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Winter 2019-20

Features

  • skiing, nonskier, bozeman, montana, ski town
    Activities: Alpine Skiing

    To Ski or Not to Ski

    That’s the scandalous question. There is nothing like a long Montana summer. The air smells sweet when the combines run, the birdsong fills the morning and evening light, and the rivers are open to wade or float or cast in…
  • Joe Josephson, ice climbing, conservation, Hyalite
    Culture: People

    Challenge Accepted

    An interview with Joe Josephson. In 2006, Joe Josephson was an avid ice climber, pioneering routes in Hyalite Canyon. By 2018, he was tackling some of the most complex land-management issues facing southwest Montana. How…
  • Saddle Peak, Bridger Mountains,
    Activities: Skiing

    Elevated Awareness

    What goes into the daily GNFAC forecasts. If you’re a backcountry traveler, every morning, all winter long, a life-saving tip arrives in your email inbox. You open it, review its contents, take note of its particulars,…
  • nordic skiing, cross-country skiing,
    Activities: Nordic Skiing

    Consider the Corduroy

    The ascent of cross-country skiing. Push, glide, kick. Push, glide, kick. Repeat. At its roots, cross-country skiing is as simple as that, a discipline born of function, a mode of transportation more than a concoction of…

Departments

  • backcountry skiing, eSkiing
    Activities: Backcountry Skiing

    EZ Up

    E-skiing gains traction. Have you always wanted to backcountry ski, but been turned off by the amount of backcountry skiing that it requires? A new Bozeman-based electric-ski company may change all of that. You’ve probably…
  • burger, Bacchus Pub
    Culture: Food & Drink

    Refill the Tank

    Cooking a better burger. Few things are more satisfying after a long, cold day in the mountains than a juicy hamburger. Whether you’re using local Montana beef or meat you bagged yourself, it’s the perfect way to replenish…
  • ice climbing, tips
    Activities: Ice Climbing

    Tool Time

    Climbing tips & tricks. Once the domain of hardened alpinists, ice climbing has come a long way in its evolution and now virtually anyone (thanks largely to modern equipment and Gallatin County snowplows) can enjoy a…
  • pets, pet safety, winter, frostbite, dog, poisoning
    Culture: Dogs

    Battling the Bite

    And avoiding other winter hazards. For outdoor enthusiasts and their pets, Montana winters are magical. However, they’re also filled with hazards, especially as temperatures drop. Frostbite is a common problem, and one we…
  • nordic skiing, tips
    Activities: Nordic Skiing

    Schemes for Skiing

    Tips to enhance your Nordic season. Bozeman is a world-class Nordic skiing community. Trust me—after four years on the road with the U.S. Ski Team, I am looking forward to a winter playing in the snow around this town. If…
  • tootles, ski tour,
    Activities: Backcountry Skiing

    Tootle-Loo

    The joys of a long, mellow ski tour. Not long ago, I did what many Bozeman backcountry skiers do—I focused on challenging tours with steep slopes and demanding terrain. My days centered on elapsed time, vertical feet, and…
  • skiing, skiing tips
    Activities: Alpine Skiing

    Core Shots

    Tips for winter stoke. Are you new to town? Welcome to Bozeman! We have a long and storied ski culture, and while you may hail from Colorado or Utah or upstate New York, we do things a little differently here. Here are…
  • skiing, outdoor photography, photography, camera, flat light
    Training: Photography

    Deep Thoughts

    Flat-light photo tips.  Outdoor photography in the flat light of winter can make a vertical world look, well, flat. Here in southwest Montana, we don’t see a great deal of sunshine during the winter months, but we can’t…
  • Rock Climbing, Fly-Tying, Safety Classes, Bike Maintenance
    Activities: Miscellaneous

    Indoor Action

    Classes & Courses around the Bozone. Some of us dream about days of endless turns in deep fluffy powder, effortlessly gliding down a steep backcountry slope while the winter sun glitters on the fresh snow. But that’s…
  • "Boiling River" by Kelsey Dzintars Boiling River, Art, Yellowstone, Bozeman, Night
    Culture: People

    The Heart of the Matter

    Kelsey Dzintars uses art to connect. Beauty abounds across the American West, but for local artist Kelsey Dzintars, nowhere is more a muse than southwest Montana. From the river valleys to the high peaks, local landscapes…
  • martini, christmas, drinks
    Culture: Food & Drink

    Shake up the Season

    Making the White Christmas Martini. One of the many great benefits to living in southwest Montana is that we are almost certainly guaranteed a white Christmas (and often a white Thanksgiving, and even a white Halloween).…
  • rabbit hunting, winter, hunting
    Activities: Hunting

    Snow Stalk

    Luck and patience combine in the winter woods.  The snow was deep, requiring snowshoes. The task ahead was not easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is. Having hiked in under the cover of darkness, I was well concealed and…
  • Snow, Cold, Driving, Tumbleweeds, Wilderness, Trash
    Culture: Arts & Culture

    Suburban Tumbleweeds

    December dust whips, piling in drifts, particulate tornadoes, burning my eyes. colder under cyan skies— I caught the blues, snowblind and frozen,clearing the driveway. more bitter than usual in the spinning chaos today.  I…
  • fishing, fly fishing, winter
    Activities: Fishing

    Trout in the Cold

    Tips & tricks for winter fishing. One reason Bozeman is such an amazing trout town is that the surrounding waters offer great fishing 12 months out of the year. On mild winter days, predictable fishing and nonexistent…
  • Lynx, Life, Transitions, Youth, Journey, Knowledge
    Culture: Arts & Culture

    Life's Transitions

    The knowledge we have is outdated. The experience we have, underrated. Our stamina, such as it is, goes ignored. Our desire to keep up, underscored. The young replace the old. An unkind process: but direct, obvious, and…
  • fat tire, biking, snow, winter
    Activities: Biking

    Roll 'Em Fat

    Winter biking around the Bozone.  Come winter, most people prefer two skis to two wheels, but avid cyclists aren’t “most people.” If they can’t push miles no matter the weather, they aren’t themselves. Luckily, the Bozeman…
  • Ikon Pass, Big Sky
    Activities: Alpine Skiing

    Ikon Do It

    Living with collective ski passes. In my decades at Big Sky, we did what we had to do to get a season pass. Forget a career, you just needed a job that provided the pass. It was a lifestyle of low-paying gigs you could…
  • nordic, cross-country, skiing, Yellowstone Rendezvous
    Activities: Nordic Skiing

    A Race for All Ages

    Finding one’s place at the Yellowstone Rendezvous. “You should do the Rendezvous with me,” your sweetie says, before heading up Sourdough for a training run. “I don’t wear spandex,” you retort, as if that settles the…
  • dog, chocolate lab, wild game, health
    Culture: Food & Drink

    Cuts for Mutts

    Wild-game dog food. One of the most exciting parts of the hunt is not the hunt at all, but processing the animal you’ve worked so hard to harvest into usable pieces for the whole family to enjoy. Sadly, hunters seldom use…
  • wood duck, Livingston, Sacajawea Park, Livingston Lagoon
    Nature

    Duck & Cover

    Sacajawea Park’s winter waterfowl. With orange landing gear stretched forward and webbed feet spread apart, dozens of Canada geese, mallards, and wood ducks made their descent. Wings moved into a silent glide position as…
  • historic, ski, skiing, photo
    Activities: Alpine Skiing

    Wooly Buggers

    When the going gets tough, Montanans go skiing. Long before these days of “high-tech” fabrics and heated boots, there were rickety wooden skis, soaking-wet wool, and badass Montanans still itching to ski the steep and deep…
  • white cross, highway, symbol, death marker
    Culture: Around the Bozone

    Solemn Symbols

    The American Legion’s Fatality Marker program. Après: it’s hard to picture skiing without it. For some, it’s the best part of the day, while for others it’s a social obligation, a custom, more habit than anything. While…
  • kid skiing
    Activities: Alpine Skiing

    Patience Makes Perfect

    Easing your kids into alpine skiing. It’s easy to embrace the love of skiing once you’ve mastered a few skills, but parents often face challenges when introducing kids to the sport. Here are five tips to help you out.…
  • ski safety, injury prevention, skiing accidents
    Activities: Skiing

    Heads Up

    Staying safe on the slopes. This year’s early snows got the powder hounds barking in collective anticipation, and a buzz of excitement spread through town for the season ahead. Now that winter’s here for good, it’s time to…
  • exercise, physical therapy, winter, injury prevention
    Activities: Skiing

    Stretch the Season

    Exercises for injury prevention. Winter sports take us to the ice, the slopes, and the snowy backcountry for continued recreation. Pond hockey, skiing, backcountry hiking, running, and navigating icy parking lots require…
  • Skiing, Bozeman, Montana
    Activities: Skiing

    The Big Questions

    Destiny, faith, self & skis.   Some questions, by their very nature, tear at the fabric of what we think we know. They cause us to turn inward, to examine who we are and who we want to be. They lay bare our faults;…

Gear Reviews

  • XC Ski Package
    Gear: Equipment

    Fast Forward

    Upgrade your skis—and your skiing—with this high-performance package. Whether it’s a daily workout, an upcoming race, or just an occasional foray into the winter woods, good ski gear makes all the difference. Last year,…
  • Petzl Dart, crampons
    Gear: Equipment

    Review: Petzl Dart

    For as long as most climbers can remember, if you wanted crampons for multiple purposes, you bought several pairs—and dropped loads of cash on them. Petzl changes that with the Dart's interchangeable front points. Depending…
  • cold-weather onesie, Selk'bag LIte 6G, sleeping bag
    Gear: Apparel

    Review: Selk'bag Lite 6G

    Whether it’s post-supper wood-chopping or heeding the call of nature at 3am, frigid high-alpine air can take all the fun out of a Forest Service cabin. Keep the cold at bay with a Selk’bag Lite 6G, a mobile, weather-…
  • muck boots, Lacrosse
    Gear: Apparel

    Review: Lacrosse Alpha Range

    Our winters are cold and snowy—protect yourself with a pair of Alpha Range boots from LaCrosse. These muck-style boots boast 5mm of neoprene insulation and 14 inches of leg coverage, keeping all but the coldest weather and…
  • ski jacket, Dakine Gearheart
    Gear: Apparel

    Review: Dakine Gearheart

    Storm skiing requires durability, function, and comfort, and Dakine’s Gearheart delivers all three. Three-layer Gore-Tex and taped seams keep you dry; wrist gaiters and hand-warmer pockets keep you warm; and a powder skirt…
  • Orvis, shirt, button-up, flannel
    Gear: Apparel

    Review: Orvis Flat Creek

    In the sea of flannel, it’s hard to differentiate one shirt from another. Why not choose one that’s trying to make a difference? Orvis’s Flat Creek Tech Flannel is partially recycled oyster shells and plastic bottles. Yet,…
  • Patagonia Macro Puff, jacket, coat
    Gear: Apparel

    Review: Patagonia Macro Puff

    After last February’s record-low temps, it was clear I needed a warmer winter coat. Enter Patagonia’s Macro Puff. Synthetic insulation provides all the warmth I need to combat the coldest days, and a durable water-repellent…
  • Gregory Targhee 32, backpack
    Gear: Equipment

    Review: Gregory Targhee 32

    To stay safe in the backcountry, you need a lot of gear. While it used to be that you dumped everything in a backpacking pack and called it good, Gregory’s Targhee 32 is proof that design has come a long way. The Targhee…
  • Salomon T STH2 WTR 13, ski bindings
    Gear: Equipment

    Review: Salomon T STH2 WTR 13

    Salomon’s T STH2 WTR 13 binding has a low profile that keeps you close to the snow, ensuring more efficient power transmission edge to edge, and giving you a better feel for changing conditions when things are variable.…
  • ski googles, Smith,
    Gear: Equipment

    Review: Smith 4D MAG

    Smith’s new 4D MAG goggles are a step forward for on-slope vision. They offer an advertised 25% more peripheral vision, and while I can’t verify that number scientifically, I do know that I can now see the tab of my chest…
  • light, power station, Gear Aid ARC Light & Power Station
    Gear: Misc

    Re-Review: Time-Tested Gear

    Re-Review: The stuff we once loved and still do. Like everyone, we love our gear, and we love telling readers about items we’ve enjoyed. Problem is, we only have a few weeks—if we’re lucky, a couple months—to test the gear…
  • Alpacas of Montana, Big Sky Mountain Products, Schnee's, Mystery Ranch, Sauce
    Gear: Equipment

    Review: Snow Limit

    Winter gear & apparel from the Gallatin Valley. It could be argued that no season defines Bozeman better than winter. After all, what’s more iconic than the Ridge at Bridger, Big Sky’s Tram, or ice climbing in Hyalite…

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