Spring 2015

Rethinking the Zen of fly.  Assuming an overtly contemplative stance on fly fishing is perhaps the cheapest way to make friends in Montana—or enemies, as the case may be. Buzzwords like “peaceful” and “Zen” are the main…

Floating the Missouri Headwaters. “Rivers are highways that move on," observed Blaise Pascal, "and bear us whither we wish to go.” If you wish to float back in time this spring, to a place little changed from the days of…

Renowned wildlife biologist Al Harmata. Born and raised in New Jersey, Al Harmata was “just a lower-middle-class kid.” He had no idea wildlife biology was a profession, so, although he always appreciated wildlife, he went…

Casting before it was cool.  I think it happened in late July, 1980. Carl drove. We were high-school buddies, pals who grew up together breathing the scent of rain on sagebrush and living for things like elk and trout and…

A motion duel. It’s a rivalry that’s been simmering since cavemen first carved stone into wheels: runner vs. roller. Today, on the trails around Bozeman, this matchup is apparent in the legions of mountain bikers and trail…

Questioning outdoor connections.  “I went out with a new guy last week,” I mentioned to my friends Al and Ian as we enjoyed a Cold Smoke at Ale Works. They didn’t pay much attention. “Twice,” I added. Al’s ears perked up…

Are you a Bozeman d-bag? Lingo can be a good thing. It can be a fun part of any culture, and a time-saving linguistic device. But it can also be super, super douchey. Here’s a smattering of Bozeman slang to avoid at all…

How to be a good dog-owner. Nobody wants to be that guy—the one with the unruly dog that jumps on people, snatches food from their hands, and barks incessantly. Problem is, correcting this and other annoying canine behavior…

Your Livingston-area activity list. If you find yourself in Livingston this spring, don’t plan on much downtime—the historic Western town is full of fun activities for the whole family.HikeGet your heart pumping with a hike…

Or you won't catch them again.  Game fish are too valuable to be caught only once. —Lee Wulff, father of catch-and-release fishing It’s a noble ethic: showing respect for a fish instead of needlessly ending its life.…

Eat better this spring.  “Shall I not have intelligence with the earth? Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself?” —Henry David ThoreauUnless you’re living at poverty line, there’s no reason to fill your gullet…

Tuning into the trails at Pipestone. “This is one of my favorite downhills at Pipestone,” John says, a huge smile betraying his guarded excitement. “Just watch out for the stream crossing at the bottom.” And like that, he’s…

The life and times of a frontier icon.Late 1800s Montana was no place for a lady, unless of course that lady was Calamity Jane. One of the most famous women in the country at the time, and a living symbol of the frontier,…

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. Usually cleared by Memorial Day weekend (depending on snowpack…

Sling it this spring. Every spring, fishermen anxiously await the skwala stonefly hatch, largely ignoring the skwala’s smaller cousin, the nemoura. While mostly flightless and overshadowed by their famous kin, nemoura make…

Plugging kids back into nature. The slow dawn of spring brings the sun’s warm rays, the smell of fresh grass emerging from the snow, the sound of birds returning home—and then the scream of a bored child brings you back to…

Caring for our trails. Ever wonder who keeps your favorite Forest Service trails clear and open for use? It’s no easy task. The Custer-Gallatin National Forest has approximately 3,118 miles of trail, 903 miles in Bozeman’s…

Just look to the birds.If seasons inspire emotion, then spring is the season of love. Just look to the birds.Two sandhill cranes arrive in a wet meadow, which they’ve nested in for years. They face each other and with wings…

The Hwy. 89 South Bike Path in Livingston will get a much-needed facelift this spring, part of a multi-phase project to eventually extend the trail all the way to Gardiner. Park County received funding from the Montana…

Signs for the spring season.The future is annoyingly uncertain. Why can't we just know what's going to happen to us, wouldn't that make life easier? In the absence of a modern-day Nostradamus to foretell events, we give you…

A raft is an incredible piece of equipment, allowing you to comfortably travel down a river through the middle of nowhere and bring along all the amenities of home. From Class V whitewater to flatwater teeming with trout,…

Restoring a Yellowstone native. In 1994, Yellowstone National Park officials discovered that non-native lake trout had been illegally introduced to Yellowstone Lake and were decimating the cutthroat population. A poster-…

The outdoor honor code. "Unfaithfulness in the keeping of an appointment is an act of clear dishonesty. You may as well borrow a person’s money as his time.” —Horace Mann Like most Montanans, I’m not too finicky about…

Spring comes to Old Faithful. Each year in the middle of March, the Old Faithful visitor center and all services shut down for a month as crews begin plowing the roads to prepare for the spring re-opening. For a full month…

Recreation within city limits. Spring is a time of change, transition, and new beginnings for some, but certainly a shoulder season for most of us. As we say goodbye to Nordic skiing at Lindley and operational chairlifts at…

Are you ready for the worst?“It is always more sensible to keep yourself warm rather than trying to thaw yourself out later.”—Mors Kochanski, Basic Safe Travel and Boreal Survival HandbookAn underlying sense of doom…

Six ways to restore optimal fitness. Every season, success comes down to how well you prepare your body and mind to withstand (and maybe exceed) the demands of your favorite outdoor activity. Each and every sport has its…

Bird migration in southwest Montana. In Montana, we’re blessed with abundant wildlife and unspoiled landscapes, allowing us to witness one of nature’s most extraordinary wonders: bird migration. When the weather warms and…

Outdoor-skill development for the season.  If you spend time in the backcountry, on the river, or anywhere in the mountains, certain skills are essential, even if you’re only going out with friends and family. While you…

From July 2013 to June 2014, the Logan landfill collected over 100,000 tons of waste. Closed since 1995, the old, unlined Story Mill landfill emits volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contaiminate groundwater and leak…

Planning from your palm.  Nothing is more satisfying than clearing off a table, cracking open a guidebook, and unrolling a map. Whether you’re searching for creeks to fish, peaks to climb, or trails to ride, planning is…

Spring rock climbs. As soon as snow-cover recedes, spring climbers in the Gallatin Valley flock to our few low-elevation, sunny, south-facing crags—and none are more well known than Neat Rock, Winter Wall, and Revenue Flats…

Early-season, dirt-road running. Come spring, we’re all bored of circling subdivisions and itching to get on real trails again. But in Bozeman, snow lingers on the best trails till summer, and melt-out can make conditions…

An introduction to kayak-fishing.From the first time I paddled out onto a glassy Montana lake in a sit-on-top fishing kayak, I was hooked. I’m willing to bet other outdoor enthusiasts will feel the same, so I’ve compiled a…

Poised carefully on the rocky bank,My stance is firm and wide.The line stretches, as if to break—Oh, can I win this fight?He increases the distance between usAs I stand helpless on the shore.I know too well the consequences…

An empty bench, well-placed for the philosophic mind,Welcomes a wearied traveler, who’d forgotten the tedium of the hike.It has been years since you walked those slopes,Since you tried to look upon the roof of your home, or…

Didn’t git yer elk last hunting season? Fear not; the bounty provided by Montana’s fields, forests, and rivers never ceases—you just have to know what to look for.  Fish Most waters in our area are open year-round, and…

Canine considerations for spring. Spring means lots of new adventures for you and your furry family members.  Here are some things to take into consideration this season.ExerciseWarmer weather means we all feel friskier. It…

Trout behavior explained. Ever wonder how trout mange to stay put in the rivers and creeks of southwest Montana during spring runoff? So did I, so I recently sat down with FWP’s regional fisheries manager Travis Horton to…

Amid ordered applause and squeals of spurious excitement, Outside Bozeman magazine recently accepted the 2015 Best Outdoor Journal in Southwest Montana (BOJSM) award. This coveted accolade was both presented and received by…

When the spring sun blazes overhead, the glorious trails of the Bridgers and Gallatin Range beckon. But what about our own back yard? As any kid knows, there’s plenty of fun to be had right here at home—which is why…

Letters from O/B readers. Hooked on BozemanI loved the fly-fishing article “Surrender” (Summer 2014, p. 48). Last spring, I uprooted my life on the East Coast and moved to Bozeman. I went fly fishing for the first time on…

Spring speaks promises of warmth, whispering words in the currents of rivers that rise like smoke to the big sky. The sun, ablaze with the energy of transformation, glazes sultry light on the landscape. Feral rays slip…

Spring exercises for climbing.  While some of us are still hoping to get in as much spring skiing as possible, the season is changing and the thought of warm days and dry rock is enticing. This is the time of year when…

If you’ve driven to Yellowstone through the North Entrance, you’ve no doubt experienced the traffic congestion that afflicts the gateway community of Gardiner every summer. Over the next three years, however, major…

The Raptor Center reaches out. It’s halfway through a warm day in the valley and a visually impaired red-tailed hawk named Rosa is stretching her wings in the sunlight, perched on the arm of her handler, Becky Kean,…

For the first time in over 30 years, legislation has been passed designating new Wilderness in Montana. The Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act (RMFHA)—a bill passed on the federal level as an add-on to the yearly National…

Spire Climbing Center’s long-awaited expansion is nearly complete, and the new facility is set to open in early April. The new-and-improved climbing center will boast over 10,000 square feet of new rope climbing and…

Local food-and-beverage businesses steeped in the outdoors.Bozeman is packed with burgeoning small businesses and the town’s outdoors-obsessed populace is a constant vehicle for their growth. Now, alcohol, sugar, and…

Suppressors aren't just for spies and assassins anymore.  A change is in the air. You may not hear it coming, but you’ll see it—at sporting-goods stores, gun shows, and shooting ranges around southwest Montana. And if our…

Digging the birds in our big sky? Check out these opportunities to spot more birds around the Bozone this spring.Sacajewea Audubon Society offers a free program open to the public every second Monday of the month, at Hope…

Overcoming irrational fear.  Every spring I wrestle with a condition known as bearanoia—the extreme paranoia that bears are lying in wait around every bend in the trail, hiding behind every boulder, and lurking over every…

The sounds of silence make wilderness a special place. But the sounds of music make car camping, working out, tuning skis, and adjusting bike chains all that much more enjoyable. Enter the Big Turtle Shell Wireless Speakers…

Cooking over an open fire is a romantic notion, but experience has proven that doing so usually results in burnt food served up with the tell-tale smell of singed arm hair and the painful sting of flame-licked flesh.…

As a kayak-fisherman, I need a vessel that’s just as capable on lakes as it is in rivers. To my delight, I found the Predator MX from Old Town Canoe & Kayak, engineered from bow to stern to be the ultimate mixed-water…

You sprung for a fancy camera but your images are still lacking a certain punch. Enter Circular Polarizer lens filters from Manfrotto. Not only will these filters protect the front element of your lens from dust, moisture,…

Famous for their low-profile PFDs, Astral recently expanded their product line to include, among other things, water shoes. The super-lightweight Rassler 2.0 is designed for backcountry kayaking—hiking deep into the…

The accepted look for an official Bozeman Outdoor Guy calls for adventure apparel at all times, but must we really be prepared to hike Granite Peak at a moment’s notice? Some days are town days, plain and simple; and when I…

River-fishing from a solo kayak or canoe involves a slew of challenges unknown to driftboat- and raft-fishermen. One of them is maneuvering the boat when you’ve got a fish on—which is where the Assault Hand Paddle comes in…

There’s nothing quite like relaxing in a hammock under the springtime sun, and although there are many options to choose from, the SingleNest Hammock from Eagles Nest Outfitters soars above the rest. Weighing a mere 16…

My little dog Brutus goes almost everywhere with me, including many waterborne adventures. He swims well, but he’s getting older, so I decided it was time for a life-vest. But it ain’t easy finding a PFD that fits an eight-…

To assemble a simple yet effective safety kit for solo outings, pick up this trio from American Medical Kits and rest easy knowing you’ve got most survival situations covered. The Pocket Survival Pak Plus ($80) combines all…

The top 10 uses for expired canisters. 1. Replace your friend’s cologne or perfume to punish overuse. 2. Convert to a flame-throwing ice-and-snow melter. 3. Utilize as aromatherapy for difficult cases. 4. Deter guests…

Mud-season must-reads. “You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” –Ray Bradbury People and places change, and that’s not all bad. But what would be bad, disastrous in fact,…

Though big and heavy, Tim MacWelch’s Prepare for Anything Survival Manual (WeldonOwen, $27) is one of the best items you could stuff in a survival pack—it’s got all the bases covered, from essential gear to survival skills…