0

Summer 2012

 

This issue pays tribute to nature’s healing influence. Paul Sveum’s piece illustrates the point beautifully, recommending that we unplug from our high-tech nonsense and actually sit and listen to nature instead of treating it like a glorified treadmill. To really demonstrate the curative power of the mountains, we’ve got a feature on summiting Granite Peak in the wake of a breakup. Believe me: the higher you get, the smaller your problems will seem. So sit back, enjoy our summer issue, and then head into the woods to enjoy nature. Reconnect. You’ll find what you’re looking for. 


Features

  • Activities: Fishing

    Why Do I Like Fishing?

    The rain put the mosquitoes down. It came slowly at first, pushing up in the pines, spattering against the tarp. It always sounds as if it is raining harder than it really is when you are lying under a tarp or a tent. I…
  • Activities: Mountaineering

    Alpine Emancipation

    I am climbing Granite Peak, the highest mountain in Montana, and sweat keeps greasing down my brow and burning into my eyes. I’m choking back vomit and my spine feels like a roman candle, yet wallowing in this abject misery…
  • Activities: Running

    Fitness Must Be Earned

    The history of Big Sky Wind Drinkers.A sprawling mass of letters, newspapers, photos, and scribbled, scrap-paper notes covers Kay Newman’s kitchen table. A thick three-ring binder plops down with a thud. The binder bulges…

Departments

  • Culture

    Area Rodeos

    Hootin’ and hollerin’ aside, rodeos are some of the best events of the summer. Check out traditional bull riding and calf roping, or see what wild cow riding and mutton busting are all about. Crack open a cold one and kick…
  • Activities: Running

    Running with Wolves

    In Montana, attacks on runners and hikers are rare, and most women are assaulted by men they know in places they consider safe—but statistics are no consolation. When alone on the trail, be on the defensive and increase…
  • Culture: Arts & Culture

    The Tourist Hatch

    Brooking no limit on the sex or size of their funThrowing themselves and money into the Big SkyThe seasonal hatch awakens a feeding frenzy.Only remembering bits and snatches of placesCommended itineraries blurred by market…
  • Culture: Books

    Women in Wonderland

    Women in Wonderland: Lives, Legends, and Legacies of Yellowstone National Park (Riverbend Publishing, $20) tells 12 stories of heroism and straight-up girl power. Author Elizabeth A. Watry, who also penned Yellowstone…
  • Culture: Food & Drink

    Succulence of the Lambs

    On warm summer nights, there’s nothing better than a big, juicy burger. But if you’re looking for something a little different than a standard beef patty, how about lamb? With a Mediterranean twist, this burger has been a…
  • Culture: More

    Beer Me

    Summers in Bozeman just wouldn’t be the same without a cold one in your hand at the end of the day… but just any ol’ brew won’t do. A good summer beer should be light and refreshing—something you can enjoy several of while…
  • Activities: Miscellaneous

    Subsurface Solitude

    Love snorkeling and scuba-diving but can’t afford a week in the Caribbean? Think there’s nowhere to dive around here? Sure, Bozeman’s no Cozumel, but consider this: between tourists and locals, some two million people swarm…
  • Activities: Camping

    Lap of Luxury

    From the Tobacco Roots to the Gallatin Range, the mountains around Bozeman hold stunning alpine lakes perfect for an overnight camping trip—but sometimes, you want to get outdoors without trying too hard. Maybe you got a…
  • Activities: Miscellaneous

    Finding Your Stones

    With no educational level, dollar amount, or age requirement necessary to begin, rockhounding—the collecting of rocks and minerals—is an enjoyable way for the whole family to spend time together. Plus, the potential of…
  • Activities: Running

    Born to (Eventually) Run

    A runner's journal.June 21This is the summer I finally whip my body into optimal shape. My goal is to average 40 miles a week and then celebrate my summer of discipline by entering the Bozeman Marathon in September. I would…
  • Activities: Boating

    River Revolution

    My vision for a bold and fresh new way to explore the rivers of Yellowstone Country was born on a redeye flight back to the Treasure State from the Garden Island of Kauai. While I began my odyssey of paddling the whitewater…
  • Activities: Miscellaneous

    Up in the Air

    Our plane floats off the runway in what seems a distance far too short. I’ve flown enough to know this is how flying was meant to be—light and fast—which is much more enjoyable than cramming into a tube with a few hundred…
  • Activities: Mountain Biking

    Lone Peak Triple Crown

    Think Big Sky is only fun in the winter? Think again. Over the last few years, Big Sky Resort has been ramping up their snowless activities, building a tasty menu of summer options that’s nearly on par with their wintertime…
  • Activities: Running

    Madison Trifecta

    The Bozeman area, renowned for hosting organized events for every sport and ability level, also provides for the true fitness masochist. Enter the Madison Trifecta: a marathon, duathlon, and triathlon, all rolled into one…
  • Culture

    My Little Pony

    There’s a tradition I repeat twice a year, every year. It begins in late May three miles east of the tiny mountain town of Pony, Montana, at the Karl Ohs Ranch. In the song of a spring morning, we start a drive of momma…
  • Culture: Food & Drink

    Willie's Distillery

    Since the Microdistillery Act of 2005—a state law removing Prohibition-era restrictions on distilling—Montana has become a hub for producing quality, handcrafted spirits. That fine piece of legislation (in our humble…
  • Activities: Fishing

    Destination Ennis

    Approximately 60 miles south by southwest of Bozeman, in the heart of the Madison Valley, lies the agreeable little town of Ennis. Originally a place of annual pilgrimage for the Shoshone, Flathead, and Bannack Indians,…
  • Places: Cities & Towns

    Paradise Found

    Montana is graced with jaw-dropping mountains aplenty. But you can’t have mountains without valleys—and Montana’s valleys are as stunning as they come. The Big Hole, the Ruby, the Flathead, the Centennial… but only one is…
  • Culture: People

    Dirty Fingers and Deviant Humor

    There is no mistaking the home of Livingston artist Parks Reece: a five-foot cartoon chicken perches on the mailbox amid animal bones and skulls scattered about the trees and fence posts. “Hi there!” Parks says in a mild-…
  • Activities: Miscellaneous

    Mountain Roundup

    Just by turning in my saddle, I could see ten different mountain ranges. The isolated and fierce Crazies, the Big Belts, the Castle Mountains, and the majestic Gallatin and Bridger ranges were to my left, scraping against…
  • Activities: Running

    Running for Two

    Congratulations, you’re pregnant! As you begin this experience, a million questions will tumble through your mind. One of those might be, “Can I still run?” Most likely the answer is yes. Make sure you check with your…
  • Culture: Family Time

    Knocked Up

    To bide my time while waiting for my 11-days-late baby to be born, I’d take long walks up a narrow valley in the Absaroka Mountains where I could get out of the wind and into the snow. Despite pleas from an about-to-be…
  • Activities: Rock Climbing

    Bozeman Rocks

    In 2011, the City of Bozeman dedicated its fifth and sixth recreational climbing boulders, which makes six more than virtually every other city in America. The Bozeman Recreation & Parks Department has been visionary in…
  • Activities: Fishing

    Hiding in Plain Sight

    Not too long ago, I was a fly fishing guide, and most of my trips during the summer involved daily travels of nearly 100 miles. They also entailed towing a drift boat over a mountain pass at 70 miles an hour, burning…
  • Culture: The New West

    Brave New Backcountry

    In the realm of ecopsychology, our relationship with true nature—not what you find in zoos, arboretums, or running off-leash around Bozeman—is necessary and integral to our psychological development and long-term mental…
  • Culture: Dogs

    Safety in Stale Water

    Summertime is play-in-the-water time, and our dogs like to splash around in lakes and ponds just as we do. But the aquatic world around us isn’t always as benign as it looks. As you enjoy the warm weather this summer, keep…
  • Training: Skills & Safety

    Bear in Mind

    Understanding pepper spray.Dr. Chuck Jonkel of the University of Montana had tried everything: flashing projectiles, boat horns, even synthetic skunk spray. Then, in the early 1980s, in a triumphant moment of inspiration…
  • Training: Workouts

    Strength in Numbers

    It can get very confusing when researching how to get in shape—society and the media are full of ideas, tips, and tricks to help you become a better you. As a fitness professional, I have two important pieces of advice if…
  • Training: Injury Prevention

    Taking a Knee

    As an orthopedic sports medicine physician, I see patients with knee injuries on a daily basis. Though it’s a relief to discover that somebody’s pain is from a minor condition like a tweak or low-grade sprain, all too often…
  • Activities: Mountain Biking

    Mountain Mindset

    Downhill mountain bikers have “a higher threshold for adrenaline and fear,” says sports psychologist Julie Emmermann. Other PhDs say mountain bikers should “have their heads checked,” “pray,” and “not fall off.” And some…
  • Training: Skills & Safety

    Stayin' Alive

    There’s been plenty of talk about survival lately, what with certain pop-culture franchises sweeping the box office. But when it comes to cutting it in the wild, hunger is anything but a game. I set out with fellow O/B…
  • safety, first aid, running, heat stroke
    Training: First Aid

    Hot-Blooded

    On the look out for heat stroke.Hot summer days in Bozeman usually mean fun and adventure, but if you’re not careful, they can mean something else: heat stroke. In reality, most people who suffer from heat-related illness…
  • Training: Fly Tying

    Alien Invasion

    If you’re looking for a go-to summer and fall attractor pattern, then look no further than the Purple Parachute. A long-time favorite among Missoula guides, this fly was fished west of the Divide for many years before…
  • Activities: Camping

    Visiting Montana's Treasures

    Summers are short in Montana, so it’s important to get out there and take advantage of what makes this the Treasure State. Montana FWP is happy to help.Where the Wild Things RoamWhen was the last time you visited a Wildlife…
  • Activities: Hiking

    Waterworld

    According to Robert Stone, author of Day Hikes Around Bozeman, Montana, “The Hyalite Creek Trail is considered the most spectacular hike in the Bozeman area.” And justifiably so. Eleven waterfalls—some modest, some…
  • Culture: Around the Bozone

    Summer Socials

    Summer’s back—and as usual, there are more activities and events than hours in the day. With so much going on, you’ll need to plan ahead and choose carefully. Here’s an insider’s look at the best of the best.…
  • Culture: The New West

    Good Groups

    There are a lot of good causes that need support, but there are also some well-intentioned groups that have lost their way. Bozeman’s got both, and with all the rhetoric and propaganda out there, it can be hard to…
  • Culture: The New West

    Defenders of Wildlife

    Walking through the Gallatin National Forest during a light snow in early spring, Mike Leahy scanned the ground for signs of elk. He hoped to find and follow a herd pushed into the mountains by an upscale housing…
  • Activities: Mountain Biking

    Blazing the Trail

    Many mountain bikers don’t realize that for every minute they enjoy on their favorite trails, volunteers spent hours manicuring that piece of hillside into flowy singletrack. Trail maintenance is an important and long-term…
  • Culture: Season Opener

    The Mountains as Medicine

    "I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright." –Henry David ThoreauIn the office, around town, something just didn’t seem right. I couldn’t place…
  • Culture: Lingo & Etiquette

    Tourist Lingo

    Let's face it: we live in a destination town and tourists are a part of life. Luckily, many of them fly quietly into Belgrade, rent an enormous SUV, and plow screaming into a herd of bighorn sheep before we ever know they’…
  • Activities: Running

    O/B-Sponsored Races

    With more races than a Brad Pitt – Angelina Jolie family picnic, southwest Montana’s got your competitive back covered this season—the only trouble is choosing which ones to enter. Here are three we like.There’s no shortage…

Most Popular This Week

Newsletter

Sign up here to be added to our mailing list. You'll be apprised of weekly goings-on, contests & giveaways, and great local content. We'll also let you know when a new print issue hits the stands and when our digital edition goes up online.