BOU AVENUE
Foy's Overlook And Chase Overlook
After receiving a massive dump of snow in Kalispell, Montana the previous night, Zosia Zgolak and I went for a ski tour at nearby Foy's To Blacktail Trail (FTBT) network on 4 January 2025.  Situated on a mix of county parkland and private property, the FTBT network was designed mainly for mountain biking and hiking, but in the right conditions, the trails are also suitable for skiing.  A couple of unofficially-named high points--Foy's Overlook and Chase Overlook--attracted our attention, and we had intentions to tag both during our ski tour.  A nice map of the FTBT network can be found here.

From the junction with US Highway 93 in southwest Kalispell, drive west and then south along Foys Lake Road (Highway 503) for 6.3 kilometres and turn right.  Drive about 120 metres and turn right into a large parking lot with vault toilets.  This is the Herron Park trailhead which is the most popular staging area for users accessing the FTBT network.

From the trailhead, Zosia and I followed a path northward across a meadow to the edge of the forest where we picked up a trail flagged with blue ("Notch Trail") and yellow ("Family Trail") markers.  We briefly merged with "Plum Creek Road" (purple markers) before branching off solely on Notch Trail.  This trail zigzags moderately uphill along the northern perimeter of Herron Park and eventually intersects "Overlook Trail" (red markers) at a T-junction.  Turning right, we climbed a little more steeply and soon reached a scenic viewpoint with an interpretive sign.  This viewpoint grants a nice view of Foy Lake to the northeast, but the actual high point of Foy's Overlook is another half a kilometre or so to the west and requires a short off-trail detour to reach.
We should just ski from our hotel! A lot of snow fell on the city of Kalispell overnight.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
Great powder already at the trailhead! Foy's Overlook is visible behind Zosia as she prepares to start skiing from the trailhead at Herron Park.
Makes route-finding a snap! The trails here are all marked and colour-coded.
Would definitely be nice to be here in maybe early October.

Sonny passes under some impressive larch trees.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
That slope across the valley looks enticing to ski! Higher up, the trees thin out a bit to grant Zosia some distant views.
 

Best view of the day.

Foy's Overlook is probably named for this viewpoint above Foy Lake, but this is not the highest point.

 

Not as scenic as the interpretive sign! Zosia stands on the actual high point of Foy's Overlook (1252 metres).
After tagging the top of Foy's Overlook, Zosia and I muddled our way down numerous switchbacks on the south side of the high point and eventually left the Overlook Trail to take an unmarked short cut to "Boundary Trail" (brown markers).  We followed Boundary Trail southward and subsequently connected with "Chase Trail" (green markers) which runs westward through private property via an easement.  Chase Trail passes a junction with Plum Creek Road before climbing gradually to the top of Chase Overlook.  This ascent was long but not technically difficult.  Amazingly, we did not need our climbing skins for the entirety of the ski tour, and the fresh snow and warm temperatures probably had something to do with that.  The actual high point of Chase Overlook is open but kind of underwhelming.  A short distance to the south is a better viewpoint with a picnic table to boot, and therefore, we stopped here for a short break.  FTBT network derives its name from a possible traverse between Chase Overlook and Blacktail Mountain Ski Area about 15 kilometres further south.  While we had no intentions of going that far on this day, I think the traverse is intriguing enough to warrant a return visit in the future.

When Zosia and I resumed skiing, we backtracked along Chase Trail to the junction with Plum Creek Road.  Rather than going back the same way, we chose to follow Plum Creek Road out.  On paper at least, the road looked like it would be a slightly longer but generally straightforward route for getting back to the trailhead.  Unfortunately, sticky snow and gentle grades made it impossible to sustain any forward momentum, and our ski out along Plum Creek Road turned into a bit of an epic slog.  Toward the end, we abandoned the road to descend a more "Direct Route" (black markers) to the bottom.  Direct Route is a perhaps the most difficult trail in the entire FTBT network, but after the drudgery of Plum Creek Road, we welcomed the added exhilaration for better or for worse.  Emerging from the forest, we concluded our ski tour with an easy glide across the meadow back to the trailhead.
Must suck having to plow the roads to get to these houses in winter! Chase Overlook can be seen at distant right as Zosia descends from the top of Foy's Overlook.  Note the private residences on the hillside.
No off-trail exploring here! Chase Trail runs along an easement through private property.
I miss the sun! A tiny patch of blue sky is an encouraging sight as Zosia climbs steadily up the trail.
Do you know where is the highest point? A large clearing sits atop Chase Overlook.
They don't make skis like this anymore...literally! Zosia and Sonny proudly present their skis near the true high point of Chase Overlook (1412 metres).
Ski and scramble? Zosia maneuvers past some big boulders a short distance south of the true high point.
Enjoying some O.J.! Chase Overlook is probably named for this viewpoint with a picnic table, but it is not the highest point.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
This was supposed to be easy... Zosia descends Plum Creek Road on the return ski.
Felt like skiing uphill both ways! The descent of Plum Creek Road would be more strenuous than expected.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
An unexpectedly fun ski tour but the descent should've been much easier than it turned out! Total Distance:  16.0 kilometres
Round-Trip Time:  6 hours 37 minutes
Cumulative Elevation Gain:  487 metres

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