Trailer Life: Montana Medley

A HOLIDAY TRAIN RIDE, SMOKEJUMPERS AND A FAST WHIRL ON AN ANTIQUE CAROUSEL HELP WARD OFF THE CHILL IN MISSOULA

When frost filigrees the trees and snow flurries threaten, staying toasty and entertained can be challenging. But nestled in the Rockies of western Montana, the small town of Missoula provides plenty of indoor (and outdoor) entertainment.

Take off your boots and climb aboard the Christmas Train, where you'll meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, hear carols sung by Sweet Adeline's choral group and enjoy lunch while the winter scenery passes by.

Holiday spirit is evident aboard the Christmas excursion as the train pulls out of the station, embarking on the roundtrip journey to Paradise, Montana. Wreaths, poinsettias and a Christmas tree decorate the train. Railroad buffs, nature lovers, history fans, bird-watchers and especially children eagerly await their first glimpse of Mr. and Mrs. Claus. The Christmas train is a special holiday event offered by Montana Rockies Rail Tours although, during its regular season from June to September, the company offers various rail tours throughout the West. Here you can relax in reclining seats in the fully restored passenger cars - some dating back to the 1940s and '50s - or enjoy panoramic views from the vista dome cars.

The frost-tinged pine and deciduous Western larch blanket the mountains and, alongside the tracks, signs advertise CUT-YOUR-OWN CHRISTMAS TREES. Eagle and osprey nests, some weighing up to 150 pounds, nestle on poles that the power company has placed to keep the birds off the electric wires.

We pull into Paradise, which is located at the confluence of the Clark Fork and Flathead rivers. Originally called Pair O' Dice because of a gambling house that lured railroad workers, the name was later changed to Paradise. This is our turnaround point, and as we return to Missoula via a different route, Santa and Mrs. Claus stroll from car to car to pose for photos and take lastminute gift requests.

FIREFIGHTERS

"We prefer to jump into lodgepole pine since it's so forgiving. Sometimes it's even better than the open ground," says Tim Eldridge, media relations manager at the U.S. Department of Forestry's Smoke jumpers Center. Located adjacent to John Bell Airport on U.S. Highway 93, the center is one of the training facilities for Forest Service smokejumpers, which encompasses 12 national forests throughout Montana and half of Idaho. It is the largest active smokejumper base in the nation, and earlier this fall it played a major role in subduing the Glacier National Park fires.

The Smokejumper Visitor Center offers a unique opportunity to leam about this unusual, demanding and dramatic occupation. Each type of firefighting has its own training regimen and its own method of fire suppression. The purpose of smokejumping is to get the firefighter to the fire as quickly as possible, and the center prides itself on 12 minutes of response time from the bell to the aircraft.

Fire calls range from two to three a week to 10 a day during high fire season. The smokejumpers do not prioritize the fires; each one is treated as equally dangerous and important. However, fires caused by lightning are fought with chain saws, then cross saws, and fires caused by humans are fought with everything, including planes, boats and helicopters.

The personnel are already trained wildland firefighters when they arrive for the fourweek smokejumper school, where they continue their training and complete about 15 jumps in their Kevlar uniforms that weigh 70 pounds each. It's a highly sought-after position: In 2001, 1,100 applicants vied for 21 openings.

A tour of the center includes a visit to the National Smokejumper Memorial, a replica of a 1930s lookout tower and a tour of the smokejumper loft. In the inspection tower, the parachutes are hung from the ceiling and rigorously checked. Anything can damage the $1,600 chutes, but tree damage is most common. Then it's off to the packing room, where the firefighters rig and pack their chutes on six long tables. Visitors can also tour the ready room and load master's room where the smokejumpers prepare for fire calls. Tours are available at 10 and 11 a.m. and at 2, 3 and 4p.m. daily, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and they're free; (406) 329-4934.

WHIRL AND TWIRL

We head out for an evening of music and a frolic at A Carousel for Missoula. Hold on to your hat because at top speed on the outside row this carousel travels 7.8 mph and is reputed to be one of the fastest carousels in the country. The carousel has an unusual story-a tale of one woodworker hand-tooling a single horse for his living room. Within three years, an entire community of volunteers was working on the carousel, each horse carved by a Missoula resident. It is one of the first fully handcarved carousels built in America since the Great Depression.

Riding Paint, the multicolored pony with the yellow mane, as the band organ plays makes you feel like a 6-year-old kid again, squealing, trying for the brass ring, wanting to go around again and again.

The carousel is open year-round and is available for tours and private rentals. Fees are nominal: 50 cents per token; one token for riders under 19 or over 55, two tokens for riders 19 to 55.

ARTIFACTS AND ART

After a cozy night at Jim and Mary's RV Park (a Good Sam Park that is open year-round) we head out for the Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana, located between Ronan and St. Ignatius on U.S. Highway 93. The museum was established in 1998 to discover and memorialize the history and culture of the Flathead Reservation and early Montana. Named for two Native American brothers, it depicts the lives of early-day ranchers, settlers, loggers, miners, trappers and Native Americans. The most spectacular room in the museum is the diorama room; one display consists of mounted wildlife and another of an Indian camp. There's also an art gallery, a photo hall, a weaponry exhibit and one of the finest collections of Native American beadwork in the world. This is beadwork in its most pristine form - untouched by age, weather, insect damage or neglect.

WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM

As we drive through the National Bison Range near Moiese, we hope to see not only buffalo, but also elk, deer, pronghorn, black bear, coyote and ground squirrels that share the area with the bison. But this is not to be the case. Many of the animals migrate to the more remote parts of the refuge or hibernate during the winter months, so our views of the bison are from very far away.

The National Bison Range is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It was established in 1908 and is one of the oldest wildlife refuges in the nation. Forests, wetlands and streams are found here, providing a wide range of habitats for the wildlife. More than 200 species of birds also call this refuge home and include eagles, hawks, meadowlarks, bluebirds, ducks and geese.

The original herd of bison, released in 1909, was purchased with private money raised by the American Bison Society and then donated to the refuge. The Bison Range helped bring the animals back from the edge of extinction. Today, 350-500 bison live at the refuge. To keep the herd in balance with their habitat, surplus bison are donated and/or sold live.

BREWS AND ALES

With its chocolate-brown color and creamy texture, Moose Drool is the best-selling craft beer in Montana. Then there's Scape Goat, Summer Honey and the oatmeal stout, Slow Elk. After a day in the snowy plains and woods of western Montana, we belly up to the bar at the Big Sky Brewing Company. Here we'll spend a few cozy hours, warm and toasty with our holiday cheer, while the snow flumes continue outside.

SOURCES

A Carousel for Missoula, (406) 549-8382, carrousel.com.

Big Sky Brewing Company, (406) 549-2777, bigskybrew .com.

Montana Rockies Rail Tours, (800) 519-7245, montanarailtours.com.

National Bison Range, (406) 644-2211, bisonrange.fws. gov.

Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana, (406) 644-3435, ninepipes.com.

Smokejumper Visitor Center, (406) 329-4900.

Travel Montana, (800) 548-3390, visitmt.com. CIRCLE 201 ON READER SERVICE CARD.