Book: Beartooth Country

Poll a few Bozeman locals on the place they’d most like to explore, and odds are they’ll say the Beartooths. There’s something awe-inspiring about this massive mountain range to the east, something mysterious and grand and utterly enchanting. Which is exactly what Red Lodge photographer Mervin Coleman reveals in Beartooth Country: The Absaroka and Beartooth Ranges (Farcountry Press, $13). Gary Ferguson’s informative intro sets the stage for 100 excellent photos, each a mere vignette, a single moment on the infinite timeline of this colossal place—this world unto itself—which draws and consumes people with all proclivities and from all walks of life. From Harley riders and snowmobilers to skiers and fly fishermen, the Beartooths call out with the same sweet serenade—and in Beartooth Country, Coleman’s camera captures it all. In the end, the message is clear: this landscape is a primordial birthing ground, ancient and mythical: too wild to tame, too diverse to classify, too rugged to conquer, too vast to even comprehend. All one can do is dissolve into it—and when you can’t pry yourself from work or chores, a visual buffet like Beartooth Country will at least help you dream.