Winter Fest celebrates sled dogs and snow machines

Snow sifted down gently Saturday, and the temperature hovered around 33 degrees – perfect for the Miracle of America Museum’s annual Winter Fest.

The barrow pit in front of the museum was lined with vintage show machines hauled in by the Western Montana Vintage Snowmobile Enthusiasts group.

Tom Mullins of St. Ignatius had a big smile on his face as he pulled kids in a Kat Kutter behind his Arctic Cat Panther.

“I just love doing this,” he said, loading his Kutter again.

Matt Whetzel of Arlee had a grin on his face, too. “That’s the future of snowmobiling,” he said, waving his arm towards a youngster learning to ride a kid-sized snowmobile.

Candy Johnson and Paul Kruger, part of the WMVSE group, were collecting votes from attendees on their favorite sleds.

“We come out just to support the museum,” Johnson said, noting that they missed lasts year’s fest because it was 20 below.

Museum founder Gil Mangels was buzzing around the grounds in his four-by-four, talking with visitors and steering them to displays they might be interested in seeing.

Inside the main museum building, his wife, Helen Mangels, and Marj Dixon worked at the front desk, answering questions and showing visitors a map of the museum. Helen delivered hot cocoa to workers and special guests on the grounds.

The Mangels estimated that more than 220 visitors trekked around the grounds Saturday.

The main building smelled delightfully of Brandy Wallace’s homemade chili, which she and son Caleb ladled out with a square of cornbread for $4. They were also selling mulled hot cider and hot cocoa.

While taking a quick lunch break, Mullins said it’s tough financially for families to have sleds for each family member so vintage machines make it less expensive, and sometimes older machines are easier for kids to handle.

“If you aren’t riding your sled, you’re working on it,” he said, finishing his chili. The older machines aren’t computerized, so owners and their kids can hone their mechanic skills.

Out the back door, there was a plethora of machines, buildings, cars, motorcycles, and vintage and antiques vignettes to see, with vintage snow machines giving rides around the oval.

Tribute to Race to the Sky

Pam Backstrom, who owned and operated Adanac Sleds and Equipment with her husband, Jack, was on hand too. The sled-dog manufacturing business, founded in Olney in 1976, has earned international acclaim.

Beckstrom, along with Vicky McDaid, John Fuller, Bill Smith and Roy Entire, donated sleds, collars, harnesses and other gear, as well as framed posters of Race to the Sky, Montana’s annual sled-dog race, for a display that pays tribute to the sport.

The exhibit features a small wooden racing dogsled, a large freight sled, modern and vintage harnesses and other dog tack from the 1940s, plus a couple of stuffed life-sized Husky dogs wearing current and vintage dog tack.

A mannequin is attired in Jack Bergstrom’s fur-ruffed parka, mitts, hat, and mukluks. Jack, who passed away unexpectedly March 5, 2018, founded the Root Beer Classic sled-dog race in Polebridge in the early 1980s, naming it after his much-loved lead dog at the time.

He also was one of the founders of the 350-mile Race to the Sky and was board chairman of the event for many years.

“I didn’t think it would be this hard to retire Jack’s parka,” Pam said.

Pam met Jack at the first Race to the Sky and had no idea they’d be married 10 years later.

She remains hip deep in the race, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary Feb. 7-11, when mushers and their dogs start in Lincoln and glide to Condon and back. Race to the Sky commemorates the soldiers and dogs who once served at Camp Rimini, near Helena.

The U.S. Government set up a camp near Rimini in 1942, called Camp Rimini War Dog Reception and Training Center. It was in operation until March 1944 and trained 800 sled dogs, 100 pack dogs, and 125 men to go to Norway for a planned U.S. invasion as part of the war effort.

One of the hundreds of interesting stories from Camp Rimini was about some teams of sled dogs who came to the camp from Canada. According to Pam, no one could get the dogs to do anything until they found a musher in Helena named Eddie Barbeaux, who spoke French.

According to Bergstrom, the sled dogs had been trained in French, and “il ne parle pas anglais” (they did not speak English), but were happy to work when Eddie spoke French to them.

The invasion was scrapped, and the U.S. military sent the trained sled dogs and soldiers on search and rescue missions in Newfoundland, Greenland, Baffinland, Labrador and Alaska to retrieve soldiers, equipment, and supplies from downed airplanes.

Thanks to Pam and her friends and the WMVSE crowd, more wonderful parts of Montana and U.S. history are on display at the Miracle of America Museum.

    A new display in the Miracle of America Museum celebrates the bittersweet retiring of Jack Beckstrom's parka, mitts, hat, and mukluks. Pam, Jack's wife, was on hand to talk about the display honoring Montana mushers, sleds, dogs, and the annual Race to the Sky coming on February 7. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
  

    Pam Beckstrom of Adanac Sleds and Equipment showcases some of the items in the Miracle of America Museum's new exhibit honoring Montana mushers and the Race to the Sky. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
  

    Charlotte Fulwiler careened around the field next to the Miracle of America Museum during Saturday's Winter Fest. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)