Bitterroot National Forest

1801 N. 1st Street, Hamilton, MT 59840 (406) 363-7100 NEWS RELEASE

__________________________________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tod McKay Public Affairs Officer (406) 363-7122 (406) 531-1130 - CELL tgmckay@fs.fed.us July 7, 2011 LAKE COMO TO HOST WEEKLY CAMPFIRE CHATS Hamilton, MT. The Lake Como Recreation Area is extremely popular this time of year with boaters, hikers, mountain bikers and campers and now there is another reason to visit the area this summer; a new series of campfire talks sponsored by the Bitterroot National Forest. The talks will take place each Saturday evening beginning at 8:00 pm at the Lower Campground at Lake Como. Some upcoming program topics include the history of Lake Como, campfire cooking tips, wildlife skull identification, cowboy poetry, Lewis and Clark, hawks and owls, and more. Fred Weisbecker with the Bitterroot Back Country Horsemen (BBCH) will be the featured speaker along with other presenters. The goal of the new program is really to enhance the outdoor experience of campers at Como by offering these talks each Saturday night, said Bitterroot National Forest Recreation Specialist Erica Strayer. We have modeled the program after similar ones that are very popular at Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks and we hope the Como chats become an annual summer tradition on the Bitterroot. The talks are free to attend. If you are not camping at Lake Como you will be need to purchase a day use pass or have a season pass to park in the Recreation Area. For a program schedule or for more information about the campfire talks contact the Darby Ranger District at (406) 821-3913.

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