Summer 2013

Features

  • Swept Away

    A misadventure on the Gallatin. A few summers ago, my girlfriend Jo and I were beat up from biking trails beyond our ability and conceived a yen to float the Gallatin from the mouth of the canyon to Gallatin Gateway. We…
  • Home to Bozeman

    It sounds corny, I suppose, but I believe that there’s a place for each of us. Call it destiny, fate, or providence—the innate magnetism in all of us that tells us where we fit in the world. Some people search a lifetime…
  • One for Luck

    The parking lot promises a crowd. You remember last year, the cars and SUVs at the head of the canyon. You saw the windshields shining before you turned down the dirt road and you gulped. Cars from everywhere, cars from the…

Departments

  • Beauty Scars

    Measuring the wounds of outdoor adventure. For guys, scars are proof of adventure, daring, experience, and ruggedness—unintended tattoos announcing their manhood. But for ladies, it’s a little different. Our outdoor battle…
  • Tip-Top Trout

    Wrapping a trout in tin foil might be nice when you’re out camping, but when you bring your catch home, try something a little more exciting. Here’s one of our favorite recipes for fresh-caught fish: hemp-seed-crusted trout…
  • Pre-Season Prep

    For many of us, summer means one thing: hunting season is near. But months of lazy fishing, floating, and summer barbeques do little to keep one’s skills sharp come opening day. Like anything, preparation and forethought…
  • White Lines

    Heeding the call at Hollowtop Mountain. What is it about white lines? Those winding strings of pearl, sinuous rills weaving down mountainsides, carving and cascading through rock like storm clouds harnessed to a rolling…
  • False Advertising

    It is day three of backpacking in the Beartooths. I’m authoring from inside the butter-yellow walls of my Marmot tent alone. Not because I’m a misanthrope, for I do like mankind (those who promote American Idol singers as…
  • Stickin' Around

    Exotic locations just a short drive away. For most families, the word “exotic vacation” conjures up images of a luxury resort near an azure sea, sipping tropically themed cocktails on a white, sandy beach. Mom is lounging…
  • Coolin' It Down

    This summer, cool off. On those blazing summer days in Bozeman, sometimes all you want is to grab a swimsuit and some beer and go in search of sweet relief. There are a number of places to swim around Bozeman if you’re…
  • A Gneiss Easy Hike

    The entire length of the Gneiss Creek Trail traverses 14 miles through the Madison Valley. The trail, which lies mostly within Yellowstone National Park, connects the Gallatin with Madison Canyon and the Madison River. This…
  • Sights and Sounds

    Making the most out of Music in the Mountains. Live music is like nothing else. The sound is raw, the lights are blinding, the volume is cranked, and nothing tastes better than an $8 Bud Light after a couple of hours of…
  • Easy Ennis

    Need a two-day getaway, but don’t want to blow wads of dough or spend hours on the road? Then pack a few things, shut off the cell phone, and head south to Ennis, where a laid-back and fun-filled weekend awaits—all within…
  • Family Floating

    “Dad, there’s a rock at the bottom of the ‘V,’” said Jesse, age seven. She knew that we would follow the deeper, glassier water into the steeper gradient. She made sure that we avoided the boulder as well as a likely…
  • Chasing the Cat

    Catfishin' with a fly rod. A little thumbing your nose at convention is good for the soul. Especially at times like this, when a nine-foot Heddon #35 bamboo fly rod made 85 years ago is used to fling a large weighted…
  • The River's Edge

    From time to time the river would expel a pronounced “gurgle” as water rushed into a pocket created by the infinite droplets moving in their mysterious ways. She listened from the bank and watched the water pass by. Where…
  • Trout Rustling Gone Mad

    Greed, selfishness, and a plain-ol’ “I got mine, screw you” mentality is making itself more and more apparent in Montana when it comes to fishing. The situation often involves big-money yahoos locking up land access to…
  • Letter of the Land

    History of the "M". One thing’s pretty certain this spring: If your story takes place in Bozeman, there’s a big, whitewashed letter decorating the mountains that serve as your backdrop. At least, if those mountains include…
  • A Day in the Park

    Perhaps you’ve come to Montana to stay at a local resort for a week, attend a family wedding event, or possibly you’re a “local” with out-of-town friends visiting. In each case, you’ll probably consider going to Yellowstone…
  • Tie a Yellow Ribbon

    Most of our outdoor adventures are enhanced with a canine companion, and options for dog-friendly recreation seem limitless. A well-intentioned owner can take a dog for a run around Peets Hill, a hike up Triple Tree, or a…
  • Lost and Found

    Bear was having a good day. He was finishing a late-afternoon jaunt along the Nordic ski trails in Hyalite Canyon on Friday, March 22 with Mandy Woodmansee and her boyfriend Grant Ellison. The eight-year-old black lab / pit…
  • Follow Your Nose

    While the blooming green landscape around town is beautiful in the summertime, it invariably means that allergy-inducing pollen will assault us until fall. We breathe in pollen, and it triggers our immune system which tries…
  • All Night Wrong

    The last of the sky’s bruised-purple tint has faded to black, and now it’s anywhere from eleven at night to four in the morning. The miles and hours pile on top of each other until it’s impossible to tell what time it is.…
  • Mixin' It Up

    The season of barbeques, boating, tanning, and floating is finally upon us. Summers in Montana are priceless—we’re surrounded by endless beauty and are lucky enough to call this home. Since I’m a personal trainer and a gym…
  • Primitive Schools

    Want to improve your primitive skills? Look no further. Here are a few local schools that can help you survive when the economy finally collapses for good.PAST Skills Wilderness School – Bozeman. These classes promote the…
  • Potpies and Woodsmoke

    Author’s note: what follows may possibly be viewed as veering into the realm of the apocalyptic, conspiracy-theory-ranting lunatic. If it is taken that way, it is outside of the intent of the author—or maybe not. Let’s say…
  • Chirping Salt Vultures

    There are a lot of annoying critters out there, both wild and domestic—packrats, mice, magpies, roosters, raccoons, possums, porcupines, and poodles to name a few. But as far as sheer destructiveness goes, nothing in my…
  • New Town Treats

    The beloved Bozeman summer… are you stand-up paddleboarding yet? Kayaking? Fly fishing? Going to beer and food tastings with other happy Bozemanites? If your answer is no, we can help. With so much happening in your Bozeman…
  • Treat Your River Right

    Catch this! Over a quarter of the state’s angling occurs here in Region 3 with seven premier wild trout streams, more than 90 fishing access sites (FAS), and some splendid high-mountain lakes. As the peak of fishing season…
  • Big, Wide, & Open

    With the landscape around us so vast, and a world of technology and information at your fingertips, why constrain your composition to a tiny rectangle in your camera viewfinder? At this point in your photography obsession,…
  • Outlook - Summer 2013

    Enter the outdoors: a timeless arena. Where the unswayed earth reveals itself by sunlight on stone and wind sweeping through wooden fingers.Climb up through forested mountainsides. Dance in the summer heat and mingle under…
  • Montana Connections

    One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. ~William ShakespeareIt was like a bad first date. Someone should say something, but nothing comes out. We’d covered all the basic topics of conversation—what do you do for work…
  • Llama Therapy

    The summer sun beats down on us on this early July morning in the parking lot. The trail sign reads “Daily Creek.” Four- and two-legged companions mill around the stock trailer, getting ready for the hike. Those with two…
  • Common Ground

    Dorms were a luxury that evening, muddy floors and all. My hankering for the last Hershey Bar in camp led to desperate things: 100 push-ups later, it was mine—a simple pleasure hard-won through sweat equity, perseverance,…
  • Montana Music

    Get your dose of Montana summer concerts. Is there anything better than sipping a cold one, kicking back with your favorite people, and enjoying an outdoor concert as the summer day draws to a close? Montanans love to…
  • Mud, Road & Water

    The sun is shining, the birds are singing—and Bozemanites everywhere are warming up at starting lines around the state. To help you decide how to spend your speedy summer, here are three of our favorite races.BozeMonster…
  • Saving Water

    We Montanans have a lot to be proud of when it comes to contributing to our nation’s conservation legacy: Montana is home to two of America’s most beloved national parks—Glacier and Yellowstone. Adjacent to these parks are…
  • Gallatin Vs. Bitterroot

    From the roaring whitewater of spring to lazy, late-summer floats, rivers help narrate the story of Montana. They define our landscape, irrigate our crops, and protect our wildlife; they’re a primary source of recreation…

Gear Reviews

  • Review: Big Sky Rod Box

    Over the years, many attempts have been made to keep rods fishin’-ready, while still safe from common catastrophes. PVC, rubber-snubbers, magnets, and all other manner of safe-keeping have been contrived to protect these…
  • Review: Lowa Mauria GTX

    Just because you like to climb mountains, your athletic capabilities don’t necessarily carry over to solid footfalls on a steep, scree-heavy descent. Thankfully, Lowa’s Mauria GTX mid-rise hiking boots have your back—and…
  • Review: Spiffy Dog Air Collar

    Dogs love it when you pull off their collars and let them run light and free, as nature intended—especially when said collars are sopping from a dunk in the river. Alas, those pesky leash laws necessitate a quick return to…
  • Review: SB140

    After 11 years in a 13.5-foot, standard-floor raft, I had a good idea of what I wanted in a new boat. It had to be a self-bailer, have removable thwarts, and since my family was bigger, it needed to be longer and wider.…
  • Review: Revo Harness Sunglasses

    Summer means sunshine and vigorous physical activity—and if it’s a well-made but no-frills pair of shades you’re after, check out the Revo Harness. The craftsmanship is solid: Serilium polycarbonate lenses for durability…
  • Review: Scarpa Kailash Trek GTX

    It didn’t take long for Scarpa to earn the same solid reputation for hiking boots as they’ve enjoyed with climbing shoes and ski boots for decades—and the Kailash Trek GTX could be why. I’ve tested more footwear than Imelda…
  • Review: Yeti Tundra 65

    The Yeti Tundra 65 now has a permanent spot on my raft. Built by outdoorsmen, it’s constructed to fit perfectly in the frame, and the 65-quart size is great for a one or two-day float. There’s plenty of room for cans of…

Book Reviews

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