Spring 2013

The effects of climate change are already evident, and the stakes are high for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers living in southwest Montana who recreate year-round in Yellowstone National Park. The reasons we live here…

The second-highest point in the Spanish Peaks is neither named nor assigned an elevation on any National Forest or USGS map. Yet, Beehive Peak, also known as “The Beehive,” is one of the most prominent and striking summits…

Pioneering athletes such as Pat Callis, Alex Lowe, Ed Anacker, and Tom Jungst established Bozeman’s reputation as a premier outdoor-sports community. These Boze-Men put up first ascents of ice-climbing routes in Hyalite…

The boat slices through the last standing wave and carves smoothly into the placid eddy on my right. The thrill of the upstream rapids courses through my veins while I slowly spin in the calm water.The banter between the…

Which one to choose from? Not that we’re into stereotypes. But we challenge you not to wind up cracking a Montucky Cold Snack, sharing a chairlift, or splitting a Gobbler from Dave’s Sushi with one of these dudes. You know…

Health tips for the season. Spring detox cleanses originated over 5,000 years ago by the Chinese—going the entire winter without vegetables left them a little bound-up by spring. Metabolic toxins and wastes collect in the…

The Yellowstone is a great place to fish streamers. Often, we’ll be running #4 sculpins or baitfish patterns sporting heavy lead eyes in front of a sopping wet bunny strip. This is often very effective for big brown trout,…

Cocky nine-point elk sitting yards from the trail, parades of bison clogging the roads, playful coyotes mousing on the crusted snow: the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone Park was teeming with wildlife—and we got pictures of all…

Drunken spring: soaked and flooded with life. Sore from a long nap under a thick blanket, the natural world reaches out anxiously to breathe a long, slow breath. Just as it is on the side of Slough Creek in Yellowstone,…

Roads of the West refuse to end, they waver over  rivers, roll sleeves up cityscapes. Comb hair in windows of downtown breakfast joints or fancy looking cowboy bars. They shuffle hooves with wild horses, cross wood bridges…

Five Bozeman-area classics.The call of the open road is strong, especially this time of year. If you're new to cycling, new to the area, or just want to ditch your same old routine, read on. The following rides are local…

The great outdoorsman, grizzly expert, and author Doug Peacock once said, “I wouldn’t let a bunch of unimportant facts get in the way of telling a good story.” Bozeman author Scott Bischke seems to agree, with his engaging…

Hyalite LoopWoods in early spring;beside a sea-green saplinga deer carcass thaws. —Mike England Real Spring Flawless vernal face Soft mossy buds mat damp trees Dogshit in the snow —Kate Beaudoin

Mountain peaks shiver, breathe and wiggle their foothill features, pee behind a cloud, maybe shake up some starter-sprouts, yawn, cough up a couple leftover winter storms, maybe drink some dew that shines purple, then blue…

I hate this. Goddamn spring. Sloppy streets mock Muddy trails evict you. But then, the sun shines So clean and warm, teasing. Dreams of red, sunburned bellies And cheap laughs on the Madison. Days where dark doesn’t mean…

With hungry bears waking up all around southwest Montana, now’s the time to become bear-aware—and the Bear Encounter Series by the Center for Wildlife Information is a great place to start. These informative DVDs, produced…

It seems like only yesterday that Kevin Connolly was zipping around campus on his skateboard. But he’s been busy since then—worldwide travels, international fame, and his own TV show on the Travel Channel. In his memoir…

There are loads of guidebooks written about Yellowstone National Park, but few capture its essence and evolution quite like Yellowstone National Park: Past and Present (Schiffer Publishing, $25). Unlike a standard guide,…

After a hard day in the mountains, there’s little better than sitting down to an ice-cold beer. And while a fancy, dark microbrew might hit the spot, sometimes you need something a little lighter and more refreshing—and…

So you’ve hung up the waders and put on your apron... now what should you do with that hard-won fish? Try this flavorful preparation and have your catch ready for the table in 20 minutes. We use it for salmon here, but it’…

At 9:55 on a spring Sunday morning, Rockford Coffee at the corner of Main and Rouse is about to see a flurry of activity. One after another, riders descend on the spot from all corners of town on an array of sleek racing…

It’s hard not to feel like a kid in a candy store at Bozeman’s Spire Climbing Center. With over 8,000 square feet of climbing at an indoor facility that features new Skittle-colored routes every week, novice and expert…

The day before Missoula’s 2012 GrizzlyMan Adventure Race, Team First Descents athletes Jordan Stoner and Josh Vandermeer were set to scram with $1,800 in pledges for First Descents, a non-profit that takes young adults with…

Montana lawmakers recently voted against a bill that would have amended current trespassing laws and enhanced access to public land for hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts. The House Judicial Committee tabled the “Corner…

A new fishing guide rises to the surface. There’s no shortage of recreational guides out there, but how often do they help anyone but novices? When was the last time you, self-respecting Bozemaniac and expert outdoorsman…

The Museum of the Rockies’ Taylor Planetarium is a Bozeman landmark: its 40-foot, 110-seat domed theater offers an intimate and unique look at the Montana night sky. And on March 2, the Planetarium went digital—thanks to…

Help get Finding Traction on the big screen. As one of the top endurance runners in the world, Bozeman resident Nikki Kimball takes the brutal sport of ultra running to a whole new level. In ultra-running events, runners…

Spring in Bozeman is filled with the feeling of fresh opportunity. Whether it’s getting out the boat, bike, climbing gear, fishing rod, or camper, this is the season for some new adventure.For the City of Bozeman and its…

Imagine flying through Yellowstone just inches about the ground. You zoom past lodgepole pines and along rivers not yet full with spring flows. Elk watch from the ecotones and ermine leap out of your way. Rolling meadows…

This spring, hike dry. The lifts are closing soon and the rivers are cold, muddy, and blown out. Your yard looks like half of Bozeman tossed their dog leavings there, and it’s too cold and wet to break out the road bike.…

It’s about that time of year when non-skier types start pining for the longer, warmer days of spring. With lingering sub-zero days, constant wind-chill discomfort, and icy roads, the jonesing can set in hard. Getting to—and…

Pull on your climbing shoes, buckle your life jacket, and saddle your horse: Paradise Valley has all the activities you need to satisfy your outdoor-adventure cravings this spring. With so much to do, you won’t even miss…

Exploring a nearby wonderland. Some of the best things in life are hidden in plain sight, and Paradise Valley’s Tom Miner Basin is definitely one of them. There’s the petrified forest containing 50-million-year-old trees…

Now that the snow is finally melting, it’s time to start training for the panoply of races around southwest Montana. This summer, the majority of the O/B staff will be competing in the Madison Trifecta, which features three…

What to do and see around Ennis. Every adventure, even a spring “staycation,” needs a good base camp—and Ennis fits that bill quite nicely. Traditionally a rest stop for travelers between the Gallatin Valley and the gold…

Eastern Montana has long been famous for its abundance of paleontological discoveries; numerous whole skeletons from various species of dinosaurs have been found in the bluffs and badlands along the Missouri River.…

Not a lot of kids can say they outgrew their climbing harness, mountain bike, hiking boots and waders all in the same year. The outdoors are beckoning, and Bozeman kids are flying down the mountain at Bridger Bowl, Big Sky…

Alex Lowe grew up with a deep and pure love for the mountains, instilled in him as a child by his parents who took him and his two brothers out into the wilderness of Montana. He felt at home among the unmarred peaks and…

The valleys we inhabit are prone to wintertime inversions—just take a quick trip through Missoula in January for a perfect example. Without a moving weather system to clear out the air, particulate matter can easily…

Cultivating a healthy environment for your garden. Healthy soil is the basis of healthy plants and a healthy environment. When garden soil is in good shape, there’s less of a need for fertilizers or pesticides. As author…

One of my earliest fishing memories has a mountain whitefish at its heart. I don’t know how old I was, but I do know that I was infected by the fishing fever. I loved to catch fish, and when your age is measured in single…

The beauty of Lamar Valley. “And here, too, one learns that the world, though made, is yet being made; that this is still the morning of creation…”–John Muir  Cut deep by glaciers and worn wide by its river, the Lamar…

When spring rolls around and Bozeman’s wildlife start to emerge from their dens, your curious dog might get more than he bargained for. Here’s an overview of how to deal with some common springtime hazards.Once BittenIf…

For those coming out of the winter with a less-than-your-best level of conditioning, we have a few basic exercises that will help you get ready for spring in the great outdoors. Sometimes the simplest exercise is also the…

A few years ago I was guiding a family in Yellowstone National Park and, as usual, we were focused on bears. But while having a picnic under a big Douglas fir, we were all startled to see a red-tailed hawk drop down into…

Streamers in the spring? You bet! As the water warms up, the bigger fish will be looking for a substantial meal. This is a great sculpin imitation for both pre- and post-runoff fishing on the Yellowstone or Madison. It can…

Where else but southwest Montana do you get jaw-dropping scenery just taking Sparky for a walk around the block? Capturing the magnificence on camera, however, can prove challenging. You might find that, all too often, your…

A common complaint among the good women of BozeMan, Mantana—apart from the age-old "The odds are good, but the goods are odd" lament—is that the dating humor tends to be male-oriented and disrespectful of feminine…

Timeless and functional, flannel is a hard fabric to beat. The Feedback Flannel by Outdoor Research is both tough and comfortable. Along with all of the classic warmth that comes with a flannel, the Feedback features a…

When the water’s warm, it’s hard to beat wading out into the river and feeling the water rushing around your legs. But in the spring, the brisk temps require a little more protection from the elements. Thanks to the Sonic-…

Like that annoying friend who wears different outfits for every outdoor activity, I’m an incorrigible rainshell geek. One for the river, one for hiking, one for fishing, one for trail-running… you get the idea. But I may…

From the trail to the summit to the bar, I want a shoe that can do it all—and the Crux by Scarpa is that shoe. It’s got everything you could want: a webbing-reinforced forefoot for secure footing and control in steep alpine…

Modern cell phones may have rendered two-way radios rare, but certainly not obsolete—when’s the last time you whipped out your $400 iPhone in a rainstorm? For harsh weather, remote locations, and emergency situations, the…

A fisherman could spend a lifetime exploring Yellowstone’s waters—and it would be a life well spent. At least that’s what I got out of Fly Fishing Yellowstone National Park: An Insider’s Guide to the 50 Best Places (…

Montana ski fanatics: clear a space on your coffee table. Photographer Craig Hergert’s stunning images of all Montana’s 16 ski hills have been newly compiled in a large-format book for your viewing pleasure. With more than…