0

Summer 2023

Features

  • Phil Knight on Grand Teton
    Activities: Hiking

    The High Life

    One man’s 40-year quest to bag Greater Yellowstone’s highest peaks. Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you like sunshine into trees. —John Muir It’s late July and I’m perched…
  • Housing Development in Bridger Foothills
    Culture: Conservation

    Love It or Lose It

    The urgency of open-space preservation. On my first bike ride of the season, I did my usual loop—south on Sourdough to Nash, then 3rd Ave. back into town. In the seven months since I’d last done the same ride, I was…
  • Life after Fire illustration
    Culture: People

    Life After Fire

    Exploring a repainted landscape. We’re driving into our fishing hole after the fire, to see if it burned. I suck dust through my open window, past sage and rabbitbrush and juniper that browns to rust in winter, more trees…
  • Fishing misadventure illustration
    Activities: Fishing

    A Man on the River

    Tension & redemption on the Yellowstone. “Damn it! Fish like a man on a man’s river.” My little brother’s shoulders slumped as his fly line collapsed into the Yellowstone River a mere ten feet in front of the driftboat…
  • Doug Peacock with spear
    Culture: People

    Tooth & Nail

    Doug Peacock’s conservation crusade. Doug Peacock isn’t afraid of a good fight. That’s clear down to his doormat, which reads, “Come back with a warrant.” To the left hangs a wood-and-iron spear, which Peacock brought with…

Departments

  • Outdoor abby relationship dating
    Culture: Around the Bozone

    Outdoor Abby

    Relationship advice for the Bozeman crowd. Love is hard. With expectations, shortcomings, make-ups, and break-ups, it can be a vicious, relentless cycle. Throw some bikes, rafts, and ropes into the mix (climbing ropes,…
  • Gravel biking race aid station illustration
    Activities: Biking

    Washing Off the Dirt

    Gravel biking, misplaced IVs & hard lessons. The light blinded me as I pushed open the door of the aid-station porta-potty. I stumbled out, my legs simply tree trunks at this point. To reach my bike, I had to sneak…
  • Montana legislative session political cartoon
    Culture: People

    The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

    Diving into Montana’s 68th legislative session. As outdoor enthusiasts, we’re directly affected by the laws and regulations governing our public resources. So much so, that outdoor-oriented issues are often key topics…
  • Backpacking in the mountains
    Activities: Camping

    Packed & Prepped

    Tips for a well-planned backpacking trip. “May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.” —Edward Abbey A backpacking trip is a great way to spend a summer weekend—so long as…
  • Pillory bad campers messy camps
    Culture: Letters & Rants

    Pillory: Bad Campers

    Messy sites and noisy neighbors. It’s a warm summer night, tucked away on a remote Forest Service road. The only sounds are a chorus of birds and the rushing of a nearby creek. A peaceful evening, and a much-needed respite…
  • Downhill runner
    Culture: Humor

    Race to the Bottom

    Downhill running picks up speed. Mountain culture has long celebrated those who can go farther, faster, longer. When it comes to trail running, the titans are tall, wiry specimens who drink green smoothies and pontificate…
  • Yellowstone Heritage Trail
    Culture: Conservation

    Path Through Paradise

    Planning a new trail. In 1981, the last train chugged to a stop on the Burlington Northern rail line running from Livingston to Gardiner. Now, over 40 years later, Park County is working to turn the derelict tracks into a…
  • Meteor Shower
    Training: Astronomy

    Crying in the Dark

    Late summer sheds its fiery tears. Summer’s long days make for short nights. It’s nothing to cry about; the nights will grow increasingly longer as we head back down the seasonal slope toward fall, then winter. But by…
  • Social media Instagram photo of waterfall
    Culture: The New West

    Post Wisely

    A clarion call on social-media use. We live in a funny time. An age where announcing one’s experiences outweighs living the experience itself. If you don’t have a picture, did your trail run even happen? If your photo wasn…
  • Chokecherry
    Training: Tips & Tricks

    Hunger Games

    A guide to edible & inedible plants. “Earth was not built for six billion people all running around and being passionate about things. The world was built for about two million people foraging for roots and grubs.” —…
  • Metrosexual cowboy
    Culture: Humor

    Injurious Interlopers

    Spotting Montana’s most invasive species. Most outdoorsy folks in Bozeman know the common invasive-plant species ’round these parts—the telltale spikes of Canada thistle, the milky-white sap of leafy spurge, the purple…
  • Big Horned Owls in nest
    Nature

    Summer In Sight

    Outdoor sign language, part four. As the old adage goes, summer is for comfortable living, and everything is accessible. In the summertime, there are two places I prefer to be: in the valleys, floating down rivers; and in…
  • Medical treatment wilderness first aid safety
    Training: First Aid

    Outdoor ABCs

    Prepping for a worst-case scenario. On a recent weekend, I signed up for a NOLS Wilderness First Aid seminar. Prior to the course, my medical training had been limited to watching the occasional hospital show that surely…
  • George Bird Grinnell
    Culture: People

    Conservation Takes Flight

    The life & legacy of George Bird Grinnell. The tracks of many explorers, conservationists, and ethnologists have passed through southwest Montana. Countless people have scaled the same mountain peaks, stood on the same…
  • Runner cartoon with food in body
    Culture

    Conscious Carbs

    Intentional nutrition for race season. It’s summertime; off-season is in the rearview and you’re knee-deep in training. That also means increased, or modified, fueling needs. “Periodized nutrition” refers to the strategic…
  • Runner in forest
    Training

    Back on the Horse

    Breaking through barriers after an injury. Resilience (noun): the ability to adapt in the face of tragedy, trauma, adversity, hardship, and ongoing significant life stressors. Resilience is a vital characteristic in…
  • Bionic Ant fly pattern
    Training: Fly Tying

    Ant Farm

    Tying a terrestrial fly pattern. The cinnamon bionic ant has been a mid-summer staple for the past couple years in Montana. When the days are long and smoke fills the air, trout in our area key in on terrestrial insects…
  • mount baldy, hiking, montana, bozeman, bridgers, bridger mountains, trails
    Culture: Around the Bozone

    Trail Cred

    Calculating your outdoor credit score. With entire industries dedicated to gathering personal data, much of it used to evaluate credit worthiness, it was only a matter of time before Bozeman-area banks, brokers, and car…
  • Climbing Beehive Basin
    Activities: Rock Climbing

    Raiding the Hive

    A karmic encounter in the Spanish Peaks. On a sunny morning in mid-August, we packed small backpacks and drove up the canyon to Beehive Basin. The broad south face of Beehive Peak had always enticed me as a mini alpine-…
  • Fisherman in boat with fish in net
    Activities: Fishing

    Let ’Em Run

    When the guide catches your fish. Sometimes, while floating down the river, fly-fishing guides will offer suggestions. They know the river well. They know things that we don’t know and see things that we don’t see. The…
  • Building a bow drill fire Tom Elpel
    Training: Tips & Tricks

    Smoke on the Water

    Primitive fire-building with Thomas Elpel. What do you need to build a fire? Turns out, a knife will cut it. The O/B crew took a field trip to the banks of the Jefferson River with none other than Thomas Elpel, director…
  • trail running the bridger ridge
    Activities: Running

    Shooting the Breeze

    The Big Sky Wind Drinkers, running on 50 years. There are two types of people who run the Ed Anacker Bridger Ridge Run: those who witness keg stands on Baldy before rallying to the finish line, and those who pass Baldy…
  • Trail work
    Culture: Conservation

    Cliff Creek Upkeep

    How to stop a trail from falling off the map. At the southern end of Paradise Valley, a stone’s throw from Yellowstone Park’s northern edge, Cliff Creek flows into the Yellowstone River, ending its short but eventful…
  • Dream vs. Reality Backpacking
    Culture: Humor

    Dream vs. Reality: Backpacking

    Spending a night in the woods. Many intrepid outdoor explorers get their first taste of the wild on a backpacking trip. Maybe it’s a simple overnighter, but it inspires bigger and better excursions to come. And indeed,…
  • Livingston wind-block
    Culture: Humor

    Livingston Windfall

    Making Livingston livable. The city of Livingston recently announced plans to build a gargantuan wind-block on the south side of town. After suffering relentless winds hurling up through Paradise Valley and pounding the…
  • Bear spray in face
    Culture: Humor

    Backyard Science: Bear Spray vs. Guns

    The Effects of Bear Spray vs. Guns on Mammalian Subjects. Abstract There’s a plethora of folklore and anecdotal evidence regarding the efficacy of bear spray versus pistols in stopping a grizzly attack, but very little…
  • Swimming rapid kitchen sink
    Activities: Rafting

    Down the Drain

    Swimming the Kitchen Sink. Jack I crack a crisp PBR while pumping up the double-ducky. This bright-yellow inflatable kayak is robust, instilling false confidence. I climb into the bow and Corey takes the stern, amused by…
  • Man crossing raging river whitewater on log
    Culture: Season Opener

    Lost in Space

    Preserving the true spirit of adventure. Before heading into the woods, I usually tell my emergency contact that if something bad happens, I’ll crawl to the nearest creek bottom before I die. I’ll drag my mangled leg,…
  • Brown trout rising to insect
    Culture: Arts & Culture

    Fishing Poems

    No Chasers I was resting on the bank after a day’s fishing. A guy waded down the river and sat down. We talked about trout and the day on the river. We were old guys so the talk got philosophical. He said time was running…
  • Cutting log off trail
    Culture: Conservation

    Shifting Gears

    Reimagining shared-use trail ethics. You know those days where everything seems to line up perfectly without much thought? This was starting out to be one of those days. A few friends and I had agreed on a day of mountain…
  • Trail running at Missouri Headwaters
    Activities: Biking

    Drinking from the Source

    Finding solace at the Missouri Headwaters. Living in Bozeman can make a person immune to the spectacular. Every day we’re surrounded by striking displays of nature, much of which is steeped in history and ripe with…

Gear Reviews

  • Moultrie Edge Game Camera
    Gear: Misc

    Review: Moultrie Game Camera

    Summertime is scoutin’ time, and while it’s fun to hike into your hunting area to swap SD cards, it also disturbs the environment and displaces game. Better to access your images remotely, and with the Edge from Moultrie…
  • Sitka Mountain Evo Jacket
    Gear: Apparel

    Review: Sitka Mountain Jacket

    Nothing ruins a good day hunting quite like wind. Besides the havoc it can cause on your shooting (archery or riffle), a stiff October wind will cut through your typical jacket, sucking the will to continue right out of you…
  • Nemo Dagger Osmo Tent
    Gear: Equipment

    Review: NEMO Dagger Osmo Tent

    Weight; space; comfort—I usually have to sacrifice one for another, but with NEMO’s Dagger Osmo three-person backpacking tent, I no longer have to pick and choose. Weighing just under four pounds and made from 100% recycled…
  • Gear: Equipment

    Review: FrontRunner Gear

    Gearing up for more convenient camping. Off-highway exploration is about many things: excitement, adventure, seeing new sights, and testing one’s driving skills, to name a few. But at the end of the day, when it comes time…
  • kuru atom shoes
    Gear: Apparel

    Review: KURU Atom Shoes

    The first thing I noticed when I tried on the KURU Atoms was how high my heel was off the ground—8mm felt like a long way compared to my flat Altras. Reason is that the Atoms come with three insoles. Yep, three separate…
  • Wingfoiling Mountain Lake
    Gear: Equipment

    Wing and a Prayer

    Watersports' latest craze. Given our landlocked nature, being some 600 miles from the nearest ocean, we Bozemanites are often a bit behind when it comes to watersports. Case in point: wingfoiling. You may have heard of it…
  • Kuhl Renegade Shorts
    Gear: Apparel

    Review: Kuhl Renegade Shorts

    I’ll admit, I fall somewhere between a Beefy Scourge and a Spotted Dirtbag, but the common denominator is a good pair of shorts. The Kuhl Renegade Shorts allow me to blend in equally well on the trails and at the bars. They…
  • Osmo Power Fuel
    Gear: Nutrition

    Review: Osmo Power Fuel

    In a world where there’s a supplement for this and a powder for that, it doesn’t always pay off to create a do-it-all product anymore. Osmo Nutrition doesn’t seem to be bothered by this trend of specialization. Their Power…
  • Gregory Zulu Pack
    Gear: Equipment

    Review: Gregory Zulu Pack

    The Gregory Zulu is one humdinger of a backpack, and is the perfect bag for weekend outings in the Montana wilderness. My favorite feature is the FreeFloat dynamic suspension system, with a comfort-cradle hip-belt that…
  • Pedro's Pro Burrito Tool Kit
    Gear: Misc

    Review: Pedro's Pro Burrito Tool Kit

    When it comes to bikes, having the right tools for the job can mean the difference between a quick fix at home or having to drop your rig off at the shop. And while I appreciate the great work that local shops do here in…
  • Duck Camp Drifter Shorts
    Gear: Apparel

    Review: Duck Camp Shorts

    Casual and comfy, the Duck Camp Drifter Shorts are just right for warm days on the trail or in the boat. The nylon material is thin and lightweight for breathability, but durable enough to withstand the rigors of hiking,…
  • Biolite 800 Pro Headlamp
    Gear: Equipment

    Review: Biolite Headlamp

    The BioLite 800 Pro Headlamp is light done right. From its snug-but-comfortable fit to its bright, powerful lighting, it proves exceptional on everything from after-dark mountain-bike descents to pre-sunrise trail runs.…
  • Mystery Ranch Coulee 30 Pack
    Gear: Equipment

    Review: Mystery Ranch Coulee 30

    When the time came for a new hiking pack, I naturally looked to a local company: Mystery Ranch. I picked up their Coulee 30, which is the perfect size for a versatile day pack or a short overnight bag. Here's what I like…
  • Good To-Go Breakfast Hash
    Gear: Nutrition

    Review: Good To-Go Breakfast Hash

    Most dehydrated camp meals require two things: heated water to cook with, and copious amounts of hot sauce to mask the taste. However, Good To-Go meals only require the former. Not saying I didn’t still use hot sauce—I like…
  • Sea to Summit X-Brew
    Gear: Equipment

    Review: Sea to Summit X Series

    When packing up for a backcountry outing and space is at a premium, the default solution is to trim creature comforts. Great, that's part of what backpacking's all about—but what about a steamy cup o' joe in the morning? I'…
  • dovetail freshely overall product
    Gear: Apparel

    Dovetail Freshley Overalls

    As mud season rolled in, and with it, unpredictable snow, rain, and shine, I realized I didn't have any staple wardrobe pieces that were ready to tackle all of these elements. Dovetail's Freshley Overalls changed that right…
  • Backpacker's Pantry Pad Thai
    Gear: Nutrition

    Review: Backpacker's Pantry

    Making good food in the backcountry isn't as easy as making it at home. Thankfully, Backpacker's Pantry has a whole selection of tasty freeze-dried meals that'll keep your tastebuds happy on any outing. They take barely any…
  • Roly Poly Coffee
    Gear: Nutrition

    Review: Roly-Poly Coffee Beans

    Coffee in a can? Indeed, it's a strange sight amid the ubiquitous bags and pouches. But cans stack better, are recyclable, and you can roll 'em across the table to your friends. And this particular can o' beans is made…
  • Kelly Jean Snack Bites
    Gear: Nutrition

    Review: Kelly Jean Snacks

    Tasty, filling, all-natural, protein-rich, made right here in Bozeman... what more does one need from an outdoor snack? With four different flavors in a handy dual-purpose package—two solid bites when cool, creamy goo when…
  • muckster lite clog
    Gear: Apparel

    Review: Muckster Lite Clogs

    Slip-on shoes can be the best thing that ever happened to your feet, or they can be the worst. Having experienced only the latter, I've been loath to let go of my standard snug-fitting shoes, despite the extra time it takes…

Book Reviews

Outside Bozeman Summer 2023 Cover

Most Popular This Week

Newsletter

Outside Bozeman OutPost Newsletter

Sign up here to be added to our OutPost 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.