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Summer 2020
The best of the best—that's what's in store this season, as we've plucked our personal favorites for a top-ten list of classics that never lose thier luster. Hitting 'em all won't be easy, but we've got faith in you—this is why you live here, right? Read more >>
You don’t have to be one of the 30 million people who lost their jobs last spring to contemplate vegetable gardening as an alternate—even primary—food source. Read more >>
Much has been said about the sport of fishing, which is why Jackie Corley arranged this 104-page compendium entitled Read more >>
Most coloring books are merely filled with cartoons, but Discover Montana Treasures: Bozeman & Beyond (Sintr, $15). Read more >>Spring 2020
Soon after we’d discovered that the rooftop “emergency exit” on our truck camper was actually a hatch to the party roof, the landscape stopped me in my tracks. Read more >>
Exploring Bozeman by bike. Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,Healthy, free, the world before me,The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.—Walt Whitman Read more >>
A world away, close to home. Fifty-four miles: that’s the distance between Gardiner and Livingston—and that short distance holds limitless adventure. But how do you distill all those options into a single weekend? I’m glad you asked. Read more >>Winter 2019-20
Tips for winter stoke.Are you new to town? Welcome to Bozeman! We have a long and storied ski culture, and while you may hail from Colorado or Utah or upstate New York, we do things a little differently here. Here are some tips for fitting in. Read more >>Fall 2019
A photographic study of Ross Peak. It’s not the highest point in the Bridgers. It barely falls within the range’s ten-tallest summits. But for whatever reason, we’re drawn to Ross Peak. Read more >>
Often, the highlights of a trip to Yellowstone or a weekend spent in the wilderness are encounters with the four-legged or winged compatriots we see along the way. Read more >>
The Salewa Ortles Hybrid Tirolwool Celliant women’s jacket is designed for warmth, breathabil Read more >>Summer 2019
Gregory’s Swift 20 H2O women’s daypack includes a three-liter water bladder that fits in a s Read more >>Spring 2019
With the compact and efficient Rainier two-burner stove from Camp Chef, a hot beverage on a chilly morning i Read more >>Winter 2018-19
What if you were pursued through the mountains by killers and tracked by dogs? Could you outrun them? Could you outwit them? Could you turn and defeat them? Many a young man has had the flight of fancy of an extreme survival adventure. Read more >>
Before hitting the road for a powder-chasing road-trip, grab a Ranger 60L duffle from Dakine. Read more >>Fall 2018
Catch-and-release hunting takes off. No guns. No bows. No spears, knives, or clubs. This is hunting at its most primeval, pitting man against beast without the aid of technology. No weapons are allowed—it’s hand versus hoof, head versus horn. Read more >>
After a long hike, when I reach an alpine ridge, the sweat stops and the cooling begins. Read more >>Spring 2018
If millennials have shown the world anything, it’s that people in their 20s really do have it all figured out. One example of this unprecedented generational wisdom is the phenomenon of #vanlife. Read more >>Winter 2017-18
Montana’s backcountry is a dreamland for skiers, snowmobilers, and ice-climbers, but sometimes, things go south. Read more >>Fall 2017
As darkness comes sooner to southwest Montana, but temps remain (relatively) warm, a bike light becomes an essential item—for everything from in-town commuting to post-work Read more >>Summer 2017
Naming Mount Blackmore. At 10,154 feet, Mount Blackmore looms high above Bozeman on the southern horizon. Anyone who has lived in town for more than a few weeks can point to the peak, but few know how the mountain got its name. Read more >>
For women with ankle instability, the Lowa Sassa GTX Mid trekking boot is what you need. Read more >>
Once an essential apparatus, the fly-fishing vest no longer holds hegemony, thanks in large part to innovations like the FHF Gear Fishing Chest Rig. Read more >>Winter 2016-17
Charging burly lines demands burly apparel, and the Berreta line from Dakine offers just that. Read more >>Fall 2016
Over time, people change, and after reading Toward a Natural Forest (Oregon State University Press, $20), it’s clear governme Read more >>Summer 2016
Rocks are hard and bikes go fast, so in order to protect my boney knees and elbows, I got a set of Slayer Pads from Dakine. Now when I’m bombing down from Mystic Lake, I don’t have to worry as much about careering off the Wall of Death. Read more >>Spring 2016
Gone are the days of weighty, oversized hiking boots—those eight-pound clodhoppers that made the ankles invincible but limited one’s pace to a slow, steady walk. Read more >>
At its most basic level, fishing requires a line, a hook, and a lure, three items attainable for under five bucks. How, then, has the industry grown into a billion-dollar one, and how, then, did anglers spend over $900,000,000 in Montana alone in 2014? Let’s take a closer look at the numbers. Read more >>Winter 2015-16
A case for conversation.Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits. —Mark Twain Read more >>
Nothing is more essential than a good knife. It’s the ultimate tool and when you buy one, you can never imagine when and where you’ll need it. The applications are endless, and this winter, I’m using a Freescape folding knife from Gerber. Read more >>
I recently had a chance to try out the Alpen Teton 10x42 ED HD (extra-low dispersion, high-definition) and I have to say, I’m extremely impressed with both the feel and function of these binoculars. Read more >>Fall 2015
Fall edition. I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book. ―Groucho Marx Read more >>Summer 2015
The idea of packrafting a river deep in the wilderness is exciting. Doing so with a couple hundred pounds of fresh elk meat—now that’s an adventure. The PR-49 from Pristine Ventures makes this type of epic Montana outing possible. Read more >>
In the ongoing land-transfer struggle, a few folks stand out—on both sides of the battlefield. Here’s a recap of admirable acts and shameful shenanigans for the 2015 legislative session. Read more >>
Categorizing conifers.Think all conifers are pretty much the same? Think again. Next time you’re in the woods, use these simple ID-techniques to better understand your environment. Read more >>
Tips from a champ.Former World Championship silver-medalist Bill Wood teaches long-range shooting techniques at Granite Creek Range near Virginia City. Here are Bill’s top tips for shooting well—both at the range and in the field. Read more >>Spring 2015
To stretch the ski season even further—and enjoy an inimitable skiing experience “at the top of the world”—fill up the tank and head east to the Beartooth Pass. Read more >>Winter 2014-15
Demand for ice time in Bozeman is on the rise, and in response, a second skating rink is going in adjacent to the Haynes Pavilion at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds. Read more >>
Some combos just seem right—peanut butter and jelly, Jack and Coke, and now in Bozeman, skiing and shooting. This season at Bohart Ranch, thanks to the efforts of the Bridger Biathlon Club (BBC), Bohart pass holders will be able to test their mettle at an all-new Olympic-caliber shooting range. Read more >>
During the nationalistic fervor of the Sochi Winter Olympic Games last winter, word on the street was a that formal bid to bring the 2026 Winter Games to Bozeman was underway. Read more >>Fall 2014
Delve deep into Yellowstone’s wild with David Peterson’s stunning photo book, Yellowstone: Near, Far & Wild (Farcountry Press, $20). Read more >>
In the fall, bikers share the woods with hunters—here are some tips to play nice and be safe. Read more >>
The section of Mandeville Creek from Montana State University to Bozeman High School (BHS) has been neglected like a misunderstood stepchild for years—but that’s about to change. Read more >>Summer 2014
Patience may just lead to perfection.When I first observed spey casting, it looked like a man waving in surrender, or perhaps a horsetail swatting flies off its ass. There is nothing graceful about either image. Read more >>Fall 2013
Alive, the grizzly is a symbol of freedom and understanding—a sign that man can learn to conserve what is left of the earth. Extinct, it will be another fading testimony to things man should have learned more about but was too preoccupied with himself to notice. Read more >>
For many of us Bozemanites, the first snow of the year is a tease, an alluring look ahead to the oncoming season. We daydream about the incredible powder days, and gnarly runs that we weren't quite ready to tackle last year, but feel this year might be the one. Read more >>
It starts up in the trees: a frail rustling through the leaves brought on by a cold, bracing breeze. Sweeping down through the ground there is a change of hue—an array of a colorful display. Read more >>
The lovebird is a captured and marginalized African parrot that forever yearns to form a strong and monogamous pair bond with another of her feather, preferring to roost side-by-side for peaceful spells in the unbounded nascent smells of Mother Earth. Read more >>
There’s something undeniably mythical about chasing large fish—precious few anglers escape that eventual, insatiable hunger for a lunker on the end of their line. Read more >>Summer 2013
Have you ever enjoyed a Dutch-oven dinner and wanted to learn to cook one yourself? Well, Carsten Bothe’s Dutch Oven: Cast-Iron Cooking Over an Open Fire (Schiffer Publishing, $30) is the perfect cookbook to get you started. Read more >>
Google Earth is awesome, no doubt, and that fancy GPS of yours is not to be scoffed at—but there’s nothing quite like unfurling a map on the kitchen table and letting a world of adventure appear before you. Read more >>
Yellowstone Yesterday and Today (Golden Valley Press, $45) provides a captivating photographic history of Yellowstone Park. Photographer Paul Horsted recreates historic photographs of Yellowstone, illustrating how the Park has developed over the years. Read more >>
“Multimedia” is a bland and nebulous term, and therefore fails to capture the elegant and symbiotic blend of song and imagery that is Mike Haring’s new DVD, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (self-produced, $20). Read more >>
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. Read more >>Spring 2013
The Yellowstone is a great place to fish streamers. Often, we’ll be running #4 sculpins or baitfish patterns sporting heavy lead eyes in front of a sopping wet bunny strip. This is often very effective for big brown trout, yet it cannonballs the water, spooking shallow water predators. Read more >>
Cocky nine-point elk sitting yards from the trail, parades of bison clogging the roads, playful coyotes mousing on the crusted snow: the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone Park was teeming with wildlife—and we got pictures of all of it. Read more >>
Drunken spring: soaked and flooded with life. Sore from a long nap under a thick blanket, the natural world reaches out anxiously to breathe a long, slow breath. Just as it is on the side of Slough Creek in Yellowstone, change is evident in any valley, meadow, or mountain. Read more >>Winter 2012-13
I’m kicking and gliding along the impeccably groomed Nordic trails at Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky. Snow-laden trees line the edge of the trail, threatening to drop gobs of snow; North Fork Creek gurgles near the trail, verdant green moss peaking out from under the snow. Read more >>
Dean Sauskojus’s Yellowstone: The Ultimate Photo Guide to Yellowstone National Park (self-published, $15) is a great companion for any photographer venturing into Yellowstone. Read more >>Fall 2012
For most of us Montana men, it simply happens. It might be a Tuesday, around mid-October. We stand shirtless at the sink with a razor in one hand, and look at ourselves in the mirror. Read more >>
When fall returns, so do the hatches of Blue Winged Olives (BWO). As with most fly patterns, this BWO cripple is an adaptation of many proven patterns—and possibly something I unknowingly borrowed from another fly tyer. Read more >>
In 1985, Montana formally created Block Management Areas (BMAs), which provide free access to private lands across the state for hunting big game, upland birds, and waterfowl. Read more >>
Oh Dawn, bringer of light,With eternal vision deliver us from night.And color the world, not black nor white,But ambiguous grey, a beautiful sight! Read more >>
I love to touch wood that’s beaver-skinnedand worn to glass by flowing water. There are willow saplings that startle.Bent low by winter snow loadbut still rooted to the bankthey get pulled downstream by the current Read more >>Summer 2012
In 2011, the City of Bozeman dedicated its fifth and sixth recreational climbing boulders, which makes six more than virtually every other city in America. Read more >>
"I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright." –Henry David Thoreau Read more >>
Hootin’ and hollerin’ aside, rodeos are some of the best events of the summer. Check out traditional bull riding and calf roping, or see what wild cow riding and mutton busting are all about. Read more >>
In Montana, attacks on runners and hikers are rare, and most women are assaulted by men they know in places they consider safe—but statistics are no consolation. Read more >>
Brooking no limit on the sex or size of their funThrowing themselves and money into the Big SkyThe seasonal hatch awakens a feeding frenzy.Only remembering bits and snatches of placesCommended itineraries blurred by market imaginations Read more >>Spring 2012
Wild turkeys, not unlike the namesake whiskey, can bring an otherwise sane person to the heights of elation, the depths of depression, or the brink of madness. Read more >>
With ski season on the horizon, it’s time to get those ski/snowboard/nordic legs ready—try these exercises to improve your cardio strength, stamina, agility, and balance before the snow flies. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Read more >>
By mid-March, most Bozeman residents have had just about enough of cold weather. The days are getting longer, and it’s finally time to head outdoors for a little sunshine. Sadly, our outdoor-rec reach tends to exceed our grasp. All too often, bikers are sent back to the car by muddy, snow-clogged... Read more >>
Looking to get in on the wolf-watching action around Yellowstone Park? Here are some resources to get you started. Yellowstone Safari Company Read more >>Winter 2011-12
Once the domain of hardened alpinists, ice climbing has come a long way in its evolution and now anyone (thanks largely to modern equipment and Gallatin County snowplows) can enjoy a sense of adventure, complete with warming afternoon sun and hot cocoa between rounds on the vertical. Read more >>
You might not believe it, but there will come a day when you don’t want to go skiing this winter. Either your quads will be too blasted or the thermometer won’t crawl above zero, but you’ll spend one day entirely in your sweatpants, promise. Read more >>
Between Yellowstone Park in the south, Ted Turner in the middle, the National Bison refuge at Moiese in the northwest, and all of the smaller bison-ranching operations in between, Montana has become a virtual bison factory. Read more >>
The economy is still in the toilet, so a quiver of ice tools just isn’t an option for most ice junkies. Read more >>
For the average outdoor enthusiast, winter can be a difficult time to squeeze in a fun-filled overnight or multiday adventure without freezing your buns off or breaking the family budget. Read more >>Fall 2011
When I think of fishing in the fall, I think of one thing: streamers. There’s something almost romantic to a streamer addict about fall, with the leaves turning colors and fish getting aggressive as the brown trout begin their courtship. Read more >>
In the second century BC, Roman invaders of present-day France made great fun of their enemy’s attire—they considered the Gauls’ long trousers intolerably effeminate, compared to their cool and manly tunics. Read more >>
It may be hard for homegrown Montanans to imagine an urbane French nobleman in the field chasing game, but author Guy de la Valdène makes it clear, in his memoir The Fragrance of Grass (Lyons Press, $25), that a love of hunting and the natural world transcends c Read more >>
Although any season is a good season for a local brew, fall is perhaps the best. Oktoberfest-style beers typically have higher alcohol content, but these days the name refers to almost any beer of the fall season. Read more >>Summer 2011
Because Montana doesn't come free."Enthusiasm releases the drive to carry you over obstacles and adds significance to all you do." –Norman Vincent Peale Read more >>
If exploring the unknown on foot holds any appeal, open up Peakbagging Montana (Riverbend Publishing, $15) and prepare for a long summer—and a lifetime, for that matter—of vigorous outdoor adventure. Read more >>
Montanans know all too well the dread-inducing buzz of a rattlesnake’s tail—and how these slithering serpents can cast a dark shadow over an otherwise glorious summer day. Read more >>Spring 2011
You should of been here yesterday. I mean spoons was workin’ like Jesushisself was puttin' 'em on the hook. Hell, Roy Dean, he seen Bobby Dontoss a Alka Seltzer where they was rootin' and a little one took it, then a Read more >>
Feelin’ hot, hot, hot! If you’re looking for a little somethin’ to tickle your taste buds, give Oso Loco a try. This versatile sauce goes great with tacos, eggs, chili, or anything else you feel like spicing up. Read more >>
Bungee cords come in many styles, from cheap Wal-Mart flimsies to burly S-hook straps used for lashing big-rig load covers. One flaw common to all, though, is eventual deterioration—nylon bungees eventually stretch out, and even professional-grade rubber degrades. Read more >>
You can see them bouncing near dusk.Like the deer, antelope, and elkthat used to live here.On pavement and in the shadow ofsodium vapor lamps they dance,frolic, and try to forget everything thatbrought them here and busied their days. Read more >>Winter 2010-11
There are some places that many women try to avoid, and let’s face it, a locker room full of sweaty guys—along with their stinky, unwashed capilene—is one of them. Read more >>
Comparing these to the big Gregory Serrac 45 would be to compare grapefruit and grapes. I’m partial to the kitchen-sink style of daypacking, so the Serrac suits that need wonderfully. Read more >>
If you’re looking for an indestructible option to the woven dog leashes on the market, look no further. The Perfect Leash is like a chew toy made for hard-core dogs. It’s made of 100% polyurethane that stretches when your dog pulls and takes away the shock to your wrist and shoulders. Read more >>
I had no idea what I was in for. Even though my roommates and colleagues teased me for wearing the Injinji Toesocks, the joke was on them. After a day hike and a long day in the mountains, my feet felt fabulous. Read more >>
Night hiking, camping, or biking, the Byte keeps you going after the sun stops shining. Weighing in at a mere 64 grams, its lightweight structure and comfy elastic headband let you forget that it’s strapped to your skull. The headlamp provides three settings to shine light on any situation. Read more >>Fall 2010
The spruce bud worm is no friend to the forests, but after a decade or so of this "late-summer-early-fall" phenomenon, trout everywhere are conditioned to the late-season treat. Read more >>
Our lame cowboy carefully gimps up The Bozeman alley, that long Rouse alley. His cane of twisted box elder weighs The gnarled burdens of his range-riddled bones. Leaves as if petals cushion his way. Read more >>
We’re all falling down We leaves on the lam Spinning like sailors Walking on land And land where we may Any land at all There’s a place for each Bright leaf of the fall Yellow, orange And deep, bloody red Read more >>Summer 2010
In wildlife-rich Montana, it’s common to spot a cool raptor flying overhead—but how often can you identify it? Was it a hawk or falcon? Swainson’s or red-tailed? Prairie or peregrine? Read more >>
John S. Fitzpatrick’s playful book Sherlock Holmes: The Montana Chronicles (Riverbend Publishing, $13) relates the crime-solving adventures during Holmes’ little-known trip to Montana in the late 1800s. Read more >>
There is the rest of the world's Manhattan—the one in New York—and then there's our Manhattan. Theirs has the Upper West Side; ours is the Upper West Side. Theirs is near the Bronx, and ours is near the broncs. Read more >>
Lightweight hiking boots with unmatched traction and support are not always easy to come by, which is why we love the Men’s Pak Lite Hiking Boot from Golite. Read more >>
The days are long, the grass is green, and just like everyone else, you're probably trying to make time in your summer schedule for some actual fun. One of the best places in the state to find that elusive fun is Ennis and the surrounding area. Read more >>Spring 2010
With the addition of Slushman’s chairlift, more relaxed Ridge rules, and the opening of side-country access gates on both sides of the mountain, things may feel a little different to those who grew up skiing Bridger Bowl. Read more >>
With all the attention on Canada over the last few months, it was natural for us to wonder about Banff, home to the Banff Center for Mountain Culture and originator of one of Bozeman’s all-time favorite events, the Banff Mountain Film Festival. Read more >>
Looks like the tax bills might be going up for the folks in the Gallatin National Forest's 198 privately owned cabins, many of which were built decades ago when the U.S. Forest Service began leasing federal lands to Americans in the early twentieth century. Read more >>
If you've ever wanted an invitation onto Ted Turner's famous Green Ranch, along the Madison River west of Bozeman, dress as a buffalo and you just might get in. Read more >>Winter 2009-10
Bozeman-area skiers and snowboarders have plenty of hazards to deal with on the hill: rocks, ice, tree wells, unmarked cliffs, poor visibility, half-stoned trust-funders poaching your line. The last thing you need is an inadvertent run-in with a gaper. Read more >>
I’m not a gun nut. I’m a regular nut who owns guns, but only to hunt, not to defend my home and family, join the militia or fight the forces of tyranny.Gun nuts don’t scare or intimidate me. Instead, I’m learning a few things from them. You can, too. Read more >>
The forest, once too thick to ski through, had thinned and opened itself up, granting us the opportunity to explore its altered terrain. Read more >>
As soon as snow covers the ground, you can count on Bozemanites rushing to their favorite spots for some sweet sledding action. Read more >>
Montana is known for its big skies and even bigger skiing, but how did it all start? Downhill in Montana (Pictorial Histories, $25) features hundreds of detailed photos and documents detailing the birth and development of skiing in Montana. Read more >>Fall 2009
Recently I challenged myself to explore bike rides that could start from my front door. There are two benefits to this. The first is that I get to spend more time riding and less time driving. Read more >>
Fanning out across the field, a dog in front of each of us, we move slowly, deliberately, through the hayfield’s saffron stubble. It’s late morning in the lower Madison Valley; the sky is clear and bright, with a cool, persistent breeze. Perfect hunting weather. Read more >>
If you need a straightforward, light, and extremely durable messenger pack, check out the Outa Ware Messenger Bag. Read more >>
I took the Mystery Ranch Snapdragon on a full-day trail hike; on a long, steep approach to an alpine climb; and on an all-day, off-trail scouting trip deep in the wilderness. The Snapdragon did what Mystery Ranch packs are known for: riding well and making the load more comfortable. Read more >>Summer 2009
Every day, one stalwart citizen does the right thing, while another acts like a blithering bonehead. Here's a recap of admirable acts and embarrassing blunders for the summer season.Champs: Read more >>I've reviewed dozens of hiking boots over the years, but few have performed so well on the trail-or fit so well right out of the box-as the Lowa Zephyr GTX Mid. Read more >>During much of the year, warm, windy, and bright conditions can make for a slow day of fishing for big river trout on the Yellowstone and Madison, but in the dog days of summer, big trout will eat right in the middle of a bright and hot afternoon. Read more >>For a timely, engaging read, check out Bozeman resident Mark T. Sullivan's new novel, Triple Cross (St. Martin's Press, $25), a thriller based on the notorious Yellowstone Club and its absurdly wealthy-and often, absurdly devoid of moral restraint-residents. Read more >>
Men, like rivers, become crooked by following the line of least resistance. —Edvard Raasted Read more >>Spring 2009
Robbins divides Montana into seven regions in this recreationist’s guide to Montana’s public lands. Each region has 50-odd pages of description, complete with color pictures, maps, travel tips, and history to describe its wealth of habitat, wildlife refuges, and state parks. Read more >>Glacier National Park: The First 100 Years (hardback $40) by C. W. Guthrie is a stunning coffee-table book full of history and wonderful old photographs. Did you know that more than 4,000 people attended the opening ceremony for the Going-to-the-Sun Road? Read more >>
Books on avalanche safety have been flying out the doors. They include ABCs of Avalanche Safety by Sue A. Ferguson and Edward R. Read more >>Winter 2008-09
Sigmund Freud should have studied the ski area lift line. If he had, rather than screwing around with silly Oedipus theories and catering to his clear obsession with breasts, he would’ve found personalities and behavior of another order: the order of The Line. Read more >>
In 1982, Alan Kesselheim moved to Bozeman and began his writing career. He was done with his job as an outdoor education director in Wisconsin and wanted to come West to the state his dad was born and raised in, and the town—Bozeman—where the woman he had fallen in love with lived. Read more >>
Greg Keeler is a sensible and serious poet who also happens to be laugh-out-loud funny,” says Tim Cahill, an author and friend of Keeler’s. According to Dave Quammen, another friend, “Greg has written lunatic masterpieces. He sings pretty good for such a big guy. Read more >>
Spending her childhood summers in the cabin her grandparents built on Hebgen Lake in 1932, Lynda "Lyndy" Caine developed a deep, abiding love for Montana. The summers were a chance to experience an entirely different way of life than she knew in the city. Read more >>When the temp hits zero or below, as it frequently does at Bridger Bowl, sweat tends to freeze before it hits the ground, sometimes accumulating on the hair of the head or face creating an icy cocoon-like helmet about the wearer. The sweat flows freely no matter the temperature. Read more >>Fall 2008
After spending a sufficient amount of time on the river this summer, I have a pretty good idea of what to bring. FishPond's Blizzard Soft Cooler was a nice addition to my weekend trips. Read more >>Amid a sea of compact headlamps lacking significant differences, UK’s Vizion stands out. Not only is it waterproof—UK stands for Underwater Kinetics—but the bulb is mounted along a battery-pack cylinder that rotates like a socket rather than on a hinge. Read more >>Whether yodeling into the thunder mug or drivingThe porcelain Buick or talking to Ralph on the bigWhite phone, your bear brain is making you do it. The prigIn you hollers, “Enough of the life!” This bear brain is jiving Read more >>Summer 2008
If you have a camera that allows you to change the lens—a single-lens reflex (SLR) camera—specialty filters will improve the quality of your photographs. So before you head out to take photographs in high mountain country this spring, be sure you have a polarizing filter. Read more >>Dogs, it is often said, are people too. And while that statement may be subject to interpretation, I think we can all agree that like us, dogs do have at least some material needs. Here’s a rundown of some useful pet products for the summer season. Read more >>Mud season is over, let the mountain biking begin. There are a ton of options, but if you aren't in the mood for a three-hour car ride or only want to mess around after work for a while, then this short list is right up your alley. Read more >>
At 10:30 am, heat waves swim off the asphalt on Hwy. 287 north of Norris. It's gonna be a hot one. A quick stop at the Harrison store for munchies and Gatorade, and we're cruising down the dirt road to Willow Creek Reservoir, aka Harrison Lake. A 50-yard-long wake of dust billows out behind us. Read more >>
A city with more than 4,000 historic buildings, Butte is one of only five cities in the country recognized as a National Historic Landmark. Filled with a rich and remarkable history, Butte was the “place to be” during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Read more >>Spring 2008
730 billion: dollars spent on active outdoor recreation in U.S., 200624 million: number of Americans who paddle every year6 million: number of Americans who play soccer15.9: percent of men over age 30 who have been married twice Read more >>After wandering the mountains of the Pacific Northwest for most of her life, a happy bipedal hominoid named Hairy Ann has finally settled down in Missoula, Montana. “I’m ready for a more urbanized lifestyle,” the Bigfoot-human cross says. Read more >>An updated edition of the 1977 original, Northwest Trees (Mountaineers Books; $19) is a beautiful and meticulously illustrated book profiling more than 60 species of native trees in southern British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, southwestern Alberta, most of Idaho, Yellowstone, and western Mo Read more >>
Thomas Elpel is the director of the Hollowtop Outdoor Primitive School in Pony. The guy has been around for years and is one of the area's foremost experts in survival skills. Read more >>Winter 2007-08
Fans of ice sports throughout southwest Montana were saddened when the Valley Ice Garden shut its doors to become a cold-storage warehouse. Thankfully, the Gallatin County Fairgrounds immediately provided partial remedy with its semi-enclosed Haynes Pavilion. Read more >>
You can't call yourself a dedicated skier without having read John Fry's The Story of Modern Skiing (University Press of New England, $28). It's simply one of the most thorough and diligently written books on the heritage of skiing. Read more >>“The true force behind ice fishing is that it is better than no fishing at all,” states renowned American author Jim Harrison in his essay “Ice Fishing, the Moronic Sport.” And while many may agree with the sentiments of this literary genius, it is worth considering that ice fishing, whether by m Read more >>Fall 2007
The voices echoed around me in unison. "Ten, nine, eight…" There was time for just one more splash of water to wet the lips and ease my nerves before dropping into one of the largest class-V rapids in the state. The other racers yelled “Go!” and I dug in. Read more >>
October frosts your breath as you float near a kaleidoscope of thousands of brilliant white swans. Not hundreds, but thousands. They are beautiful, large birds, pure-white in adulthood with black feet and beaks, an eight-foot wing span, and long, curving, romantic necks. Read more >>You may have heard of Jenny McCune—she’s the former president of the Gallatin Valley Bike Club, former president of Team WinS (Women in Sports), and is a member of Bozeman's Team Delphine road cycling racing team. She's also an avid Nordic skier and telemarker. Read more >>Summer 2007
Don’t buy Trapper Badovinac’s Fly Fishing the Solitude: Montana if you’re expecting the author to reveal his favorite fishing spots. Read more >>
I am one of the clumsiest waders I know. I’ve always blamed my lack of grace on poor balance and overexcitement, but after trying the Simms G3 Guide Boots I now blame past stumbles on my old wading boots. Read more >>Spring 2007
A Road Runs Through It: Reviving Wild Placesedited by Thomas Reed PetersenJohnson Books Read more >>When spring finally arrives and you’re itching to get outside for some early-season activity, a good pair of hiking boots is a must. Enter the Jannu Lo by Lowa—easily the best light-hiking boot I have ever worn. The shoes are really comfortable and well-made. Read more >>Winter 2006-07
Land Navigation Handbook: The Sierra Club Guide to Map, Compass, & GPSby W.S. KalsSierra Club Books Read more >>When you find something you love it’s hard to give it up. For the past 10 years I’ve been cross-country skiing in my Salomon Backcountry 7 boots. But, after countless kilometers kicking and gliding through the backcountry, they’ve gotten a little packed out and soft. Time to upgrade. Read more >>
Many charities appreciate cash during this season of giving, but here is a list of some great organizations that could really use your gear if it's in good condition. Read more >>Bridger BowlSeason: 12/9/06 - 4/8-07Base Elevation: 6,100 feetSummit Elevation: 8,700 feetVertical Drop: 2,600 feetLongest Run: 3 milesAvg. Snowfall: 350 in/yrSkiable Acres: 1,500Number of Trails: 71Lifts: 7 Read more >>
A few months ago, I saw a cow aimlessly wandering among the cars in the Gap parking lot. The irony of the picture seemed to illustrate perfectly the crux of why so many high-tech entrepreneurs are moving to Montana. Read more >>Fall 2006
In honor of the November gridiron meeting between our beloved Bobcats and the hated Grizzlies, this season’s battle of college towns goes Montana-style. Read more >>
Convenience is key at hunting camp—after a long day chasing elk through rugged Montana country, the last thing you need is to be stooped over a lightweight backpacking stove, struggling to prepare a hearty supper for you and your famished friends. Read more >>My son, Osker, was born in the dead of winter. For the first few weeks of his life, “staying fit” meant moving from the bed to the couch and nursing constantly. Rather quickly, too much so in fact, Osker grew, and I recovered, and staying fit became much easier. Once spring hit, I was ecstatic. Read more >>Late September through mid-November is my favorite season. The brown trout get their deep, darkened spawning colors, and become overly territorial and predatory. The old adage “big fish, big fly” is no more true than at this time of year. Read more >>Summer 2006
Few people know that when Rudolph Diesel debuted his namesake engine in the 1890s, he ran it on peanut oil. Diesel’s vision was to find uses for non-petroleum fuels so that small businesses could compete with the large industries that controlled much of the nation’s energy production at the time. Read more >>As I slowly wind down the labyrinth of new roads from another exclusive clubhouse-to-be nestled high in the last best waste, my eyes are drawn to the mocha-tinted meltwater snaking down through the drainage ditch to my right. Read more >>
Summer is here—it’s time to break out the barbeque, dust off the flip-flops, pop open a cold beer, and round up your friends. Summer's arrival also marks the beginning of the Copper River salmon season. Read more >>Spring 2006
Intelligent design would be just fineby me if the people who came up with suchideas stripped down and spent as much timeas they could naked. That way we'd see the touchof the creator as he/she intended it. Take buttsfor example. Why cover them up when they're Read more >>Winter 2005-06
It snowed last night, I can smell it. The dry air, the chill nudging the back of my throat. The tip of my nose feels numb. Engulfed in a lair of blankets I retreat into sleep. It’s way too early. Read more >>When the temperatures plunge to frighteningly low numbers and even the desire to tromp out onto the ice begins to wane, take heart—this is the time to partake in an annual reorganization of your beloved fly collection. Read more >>Fall 2005
Still Speaking Ill of the Dead: More Jerks in Montana HistoryEdited by Jon Axline and Jodie FoleyGuilford, CTTwoDot, 2005147 pages Read more >>
Just Before Dark, a collection of essays by renowned American writer Jim Harrison (Legends of the Fall, Revenge) is a provocatively rendered compilation of the author’s thoughts on everything from Zen to neuroses to ice fishing. Read more >>Summer 2005
If you've ever had to pull porcupine quills out of a dog's face or wondered why your pal won't stop panting and laying in the shade during a trail run, then you need local veterinarian Sid Gustafson's new book First Aid for the Active Dog (Alpine Blue Ribbon Books, $18). Read more >>Travers Corners: The Final Chaptersby Scott WaldieGuilford, CTLyons Press, 1998270 pages Read more >>
Death in the Grizzly Maze: The Timothy Treadwell Storyby Mike LapinskiGuilford, CTFalcon, 2005175 pages Read more >>When considering the benefits that this town offers, our downtown certainly stands out as a testament to civic awareness, historic preservation, and community collaboration. In no small way does Main Street contribute to our lifestyle and humanistic development. Read more >>Spring 2005
Paddling out into a frigid spring torrent strewn with rocks and sucking holes presents a classic test of judgment. How do your ability and experience stack up against the challenge and the hazard? Decide badly, and you may wind up broken or even dead. Read more >>Commonly thought of as a single mechanism, the shoulder is actually a complex of four different joints that allows you to move your arm in a number of directions. The shoulder has the greatest range of motion of any joint in the body and thus it is designed primarily for mobility. Read more >>Spring is in the air and it’s time to dust off your tent and sleeping bags for a trip to the forest. When getting your gear together, take a second and look in the freezer. I bet you’ll find a duck that you shot last fall or maybe one that your neighbor gave you. Read more >>Winter 2004-05
Nature calls in mysterious ways. It calls,for example, through the speakers ofa McDonald's drive-through or through the ballsof a bugling elk. The sheer dramatics of loveand death—of eating food or sneezing a sneeze— Read more >>Maybe it’s just me, but there seems to be way too much whining going on around Bozeman these days. The temperature dips below freezing, or we get two inches of snow before Thanksgiving, and everybody’s in the doldrums. Read more >>
There you are, standing in the wine section at the Co-Op, faced with an overwhelming array of choices: red or white; merlot, cabernet, or chardonnay; French or Australian… the list goes on and on. So many wine-selection guidelines, not enough time to spend in the store contemplating it all. Read more >>Walk through the halls of Longfellow Elementary School and you enter a world where art and the outdoors intersect. Four walls throughout the school are testimony to the overall art theme that Longfellow has adopted: A Sense of Place. Read more >>Fall 2004
The law locks up the man or womanWho steals the goose from off the common,But lets the greater felon looseWho steals the common from the goose.—Anonymous Read more >>
A Sportsman's Life: How I Built Orvis by Mixing Business and Sportby Leigh Perkins with Geoffrey Norman Read more >>Summer 2004
The Bozeman area offers numerous summer recreation activities, including the opportunity to spend these long summer evenings tossing around a Frisbee with a bunch of Bozos. I’m speaking, of course, of Bozeman’s Ultimate team, the Bozos. Read more >>
Whether you’re a saddle-weary cowpoke or a wilderness adventurer, there seems to be one gastronomical truth about the Western mythos of outdoor living: at the end of a long, hard day on the range, the ridge, or the river, no Western campfire would seem complete without its coffee pot, ready to ta Read more >>
Early summer in Southwest Montana is typically striped with muddy, raging rivers full of the melted snows of winter. Most anglers this time of year seek out tailwater fisheries and lakes. Read more >>Bill Johnson just wanted to get his life back on track. After the tremendous high of winning Olympic Gold in the Downhill at Sarajevo, his personal life became a mess. He decided to go back to the beginning, back to the place where he'd felt successful- going maniacally fast on snow. Read more >>The long days of summer are here for us to enjoy... but what to do? Well, load up the car with your camping gear and get out there is what I say. Enjoy Montana for what it is, an outdoor person's paradise. Read more >>Spring 2004
Ask about twelve-hour workdays stacked up, sometimes in blistering hot or numbingly frigid weather, continuous fatigue, or aches in the body, and Terry Johnson will still insist he has the best job in the world. Read more >>
A couple of diehard outdoorsmen—in the traditional-Montana sense of the word—Don Laubach and Mark Henckel have written a lighthearted series of stories about their adventures in Montana. Read more >>
A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness and Travel Medicineby Eric A. Weiss, M.D.Oakland, CA Adventure Medical Kits, 1997198 pages Read more >>Yippee-kayo! July 2-4, get yourself down to the Livingston Roundup Rodeo. Celebrating its 81st year, the Livingston Roundup has bragging rights as one of the oldest professional rodeos in Montana. This year top hands will compete for a total purse of over $160,000. Read more >>
This is the touching true story of Bozeman resident Kate Gibson's fight against cancer as told by her husband, Scott Bischke, and their 900-mile hike of Montana's Continental Divide Trail. Read more >>Winter 2003-04
With this latest installment, the award-winning author of The Song of the Dodo and The Boilerplate Rhino presents readers with another sharp and informative masterpiece of natural history. Read more >>
Montana—in a normal winter—is nothing if not cold. Snow drapes the mountains like a powdery blanket, the air is sharp and brittle, and even the stars huddle together for warmth. Just look at the Pleiades and you’ll see what I mean. Read more >>For the past 20 years, the Gallatin National Forest travel plan has been evolving as a result of myriad management decisions. As a result, the current plan is an ungainly tangle of rules that may or may not accurately reflect the best way to manage our forest resources. Read more >>
For the last four years I’ve been teaching one day a week in Billings. Remarkably, there has been just one day when weather kept me from making the trip. Read more >>Fall 2003
Early fall is a temperamental time in Southwest Montana. As night temperatures ease into the 40s, the daytime thermometer might reach 80, but it might also plummet to 30. Snow might collect in the rocky couloirs, or anglers might squeeze 30-proof sunscreen on exposed arms and legs. Read more >>
Our days are much shorter now, the rays of sun have faded in intensity, and the blades of grass have lost their luster. Although the leaves of autumn have merely begun, winter calls to us from around the corner with a northern chill in the air. Read more >>The wind has died and sunset is not far away now. Birds are trilling in the bushes while insects hum and buzz above the peaceful wetland. Here and there, a fish rises to snatch an unsuspecting fly for dinner. Ducks squawk sleepily from further upstream. Read more >>Summer 2003
It was a bright, warm day in the summer of 1846 when the Morgan family decided to take a break from their wagon travels. Read more >>
Like the title indicates, Kalispell’s Ben Long presents a collection of bear stories from across Montana. Read more >>
MARK OF THE GRIZZLY by Scott McMillion Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot Press, 1998 249 pages Read more >>
In the small town of Willow Creek (not far from Three Forks, Montana), as basketball season begins and ends, Stanley West takes us through the lives of those participating on and off the court in the Blind Your Ponies. Read more >>
Set in the prairies of eastern Montana from 1916 to 1946, In Open Spaces is about the lives of the Arbuckle brothers. First we meet George, a man on the brink of baseball stardom, whose life ends unexpectedly under mysterious circumstances. Read more >>Spring 2003
Sick of seeing grocery bags wrapped around tree limbs as you’re casting for trout? How about those empty Budweiser cans bobbing alongside your boat? If you prefer our local streams waste-free, then join the Gallatin Valley Wad’n Women for a river clean up on Sunday, April 27th. Read more >>Like any other issue that affects us and our recreation around Bozeman, the important thing is to get involved. But unlike many governmental policies, your voice DOES make a difference with the Gallatin National Forest's travel plan. Read more >>Ah, spring! The time of year when robins return and gophers peep their heads out of their winter burrows with their little brains turned to thoughts of romance. Read more >>Winter 2002-03
It's the ever-looming question: When will Bridger Bowl allow access to the backcountry from its north and south boundaries? Bridger Bowl and the Forest Service have been in discussion over this for many years and there are several issues influencing the decision-making process. Read more >>I have been selling sleeping bags for over 20 years. That makes for a lot of stories about cold feet and sleepless nights trying to stay warm in under-built bags. Read more >>When it comes to outdoor recreation, gear is like money: there’s no such thing as too much. Problem is, gear takes up space, and when you’re loading the car for a multisport weekend road trip, space tends to be your biggest commodity. Read more >>
If you’re like me, riding fresh powder is one of the greatest feelings of all—the type of addictive pleasure that influences life decisions. It’s that addiction that brings us away from the chairlifts and tracked lines of ski hills and into the pristine backcountry. Read more >>Summer 2002
The “No Trespassing” sign loomed large on the dry, cracked fencepost, its black letters cold and threatening. A hundred yards behind it lay the river, calling to me in sonorous tones of riffle and rushing current. Read more >>If you want to get in some good rock-climbing without the approach and commitment of an alpine climb, "the Canyon" is your spot. Gallatin Canyon’s gneiss formations are close by, just long and exposed enough to get your heart going, and many climbs see very little traffic. Read more >>Our own local marathon, joining the path taken by Lewis and Clark in their expedition west, will return for its third year on September 29th. The 26.2-mile course has had some slight changes this year. Read more >>
Get ready for a sumptuous summer of Shakespearean proportions. Montana Shakespeare in the Parks theatre ensemble commemorates its 30th anniversary by performing two of Shakespeare's most entertaining plays, Henry IV, Part I and The Comedy of Errors. Read more >>Winter 2001-02
A cold trickle of ice water runs down my cheek, freezing me back into reality. I look upward into blue overhanging gobs of frozen water. Stupid. The ice water runs smack between my eyes and fills my right ear. I take a few steps to the side and drier ground. Read more >>
"One must have a mind of winter," the poet Wallace Stevens says, to “see the nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.” If you hike along the frosty water outside Bozeman this winter, you won't need much imagination to discover lots of bird activity beneath the glitter of the January sun Read more >>Whether you prowl the winter landscape in snowshoes, skis, or your favorite pack boots, look skyward whenever your adventures keep you outside at nightfall. You’ll find a fellow sportsman in the heavens in the glittering figure of the constellation Orion, the hunter. Read more >>Summer 2001
Behind the stockyards trout are taking nymphs, so you ditch the evening news and hit the stream. On the first cast you get a rainbow, a piggish wallowing blimp of a fish. It’s headed for the biker bar downstream and into your backing when it finds a rusted turquoise Plymouth fin and breaks off. Read more >>Ok, you’ve made the big investment and bought a boat. Then you had to buy paddles, maybe a sprayskirt or a frame, then a helmet and a PFD. Your wallet’s thin enough to shave with, but you still need outerwear. Something durable and comfortable, something inexpensive but bomber. Read more >>A boat’s a boat, right? That’s what we thought. Then we took Yellowstone Drifter's new 16-foot Guide Boat out for a day on the lower Madison. Read more >>
In the deep green world of its backcountry, a hiker with a small pair of binoculars and an alert nature will get to know, up close and personal, many of the birds of Yellowstone Park. Read more >>Winter 2000-01
Chances are you're someone who enjoys winter – as a snowmobiler, backcountry skier, or snowboarder, you probably dream of steep slopes and deep, untracked powder. Or perhaps you snowshoe or cross-country ski, and you cherish the winter woods and the solitude that a blanket of snow provides. Read more >>Summer 2000
Hiking Montana's mountain trails is enjoyment in and of itself, but when you add the thrill of birding, it takes on a whole new level of wonder and excitement – like turning a lazy, late-afternoon river float into a safari expedition. Read more >>
Through the fog they come, through the early morning mist: two hundred loping crusaders, steely-eyed and sweat-soaked, rushing forward like a herd of wild horses – side-stepping boulders, hurdling fallen logs, and propelling themselves, chests heaving, through the steep and rocky terrain. Read more >>I intended to mow the lawn. I really did. Not that I felt any real need to, but I’d seen someone else doing it, so I thought what the heck, I might as well do it too. Read more >>
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