Winter 2006-07

Sitting down with author Mike Finkel. Mike Finkel shunned the typical path taken by his fellow University of Pennsylvania graduates and became an outdoor writer. His first story won him a free ski trip out West, and he’s…

Sitting down with author Keith McCafferty. Twenty-five year Bozeman resident Keith McCafferty is a complex man with a contradictory life. A renowned Western outdoor writer, he was raised in a gritty steel mill town in Ohio…

Think for a moment about the last time you endured 60-mph wind gusts. Or the last time you post-holed up a 1,500-foot, 35-degree slope. Did you sweat like you were in a sauna even though the temperature was below freezing?…

Any list of the selling points of the Bozeman area will invariably sing the praises of Bozeman's fabulous skiing. For the plebeians there is Bridger Bowl, which features just about the cheapest decent skiing found anywhere…

Sitting down with author Doug Peacock. Doug Peacock’s home is not far from Bozeman, near his friend Jim Harrison’s. The two lay up fat for the winter (just like the bears before hibernation) over the neighborhood BBQ. But…

Sitting down with author Dave Quammen. Dave Quammen is one of the Northwest’s literature treasures, although he is nowhere near as well-known as he should be. He first gathered notice with his book The Song Of The Dodo, a…

Blame it on whatever you want—global climate change, temperamental snow gods, your estranged ex-girlfriend—but fact is, we’re seeing more and more snowless winter weeks in Montana these days. Here’s what to do when nothing’…

Places to donate your used gear. Many charities appreciate cash during this season of giving, but here is a list of some great organizations that could really use your gear if it's in good condition. (And you really need…

The outdoors is my work and play. It is a means of expression, a connection with friends, and a passion shared with my partner. My work as an outdoor educator and guide has taken me from New Zealand to Nepal, the Antarctic…

A few months ago, I saw a cow aimlessly wandering among the cars in the Gap parking lot. The irony of the picture seemed to illustrate perfectly the crux of why so many high-tech entrepreneurs are moving to Montana.The life…

It’s official: Bridger Bowl recently purchased a 1976 Dopplemayr double chairlift from Snowbird with the intention of installing it in the Slushman’s drainage the summer of 2008. The new lift will bring skiers approximately…

The morning air was crisp and the camp coffee strong. “I think I’d like to be a mountaineer,” my friend Naomi told me on the final morning of a backpacking trip in the Bridgers. “Could you teach me a few things?” This was…

Since the Las Vegas marathon was only three weeks away, this was the day, in early January 2005, that we needed to do the capstone 23-mile training run. Shortly after waking, I looked outside and recognized the familiar,…

With the fall of the first heavy snow, sledheads around Montana heave sighs of relief, load their trailers, and gear up for another exciting snowmobiling season. This March 16-19, snowmobile enthusiasts from across North…

If zipping through Yellowstone on a snowmobile or gliding around on cross-country skis doesn’t sound appealing, that doesn’t mean you can’t experience all of the mystical, snow-covered treasures the nation’s first national…

Winter biking around Bozeman.Although frostbite and numb feet might lead one to take up another sport, one where the possibility of losing body parts isn’t a factor, these things have actually drawn me to snow biking—the…

After a squeaker over Missoula, there’s no respite for Bozeman in a match-up with Boulder, home of the CU Buffaloes and some of America’s fittest athletes. Boulder’s got Pearl Street, trust-fund ski bums, organic-acoustic…

Most skiers and boarders come to the slopes after months away. Although some may have stayed in shape for the slopes, most have not. And the folks who work all week may have an eye toward putting a week’s worth of ski…

Forget Hugh Heffner and the Playboy Mansion, Bozeman has its very own calendar of “the girls next door.” A local group of friends and Nordic skiers conceptualized a “pin-up” calendar of women athletes from the region over…

Wayne Freeman leans back at the outdoor table, wearing sunglasses in the bright August afternoon. He looks relaxed for a man whose brainchild is on the verge of breaking national ground just a few miles west of Bozeman.…

It comes every year. Winter in Montana is the season of snow and ice, skiing and snowboarding, ice climbing and snowmobiling. It is the season of shoveling and scraping, plowing and salting. And for many Montana drivers,…

The nuances of navigation. Deciding between a compass or a global positioning system (GPS) doesn’t have to pit the purists against the techies. Both devices complement each other and both require brain power and well-honed…

Overnighting at Forest Service cabins provides the feeling of being out in the backcountry while retaining many of the comforts of home. Plus, with a lighter backpack—no need to carry a stove, sleeping pad, or other camping…

It was winter in Yellowstone National Park, and the elevated boardwalk gave us an unhindered view of the Upper Geyser Basin, home to Old Faithful, draped in its winter whites and sparkling in the sunshine. In every…

I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority. —William WestmorelandGod how we need a…

The beginning of the end.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 1.7 million Americans move from metropolitan areas to rural areas or small towns each year. And like it or not, Bozeman has been rated the number one “…

When you find something you love it’s hard to give it up. For the past 10 years I’ve been cross-country skiing in my Salomon Backcountry 7 boots. But, after countless kilometers kicking and gliding through the backcountry,…

Bridger BowlSeason: 12/9/06 - 4/8-07Base Elevation: 6,100 feetSummit Elevation: 8,700 feetVertical Drop: 2,600 feetLongest Run: 3 milesAvg. Snowfall: 350 in/yrSkiable Acres: 1,500Number of Trails: 71Lifts: 7Lift Capacity: 7…

Gallatin Gallop RaceSounds like the inaugural Gallatin Gallop Snowshoe Race went well last year because they're holding another one on January 28 at Bohart Ranch. It may look goofy, but running in snowshoes is an ass-kicker…

Nat Kendall, the emcee for the local band Eightrack Mind, recently collaborated with Minneapolis songwriter Cy Ducharme to produce a really great all-around album. The CD is a ride through different musical genres.…

Land Navigation Handbook: The Sierra Club Guide to Map, Compass, & GPS by W.S. Kals is a fabulous technical book for any beginning or intermediate navigator who wants to learn not only the hows but also the whys of…

The Old Lonesome, by Plentywood native Carol Benson, is a pleasurable escape to another time and place. It's essentially a fictional collection of childhood experiences in Plentywood, Montana during the 1940s and 1950s as…

Who knew that little Havre, Montana could hold such big history? Gary Wilson, the resident historian there, has written a name-packed book about Havre's founding in the late 1800s, its heyday, and its eventual "reformation…

Here's the latest from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.Enough is EnoughFWP, with the help and support of the Montana Wildlife Federation, the Montana Bowhunters’ Association, and the Montana Outfitters and Guides…

Customer satisfaction is the name of the game in the guiding industry. Success should be judged by everyone having a safe, fun outing regardless of the activity. If the clients don't go home with big smiles and fond…

Montana’s horse-and-buggy days are long over, the buckboards and freight wagons of frontier days have been replaced by today’s 4x4 pickup for hauling modern Westerners and their gear. Winter sleighs have morphed into…