Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival

Who
Beartooth Recreational Trails Association
What
12th Annual Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival at the Roman Theater
Where
Roman Theater, Red Lodge, MT
When
March 1, 2019
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Beartooth Recreational Trails Association

BRTA is putting on its 12th annual Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival at the Roman Theater March 1, 2019. For 14 years, WWA has created and distributed this Film Fest for organizations like BRTA to fundraise and continue our missions. (WWA also has an excellent Snow School program for kids, which can be used to get those kids out there in winter).

This guest post comes courtesy of our Red Lodge, MT based grassroots group, Beartooth Recreational Trails Association. 

The Beartooth Recreational Trails Association was the first Montana-based grassroots member of Winter Wildlands Alliance. They promote summer and winter trails in and around Red Lodge, MT, which includes operation of Red Lodge Nordic Center and grooming the West Fork (Forest Service) Road.

The West Fork, just 6 miles from town, offers something for everybody: walking, dog sledding, dog joring, snowshoeing, XC skiing (including track), skate skiing, and fat tire biking. Snowmobiling is also allowed, as there are privately owned cabins about 6 miles down the road. People also use snowmobiles on the road to access private cabins and the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness trailhead at the end of the road to ski and ice climb.

BRTA has had a permit to groom the West Fork road for several years, which benefits all users and keeps snow packed and fairly smooth into the spring. Their volunteer grooms 3-4 times a month; and this season they will have available for the first time a 4 stroke snowmobile pulling a modern Ginzu groomer for grooming fresh or old snow!

The Custer National Forest (now one half of the Custer-Gallatin) has not undertaken winter travel planning. This lack of planning means that the Forest Service does not have a definition nor any rules about tracked vehicles or what types of uses are allowed on the West Fork. This is problematic for BRTA’s grooming efforts and can cause conflicts. When tracked vehicles drive around the gate they can interfere with quiet recreation and destroy the grooming efforts. BRTA also encounters problems with horses on the snow pulling sleighs on runners, which also destroys the grooming efforts.

For many years BRTA has worked with the Forest Service to address the lack of signage, which is needed to govern all the users and reduce conflicts. They are also dealing with increased warm spells which deteriorate the snow. Other issues include a lack of parking; and this year, lack of a contractor to plow the 4 mile access road. Now they are working with private land owners, the Forest Service, and winter recreationists to raise money and come up with a plan to keep this access road plowed. The Custer Gallatin National Forest does not plow any Forest Service roads, but will plow parking lots.

Roman Theater, Red Lodge, MT

Show up early or buy tickets in advance from redlodge.com/romantheater. We usually sell out and Mike has to honor the fire code maximum capacity rules (about 200). Show begins at 7:00.  Adults $10; kids $5; beer & wine available; AWESOME RAFFLE, too.

This is a major fundraiser for BRTA, so you are not only enjoying quality movies about human powered recreation, winter, and the environment this all happens in, but you’re also supporting BRTA, your local summer & winter, all volunteer trails organization.

Click https://youtu.be/BOpHWwzZ5FQ for Film Fest promo trailer.  And here are the movies:

ODE TO MUIR Teton Gravity Research – Our exclusive Festival cut of Ode To Muir speaks the entire feature-length film as professional snowboarder, adventurer and founder of Protect Our Winters Jeremy Jones joins forces with two-time Olympian Elena Hight to embark on a 40-mile foot-powered expedition deep into California’s John Muir Wilderness.

SKI THE WILD WEST In 2017 Drew Petersen sought to ski the 11 highest peaks in the American West on one epic road trip. Accompanied by filmmaker and Winter Wildlands Alliance Ambassador, Thomas Woodson, this film is sure to be a pleasant walk down memory lane for anyone who has adventured throughout the West.

THE ABBEY DPS Cinematic – A spiritual view into any snowbird’s head waiting for the season to start.

THE BACKCOUNTRY SNOWSPORTS INITIATIVE In this upbeat, Sunday morning op-ed of a short film we learn about the human-powered recreation advocacy organization, the Backcountry Snowsports Initiative, and their annual hut trip near Leadville, Colorado where they host a variety of stakeholders to ski, cook, and talk about winter recreation policy.

ABANDONED Another exclusive Festival cut focusing on Berthoud Pass, a crew of backcountry skiers set out to explore Colorado’s lost ski areas hopes to find adventure amongst the ruins.

BLUE Blue is a testament to the inherent creativity, innovation and strength forged in women of the north. In it we present a spectacle of winter innovation—the icy playground providing a visual journey as never seen before by bike.

I AM HERE “My parents never even thought about climbing a mountain.” Yesenia grew up living in a small farmer’s cabin in the apple orchards of Oregon’s Hood River Valley. Watch Yesi’s journey to climb Mount St. Helens, pursue her own American dream, and inspire Latinx outdoor enthusiasts everywhere.

SURFER DAN Beyond the tale of his frosted beard, this is a story about Dan Schetter’s passion for surfing and how he credits the sport to saving his life.

SEARCHING FOR CHRISTMAS TREE A university teacher looking to break free from a life of routine in China and a mysterious frozen waterfall that no one knows the whereabouts, spins this story of seemingly futile quests and ultimately transcending climb.

WESTWARD: BRENNAN LAGASSE An important message from Winter Wildlands Alliance Ambassador, educator and athlete, Brennan Lagasse, on the significance and the impact of the backcountry.