Fall 2020

Training tips from local pros. As autumn takes hold in southwest Montana, our motivation for training in the mountains tends to match the season: shorter days, shorter runs and rides; less warm air and sunshine, less fire…

Following Yellowstone's wolves. Fall’s pre-dawn chill saturates the frosty stillness of Yellowstone Park’s northeast corner. Lizzie Cato, petite, freckled, and bundled in many layers and textures of purple, leaps into the…

Taking care of the Great Public Estate. Of all the questions which can come before this nation… there is none which compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our…

Pedaling a lifelong dream. As free-range children, my brother and I grew up riding ten miles to Ryan Park for an ice-cream bar. Then, for my 14th birthday, my realm of adventure amplified with a bike ride through Scotland…

None can ignore autumn, when the world explodes in dazzling displays of color. Amid Montana's dispersed evergreen hillsides, chokecherry and aspen commence a fireworks show of reds and yellows. Along the streams and rivers…

There’s a sweet spot in the fall, unfolding as subtly as a turning leaf. Seasonal crowds dwindle, but the days are still pleasant. Weather starts to change, but cool nights under a sleeping bag offer some of the best sleep…

Bracing for a wildlife pandemic. Humans aren’t the only ones who could take a few notes on disease transmission this year; it’d behoove Montana ungulates to spread the word as well. That’s right, there’s another pandemic…

Keeping Bozeman's water clean. Every winter, piles of pallets slowly make their pilgrimage up Hyalite Canyon Road and into the canyon’s many fire pits, providing fuel for bonfires and winter cheer. Long after the revelers…

Charcoaled elk steak with spiced honey. Ask hunters—or hunters’ friends and families—about their favorite cuts of meat, and the word “backstrap” will invariably be spoken, in reverential tones and amid sighs of gustatory…

A grim future for the big-eared ungulate. In his 1990 publication Mule Deer Country, Valerius Geist writes, “For all its current abundance, the mule deer, so different, so uniquely American, so young and promising, is…

The best part of bird hunting. I’ll never forget Maggie’s first point. Barely six months old, she was still just a floppy-eared puppy, a German wirehair pointer that for some reason looked like a German shorthair. All I…

Hunting and freedom in the national forest. The evening before bow season opened, I loaded up a bike-trailer with camping gear and pedaled into a heavily timbered drainage outside Bozeman. Arriving at a Douglas fir–cloaked…

Strengthening the canine-human bond. Necessity may be the mother of invention, but compulsion is the captain of creativity. At least that’s what I told myself, as I packed a pistol into my chest-pack, laced up my running…

Hunting insurance gains traction. These days, the world is full of uncertainty, and no one has enough time. If you're a hunter, you know this all too well—who doesn't wish they could hunt dawn to dusk all season long, and…

Turning chores into exercise. Fall in Bozeman brings cooler temperatures, shorter days, and extra time spent working in the yard. This usually means less opportunity to hit the trails and more time spent raking leaves or…

Autumn's uncommon activites. Summer may have wrapped up, but there’s still plenty of time to spend outdoors before the snow falls. While the tried and true autumn activities are always a good bet, there are plenty of less…

When horse and hunter meet. I was probably humming “Don’t Fence Me In,” an old cowboy song that ricochets around my mind when I’m on my horse. Fall was in the air, and the horses were fresh. I remember the mare in front of…

Climbing clean granite south of Butte. No, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you—that is indeed clean white granite, in a bevy of prominent bulges, just two hours from Bozeman. Nestled in a beautiful subalpine setting,…

Hiking the Stone Creek trail. Starting at the southern end of the Bangtail Divide and heading east, the Stone Creek Trail climbs to the crest of the Bangtail Range and weaves through evergreen forests and open, rolling…

Gatlin’ Dave stared at his quarry with eyes of burning ice— Raised the rifle to his cheek and fired once. Then twice! The shots rang out loud and fierce on that crisp Montana day. But the huge deer heeded not Dave’s tries…

Top taxidermy bars. After a long hunt, we know where you’re headed: the bar. Gathering around a table with full brews and buddies by your side, recounting triumphs and blunders, is a tradition of its own. And no bar is…

Hunting Montana's eastern prairies. I’d spent an hour sitting motionless in the sage while I observed the pronghorn herd. Running through September, Montana’s archery antelope season includes the heart of the annual rut,…

If I could pick a place to die I wouldn’t think on it I’d lay me under this big sky Of sun and clouds and grit I’d sing a mournful lullaby But hold back many tear And save ‘em for the sorry souls Who never wandered here…

Bracing for the migration. The Californians are coming and you are unfortunately going to need to prepare for it. It’s actually in some ways your own fault. The people in Montana are way too nice and helpful. There is…

Staying safe in bear country. Bears are often depicted as savage man-eaters in the media, likely due to the tendency to sensationalize individual incidents for the sake of ratings. Others view them as cuddly animals akin…

How to properly fell a tree. Winter is coming, and so are those cozy nights nestled up next to the fireplace—sipping a hot drink, watching it snow, and listening to the wood you cut crack like popcorn as you throw another…

Pro tips to fill your elk tag. Elk season is upon us and greetings at the local bar have changed from "How's the fishin' been?" to "Get yer elk yet?" Make this year the one when you proudly answer, "Damn straight!" Here…

Early inscribers at History Rock. When we explore or travel we want to share the experience with others and remember it for years to come. We tag, post, tweet, or twitch (yeah... I'm not social-media savvy). The early…

All about the Bozeman Municipal Watershed Project. Over the next few months, the City of Bozeman and the Custer Gallatin National Forest will begin forest-fuels-reduction work in the northern part of the Gallatin Range,…

Revisions to the Custer Gallatin management plan. Wow, that was a commitment, wasn’t it? Over 100 public meetings and webinars, massive documents, technical details, recommended Wilderness areas, recreational emphasis…

Respect in goat country. Mountain goats live in some of the most remote and precipitous terrain in North America. The challenge and beauty of these places also draw recreationists, who often encounter goats along the way.…

The red planet lives. It’s the color. Lurid, baleful red, blazing unblinking in the night sky. Like a burning ember, or a drop of blood. No wonder this “wandering star” in the realm of the gods was associated with grisly…

Bozinder: a new dating app for Bozeman. An indelible part of the Bozeman ethos is to ditch the 9-to-5 and spend more time in the mountains and on the rivers. We’ve rejected the big-city mentality of working ourselves into…

The forgotten value of sauntering. Saunter: To wander or walk about idly in a leisurely manner. —Webster's Dictionary, 1913 Full disclosure: I admit to the following (anyone who knows me will read this with a jaundiced…

A guide to outdoor hipsters, part one. As the seasons change, so do the outdoor activities that come with them. Each one brings with it a unique band of fanatics—people who talk, dress, and act as if their entire lives…

Dog-owner etiquette while climbing. Your dog is an extension of yourself. You take her everywhere, she picks you up when you’re feeling down, and to the dismay of your significant other, she enjoys prime real estate in…

Calling out trailside music-blasters. Bozeman is a great place to live. With mountains to climb, trout to catch, and wilderness to explore, there’s a reason so many people are moving here. Even on the bad days, when work…

Nature welcomes everyone. There’s much talk these days of inclusivity, a word that makes me think of all the high-end real-estate ads trumpeting the exact opposite: “Exclusive property in the woods!” “Enjoy exclusive …

How a Valley Girl landed in Bozeman.  After a decade of swimming through the dating pool of self-absorbed almost-working actors in Los Angeles, I took up with a Montana man.  “Do you want to go on a fun little outing?”…

I’d been without a good hunting boot for a long time without realizing it. But after I picked up the Mountain Extreme Non-Insulated from Kenetrek, it became clear that my feet were missing out. This 10-inch-tall, full-grain…

On multi-day hunts in low-elevation, treeless terrain, one must be creative to keep animals cool—jury-rigged tarps, suspended in the shade beneath bridges, etc.—but nothing quite eases the meat-conscious mind. Unless you…

I gained admiration for the Lacrosse Insulated Alpha Swampfox waders on frigid winter and spring days fishing fast-moving, waist-high water. These waders boast all-day warmth with 1000g Thinsulate insulation wrapped in…

La Sportiva designed the TX Guide to bridge the gap between trail runners and approach shoes. A sticky rubber outsole with a smooth toe lends confidence when edging and smearing. The dual-density foam midsole lends a cushy…

The LOWA Explorer GTX Mid is a workhorse of a hiking boot that feels light and agile. Meant to tackle rough terrain and long miles, these boots are great for exploring Montana’s wild places in the warmer months. The sticky…

Comfort is a commodity during hunting season, with wild swings in ambient temperature and exertion level. Which is where a good vest comes in, and the VOORMI Access NXT is the best I’ve found for everything from cool…

Hands-on training requires, well, hands, and cumbersome plastic packages can get in the way. To keep tasty treats handy, try the West Paw Outings Treat Pouch. Fill it up with puppy snacks, clip it to your belt or loop it…

Hunting the rugged backcountry of Montana requires high-performance footwear with great support. The Lacrosse Windrose 8" is a tough, athletic boot that features a durable leather and textile upper; a lightweight,…

The Patagonia Dirt Craft Bike Shorts with chamois liner combine a casual look with enhanced accouterments for a most comfortable riding experience. The plush chamois fits snugly and offers premium padding, while the two-way…

Not all socks are created equal, and a great pair can make all the difference. Enter the new Pursuit Ultralight from Swiftwick. These socks employ both hydrophobic Olefin synthetic fibers to keep you dry and soft Merino…

Patagonia’s legendary fleece, the R1, has dominated the midlayer game since 1999, and now is warmer than ever with the updated R1 Air Hoody. It boasts a zig-zag design meant to hold in heat while remaining breathable; this…

My computer workbag is a black hole—whenever I put something in there, I have to pull everything else out to get it. The Rip Ruck 24 from Mystery Ranch is just the opposite. The main storage area opens from the top, holding…

Combining classic style with modern fabric, the Icebreaker Cool-Lite Compass shirt is the future of flannel. The Compass uses silky soft merino and Tencel—a wood fiber that is derived from sustainably sourced eucalyptus…

I’ve often considered "gadgets" for hunting unnecessary. If I need devices to tell me how far away animals are, I’m too far away. Over the last couple seasons, however, I’ve discovered that a reliable rangefinder ensures a…

Is riding your hardtail hard on your tail? Mine was, until I picked up a pair of Patagonia's Dirt Roamer Bike Liner Shorts. These mountain-bike-specific liners are aptly named—I ride much more, and go for longer rides, now…

Unlike backstraps, which require only salt and pepper to make a person sigh with sensory bliss, some wild-game cuts need more love. Even elk, if not shot cleanly or taken care of properly in field, can lose its luster. To…

When you work hard for your game, there’s nothing quite as disappointing as botching the meal. This is where a good cookbook comes in. Townsend resident Eileen Clarke’s Upland Game Bird Cookery (Ducks Unlimited, $20), has…

Combining a foundation of local ingredients with zesty elements from the kitchen of her Chinese-immigrant parents, Stella Fong provides an eclectic assortment of recipes in Flavors under the Big Sky (Arcadia, $27). Stella…

For the last several years, I’ve dabbled in making my own wild-game sausage. It’s turned out well, but in the back of my mind, I know it can be better. Sausage Season (Deep Creek Press, $28) by Eileen Clarke is going to…