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Spring 2020
Dealing with the changing face of Bozeman.“Wisdom begins in wonder.” —SocratesI recently saw a bumper sticker that read “Make Bozeman Montana Again,” and I laughed. Bozeman will never be Montana again, I thought. And my bare cynicism was upsetting. 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 >>
The human mind can process an astounding amount of information in a few short moments, especially when life and death hang in the balance. 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
Want to give road biking a try? Here are a few classic rides around Bozeman to get you pointed in the right direction. Read more >>
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 >>
Most people don’t think a hood on a vest is necessary—sort of like screen doors on a battleship. To the contrary, however, I found the hood on the Whisper Hoodie Vest delightful. Read more >>
Do not underestimate the need for a bomber sleeping bag when spending time outdoors this winter. Long, frigid days and cold, stormy nights take their toll without a solid refuge from the elements. Read more >>
We've all seen him: the guy up on the ridge who looks like a total mess. He's holding the line up, he's swinging skis and poles everywhere, and he's stopping in the middle of everything to fix his gloves. Read more >>
The Talus and Salish are two sweet little packs from the Jansport Cloud Ripper series. Both are small and snug and tight on the body, resulting in high functionality no matter the activity. 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 >>
It was enough that we pledged to show her dead body to her yellow lab, Shamus. Now we were asked to spread her ashes atop “Lady B.” It’s what lifelong friends must do. Read more >>
If you’re looking for a watch that does just about everything an outdoor enthusiast could want, without costing a fortune, this might be the one. Read more >>
From hiking to swimming to flushing game birds, Bozeman-area dogs are an active, energetic bunch. But no matter how fit and healthy they may be, all dogs eventually experience the effects of trauma and aging. Read more >>
“I can quit whenever I want.” And sometimes I do. But coffee is a fickle mistress, and one whiff of a good brew sends me clamoring for a fix. I’ve sampled beans from Norway to Antarctica, and I have a penchant for a certain dark brew out of San Francisco. 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
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 >>
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 >>
I picked up a pair of Flojos (pronounced flo-hos, meaning kick back in Spanish) Primo sandals, not expecting much, but needing some after my veteran kicks had fallen apart. I was pleasantly surprised—they've got great arch support, great cushioning, and a soft feel on the feet. Read more >>
If you need a straightforward, light, and extremely durable messenger pack, check out the Outa Ware Messenger Bag. 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 >>In the past, I've written about options hikers and wilderness groups had to make peace with mountain bikers so the two key constituencies could work together to protect roadless land. One option was urging Congress to pass another organic act creating a true alternative land designation. Read more >>
For more technical information about spending time in the mountains, pick up The Altitude Experience (Globe Pequot Press, $23) by high-altitude climber Mike Farris. Read more >>"Almost ready?" Megan asked."Getting there," I replied while stuffing the tent into my backpack. "You excited?" "Of course," I lied. "It will be fun." Read more >>Be a team player. With more and more people traveling the backcountry, trails are getting crowded. Whether on bike, foot, or in your vehicle, be aware of your environment and give other trail users the space they need-especially the horse riders. 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 >>
We are excited to have two new children's books about Greg Mortenson's work building schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea (hardcover $17) is written for kids in preschool up to about eight years old. 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 >>
The Greater Yellowstone region is chock-full of cross-country ski trails. Whether you want to ski with your pup, watch wildlife, or spend a night in a yurt, we’ve picked out some of the best trails in the area. Read more >>This past September, the Gallatin Valley Land Trust ramped up its Main Street to the Mountains trail system by opening a new trail off of McIlhattan Road. It’s called the Snowfill Recreation Area and is located on 37 acres of land just north of the Bozeman City Landfill. 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 >>
Montana summers are beautiful, but what if you need to break that been-there-done-that bad mood you've been in lately? We've got the perfect fix: Ennis.Fourth of July Parade & Rodeo Read more >>The Big Hole River is the first choice of any Butte-area angler, with its wide variety of hatches and hungry trout. Just 30 minutes south of Butte on I-15, there is a chance at rainbows, browns, cutthroat, brook trout, whitefish, and grayling. Read more >>Spring 2008
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 >>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 >>There’s no shortage of energy bars on the market today—my local grocery store, for example, devotes an area bigger than my closet to them—but most have only subtle differences in flavor, shape, etc. Read more >>Even if a thick mane of hair protects your head, you may still need a little extra coverage when exposed to the elements. The Adventure Hat from Sunday Afternoons should be an essential part of all outdoor enthusiasts’ wardrobes. Read more >>Winter 2007-08
When the snowy season comes, most sporting folk clean and lock up the firearms and spend most of their winter recreation time waiting in lift lines and watching the sky for fresh powder. Read more >>When an unexpected dinner guest or a long day at the office makes dinner preparation seem impossible, turn to this shortcut curry and relax. If you have canned coconut milk, chicken in the freezer, and a little red curry paste hiding at the back of the refrigerator, you are halfway there. Read more >>I think it’s fair to say that we’re all sick and tired of hearing about MySpace.com already. So in hope that we can help everyone remember that the internet should help people enjoy their lives, not be their lives, here are a few of our favorite outdoor-oriented websites. Read more >>Fall 2007
One cannot mention Three Forks and autumn in the same sentence without conjuring up images of the big brown and rainbow trout that begin their fall calorie glut in the Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson rivers. Read more >>A wicker creel box and bamboo rod would be nice complements to the Filson Fishing Tackle Pack. Despite its old-school style, the pack’s functions are cutting-edge. The two front utility slots offer a handy place to stow nippers and forceps. Read more >>
Shirley Craighead, wife of the late entomologist and naturalist Dr. Frank Craighead, edited and developed this short book for kids. Dr. 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 >>Big Sky’s community park received a huge boost over the winter when it received an additional 23 acres, finalizing a much-anticipated deal that will one day create one of the most stunning multiuse parks in the state. Read more >>
With a name like “the Devil’s Backbone,” this race will deter all but the hardcore, sweat-smelling, Gu-loving, suffer-fest fans of the running persuasion from their quest for personal victory. Read more >>Spring 2007
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 >>
I’ve always avoided four-season tents—the extra weight of a nine-pound double-wall never seemed worth it, and single-walls usually lack that all-important vestibule—but one too many butt-cold January nights in the backcountry made me reconsider. Read more >>Winter 2006-07
Land Navigation Handbook: The Sierra Club Guide to Map, Compass, & GPSby W.S. KalsSierra Club Books Read more >>The morning air was crisp and the camp coffee strong. “I think I’d like to be a mountaineer,” my friend Naomi told me on the final morning of a backpacking trip in the Bridgers. “Could you teach me a few things?” Read more >>Customer satisfaction is the name of the game in the guiding industry. Success should be judged by everyone having a safe, fun outing regardless of the activity. Read more >>
Since the Las Vegas marathon was only three weeks away, this was the day, in early January 2005, that we needed to do the capstone 23-mile training run. Read more >>
Montana’s horse-and-buggy days are long over, the buckboards and freight wagons of frontier days have been replaced by today’s 4x4 pickup for hauling modern Westerners and their gear. 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 >>Nobody cares for a foot full of poop. You know the story—you head to the park, kick off the flips for some barefoot grass-strolling, and your first frolicking leap comes down on a huge, steamin' pile of doggie delight. Not pleasant. Read more >>Summer 2006
Not every mountainous region in the world is blessed with the quality of life we enjoy in Montana. The people of Nepal and Tibet, for example, are so bad off in places that they lack access to education, clean water, and other basic needs. But a few Bozeman locals aim to change all that. Read more >>Spring 2006
The old West was built on logging, mining, and ranching, and the New West is being built on tourism, technology, and the “amenity” economy—or so the conventional wisdom goes. Read more >>Any day you pull on a dry top is a good day. Even if it’s late winter and 30 degrees at the Beartrap put-in—which is where I found myself testing out the new Lotus Designs Royal Flush dry top. Lotus has a reputation for making quality gear, and I soon found out why. 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
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 >>You were here first.I can see why in the way the rivers don't rob you of what the streams gave.The dim rosettes on your sides live behind your spotsin another timeas if Lewis and Clark were still planning to meet near Read more >>So you shot an elk, ate the backstraps, and made most of it into sausage and jerky. Now what to do with the odds and ends? Sure, you could make them into chili, but didn’t you do that last year? It’s time to expand your culinary repertoire and branch out. 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 >>Is irony something beyond us—in the mindof a fish (if fish have minds), in the way a dogcocks its head or a cat looks behinditself when it knows nothing's there? In the logof human misery, the fates always providethese illustrations: man bites dog, fish hook Read more >>Spring 2005
In New Mexico, it's 100 degrees out in July and the last thing you want to do is walk around with 20 pounds of golf clubs on your back for four hours. But that's what I did summer after summer as a kid, because my parents kept signing me up for lessons and tournaments. Read more >>
Thanks in part to the recent extreme sport craze, whitewater kayaking has evolved dramatically in the last ten years. What was once a relatively unknown sport now ranks high on the list of the most popular adventure activities. Read more >>Ultimate, the field sport played with a flying disc, was born of 1960s college-campus counterculture. It has since matured into a highly competitive sport where nice guys almost never win anymore. But you can see the game played at its spiritual roots in mixed-gender events like Bozofest. Read more >>Winter 2004-05
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 >>In only its second year of existence, Moonlight Basin has already become a household name in the Bozeman area. Their marketing efforts can be best described by one word: relentless. 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 >>Summer 2004
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 >>July 10, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.Depot Rotary Park in Livingston, MontanaSustainability is…a vision and a journey that promotes environmental stewardship, economic prosperity, and community well being. Sustainability is achieved through the choices we make every day. Read more >>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 >>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 >>If you’re looking for a way to expand your knowledge about wilderness issues, look no further. Read more >>This is Feldarb from Parallel 12 reportingback to Carbolyte in the Fifth GalacticQuadrant. We've dismissed our plans for abortingour mission and are considering a new tactic.The creature specified in your orders appearsto be infected by a phosphorescent mold. Read more >>Two hundred and one years ago this month, Merriweather Lewis sat down at a table in rainy Fort Clatsop and gave consideration to an animal the Indians called “pekan,” one he personally referred to as the “black fox.” He described it thus: Read more >>Winter 2003-04
Connoisseurs can take ski waxing to an elevated art form; here we’ll just cover the basics. Before you wax you have a few simple equipment choices: ski support or vice, waxing iron, and lastly some scrapers and brushes. Read more >>
Telemarking is one of those things, like rock climbing or perhaps fly fishing, that can’t be easily explained to outsiders. I mean, why make skiing harder than it has to be? Read more >>I’ve helped hundreds of people travel to literally every corner of the globe, and my pre-trip visits with some of them continue to amaze me. 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 >>
The conventions of bird hunting distract the uninitiated from the sport’s finest points. Read more >>Summer 2003
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 >>
There are a few places on earth where fishermen’s dreams are forged within a framework of grandeur and natural beauty—an elegant overlay in which fish are a single element among many. 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 >>It was a curious moment on the steep hillside. After miles of rhythmic skinning in the early light of dawn, the trail turned upward. Read more >>It's spring again, the season of renewal and anticipation. In a good year, you've had your fill of snow and cold by now. There's only so much you can stand of the climbing wall and the swim center. Summer's coming, and you're mad to get out. 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 >>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 >>
There's a distinct sense of adventure in following animal tracks in the snow, and winter is probably the best time for developing your tracking skills. 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 >>
The seasons have changed. The death of winter has brought flourished life to the mountains, canyons, and valleys. Alpine moisture has changed from a solid to a liquid form. Sporting enthusiasts have also changed their form, from snow sliders, to river riders. 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 >>Winter 2001-02
Scroll through your mind on a frigid January afternoon for something fun to do and chances are it won’t involve stripping down to a bathing suit and completely submerging yourself in the neighborhood pond—a body of water sealed with thick ice, save a tiny inlet. Read more >>When it comes to local controversies, last year’s announcement of the Yellowstone Park snowmobile phase-out is hard to beat for right-wing rancor, left-wing quixotism, and just about every reaction and viewpoint in between. Read more >>
Founded in 1990 to “provide the public with current snowpack and mountain weather information and avalanche education,” the GNFAC is a tremendous resource for any backcountry visitor. 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
Ahh, winter is here: the air is cold, the snow is falling – now is the time to hibernate, right? Wrong. Now is the time to enjoy the peace and solitude of winter in a way that awakens all your senses. 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 >>
I am not a fly fisherman. Lacking a true affinity for political correctness, I am not a fly fisherwoman either. But I do like to fly-fish. It is therapy and yet it is madness, like an addiction. Read more >>
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