Spring 2024

Putting “guide-tested tough” waders through the ringer. When you live in a place where spring is always late, you take comfort in the rituals of spring even though it seems a long ways off. This morning I’m preparing for…

An overdue call for wildlife crossings on Hwy. 191. In a 2019 video shared by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, waves of antelope rush across an overpass west of Pinedale during their annual 200-mile migration. As the…

Forming unlikely connections in the Montana woods. A hike with a hunter is not your typical mom-and-pop stroll. Animal tracks and signs, indiscernible to most people, stick out to the hunter like a white grocery bag in a…

Author and angler Thomas McGuane shares his thoughts after a lifetime in Montana. Renowned writer Thomas McGuane once wrote, “I've spent as much of my life fishing as decency allowed, and sometimes I don't let even that…

The early days of kayak-touring around southwest Montana, and beyond. “Would it be possible to paddle a sea kayak on the rivers around here?” Mike Garcia, the owner of Northern Lights, answered, “Sure. Why not? I’ll order…

The colorful leaves on Montana’s tree of life. Montana and Yellowstone are graced with bountiful and familiar wildlife—the charismatic megafauna that are splashed across calendars and tourism brochures. We name things…

A weekend at Helmville’s Old Salt Festival. On an otherwise ordinary weekend in the Blackfoot Valley, the foothills come to life with more than the usual cattle and critters rummaging amongst the brush. Just outside of…

Early-season mountain-biking destinations. Spring mountain biking can be a gamble. Some years, things dry out early, and the riding is superb for months leading into summer. Other years, it rains or snows every Friday…

The truth behind an iconic summer job. We all know a river guide when we see one: her sunbaked skin and overall grimy appearance are readily apparent. If that’s not enough, her smell will likely alert everyone within a 10-…

How to identify climbers in the wild. Some outdoor activities are pretty homogenous. Take hunting, for instance: everyone is just trying to look as rugged and camouflaged as possible. Or whitewater boating, where the only…

Swimming against the current. When Gardiner resident Norm Aldude saw a body struggling in the high-water torrent of Boxcar Rapid in the Yellowstone River last spring, his instinct was to save the swimmer. Aldude grabbed…

Montana’s fly-fishing matriarch. Annette Lilly Russ, daughter of Montana’s fly-fishing luminary, Bud Lilly, was born in Deer Lodge in 1954, and she’s had a fly rod in-hand for as long as she can remember. As a youngster,…

A new commute beneath the Bozone. We’ve all been there: driving home after a taxing day at work, the Bridgers burnished with alpenglow. All you want to do is get to the house, walk the canine, rip the bike during the last…

Building a raised-bed garden. Garden beds: they had been on my honey-do list for the past five summers, but I always seemed to find something more fun to occupy my warm days. Finally, I had a free weekend last fall, and…

Dirt-road riding out in the country. Spend some time as a Bozemanite in rural Montana, and folks are sure to know you ain’t from around there. If your vehicle’s not an immediate giveaway, then it’s the Blundstones, bike…

Tying the Shagger, an attractive wet-fly pattern. So... you’re in a bit of a dry spell, and need a slumpbuster, eh? Maybe you’re having trouble with the damsels—nymphs, that is—or striking out on the river, time and again…

Old Town, New Bridges The Montana Department of Transportation is planning for the replacement of the Old Town bridges on the Jefferson River. Both the east and west bridges were built in the late 1800s, and have been…

Dialing in your mountain bike. Bike-fitting is a unique blend of art and science. In-person fitting allows for a detailed discussion about training and injury history, investigation of riding styles and goals, and the…

Southwest Montana conservation updates. Conservation never sleeps. Sure, it might move slowly at times, but especially here in southwest Montana, people and organizations are constantly chugging along, making hard-earned…

Easing your dog into spring. Come spring, the fresh smells, warmth on our faces, and sound of melting snow have us jonesing to break out of our winter hibernation state and hit the outdoors. But if your four-legged partner…

A plea for ethical shed hunting. Montana’s elk and deer herds don’t have it easy: suburban sprawl and trophy homes filling up their low-elevation wintering grounds, robust populations of two- and four-legged apex predators…

Using street art to protect the GYE. No standard approach to conservation locates guerrilla street art in context with the West’s iconic backdrops. But Lori Ryker bets her drawing board that a wall mural fronting rush-hour…

Lawsuits and languish ten miles from home. Nestled a few bends up Bridger Canyon, rising east from Hwy. 86, is a mosaic of rolling forest that has provided recreation and solitude to Bozemanites for a long time. Stretch…

Mating season’s cast of characters. Perhaps after Outdoor Abby’s first round of sagacious advice, you decided to dump your significant other and strike out in search of someone more your speed. But with so many types of…

Spring Fever by Carolyn Pinet They’re back— I just looked, saw a tail feather sticking out of the nest and thought, “There go the robins, indefatigable, cock-eyed optimists.” They knew that spot by the back door was, to…

The vocabulary of river anatomy. Before I became a river rat, streams were merely a spectacle of free-flowing water pouring over rocks and forming a scenic view—but not much else. Once I put myself in a floating craft,…

And other deep thoughts from the river. “So, what do you do all day in the boat?” Have you ever been asked this question? I often hear this after a fishing trip. Whether I spend one day or two days or four days drifting…

Finding redemption on the north face of Blackmore. Looming over the Gallatin Valley, the north face of Mount Blackmore beckons to be skied. We’d been talking about it around the O/B office for years, but time and again,…

River-safety essentials. “The river has taught me to listen; you will learn from it, too.” —Herman Hesse Navigating whitewater, whether in a raft, canoe, or kayak, can be a thrilling, rewarding experience. The adrenaline…

April’s solar marvels. Last October, “the sun and moon did not meet harmoniously,” as ancient Chinese skywatchers would have said. The moon passed in front of the sun as seen along a narrow path from Oregon through Texas,…

Adapting from the slopes to the trails. We’ve made it through another winter in Montana, but looming is what I refer to as “Peloton season.” Leverich still has lingering snowdrifts, Copper City is almost a go, and the town…

The physiology of sweat & electrolytes. As a sports dietitian, I often hear from my athletes how inundated they are with hydration and nutrition information and products. They want to know how to wade through the info…

Exposing the truth of sleeping outside. “Do you want to go backpacking?” is, for me, one of those questions that falls into the “no need to ask category,” on par with being asked, “Would you like another lobster tail?” (…

A lesson in trail manners. Here in Montana, we consider ourselves friendly, neighborly folks. We wave on dirt roads, share precious real estate at campgrounds, and offer parking-lot beers to strangers. But for some reason…

Go east, young man. Everyone talks about the “B” towns: Bozeman, Bend, Burlington, Bellingham, Boulder... the list goes on. However, one name that never seems to pop up in the mix is Billings. Sure, it has a reputation for…

Finding connection in the Bozone. A handful of winters back, I worked for a cattle rancher in Drummond whose two daughters were attending MSU. A loving father, he was naturally concerned about their sojourn in Bozeman. “…

Once in a while, there comes a product that stands the test of time. Something that never fails to deliver, regardless of the challenge. Something that strikes an immaculate—if perplexing—balance between performance and…

A dry suit in Montana is quite literally the difference between being on the river and sitting on the sideline during the best whitewater of the year. On top of that, there seems to be only a few brands producing quality…

When the snow begins to melt and the trails are muddy, I opt for dryer locales to get a workout in—mainly the gym or paved roads. This year, I bid farewell to my blown-out kicks and tried the Altra Solstice XT 2. These…

There's a dizzying array of water-purification products on the market these days. It seems like brands are in a contest to come up with the most far-fetched design—from trekking poles with built-in pump filters to batteries…

The best PFDs are the ones you forget you’re wearing, and the BlueJacket from Astral is no exception. With a slim profile and a handful of pockets in which to keep river essentials like a knife, fly box, or beer, this vest…

Just when you think everything's pretty much been done, a company comes along and spins a cool new variation on an existing theme. For example, electric blankets and heating pads have been around for a long time, but the…

Guided by their commitment to a greener world, UYN mixed innovation and sustainability when developing the Evolutyon Biotech Long Sleeve UW shirt. A person can never have enough base layers in Montana, and this product,…

A "crag pack" may seem like a highly-specialized piece of gear, but both climbers and non-climbers alike will surely appreciate adding this type of backpack to their gear arsenal. And the all-new Tower 47 Pack from Mystery…

The Fjallraven Vidda Pro Trousers are a testament that function and fashion aren't mutually exclusive. With a tailored fit, durable fabric, and plenty of features, these pants are ready for any outing in any season. They're…

The ever-increasing brightness of modern headlamps never ceases to impress—except when your companion shines that blazing beam in your eyes on a dark night. It's an all-too-common irritation, but one that can be mitigated…

Most of us outdoor enthusiasts repurpose our hiking packs as day bags for use around town, and for good reason: they’re designed better and built sturdier, and they have plenty of pockets and good ventilation. But what if…

I've got quite the collection of sun hoodies in my drawer, but more often than not, I find myself reaching for the Bamboo Flex Hoodie from Free Fly. While most of these types of shirts are cut from standard polyester fabric…

A pack for getting wet & wild. Way out in the vast Montana landscape, far from the nearest human settlements, lie tracts of uncommon abundance: treasure-troves of game hidden from the average hunter's eye. One of these…

"Sunnies" are something I’m always hesitant to invest in. They always end up forgotten on some river rock or scratched up at the bottom of my pack. As such, I usually seek out cheap pairs from gas stations. But now that I’…

When it comes to hunting boots, there are a lot of options available. Rather than risk getting burned on an unknown boot, I chose to go with the Hunter GTX Evo Extreme from LOWA. I was a little concerned when I pulled the…

Phone, wallet, keys, and… knife? I never used to be an everyday-carry knife guy, but now that I’ve tried the James Brand Carter Pocketknife, I feel naked without one. The biggest pro is that it disappears in my pocket—…

Before using the Therm-a-Rest Questar 20F Sleeping Bag, I always thought I’d have to compromise on comfort when it comes to lightweight bags. But when I finally crawled into this bag, I was caught off guard. Not only is it…

For far too long, I used to flip my bike upside down or lean it against a wall in my garage while conducting at-home repairs. The practice worked alright for a few basic fixes, but certainly left more to be desired when I’d…

There have been quite a few mountain-biking innovations in recent years to increase rider comfort: more suspension, bigger suspension, dropper posts, and now waist bags. Just a few years ago, nobody was riding with hip…

When the scale of your backcountry expeditions is limited by the gear you carry on your back, it is imperative to keep the weight of your pack low without skimping on the quality of your gear. One of the most essential…

For warm days in the driftboat, the Costa Hooded Technical Long-Sleeve Shirt keeps the hot sun in check and the cold breeze at bay. The soft, recycled fabric feels good on the skin while wicking moisture away. Anti-…

I’ve had my fair share of cold, wet days on the river. They’re no fun at all, even if it’s just for a couple hours. With this in mind, the first thing I did when a buddy invited me on a shoulder-season river trip was pick…

We live in a world that propagates excess. This is especially evident in the fly-fishing scene. I often hear my buddies yell from the car down to the boat, “How many rods you bringing? Steamer, dry, and nymph rig?”. When I…

With people, time produces wrinkles, but with gear, it seems to smooth them out. Take the bino harness, which was a rough son-of-a-gun for many years. Too floppy, too bulky, pockets too small, latch unreliable... the list…

Montana is vast, with a big sky, towering peaks, sprawling plains, and bountiful game. But the subject matter in Art Kehler’s Hollowtop Smoke Signals: A Collection of Humorous Essays (Raven Publishing, $14) is refreshingly…

Few springtime rituals excite the imagination like mushroom hunting—and few are more dangerous to the uninitiated. If you don’t have an experienced ’shroomer to help you learn the ropes—or even if you do—Foraging Mushrooms…

If, as is the case for many Montanans, your desire to fly fish for trout is negated by the activity’s formidable learning curve, pick up a copy of Most Trout Don’t Read: Lessons from Time on the Water (Sweetgrass Books, $20…

Yellowstone’s Birds: Diversity and Abundance in the World’s First National Park (Princeton University Press, $35) is a nearly 300-page book with encyclopedic detail about birds in the 3,500-square-mile expanse of…