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Winter 2016-17

Features

Departments

  • Cooke City, Backcountry Skiing, Snowmobiling
    Activities: Miscellaneous

    End of the Road

    Winter fun in Cooke City and Silver Gate.  If you like your fun in the frozen, slippery form, Cooke City has the powder. Take your pick: backcountry or cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice climbing, snowmobiling, or…
  • Skin Track How-to, Backcountry Touring, Montana
    Activities: Backcountry Skiing

    A Perfect Line

    Strategy in the skintrack.  As a backcountry skier, nothing is more irritating than following an inefficient, poorly-set skintrack. But as a guide, setting a good track is even more important; it allows my clients to ski…
  • Lost Remedy CBD Cream
    Training: Injury Prevention

    Green Cream

    It does the body good. After a long day of skiing, you’re probably ready to kick back and ease into the couch. But before you do, follow the lead of athletes who use cannabidiol (CBD)-infused products to stave off some of…
  • Bozeman Snowfall, Bridger Bowl Snowfall, Big Sky Snowfall

    Bozeman Snowfall

    By the numbers. With the high probability of a La Niña winter for 2016-17, we thought it appropriate to take a look at some snowfall numbers throughout the years. Here’s what we found. 91”: Annual snowfall in Bozeman15”:…
  • Fly Tying, Bozeman Fly Fishing, Drake-a-Nator
    Activities: Fishing

    The Drake-a-Nator

    Saving your fishing universe. One weary late morning in the duck blind, as ducks flared high above my decoys, I daydreamed about the patterns in the clouds, and how flies were a lot like clouds. They were impressionistic:…
  • Skiing Couples, Madison Range, Montana Backcountry
    Activities: Backcountry Skiing

    Pushing Limits

    Learning from a (way) better skier.  Let’s get one thing straight, if only to save my own ego: I’m no slouch of skier. My ski education took place at Missoula’s Snowbowl, widely known for its single green run, ongoing…
  • Lee Metcalf Wilderness, Snowshoeing, Winter
    Activities: Miscellaneous

    Change of Plans

    Improvising in the wilderness. A few winters back, I eagerly planned a week-long road-trip to the Escalante canyons of southern Utah. I ordered a pile of custom maps and a mountain of new trekking gear, but just before I…
  • Grand Targhee Resort, Wydaho, Bozeman
    Activities: Alpine Skiing

    Wydaho-down

    A Grand Targhee road-trip.  Last winter, with an early-season snowpack about as shallow as a roadside mud-puddle, I decided it was time to search for snow someplace else. The plan: load up the car and head south to Targhee…
  • Winter Dogs, Frostbite, Hypothermia
    Culture: Dogs

    Hounded

    Winter ailments in dogs.While the cold of winter presents a host of dangers to us humans, it also threatens the health and wellness of our canine companions. In light of that fact, there are specific ailments that are more…
  • Bridger Bowl, Skiing, Montana
    Activities: Alpine Skiing

    Voice of Treason

    Getting older sucks. I slide in above the slot, fresh snow hissing down the steep gash like sand from an hourglass. Below the four-foot-wide entry, there’s a small cliff and then the line curves away from an enormous left-…
  • Storm Castle, Mille Burn, Montana Skiing
    Activities: Backcountry Skiing

    Scorched Earth

    Skiing the Millie burn. It’s oddly quiet as we skin between sooty trunks, split and seared by flame. No pine boughs rustle. No branches squeak. No birds chirp. It’s still—too still, with stiff, blackened snags standing…
  • Great Grey Owl, Yellowstone Wildlife, Montana Wildlife
    Nature

    Aerial Assassins

    The red fox & great grey owl.Southwest Montana’s snowy winters are great for humans who love being outdoors, but they can be brutal for animals simply trying to survive. Some species get by living under the snow, and…
  • Winter Running, Bozeman, Run Bozeman
    Activities: Running

    Pounding Powder

    Tips for winter running. Let’s get one thing straight: running is a summer sport—at least for normal people. But we all know many outdoor enthusiasts who are far from normal, and the craziest of them all might just be…
  • Hyalite Canyon, Friends of Hyalite, Grotto Falls
    Activities: Miscellaneous

    The Hyalite Condition

    Plowing pros & cons.Hyalite is arguably the most treasured recreational resource in the region. But is plowing the road necessarily a good thing? Undoubtedly, ice climbers and backcountry skiers revel in the easy access…
  • Cold-Weather Tips, Winter Survival
    Training: Tips & Tricks

    Barometer Beaters

    Five tips for staying warm. In these parts, it takes negative temps to qualify as extreme weather. At least a few times each winter, the mercury falls and doesn’t go back up for days at a time. When that happens, a trip to…
  • Winter Photography, Bozeman Camera, Photographing Montana

    Cold Flashes

    Shooting the winter landscape.Winter’s here and some photographers are retreating indoors. And that’s not surprising, as winter is the hardest season to shoot outdoors. However, for the brave few, winter can offer…
  • Ice-boating, Canyon Ferry
    Activities: Miscellaneous

    Ferry Cold

    Winter on the Missouri.Each winter, the watersport party venue Canyon Ferry Lake becomes the ice-sport capital of Montana. The 25-mile long reservoir on the Missouri River is just over an hour’s drive from Bozeman, off Hwy…
  • Skier code, Bridger Bowl, Outside Bozeman
    Activities: Skiing

    Ski Schooled

    O/B's downhill dos and don'ts.  Ski areas have their own rules, and while we won’t publicly advocate breaking specific ones, there are always shades of grey. Some rules are sacred, though, and we all know a few jerks who…
  • Ski Tuning, Ski Bozeman, Bozeman Ski Shops
    Gear: Care & Maintenance

    On Edge

    Keep 'em sharp. When preparing for ski season, you’ll want to think about the condition of your skis, especially the edges. You need your edges to be sharp enough to grab onto that cold, dry, Montana snow that we know and…
  • Night Snowfall, Bozeman Winter
    Activities: Skiing

    The Blue-Light District

    When the weather changes, so do we.“Freedom is something that dies unless it’s used.” —Hunter S. ThompsonWhen snow is falling, the world changes in ways real and perceived. Our streets hush as normal life forfeits to the…
  • Tracking Gobi Grizzlies, Doug Chadwick, Patagonia Books
    Culture: Books

    Good Reads

    Books for the season. Around here, winter is reserved for skiing. Skiing gets us up early, keeps us occupied throughout the day, and sends us to bed early, in anticipation of doing it all over again. At O/B, the one thing…
  • Bozeman Fat-Biking, SWMMBA, Custer-Gallatin National Forest
    Activities: Biking

    Wide Loads

    Fat-biking around Bozeman.Last winter, my husband had a near-catastrophic Nordic “yard sale” while skate skiing out of Sourdough. In addition to his hat and glasses flung far and wide, one pole had somehow separated from…
  • Nordic Skiing, Cross-country Skiing
    Activities: Nordic Skiing

    Navigating Nordic

    A guide to XC skiing.As outdoor enthusiasts, people are always putting us in boxes. Dirtbags, trout bums, sledheads: the list goes on and on. Though occasionally annoying, labels can help when trying to determine…
  • Nordic Skiing, Injury Prevention, XC Skiing, Bozeman
    Activities: Nordic Skiing

    Nordic Strong

    Injury prevention in cross-country skiing.Nordic skiing is a great way to enjoy the outdoors in winter, and while it has a comparatively low injury rate, overuse injuries can occur, due to repetitive stress. These injuries…
  • Grizzly Outfitters, Boot Fitting
    Activities: Skiing

    If the Boots Fits

    Your feet are worth the investment.The reasons people need professional help fitting their ski boots are simple: performance and pain. Getting a precise fit—in which the shape of your foot is matched exactly by the shell…
  • Jump Turn How-to, Steep Skiing, Bridger Bowl
    Activities: Alpine Skiing

    Hop to It

    Jump-turn technique.If you spend time in places like Bridger Bowl's Madman’s, Hidden Gully, or the 4th Finger, you already know how handy it is to execute a turn within a tiny patch of real estate. A good hop turn can get…
  • Crazy Mountains, Earth's Treasures, Bozeman, Montana Geology
    Places: Mountains

    Picos Locos

    Crazy Mountains geology. The shorter days of winter have once again settled in, providing extra time to reflect on options for next summer’s adventures. We live in an outstanding area surrounded by many tantalizing…
  • DIY Pete Ski Rack, DIY Ski Rack
    Activities: Skiing

    Rack 'Em Up

    DIY ski storage. If you’re a skier, keeping your abundant pile of gear organized and accessible can be a challenge. For years I just tossed my skis in a corner at the house, and I needed a simple ski-rack solution to get…
  • Bozeman Ski History, Big Sky History, Bridger Bowl
    Resources

    Bozeman Historski

    These days, it’s all about progress. But it’s tough to know where to go if we forget where we’ve come from. Here’s a look at some important dates in Bozeman’s skiing timeline.  1900 – Michael Langohr, ranger for Hyalite…
  • Hyalite Shooting Ban, Custer-Gallatin National Forest, Bozeman
    Activities: Miscellaneous

    Cheap Shot

    Target-shooting in Hyalite.For as long as most people can remember, Bozeman has been hard to define. Cow town, college town, ski town, tourist town, New West yuppie town—just what is this place, anyway? The answer, of…
  • Hyalite Canyon, Cross Country Skiing, Friends of Hyalite
    Resources: Maps & Guidebooks

    Map: Hyalite

    Charted Territory: Friends of Hyalite releases new map. Being that Hyalite is in our proverbial back yard, you’d think a map of the place would be redundant. Not so. With all the new trail development happening in the…
  • Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association, SWMMBA, Mountain Bike Advocacy, Montana
    Activities: Mountain Biking

    Biking Bulletin

    Southwest Montana's newest trail advocates.Before 2014, Montana and Wyoming did not have representation within the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA). In February 2014, IMBA realigned their regional boundaries…
  • Haynes Pavilion, Gallatin Ice Foundation, Bozeman Hockey
    Activities: Miscellaneous

    Finally Frozen

    Haynes Pavilion adds ice.For several years, hockey players and ice skaters in Bozeman have waited for a second sheet of ice at the Haynes Pavilion. Now, that hope has finally become a reality. Through tireless fundraising…
  • Bozeman vs., Bridger Bowl, Grand Targhee Resort
    Activities: Alpine Skiing

    Bridger vs. Targhee

    Ski hill showdown.“How can you compare Bridger to anywhere?” you might ask. “You’re not being loyal to Bozeman!” you could criticize. “This one’s a no-brainer,” you’ll probably assume. However, while Bridger Bowl will…
  • Skiing Lingo, Bozeman Lingo
    Culture: Lingo & Etiquette

    Words to the Wise

    A guide to skiing lingo. In the shop, lodge, or liftline, there are words being thrown around at ski areas that, frankly, don’t exist. Seriously. Skiers and snowboarders just make shit up all the time. It’s ridiculous. So…

Gear Reviews

  • Dakine Beretta Jacket
    Gear: Apparel

    Review: Dakine Beretta Outerwear

    Charging burly lines demands burly apparel, and the Berreta line from Dakine offers just that. The jacket and bib both utilize three-layer GoreTex, meaning you’ll be dry and comfortable in even the heaviest conditions. But…
  • Smith I/O Goggle Women's
    Gear: Equipment

    Review: Smith I/O Women's Goggle

    ChromaPop, meet the I/O. This season, Smith is adding their patented sunglass lens technology to their goggles, making for an even better winter experience. The I/O still sets the bar for interchangeable-lens models, and…
  • Salomon Qst Pro 120
    Gear: Equipment

    Review: Salomon Qst Pro 120

    As much as I picture myself a hardcore skier—the kind that searches for powder stashes well beyond ski-area boundaries—I know that I’m not there yet. I can handle myself in most situations, but when it comes to going out of…
  • Ortovox 3+ Transceiver
    Gear: Equipment

    Review: Ortovox 3+ Transciever

    Digital three-antenna beacons with marking functions are the baseline standard in transceiver tech—and the Ortovox 3+ performs very well (more on this in a sec). But Ortovox’s patented “smart” antenna means theirs are the…
  • Osprey Kamber 22
    Gear: Equipment

    Review: Osprey Kamber 22 Pack

    If you’re looking for a good Ridge-hiking pack that can also handle hitting the sidecountry, look no further than the Kamber 22 from Osprey. With a diagonal attachment for carrying skis and a vertical option for snowboards…
  • Sauce Chill Toque
    Gear: Apparel

    Review: Sauce Chill Toque

    Baby, it’s cold out there—which is why I’ll definitely be wearing my Chill Toque from Bozeman-based Sauce while ski touring this winter. The soft fleece keeps my ears warm when the wind is biting, and the expandable hole at…
  • ExtremeStart Pine Mountain
    Gear: Misc

    Review: Pine Mountain ExtremeStart

    Yes, we know, every Bozemaniac worth his or her salt should be able to start a fire with a match—and ladies, beware the bumbling bloke who can’t—but sometimes you want a big flame right away, so you can move on to more…
  • Stio Environ Bib
    Gear: Equipment

    Review: Stio Environ Bib

    I have a heck of a time with ski pants. Since I put a lot of days in, durability is a huge factor, but since I ski primarily in the backcountry, so are weight, venting, and range of motion. Last year, I went through three…

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