To connect themselves to a hopeful future, two men buried a bottle of whisky. To connect themselves to a reckless past, they dug it up.Up here, on the pass, I can see more than just terrain. Of course there is alpine…

For decades, the stretch of Bozeman Creek passing through town has mostly been out of sight and out of mind. But there’s a small group of concerned citizens trying to change that. They’re not the first to do so, but with…

Getting to know the wildlife that call your campsite home.Plop. (WTF?)Plop. (Grrr.)Plop. (Grrr—Blitzen, relax.)Okay, who’s tossing pebbles on the roof of my tent and freaking out the pooch? I know it’s not Sasquatch. He…

How two early explorers helped establish Yellowstone Park.In this day and age, it’s tough to imagine Yellowstone National Park needing an introduction. Nearly four million visitors pass through its gates each year. And if…

Succumbing to the allure of the West.If you’re like me, maybe fear has held you back from a lot of things. It’s easy to let fear of failure, fear of starting over, or fear of letting people down ultimately make decisions…

Image by Mark Portman…

Preserving both past and future. There’s something about autumn that feels inherently nostalgic. Maybe it’s the first frost, stirring memories of new beginnings and years past. A sudden chill in the air can transport…

Setting the wheels in motion.In keeping with their mission to expand trail access for all users, Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) broke ground northeast of town this summer, officially launching construction on Bikefill, a…

BUM's the word. As Montana’s population continues to skyrocket, wildlife safety has become increasingly important. Most residents are already familiar with the mantra, A fed bear is a dead bear, which calls to mind the…

Getting along on public land. Living in Montana, we’re lucky to have a tremendous amount of public access and vast, beautiful places in which to recreate. Many of our trails allow for multi-use activities such as…

A few of Montana's unexplained natural phenomena. There’s no denying the magic that surrounds Montana. For generations, artists, poets, photographers, and filmmakers have tried to capture its essence in places that…

A guide to Bozeman's best-kept hunting spots.It’s been a few years since we spilled the beans on the area’s best backcountry ski tours (“Secret’s Out,” Winter 2022-23), and despite the backlash we wouldn’t change a thing.…

Autumn stargazing.Writer and naturalist Hal Borland once opined: “Autumn is the eternal corrective.” Who could stand with autumn on a hilltop, he asked, and fail to see the span of the world and the meaning of the rolling…

Solutions for inaccessible public lands.Montana’s 33 million acres of public lands are where we hunt, fish, camp, hike, and otherwise recreate. These acres fill freezers and clear minds. For many Montanans, they’re why we…

Catching fish and protecting Greater Yellowstone. It’s a beautiful day. Surprisingly warm for Gardiner in the fall. We’re driving to the Park (Yellowstone, in case that wasn’t clear) for a day of fishing. And—dang it!…

The old adage that skiers are built in the off-season becomes increasingly evident every autumn, whether you’re a high-school athlete or an aging ski bum. Here’s the Bridger Ski Foundation’s (BSF) quick guide to making the…

A full fall experience. Another year has gone by, and here we are again—it’s autumn in Bozeman. Take a moment, close your eyes, and think about what the season brings to mind. Is it the smell of woodsmoke drifting…

What to do when wildlife and vehicles cross paths.“It’s not the deer that is crossing the road, rather it’s the road that is crossing the forest.” —Unknown Sharing the road with wildlife is part of living in Montana.…

Unscrupulous privatizers are taking over our state—one trail, one mountain range, and one land-swap at a time. We need to stop them, before there’s nothing left for the rest of us. There’s a photo of my wife that I…

Do the trout in Hyalite creek love in the ringof stones and waterfalls, sing in the hissof water through their gills? Do theydoubt like me in the shadowed shelvesbeneath reflected cottonwoods?And who am I to ask if not…

All dressed up and nowhere to go.Drive through Montana in the fall and you’ll see local small-town establishments—wood-paneled dive bars, single-story flat-roof motels, convenience stores that seem more like regional energy…

Property lines are not walls.If the debate over corner crossing in Montana was solely about access to 871,000 acres, it sure would be a lot simpler. Instead, it has become one of the most contentious public-land issues in…

A fall visit to Tippet Rise, for mountain biking and art viewing.After a long summer and lots of weekends on the road, boxes checked, and most of our to-do list accomplished, my girlfriend and I sat around one Friday…

Taking on the topwater trope.We all know an I only person. You know, I only drink craft beer, I only eat grassfed beef, I only read nonfiction. Flyfishing has its own version of this affliction: I only fish dry flies.…

A secret society of ambitious masochists. There’s a certain type of person who willingly leaves a warm bed before sunrise, drives into the darkness, and thinks, “Yes, this is exactly where I want to be.” Science…

A lesson in respect for trail-builders. We had two options: backpack four miles on an established trail in the Pintlers, or hike five miles on trail, then bushwhack another three to a lake in the Beartooths.Three miles…

On the restorative power of nature.Growing up, I never thought anything of being a female hunter—it was simply a way of life. Even before I was old enough to legally hunt, I would tag along, following in the footsteps of my…

Ways to show respect for our wild kin.It’s perfectly natural for one animal to kill another—the aphorism Eat or Be Eaten has defined a simple truth of life on Earth for at least a billion years. But in the human experience,…

One artist’s contribution to conservation.Artist Claire Emery carved and painted these woodcuts for her 2026 calendar collaboration with the Vital Ground Foundation. Each monthly image tells a story about the nonprofit’s…

Heeding Wordsworthby Mike EnglandI sit in my chair, reading of art.’Tis fascinating stuff, moreso than DescartesWould admit; contained therein is truthThat I feel from my toes up to my tooth.But even as I admire a Turner…

A turkey-day alternative.Thanksgiving harkens back to Indians forgiving Pilgrims over a feast of passenger pigeon and beans. Back then, ingredients were locally harvested and readily available. In this economy, though, if…

An uphill battle for public access.The secret is out, and as anyone who traversed our highways this past summer can attest, Montana’s lands and waters are the envy of the recreating nation. With over 30 million acres of…

Enhancing both control and freedom with superior electronics. The invention of barbed wire may have ended the open-range era of the American West, but “virtual fencing” might just bring it back. Cows fitted with GPS…

Protecting your ears while hunting.An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Never was an aphorism more accurate, or impactful, than when hunting and shooting. Take it from anyone who’s lost his or her hearing, or…

The beauty of a paddleboard is portability, which calls for quick, convenient streamside prep, lest it defeat the whole purpose. Enter the Shark 3 Rechargeable Electric SUP Pump ($180) by Outdoor Master. No more see-sawing…

Reining in plastic pollution with biodegradable shotgun shells.Doing the right thing can be a double-edged sword. I used to darn near ruin hunts trying to avoid littering—in focusing on where my spent shotgun shells landed,…

The Backwater Fishing Board ($549) by Glide is built with space and stability in mind, which makes it ideal for plying the trout-filled backwaters during fall. Numerous attachment points and accessories, including a…

When roaming the hot, dusty prairie in search of game, water’s a scarce resource that runs out quickly—especially with a bird dog in tow. For a spare, out-of-the-way supply, with the luxury of a quick shower, spraying dirty…

The dry, beaming sun can turn a summer calendar packed with long hikes into a drag—quite literally when all you’ve got are heavy-duty boots. Typically, I gravitate toward footwear with a tall ankle to catch my falls, but…

On a remote and technical bike-packing adventure deep in the backcountry, the NestOut 2-Panel Solar Charger ($90) gave me a convenient way to charge up my phone and headlamp en route. Unfolded, the charger fit perfectly…

If you’re looking to dive headfirst into the fall spirit, This Haunted Land: Reckoning with Ghosts and the Stories That Shaped America (Torrey House Press, $25) should do the trick. Local author Betsy Gaines Quammen takes…