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Spring 2013

Features

  • Culture: Conservation

    Park in Peril

    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…
  • Activities: Mountaineering

    Beehive Peak

    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…
  • Culture: People

    Boze-Gals

    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…

Departments

  • dating, bozeman, guys, stereotypes
    Culture: Humor

    A Girl's Guide to BozeMen

    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…
  • Spring Detox
    Culture

    Cleaning House

    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…
  • Activities: Fishing

    The Rumpelstiltskin

    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,…
  • Culture: Season Opener

    What Is Best in Life?

    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…
  • Places: Yellowstone Park

    Outlook - Spring 2013

    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,…
  • Culture: Books

    Book: Fish Tank

    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…
  • Culture: Arts & Culture

    Indecisive

    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…
  • Culture: Arts & Culture

    You Big Tease

    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…
  • Culture: More

    Bear Encounter Series

    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…
  • Culture: Books

    Book: Double Take

    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…
  • Gear: Nutrition

    Review: Montucky Cold Snacks

    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…
  • Culture: Food & Drink

    Rub Me Right

    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’…
  • Activities: Mountain Biking

    Birth of the Bobkitten

    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…
  • Activities: Hunting

    Don't Cut Corners

    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…
  • Cast Fishing Guide
    Activities: Fishing

    Cast

    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…
  • Places: Cities & Towns

    Starry Nights

    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…
  • Activities: Running

    Funding Traction

    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…
  • Culture: Around the Bozone

    Land of Opportunity

    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…
  • Activities: Nordic Skiing

    Crust Cruising

    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…
  • Activities: Hiking

    Mud-Free Meandering

    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.…
  • Activities: Fishing

    Choose Your Weapon

    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…
  • Places: Cities & Towns

    Playtime in Paradise

    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…
  • Activities: Camping

    Hidden Paradise

    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…
  • Activities: Running

    Madison Trifecta

    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…
  • Madison River, Fly Fishing, Camping
    Activities

    Spring on the Madison

    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…
  • Activities: Fishing

    Draggin' and Snaggin'

    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.…
  • Culture: People

    Nature's Playground

    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…
  • Activities: Climbing

    Cross-Cultural Construction

    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…
  • Culture: Conservation

    New Spark for an Old Flame

    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…
  • Nature

    Get Down and Dirty

    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…
  • Activities: Fishing

    Native Rights

    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…
  • Culture: Dogs

    Dog vs. Wild

    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…
  • Training: Workouts

    Bodyweight Blasters

    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…
  • Nature

    The Tell-Tail Hawk

    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…
  • Sculpted Streamer, Spring fly fishing Montana
    Activities: Fishing

    Sculpted Streamer

    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…
  • Training: Photography

    Keep Your Composure

    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…
  • Culture: Humor

    Snagging Studs

    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…

Gear Reviews

  • Gear: Equipment

    Review: Redington Sonic-Pro Waders

    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-…
  • Gear: Apparel

    Review: Westcomb Focus LT

    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…
  • SCARPA Crux Outside Bozeman Review
    Gear: Apparel

    Review: SCARPA Crux

    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…
  • Gear: Misc

    Review: Motorola Talkabout

    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…

Book Reviews

Outside Bozeman Spring 2013

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