Winter 2009-10

Skiing in a foreign landscape. The forest, once too thick to ski through, had thinned and opened itself up, granting us the opportunity to explore its altered terrain. Standing on top of the ridgeline, we look down at the…

Comfy digs and steep lines at the Bell Lake Yurt.It’s not hard to understand why most people don't take ski-camping trips in the winter. It can be uncomfortable: alternately sweating and freezing, then more freezing. It…

After one very early morning phone call to cancel our ice-climbing plans (too warm for ice), Conrad Anker and I agreed to meet at a coffee shop and head out to some rock instead. At just a little past 8:30 on a crisp fall…

Bridger's bounty opens for business.What's the most important factor in determining the greatness of a chairlift? The terrain it serves. In one bold move, Bridger Bowl stepped into the big leagues by building a lift that…

I recently started skiing Bozeman's backcountry via snowmobile. Sort of a dream come true, but because my buddy and I share the snow machine and we're new to this, we've had to do a lot of experimenting. Packing our skis…

Every year West Yellowstone welcomes winter visitors from throughout the county and around the world. They will come, as they do each winter, to see timeless wonders of nature, such as Old Faithful geyser, the Grand Canyon…

$3.7 million: highest bid (unaccepted) for "Samson," a fossilized T. Rex offered in a Las Vegas auction in October$5 million - $8 million: estimated purchase price for Samson one month later$8.3 million: price paid for "Sue…

A scant 90 miles north of Seattle and 21 miles south of the Canadian border, Bellingham, Washington is home to about 75,000. Let’s see how this west-coast hamlet hangs with a real Rocky Mountain town.All-Encompassing-Race…

Bike commuting in winter definitely takes commitment. Sure, spring, summer, and fall can all have their wet and cold days, but most of the time it's dry, the days are longer, and the temperature is above freezing (usually…

A community needs a soul if it is to become a true home for human beings. You, the people, must give it this soul. -Pope John Paul IIOf all the stories that stream into Outside Bozeman's editorial inbox each season, the…

This past October marked the 10th anniversary of Alex Lowe's passing, after a tragic avalanche in the Himalayas in 1999. A Bozeman local, Lowe was known throughout the climbing community and the world for his extraordinary…

West Yellowstone has long been famous as a hub for cross-country skiing and hosts two awesome events every year that draw skiers from all over. Closing out the winter tourist season is the 31st annual Rendezvous Ski Race,…

Listen to GrannyWho doesn’t listen to their grandmother? A Citizens’ Advisory Committee of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks hopes everyone listens to Granny—Granny Trout that is. “Respect Your Rivers” is a new campaign…

Know them, spot them, avoid them. Bozeman-area skiers and snowboarders have plenty of hazards to deal with on the hill: rocks, ice, tree wells, unmarked cliffs, poor visibility, half-stoned trust-funders poaching your line…

Winter in Montana can present some unique challenges when taking photos outdoors. Every situation is unique but there are some general guidelines that will help you take consistent photos during the long winter months.How…

I’m not a gun nut. I’m a regular nut who owns guns, but only to hunt, not to defend my home and family, join the militia or fight the forces of tyranny.Gun nuts don’t scare or intimidate me. Instead, I’m learning a few…

If you watched any of the 2008 Beijing Olympics or the 2009 world track and field championships, you probably couldn't help but notice that dozens of those celestial bodies were adorned with brightly colored athletic tape…

“Jimi Hendrix, man.” He flashed an impish grin and skied off into the trees. I stood there for a moment, confused, searching for any interpretation I might have overlooked, and then turned to my friends with what must have…

Last February, a motley crew of four couples from the Gold Coast of Florida convinced me that taking a snowmobile tour into Old Faithful was a good idea. I'd been living in Bozeman for nearly 10 years and never been on a…

An ode to a dedicated belayer. Hyalite… the Wild Rockies… land of frozen falls, bristling buttes, U-shaped valleys of glacial grace. We are headed deep into the heart of it, in search of solid, vertical water—also known as…

I'm standing in chaos. Twenty-some Alaskan Huskies lurch and leap amid a morass of trucks, trailers, sleds, and riggings. Kennel doors open and close; rope, webbing, and harnesses line the ground; blankets and duffel bags…

"There's Nothing Here." That was the 2009 tagline for the state's Travel Montana advertising campaign to attract tourists. "Nothing but grizzlies and wolves and bison and trout," one of the magazine ads continues, "Nothing…

I feel a snort. A wet misting of doggie mucus slightly scented with Eukanuba and a deer carcass that McKinley happened upon on the trail the day before. As I was unresponsive to the canine hydrating-facial-mist, my aging…

For years I sat in humble awe on the chairlift, content to be carried to the tops of runs. Content to sip coffee and eat overpriced french fries in lodges with noisy tourists. At some point, all that chair-gazing awakened…

Bozeman's sledding options. I am a proud participant in Extreme Saucer Sledding. It's not your average five-year-old's sport. Extreme places tend to attract extreme people, which is no exception in our cozy little mountain…

Now it's a little easier to support the valley’s farmers in the dead of winter. Starting January 17, 2010, the Emerson Center hosts a winter farmers’ market every Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm. Through March, the winter…

Well, you've driven miles and miles to spend a long weekend freezing your ass off, growing more and more irritated with your buddies as you sit humbly waiting for at least a few ducks to fly by so that you might have the…

From the time of the proposed boundary expansion at Bridger Bowl to the moment I first arrived at the Schlasman’s lift line, I was nothing but ecstatic. But in the minutes leading up to my first ride, I began to waver. It…

Jack Frost nipping at your nose? Frostbite nipping at your toes? Nothing beats back the cold like a Thermos full of hot, delicious liquid. Especially if it’s boozy. Whether you're curled up next to the fireplace or charging…

A winter fly.I designed this streamer pattern several years ago for fishing stillwaters for trout. Every part of this fly, the marabou tail and the bunny fur body, has a ton of movement and makes the fly look alive,…

Per capita, can anywhere in the country lay claim to more outdoor dogs than Bozeman? Our mountain mutts go everywhere with us: hiking, camping, hunting, biking, even skiing and climbing. Yup, Bozeman dogs get after it—which…

Ah, the T1. Amazing how such a simple letter-number combination can evoke so much unbridled lust. Like most developing tele skiers, I’ve always wanted a pair. And now, thanks to the established protocols of gear-review…

This might just be my new favorite piece of gear. With a burner and cooking vessel combined into one compact design, the Jetboil Flash is easy to use and store, enabling me to break for a meal and then throw it back in my…

Every so often, the stars align, fickle Fortuna deigns to smile upon us, and we somehow score the ski gear of our dreams. Praise the snow gods! After years of fumbling around on skinny sticks, ill-fitting boots, and…

I’ve had enough Old Navy jeans fall apart in a matter of months to appreciate a truly well-made pair of pants. Which is why I love my new Arborwear Double-Front Blue Jeans. Not only are they about as durable a jean as you’…

Few things make a Bozemanite as giddy as a brand-new winter fleece. It’s our security blanket, a grown-up version of the Woobie from the movie Mr. Mom—except that we’re not giving it up for anything. This definitely holds…

I enjoy inclement weather. Most people stay inside when the cold front hits, but in my opinion, that's the best time for a run or a bike ride. Merrell's Alloy jacket is built for people just like me. With its wind-blocking…

At long last, a pair of pants designed for any activity and built strong enough to last through all of them. The Mountain Khakis Original Mountain Pant is the best pair of pants I have ever owned. After getting a pair of…

Does your running routine screech to a stop once winter sets in? Do icy pavement and drab urban environs lack a certain romance, driving you to you opt for other activities—all the while ruing your diminishing fitness level…

Whether you’re hooking up your sled dog team, putting on your running shoes, or clamping on your ski boots, Missoula’s Talus Outdoor Technologies ColdAvengerPro mask is a must for those who are fearless in frigid temps.…

“In life, you only get one chance,” Anker told me, referring to first impressions, experiences in life, and on-sighting routes. Here are a few of Anker's attempts to make the most of it.1992: East buttress, Middle Triple…

As soon as snow covers the ground, you can count on Bozemanites rushing to their favorite spots for some sweet sledding action. Before you hit the hills or after the adrenaline wears off, The Sled Book: Notes Concerning…

Montana is known for its big skies and even bigger skiing, but how did it all start? Downhill in Montana: Early Day Skiing in the Treasure State and Yellowstone National Park (Pictorial Histories, $25) features hundreds of…

Meticulously researched, Two Planks and a Passion: The Dramatic History of Skiing (Continuum, $30) might just be the definitive text on the development of skiing, period. Starting with skiing as it began thousands of years…

Since the first version was published in 1960, Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills (Mountaineers Books, $38) has been the most comprehensive reference for those traveling into the mountains. A true classic, this "climber's…

If you’ve wondered why your favorite mountain continues to pound all that beautiful powder into corduroy cruisers, a partial answer can be found in the book Geezers, Groomers, and Parabolics: The Senior Skiing Revolution (…

Blending fact and fiction, Kevin Emmet Foley tells the dramatic and engaging story of the infamous Montana vigilantes who doled out their own brand of justice in the gold-mining camps around Virginia City in the late 1860s…