A solo paddleboarding odyssey on the Yellowstone.
Something big was in the works—big enough that I needed a first bite before mustering an appetite for the whole thing.
That thing was the proverbial “Old ’96er,” for fans…
A stubborn old angler and an impatient young guide come to terms on the water.
“Nate Harrison has booked us for a week again—five days, starting Monday,” Betsy, the fly-shop manager announced to me one unusually sunny May…
Bear-spray blunders from around southwest Montana.
In summer of 2024, we asked you—our readers—to send in stories of when things got a little spicy. We received a surprising number of submissions, from a few sentences to a…
A roundup of local nonprofits keeping watch over our state’s invaluable waterways.
Montana rivers see a lot of pressure. Every year, swarms of anglers, boaters, and campers descend on our streams from near and far in…
Developing an urban trail system on Montana’s richest hill.
It wasn’t long ago that when Butte came up in conversation, common catchphrases included less-than-flattering words such as, “Berkely Pit,” “superfund,” and “…
For an unsuspecting newcomer, a seemingly modest undertaking becomes a Montana rite of passage.
Since the dawn of time, coming-of-age ceremonies have been important cornerstones of cultures worldwide. A boy, most commonly…
How to identify paddlers in the wild.
Despite how they appear—with unshaved faces and legs, and alcohol on their breaths—not all boaters are cut from the same cloth. Sure, there are some commonalities, but beyond their…
A uniquely intimate experience with fly fishing.
Fly fishing: it connects you to the river. It’s pure. It’s fluid. It’s a thrilling game of cat-and-mouse. It’s also really, really hard. Still, nothing a little YouTube can’…
Remembering a friend, fighter, and duck hunter.
"It is not length of life, but depth of life." —Emerson
Every few months for the last 15 years or so, the phone would ring, and a gravelly voice bellowed, “Hello, Michael.”…
Happenings from around the Bozone.
DESPERATE MEASURES
Despite the Forest Service’s best efforts, the pyromaniacs of the Gallatin Valley and beyond can’t seem to wrap their heads around one simple fact: pallet fires are…
An ambiguous riverfront conversation.
One sunny day during spring runoff, I was having lunch at the Storm Castle river access, when I overheard the most appalling conversation between two young people standing nearby. They…
Muscling for the top spot.
Bozeman may be one of the fittest towns in the country, but not all athletes are created equal. In fact, like other areas with alpine proximity, the Bozone now breeds a new variety: the “elite…
The history of Helena.
Helena’s history started, the story goes, when a party of gold-seekers, exhausted and despondent after weeks of wandering in the wilderness, stopped by a little stream at the edge of a valley and…
Does the job live up to the hype?
Every year, college students and aspiring young professionals seek out internships to beef up their resumes, satisfy degree requirements, and dip their toes in the occupational water.…
A formula for proper dog-doo disposal.
You’re two miles from home and Bridger drops a bag-filling load of stink after over-indulging on a carcass the day before. The bag is bursting at the seams, and swinging it to-and-fro…
Spring biking in Yellowstone.
In the height of summer, cycling on any of Yellowstone National Park’s main roads seems to be one of those chance adventures where the rider's survival is arguably a matter of luck. Keeping…
Lining up for a strong season.
It’s early morning, and the sun has just begun to light up the eastern horizon. The morning air is crisp—it’s an idyllic day for a Bozeman classic, the Baldy Blitz. You’ve managed to heat up…
Modern biblical translation reveals ten plagues to come.
Whether you attended Sunday School or not, you’re likely familiar with the biblical story of the Red Sea: the ancient Egyptians had enslaved the Jews; God punished…
Luxury and land swaps in Park County.
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast,
The slow one now
Will later be fast.
As the present now
Will later be past,
The order is rapidly fadin’
And the first one now
Will later be…
Inspiration on the Smith River.
It’s a river with the familiar and commonplace name of Smith that flows north-by-northwest from its source in the mysteriously named Crazy and Castle mountains. Flowing and carving a gorge…
A brighter future for an iconic Montana river.
Last spring, my first day back on the water was a nine-mile April float on the Big Hole. I was tagging along with the crew from the Madison River Fishing Company, a shop and…
Rigging up a new raft.
"Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you a yacht big enough to pull up right alongside it." —David Lee Roth
Congratulations, you’ve just purchased your first raft! But as much as you’d…
Mishaps, mistakes, and mess-ups.
As a professional photographer, I’m usually on a mission to “get the shot.” Ideally, that means setting up well beforehand and prepping gear in advance to avoid the dreaded equipment…
Explaining the ghostly silhouettes of spring.
Spring can be a sometimes thing in Montana—a mix of sprouting green, mud, late snows, and frost-nipped (and deer-nipped) tulips coming up as best they can. But the heavens…
The importance of native plants.
Imagine for a moment that you’re walking through your neighborhood in springtime. The world is green and bursting with life. A white-crowned sparrow flits onto a chokecherry tree and…
Livingston’s breezy nature, explained.
Ask any Livingston local: winds gusting 45-60mph are just another day in the life. Although most common during the late fall, winter, and early spring, Livingston frequently…
What to do if your dog eats an edible.
Since the legalization of recreational marijuana in Montana a few years back, we’ve noticed an upswing in both happier human clients and THC toxicity in canine patients at the…
Tips for chasing spring gobblers.
The alarm blared at 3:30am, and I lay in bed staring at the ceiling thinking Why in the world am I up at this hour for a bird with a walnut-sized brain? Eventually, I stumbled across the…
Catching up with a river rat.
The river and its whitewater can stop boaters in their tracks. It pushes limits and makes stomachs turn. It connects people with its wild and resilient nature. But usually, by the end of the…
Czar of the Big Hole.
At dusk, the full moon bounds up and down the mountains as we journey west along I-90. While the guys sleep off the travel day, the Man on the Moon keeps me company. I turn off toward the Wise River…
A close-to-home multisport.
Spring is the red-headed stepchild of the seasons. It’s an in-between period with crusty old snow, muddy bike trails, sloppy trail-running, and temperatures too cold to enjoy a swim. The rivers…
One man rethinks his relationship with Yellowstone.
The wild lands around Bozeman in the early 1980s were lightly trodden. Vast wilderness abounded in every direction. The possibilities seemed limitless. My buddies and I…
Mixing up the spring paddling season.
There’s something inherently special about moments and events that we know won’t last forever. Their fleeting nature makes us appreciate their very occurrence that much more. In a…
When it came time to replace my hiking boots, the newly-designed Renegade EVO GTX Mid from LOWA was an easy choice. I like the Vibram sole’s aggressive traction, which provides good support and grip when carrying a pack. I…
“An ideal fit for women.” That’s what drew me initially to the Gregory Juno 24. Over the years I’ve tried several daypacks, and while they usually have more than enough room for carrying what I need, they’ve always been too…
Spend enough time outside and you start to notice the drawbacks of different jackets. Puffies are warm but frail, vulnerable to everything from tree branches to campfire sparks. Work jackets are tough but inflexible. Fleece…
We’ve all heard Ranger Rick’s spiel: “Grizzly bears can run 30 miles per hour…” Yeah, whatever. It's only after you’ve had a close encounter with a griz that you realize how fast that actually is. At a few dozen yards'…
There's nothing quite like popping a ski boot off after a long day and slipping your feet into comfortable and toasty-warm shoes. Chaco's Ramble Rugged Canvas Clogs are the ideal companion for a resort ski day, camping trip…
After a long, dark Montana winter, the quickest cure for seasonal affective disorder (apart from a trip south of the border) is to move one's workspace outside, into the fresh air and sunshine. Backyard picnic tables are…
Nobody should experience back pain as punishment for coming prepared. “Packing light” is ideal, but sometimes you have no choice but to stuff your pack to the brim, becoming that friend who drags everyone down with her…
Late-season cow-elk hunts usually involve snow, and lots of it. Which means no extra trips to the truck—you need a lightweight pack, to minimize exertion when post-holing, but one that's also ready to haul out a hindquarter…
Often, late-season hunting is as much an exercise in staying warm as it is the pursuit of an animal. Only after warmth is obtained can you focus on listening, tracking, and hunting. Kuiu took that to heart with their Guide…
When it comes to a great pair of shades, the devil's in the details. The folks at Costa know this well, and have gained a reputation for making some of the best sunglasses on the market. Recently, I got my hands on the…
Cold & wet: an unpleasant combination, no matter what you're doing. And when late-season waterfowl hunting, there's no getting around it. What can be avoided, however, is damage to your shotgun. Which is where the 2-Gun…
In the same way that hunters geek out on guns and climbers are anal about… well, everything, runners can really nerd out on shoes. As a former competitive runner, I typically avoid doing so, however Saucony’s new Ride TR2…
The arrival of the ski season also means it’s time for the equally-anticipated apres-ski tailgate. And with that comes NFL games on the flat-screen TV I haul all the way up to Bridger. Being from Kansas City, tailgating is…
The Muck Boot Co. Outscape Max Ankle Boot is made for wet days in the fall, winter, and spring. The slip-on style makes them a great option to grab on your way out the door for a quick errand, or to wear out on a rainy,…
With the wide variety of backpacks on the market these days, we have the luxury of tailoring them precisely to our chosen activities. For example, rather than reconfiguring my day-hike pack for doing errands around town on…
With a strong and spacious design, the Gregory Alpaca Gear Box 45 is surprisingly lightweight for how burly it is. A clear lid makes for efficient organization of the contents, and the box comes equipped with hinges on two…
If there are two things that the French are known for, it’s their cuisine and their appreciation of the (other) finer things in life. Recently, Opinel found a way to combine the two with their new five-piece Nomad Cooking…
There's no denying the utility of a tent, particularly in bad weather. But when the skies are clear and the temps are moderate, why seal yourself up in a vinyl crate? Why insulate your body (and mind) from the night sky,…
Leupold’s BX-5 Santiam HD Binoculars are the crème de la crème—that means more detail, more color, and more clarity; even when conditions are less than ideal. Just ask the folks over at the Audubon Society, since they take…
The Crazy Creek Hex 2.0 Original is a lightweight chair offering portable comfort and support in places that are normally anything but comfortable. The design seems simple, but the chair is rugged and durable, without any…
Whether it's for hiking, hunting, fishing, or skiing, a good baselayer makes all the difference in staying comfortable out in the elements. The Outdoor Research Alpine Onset Merino Crew gives you warmth, breathability, and…
When it comes to river gear, NRS is top dog. And when it comes to safety gear in particular, you want the best. NRS’s new Ninja Pro PFD fits the bill as one of the finest rescue PDFs on the market. The fit is exceptional,…
The Merrell Moab Speed 2 Leather Waterproof has quickly become my favorite hiking shoe. It’s the right balance of function and style—just what I need when hitting the trails and then heading straight into town. This shoe…
Spend enough time in a canoe, kayak, or raft, and you’ll learn the hard way that rivers are wet. This lesson usually comes in the form of a sopping-wet sleeping bag, tent, or other important item. But a little preparation…
Two pots, one lid, one handle: the simple, streamlined Ceramic 2-Pot Set from MSR gives you just what you need, and nothing more, for cooking hearty, delicious meals in the backcountry. This nonstick set is lightweight and…
Early fall brings a slew of changes to the local landscape: ripe apples, colorful leaves, crisp air, but perhaps most ubiquitous is the incessant morning dew. And while the wet grass might be formidable to the average pair…
There's nothing better to me than a day on the river with my pup. Whether we're on a mellow fishing section or running rapids, optimizing Scout's river safety is my priority—which is why I have her suited up in Astral's…
An anchor is one of those things that folks don’t appreciate much. It’s just a hunk of metal, right? How complicated could it be? But it’s not until that hunk of metal fails that you really learn to appreciate a functional…
New to Mustang Survival’s lineup is the minimalistic Quadra Dry Suit. It’s great for those who are making the leap from casual paddlesports to cold-water boating, and only need a dry suit when absolutely essential. It gets…
My first thought when I received the box of Chrome Lite Wading Boots from Korkers was that they must have forgotten to put the other boot in because the package was insanely light. After realizing there were indeed two…
The Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness is one of the most pristine and breathtaking areas in the state. For those of us lucky enough to live in southwest Montana, the 943,377 acres of public land just outside Yellowstone…
When cruising through Yellowstone, intent on watching a geyser erupt, it can be easy to overlook the surrounding landscape and animals. Rick McIntyre, however, does the opposite—focusing only on the animals. For nearly 30…
With abundant hazards like bears, wolves, cliffy terrain, and boiling-hot cauldrons, there are quite a few ways to die in Yellowstone. But the most dangerous thing of all might be something else entirely: other people. In…
The final book in Bruce Smith’s trilogy, Legend Keepers: The Promise (Hidden Shelf Publishing House, $15) concludes the story of two unlikely friends: Garson, an environmentally conscious 12-year-old, and Buddy, a young…
