Fall 2023

The eclectic cast of characters who put Montana on the map. As the state of Montana settles into its newfound status of having more than a million year-round residents, it seems somehow proper to examine both the historic…

The long history of hunting in south-central Montana. As hunters around the region take to the mountains and prairies for another season of big-game harvests, it’s a good time to reflect on our area’s history of…

Casey Jermyn takes center stage in the Bozeman running community. “When you align your actions with your ‘why,’ you tap into a powerful source of inspiration and purpose.” —Malcolm Gladwell Every community possesses its…

Two unwitting hunters reap the rewards of an early-morning massacre in Gallatin Canyon. I knew nothing about hunting elk. Still don’t, except the meat that comes from the hunt is usually pretty good—and not just the…

Fighting wildfire from one generation to the next. My kids grew up in a house where at any time they might awake to a pile of stinky fire gear in the garage and mom sound asleep after returning from a 21-day assignment.…

On the hunt for fresh veggies. Crouched in the shadows, you creep through the forest under a rising sun. Your prey is close—so close you can smell it. Focus sharpens as something rustles in the bushes. Any second now. Then…

A fine, classy & very drunk dinner. If you’re like me, every fall you package up the shanks off your deer or elk, thinking, I’ll make something fancy and elegant this year. And if you’re like me, come summer, those…

When politics and wildlife collide. Relationships are a two-way street, and humans’ relationship to nature is no exception. Just as some have an affinity for the natural world, others have hastened its destruction, and…

Running from the grasps of competition. We’ve all seen them: dopamine-seeking, pain-suffering, oft-crippled messes. You know, runners. In bed by nine, up at five-thirty sharp. Water bottles glued to their hands.…

Fighting for Bozeman’s urban forest. If you’ve ever lived with a ten-year-old, you’ll understand the simultaneous parental cringe and pride when your kid blurts out, “That’s stupid!”—and you couldn’t agree more. That’s how…

One of Bozeman’s most devout bison advocates. “If there be no place for wild bison in all of Montana, then surely we have crossed a line from the Last Best Place to the Once Best Place.” —Jim Bailey When it comes to…

How to enjoy a fall float trip. “People never learn anything by being told, they have to find out for themselves.” —Paulo Coelho The flakes are coming down heavy, coating the raft with a thick layer of cold, white…

A gift of solitude in the mountains. “There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his…

Pre-season ski & snowboard training. Ski and snowboard season is almost here. And you’re probably excited—but are you physically prepared? Whether you’re gearing up for your first season or have already purchased your…

Pedaling for the top track. The bicycle is arguably one of the most influential inventions of all time, opening up a vast realm of access to adventure. And since its inception, the bike’s basic design hasn’t changed much:…

Finding solace in the elk hills. Exhausted, but on a temporary wave of sugar-induced energy, I stumble from a wall of snowy timber onto the edge of an open mountain slope. In the distant valley below, cars turn on their…

A fall trip to Whitefish. One crisp morning, you look up at the surrounding mountaintops and notice something new: a fresh dusting of autumn snow. And you know, just as surely as those peaks are white, so too will the snow…

A plea to improve upon America’s best idea. Anyone who has visited Yellowstone National Park has surely been awed by the splendor of its thermal features, abundant wildlife, and scenic beauty. But surrounding the Park are…

Diving into the history of local trails. Bozeman is chock-full of history. Every road traveled, every peak climbed, every trail shared—they all hold stories of the past within their land, their water, and even their names…

Mental toughness in the mountains & beyond. Grit. Moxie. Pluck. Perseverance. No matter what you call it, it takes determination to push onward for the long haul. And everyone hits a wall sometimes—whether it’s in the…

Tying a fall streamer pattern. It’s no secret that fall in Montana can offer up some of the best fishing of the year. The days are shorter, the nights longer, and the brown trout have two things on their minds: spawning,…

A land-surveyor’s perspective on corner crossing. I read the corner-crossing articles by E. Donnall Thomas Jr. with interest (“At a Crossroads,” Spring 2023 & “Clouded Judgement,” Summer 2023). I’m like-minded in his…

Happenings around the Bozone. Lowering Expectations In response to hikers getting lost on the M trail, the City of Bozeman announced plans to create a shorter alternative hike, approximately 700 feet long with an elevation…

From first ascents to fastest known times. Montana adventures have certainly changed over the years. We no longer talk to folks we meet along the way about the Great White Father in the East, nor do we hunt and trap beaver…

An unlikely cultural overlap in the Bozone. My body twirls in the crowded space, bumping into sweaty flesh as I pivot around my partner. He pulls me back close to his chest, then pushes me out again with just the force of…

Exploring haunted Montana. Back in the glory days of the Montana mining boom, hundreds of thousands of people occupied various cities and towns, from Bannack to Virginia City to Butte. Over time, folks trickled out,…

Feasting your eyes on a solar eclipse. Our sky-watching forebears figured out pretty early in the history of human civilization that the great forces of the sky—the ones they couldn’t reach or control—got a little peckish…

A new animal-rescue service in downtown Bozeman. We all know the story: a Yellowstone tourist spots a baby bison on the side of the road and decides that, thanks to an affinity for Planet Earth, he’s categorically…

Tales of soaring above the Bridgers. On a sunny September afternoon in 2020, Bret Davis was watching birds from the Bridger ridge. As an observer with the Bridger Migration Project, his duty was to scan the sky to the…

An early, eerie paddle on Quake Lake. An early-morning arrival is a necessity at Quake Lake. I’m at the whims of the elements: fog and light. Dressed in layers and gloves, I gently place my photo equipment in the kayak,…

The lowdown on biking after dark. “But you merely adopted the dark; I was born in it, molded by it.” —Bane, DC Comics villain As daylight wanes and the sun sets earlier every night, it’s increasingly difficult to squeeze…

Absolutely true stories from the river. Are there such things as true tales from the river? You know, stories that aren’t embellishments, exaggerations, lies, or fish stories? It’s unlikely, because anglers and lies go…

Thanks to the Therm-a-Rest Air Head Down Pillow, the days of stuffing clothes into my sleeping-bag cover to make-shift a lumpy pillow are behind me. Inflating the pillow takes less than three exhales, making it easy to do…

Well-seasoned river rats claim that most dry bags aren’t actually dry. Well, folks, here’s one that is: the Wetland Shotgun Case from Watershed. The bag’s unique closure is like that of a freezer Ziploc, only beefier and…

Upping the ante with a White Duck wall tent. After a long day in the mountains—hiking, biking, fishing, or chasing game—a cozy camp is important. Not essential, mind you; one can certainly fumble through supper, then…

Chelsea boots are all the rage nowadays. Just walk downtown and you’ll see a few folks wearing ’em. Bonus points if their keys are attached to carabiners on their belt loops. But for those looking to stand out in both style…

I have a pinhead and am picky with eyewear fit, so I was worried about the new Costa Pargo sunglasses being too big for my face. But with frames made from recycled fishing nets and polarized, scratch-resistant lenses, I…

Initial Impression “Are we hiking or are we hunting?” is a refrain I hear all too often at elk camp, usually as I charge up a mountain to warm my frozen toes. But if I sit down, the snacks and crinkly wrappers come out.…

When I’m racing full speed down the side of a mountain, I need gear I can rely on—especially when it comes to eyewear. That’s why I use the Tazz MTB Goggles by Giro, and not just when it’s wet ’n cold. With these goggles, I…

Nothin’ kills the camp vibe like mosquitos. Sure, you can swat or spray, the way we’ve been doin’ it for decades; but the Thermacell MRCLE Lookout Mosquito Repellent Camp Lantern makes it whole lot easier to send those…

Gone are the days of shivering in the seat of my boat when running rapids in cold runoff, or squeezing in morning and evening river laps on weekdays in the summer. The NRS Axiom Drysuit is the ultimate protection against…

Every veteran recreationist in Montana knows not to head into the woods or onto the river without an extra layer, be it a fleece or rainshell. But what about a windbreaker? Will it keep you warm as the sun sets and the…

The Zamberlan 226 Salathe Trek GTX hiking boots are comfortable right out of the box, requiring little to no break-in time. And, thanks to outstanding craftsmanship, they are surprisingly light for how much support they…

When the summer temps finally roll around, it’s off with the boots and into the sandals. Whether I’m in the office, out on the town, on the river, or hiking the trails, you’ll pretty much always find me rocking some kind of…

The Arcade Performance Stretch Belt is a game-changer for all outdoor enthusiasts. It’s lightweight, stretchy design offers unbeatable comfort and mobility, and the low-profile buckle ensures a secure fit. Whether I’m…

As a climber, hiker, and year-round pant-wearer, I need something lightweight, breathable, yet warm enough for a chilly evening in camp. Recently, the LIVSN Ecotrek Trail Pants have found their way to the top of my drawer.…

After several years of painstakingly stuffing my bike (and often a riding buddy's bike, too) into the trunk of my 4Runner, I decided, enough is enough. It's time for a proper bike rack. With so many makes and models to…

If I made a list of things I expect from my gear, the new Armitron Wave watch checks all the boxes, and then some. Durable? Yep. Practical? Uh-huh. Comfortable and stylish? You betcha—inset time and date dials give the face…

Picture this: you’re out for a long ride on another hot, dry day. You reach for the hose on your hydration pack to get a drink, and ice-cold water comes pouring out. Just last year, I never would’ve dreamed of this…

Now that I've been bitten by the trail-running bug and I'm starting to rack up high-mile days, I need a shoe with more cushion for the pushin'. The Scarpa Spin Planet offers plenty of support and stability in a shoe that…

Finding a pair of outdoor pants that are comfortable, durable, and that still carry a feminine look is no easy task. They're either too baggy, too tight, too stiff, or just plain boring. I waved this dilemma goodbye after…

As young adults in supremely casual southern California, my friends and I all owned two pairs of flip-flops (we called them "thongs" back then, before a certain style of ladies' underwear became popular). The first pair was…

It's muck season: snow and mud everywhere, and cold, wet feet all day long. Unless you get yourself a pair of Muck Chore XF boots, that is. A roomier version of the standard Muck Chore boot, the XF has more space around the…

I'm sure there's some scientific reason for this, but if my core is warm, so is the rest of my body. That's why a vest is important, especially when fishing in cold weather with my lower body submerged. And who better to…

We’ve got a dam problem. From gargantuan monstrosities like the Hoover, to modest diversion dams in your backyard creek, America’s waterways are choked with concrete. It’s estimated that the total number of dams in the…

A reader’s first reaction to Outside Ourselves (Gentian Press, $18), Todd Burritt’s lengthy love-letter to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, might be envy. The author, a former wilderness ranger, spent two months…

Foraging can be intimidating, especially when starting off on your own. Getting to know the local edible flora and fauna takes a lot of practice, and is particularly important considering that your life—or at least your…