Enjoy, sure, but we must also care for Hyalite

By Hilary Eisen and Mira Brody

According to traffic counters managed by Friends of Hyalite, over 115,000 vehicles drove Hyalite Canyon Road between May and September of this year – a 10% increase from 2019. Last winter, over 47,000 vehicles drove up to Hyalite Canyon and if the pattern of increased recreation in the country translates, there’s no reason to think Hyalite Canyon won’t see record-breaking visitation this winter.

Winter access to Hyalite Canyon via a plowed road is a relatively new privilege, allowed by the 2006 Gallatin Travel Plan. If funds are unavailable to plow the road, however, the Forest Service is required to lock the gate at the bottom of the canyon. Plowing, and thus winter access to Hyalite Canyon, is made possible through a unique collaboration between Gallatin County, the Custer Gallatin National Forest, and Friends of Hyalite.

The Gallatin County road crew plows the Hyalite Canyon road and trailheads to provide access for winter recreation, and the Bozeman Ranger District reimburses the county for 60% of their costs. In turn, Friends of Hyalite gives money to the Forest Service to cover approximately 50% of the total cost of plowing Hyalite. Friends of Hyalite is the only organization with the necessary approvals to give the Forest Service money to help plow Hyalite – the effort to maintain winter access is truly made possible by Friends of Hyalite’s generous donors. Without these funds, and this unique partnership, Gallatin County would not be able to plow the Hyalite Road and winter access to Hyalite Canyon would be severely curtailed.

While most people who visit Hyalite are conscientious about taking care of the canyon and packing out their trash to dispose of at home, not every visitor respects the privilege afforded by easy winter access to this mountain wonderland. Especially in winter, pallet fires are a persistent problem in Hyalite.

The canyon’s popularity, coupled with how easy pallets are to come by, is an unfortunate combination. While they serve as easy fuel for bonfires and winter cheer, long after the fire burns down, hundreds of nails and staples are left behind to puncture tires, pollute waterways, and litter our national forest. Friends of Hyalite hosts two cleanup days each year and a handful of stewardship nights in the summertime, most of which are spent cleaning out the campsites, fire rings, and parking lots filled with the remnants of pallet fires. Large roller magnets often yield a stunning amount of scrap metal from piles of pallet remains and melted bottles, burned cans, and other trash are often removed by the shovel-full as well. Pallet fires don’t just create litter – because pallets burn very hot, and quickly, these bonfires damage paved parking areas and even the metal fire rings at recreation sites.

Wood is a plentiful resource and there are plenty of ways to enjoy a crackling fire on a winter day in Hyalite without creating litter and pollution. Collect dead wood from the forest floor or bring lumber scraps from the many construction sites around Bozeman—provided they don’t have nails and haven’t been treated with chemicals. Whatever wood you choose to burn, be sure to use an established fire ring. All fires should be cold to the touch before leaving—bring a shovel or drown them in water, to prevent the risk of forest fires, even in winter. And, never leave trash behind after you’ve extinguished your campfire.

Trash, damaged campsites, and punctured tires aside, Hyalite is one of the primary drinking water sources for Bozeman. Keeping Hyalite clean not only makes it more enjoyable to recreate in, it improves the health of our community.

Hyalite provides a plethora of outdoor recreation opportunities necessary to the mental and physical wellbeing of our community. It also provides clean, delicious drinking water for the city of Bozeman, and it’s important that we all do our part to be good stewards and take care to preserve these resources.

Originally published on www.bozemandailychronicle.com