, speaking at a Dec. 9 Columbia Falls Chamber of Commerce meeting. “There’s wildlife on the road in those hours, and we don’t feel that you should have to get up at 4:30 in the morning to enjoy your day in the park.”  

 6. Researchers seek answers in the case of Northwest Montana’s disappearing elk

Between 2006 and 2023, the annual harvest of elk in Region 1 plummeted from over 2,220 elk to a mere 980. The precipitous drop alarmed many hunters and wildlife enthusiasts and raised questions for wildlife biologists. Figuring out why hunters were having less success would be far from an easy task. Any number of factors could be at play, from yearly weather patterns to predators to disease.  

7. Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission approves purchase of 53,000-acre easement

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission unanimously approved a proposal to purchase a 52,930-acre conservation easement in the Cabinet Mountains. The proposed purchase represents the second and final phase of the Montana Great Outdoors Conservation Easement. 

8. Pilots sue to save airstrip caught up in plans for a luxury resort near Lakeside

A group of pilots are fighting to preserve a private airstrip near Lakeside, arguing in a lawsuit that its owners have no right to remove the runway.

9. Woman dies after 450-foot fall from Highline Trail

A 73-year-old woman fell to her death from the Highline Trail in Glacier National Park on Wednesday, Aug. 27. Diane Bunker of Muscatine, Iowa, was hiking with a large group when she reportedly tripped and fell off the edge of the Highline Trail between Big Bend and Triple Arches at about 11 a.m.  

10. Kalispell woman killed in New Year's Day collision near Creston

A 37-year-old Kalispell woman died in crash early New Year's Day near Creston after another vehicle crossed the center line and struck her vehicle head on, authorities report.

11. Summer solstice snow storm blankets Logan Pass

Access to Logan Pass on Glacier National Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road remained closed Sunday as a summer solstice storm dumped heavy snow on the high terrain of Northwest Montana.

12. Four found dead at Kalispell home

Authorities on Mother's Day were investigating the shooting deaths of four people at a Kalispell home. Members of the Kalispell Police Department and Flathead County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene at 5:52 a.m. for a reported mental health concern.

13. Two killed in icy crash at Evaro

Two people were killed, including a Columbia Falls teenager, when the vehicle they were in was struck by a semi-trailer that jackknifed and slid out of control down U.S. 93 at Evaro, authorities say.

14. Government shakeup hits National Park Service

As part of the Trump administration's government hiring freeze, hundreds of workers expecting to fill seasonal roles at the National Park Service saw their job offers rescinded earlier this month.  

15. Feds vow to ax restrictions on 1 million acres of Northwest Montana forestland

The federal government pledged to peel back protections on more than 1.1 million acres of forestland in Northwest Montana, opening vast swaths of the region to potential logging projects.

16. Four people survive fiery plane crash at Kalispell City Airport

The plane caught fire when the pilot attempted to land on the runway just after 2 p.m., Aug. 11, according to Kalispell Fire Department Chief Jay Hagen. The burning craft careened down the runway and crashed into a parked plane which also burst into flames.

17. Missing dog safe after spending winter in woods north of Whitefish

After spending nearly three months alone in the woods, Baldone chose to come inside. He found a welcoming barn approximately 10 miles from the site of the car accident near Olney where his owner died. There, the 2-year-old pup had shelter, food and water for the first time in 84 days.

18. Teenager dies in boating accident on Flathead Lake

A Kalispell teenager died over the weekend after he fell off a moving boat on Flathead Lake, authorities said.

19. Missing snowboarder found safe in survival cabin near Big Mountain

A snowboarder who went missing on the slopes at Whitefish Mountain Resort was found safe on Christmas Day after taking shelter in a survival cabin on the backside of Big Mountain.

20. Rooted in art: Woodworker builds unique pieces to accentuate any room

“I originally started all of this process for my art,” Nathaniel Gray said. “I wanted to create a unique way of framing since I always thought the frame was part of the art. I wanted something heavy, I wanted something organic, I wanted something that embraces the outdoors and gives you roots. Lumber seemed like that was a big part of that.”  

21. Police deem Mother’s Day killings in Kalispell a murder-suicide

Investigators believe 33-year-old Nicholas Olson-Hartley shot his wife and two young children in their North Kalispell home on Mother's Day in an apparent murder-suicide.  

22. Park Service admits ‘substantial concerns’ in ending Gunsight Lake bull trout project

Federal officials have agreed to halt what local wildlife advocates called a “half-baked plan” to stock bull trout in Gunsight Lake in Glacier National Park.

23. Snowstorm set to slam Northwest Montana mountains

Heavy snow is forecast along the Continental Divide, with 1 to 3 feet possible, according to models from the National Weather Service in Missoula. The Swan, Mission and Whitefish ranges could receive 6 inches to 2 feet.

24. Amazon warehouse planned for south Kalispell

“I can confirm we’ve purchased/leased this property with the intent of opening a last-mile facility in the area,” said Nissa LaPoint, a public relations specialist with Amazon, in an email to the Inter Lake.  

25. Montana closes in on 53,000-acre conservation easement deal

“The proposed conservation easement would prevent development, protect important wildlife habitat, maintain key landscape connectivity and provide permanent free public recreation access to the affected lands,” wrote state officials in a final decision notice on issued July 7. 

Find Daily Inter Lake photographer, Casey Kreider's favorite photos of 2025 here.