HEALTH Strings Under the Big Sky - Explore Big Sky

Big Sky Weekly 

Big Sky’s Locally Owned & Published Newspaper 

Big Sky 

June 29, 2012 

Volume 3 // Issue 13 

Current 

standings + 

game sChedule 

The 

high 

road: 

beartooth highway and 

going to the sun road 

Wildfire season 

has begun 

Strings Under the Big Sky 

dave schwalbe 

throwin’ the heat 

Special Section: 

HealtH 

+ farmers markets 

around the region 

Skyline adds bus route 

to West Yellowstone 

Pbr Preserving 

Cowboy Culture 

explorebigsky.com 

Photo by mike martins

June 29, 2012 

Volume 3, Issue 13 

PUBLISHER 

Eric Ladd 

Publisher oF the 

big sky weekly 

2011 big sky 

Chamber oF CommerCe 

BUSineSS of The Year 

COO & SENIOR EDITOR 

Megan Paulson 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

Mike Martins 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Emily Stifler 

GRAPHIC DESIGNER 

Kelsey Dzintars 

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS 

Taylor Anderson, Renae Counter 

DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR 

Danielle Chamberlain 

VIDEO DIRECTOR 

Brian Niles 

VIDEOGRAPHER 

Chris Davis 

ACCOUNT RELATIONS COORDINATOR 

Kacey Brown 

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR 

Katie Morrison 

WEB DEVELOPER/DESIGNER 

Sean Weas 

ConTRIBuToRs 

Tyler Allen, Eric Anderson, Jamie Balke, Robin Brower- 

Mcbride, Buscrat, Deb Courson Smith, Heather J. 

Chontos, Abbie Digel, Maren Dunn, Max Lowe, Marcie 

Hahn-Knoff, Ryan Hamilton, Dave McEvoy, Anne Marie 

Mistretta, Brandon Niles, Jim Olsen, Ersin Ozer, Katie 

Thomas, Kene Sperry, Charles Wolf Drimal, John Zirkle 

edIToRIal PolICy 

Outlaw Partners LLC is the sole owner of the Big Sky 

Weekly. No part of this publication may be reprinted 

without written permission from the publisher. The Big 

Sky Weekly reserves the right to edit all submitted material 

for content, corrections or length. Printed material reflects 

the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the opinion 

of Outlaw Partners or the editors of this publication. No 

advertisements, columns, letters to the editor or other 

information will be published that contain discrimination 

based on sex, age, race, religion, creed, nationality, sexual 

preference, or are in bad taste. 

leTTeR To The edIToR PaRameTeRs 

The Weekly accepts letters to the editor to give readers a platform 

to express their views and share ways they would like to 

effect change. These should not be Thank You notes. Letters 

should be 250 words or less, respectful, ethical, state accurate 

facts and figures, and proofread for grammar and content. We 

reserve the right to edit letters. Include: first and last name, 

address, phone number and title. 

Submit to: media@theoutlawpartners.com 

adVeRTIsInG deadlIne FoR 

July 13 Issue: 

July 6, 2012 

CoRReCTIons 

The Big Sky Weekly runs corrections to errors we’ve printed. 

Please report them to emily@theoutlawpartners.com 

© 2012 The Big Sky Weekly 

Unauthorized reproduction prohibited 

2 June 29, 2012 explorebigsky.com 

Photo by ersin oZer 

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explorebigsky explorebigsky 

Up close with the Beartrap 2 fire 

Contributor Ersin Ozer took this photo on June 26 

from Madison Road, just north of Norris Road. 

He’d been planning to go fishing at the Ennis 

Dam, but was stopped at a road block for the Beartrap 

2 Fire, near where the Norris Road meets the 

Madison River. 

“The air was clear until right where the road meets 

the river,” Ozer recalls. “You could see all this 

crazy orange and purple smoke, and the light from 

the smoke was reflecting off the river, so the river 

had this orange-purple color to it.” 

Ozer didn’t feel like he was in danger, but said it 

was a wild experience to be that close to the fire. 

Big Sky Weekly Distribution 

“Especially seeing it so close to all these homes 

and ranches that were right there across the 

river. 

In the week preceding this issue of the Big Sky 

Weekly more than 30,000 acres caught fire in 

Montana. Strong winds and high temperatures 

caused the fires to grow quickly. Read details, 

and an experts view on what the upcoming fire 

season may look like on page 13. 

The Weekly staff would like to express our 

thanks to the firefighters for working so hard to 

keep our community safe and intact. 

BC 

AK 

Anaconda 

Hamilton 

Bozeman Big Timber 

Three Forks 

Livingston 

Wisdom 

Dillon 


Ennis 

Virginia City Gardiner 

West Yellowstone 

table oF Contents 

Community...4 

letters...8 

local news...9 

regional..13 

montana...14 

yellowstone...15 

sports...17 

Food & dining...20 

business...22 

outlaw news...26 

Classifieds...30 

Business Profile...31 

environment...32 

galllery...33 

outdoors...34 

Column...40 

entertainment...42 

arts...43 

Fun...45 

events...46 

special section: 

health...49

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4 June 29, 2012 

Community 

BSCC news 

BIG SKY – If you build it, they will 

come. 

As improvements continue on the 

Big Sky Community Park increase 

so does the number of park visitors 

and recreationalists. 

Thanks to generous private donors, 

businesses, volunteers and the Big 

Sky Resort Tax, improvements in 

the park have come a long way. The 

park improvements in the past two 

years have included construction of 

two softball fields, a multiuse field, 

connecting trails, basketball court, 

resurfaced tennis courts and a paved 

parking lot. 

Operating and maintenance funding 

requested for park improvement has 

been funded by the Big Sky Resort 

Area District. Maintaining trails 

and restrooms, mowing the fields 

and keeping the park clean and 

safe are some of the improvements 

made. 

Work on the climbing boulders is 

to begin before the end of June. For 

that project, BSCC partnered with 

the Rotary Club of Big Sky, which 

funded $35,000 for the project. 

Construction on the 6,800 sq. foot 

Skate Park has been set for July 16, 

after the project received $150,000 

in combined funding from Yellowstone 

Club Community Foundation, 

Montana Tourism Infrastructure, 

Resort Tax and BSCC’s own 

funding pool. 


Softball is also in full swing this 

summer, with double headers three 

nights a week. The new dugouts, 

donated by Lone Peak Builders, 

should be completed by the end of 

June. 

Tuesday night ultimate Frisbee 

league and a Wednesday night soccer 

league have kept things busy 

and active in the park throughout 


improvements continue on the Big Sky Community Park 

BIG SKY—The Big Sky Community Corp. will 

host its fundraising Gala Dinner and Auction on 

July 21 at 6 p.m. at the Community Park. 

The event will include a live and silent auction, 

dinner and dancing, with a goal to raise 

$100,000. Proceeds will go toward expansion 

and completion of the Community Park, building 

new trails, and development of future parks 

and trails projects. 

Auction items include a stay at Silver Tip Ranch 

in Yellowstone National Park, donated by Yellowstone 

Park Foundation; a weeklong visit to 

Casa San Marco Cortona, Italy and a weeklong 

visit to Villa Paradiso, Bali, both donated by 

Stacey and Rob Mattraw; a stay and golf package 

at Pronghorn Club and Resort in Bend, Ore, 

donated by Pronghorn Club; and a two-day bird 

hunting trip in north-central Montana, donated 

by Jill and Loren Bough. 

For more information, to get involved or buy 

tickets, visit bsccmt.rog or call (406) 993-2112. 

Donations will be accepted anytime, but sponsorship 

contributions for the event should be 

made by July 15. 

big Sky weekly Staff writer 

big sky youth soccer league run drills with their coaches 


Construction continues on the new softball dugouts Photos by renae Counter 

the week. There has also been an 

occasional game of lacrosse. 

The nonprofit Big Sky Community 

Corp. was created in 1998 to 

promote, acquire, preserve and 

maintain land, parks, trails and 

easements for the enjoyment of the 

Big Sky community and the general 

public. 

Parks and trails fundraising dinner and auction set for July 21 

a weekend in Yellowstone paradise 

silver tip ranch, sept. 8-11, 2012 

golden light, shimmering aspen, abundant wildlife 

and quiet streams are all part of yellowstone's 

magic in autumn. Few areas of the park are as 

spectacular in the fall as the serpentine slough 

Creek and its fabled meadows. and just beyond 

the third meadow and the park boundary is a 

privately owned refuge—silver tip ranch. 

Fish slough Creek, explore the trails on foot or 

horseback, or relax at the lodge. at day’s end, enjoy 

a hearty, home-cooked dinner served familystyle 

and presentations by yellowstone experts. 

access to this classic western lodge is by horsedrawn 

wagon, or by hiking 11 miles through a remote, 

pristine part of the park. accommodations 

are elegant and rustic. lunches are served on the screened in porch or provided as a picnic to go 

with guided rides or fishing trips. 

the yellowstone Park Foundation donated the trip to silver tip. 

slough Creek at silver tip ranch 

Photo Courtesy oF yPF 

“we want to give people who care about the region an opportunity to experience a special 

place,” said nina Jaeger from yPF. hopefully spending time there will inspire stewardship and involvement 

with protecting and preserving yellowstone and the ecosystem as a whole.”

Thank you to all of our sponsors. 

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Big Sky Weekly

6 June 29, 2012 

Community 

Big Sky Spur road is now Lone 

Mountain Trail 

by ryan hamilton 

big Sky town center 

BIG SKY – The Big Sky Spur Road is now, once and for all, Lone Mountain 

Trail. 

The Big Sky Chamber of Commerce led an effort to choose this historic 

name for MT Highway 64, aiming to clean up maps, reduce confusion, unite 

the Big Sky and further its brand. On June 26 the Gallatin County Commission 

voted unanimously in favor of Lone Mountain Trail. The commission 

received 10 letters supporting the change. 

Allen Armstrong, manager of the Gallatin County GIS Department, explained 

to the commission that the name Lone Mountain Trail dates back 

to maps from the Chet Huntley era, and that every road name sign along its 

length currently bears that moniker. Online mapping services such as Google 

and Bing, and consumer GPS units also show Lone Mountain Trail as the 

road name of the road, Armstrong pointed out. 

Now the Chamber and others in Big Sky will update maps and other publications 

to show the new official road name, as directed by Gallatin County. 

In February, a Chamber email poll of stakeholders and Big Sky business 

owners showed majority approval of the name Lone Mountain Trail. This 

information was presented at a Town Hall-type meeting in April, where 

Armstrong reviewed the process for changing the name of the road to Lone 

Mountain Trail and answered questions. 

The state’s designation of Highway 64 will also remain in place. 


BIG SKY – Is a “Royal Wulff” 

pattern just a fly in wolf’s clothing? 

Is it rude to be a “Royal 

Trude?” 

Kids ages 6 – 14 can find out the 

answers to these important questions 

and compete for prizes on 

July 4 at the Crail Ranch Kids’ 

annual Fly Fishing and Casting 

Clinic. 

Held in memory of Pat Allen, a 

long-time local resident and fly 

fishing enthusiast, the event is 

now in its fifth year. Each year, 

it spawns a new generation of fly 

fishers. 

“Our local Gallatin River is known 

around the world as a blue ribbon 

trout stream,” says coordinator 

Jerry Mistretta. “So, fly fishing is a 

big sport here in Big Sky.” 

Fly fishing requires a gentle cast 

and an understanding of how to 

“match the hatch.” Spawning the 

next generation of fly fishermen 

and women, clinic instructors will 

focus on various types of flies, 

the fly life cycle and casting techniques. 

Among the instructors will be Jim 

Lindley, Barbara Blesch, Anne 

Marie Mistretta, Michele Geppert, 

Mike Beltramo and Steve Johnson. 

Local guide shops Wild Trout Outfitters, 

East Slope Outdoors and 

Gallatin Riverguides will contribute 

equipment and prizes. 

The two-hour clinic is held at the 



Kids fly fishing clinic at Crail ranch 

BIG SKY – Imagine beautiful music, 

fine food and drink, with the Gallatin 

River as the backdrop. That sums up 

the eighth annual Strings Under the 

Big Sky concert to be held Friday, July 

13 at Rainbow Ranch. 

A wine reception will start the event at 

5:30 p.m., followed by a buffet dinner 

at 6. The concert will begin at 7 

p.m. and will feature members of the 

internationally acclaimed Muir String 

Quartet and guests. Attire is casual. 

In addition to traditional chamber 

music fare, including Beethoven’s 

Serenade in D Major, the concert will 

include lively pieces from the great 

Klezmer literature featuring a clarinet, a 

double bass and an accordion. For those 

who attended last year’s concert, think 

“Orange Blossom Special” on steroids. 

Historic Crail Ranch, which is 

located on Spotted Elk Road west 

of the Community Park and just off 

Little Coyote Road. Call (406) 993- 

2112 or email bscc@bsccmt.org to 

register for the clinic. Participants 

should arrive at ranch at 10 a.m. 

Augustus Franklin Crail and his 

family originally homesteaded 

in Big Sky in 1902. Most other 

ranches in the area became dude 

ranches, capitalizing the tourist 

draw to Yellowstone National Park, 

but the Crails continued operating 

a stock ranch for 50 years. Now a 

museum, the Crail Ranch is open 

for free tours on weekends from 

noon – 3 p.m. The ranch also hosts 

many other summer activities. 

crailranch.org 

enchanted evening 

strings under the big sky 

Barbara Blesch helping a young fisherman 

at the 2011 clinic. Photo by anne 

marie mistretta 

Over the past four years, Strings 

Under the Big Sky has raised more 

than $60,000 to support arts programs 

in Big Sky’s public schools. 

The concert is made possible by 

support from the Montana Chamber 

Music Society, which performs 

concerts throughout the state. 

Society founder Mike Reynolds, 

is a Bozeman native and is also a 

co-founder of the Grammy winning 

Muir String Quartet. Reynolds’ 

other project, the nonprofit Classics 

for Kids, has supported music 

education at Ophir School. 

This event sold out last year. Call 

(406) 995-7951 to reserve tickets. 

stringsunderthebigsky.org

Community 

oBiTUarY: michael Charles myer 

Michael Charles Myer, 59, of Bozeman, passed 

away Saturday, June 16, 2012 from complications 

from PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy). 

Mike was born Oct. 27, 1952 in Red Wing, Minn to 

Carl and Marjorie (Miller) Myer. His early years were 

on a farm in Ellsworth, Wis., then he and his family 

moved to Lake City, Minn. He went to parochial 

school until fifth grade. In high school Mike was 

active in the drama department, acting in many school 

plays including “Fiddler on the Roof.” He graduated 

from high school in 1971, and attended Rochester 

Community College. He worked for Dayton Hudson 

Department Stores for a short time. Mike began his 

lifelong love of skiing and outdoors by managing 

Mount Frontnac Ski Hill in Lake City, Minn. 

In the 1970s Mike spent two years in Garmisch, Germany 

at the Armed Forces Recreation Center teaching 

skiing. 

oBiTUarY: Paul “rusty” heymann 

Paul (Rusty) Heymann of Toledo, Ohio 

and Bozeman died from Alzheimer’s on 

Saturday, April 14, 2012 in Bozeman. 

He was born June 17, 1926 in Toledo, 

the son of Richard Charles and Kathryn 

(Eckhardt) Heymann. 

Rusty is survived by his wife of 57 

years, Nancy; son, Nicholas (Bibiana) of 

New York City, N.Y. and their daughters, 

Kiira and Erika; son, Peter (Nicole) 

of Seattle, Wash. and their sons, 

Nicholas, Benjamin, and Franklin; and 

daughter, Anne of Bozeman. 

Rusty graduated from Hotchkiss 

School in 1944 and after two years in 

the Navy, attended Yale University, 

graduating in 1950. He was President 

NOW OPEN 

Mon.-Sat. 9-5 and Sunday 10-4 

In the late ‘70s Mike found himself in 

Bozeman, where he became a professional 

ski patroller at Big Sky Resort. In 1980, 

Mike co-authored a snow safety plan that 

was approved by the U.S. Forest Service 

for helicopter skiing, the only permit ever 

issued for helicopter skiing in the region. 

During the 1980-81 and 1981-82 ski 

seasons, he guided for Omni Flight Heli 

Ski on Lone Peak and surrounding areas 

before the Lone Peak Tram was in place. 

During the winter of 1978, when morale 

at Big Sky was low, Mike was tasked by 

then patrol director Terry Onslow to turn 

things around. Mike’s creative efforts resulted in 

the establishment of the Dirt Bag Ball, an “anything 

but normal formal” event. The Dirt Bag 

Ball became an annual institution that continues 

to this day as the highlight of the Big Sky winter 

season. 

Mike met Sarah Jane Brobst at the Lake City 

VFW in May of 1983; they were married on 

Aug. 31, 1985 in Lake City, Minn. They made 

their home in Bozeman and raised their children, 

Mikaela and Matt. 

In the early ‘80s Mike became a ski rep for Volkl 

skis and then later for Bianchi Bikes, which he did 

for another 24 years until his retirement in 2008. 

This work gave Mike and his family opportunities 

to travel all over the world. 

and CEO of Ohio Plate Glass Company, 

headquartered in Toledo, retiring in 

1989. Along with his wife, Rusty was 

an avid bird hunter and fly fisherman. 

A Memorial Service will be held at 3 

p.m. on Thursday, July 5 at the Big Sky 

Chapel. 

Memorials in Rusty’s name may be 

made to Ducks Unlimited, 1 Waterfowl 

Way, Memphis, TN 38120 or to Eagle 

Mount, 6901 Goldenstein Lane, Bozeman, 

MT 59715. 

Arrangements are in the care of 

Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. dokkennelson.com 

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Mike was the president for Big Sky Ski Education 

Foundation and was involved with the organization 

for many years. 

He loved hunting, fly fishing, horseback riding, 

biking and of course skiing. Mike was outgoing; 

he always remembered people’s faces and their 

stories. He was a devoted friend. 

Mike was preceded in death by his sister-in-law 

Jean Myer. Survivors include: his wife Sarah of 

Bozeman; his children Mikaela and Matt both 

of Sheridan, Wyo.; his parents Carl and Marge, 

brother and sister-in-law Joe and Cathy all of 

Lake City, Minn.; nephew Andy Myer of Madison, 

Wis.; niece Melissa Myer and her husband 

Lyle Phillips of Edgerton, Wis.; and his brotherin-law 

Steve Brobst of East Troy, Wis. Mike is 

also survived by many in-laws, cousins and dear 

friends. 

A vigil service was held on June 26 at Dahl 

Funeral Chapel. A funeral mass was held the following 

day at the Bozeman Catholic Community 

Center, with interment at Sunset Hills Cemetery. 

Memorials may be made in his name to Cure PSP, 

Executive Plaza III, 11350 McCormick Rd. Suite 

906, Hunt Valley, MD 21031 or Holy Rosary 

Building Fund, 220 W. Main, Bozeman, MT 

59715. Condolences and memories may be shared 

with his family at dahlcares.com. 

bigskytowncenter.com 

Where Big Sky Comes Together 

farmers market: 

Join 80+ vendors every Wednesday 

from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at fire Pit Park for 

the farmers market, starting July 11. 

• fresh Produce, herbs, plants, flowers, 

freshly prepared food, baked goods 

• Local and regional artisians 

• Live music and much more! 

explorebigsky.com June 29, 2012 7

8 June 29, 2012 

letters 

resort Tax Board 

The Resort Tax Board just completed 

its work for another year. We appropriated 

$2,582,262.02 among 28 

applicants. 

This tax is Big Sky’s principal source 

of funds. Without it, emergency 

services, parks, trails, tourism development 

and the arts would be but a 

fraction of what they are now. 

We recognize the work that goes 

into each application. Hours and 

hours are spent in preparation. The 

question and answer session is the 

next hurdle. We recognize that most 

people presenting would rather walk 

barefoot over burning coals. Standing 

in the spotlight of questions from the 

board in front of 100-plus friends and 

neighbors is not fun. Many applicants 

have to spend more time preparing 

follow up answers, and some applicants 

are working on this right up to 

the appropriations meeting. 

If it were not for all of you who care 

so deeply for Big Sky, our community 

wouldn’t have accomplished what 

we have. Without your continued 

support and efforts, our accomplish- 

ments will stop. We are confident 

those accomplishments will continue 

to accumulate. 

A few months ago the tax board 

commissioned a logo for the Big Sky 

Resort Area District. After much 

agonizing by two different boards the 

board adopted the logo you see here. 

It’s distinctive and easily recognized, 

and projects funded by resort tax will 

use the logo. That way everyone will 

know that the project is a collaborative 

effort of all the folks in our great 

community. 

From all of us at the Resort Tax Board: 

Les Loble, Chair; Jamey Kabisch, 

vice-chair; Ginna Herman, secretarytreasurer; 

Mike Scholz; Jeff Strickler; 

and Whitney Brunner, administrative 

officer. 


Dear Editor, 

I very much appreciated your Bear 

Aware article in the June 15 Weekly. 

Big Sky’s unique demographic 

increases our exposure to bear activity. 

Approximately 85 percent of 

our property owners don’t live here 

permanently. This poses potential 

problems with "bear-aware" education, 

procedures and enforcement. 

There surely is enough information 

about our bear friends who were 

here first and who need our concentrated 

efforts to keep them from unnecessary 

risk; but sometimes we're 

too busy. In bear season we like to 

fish, raft and hike. We also like to 

see the birds visit, have BBQ picnics, 

and let our dogs eat outdoors. 

Further, it’s seemingly easier to put 

trash out before Monday morning. 

These things just don't work. Most 

folks have been told to pay attention, 

and most do. However, some 

people are still practicing inappropriate 

bear-aware behavior. They 

need to be educated before they 



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wreck it for the rest of us ... AND 

the bears. A bear habituated to human 

garbage is most likely a dead 

bear. 

At BSOA, which has 2,400 owners 

and is the largest homeowners 

association in Big Sky, we feel 

a proactive approach is overdue. 

Under consideration are education 

measures and help with procuring 

the Allied Waste bear-proof canisters 

for all members by October 

2013. In addition, we intend to 

institute more strict enforcement 

measures for offenders within our 

juristiction. 

These proactive measures will set 

an example for good behavior. If we 

start the ball rolling, then maybe 

Moonlight, Big Sky, Ramshorn, 

Westfork/Southfork/Firelight, YC 

and others will follow. Big Sky is an 

island in the middle of bears’ territory. 

Let's keep our role in perspective. 

Rumsey Young, BSOA President 

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loCal news 

The Boss of the Plains 

Pbr preserving cowboy culture 

BIG SKY – Wear a cowboy hat, win 

a cash prize. 

Jan and Jim Cummings have spent 

four to five months a year in Big Sky 

since 1989. Back then, everybody 

wore cowboy hats, Jan recalls. 

“They were more in the Western 

mode, but as years go on we lose 

that,” she said. 

Clyde and Marge de Shields, who’ve 

also been in town since the ‘80s, 

owned the first equestrian center in 

Big Sky, down by Ramshorn. 

But last year at the Professional 

Bullriding Tour event in Big Sky, Jan 

noticed that “not too many people 

were wearing cowboy hats. 

Together, in an effort to promote 

and encourage cowboy tradition, 

the Cummings and the de Shields 

are putting up $500 to be split into 

three cash prizes and raffled off during 

this year’s PBR. 

Anyone wearing a cowboy hat at the 

entrance gate will get a free raffle 

ticket, and the Cummings 7-yearold 

granddaughter, who also loves 

cowboy hats, will pick the winners 

from—yes, a hat. 

PBr ticket update 

Photo by kene sPerry 

The Cummings got the idea from 

the Calgary Stampede, which is the 

largest rodeo in the world, Jan said. 

During the parade at Calgary, vendors 

give out coupons to discounted 

items and giveaways—but only to 

attendees wearing cowboy hats. 

“It’s a recognition of those who came 

before us,” Jan said. “The West was 

won by a certain type of person 

who was strong and courageous and 

participated in the outdoors. All of 

those things are people who love Big 

Sky.” 

Hatmaker John Stetson dubbed the 

original cowboy hat the “boss of 

the plains.” This lightweight allweather 

hat was built to be durable, 

waterproof and elegant. “He saw it 

as the embodiment of the spirit of 

the West,” Jan says. 

“You come out here because you 

like the feel of the West, the openness, 

the wildness, the contact 

with nature. All those were reasons 

the cowboys, the 1800 Gold Rush 

people came out here. The cowboys 

were an integral part of that. I 

think Big Sky is part of that, and we 

should continue the tradition.” 

As of press time, approximately 100 PBR tickets were still available, although 

it’s expected they will sell out soon. 

“The initial turnout was unbelievable and the majority of the tickets sold in 48 

hours,” said event coordinator Kacey Brown. 

Event organizers said if they could locate additional bleachers they might be 

able to release more tickets closer to the event. Updated ticket information is 

available at explorebigsky/bigskypbr. 


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Lynn Milligan 

406.581.2848 

Winter & Co. Welcomes 

Aimee Gerharter 

406-599-4448 aimeegerharter@msn.com 

Lara Hobby 

406.581.4243 

Aimee Gerharter 

406.599.4448 

Marcie Hahn-Kno 

406.599.3530

10 June 29, 2012 

loCal news 

a postcard from the wilderness 

local artist takes off for alaskan fellowship 

by emily stiFler 

big Sky weekly managing editor 

BIG SKY – As Big Sky-based artist Corrie 

Francis Parks walks Alaska’s historic 

Chilcoot Trail this summer, she plans 

to connect with fellow backpackers, 

asking them to write 

or draw a postcard 

to themselves. The 

idea is to help them 

preserve a memory of 

their experience in the 

wilderness, Parks said. 

A year later, she’ll 

send the postcards 

to the writers as a reminder 

of the mental 

and physical moments 

they experienced in 

the wilderness. 

Also an animator and a photographer, 

Parks is doing this as part of a two-week 

residency in the Klondike Gold Rush 

National Historical Park this summer, 

outside of Skagway, Alaska. 

Parks, 32, moved to Big Sky with her 

husband last November from Aspen, 

Colo. Through her work as a freelancer, 

she creates animated films that combine 

digital and traditional techniques. 

The 33-mile trail was one of two main 

routes used by gold rush stampeders 

to access the Klondike from southeast 

Alaska, but was established by the 

by robin brower-mCbride 

big Sky chamber of commerce 

BIG SKY – The 32nd Annual Country 

Fair and Arts Festival will be Saturday, 

July 28 in the Big Sky Town Center. Its 

theme, ‘Wild Blue Yonder,’ is meant to 

capture the energy and the reputation 

Big Sky has for touching the curious 

and adventurous side in everyone. 

Celebrating community, arts and entertainment, 

the festival will bring four 

different bands to the outdoor stage, 

along with local and regional artists and 

craftsmen, interactive exhibits, food 

and craft stations. Admission is free. 

The day will start at 8:30 a.m. with a 

5k race and a 1k fun run/walk. Next, 

the parade will leave from the Community 

Park at 10 a.m., and arrive at the 

Town Center Pavilion at around 10:30. 

Parade participants will include live 

music from local band Bluebird Sky, a 

stagecoach from Cedar Mountain Corral, 

Gallatin Canyon Women’s Club, 

Big Sky Western Bank and Big Brothers 

Big Sisters. 

Tlingit people long before that, as a 

trade route. Parks’ residency is part of 

an international program developed to 

help connect people and national parks 

and national historic sites through art. 

skagway, alaska 

Photo Courtesy oF Corrie FranCis Parks 

Parks will also document the adventure 

with photos and writing. Following the 

residency, she will return to Big Sky 

and use a few of the postcards to turn 

into animated mini-documentaries, 

which will be part of her ongoing blog, 

“The Klondike Letters Project,” and a 

future exhibition. 

“It should be a lot of fun to see what 

people come up with!” Parks said. 

Follow Parks’ journey on the Chilcoot 

Trail at klondikeletters.com. 

32nd annual Big Sky Country 

fair and arts festival, July 28 

themed ‘wild blue yonder’ 

Exhibits at the Fair include live 

birds of prey from the Grizzly and 

Wolf Discovery Center; how to 

maximize your time outdoors, with 

Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation; 

fly casting and pie-eating 

contests; a petting zoo; face-painting; 

kid’s activities (bouncy house, 

rock-climbing wall, superslide); 

a dunk-tank with well-known 

community members going in the 

water; and a car-wash held by the 

Chamber of Commerce. 

Additional musical acts include the 

Driftwood Grinners, the Mountain 

Breathers featuring Chase McBride, 

and The Deadlocks. 

Interested in participating in the 

Growing Artists Gallery (age 3-18), 

volunteering or sponsoring the 

festival? Contact the Chamber at 

(406) 995-3000 or stop the office 

any time. 


BIG SKY – The St. Baldrick’s event at 

the Big Sky Fire Station left more hair 

on the floor than atop heads, but it 

wasn’t without a good cause. 

This is the fourth year the Big Sky Fire 

Department has hosted a fundraiser 

for St. Baldrick’s—an organization that 

raises money for kids with childhood 

cancer. 

“This is a great fundraiser because it directly 

benefits children suffering from 

childhood cancer,” Chief Bill Farhat 

said. “The firefighters enjoy doing it, 

and it’s fun for the kids that get to come 

up to the fire station.” 

Each year, the BSFD St. Baldrick event 

honors children from around the area. 

This year the department chose to honor 

Bozeman resident Caden Shauger, as 

well as campers from Eagle Mount’s Big 

Sky Kids Camp. Caden, son of Bozeman 

Fire Chief Jason Shauger and his 

wife Pam, was diagnosed with High 

Risk Neuroblastoma at age 3. From Big 

Sky Kids Camp, 18 campers and six 

counselors came for the event. 

“The support is the most powerful part 

of this event,” said Lisa Batzler, director 

at Eagle Mount. “There is a sense of 

family from the Big Sky Fire Department 

for doing this; I can’t thank them 

and St. Baldricks enough.” 

Jaci Clark of Montana Haven Salon 

was the official event barber. Among 

the many male participants who raised 

money to go bald, a few tough women 

also stepped up to support the cause. 

“I was sick when I was 18, so I know 

what it’s like,” said Megan Custer, a 

volunteer from Big Sky Kids Camp 

who raised $3,000 from the kids this 

year. “I shaved my head because it’s one 

way I can give back…It’s my second 



Big Sky fire Department raises hope 

and funds for childhood cancer 

by renae Counter 

big Sky weekly editorial aSSiStant 

Chief bill Farhat with his daughters 

megan (left) and amy (right) 

Photo by renae Counter 

time shaving my head and I’ll do it 

again.” 

After hearing Caden’s story, Darlene 

Lauer decided to go bald along with her 

husband, Kevin Lauer, assistant Chief 

at Gallatin Gateway Fire Department. 

“I went door-to-door asking for donations,” 

Darlene said. “By the time I got 

to the end of the first street I couldn’t 

tell the story without crying. A few 

days ago, my two grandkids left after 

visiting, and I thought about them and 

how thankful I am they are healthy. I 

just wanted to help these kids out.” 

Chief Farhat’s 12-year old daughter 

Amy also participated by allowing her 

long, brown hair to be shaved off. “She 

wanted to be a part of it and help out,” 

the fire chief said. 

Along with head shaving, the fire 

department served a pancake breakfast 

and gave children rides on the fire 

trucks. 

In total, 30 participants had their heads 

shaved, raising $12,095. Donations 

can still be made by searching for the 

Big Sky Fire Departments event page at 

stbaldricks.org.

HELMS 

J E F F HELMS 

JAMISON 

KULESZA 

96 properties sold in the last 6 months 

“ ere has never been a more opportune time to purchase real estate in Big Sky” 

Sold Properties List Price Close Date Sold Properties List Price Close Date Sold Properties List Price Close Date 

Fairways 2156 $539,000 Jan 3, 2012 

199 Candlelight, Firelight Chalet $184,900 Jan 7, 2012 

19 Meadow Village Unit 2B $58,500 Jan 10, 2012 

Lot 25 Porcupine Park Sub $99,000 Jan 17, 2012 

Fairways 2148 $539,000 Jan 18, 2012 

Lot 8 Little Coyote Rd. $89,000 Jan 23, 2012 

Big Horn 14 $325,000 Jan 27, 2012 

Big Horn 19 $469,000 Jan 27, 2012 

1929 Chief Joseph Trail $1,695,000 Jan 27, 2012 

2620 Curley Bear Rd. $479,000 Jan 30, 2012 

Beaverhead 1433 $600,000 Feb 2, 2012 

Hill Condo 1296 $70,000 Feb 6, 2012 

Lot 6 Chief Joseph Trail $240,000 Feb 7, 2012 

Hill Condo 1314 $64,000 Feb 9, 2012 

Summit Hotel 10306 $549,000 Feb 10, 2012 

339 Low Dog Road $999,000 Feb 14, 2012 

Moonlight Mountain Home 2 $995,000 Feb 15, 2012 

Glacier Condominium 149 $115,000 Feb 16, 2012 

Alpine Meadows Suite 6D $1,595,000 Feb 17, 2012 

Hill Condo 1247 $40,000 Feb 22, 2012 

Hill Condo 1288 $99,900 Feb 24, 2012 

245 Karst Stage Loop $214,500 Feb 24, 2012 

Firelight Condo C2 $100,000 Feb 28, 2012 

Summit Hotel 10912 $199,000 Feb 29, 2012 

Firelight Condo B11 $100,000 Mar 1, 2012 

Tamarack Court Condo 7 $245,000 Mar 2, 2012 

Moose Ridge 20A $649,000 Mar 5, 2012 

Stillwater Condo 1002 $127,500 Mar 6, 2012 

Park Condo 288 $299,000 Mar 6, 2012 

Summit View Ph 1, Lot 9 $140,000 Mar 9, 2012 

Pine Ridge Condo 9 $142,500 Mar 12, 2012 

Summit Hotel 10811 $199,900 Mar 13, 2012 

Cowdrey Unit 9 $44,900 Mar 14, 2012 

Crail Creek Club 620 $395,900 Mar 14, 2012 

Cowboy Heaven Luxury Ste 2D $1,695,000 Mar 14, 2012 

Summit Hotel 10602 $460,000 Mar 15, 2012 

Cowboy Heaven Lot 20 $555,000 Mar 15, 2012 

Deer Run H-1 $375,000 Mar 19, 2012 

Big Horn 10 $345,000 Mar 23, 2012 

Cowdrey Warehouse Units $549,000 Mar 23, 2012 

10 Candlelight, Firelight Chalet $174,900 Mar 26, 2012 

Antler Ridge 105 $795,000 Mar 26, 2012 

Strawberry Ridge Lot 3 $1,095,000 Mar 27, 2012 

1955 Little Coyote $569,000 Mar 29, 2012 

Cedar Creek Condo 47 $145,000 Mar 30, 2012 

1003 Lone Mountain Trail $1,585,000 Mar 30, 2012 

Hill Condo 1350 $36,000 Apr 3, 2012 

87 Starlight, Firelight Chalet $186,900 Apr 6, 2012 

Hill Condo 1319 $149,900 Apr 8, 2012 

Cowboy Heaven Cabin 9 $679,000 Apr 10, 2012 

Firelight Condo A17 $105,000 Apr 11, 2012 

Lot 31 Porcupine Park Sub $142,500 Apr 11, 2012 

Firelight Condo D17 $69,900 Apr 13, 2012 

Hill Condo 1221 $44,500 Apr 20, 2012 

Lot 70 Goshawk Trail $497,000 Apr 20, 2012 

Powder Ridge 2 $499,000 Apr 25, 2012 

120 Cheyenne Road $699,000 Apr 25, 2012 

Silverbow 39 $86,900 Apr 27, 2012 

Lot 92 Settlers Loop $149,000 Apr 27, 2012 

Gallatin Bldg Unit 8 $100,000 Apr 30, 2012 

145 Karst Stage Loop $336,000 Apr 30, 2012 

e Pines Condominium L2 $399,000 Apr 30, 2012 

35 Rainbow Trout Run $439,000 Apr 30, 2012 

394 Candlelight, Firelight Chalet $195,000 May 2, 2012 

288 Firelight, Firelight Chalet $153,500 May 3, 2012 

Moonlight Mountain Home 57 $899,900 May 4, 2012 

Crail Creek 616 $350,000 May 6, 2012 

32 Low Dog Rd. $759,000 May 9, 2012 

Moonlight Mountain Home 4 $1,095,000 May 10, 2012 

487 Grey Drake Road $1,875,000 May 10, 2012 

Cabin 18 $1,990,000 May 10, 2012 

135 Lower Diamond Hitch Road $4,199,000 May 10, 2012 

e Pines Condominium C1 $335,000 May 11, 2012 


Moonlight Mountain Home 51 $995,000 May 14, 2012 

Lot 13 Sawbuck Rd. $675,000 May 15, 2012 

Ranch 116, Crow Point $150,000 May 16, 2012 


350 Low Dog Road $1,699,000 May 16, 2012 

Cabin 15 $1,990,000 May 18, 2012 

19 Meadow Village Drive 2G $87,900 May 24, 2012 

3 Black Moon $920,000 May 24, 2012 

15 Rising Bull Rd. $1,799,000 May 25, 2012 

Meadow Village Ctr. Ln. Unit D $58,000 May 31, 2012 


Cabin 14 $1,790,000 Jun 1, 2012 

Lot 74 Eagel View Trail $289,000 Jun 5, 2012 

Cascade Lot 286 $179,000 Jun 8, 2012 

Hill Condo 1315 $62,500 Jun 15, 2012 

Alpenglow 18C $368,000 Jun 15, 2012 

2115 Little Coyote $455,000 Jun 15, 2012 

2160 Lone Walker Road $419,000 Jun 18, 2012 

Cowboy Heaven Cabin 24 $450,000 Jun 19, 2012 

Alpine Meadows Chalet 69 $1,195,000 Jun 20, 2012 

86 Candlelight, Firelight Chalet $169,900 Jun 21, 2012 

Shoshone Hotel 1937 $199,900 Jun 27, 2012 

Call me directly for up-to-date market information: 406-539-0121 

Representing buyers and sellers in: 

MOONLIGHT BASIN YELLOWSTONE CLUB THE CLUB AT SPANISH PEAKS GREATER BIG SKY AREA 

Jeff Helms 

Big Sky Town Center O ce 

M: 406.539.0121 

E: je @sothebysrealty.com 

All information is derived from MLS sources and deemed reliable, however, is not guaranteed. Data is subject 

to error, omissions, prior sales, price change or withdrawal without notice and approval of purchase 

by Seller. We urge independent veri cation of each and every item submitted, to the satisfaction of any 

prospective purchaser.

12 June 29, 2012 

local news 

BIG SKY – The goal is to have 30 new 

wayfinding signs up around the Big 

Sky community by next ski season. 

The project, led by the Big Sky 

Chamber of Commerce and Ryan 

Hamilton, also aims to install new 

lighting at the intersection of Lone 

Mountain Trail and Highway 191, 

and an entryway monument in the 

next two years. 

The Chamber recently passed two 

milestones in this quest. 

First, the Big Sky Resort Tax Board 

funded $225,000 toward the projects 

on June 13. $150,000 of that will 

go toward the wayfinding signage 

and $60,000 to the lighting project. 

Another $15,000 will go toward 

preliminary work for the entryway 

monument. 

And second, on June 21, the Gallatin 

County Commission voted in favor 

of a zone text amendment to the Big 

Sky Zoning Regulations that would 

allow for such signage to exist. Ham- 

ilton and County staff had rewritten 

the proposed text amendment several 

times and were relieved to have overwhelming 

support for this iteration at 

the meeting. 

“If you want to talk about a zoning 

district like Big Sky, having a sign at 

the entrance is 

going to benefit 

the entire district,”Commission 

Chairman 

Steve White 

said. “It’s a very 

unique amendment.” 

Addressing the 

planning department’s 

questions, White made findings 

that the project will promote scenic 

beauty and public safety, encourage 

growth, enhance the resort experience, 

and preserve and protect property 

values. 

The Chamber’s overall plan has been 

complicated by the fact that the 

signs will sit not only along county 

roadways, but also on federal, state 


and private right of ways. 

Next up: “We still have to apply 

for final approval for the signs,” 

said Hamilton, who has already 

been working on the project for two 

years. 

This means Hamilton, with architects 

and 

engineers 

from CTA, 

will apply 

to Gallatin 

and Madison 

counties 

and to the 

Montana 

Department 

of Transportation 

for approval of the proposed signs, 

including size, design, content and 

location. 

The DOT has strict safety specifications 

for sign materials and construction. 

“When you put a sign in the DOT 

right of way, there are certain 

parameters that all parties involved 

need to agree on,” Hamilton said. 

The Chamber, he said, is leading 

this project and will thus be assuming 

responsibility for installing, 

insuring and maintaining the signs. 

Currently, the Chamber is sticking 

with the plan to use the black diamond, 

blue square and green circle 

themes to denote destinations at 

the mountain, canyon and meadow, 

respectively. The plan to use steel 

and wood has changed to overlaying 

a graphic that looks like steel and 

wood atop the DOT’s regulation 

materials. 

The signs will be a community asset, 

owned and maintained by the 

Chamber, Hamilton said. They’ll 

also be designed to minimize maintenance. 

“We have substantial services and 

attractions to offer,” Chamber president 

David O’Connor said. “Many 

of those people are on a vacation, 

looking to do cool things. One of 

the most basic fundamental things 

[we can do is] tell them those things 

are here when they’re driving by.” 

Hamilton has held a series of public 

meetings with individuals and businesses 

about all of these projects, 

taking comments about the design, 

placement, wording and other 

details. 

The project will be in line with the 

Chamber’s new branding campaign, 

O’Connor said. “This is not a billboard 

program, we’re not looking to 

alter the pristine experience.” 



Wayfinding signs and lighting on the docket for this year 

entryway monument a ways out 

By emily stifler 

big sky weekly managing editor 

"we spend so much time 

and effort, collectively and 

individually, to bring people 

to this community and 

to tell the Big sky story. we 

need to illustrate to people 

that they’ve gotten here.” 

Hamilton is also working with CTA to 

get permits for the lighting. The lights, 

probably six of them in all, will line 

Lone Mountain Trail at the turnoff. 

“We want that Spur Road to be a 

subtle path,” O’Connor said. “Because 

so many people come at night, it 

would identify that as a turning place 

into the community.” 

Once the Chamber chooses a light 

pole and fixture style, Hamilton will 

put it out for public comment. 

The light poles will serve a double 

purpose in branding the community 

by holding banners for event 

promotion and community branding 

messages. 

The Chamber is still in preliminary 

planning for the entryway 

monument project. 

“We spend so much time and effort, 

collectively and individually, 

to bring people to this community 

and to tell the Big Sky story,” 

O’Connor said. “We need to illustrate 

to people that they’ve gotten 

here.” 

“I shudder to think of how many 

people pass by the intersection 

that have no clue there’s anything 

up there.” 

The double-sided monument, 

which will be a maximum of 35 

feet tall by 90 feet long, would sit 

perpendicular to Highway 191. 

Hamilton has been talking to 

Conoco owner Renae Schumacher 

about putting it on the strip of 

lawn just west of the Conoco sign, 

which is also more than 30 feet 

tall. Some of the $15,000 in resort 

tax funding will pay an attorney 

to help draft an easement, and the 

rest would go to design. 

“This project in particular needs to 

have buy-in by the community,” 

Hamilton said. He plans to hold 

additional public meetings during 

the design process. 

As well, he says, it’s going to be a 

significant community effort. In 

addition to asking for resort tax 

funding, the Chamber will ask 

contractors, masons, landscapers, 

irrigators and others to help out as 

much as they can. 

“It’s going to be one of those barn 

raising projects, as I see it,” Hamilton 

said. “Let’s show our community 

pride by coming together to 

build a community asset like this.”

egional 


Skyline Bus system adds new service to West Yellowstone 

summer schedule began June 18 



BIG SKY, BOZEMAN, WEST YEL- 

LOWSTONE – After several years of 

planning and collaboration, the Skyline 

Bus system is expanding to include a 

route from Bozeman to West Yellowstone. 

The new service is set to begin 

in July. 

“It was a gap in service to and around 

Yellowstone National Park,” said Skyline’s 

regional coordinator David Kack. 

The Montana Department of Transportation 

agreed to put $75,000 toward the 

service for fiscal year 2013, and Skyline 

is now finalizing the details on that 

contract. 

The Big Sky Resort Tax board in June 

agreed to fund $300,000, which will 

go primarily go to the ongoing services 

in Big Sky and between Big Sky and 

Bozeman. 

Skyline also requested $30,000 from 

Gallatin County, which the county 

commission voted against in an initial 

budget vote in June. This decision 

was an “issue of budgetary priorities, 

said Commission Chairman Steve 

White. The commission, which votes 

on its final budget in August, has 

never supported Skyline fiscally. 

Regardless, Kack said, “we want to 

get the service [to West] out on the 

street. We don't want to wait until 

August when the county may or may 

not provide any support.” 

Skyline also requested $5,000 from 

West Yellowstone, and also asked 

its town council to send a letter to 

Gallatin County asking it to support 

the service. 

Skyline is part of the Linx bus system, 

which is a transportation cooperative 

that works with 20 providers 

in the Greater Yellowstone region and 

also runs busses into the park itself. 

“Our goal is to improve connectivity 

using existing systems already in 

place,” said Linx Field Representative 

from West Yellowstone, Kimberly 

Brown. This new service allows just 

that. 

Linx’s summer operation center is in 

West, and Brown says of the most 

popular requests is from people flying 

into Bozeman who want to get to 

West so they can see the park. 

Riders could use this new service to 

connect to another carrier in West 

and ride into Yellowstone Park, to 

Jackson, Pocatello, Salt Lake City, or 

other spots around the region. 

The service will also compliment an 

existing one provided by the West 

Yellowstone Foundation, which offers 

rides around West and up to Bozeman 

three days a week. While that 

service is geared mainly for residents 

of West to get to Bozeman for medical 

appointments or shopping, Kack says 

Skyline is meant more to get people 

to West. And he notes, it’s 365 days 

a year. 

Wildfire Season: Spring somewhat similar to 1988 

more than 30,000 acres burning 



BOZEMAN – Predictions for an average 

wildfire season may soon go up 

in smoke, as more than 30,000 acres 

were already burning in southwest 

and south-central Montana in late 

July. Gov. Brian Schweitzer on June 26 

announced a state of emergency Lewis 

and Clark, Broadwater, Jefferson and 

Madison counties. 

When the Weekly went to press on 

Wed June 27, three fires were burning 

in southwest Montana: the 14,770-acre 

Beartrap 2 Fire along the Madison River 

near Norris; the 6,400-acre Pony Fire 

in the Tobacco Root Mountains west of 

Pony, and the 686-acre Antelope Lane 

Fire, in the Bull Mountains north of 

Whitehall. 

The Corral Fire was also burning 1,200 

acres in the Scratchgravel Hills, outside 

of Helena, and the Dahl Fire was 

burning 18,751 acres in Musselshell 

County. 

More than 500 firefighters from volunteer, 

county, state and regional crews 

were already working on the Pony, 

Beartrap and Antelope fires, combined. 

More were on the way, but were slow 

in arriving because many had been on 

assignment in other parts of the West. 

record breaking march heat 

(from earthobservatory.nasa.gov/iotd/view.php?id=77465) 

The previous few days had seen 

winds sustained at 20 miles an hour 

with gusts up to 50. Combined with 

temperatures in the high 90s and dry 

fuels, it was “a recipe for very intense 

fire behavior,” said Terina Mullen a 

fire mitigation and education specialist 

from the Western Montana District 

BLM Office. 

The winds also hampered firefighting 

efforts, grounded aircraft, and on June 

25, caused the Beartrap 2 Fire to jump 

the Madison River and cross Highway 

84. 

As of press time, the Beartrap 2 and 

Pony fires were not contained at all, and 

the Antelope Lane Fire was 40 percent 

contained. Highway 84 was closed 

briefly, as were all BLM facilities on the 

Madison River. 

The Bear Trap 2 Fire was caused by fireworks, 

the Antelope Lane by lighting, 

and the others all unknown. 

Residents of the South Boulder River 

above the Indiana University Field Station 

in the Tobacco Roots were evacuated, 

and the Pony Fire had already 

burned two structures there. Evacuations 

were also in effect for Blacks Ford 

south to Norris, and two structures had 

also been burned by the Beartrap 2 Fire. 

This level of fire activity isn’t typical 

for this time of year, Mullen said. 



Skyline has been in service for five 

years. With more than 60,000 people 

using the Bozeman – Big Sky service in 

the last year, the number of people riding 

Skyline is up from its previous high 

of 47,449. Ridership on the service 

within Big Sky has also increased by 

about 8.5 percent over last year. 

Skyline’s summer schedule began Monday, 

June 18 and will run through Sept. 

9. The schedule offers two Canyon – 

Mountain Routes for rides around Big 

Sky, and three round trips per day on 

the Link Express for rides between Bozeman 

and Big Sky. Demand response 

service is also available in Big Sky. Busses 

operate seven days a week. 

While the Skyline service within Big 

Sky is free, a small fare is charged on the 

service between Big Sky and Bozeman, 

and will be charged for the ride between 

Bozeman and West. 

skylinebus.com 

linx.coop 

Although the region had an average 

snowpack as of April 1, a warm spring 

caused the snowpack to melt faster. As 

forests dry out faster, fire risk increases 

earlier, said research ecologist Greg 

Pederson with the Northern Rocky 

Mountain Science Center in Bozeman. 

“Even though we did alright for spring 

moisture it doesn't seem to have been 

enough to decrease fire risks substantially 

into the early summer,” Pederson 

said. “As soon as you shut off the 

precipitation and get a wave train of 

days above 80 and 90 degrees with 

high winds, it can dry out really fast,” 

Pederson said. 

“We have a setup right now, climatically… 

that is similar in some ways to 

1988,” Pederson said, referring to the 

year that fires burned nearly 1.2 million 

acres in and around Yellowstone Park. 

“Early high pressure systems that block 

precipitation, also lead to warm spring 

temperatures, and early snow melt out. 

Preconditioning the region to a long hot 

summer with dry soils, raising fire risk 

because forests are dry and flammable.” 

Across the Western U.S. this March, 

temperatures were between 12 and 

15 degrees C above the 20th century 

monthly average for March, Pederson 

added. “Basically with the warm and 

early spring, we had a perfect setup for a 

big fire and low streamflow year across 

the West.” 

June 29, 2012 13

Thank you to all of the sponsors of the 

2012 Big Sky PBR 

SEE Y’ALL AT THE SHOW 

Outlaw Partners 

Continental Construction 

Yellowstone Club 

Big Sky Resort 

Big Sky Town Center 

Fay Ranches 

Haas Construction 

STOA Management 

Jack Daniels 

Centre Sky Architects 

Toyota of Bozeman 

Lone View Ridge 

Black Bull 

Fay Ranches 

Sotheby’s – Jeff Helms 

Moonlight Basin 

Lone Pine Builders 

Big Sky CVB 

Fulton Hertz Hoover Wealth Management Group 

Bill Earl’s 

Buck’s T-4 

Olive B’s 

Mountain Home Electric 

Hammond Property Management 

Big Sky Western Bank 

Sotheby’s - Tim Cyr and Cathy Gorman 

Blue Ribbon Builders 

Big Sky Community Corporation 

Nordic Hot Tub 

Simkins Hallins 

Christie’s Realty 

Big Sky Council of the Arts 

Sotheby’s – Ryan and Tallie 

320 Guest Ranch 

Geyser White Water 

Big Sky Taxi 

Natalie’s Estate Winery 

Delaware North Company 

Stone Legends 

Broken Spoke 

Choppers 

Half Moon Saloon 

Burger Bar 

Ousel and Spur 

Yellowstone Park Foundation 

Jan and Jim Cummings 

Sponsorship opportunities still available. 

Call Kacey at 995-2055 


montana 

HELENA – The Montana Office of 

Public Instruction has been awarded 

a three-year, $4 million grant to link 

post-secondary data with Montana's 

K-12 data system. 

The idea is having education data easily 

available to educators, parents and 

communities will help improve student 

learning, said Montana Superintendent 

of Public Instruction Denise Juneau, 

who has been working on this tack for 

several years already. 

Improving transparency and using data 

to improve student achievement and 

set policy priorities has been a focus at 

OPI, Juneau said, adding that data allows 

improved focus on accountability, 

effectiveness and achievement. 

Linking the K-12 education data with 

data from the Montana University System 

will allow high schools a greater 

understanding of whether their gradu- 


$4 million grant to connect K-12 

and higher education data 

BIG SKY – Drive Highway 191 through 

Gallatin Canyon north of Big Sky, and 

the number of political signs endorsing 

Rep. Denny Rehberg for Montana’s U.S. 

Senate seat is notable. 

But when the Republican entered the 

Montana Room at Buck’s T-4 for the June 

16 debate against Democratic incumbent 

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont, no one seemed 

to notice. He shook a few hands and 

climbed quietly onto the stage for what 

would be the first official debate in the 

race. 

When Tester walked into the room, on 

the other hand, a peal of cheers went up 

from what seemed to be a cohesive group 

of women’s rights supporters sitting in 

the center of the crowd. 

Independent challenger Libertarian Dan 

Cox also took part in the debate, kicking 

off what promises to be a heated race. 

A panel of four Montana journalists addressed 

the candidates, asking questions 

relating major national issues to every 

day people of Montana. The panelists 

included Big Sky Weekly reporter Taylor 

Anderson and Bozeman Daily Chronicle 

managing editor Nick Ehli. 

Among the main topics addressed were: 

health care, the cost of college, the reach 

of government, corporations as people, 

Fannie May and Freddie Mac, small business, 

closure of rural post offices, energy 

policy and independence, and veterans. 

Rehberg spoke quickly in defense of his 

beliefs, while Tester had a more metered 

pace, and Cox brought humor to the 

ates are ready for college, Juneau said, 

and help them analyze which coursework 

led to successful transitions from 

high school to higher education. 

“Our continued partnership with 

higher education is critical to meet the 

needs of the 21st century workforce 

and move our state forward," she said. 

OPI has been working over the past 15 

months to develop and roll out a new 

public website and warehouse for education 

data called "GEMS." This site, 

gems.opi.mt.gov, allows education data 

to be combined and searched in ways 

that are currently labor intensive and 

inaccessible to the public. The new system 

will by fully complete by December 

2012. Student achievement data 

such as state and national test scores is 

currently available to the public on the 

GEMS website. OPI expects to have 

K-12 and MUS data up by June 2015. 

first official U.S. Senate 

debate held in Big Sky 



room, pointing out when the other two 

danced around topics, answering indirectly, 

and instead falling back on rhetoric. 

Both Tester and Rehberg painted 

themselves as having come from lowerclass 

agricultural backgrounds. But their 

similarities stopped there, and they 

later jabbed each other about these backgrounds—Tester 

at Rehberg's real estate 

history, and Rehberg at Tester for voting 

alongside President Obama. Even so, the 

debate itself was remarkably civil. 

Although the candidates requested no 

applause or boos, members of the crowd 

shouted occasional comments, questions 

and even angry slurs. 

Near the session’s end, the candidates 

fielded questions submitted from the 

audience. One was particularly indicative: 

"What do you specifically propose to do 

to get past gridlock, to reach across the 

aisle, and—even if it is a dirty word— 

compromise?" 

Tester cited the importance of communicating 

in an honest and straightforward 

way, citing recently passed legislation as 

an example. 

Rehberg brought up small business and 

said it’s necessary to remove the barriers— 

taxes—to keep money in these people's 

pockets. 

The debate mediator asked the question 

again, saying he didn't hear much from 

either on the topic of compromise. 

To watch a video of the candidates speaking 

at the debate, visit explorebigsky.com.

yellowstone 

gardiner gateway, revitalized 

story and Photo 



GARDINER – Gardiner is going get 

a facelift, endorsed by Gov. Brian Schweitzer. 

On Flag Day, June 14, a group of 

stakeholders including Schweitzer 

came together at the Roosevelt Arch to 

sign a Memorandum of Understanding, 

formalizing the start of a process to 

modernize facilities in Gardiner and at 

the north entrance to Yellowstone. 

More than 240 people attended the 

ceremony—a strong turnout for the 

town of 850. The speakers touched 

on themes of history, cooperation and 

tourism. 

“It’s really about Gardiner, and this 

special place,” said Greater Gardiner 

Community Council director Bill Berg. 

“109 years ago, the greatest president in 

the history of the country came to this 

spot, Teddy Roosevelt,” Gov. Schweitzer 

said. That was a crossroads, he 

said: Roosevelt brought forth the idea 

that some places are so special we must 

save them for future generations. 

YELLOWSTONE – A bull bison gored 

a Yellowstone tourist near the Norris 

campground on Saturday, June 23, 

when the man let the bull approach to 

within a few feet of where he was sitting 

and refused to move. 

The bison tossed the man nearly 10 feet 

in the air and then pinned him to the 

ground. The man, in his mid 50s, was 

visiting the park from Massachusetts. 

He suffered a broken collarbone, shoulder 

blade, ribs and a groin injury. He 

was airlifted to a hospital in Idaho Falls, 

Idaho and is expected to recover. 

Intentionally approaching or disturbing 

animals violates park regulations, 

which require visitors to stay 100 yards 

or more from bears and wolves, and at 

Today, Schweitzer said, we’re at a 

crossroads again, and it’s similar to the 

one Roosevelt faced. “Do we protect 

our most special places?” the Governor 

asked, and then launched into a promotion 

of Montana tourism. 

Last year, more than 700,000 people 

came through the north entrance to the 

Park. That brings money into the small, 

unincorporated community, but it 

also takes a toll on its limited facilities, 

and was more traffic than the entrance 

station and winding Park Street could 

handle. 

The National Park Service will move 

forward with its plans this summer, 

which include road safety improvements 

on Park Street. 

Local and regional groups, led by the 

Greater Gardiner Community Council, 

are now seeking grant funding for 

projects on their side of the “Gardiner 

Gateway.” These include establishment 

of a downtown historic district, 

building a welcome center, installation 

of wayfinding signage, revitalization 

of Arch Park and rebuild the historic 

depot. 

More at gardinergatewayproject.org 

Man gored by bison in Yellowstone 

least 25 yards from all other animals 

including elk and bison. 

Park rangers enforce these regulations, 

which are designed to protect both people 

and animals. Officials recommend 

hikers stay on designated trails, hike in 

groups of three or more people, carry 

bear spray and to be alert for wildlife. 

The best defense against attacks is to 

stay a safe distance from wildlife and 

use binoculars, a spotting scope or a 

telephoto lens to get a closer look, and 

never feed, approach, disturb or entice 

wildlife, including birds, in any way. 

If an animal approaches you, it’s your 

responsibility to move a safe distance 

away, not the animal’s. 

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL 

PARK – Road construction in 

Tower Junction and Canyon Village 

will begin the first week of July. 

The NPS expects these projects will 

have little impact on visitors. 

The projects include reconstructing 

and widening a 2.5-mile stretch of road 

between Tower Junction and Tower Fall, 

reconstructing the Canyon Village parking 

lot, and replacing the Obsidian Creek 

Bridge at the Indian Creek Campground. 

HK Contractors, Inc., of Idaho Falls, 

Idaho will run the projects. 

The Tower Road has not been reconstructed 

since 1939. This project will 

also include pullout improvements, 

retaining wall repairs, and addition of 

ADA-accessible routes to viewpoints at 

the Calcite Springs overlook. The current 

Canyon Village parking area is 55 

years old. The historic Obsidian Creek 

Bridge was built in 1911. The redesign 

will retain the character of the original 

bridge. 

The Obsidian Creek Bridge project 

should be completed by the end of this 

year. The Tower and Canyon projects are 

expected to be completed by October 

2013. 



Tower, Canyon area road 

projects scheduled for summer 

Updated Yellowstone National Park road 

information is available 24 hours a day at 

(307) 344-2117. 

expected closures/impacts: 

Tower Road: Early July – mid September, 

closed nightly 11 p.m. – 7 a.m. 

Expect 30-minute delays during open 

hours. Mid September – early November, 

full closure. Closure points will be 

at Tower Junction next to the Roosevelt 

Corral and just north of Chittenden 

Road between Tower and Canyon Village. 

Overnight visitors in the Tower Fall 

campground will be allowed entry or 

exit during closure for emergencies only. 

Trail access to Mount Washburn will 

remain available from the Chittenden 

Road and Dunraven Pass trailheads. 

Canyon Village main parking area: 

Construction will occur in four sections, 

one at a time, to keep day-use parking 

available for the Visitor Education Center, 

lodge and stores. The entire parking 

lot will be closed nightly from 11 p.m. – 

6 a.m. All stores will remain open during 

normal operating hours. 

obsidian Creek Bridge (Indian Creek 

Campground): Construction will occur 

after the campground closes for the 

season Sept. 4. 

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Big Sky Weekly

Section 2: 

business, health and environment 

sPorts 

eUro 2012 

the best soccer teams 

in europe square off 

this summer 

England's start striker Wayne Rooney was suspended for the first two games for an egregious foul in a 

qualifying match. Photo by ian C. (CC) 

by tyler allen 

big Sky weekly contributor 

It looks like Americans are finally paying attention to 

the most popular sport in the world. Sure, every four 

years the FIFA World Cup inspires a spike of interest in 

the global game here at home, but that tournament can 

hardly be ignored since it usually includes our national 

team. Yet through the first six matches of Euro 2012, 

ESPN’s live coverage averaged 1.3 million viewers from 

the U.S., a three-fold increase over the network’s presentation 

in 2008. 

The tournament is being held in Poland and Ukraine, 

and the storylines surrounding the contest are as compelling 

as the soccer matchups. Many European leaders 

have boycotted the matches played in Ukraine over 

the continued imprisonment of former President Yulia 

Tymoshenko. UEFA officials have denounced stories 

of price gouging for accommodations in Ukraine in the 

months prior to the start of the tournament; concern 

over racial targeting there has proven accurate; and the 

rancor of nationalism that often accompanies European 

soccer has made headlines. 

Russia was fined after its first match when fans taunted 

a black player from the Czech Republic and beat up a 

security guard. Dutch players were also targeted with racial 

chants by a few of the 25,000 spectators at a practice 

pitch before their first game. Polish officials will likely 

rethink their decision to allow Russian fans to march 

through the streets of Warsaw on Russia Day, prior to 

the match between the two countries. Nearly 200 supporters 

from both sides were arrested for fighting and 

disorderly conduct as police used tear gas, water cannons 

and rubber bullets to prevent an all-out riot. 

As far as the soccer goes, 16 teams qualified—including 

automatic bids for the two host countries—to compete 

in four groups, with the top two teams in each group 

moving on to the knockout stages. The teams played 

each opponent in their group once, being awarded three 

points for a win and one for a tie. 

Spain, the defending champion, was one of the favorites 

going into the tournament, having been winners of 

the last World Cup and looking for a third consecutive 

major championship. However, that team had a lackluster 

performance in the group stage, including a 1-1 tie 

with Italy and a tense 1-0 win over Croatia that was in 

question until a goal in the 88th minute. While Spain 

won Group C, they created surprisingly few chances and 

had to rely on goalie Iker 

Casillas to bail them out a 

few times. Italy also survived 

that group, looking 

more dangerous this year 

than most expected. 

Germany was another 

pre-tournament favorite, 

with a talented, youngbut-maturing 

team 

that won all 10 of its 

qualifying matches. They 

emerged victorious from 

the “Group of Death” 

by beating Portugal, the 

Netherlands and Denmark, 

each by one goal. 

Runners-up in World 

Cup 2010, the disappointing 

Dutch failed 

to earn a single point 

in the group stage after 

losing a shocking opener 

to Denmark 1-0. They 

reached the knockout 

stages in the 11 previous 

major championships, but 

their porous defense and 

lack of cohesive offense 

proved fatal. Portugal was 

the runner-up in Group B, 

with Christiano Ronaldo, 

arguably the best player 

in the tournament, finally 

able to finish in the team’s 

last group match against 

the Dutch. After wasting 

easy chances against 

Denmark and early misses 

in the Netherlands match, 

he broke through with 

two goals and clinched 



June 29, 2012 

Volume 3 // Issue No. 13 

Portugal’s entrance into the knockout round. 

Group A saw a catastrophic collapse of Russia, who 

opened the tournament by crushing Czech Republic 

4-1, then could only manage a tie against Poland, and 

finally lost to a surprising Greek team 1-0. Greece took 

runner-up in the group with scrappy defense, and the 

Czechs rebounded after their first loss to win Group A. 

England stormed into the knockout stage thanks to a 

header from returning star striker Wayne Rooney; he 

was suspended for the first two games for an egregious 

foul in a qualifying match. They beat host Ukraine on 

the last day of the group stage, silencing a stadium filled 

with yellow and blue. France was the other survivor of 

Group D, after they limped into the quarterfinals following 

a 2-0 loss to an already eliminated Swedish team. 

Germany continued its dominant play in the quarterfinals, 

as they trounced Greece 4-2, and Spain had a 

methodical 2-0 win over a French team that could only 

muster a few inspired counter attacks. Portugal won a 

tight match over the Czech Republic 1-0 off the header 

from Ronaldo, and Italy beat England in penalty kicks after 

both teams failed to score in 90 minutes or extra time. 

As this issue went to press, Spain had beaten Portugal in 

penalty kicks after a scoreless draw and will look to defend 

its crown against the winner of the other semifinal 

contest played Thursday between Germany and Italy. 

The final match will be Sunday July 1 in Kiev, Ukraine 

(at 12:45 p.m. MST), and is sure to be a quality of soccer 

you won’t see again until World Cup 2014.

18 June 29, 2012 

sPorts 

Lebron James 

Finally king 

by brandon niles 


MIAMI – Lebron James finally earned his longtime 

nickname “King James” on June 21, when 

the Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in 

Game 5 of the NBA Finals, held in Miami. 

With his first championship and Finals MVP 

award, James has silenced the many critics who’ve 

questioned his ability to close out games and win 

when it matters most. 

James was dialed in from the opening score of the 

game, which was a dominating dunk early in the 

first quarter that gave the Heat a 2-0 lead over 

the young and talented Thunder. With a look of 

sheer determination on his face, James got back 

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on defense and proceeded to put together one of 

the most impressive first half performances of 

the series. 

By the second quarter he was scoring nearly at 

will against all who attempted to guard him, and 

it became clear he wasn’t going to let this opportunity 

go. And by the third, it was clear the Heat 

would be hoisting the Larry O’Brien Championship 

Trophy at the night’s end. 

James finished the game with a triple double, 

scoring 26 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, to 

go with a pair of blocks and a steal, in a dominating 

performance from start to finish. 

The Heat has endured tremendous criticism since 

losing in the finals last year to an aging Dallas 

Mavericks squad. None have drawn as much ire as 

James however, whose determination and killer 

instinct has been called into question repeatedly 

over the past several years. Critics and pundits 

have questioned whether he could take a team all 

the way to the championship. 

Game 5 changed all that. With the Heat’s championship 

victory and the ensuing well-deserved 

Finals MVP award, James has proven he’s capable 

of becoming one of the greats. 

For the league, the scary thing is that James likely 

isn’t done. He’s close to the same age Michael 

Jordan was when he won his first title, and he’s 

surrounded by a team with tremendous talent. 



The Heat should continue to add role players each 

season, and James has at least seven more years of 

dominant play left. 

This finals victory could be the beginning of a 

dynasty in the NBA. Now that James has that 

first title under his belt, the rest of the league 

will need to fight even harder to have a chance at 

a championship. 

James was already arguably the league’s best 

player. Now that he has a title, it’s official, and 

there’s no reason to think he won’t win again. My 

advice to those who’ve criticized him over the 

past several years is to sit back, relax and appreciate 

the opportunity to watch one of the best players 

the game has ever seen enter his prime. 

The rest of the league will likely be looking up at 

him for the next several years, and the road to the 

NBA Finals will likely go through Miami for at 

least the foreseeable future. 

Congratulations Lebron! 

Brandon Niles has done online freelance writing 

about the NFL since 2007. His articles range from 

NFL news to team-specific commentary. A communication 

studies graduate student at the University 

of North Carolina Greensboro, Niles is also an avid 

Miami Dolphins fan, which has led to his becoming 

an avid Scotch whisky fan over the past decade. 

Big Sky Softball League 

standings as of June 26 

National League Wins-Losses 

Team 1 Big Sky Resort 0-4 

Team 2 Country Market 4-0 

Team 3 Scissorbills 1-2 

Team 4 Big Sky Christian Fellowship 2-0 

Team 5 Cab Lizards 0-4 

Team 6 Black Bear 3-1 

Team 7 First Place/Cabin 1-4 

American League 

Team 8 Lone Pine Huckers 4-0 

Team 9 Eye in the Sky 4-0 

Team 10 Milkies Big Dogs 3-1 

Team 11 Beavers 1-2 

Team 12 Broken Spoke 1-3 

Team 13 Lone Peak Brewery 1-1 

Team 14 Connecticut Softball Club 0-1 

Schedule 

Field 1 - 530pm Field 2 - 530pm Field 1 - 645pm Field 2 - 645pm 

2-Jul 10v11 4v8 11v13 8v10 

3-Jul 1v5 4v6 3v5 1v7 

9-Jul 5v9 Make Up #2 6v9 Make up #3 

10-Jul 11v14 1v10 12v14 8v11 

11-Jul 2v7 3v7 

16-Jul 4v7 5v10 4v8 6v10 

17-Jul 9v13 3v12 1v9 2v13 

18-Jul 7v8 2v14 6v13 7v14 

Look for continued schedule in future issues of the Big Sky Weekly.

Integrity. 

Vision. 

Craft. 


Join us on the porch this summer 

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June 29, 2012 19

20 June 29, 2012 

Food & dining 

ousel and Spur Pizza Co. 

bringing italy to the big sky 

story and Photos 



BIG SKY – Through tall windows with 

spectacular views of Lone Mountain, 

Montana’s evening sun drenched 

the newly opened Ousel and Spur 

Pizza Co.’s dining area. Cups of fresh 

espresso sat next to glasses of red, 

white and rose wine, and platters of 

fresh asparagus, antipasti, salad and 

pasta quickly filled the table. 

This is Big Sky’s newest restaurant, 

Ousel and Spur Pizza Co. But don’t 

let the name fool you: This isn’t your 

average take-out joint. 

The pizza crust is hand-tossed and 

made with wild yeast, the sauces are 

homemade, the vegetables come from 

Montana gardens, and the mozzarella 

is rolled fresh from curd in the 

kitchen. 

Over wine, Italian dishes with a Big 

Sky flair, and espressos, owners Jennifer 

Kettleridge and Josh Kone told 

me about their longtime love of food, 

and about this new venture. 

Kone and Kettleridge began planning 

Ousel and Spur back in February, they 

said. The idea was to rebrand the old 

Trailhead Pizza Co., which previously 

occupied the building. With the help 

of the building’s owner, John Rom- 



BIG SKY – July 11th is National Rainier Cherry Day. 

As part of a national campaign known as Tree-To- 

Table, Northwest Cherries of Seattle is providing 

Rainier cherries to one restaurant in each of the 50 

states to be featured as a special menu item. This 

year, Montana’s restaurant is Big Sky’s own The 

Restaurant at Rainbow Ranch Lodge. 

ney, Kettleridge and Kone added a 

level of sophistication to the establishment. 

“We want to be able to serve dishes that 

fill the gap of everyday food,” Kettleridge 

said. “This type of dining was 

lacking in Big Sky.” 

Originally from Seattle, Kettleridge has 

lived in Big Sky for 11 years. Previously 

she worked as a wedding coordinator at 

Moonlight Basin and at the Big Sky bistro, 

By Word of Mouth. Her restaurant 

roots carry back to Seattle, where she 

worked at a nine-course, five-diamond 

restaurant, The Herbfarm. 

Kone’s Big Sky roots date back to the 

‘70s, when his grandparents settled 

in the area. Kone was manager and 

bartender at By Word Of Mouth for 

several years, and has also worked at 

Peaks and Carabineer. His love for good 

pizza springs from time spent working 

at Rusted Son Pizza in Salt Lake City. 

The two said they wanted to steer away 

from a take-out pizza parlor and instead 

create a welcoming atmosphere where 

costumers want to dine-in. The interior 

boasts a light, modern look with Montana 

accents. Dark chairs neatly contrast 

with 

light-colored walls, and rich, brown 

reclaimed timber from an old barn in 

Absarokee fences the room. 


As we talked, water pitchers set on 

each table captured and reflected the 

evening sun. Outside, a young family 

of four bicyclists cruised past the 

windows, dismounted and added their 

bikes to the collection already lined up 

on the rack. The family walked inside, 

and the mother, Erica Jenny, complimented 

the new mirror adoring the 

wall behind our table. Jenny designed 

the restaurant’s interior. 

“She’s a visionary,” Kettleridge said, 

describing Jenny’s design work. “She 

was able to capture exactly what we 

wanted the place to look and feel like.” 

To complete the light, hip feel of the 

restaurant, Kone and Kettleridge opted 

to serve Rockford Coffee, espressostyle. 

The Americano they brought to 

the table was dark and smooth, a perfect 

beige layer of crèma adorning the top. 

“I’m from Seattle, we have to serve good 

coffee,” Kettleridge said. 

The restaurant also offers a full selection 

of Italian wines, reasonably priced. 

“You won’t find a $100 bottle of wine 

in here,” Kettleridge said. “Italian wines 

are fresh, made to be drunk young with 

food.” 

Unfamiliar with Italian wines, I found 

the extensive list perplexing. But our 

waiter Chaz suggested a red wine to 

match my entrée. Dynamic and flavorful, 

it was exactly what I would have 

ordered, if I’d known how. 

“Here, the food is equal parts as good as 

the service,” Kone said. 

Rainier cherries are famous for their light, yellow 

colored flesh that bursts with sweetness. 

The campaign looks to pair them with locally 

owned restaurants that are iconic within a certain 

region. 

On July 1, Executive Chef Mattew Fritz will dish 

up the first of his cherry dishes: Duck Confit with 

Rainier Cherry Marmalade, Grilled Radicchio and 

Balsamic Glaze. Additional dishes are in the works 

to be featured throughout the rest of July. 


The restaurant at rainbow ranch Lodge featuring rainier cherry dish 


In Italy, there’s a saying that if you eat 

good food with good friends, you’ll 

never grow old. While enjoying the 

delicate flavors of fresh basil ricotta 

on homemade flatbread, and truffled 

wild mushrooms in a bed of macaroni 

with prosciutto and dandelion greens, 

I couldn’t help but believe the Italian 

proverb. 

“We want people to come here and enjoy 

themselves. Eat pizza. Drink wine,” 

Kone said. 

Along with three salads and three 

pastas, Ousel and Spur has five house 

pizzas and an option to build your 

own. Pizzas can be made gluten free 

and all dishes have a vegetarian option. 

Both the lunch and dinner menus will 

expand as the summer progresses. 

A family establishment, children 

are welcome at Ousel and Spur. The 

“Bambinos” menu includes cheese or 

pepperoni pizza, mac and cheese, and 

spaghetti with meatballs. While waiting 

for dinner, children can stay entertained 

with Wikki Stix, a soft bendable 

wax that comes in an array of colors. 

Ousel and Spur Pizza Co. is located on 

the corner of Lone Mountain Trail and 

Ousel Falls Road, next to Lone Peak 

Cinema. The restaurant is open daily 

from 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 

5 p.m. – 10 p.m. for dinner. 

For lunch and dinner menus, visit 

ouselandspurpizza.com. 

Chef Fritz, originally from Chicago, has more than 

20 years of culinary experience. Prior to his position 

at Rainbow Ranch Lodge, Chef Fritz worked 

as a chef at Yellowstone Club’s Rainbow Lodge. His 

dishes capture flavors from around the world while 

implementing locally grown produce. 

Dinner hours are 5:30 – 9:30 p.m., Tuesday through 

Sunday. Reservations are recommend and can be 

made at rainbowranchbigsky.com/restaurant.php, or 

by calling (800) 937-4132.

Food & dining 

high Country grill 

by abbie digel 


BOZEMAN – If you live in Big Sky, 

deciding where to grab food when 

spending a day in Bozeman can sometimes 

feel overwhelming, with its 

wide variety of cafés, fast-food joints, 

and ample selection of grocery stores. 

Recently, the section of Main Street 

rebuilt after the 2009 explosion has 

caught my eye. 

After the R Bar was rebuilt, an empty, 

full-service kitchen sat in the space 

near the big, new beautiful bar. Chip 

Bales, a chef originally hailing from the 

South, saw the open kitchen that faces 

the bar area as a business and restaurant 

opportunity and signed a lease for the 

space in February 2012. Soon after, in 

March 2012, High Country Grill was 

open for business. 

Bales has lived in Montana for 10 years, 

and has worked at such reputable 

kitchens as the Timbers at Moonlight 

Basin Resort (now closed), the Continental 

Divide in Ennis and the Mint 

in Belgrade. With a taste for gourmet 

and an eye for easy, fresh cuisine, he 

designed the menu at High Country 

around scratch bar food, showcasing his 

Southern roots, and using whatever’s 

fresh and in season. 

The one-page menu is simple and basic, 

but the food is anything but. 

For lunch, I ordered the blackened 

catfish po’ boy with a side of coleslaw 

and the High Country house salad 

with sweet garlic vinaigrette. It was a 

refreshing break from my usual brown 

bag lunches. 

“I don’t just stand by the fryer and 

dump frozen food in,” Bales said. 

“Everything is made fresh.” Along 

with my sandwich, I tried the fresh cut 

fries, which Bales cuts daily from potatoes 

sourced from a farm in Manhattan. 

The menu is also vegetarian friendly. 

Bales and his line cook make homemade 

tomato–basil and black bean soups daily, 

as well prepare all of the sandwich 

meats, sauces, dressings, and spreads 

from scratch. And he hasn’t strayed 

far from his Southern heritage—don’t 

order a meal at High Country without 

trying the fried green tomatoes served 

with buttermilk ranch dressing. 

All items on the menu are priced just 

under $12, so a stop there for lunch or 

dinner is as affordable as it is easy and 

delicious. 

It was also fun dining in the R Bar, 

where the atmosphere is lively and a 

game is always on one of the 18 televisions. 

Choose a seat at the new wooden 

bar, a cozy side booth or a table. The 

front glass walls open, making for a 

lively open-air atmosphere inside, 

and fun patio dining outside on Main 

Street. 

Bales likes being in an iconic Bozeman 

location. 

“The community already cherishes this 

building, so it’s nice to have that camaraderie 

with R Bar regulars,” he said. 

He’s been busy specializing his menu 

and making a name for the restaurant 

with help from his girlfriend and 

designer, the freelance prop stylist and 

artist Heather Chontos. 

So far, Bales has been pleased with 

the crowd, many of whom visit to try 

the High Country burger, which has 

a hearty portion of hand-pattied beef, 

melted poblano cheese and local bacon 

on a brioche bun. 

Chontos hails the Friday night fish fry 

special as “the absolute best.” 

Although Bales doesn’t have a liquor 

license, because he shares the space 

with the R Bar patrons can order from 

a full line of cocktails, beer and drink 

specials. 




Check rockingrbar.com for a full menu, 

and visit High Country Grill’s Facebook 

page for updates, events and food 

specials. 

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Working exclusively in 

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Photos by heather J Chontos 

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406-995-2668 

June 29, 2012 21

22 June 29, 2012 

business 

Big Sky Chamber of Commerce news 

Chamber moving to new building 

BIG SKY – Once upon a time, in 1999, the Big Sky 

Chamber of Commerce was at the corner where Lone 

Mountain Trail meets Highway 191. 

Now, 14 years later, the Chamber will return to that 

spot, moving into the space previously occupied by 

Rivers to Peaks Realty. 

With $45,000 for rent and improvements in funding 

from the Big Sky Resort Tax Board set to start July 1, 

Chamber board member Shawna Winter has been negotiating 

with a representative for the property, Brian 

Dolan, to iron out the details of the lease. 

“This is big, big, big news,” said Chamber Chairman 

David O’Connor. 

At 3,200 sq. feet, the building is much larger than the 

current 2,000 sq. foot office. Because it’s visible from 

the highway, it should draw more drive-by traffic. 

“We’ve had huge community support,” O’Connor 

said. “It’s so important to everybody—being the welcoming 

committee and being able to roll out the red 

carpet.” 


Since 2000, the Chamber has 

been tucked away in a hard to 

find office in the West Fork. 

That’s why the resort tax 

board voted unanimously to 

fund the new building, resort 

tax chairman Les Loble said. 

“I suspect [the chamber of 

commerce] is one of the first 

places tourists think of as a 

place to go for information,” 

Loble said. “Having it right 

there at the turnoff is the 

best possible place.” 

With bay windows looking 

out at Lone Mountain and Gallatin Canyon, the new 

space is “perfect” for a visitors’ center, said chamber 

membership and program director Robin Brower- 

McBride. “The best of Big Sky is within view, it’s really 

cool.” 

The building also has offices, a great room, and a small 

boardroom. 

Clemens is new executive director 

BIG SKY – After several months with 

very slim staffing and an extensive 

candidate search, the Big Sky Chamber 

of Commerce has hired a new 

executive director. 

Kitty Clemens comes from Colorado 

Springs, Colo., where she has worked 

up and down the Front Range in 

economic development, destination 

marketing, community relations, public 

affairs, advertising and the arts. 

For Clemens, the position is “an 

opportunity to do what I’m really passionate 

about—destination marketing 

BIG SKY – The Big Sky Chamber of Commerce 

is offering a new monthly orientation to teach 

members how to best utilize their benefits. 

Designed for new members and members with 

new employees, the orientation program will take 

place after the Chamber’s board meeting (which is 

open to the public) on the second Tuesday of each 

month. 

and business development for small 

communities.” 

The tourism industry brings value to 

economies and communities, she said. 

Clemens has worked in tourism development 

in several small Colorado 

towns, and most recently focused on 

a downtown revitalization project for 

Manitou Springs, an art, recreation 

and tourism community at the base of 

Pikes Peak. 

There, as the town was installing new 

streetlights, Clemens led a creative 

effort to hang banners with artwork 

from the local school children. Working 

with the school superintendent, 

the art teachers, parents, and a local 

sign maker, Clemens’ side project 

saved the town money and raised 

funds for the local education foundation. 

“It was a win-win for everyone,” she 

said. “It really did involve the whole 

community.” 

Clemens started working on the revitalization 

project in Manitou in 2002 

and followed it from the preliminary 

planning stages, all the way through 

the first half of the final phase eight 

years later. Not only was that fulfilling, 

she said it also gave her a much 

broader perspective of “what it really 

takes to provide for your residents and 

also for the visitors that actually pay 

the bills at the end of the day.” 

“It’s being able to look at things from a 

30,000-foot view. What you’re asking 

people to come experience can be just 

as important as the marketing numbers 

or the website hits," she said. 

Clemens also knows that in small 

communities, “you have to be the 

chief cook and the bottle washer.” 

As an economic development officer, 

she doubled as a public information 

officer. 

Clemens also has also written a crisis 

communication plan for a multi county 

travel attraction association, done 

SWOT analysis, and written grants for 

state and federal funding. 

Although retired from skiing, she says 

she loves hiking, biking, snowshoeing 

The Chamber can help new businesses with 

licensure, and online marketing through the 

Chamber’s website or an individual one, among 

other things. 

Also a networking opportunity, the meetings will 

be a chance to meet and work directly with other 

new Chamber members and Chamber staff, said 

the Chamber’s membership and program director 

Robin Brower-McBride. 


Chamber starting orientation program for new members 




O’Connor dreams that some day the other buildings 

on the corner property could house local nonprofits 

like the Arts Council of Big Sky and the Big Sky Community 

Corp. 

“It could be a community center. All those things 

under one roof—parks, trails, arts—all able to work 

together. When we start thinking about all those possibilities 

it gets our minds reeling," he said. 

and gardening. 

“The mountains are for me. And definitely 

cooler weather is for me.” 

She starts Aug. 1, but is still looking 

for a place to live, which, she notes, 

can be tough with a dog. Her dog, an 

Airedale, is named Albert. 

The Chamber of Commerce, which 

also has several new board members as 

of this year, went through a restructure 

this spring while looking to fill 

the executive director position. 

For years the Chamber operated with 

only two paid staff, an ED and a membership 

director. It’s added three other 

new positions this spring: accountant 

Wanda McCarthy, marketing specialist 

Wendy Swenson, and operations 

support Jessica Martin-Trulen. 

The new positions are funded by a 

combination of Big Sky Resort Tax 

dollars, membership dues, and grants 

from Yellowstone Country (which 

functions as part of the Montana Office 

of Tourism). 

Other Chambers of Commerce are also creating 

similar programs, Brower-McBride said, naming 

Jackson, Wyo. and Seattle. 

The first Big Sky Chamber of Commerce member 

orientation will be Tuesday, July 10, 10:30 – 

11:30 a.m. New members and members with new 

employees are especially encouraged to attend.

Rob Akey 

Greg Alexander 

Jim Barrett 

Diana Brady 

Lynn Cain 

Todd Connor 

John DeMott 

“Face of Wisdom” 

Creighton Block 

 

John DeMott 

Jerral Derryberry 

Flavia Eckholm 

Edd Enders 

Thomas English 

Mark Gibson 

Don Grant 

Mimi Grant 

Frank Hagel 

Ott Jones 

David Lemon 

Asha MacDonald 

ARTIST PROFILE 

BIG SKY TOWN CENTER 

11:00 AM - 7:00 PM MONDAY THRU SATURDAY 

SUNDAYS BY APPOINTMENT 

Mike Patterson 

Paula Pearl 

Jacqueline Rieder Hud 

Gary Lynn Roberts 

Daniel San Souci 

Deb Schmit 


Laurie Stevens 

Dave Swanson 

Ezra Tucker 

Shirle Wempner 

To experience a John DeMott painting is to experience a part of the great American frontier. An outdoorsman 

and storyteller of the American West, DeMott transcends the cliché of the western artist. 


Born in 1954 and raised on Southern California horse ranches, he has worked and lived the life of his 

artistic subjects. His passion is to paint “the spirit of the Western frontier”. Whether his subject is Plains 

Indians, free trappers, cowboys, a grizzly or bison in landscape, DeMott’s gift is to make the viewer sense 

keenly time and place. 

The ability to recreate a sense of place and time does not come easily. DeMott spends hours researching 

and studying tools, wardrobe, accoutrements and the history of his subjects. Recreating detail is a trademark 

of a DeMott painting. “As a storyteller of the American frontier, western art has been an important 

part of my life, and I am proud to be involved in the preservation of our great heritage!” 

WINE TASTINGS 

EVERY THURSDAY AT 4:30 PM 

the cave 

Spirits & Gifts 

406-993-9400 

CREIGHTONBLOCKGALLERY.COM 

Artwork also displayed at Outlaw Partners and Lone Mountain Ranch Dining Room 

provided by

24 June 29, 2012 

business 

BIG SKY—The Big Sky Convention and Visitors’ 

Bureau is taking on big projects this year with recent 

funding from the lodging tax and money left over 

from last year, said Wendy Swenson, CVB’s marketing 

specialist. 

The CVB, along with Biggest Skiing in America, 

falls under the umbrella of the Chamber of Commerce 

and is responsible for promoting travel and 

tourism in Big Sky. Big Sky’s CVB is funded by a 10 

percent revenue collected off the lodging tax, which 

reaches about $1 million a year, equaling approximately 

$100,000 for the CVB. With funds allocated 

in early June and rollover from last years’ unspent 

money, the CVB has approximately $170,000 in the 

budget this year. 

CVB can partner with anyone in the state, but funding 

is used strictly for visitor center staffing, publications, 

and marketing projects designed to promote 

tourism in Big Sky. 

The CVB is collaborating with the chamber on an 

ongoing effort to roll out a new Big Sky brand and 

advertising campaign that will sell Big Sky as a yearround 

travel destination. 


“People already know that we are a ski destination,” 

Swenson said. “Through the marketing campaign 

we hope to get it out that we’re that and so much 

more. There is so much people can do here—ziplining, 

rafting, hiking, biking, ropes courses, fine 

lodging and dining…we have so much to offer in the 

summer.” 

One way in which CVB plans to get the word out 

is by utilizing traffic going into Yellowstone. In 

conjunction with Biggest Skiing in America and 

other CVBs around the region, Big Sky CVB hopes 

to capitalize on the 3.6 million visitors entering Yellowstone 

Park annually. 

“We are lucky to be so close to Yellowstone and 

recognize that people are coming here for the park,” 

Swenson said. 

By increasing CVB staff at the visitors’ center, it 

will be able to maintain longer hours, and stay open 

on weekend, holidays as well as high-traffic times 

of the day. 

“Pulling traffic in and bringing people into the community 

is our number one goal,” Swenson said. 

Finalizations have been made to move the visitors’ 

center and Chamber to the corner if Lone Mountain 



Big Sky Convention and Visitors’ Bureau using funds to promote Montana 



Trail and Highway 191, which will make the center 

more accessible to both visitors in route to Big 

Sky and Yellowstone. 

Another project in the plans for 2012 is a revamp 

of the current Chamber/CVB website to help it 

better serve visitors and businesses. Also, with 

a continuous increase in mobile web traffic, the 

CVB also hopes to make the site more accessible to 

the on-the-go user. 

“Online and mobile web is a big component of 

tourism, and we want to hit the best online market,” 

Swenson said. “We recognize that people 

are booking things on their smart phones while 

on-the-go, so we want to be able to pull them in 

through that by letting them know what Big Sky 

has to offer.” 

Already in progress is a joint effort with Big Sky 

Resort, Bozeman CVB and Tourism Business 

Improvement District, Yellowstone Country, 

and Yellowstone CVB and TBID on a marketing 

campaign in New York, which will take place in 

the fall. 

“The community is investing their money through 

paying taxes, and we want to be able to provide them 

a return by investing it in a way that will bring the 

money back into the community and the state,” 

Swenson said. 

BIG SKY’S FULL SERVICE GROCERY STORE 

Hand-cut meats • Fresh baked goods • Gourmet items • Beer & wine 

LOCAL 

Delivery available - have your rental unit 

stocked upon your arrival! 406-995-4636 

Open 7 days a week, 6:30am to 8pm 

Extended hours 6:30am to 10pm December 15-April 15 and July 1- Labor Day 

Located in the Meadow Village Center next to Lone Peak Brewery 

FRESH

usiness 

Loan program for Montana entrepreneurs 

to operate under new partnership 

BOZEMAN – A program that 

provides interest-free loans to 

entrepreneurs will operate this year 

under a new partnership between 

the Montana State University College 

of Business and the Gianforte 

Family Foundation. 

Through this partnership, MSU 

business students will be involved 

in selecting entrepreneurs to 

receive loans from the Bootstrap 

Montana Loan Program. The 

program provides Montana entrepreneurs 

with loans for projects 

expected to provide a fast return on 

investment. Ranging from $5,000 

to $20,000, the loans should be 

repaid within a year. Peter Rubicam, 

director of the Bootstrap Montana 

Loan Program and a finance instructor 

at MSU, will supervise the 

students. 

"This will be a valuable real-world 

education opportunity for our students, 

because they will be exposed 

to the business analysis and loan 

evaluation process," Rubicam said. 

"Clients of Bootstrap Montana will 

also have access to pro bono consulting 

and other resources offered 

through the Jake Jabs Center for 

Entrepreneurship." 

The program embraces the business 

development philosophy of “bootstrapping,” 

or growing a company 

with the aid of outside investment 

or capital. It was funded in 2007 by 

Greg Gianforte, then-CEO of Bozeman-based 

Right Now Technologies 

and head of the Gianforte Family 

Charitable Trust. The program aims 

to create jobs, bring new revenue 

into the state, and increase competitiveness 

of Montana companies. It 

was previously administered by the 

Tech Ranch Foundation. 

Since its inception, the Bootstrap 

Montana Loan Program has made 24 

one-year, interest-free loans. Borrowers 

are Montana entrepreneurs 

who have used the funds to hire 

employees, attend trade shows or 

undertake other initiatives. 

bootstrapmontana.org 

Tester to host small business opportunity 

workshop in Bozeman, July 13 

Focus: high-growth companies 

U.S. SENATE – Sen. Jon Tester 

will host his 12th Small Business 

Opportunity Workshop in Bozeman 

on Friday, July 13. The event will 

connect Montana startup companies 

and entrepreneurs with nationally 

renowned experts in finance and 

capital markets, and other successful 

entrepreneurs. 

According to the Kauffman Foundation, 

a nonprofit think tank focused 

on entrepreneurship, nearly all net 

jobs created since 1980 have come 

from firms five years or younger. 

Many of these startups are new 

businesses in high-growth, innovation-oriented 

fields. 

The workshop will be held in 

Gaines Hall at Montana State 

University and will feature panel 

presentations from investment and 

market experts. The panelists will 

discuss new opportunities for entrepreneurs 

as a result of the recently 

passed JOBS Act, which was signed 

into law in April and eases restrictions 

for small businesses to raise 

public capital. 

It will also highlight experiences of 

successful Montana entrepreneurs 

and feature one-on-one collaboration 

and networking opportunities. 

For a presentation called Made in 

Montana Advantage, three panelists 

will highlight the benefits of doing 

business in Montana. They are: 

• Jennifer Shryock, director of 

Resume Manager at Submittable, 

a Missoula-based online 

platform to receive and review 

files such as resumes and manuscripts 

• Dr. Brett Baker, president and 

CEO of Microbion, a Bozemanbased 

pharmaceutical company 

that develops innovative drug 

treatments 

• Trevor Loy, a partner at Flywheel 

Ventures, a venture 

capital investment firm making 

investments in Montana 

The event begins at 8 a.m. and is 

free and open to the public. RSVP 

at tester.senate.gov/workshop. 


More Results 

Jason Parks, Broker 

406.580.4758 

Ania Bulis, Broker 

406.580.6852 

Jackie Miller, Broker 

406.539.5003 

Branif Scott, Broker 

406.579.9599 

Sandy Revisky, Broker 

406.539.6316 


Selling more real estate than any other firm in 

Big Sky for the second year running. 

*Based on 2011-2012 information from Gallatin Association of Realtors MLS Data 

www.purewestproperties.com | 406.995.4009 


26 June 29, 2012 

outlaw news 

The Big Sky Weekly won four first place awards in the Montana Newspaper Association’s 

2011 Better Newspaper Contest, as well as seven second and third place awards. The 

awards were announced June 16 at the MNA’s annual convention, at Buck’s T-4 in Big 

Sky. 

The Weekly was judged against other papers with a circulation from 3,000 – 7,500. That 

division is “super competitive because it has dailies, free papers and weeklies,” MNA 

president John Barrows said. The Weekly’s success is “a big deal,” Barrows said. 

The Maryland Newspaper Association, which judged the contest, was impressed with 

the quality of Montana’s newspapers, in particular with the outdoors and the government 

reporting—both sections in which the Weekly won awards. 




The Outlaw Partners is a fully integrated marketing, consulting, web development, video production and creative media company based in Big Sky. As publisher of the Big Sky 

Weekly and Mountain Outlaw magazine, we’re using this space to share insight on industry trends and high level creative marketing. 

Big Sky Weekly wins 12 Montana newspaper awards 

Placement in reporting and design 

the weekly's MNA awards on display in the Outlaw Partners office. 

Northfork PRESERVE 

NORTHFORK PRESERVE 

216+/- acres with apx ¾ mile 

of both sides of the Northfork. 

Incredible building site with 

views of Yellow Mountain. 

Borders public land, great 

access to cross country ski trails 

and the Spanish Peaks. 

Offered at $3.5M 

DON PILOTTE, GRI RRS SFR 

BROKER 

Ranch & Recreational Group 

Prudential Montana Real Estate 

Cell 406-580-0155 

RanchMT.com 

An independently owned and operated member of The Prudential Real Estate 

Affi liates, Inc. Prudential is a registered service mark of The Prudential Insurance 

Company of America. Equal Housing Opportunity. 

All information contained herein is derived from sources deemed reliable, 

however, is not guaranteed by Prudential Montana Real Estate, Managing 

Broker, Agents or Sellers. Offering is subject to error, ommissions, prior 

sales, price change or withdrawal without notice and approval of purchase by 

Seller. We urge independent verifi cation of each and every item submitted, to 

the satisfaction of any prospective purchaser. 

Newspaper associations nationwide hold similar contests in an effort to push papers to 

continue improving. 

“The whole concept is to cover as closely as possible the real things that newspapers do,” 

Barrows said, “And to let you see how other people do it, too—see what your compatriots 

are doing.” 

Also at the convention, Weekly reporter Taylor Anderson sat on a panel of four Montana 

journalists asking questions at the first official debate for the U.S. Senate seat (see story 

in the Montana section on page 14). 

Following are the awards the Big Sky Weekly won, with comments from the Maryland 

judges: 

Best Government Issues Reporting, 1st place – Emily Stifler (managing editor) 

“Turf War – Eminant domain law pits Montana landowners against growth and big business” 

Sept. 23, 2011 

Stifler really did her research on the issue of eminent domain in Montana. The story uses 

a wealth of sources to explain the history; of the issue, the present situation and what could 

happen in the future. 

Best Front Page, 1st place – Eric Ladd, Mike Martins (publisher, creative director) 

“Hockey debuts in Big Sky” 

Jan. 7, 2011 

Excellent action photography and creative typography. Skills set these magazine-style fronts 

apart. 

Resource Reporting, 1st place – Emily Stifler 

“Effluent snowmaking pilot project on track” 

Dec. 30, 2011 

Quirky story about the odd idea of using wastewater to make snow. Fun read. 

Best single house ad, 1st place – Mike Martins (creative director) 

“Explorebigsky.com” 

Awesome photo – cut-out of man, mountain grab you right by the mustache! 

Best spot news, 2nd place – Taylor Anderson (assistant editor) 

“Brad Gardner’s Body Found” 

July 29, 2011 

Small details – like melting snow, mismatched poles – are part of what makes this an enjoyable 

read. 

mark henckel outdoors Reporting award, 2nd place – Terry Kennedy (contributor) 

“Climb on Jim Kanzler” 

June 17, 2011 

Writer did a great job weaving the story of Jim Kanzler’s life with the outdoor activities he 

loved so much. From the highs and lows of Kanzler’s life, the reader is able to understand 

why he was so admired and feel the passion he possessed. Nice to-the-point story. 

Best Color ad, 2nd place – Mike Martins 

“PBR” 

Strong image, well organized, pleasing to the eye. 

Best short features story, 3rd place – Emily Stifler 

“Coffee Club – a Grasshopper Valley tradition” 

April 1, 2011 

This feature was nice because it told of this group of men. 

Best lifestyle, 3rd place – Ethan Gaddy (contributor) 

“Girls Night” 

April 15, 2011 

The vivid pictures along with quirky story give readers a great sneak peek behind the scenes 

[of Big Sky snow cat drivers.] 

Best Color ad, 3rd place – Mike Martins 

“Never Go Alone” 

Strong classic image; clean. 

Best outdoors Pages – 3rd place – Big Sky Weekly staff writers and contributors 

June 16 and Dec. 23 2011 

Interesting ice festival information and water paddling.

CHALET 4 

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Enjoy the heart of 

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CHALET4.COM 

June 29, 2012 27

28 June 29, 2012 

outlaw news 

gutenberg tired after 573-year run 

ebooks gaining popularity 

Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenburg, 

the German inventor of mechanical movable type is 

slowly relinquishing print as the top way to consume 

the written word. The innovative new combinations of 

digital media and stories are creating a more interactive 

experience. 

media sold 

+ 2.7% 

$223.6m 

$229.6m 

- 10.5% 

$335.0m 

$299.8m 

+32.7% 

$18.8m 

$25.0m 

'11 '12 '11 '12 '11 '12 '11 '12 

HARDCOVER PAPERBACK AUDIO EBOOKS 

eBook sales 

'11 

'12 

1.1M 3.4M 


Outlaw Partners, no stranger to the ways of old or 

new media, has taken the transition in full stride 

by combining interactivity into the online versions 

of the Mountain Outlaw Magazine and the Big Sky 

Weekly. Check out the digital publications by visiting 

explorebigsky.com/publications. Once you click on the 

+28.1% 

$220.4m 

+ 303.3% UNITS SOLD 

$282.3m 

Top eBook devices 

apple ® iPad 

others 

APPLE IPAD 91.07% 

SAMSUNG GALAxY TABLET 1.77% 

BARNES AND NOBLE NOOK 0.85% 

AMAZON KINDLE 0.71% 



publication, you’ll notice that links are active, videos 

can be played and multimedia content takes on new 

life, directly inside your browser window, tablet or 

mobile phone. 

Growth areas 

(For U.S. Publishers) 

overall Print eBooks 

CONTINENTAL EUROPE 14.7% 9.5% 332.6% 

UNITED KINGDOM 22.9% 10.4% 1316.8% 

LATIN AMERICA 15.4% 9.7% 201.6% 

AFRICA 21.9% 17.1% 636.8% 

PERCENT OF AMERICANS WHO 

HAVE READ AN EBOOK 

17 21 

2011 2012 

Printed vs. digital 

% OF THOSE WHO READ EBOOKS AND PRINTED BOOKS IN THE LAST 

12 MONTHS, GIVING INSIGHT TO WHAT FORMAT THEY PREFER 

Print digital 

Reading with a child 81% 19% 

Sharing books 69% 31% 

Reading books in bed 43% 57% 

Selection of books 35% 65% 

Reading books while traveling 19% 81% 

Getting a book quickly 13% 87% 

* Data source from this infographic came from the Association of American Publishers; 

www.publishers.org and from the Pew Research Center; www.pewinternet.org

BSCC Board 

Barb Rooney 

Steve Johnson 

Lyndsey Owens 

Jim Jones 

Leslie Piercy 

Trever McSpadden 

Al Malinowski 

Tom Owen 

Sponsors 

STOA Management 

Outlaw Partners 

Lone Peak Brewery 

Nordic Hot Tubs 

Lohss Construction 

Stacy and Eric Ossorio 

Executive Director 

Jessie Neal 

Events Committee 

Shelly Bermont 

Eric Ladd 

Krista Mach 

Kim Reeves 

Barb Rooney 

Kristen Kern 

Ennion Williams 

Jeanne Johnson 

Barbara Kaufman 

Connie Lunt 

Betsey McFadden 



Contact Jessie Neal for more information 

993.2112 jessie@bsccmt.org

30 June 29, 2012 

ClassiFieds 

for renT 

Small one bedroom cabin in 

Gallatin Canyon. 1 person only. 

5-month lease. No smoking, 

no pets. First, last and security. 

$450/month. 581-4361 or 763- 

4361. 

RENTALS 

RAFTS/TUBES, DRIFT BOATS, 

RV'S, TRAILERS, SKI BOAT, 

BABY GEAR 

BigBoysToysRentals.com 

406-587-4747 

Backhoe for hire - lic. experienced 

and insured. Kevin 539-4303 


SerViCeS 

Victoria Bentley is the Owner and 

Director of Bentley Bodies, a 

premiere mind-body-wellness boutique 

committed to healthy lifestyle 

choices. Locations are in Big Sky and 

Bozeman. bentleybodies.net 

heLP WanTeD 

Choppers is hiring experienced line 

cooks and servers. Call 995-3830 to 

schedule an interview. 

for SaLe 

Southfork home for sale in Big Sky 

Finished in 2009, 3 bedroom, 2.5/ 

bath, ~2000 sq ft, open floor plan, 

very efficient, low heating costs, 

hardwood floors, outdoor deck. 

$389,000. Call 406-595-6641 


Albany Sleigh Coffee Table 

$1195 (includes curbside delivery) 

Ski wall sconce 

$229 


Home of tHe 

Classifieds! 

Email classifieds and/or 

advertising requests to: 


media@theoutlawpartners.com 

vintagewinter.com 

A collection of Alpine Home Decor and Chalet Style Antiques 

off 

15% 

Vintage Ski Posters 

$19 

Ski Hall Tree 

$549 

any items at 

VintageWinter.com 

(406) 995-2055 

collectable ski sets 

starting at $325 

three pane ski frame 

$359 

use promo code: 

Outlaw

usiness ProFile 

hammond Property 

Management 



BIG SKY – The folks at Hammond 

Property Management are on call 24 

hours a day, seven days a week. If a 

homeowner has a power outage or a 

leak at 3 a.m., someone from Hammond 

responds. 

“We live here for the lifestyle and want 

each of our customers to come here to 

enjoy that lifestyle,” says owner Scott 

Hammond. 

The company’s two areas of focus are 

home management and homeowner 

association management. “I’m proud of 

that, because I think we’re able to deliver 

better service because we specialize,” 

Hammond said. 

Hammond opened the business in 1997 

with one homeowner and a few longterm 

rentals. He credits long term relationships 

as the keystone to his success: 

That first client is still with him today, 

and his first employee, hired in 2001, is 

also still with the company. 

“In a high turnover resort town with 

lots of opportunities for people to move 

around and change positions and jobs, 

and all the new property management 

companies that have popped up in 

the last 5-10 years, to keep those long 

term relationships with customers and 

employees is really what this business is 

all about.” 

Today, his company manages 20 condominium 

associations and about 175 

homes. 

The latter are mainly security check 

clients, which means Hammond checks 

on their homes once a week, and also 

does housekeeping, landscaping, snow 

removal and other contracted services. 

Riding a bull 

market is easy 

(It’s the bear market that can throw you off) 

We are please to support 

Professional Bull Riders Association 

Hammond strives to do most maintenance 

work in-house, and has on staff a 

licensed plumber, a licensed pool operator, 

two licensed property managers, 

plus seasonal landscaping, gardening 

and snow removal crews. 

“We tailor our services to your needs 

[and] treat your home as if it were our 

own,” Hammond says. 

This kind of service has given the 

company a good reputation. Typically, 

it adds three to five new security check 

clients each year, but the past couple 

years have been particularly good for 

business. Since summer 2011, Ham- 

Fulton/Hertz/Hoover 

Wealth Management Group 

875 Harmon Stream Blvd., Suite 200 

Bozeman, Montana 59718 

(406) 556-4407 

(800) 995-3443 

www.fhhwealthmanagment.com 

Contact: Koy M. Hoover, CFP 

Vice President/Investment 

hooverk@stifel.com 

Member SIPC and NYSE | stifel.com 

Victoria Bentley, Certified 

Health & Lifestyle Coach 


PILATES 

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Call for appointments in 

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mond has added 10 new security check 

PLEASE sign, date, and return within five working days for complet comple 

homes, and last fall it took on manage- 

ment of the 216 condos in the Firelight 

Your prompt attention is greatly appreciated in returning this proof even if t 

Association, its largest acquisition to 

date. 

Staff includes 11 full time, year round 

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June 29, 2012 31

32 June 29, 2012 


some restaurants 

do italian food. 

some do chinese food. 

WE DO 

BIG SKY 

FOOD 

environment 


federal board: a do-over for 

the Tongue river railroad 

by deb Courson smith 

big Sky connection 

BILLINGS – Tongue River Railroad Co. will have to backtrack a bit on plans 

to build a new rail line to haul coal from Otter Creek. 

The federal Surface Transportation Board has directed the company to reapply 

for a permit because the project has changed, and court rulings found the 

review of possible environmental impacts wasn't complete. 

Tongue River rancher Mark Fix says it gives his family a reprieve, since their 

property was targeted for the project—without their consent. 

"The way it sat before all of this happened is basically, they could have come 

out and condemned me at any time," he says. 

The Tongue River Railroad was first proposed in 1980 when coal mining was 

expected in the Ashland area. The proposed route was changed to serve shipping 

of Wyoming coal—and, more recently, coal from Otter Creek—eventually 

reaching ports in Oregon and Washington for shipment to Asia. 

The Otter Creek tracts are leased by the state, thus bringing in new revenue. 

Fix, who chairs the Northern Plains Resource Council's Tongue River Task 

Force, says he hopes discussion of the project will broaden to include how it 

could negatively affect revenues in agriculture and tourism. 

"Obviously, we hope that it will never get built. We think that it's more important 

to leave that coal where it is," he says. 

we deliver 

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Section 3: 

liFe, land and Culture 

gallery 

Mitch Billis 

by abbie digel 


Bronze sculptor and painter, Mitch 

Billis, has lived on and off in Bozeman 

since 1967. Billis’s shop and studio, 

Northwest Art Casting, is in Bear Canyon, 

outside of Bozeman. His work is 

displayed nationally, in Vail and Aspen 

Colo, and Charleston, S.C., and also 

locally in Bozeman at Planet Bronze, 

the Last Windup, at Bogert Park and in 

front of the public library, and in Big 

Sky at Charsam Gallery. 

Billis in his own words 

I moved to Montana in 1967 when I 

was in kindergarten. My father taught 

at MSU in the math department. He 

loved to hunt and fish. We then moved 

to Maine, where I graduated from 

high school, and returned to Montana 

shortly after. 

I went to Kalispell in 1980 and worked 

at the Powell bronze foundry for 

two years, lived in Colorado for four 

years where I worked for a sculptor, 

and in 1987 moved back to Bozeman 

and opened Northwest Art Casting. I 

owned it for 20 years, and then sold it 

"tomorrow's music Cello" 

to my brother and coworkers who work 

with me. I still have my studio there. 

I spend a lot of time in the mountains 

fishing, hunting, snow biking and dirt 

biking with my friends. I enjoy fishing 

the best, and tying flies. 

I have five children and am greatly influenced 

by them. Now they are grown 

up so I’m branching into new territory, 

but I had to sculpt all of them at one 

time or another. I have three grandkids, 

who will be my next models. They say 

things like, ‘No really, when are you 

going to sculpt me grandpa?’ 

My father is also an oil painter, and I 

grew up with his influence. I’ve always 

been fascinated with three-dimensional 

forms and the movement that goes into 

it. I met [many] artists when I was in 

high school, and studied sculpture in 

Italy a few times. 

I start with drawings of the models, 

do small studies of what I’m going to 

make, and use that to go by. I make a 

miniature with wax before I do a bigger 

one with clay, then make them bigger. 

It takes three months to a year to finish 

a project. 

I use the lost wax method, [where] 

the foundry takes the artist’s originals, 

makes rubber molds, and then the artist 

orders the bronze, pours a wax replica, 

and pours a molten bronze to take the 

place of the wax. 

I try to bring the kid out in all of us. 

I want to capture a moment, bring a 

smile to people’s faces. My work will 

[eventually] sit in a children’s hospital 

to bring happiness and joy into peoples 

lives. 

Right now I’m doing plaques. I will 

have those at the ArtWalk, too. They 

are more Montana-oriented with wildlife 

scenes. I’m doing some wolves right 

now, bighorn sheep, elk, and a couple 

of different pieces with bison. 




June 29, 2012 

Volume 3 // Issue No. 13 

This gallery is the last in a three-part series featuring artists showcasing their work at the fourth Big Sky Meadow Village 

ArtWalk, July 7-8. Stroll the ArtWalk on a self-guided tour while enjoying refreshments and summer weather. Be sure to stop 

by and meet the artists themselves. 

"low Country gator boy" 

My art is a healthy way to express 

myself. It's a way of venting. If I don't 

sculpt for a while or do something 

artistic, I don't feel complete. I also want 

to share that with people and bring joy 

into their lives. 

I like to be able to exaggerate the right 

things, create the forms that move. The 

human form is the most difficult to capture, 

because everybody knows people, 

and it’s hard to get that right—that's the 

challenge I enjoy. 

My hands are beginning to get tired. I 

want to start dabbling with oil painting. 

I paint a little bit, and take a few pointers 

from my father. When he comes to 

visit [from Maine] we paint and fish 

together. 

billisfineart.net 

REGIONAL ARTISTS’ MARKET 

Sunday, July 8 • 11 am – 4 pm 

20+ MONTANA ARTISTS 

Live Music 

Historic Crail Ranch Museum 

Free Admission 

Big Sky Meadow Village 

2110 Spotted Elk Road 

across from Community Park 

crailranch.org 

“Celebrating 110 years in the Meadow” 

A project of the Big Sky Community Corporation, a 501(c)(3) 

not-for-profit entity created in 1998 to promote, acquire, preserve 

and maintain land, parks, trails and easements. 

June 29, 2012 33

34 June 29, 2012 

outdoors 

rideable terrain at the red lodge international ski & snowboard Camp 

Summer time, and the shreddin's easy 

story and Photos 

by ersin oZer 


“We’re going to shred until Yellowstone 

blows up!” 

My ski partner was excited after a 

couple of fast laps on the Gardiner 

Headwall, off the Beartooth Pass. 

We hiked that same line again the 

next morning before exploring other 

shred-able options along our driving 

route back home to Big Sky. The 

Beartooth Highway is also known 

as "the most scenic drive—and liftride—in 

Montana." 

Yes, there is still snow for the adventurous 

soul-shredder, and it’s closer 

and more accessible than you may 

think. I’m not talking 18-mile hikes 

for a few turns; I’m talking about 

parking your car within five-minute 

walks to the tops of Alaskan-esque 

terrain, slushy in all its glory. 

Shred. Hike (or even ride in a car) between 

the road switchbacks. Repeat. 

The Beartooth Highway, U.S. 212, 

is a 69-mile stretch of road between 

Red Lodge and Cooke City, Mont. 

Only open in the summer, it’s a civil 

engineering feat that houses a playground 

for snow enthusiasts. 

There, you can shred summer backcountry 

lines in the Beartooths, or 

spin cork 9s off cat-groomed jumps 

built on lift-accessed terrain at the 

Red Lodge International Ski and 

Snowboard Camp located near the 

top of the pass. 

This gem of a ski hill operates from 

Memorial Day to 4th of July and offers 

900 feet of vertical drop on 600 

acres, rails and kickers, hero-hucking 

cornice drops, and GS race training. 

“Historically this is a place where 

[racing and freeriding] teams from 

around the world would come and 

train,” said ski area co-owner Austin 

Hart. 

Rope tows were first installed there 

by Austrian race coaches in 1977, 

and have since been replaced by two 

Poma lifts. The lower lift accesses 

an intermediate to advanced terrain 

park, and the other goes straight up 

the headwall and accesses a buyer’s 

market of freeriding options. 

The diversity of the place really shines 

when you consider that back in the 

‘80s it hosted Olympic ski-coaches and 

racers, and that in the ‘90s it was the 

hand-dug-halfpipe training grounds 

for the likes of Tanner Hall and Ross 

Powers. Now, it’s a Mecca for snowboarders 

and skiers looking to itch 

their summer shred without having to 

travel to Mount Hood or Whistler. 

above right: big sky resident Chris gandy getting after it on the beartooth Pass 

below: Clear sky sunset brings promise of tomorrow's goggle tan. 

“The goal of this place is to be a 

public ski area for the summer 

months,” Hart said. “Whether 

you’re doing big-mountain, park, 

racing, this is a great place to 

develop steep-skiing skills. We’re 

all about keeping summer skiing 

alive.” 

It’s a big-mountain venue with a 

terrain park—the perfect ingredients 

to hold summer-shred competitions. 

And over the June 23 weekend, 

38 athletes arrived in full force 

to compete in the second annual 

Beartooth Summer Sessions hosted 

by ON3P Skis. A big-mountain and 

slope-style competition with a jamsession 

format, the event offered 

$6,000 in prizes to hungry skiers 

and snowboarders. 


“This contest really showcased allaround 

skiing—park, big-mountain, 

technical drops, feature hunting, and 

being safe,” said Kevin Miller, one of 

four judges for the event. 

But being safe doesn’t always bring 

home the trophy. Ironically, being lucky 

does. 

The guy who won the big mountain 

comp “jumped a pretty monster cornice 

and actually slapped his skis on some 

rocks and rode out,” said Kip Kirol 

from ON3P Skis, event director for the 

Beartooth Summer Sessions. “Probably 

a 45-foot drop.” 

Well into the summer months, skiing 

and snowboarding is still alive in Montana. 

With a couple tanks of gas, a pair 

of sunglasses, avalanche gear and a heap 

of determination, you can be standing 



on top of a snow-filled couloir in the 

middle of June. 

Nearby camping allows the local to DIY 

and seek out a few turns, without traveling 

to the southern hemisphere. Not to 

mention the attraction of riding sweet, 

lift-accessed ice-nuggets at the Red 

Lodge International Ski and Snowboard 

Camp. 

Just keep in mind there are still risks, 

even in the summer. 

“Most of the commonly traveled routes 

in the Beartooths are [now] reasonably 

safe,” Hart says, “but a lot of big cornices 

build up, and during late-afternoon skiing 

it gets warm [and] those things peel 

off. There’s always an inherent risk of 

being below a cornice or a wet-slide.” 

The Beartooths are the real deal. Always 

wear a beacon, tour with adequate gear 

and clothing, check the weather, ski 

with a partner and know your limitations. 

Chances are if you’re reading this story 

in daylight hours, someone’s making 

turns in the Beartooths right now. Go, 

get after it! 

Ersin Ozer specializes in production of ski 

and snowboard competitions and currently 

is event coordinator at Moonlight 

Basin. He has worked with Snowboarder 

Magazine’s Superpass Tour, Volcom’s Peanut 

Butter and Rail Jam, and the Subaru 

Freeskiing World Tour. He recently went 

snowboarding in June, for the first time 

in three months after shoulder surgery. 

Stoked!

To Big Sky Resort 

& Moonlight Basin 


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outdoors 

Big Sky hikers' summer 2012 schedule 

Mountain lakes offer a special, highquality 

angling experience to those not 

put off by what it takes to get to these 

prized waters—a long hike through 

rugged country. 

That hike becomes more than worth 

the effort when Montana's blue ribbon 

rivers are warm and crowded. Anglers 

find the cool high mountain breezes 

and often solitary fishing for eager fish a 

welcome change. 

Many of Montana's high mountain 

lakes were fishless prior to the 1900s. 

Natural fish barriers in streams prevented 

fish from colonizing these lakes. 

When fish stocking began in earnest in 

the early 1900s, high-mountain lakes 

were among the favorite places to stock 

fish because within only a few years 

they produced quality fisheries. 

Local sportsmen’s groups who received 

fish from federal and state hatcheries 

did much of the early stocking. Many 

of today’s high mountain lakes that 

support self-sustaining fisheries (i.e., 

do not require stocking because fish can 

successfully reproduce on their own) 

exist because of our grandfathers and 

their friends who strapped on packs 

who led pack strings of horses and 

mules packed with milk jugs full of 

fry up steep mountain trails to these 

secluded spots. 

Today, of course, things are done a little 

differently. Most of the stocking is 

done by a helicopter fitted with special 

tanks that release fish directly into lakes 

with the flip of a switch as the pilot 

hovers just a few feet above the water. 

While the techniques have changed 

through time, the goal of creating highquality 

fisheries in mountain lakes still 

remains. 

High-altitude lakes in Montana offer a 

diversity of fishing opportunities that 

generally cannot be found in other waters 

such as trophy cutthroat fisheries, 

Arctic grayling and for golden trout. 

Also, other than fishing a high mountain 

lake, there are few places where 

you can catch a trophy brook trout. 

Because of the importance of these 

fisheries, mountain lakes management 

is an integral part of FWP's fisheries 

management. 

FWP categorizes the lakes this way: 

• Fishless lakes that are not managed 

because they do not support 

fish. 

• Self-sustaining lakes with the 

spawning habitat to maintain a 

population through natural reproduction. 

• Stocked lakes that lack spawning 

habitat and require periodic 

stocking. 

Since 2008, FWP has collected data 

from 10-20 lakes each summer to 

determine how fish are doing and how 

best to manage individual lakes. Biologists 

set a gillnet to catch and examine 

the fish, quantify how much spawning 

habitat is available, do an amphibian 

survey and measure the amount of 

recreation in the area. 

Ovis Lake in the Big Hole region was 

stocked with cutthroat trout in the 

mid 1980s. In an example of this new 

effort, FWP surveyed the lake in 2009 

and found it was fishless with little 

potential habitat to support spawning. 

So, the lake was placed on the stocking 

schedule and was stocked with 

westslope cutthroat trout in 2010, 

it should be producing 12-inch long 

cutthroat trout this summer. The lake 

will be stocked every six years, so it 

can continue to provide angling opportunities. 

In another example, Timberline Lake is 

stocked with cutthroat trout. In 2009, 

surveys indicated that the cutthroat 

in the lake were not as healthy as they 

should be due to a high-density population. 

The stocking frequency was 

changed from every four years to every 

six years, and the stocking density was 

also reduced. This should alleviate the 

overcrowding in the lake and lead to a 

higher-quality fishery down the road. 



date rating-hike trailhead length Climb leaders Comment 

July 5 a alp lake taylor Fork-lightning 

Creek 

12 miles 2,000 ft. lud long (995-3931) 

b windy Pass to sentinel Portal Creek-windy Pass 7.4 miles 1,905 ft. Jack mcguire (995-7422) rough road to trailhead 

C hidden lakes Portal Creek-windy Pass 6 miles 800 ft. sarah Peterson (993-9487) rough road to trailhead 

July 10 Potluck Picnic Community Park n/a n/a Priscilla young (995-2629) 

July 12 a lava lake overlook lava lake 9 miles 2,000 ft. rebecca shopay (995-2767) 

b kirkwood kirkwood 7.6 miles 2,050 ft. Jim schaeffer (995-3238) trailhead at hebgen lake 

C deadhorse Creek taylor Fork-Cache Creek 5 miles 620 ft. karen strickler (995-4768) 

July 19 a Pika Point taylor Fork-wapiti Creek 12 miles 2,400 ft. rich Piercy (993-2303) 

b deer lake deer Creek 9.4 miles 2,720 ft. Jeff and karen strickler 

(995-4768 

C gallatin riverside trail 35 mPh bridge 4 miles 500 ft. gina macdonald (995-7172) long pants suggested - nettles on trail 

July 26 a monument Peak Private Property 12 miles 3,000 ft. leslie Piercy (993-2303) 

b lava lake lava lake 6 miles 1,600 ft. hilda and keener hudson 

(995-7442) 

C windy Pass Portal Creek-windy Pass 4.6 miles 1,260 ft. henrietta and doug gale 

(995-7951) 

rough road to trailhead 

Look for continued schedule in upcoming issues of the Big Sky Weekly. 

fishing high mountain lakes 

by Jim olsen 

fiSh, wildlife and parkS 

This is how Big Sky gets 

into hot water. 

As more lakes are surveyed, FWP will 

be better able to manage these fisheries—and 

inform anglers of their status 

so they can confidently plan for some 

high-altitude angling. 

Jim Olsen is a Montana Fish, Wildlife 

and Parks Fisheries Biologist in Butte. 

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38 June 29, 2012 

outdoors 

Digging for asphalt 

unearthing glacier’s going to the sun road 

by marCie hahn-knoFF 


GLACIER NATIONAL PARK – 

Soft rain patters against the window. 

A glance outside reveals darkness, 

streaked by beads of water. 

Cloaked in thermals and Gore-Tex, 

the avalanche forecasters walk to 

the office. There is a heavy, ancient 

feeling to the pre-dawn air. Thick 

coffee offers warmth and a tether of 

friendly comfort. 

Once inside the computer is fired 

up and the data gathering commences. 

Rain continues to knock against 

the roof of the tiny cottage turned 

research facility. Weather at this 

low elevation rarely mimics what’s 

happening 4,000 feet higher, and 

the remote weather station gauges 

show temperatures cooling steadily 

in the peaks, but still hovering 

above freezing at 6,600 foot Logan 

Pass. 

Rain on snow: This is Glacier National 

Park in the springtime. 

Avalanche forecasting for the Going 

to the Sun Road plow crew is a 

unique seasonal Montana occupation. 

The GTSR roadway, a feat of 

early 20th century engineering, 

cuts across numerous avalanche 

paths and is closed during winter. 

Each spring the crews start a pilgrimage 

toward Logan Pass, clearing 

a winter’s worth of snow from 

the narrow and winding roadbed. 

The operation takes months to 

complete, with two plow crews, 

one from the east and one from 

the west, attacking snow drifts up 

to 70-feet thick. The avalanche 

forecasters are responsible for issuing 

a daily forecast for the crews 

and other park employees traveling 

along the road. 

Compiling current weather data 

and observations from the previous 

day’s mission, the team assembles 

the forecast for the day. It’s looking 

like the snow should stay put as 

long as the sun stays at bay and the 

temperatures remain cool. 

Ski gear, rain jacket and extra layers 

at the ready, fresh coffee brewed 

and dawn breaking, it’s time to meet 

the road crew and begin the trek up 

the roadway. 

Lake MacDonald, already free of 

ice, mirrors the hanging clouds that 

continue to spit alternating soft and 

drenching rounds of rain. The team 

snakes through the gated closure 

at Avalanche Lake, which is as far 

as the public may drive until the 

whole road is open. 


Cedars line the road, rooted amid 

dense velvet carpets of moss. The 

rain turns to mist, lifting occasionally 

to reveal glimpses of the rock 

sentinels looming above. A moose 

wanders along the edge of Mac- 

Donald Creek, its large body and 

spindly legs somehow awkward and 

graceful all at once. A grizzly bear 

family was seen in this same area 

yesterday. 

Past the creek the road begins to 

climb. Water streams down the cliff 

walls and along the sides of the 

road, through culverts and drainage 

channels. The plow crew was 

attacking this section only a few 

weeks ago, and already the snowline 

has receded 1,000 feet higher. 

Ahead, the black asphalt disappears 

under a cocoon of white. The plow 

machinery is parked here, at the 

snow’s edge. The road crew climbs 

into their equipment and, avalanche 

spotter in place, begin attacking 

the layers of snow that encase the 

roadway. 

Skis on, the forecast team climbs 

above the roadway, headed 3,000 

vertical feet into the clouds. Tracks 

of rabbits, mountain goats and the 

lone wolverine that’s been frequenting 

the area scatter the skin track. 

At higher elevations, the precipitation 

has manifested as a layer of 



Photos Courtesy oF nPs.gov 

thick new snow that’s adhering 

nicely to the yesterday’s sun crust. 

The forecasters radio the plow crew 

to let them know it looks like a 

good day to make headway. 

Climbing higher, the clouds begin 

to break. Patchy views open up 

across the Garden Wall, showing 

that the glide avalanche cracks 

haven’t moved significantly since 

yesterday—another good sign. 

Rays of light illuminate Heaven’s 

Peak, which dominates the views 

to the west. The 20-foot crown 

lines above glide avalanches that 

failed there during last week’s rain 

event bend the sunlight and garner 

respect. 

Reaching a sub-ridge, the forecasters 

strip their skins from their skis 

and begin the descent. Light snow 

falls as the machinery comes into 

view—the yellow equipment scooping, 

pushing and digesting last 

winter’s snow one bite at a time. 

Marcie Hahn-Knoff is married to 

a GTSR avalanche forecaster and 

has had a 20-year love affair with 

Glacier National Park. A real estate 

broker by trade, she has recently 

signed with Winter and Company 

Real Estate, based in Big Sky. Find 

her at mtwinter.com

outdoors 




The going to the Sun road opened June 19 this year. here's what it took to plow it: 

D7 Bulldozer: This is the first vehicle to pioneer across open snow 

slopes. it cuts a snow road so other equipment may venture 

across slopes—shaving the snowpack down to rotary depth. 

)Front end loader: the clean up guy, this machine widens the roadway after 

the rotary passes through. 

avalanche spotter: Constantly monitors slopes above the operation for 

signs of instability, and measures snow depth for equipment drivers. 

• earliest opening: may 16, 1987 

• latest opening: July 15, 1933 (second latest was July 13, 2011) 

• maximum vehicle length allowed on highest portion of roadway: 21 Feet 

excavator (track hoe): widens roadway on its uphill side 

along cliff bands to rotary depth. 

rotary: spinning blades move 4,000 tons of snow 

an hour, clearing the remaining snowpack to asphalt 

road level. 

avalanche forecaster: issues daily forecasts for park. assesses snowpack 

stability and avalanche conditions at and above road level 

throughout the day for road crew. 

June 29, 2012 39

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JULY 12: THE B-SIDE PLAYERS 

JULY 19: THE BLACK LILLIES 

JULY 26: NICKI BLUHM AND THE 

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JULY 31: PBR PRE-PARTY WITH 

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AUG 2: THE CLUMSY LOVERS 

AUG 9: THE ELDERS 

AUG 10-12: CLASSICAL MUSIC FESTIVAL 

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AUG 16: JOHN REISCHMAN & THE 

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AUG 23: MIKE BECK & THE 

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AUGUST 30: COLD HARD CASH SHOW 

SEPTEMBER 6: PINKY AND THE FLOYD

wanderer at rest 

Westward ho 

by Jamie balke 


Last week, I took a vacation to the 

Oregon coast. Specifically, I went to a 

small town called Neskowin, which I 

first visited as a kid. I convinced several 

friends to come along, hoping my 

childhood memory of a quaint ocean 

town adjacent to a hauntingly beautiful 

coastline with dramatic seaside cliffs 

was accurate. 

My boyfriend and I packed the car and 

began the road trip to the Pacific. The 

plan was to stop in Walla Walla, Wash. 

to visit his dad and then continue on 

the next morning to pick up friends 

who’d flown into Portland. 

We took the scenic route by way of 

Lolo Pass and spent the first part of the 

drive gawking at the wild beauty of the 

Lochsa River canyon. The river raged 

as it tumbled from the mountains, 

streams feeding into it from side drainages. 

I was impressed to see rafters and 

kayakers paddling this intimidating 

waterway, and we took turns exclaiming 

over the beauty of the river, and 

how terrifying we imagined it would 

be in a boat. 

We spent a night out in charming 

downtown Walla Walla for dinner, 

wine tasting and live music. In the 

morning we stopped at the local Farmers 

market and purchased fresh produce 

to stock the house we reserved in 

Neskowin. I was excited to buy morels, 

but unfortunately didn’t know how 

to prepare them. (That didn’t stop me 

from trying, and the results were disappointingly 

mediocre—this was no fault 

of the fungus. I take full responsibility.) 

After a brief stop in Portland to scoop 

up our friends, we drove to Neskowin 

and began the ascent to our rental. The 

road was very steep and narrow; in 

fact, it doubles as a tsunami evacuation 

route for the town. 

I drove, alternately whimpering and 

treating my passengers to a colorful 

string of profanities. Soon I started to 

wonder if we hadn’t been taken in by 

some sort of Internet scam. However, 

as soon as we arrived at the beautiful 

rental home my fears dissipated. 

Almost all of the windows had broad 

views of the ocean. A built-in intercom 

system resulted in many awkward and 

amusing situations during our stay. 

We discovered too late that the door 

intercom is quite loud. 

My friends, being avid home brewers, 

began the week with visits to a few 

local breweries. Next on the agenda 

was a trip to the awesome Oregon 

Coast Aquarium in Newport. The 

exhibits were colorful and well kept, 

the animals seemed healthy and happy, 

and everywhere we turned friendly 

volunteers provided us with interesting 

information. We even got to pet 

starfish. 

Our exploration also led us to the Tillamook 

Cheese Factory. There, we were 

happily and ironically herded like cattle 

past viewing areas of cheese assembly 

lines and sample buckets. People wearing 

foam upside-down melting cone 

hats sold us ice cream. It was great. 

Despite the early season, chilly water 

temperatures, we swam in the ocean 

several times. We were alone in this 

endeavor, as none of the other beachgoers 

seemed willing to fling themselves 

into the water on a windy June day. It 

was cold, anything but dignified, and 

wonderful. 

As my friends and I screamed incoherently, 

jumped about in the choppy 

waves, and lost feeling in our extremities, 

I kept a vigilant shark watch. In 

retrospect, it was probably not a great 

idea to watch an old episode of Shark 

Week before the trip. All I will say on 

the matter is that I saw seals in the area, 

even a dead one on the shore, so you 

never know. I’m not a seal expert, so I 

kept these thoughts to myself. 

Neuroses aside, I was happy to discover 

my childhood memory had not led 

me astray. All in all, I enjoyed a great 

adventure and many new experiences 

with some of my favorite people. 

Jamie Balke moved to Bozeman in the 

fall of 2009. She can generally be found 

behind the cover of a book, meandering 

down a trail or desperately trying not to 

kill houseplants.

42 June 29, 2012 

entertainment 

Q+a with Blitzen Trapper’s eric earley 

by max lowe 


Eric Earley’s writing and performance 

on Blitzen Trapper’s most 

recent album American Goldwing 

staunchly stakes him as a storyteller, 

musician and songwriter. Stemming 

from close-to-home life allusions 

and warm reminiscence of past experiences 

both sorrowful and carefree, 

Eric writes songs to shape episodes 

in the minds of his audience. 

I caught up with him for a short 

phone interview and gained some 

insight into the band and the album, 

which was released last September. 

The band has performed in Bozeman 

more than a handful of times and 

played a show June 29 at the Filling 

Station. 

max lowe: You recently played at 

Sasquatch. What do you like about 

that compared to playing a show like 

the one here at the Filling Station? 

eric earley: I like the big stages, 

but there is a lot less interaction 

with the audience. The energy you 

get at those types of huge shows is 

somewhat overwhelming in a sense, 

but super exciting. Playing smaller 

venues is definitely a warmer feeling, 

where you can have a little bit 

more intimate connection with the 

audience. 

ml: You and the band have toured all 

over the country and the world. Has 

this had an influence on your creative 

process? 

ee: It’s definitely affected the way 

we perform and the way we arrange 

our stage show. Playing so much 

gives you awareness to the way you 

play as a group. 

ml: What literary, art or other inspirations 

have influenced the stories in 

your songs? 

ee: A lot of my writing comes from 

literature. My lyrical writing comes 

from narrative and literary influence, 

in the sense that I try and tell 

a story. I like it to be very visual for 

the listener so even if the song isn’t 

literally telling a story, you can envision 

a scene as the music unfolds. I 

read a lot. 

As far as music, I really like hiphop 

and folk music. Gangster rap 

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and hip-hop are both very lyrically 

powerful. The lyrics are all involved. 

I also listen to a lot of guitar 

rock from the ‘70s. Energetically, 

it’s way more driven by passion, and 

even though the lyrics are not quite 

as expressive you can feel the power 

of the music. 

ml: A lot of your songs seem to have 

personal stories ingrained in the lyrics. 

Tell me about that. 

ee: This last record was really all 

pulled from my own experiences. 

It’s all in the details of each song 

and the story and life inspiration 

behind it. 

ml: “Taking it easy too long” really 

struck a chord with me on being 

stuck waiting for things that are pulling 

you down. Did this song have a 

specific story behind it in your life? 

ee: That one is just written off a 

majority of my life. I spent my 20s 

drinking and doing a lot of nothing 

around Portland, and that song is 

meant to reflect that period. The 

music video is shot right outside of 

Salem, Ore., on the Mollala River 

right around where we all grew up, 

so that has a real connection with 

that part of my and all our lives. 

ml: Have you released any solo 

projects around this last album? 



blitzen trapper's eric early performing in salt lake City last 

year. Photo by max lowe 

ee: I write all the music we do, so I 

really only write for the band. There 

are always songs I’m writing and 

recording on my own, but I haven’t 

recorded and released any solo projects. 

ml: I recently got back from a travel 

abroad, and the music I saw in other 

countries seemed very single genre. The 

scene here in the U.S. has thousands of 

sects and off-sects. If you could, how 

would you describe American music? 

ee: I think the only forms of music 

truly invented here in the U.S. are 

rap music and jazz. To me, American 

music is gangster rap and hip-hop 

mainly. Most everything else has 

roots in other types of music from all 

over the world. Many other musical 

movements have origins elsewhere, 

like grunge from England or folk 

from Ireland. Folk music for me really 

started with learning the banjo 

from my grandfather, who was from 

Ireland. 

ml: Excited to be back in Bozeman 

playing at the Filling Station? 

ee: Super exited to be back. I’ve had 

a great time at past shows in Bozeman 

and the Filling Station. The people in 

Bozeman feel like where we grew up 

in the Pacific Northwest. It’s a small 

town and northern town, and you 

can feel that.

sPotlight on the arts 

Chamber music: Transfigure this 

strings under the big sky is July 13 

by John Zirkle 

warren miller performing artS center 

When you think of intimate classical music, what 

comes to mind? 

Marble floors, decadent food, champagne flutes 

and tuxedo-clad waiters? Think of the scene in 

Titanic, when the ship is going 

down, and the string quartet 

decides to keep playing until the 

very end. Cheesy, yes, but it’s 

difficult not to tear up. 

Aside from the gargantuan repertoire, 

the most interesting aspect 

of chamber music is that every 

performer plays her/his own part, 

unlike symphonic music. This is 

what makes it so hard, and also 

so volatile. Every performer is 

completely exposed, and there is 

serious potential for failure. 

During college, I always struggled 

with chamber music. The 

idiom had a certain pomp to it 

that pushed me away. I didn’t get 

it. 

But then I started studying the 

early music of Arnold Schoenberg, 

who competes with the 

likes of Wagner, Brahms and even 

Beethoven in the chamber music world. One specific 

piece of his, Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured 

Night), written for string sextet, changed my 

outlook on this perplexing medium. 

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arnold schoenberg 

Throughout Verklärte Nacht, the performers must 

endure extremely dissonant harmonic passages, 

faster-than-a-speeding-bullet melodic phrases, 

and the entire gamut of melodramatic expression. 

It’s based on a poem of the same name by Richard 

Dehmel that explores the relationship between a 

man and a woman pregnant with another’s man’s 

baby. The woman is ashamed, but by the end of 

the poem, the man convinces her that love will 

transfigure the child into their own. 




When you listen to the music, it’s almost as 

though you’re eavesdropping on the lovers’ conversation, 

following along through the woman’s 

anguish and the man’s assuaging words of comfort. 

And because each musician is playing a 

separate part, it really sounds like the performers 

are speaking to each other. 

That’s exactly what chamber music is: 

a conversation. 

Conceptually, it’s really not so different 

from a bluegrass jam session, a 

jazz trio or even a barbershop quartet. 

It’s a small group of people, communicating 

nonverbally and having a good 

time on stage. I don’t see any need to 

make it any more complicated. 

On July 13, down at Rainbow Ranch, 

Big Sky will have the opportunity to 

enjoy some fantastic chamber music 

(sans pomp) by members of the Muir 

String Quartet at the Strings Under 

the Big Sky Event. I can’t wait to hear 

what they have to say. 

Spotlight on the Arts is a reflection on 

the world of performing arts in both 

historic and contemporary contexts. To 

hear examples of Schoenberg and The 

Muir String Quartet, go to muirstringquartet.org. 

Verklärte Nacht has been 

recorded by countless chamber music ensembles, 

and can be found all over the Internet. The 

Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, scheduled 

to be completed by December 2012, will feature 

acts that challenge the way we see and think about 

performance. 

Truth & Beauty 

Architect: Candace Miller Architects Photography: Gordon Gregory 

June 29, 2012 43

ARTWALK 

JULY 7-8, 2012 

SAT. JULY 7 12-7PM 

SUN. JULY 8 12-5PM 

“Brookie Ballet” 

By Loren Kovich 

44 June 29, 2012 



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Fun 

Buscrat's fables 

the mysterious mask 

One day I was a fishin offa the deck of 

my cabin and seen an 11-year-old feller 

getting a lecture from his ma and pa. He 

was a sixth grader, and was always in 

trouble fer being the school bully. 

I got to talking to the youngster about 

his woes, and he said, "I wish I had 

some friends. I always eat lunch alone 

at school. Everyone hates me." 

So, I got a mysterious mask out of my 

cellar and handed it to the young lad. 

"This mask gots sumpin’ very unique 

about it,” I said. “Wear it every day, and 

after six months everyone’ll be treating 

you the way you want ‘em too." 

"That's ridiculous," he said. "Why would 

anybody change their opinion of me just 

because I wore this stupid mask?" 

"That's because it gots magical 

qualities," I responded. "When you 

wear it, everybody will see you as a 

different person." 

"But I can see right through it. 

They'll still be able to see me, and 

they'll still hate me." 

"When you wear it, they you won't 

see you for the person you’ve 

been,” I said. “They'll see the person 

you want to become—however, 

you want everyone to know you.” 

Reluctantly, the boy went to school 

the next Monday wearing the mask. 

Nobody said nothin’ about it. They 

didn't notice he was even wearing 

it. So far, so good, he thunk. 

Then he saw a fifth grader walking 

with his books and lunch in one 

hand, and a poster for his science 

fair project in the other, trying not 

to drag it. The masked boy liked 

teasing younger kids and saw his 

opportunity to knock the poster out 

the fifth grader’s hand. As he approached, 

the masked sixth grader 

tried to knock the poster out of the 

younger boy’s hand but instead 

grabbed it and said, "Here, let me 

help you. You've got your hands 

full." 

The fifth grader, seeing it was the 

bully everybody despised, was 

astonished. 

The masked boy thought, "whatta 

heck am I doing?" He even surprised 

hisself! 

Then the masked boy saw another 

sixth grade girl who he liked to tease 

about her about her ugly glasses. “Hey 

ugly, where'd you get the glasses," was 

what he meant to say, but the words 

that came out were, "Hey Rachel, I saw 

you playing tetherball at recess. You're 

pretty good." 

She was astonished to hear the bully 

say something nice. He was also astonished. 

It wasn’t what he meant to say 

at all. 

During class the teacher gave out 

a math test and then walked out of 

the classroom. The masked boy saw 

another kid cheating. Because he loved 

tattling, he leaned over to say, "I'm 

telling the teacher you were cheating," 

but instead the words that came out of 

his mouth were, "hey Tony, I can help 



you with your math during lunch if 

you'd like." 

The other kid looked at the masked 

boy suspiciously and gave him weird 

look. He always tells on everyone, so 

why is he being so nice now? he thought 

to himself. 

The masked sixth grader also gave a 

weird look. What is going on here? 

Everything I want to say comes out different, 

he thought. 

The other kid accepted the offer for 

help. 

Six months later the sixth grader 

thanked me fer borrowing him my 

mask. He said every time he goes into 

the lunch room lots of kids come over 

and sit next to him. They even walk 

home with him to play after school. 

Then he said thanky fer letting him 

use the mask and was amazed about its 

magical qualities that made everyone 

around him see him in a new light. 

Buscrat's fables are simple stories that 

teach a moral. Buscrat welcomes you 

to visit buscratsfables.com and post your 

comments regarding the fable. 

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46 June 29, 2012 



events 

Big Sky Meadow Village artWalk is July 7 – 8 

BIG SKY— Mark your calendar for the fourth annual 

Big Sky Meadow Village ArtWalk, July 7 – 8. 

Building on its previous successes, this showcase 

of Montana sculptors, painters and photographers 

is now two days instead of one. The event will 

feature artists whose work reflects the Montana 

Participating artists 

marcy bergmann 

mitch billis 

mary blain 

Pat branting 

kathryn brown 

mary ann Cherry 

Jim dick 

kelsey dzintars 

rabbit knows gun 

Jerry inman 

marina kessler 

loren kovich 

dick lauritzen 

katie lee 

ron lowery 

greg mather 

daniel Parker 

Christina Perry 

Peggy ring 

Cliff rossberg 

adam schwankl 

alan snell 

Pint Size Picassos 

through a new program called Pint size Picassos, 

morningstar learning Center staff members 

will host art activities for children during 

the meadow village artwalk. the yellowstone 

Club Community Foundation is sponsoring the 

program, which will be held from 1 – 3 p.m. 

both saturday and sunday on the lawn across 

from First security bank. 

Cody Stampede, Cody, Wyo. 

July 1 

8 p.m. – Cody stampede rodeo 

7 p.m. – 11 p.m. realtors 4 kids street dance in front of irma hotel 

July 2 

10 a.m. – kiddie parade 

12 – 5 p.m. – wild west extravaganza, City Park (arts, crafts, food) 

1 – 4:30 p.m. music and entertainment, City Park 

8 p.m. Cody stampede PrCa rodeo 

July 3 

9:30 a.m. – stampede Parade 

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. wild west extravaganza, City Park 

11a.m. – 2 p.m. bbQ at the eagles, buffet at the elks Club 

1 – 4:30 p.m. – music and entertainment, City Park 

6 – 7 p.m. bbQ – elks Club 


wednesday, July 4 

7 a.m. – Cody runners' stampede - 5k and 10k runs - Cody Quad Center 

9:30 a.m. – stampede Parade 

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – wild west extravaganza, City Park (arts, crafts, food) 

11a.m. - 2 p.m. – bbQ at the eagles, buffet at the elks Club 

1 – 4 p.m. – music and entertainment, City Park 


10 p.m. – Cody skylighters Fireworks show 

The B-Side Players July 12 

The B-Side Players are traveling 

from San Diego to kick off the 

Arts Council's free Thursday 

night concert series on July 12 at 

7 p.m. The band's 10th album, 

Revolutionize, is an organic blend 

of Latin funk, reggae, cumbia and 

soul. As an eight-piece band, the 

B-Side Players are known for igniting 

crowds with fierce rhythms 

an uplifting message of unity and 

consciousness. 

lifestyle, some of whom were born and raised in 

the state, and others who have visited and hold a 

special place in their hearts for Montana. 

Held in the height of summer, the ArtWalk is 

hosted among the businesses of Big Sky’s Meadow 

Village Center, from noon – 7 p.m. on Saturday 

and noon – 5 p.m. on Sunday. Visitors and art 

lovers this year will have more time to interact 

with the artists and businesses, and browse the 

work that artists carefully transported to Big Sky 

to put on display. 

“The ArtWalk is a combination of fun,” said 

JoDean Bing, a member of the planning committee. 

“You have the opportunity to meet Montana 

artists and see their work firsthand as well as 

socialize in the Meadow Village Center.” 

Business hosting artists will also provide refreshments 

like wine, food and other beverages. These 

businesses include Big Sky Furniture, Big Sky 

Health and Fitness, Blue Ribbon Builders, ERA 

Landmark Real Estate, First Place Pub, Horse of a 

Different Color, Outlaw Partners, Redleaf Consulting 

and Big Sky Sotheby’s. 

As with the winter ArtWalk, live bands will play 

during the event. 

BIG SKY – One of the region’s 

hottest live rock and soul bands, 

Freddy Pink, will be back in town 

on Wednesday, July 4. Hosted at 

the Town Center Park, the free 

show will start at 7 p.m. 

A nine-piece rhythm and blues/ 

funk band from Seattle. Freddy 

Pink performs standards and originals 

in an energetic, professional 

live show. This is the third year 

running the band has played in Big 

Sky. 

BIG SKY – Celebrities from across the 

country have signed on to play in the 

11th annual Big Brothers Big Sisters 

Celebrity Golf Tournament, July 15 - 

16. Held at the Big Sky Golf Course, 

the event is also open to the public. 

This year’s celebrity lineup includes 

MSU head basketball coach, Brad 

Huse, and Eric Dickerson, six-time probowl 

and five-time all pro running back 

for the Los Angeles Rams. New to the 

list this year is well-known Western 

artist Tom Gilleon, who also donated an 

original oil for auction. 

The two-day event begins with a 

cocktail party and silent auction at 7 

p.m. on Sunday evening, July 15, at 


"big sky bullrider" by kelsey dzintars. dzintars will be 

showing her artwork at the Outlaw Partners office 

during the big sky artwalk. 

freddy Pink kicks off Big Sky 

free summer music series July 4 

Doors open at 6 p.m. Coolers are permitted 

into the venue, but no glass or 

pets. There will also be kids’ activities, 

including a climbing wall and inflatable 

bouncer from Airtime Inflatables from 

6 – 9 p.m. The night will end with a 

fireworks show. 

The nonprofit Arts Council of Big Sky 

is hosting the show as a kick off to its 

summer music series. The free Thursday 

night concerts will run July 12 – Sept. 6 

this year. For music samples, videos and a 

complete schedule, visit bigskyarts.org. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters Celebrity 

golf Tournament, July 15-16 

the Big Sky Resort Summit Hotel. The 

golf tournament follows the next day, 

with a 1 p.m. shotgun start at the Big 

Sky Golf Course. Individual player and 

team slots are still available. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a mentoring 

program that provides children 

facing adversity with strong, enduring, 

professionally supported one-to-one 

relationships. This event benefits the 

Big Sky satellite office of Big Brothers 

Big Sisters of Gallatin County, which 

currently serves five new school-based 

matches and six community-based 

matches. 

To get involved contact (406) 587-1216 

or bbbs-gc.org.

Big SKY 

Yoga WiTh anna 

The Art Barn 

Tuesdays, 8:30 – 10 a.m. 

earLY BirD Yoga 

annaourusoff@gmail.com 

(406) 600-7565 

Fridays, 6-7 a.m. 

MonDaY nighT Pig roaST 

320 Steak House Restaurant 

Mondays, 5 – 8 p.m. 

haYriDe anD riVerSiDe BBQ 

320 Steak House Restaurant 

Wednesdays, 5:30 – 9 p.m. 

MonDaY nighT BiKe riDeS 

Town Center Fire Pit 

June 4 – July 30, 6 p.m. 

ShaBBaT in Big SKY 

Big Sky Chapel 

June 29-30, 6 p.m. 

fireCraCKer oPen goLf 

ToUrnaMenT 

Big Sky Golf Course 

July 4 

Contact Pro Shop: (406)995-5780 

LiVe MUSiC: freDDY PinK 


July 4, 6 p.m. 

feSTiVaL of The 4Th: BBQ, 

fireWorKS & ConCerT 

Gallatin County Fairground Events Park 

July 4, 6:30 p.m. 

KaBBaLaT ShaBBaT 

July 6 at 7:00 pm 

ShaBBaT Morning MYSTiCaL 

ChanTing SerViCe, foLLoWeD BY 

Torah STUDY 

July 7, 8:30 & 9:30 am 

BoYne UniVerSiTY-MeMorY PoWer 

with Scott Bornstein 

Mountain Mall 

July 9, 11 a.m. 

B-SiDe PLaYerS 


July 12, 7 p.m. 

STringS UnDer The Big SKY 

Rainbow Ranch lodge 

July 13, 7 p.m. 

BreWfeST 

Huntley Lawn 

July 14, 5 p.m. 

events 

PainTing WorKShoP: 

Color theory and composition of landscape 

painting with Thomas English 

Creighton Block Galley 

July 14 – 15 

Call to reserve a space: (406) 993-9400 

BozeMan 

MonTana ShaKeSPeare in The ParK 

1ST annUaL KiD’S DaY: PLaY on! 

MSU Grove 

June 30, 1 – 3 p.m. 


PLanning an eVenT? Let us know! email media@theoutlawpartners.com and we’ll spread the word. 

TWeLfTh nighT-MonTana 

ShaKeSPeare in The ParK 

Duck Pond 

June 30, 8 p.m. 

a DoUBLe DoSe of BonD 

Ellen Theater 

June 30 

6:30 p.m martini bar 

7:30 p.m. – Dr. No 

9:40 p.m. – Goldfinger 

free BoaT DeMoS anD CLiniCS 

East Gallatin Rec Area @ Bozeman Beach 

Saturdays, July 7, 14, 21 

11 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

The KeLLY aSh BanD 

Ellen Theater 

July 1 

6:30 p.m. 

DaY on The green: MonTana SKieS 

Bozeman Public Library 

July 1, 4 – 7 p.m. 

Jazz anD More WiTh KeLLY roBerTi 


Mondays, July 2 – Aug. 27 

7 – 8:30 p.m. 

farMerS MarKeT 

Rocking TJ Ranch 


farMerS MarKeT 

Rockin’ TJ Ranch 

July 2, 12 a.m. 

iCe CreaM SoCiaL 

Living History Farm, Museum of 

the Rockies 

July 4, 2 – 4 p.m. 

WiLD WeST WeDneSDaYS 

Living History Farm, Museum of the 

Rockies 

Wednesdays, July 4 – Aug. 15, 1-3 p.m. 

MUSiC on Main: anDY fraSCo 

Downtown Bozeman 

July 5, 6:30 p.m. 

The DirTY ShaMe 

The Eagles Lodge 


arT oPening reCePTion, SoUThWeST 

MonTana arTS 


July 6, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. 

DinoSaUr DiSCoVerY 

Museum of the Rockies 

Fridays, July 6 – Aug. 17, 1 – 3 p.m. 

ChorUS Line 

Dulcie Theater 

July 6 – 7, 8 p.m. 

BiKe raCeS: ToUr De BozeMan 

July 7-8 

BiKe MainTenanCe BaSiCS 

for WoMen 

Bozeman REI 

July 11, 6:30 – 8 p.m. 

MUSiC on Main: YogoMan 

BUrning BanD 

Downtown Bozeman 

July 12, 6:30 p.m. 

BeaTS anTiQUe 

Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture 

July 12, 8 p.m. 

LiVe MUSiC: SPUr of The MoMenT 

The Eagles 

July 12, 9 p.m. 

MUir STring QUarTeT 

Reynolds Hall at MSU 

July 12, 7:30 p.m. 

11Th annUaL MUSeUM Wine CLaSSiC 

Museum of the Rockies 

July 14, 6 – 10:30 p.m. 

norriS & enniS 

MoUnTain griP 


Norris Hot Springs 

ChaD oKrUSCh 


Norris Hot Springs 

1ST annUaL CoWaBUnga 

Ennis Rodeo Grounds 


Joe SChWen 


15Th annUaL WiLDfLoWer ToUr of 

graVeLLY range 

Ennis Forest Service Office 

July 10, 9 a.m. 

LiVingSTon & 

ParaDiSe VaLLeY 

MoToCroSS raCe 

Cokedale Race Track – Livingston 

July 1, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. 

fUnDraiSer for reLaY for Life-BBQ 

Depot Park – Livingston 

July 1 – 4 

LiVingSTon roUnDUP ParaDe 

2nd St. and Main 


LiVingSTon roUnDUP roDeo 

Park County Fairgrounds 

July 1 – 4, 8 p.m. 

DePoT feSTiVaL of The arTS 

Livingston Depot Center 

July 2, 9 a.m. 

enniS roDeo 

Ennis Rodeo Grounds 



4Th of JULY Car ShoW 

Sportsman Lodge 

July 4, 9 a.m – 12:30 p.m. 

4Th of JULY ParaDe 

Main Street, Ennis 

July 4, 10 a.m. 



enniS LionS CLUB annUaL BBQ 

Peter T Park 

July 4, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. 

4Th of JULY ToUrnaMenT 

“reD, WhiTe & BLUe” 

Livingston Golf Course 

Information (406) 222-1100 

Pine CreeK oPen BLUegraSS JaM 

Pine Creek Lodge & Cafe 


reining horSehoW – anDerSon’S 

horSe arena 

4 mi N. Clyde Park 

July 5 – 7 

Information (406) 578-2122 

“MeMorieS fLoaTing” 

Buckhorn Theatre – Livingston 


Pine CreeK oPen BLUegraSS JaM 

Pine Creek Lodge & Cafe 

July 12, 7 p.m. 

Big CaBooSe & The SoUL PeneTraTorS 

Chico Hot Springs Saloon 

July 13, 9:30 p.m. 

BLazing SaDDLeS X1-BiKe The BriDgerS 

Livingston 

July 14 

Information- 406-222-0099 

aShLeY BUCharT 

Chico Hot Springs 

July 15, 9 p.m. 

WeST YeLLoWSTone 

WiLD WeST YeLLoWSTone roDeo 

Rodeo Arena 

June 30, July 3 – 7, 10 – 14, 8 p.m. 

free fLY-CaSTing CLiniC 

Jacklin’s Fly Shop 

Sundays, July – Aug, 7:30 p.m. 

WiLDLife SafeTY 

West Yellowstone Visitors Center 

Daily, 9 a.m., 3:30 p.m. 

CeLeBraTing aMeriCa 

Parade 6 p.m. 

Fireworks 10 p.m. 

iSLanD ParK 11Th annUaL arTS 

anD CrafTS fair 

Buffalo Run RV Park 

July 5 – 7, 2 – 6 p.m. 

Virginia CiTY 

CoWBoY PoeTrY WiTh harrY YeoManS 

Elling House Theater 

June 30, 7 p.m. 

foUrTh of JULY fireWorKS 

July 4, Show starts at dusk 

The BreWerY foLLieS 

H.S. Gilbert Brewery 

4 p.m., 8 p.m. 

June 29, 2012 47

timeless 

unique 

historic 

PLAY VIDEOS TO 

LEARN MORE AT 

FLATHEADLAKETIMBER.COM 

FLATHEADLAKETIMBER.COM | (406)465-4346 

FLATHEAD LAKE HISTORIC TIMBER was harvested 

from pristine wildlands surrounding Flathead Lake at 

the turn of the 20th Century. Millions of feet of this 

lumber sank to the bottom of the Flathead, where the 

cool water preserved and enhanced the beauty of the 

wood over the last 100 years. Northwest Management 

Inc. is salvaging the submerged logs with the aid of 

scuba divers, giving new life to this uniquely beautiful, 

brilliant colored timber. 

Every aspect of these “historic timbers” is hand 

manufactured piece by piece by our well trained staff 

who sort and select materials designed to meet your 

specifi c needs. 

F L O O R I N G • F U R N I T U R E • C A B I N E T S • T I M B E R A C C E N T S

ig sky weekly • june 29, 2012 • vol. iii, iss. # 13 

HealtH & 

Wellness 

HealtH neWs 

local Food: Farmers Markets and csas 

Fitness: Pure barre 

wilderness Medicine: dehydration 

Mental HealtH: Meditation 

reciPe: olive b's mango bbQ chicken 

old world: the good waters of bad Homburg 

back 40: gel sense 

50 

52 

54 

55 

56 

57 

57 

58 

CloCkwise From toP leFt: bogert Farmers market by renae Counter, Pure barre, bad homburg by tyler allen, meditation Courtesy oF Charles wolF drimal

50 June 29, 2012 

health news 

Wia has new community counselor 

growing connection with local school 



BIG SKY—In a health survey conducted this 

year, Big Sky residents indicated that having a 

community counseling program is a top health 

priority. 

Women In Action, a Big Sky nonprofit focused 

on access to affordable health, family and educational 

services, has provided a counseling 

program for 

“if you have a 

mental health 

need, it can be 

addressed in big 

sky and you don’t 

have to drive to 

bozeman" 

the past four 

years, most 

recently in 

partnership 

with the HumanDevelopment 

Clinic at 

Montana State 

University. 

The first 

community 

counselor to come to WIA from MSU was Big 

Sky resident Stasia Owens, who has since completed 

her graduate program and taken a job with 

Gallatin Mental Health. 

WIA’s new community counselor Megan Obert 

took the reins in June. Originally from a small 

town in Montana, Obert has worked in crisis 

management through the Hope House in Bozeman. 

She was drawn to Big Sky because she 

wanted to work in rural mental health. 

“She really stood out as a candidate with a strong 

skill set to work in an isolated community like 

Big Sky,” said WIA Executive Director Lisa Beczkiewicz. 

“It’s good to have a professional that’s 

both a self starter and is self motivated.” 

The Community Counseling program provides 

affordable mental healthcare for individuals, 


couples and families for a range of issues including 

depression, substance abuse, stress, grief, 

interpersonal relationship, life transitions and 

family issues. The services are accessible to everyone 

in the community. 

“If you have a mental health need, it can be addressed 

in Big Sky, and you don’t have to drive 

to Bozeman,” Beczkiewicz said. The program 

served 25 people in the past year. 

“It’s small, but it’s impactful,” Beczkiewicz said, 

quoting Big Sky Resort Tax board member Les 

Loble. The tax board this year agreed to fund 100 

percent of WIA’s $18,500 request. 

Mental health illness has a stigma, particularly 

in a small rural community like Big Sky, Beczkiewicz 

said. “Confidentiality is very important to 

our program, and it’s done very well.” 

In other news, WIA again awarded scholarships 

to more than 40 Big Sky youth to attend summer 

camps. Kids ages 3 – 17 will attend a range of 

camps—everything from ballet class and horseback 

riding, to early childhood education programs 

and sports camps. The program last year 

gave 83 total scholarships. 

Building on a connection to Ophir School, WIA 

and THRIVE are partnering to launch a new 

parent liaison program this fall. For the past 

two years WIA has helped fund Ophir’s school 

counseling program, but now the school is hiring 

a full-time guidance counselor. 

“Having another skilled, positive adult to help 

with the success of students and families is a 

valuable asset to have in our school,” Beczkiewicz 

said. The new position will bring a social 

worker to provide support for parents and teachers, 

parent education classes, and provide community 

resources to the school. 

Bipartisan bill addresses drug shortages, 

speeds up research 



WASHINGTON D.C. —A bill that passed both 

Congressional houses nearly unanimously this June 

would make affordable prescription drugs more 

accessible and help Montana businesses producing 

new drugs. 

The Food and Drug Administration Safety and 

Innovation Act includes a provision co-sponsored 

by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., to encourage development 

of new drugs that treat rare and highly 

resistant infectious diseases. 

Known as the GAIN Act, the provision streamlines 

the approval process by extending patents for drug 

makers and allowing them to work with non-accredited 

investors. 

Short for ‘Generating antibiotic incentives now,’ it 

will benefit companies such as the Bozeman-based 

pharmaceutical company Microbion, which specializes 

in developing innovative drug treatments, 

particularly for antibiotic resistant infections. 

Its passage will change the playing field in the antibiotic 

industry, said Microbion President and CEO 

Dr. Brett Baker. If allowed to work with non-accredited 

partners, Microbion could access big international 

companies that “can really move something,” 

Baker said. 

The bill also extends existing agreements between 

pharmaceutical companies and the FDA to speed up 

drug approvals and improve the safety of medicine 

and medical devices. 

Because it will allow new drugs into the marketplace 

faster and reduce the costs of generic drugs, 

the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office 

estimates the bill will save taxpayers $360 million 

over the next decade. 

It also encourages government and private companies 

to work together to quickly develop and 

approve treatments for chronic illnesses like Alzheimer’s 

disease. 

The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 96-1 and 

House unanimously. 


by deb Courson smith 

big Sky connection 


Bicycle safety 

helmets every time 

HELENA—Wear a helmet every time. No exceptions. 

That's the message from the American Academy of 

Pediatrics this summer. The group confirms that 

riding without a bike helmet significantly increases 

the risk of head injuries if a bicyclist crashes, and 

crashes can be serious even when just riding around 

the neighborhood. 

Emergency room doctor Mike Gittleman says wearing 

a helmet can reduce head-injury chances by 85 

percent—injuries that can run the gamut. 

"Sometimes you just see some abrasions, but they 

can also be more serious, where you can have skull 

fractures, you can have intracranial bleeding, and it 

can even cause death." 

Just as you get your bicycle checked on a yearly basis, 

he says, it's important to make sure your helmet 

still fits correctly, which is particularly important 

with children as they grow. He notes there is also an 

economic rationale for bike-helmet use. 

"The usage alone will not only save lives and prevents 

injury, but it also saves health care dollars. 

The expense of these injuries is great, and if we can 

prevent them on the forefront, it would be saving 

health care dollars as well." 

With the exception of vehicles, Gittleman says, 

bikes are linked to more childhood injuries than any 

other consumer product. That includes trampolines, 

ladders and swimming pools. 

More than 600 people on bicycles were killed in 

collisions with motor vehicles across the nation in 

2010, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway 

Safety, and at least 70 percent were not wearing 

helmets. 

Twenty-one states have bicycle helmet laws. Montana 

isn't one of them. 

of the 600 people killed 

on bicycles in 2010 were 

not wearing helmets.

health news 

head injuries 

From concussions to traumatic brain injuries 

by maren dunn 


There has been a buzz recently about 

head injuries, especially among 

athletes—think Muhammad Ali and 

Junior Seau—and veterans returning 

from Iraq and Afghanistan. But anyone 

can suffer a traumatic brain injury. 

Almost 2 million Americans report 

TBI’s in each year. Of these, 45 percent 

were caused by motor vehicle accidents, 

30 percent by a fall, 10 percent 

from a work accident, another 10 

percent from recreational accidents, 

and 5 percent were caused by assaults. 

Luckily, the majority of these are 

concussions, or mild traumatic brain 

injuries. 

What happens to cause the injury? 

Imagine you had a hollow rock into 

which you placed a ripe peach then 

bounced that rock on the ground. 

The brain after a TBI looks just like 

the peach: bruised and damaged. The 

brain tissue swells, and the axons (long 

tentacles of nerves) are stretched, torn 

and bumped when bounced against 

the inside of the skull. 

This damage can happen with a 

blow to the head, or with rapid 

acceleration forces without actual 

impact, like whiplash. In severe 

cases, blood vessels rupture inside 

the skull, causing a life-threatening 

situation. 

With concussions, which are really 

mild TBI’s, symptoms of headache, 

dizziness, nausea, vomiting, loss 

of balance, and even amnesia are 

common. As hours to days pass, 

mood changes, sensitivity to light 

or sound, sleep problems and difficulty 

concentrating can also be 

expected. 

In severe cases with damage to the 

blood vessels, concussion symptoms 

escalate dramatically and can 

include lethargy, stroke-like neurologic 

problems, intense headaches 

and loss of consciousness. These 

symptoms can intensify at such a 

rate as to cause death rapidly. That’s 

why doctors recommend closely 

monitoring head injury patients for 

changes in mental status or other 

symptoms for at least 24 hours after 

the incident. 

Bozeman Deaconess news 

Family medicine and Pediatrics Clinic 

receives immunization award, Cancer 

Center chosen as clinical research site 

BOZEMAN—Bozeman Deaconess Family Medicine and Pediatrics was awarded a 

2011 Lighthouse Award for Innovation and Excellence in Immunization from the 

Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. It was one of only two 

clinics in the state to receive the award. 

The award, presented to a medical clinic for an outstanding immunization project, 

recognizes strategies that are evidence-based, evaluated for success, and possible for 

other clinics to replicate. 

The Deaconess Family Medicine and Pediatrics clinic's goal was to have a better vaccine 

coverage level than the National Committee on Quality Assurance goal of 85 

percent. 

“In 2011, we exceeded that goal with a 92 percent completed vaccine status for our 

2-year-old patients,” said Dr. James Feist, a pediatrician. 

It took a team effort, Feist said, with support from hospital administration to finance 

the services, and a joint effort by physicians and nurses to commit the time necessary 

to educate patients, ensure accuracy of records, and administer vaccines. 

Bozeman Deaconess Cancer Center recently joined a select group of six communitybased 

research affiliates that can now offer nearly 75 new clinical cancer research 

trials to patients. 

Part of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Oncology Research Program, 

the overarching goals are to improve patient outcomes and advance medical science 

through quality clinical research and collaboration, and to give community researchers 

access to innovative therapies. 

“This offers our patients another opportunity to receive cutting edge treatment without 

requiring them to travel to a large city, where many of these trials originate,” said 

Spencer Green, business operations manager for Bozeman Deaconess Cancer Center. 

When is it appropriate to seek medical 

attention? 

Children under age 2 are at high risk 

of skull fracture or severe brain injury 

with only minor trauma. This age group 

should be seen by a doctor ASAP. 

Everyone else should see a doctor when 

any of the following are present: loss 

of consciousness, significant headache, 

confusion, seizure, vomiting, or when 

the mechanism of injury is unknown or 

high-risk such as motor vehicle accident 

or a fall from a considerable height. 

It’s the physician’s job to determine 

whether the injured person requires 

further testing, admission to the hospital 

or just close monitoring. 

Treatment 

Treatment for mild head injuries involves 

time and rest. 

Current guidelines support keeping 

anyone who sustained a loss of consciousness 

or has symptoms of head 

injury for longer than 15 minutes from 

participating in sports for at least 1 week. 

The person can only resume play when 

the symptoms are completely gone. 

Ultimately, medical evidence points to- 




ward preventing repeated head injuries, 

or “second impact syndrome,” no matter 

what age you are. Sustaining another 

head injury before healing the first 

can cause symptoms that may become 

permanent, as evidenced by professional 

football players and Muhammad Ali. 

Symptoms of most properly treated 

concussions will likely fade over 

a few weeks to months with no 

residual effects. 

Maren Dunn, 

D.O., is owner of 

Gallatin Family 

Medicine, a medical 

clinic in the 

Big Sky Meadow 

Village. Have a 

question? Email her at 

inquiries@gallatinfamilymedicine.com. 

gallatinfamilymedicine.com 

Got Noxious Weeds? 

We can help! 

Now is a great time to manage the noxious weeds on 

your property, and the Gallatin/Big Sky Noxious Weed 

Committee can help! 

We provide free onsite assistance, including 

identifying weeds on your property & recommending 

treatment methods. 

For assistance, contact Jennifer Mohler at 

406‐209‐0905 or bigskyweeds@gmail.com, 

and visit www.bigskyweeds.org. 

Noxious Weed Spotlight: Oxeye Daisy 

Oxeye daisy is a perennial, resembling Shasta daisy, that’s common in 

meadows, roadsides and along trails in Big Sky and the 

Gallatin Canyon. This aggressive invader can form 

dense stands that displaces native plants. Because of the 

plant’s beauty and showiness, conscientious 

management is often neglected. Unfortunately, some of 

Montana’s state listed noxious weeds are still offered for 

sale in wildflower seed mixes. Be on the lookout when 

purchasing seeds for your garden or landscaping. More 

photos & information @ www.bigskyweeds.org. 

Visit us at our booth at the Big Sky Farmers Market! 

Help protect wildlife habitat, water resources, 

& native plants by controlling noxious weeds! 

June 29, 2012 51

52 June 29, 2012 

loCal Food 



farmers markets, all about the community 



Bogert farmers Market 

BOZEMAN – Now that summer has finally made it 

to Gallatin County, so has the staple summer Farmers 

markets, and there is no shortage this year. Across 

Montana it’s possible to find a market almost any day 

of the week, and you can be sure they’ll have just what 

you’re looking for. Local, fresh produce, baked goods, 

jewelry, crafts, and activities for the kids—Montana 

famers’ markets have it covered. 

If you happen to be passing through Bozeman on a 

Tuesday evening, don’t miss the chance to stop at the 

Bogert Farmers Market in Bogert Park. This 100-plus 

vendor market is tucked conveniently under a large 

pavilion so it can withstand Montana summer rain (and 

snow) storms—just be prepared to walk a few blocks 

after parking, because the market fills up fast. 

Salal Huber-McGee, Bogert’s market director, started 

the market 10 years ago. She said she’s loved watching 

it evolve. “We have a lot of really great things going for 

us. We’re in a great location, we have a ton of community 

support and a good mission statement.” 

That mission is simple, yet effective: Promote, Preserve 

and Play. 

As you stroll through the market you may recognize 

some vendors from their local storefronts and find 

that others are completely new. The market offers a 

platform for new businesses to start and grow, and for 

developed businesses to return and share with the 

community. 

“The market is a really good platform for local business 

to try out,” Huber-McGee said. “The booths are 

very affordable, and it’s a good way to promote local 

interest.” 

Kristin Fletcher, a Bozeman jewelry maker, has had 

a booth at Bogert every year. Along with beaded 

jewelry, Fletcher also makes an arrangement of metalsmith 

jewelry like rings and bracelets. 

“I like this market because of the local feel,” Fletcher 

said. "You see a lot of the same faces every Tuesday.” 

If it’s produce and vegetables you’re looking for, 

Bogert has a wide selection from local farms. Crazy 

View Farm from Wilsall offers a selection of fresh 

greens for salads and cooking. Laurie Sargent, owner 

operator of Crazy View, has been a vendor at Bogert 

for four years. “I love seeing the people we’re grow- 

ing food for,” Sargent said. 

Photos by renae Counter 

Crazy View Farm is an organic farm that operates 

through the volunteer program World Wide Opportunities 

on Organic Farms, which places eight 

volunteers on the farm each season. 

One WWOFF volunteer from Minnesota has been 

in Montana for two weeks, volunteering at Crazy 

View. She said she’s loved Montana for the people, 

mountains and “seeing how a farm acts within a community.” 


Along with Crazy View, you can also find Three 

Fiddles Farm, Organic Valley Farms, Gallatin Valley 

Botanical Tristan Garden, M&M Farm, High Ground 

Farm and Three Hearts Farm. 

If it’s a cooked meal you’re looking for, Bogert also has 

that covered. From fresh made crepes, gyros, tacos and 

more, the market has something for everyone in the 

family to enjoy. 

The Hungry Mexican is known for its famous salsa 

and fish tacos, said owner Ken Reynolds. He and wife 

Sharon have been “bringing it” with their homemade 

salsa for the past three years. 

“Sharon has been making salsa for years,” Reynolds 

said. “After I got laid off, I came on board. It has allowed 

us to chase our dreams.” 

The Reynolds started out at the Big Sky Farmers Market, 

where their tasty Mexican salsa quickly became a 

hit. They have since moved to Bozeman but will return 

to Big Sky’s market this year. 

“Our fish tacos are famous up there,” Reynolds said. 

Bogert strives to be a gathering place. It’s an “easy way 

for people to hang with their families and friends in a 

good location,” Huber-McGee said. 

Along with a park full of swings, jungle gyms, basketball 

courts and plenty of lush, green grass, there’s also 

the much-loved rock climbing wall and power jump 

bungee trampoline for kids. 

“The power jump is always a big hit with the kids,” 

said Dale Mandeville, owner of the Bozeman Straw 

Bale Maze. “We’ll be here two to three times a month 

setting up the jump for the kids.” 

The market also supports maintenance and improvements 

for Bogert Park. All revenue from vendor fees 

go to “Friends of Bogert Park,” a nonprofit run by community 

volunteers. 

The funding helps improve the playgrounds, the 

tennis and basketball courts, the band shell and the 

pavilion, and helps with creek restoration, according 

to Huber-McGee. The big project on tap for this year: 

a new water fountain that will be “a big fish you can 

drink out of.” 

The fountain is being supported by a local grant and 

designed by local artists. With the help of the organization 

SLAM, Support Local Artists and Musicians, 

local artists Mitch Billis and Sarah Anderson have been 

hired to design the fountain. 

With summer nights lasting well into the 9 o’clock 

hour, there’s always local music to enjoy after the 

market closes. The Bozeman City Band has performances 

in the music pavilion for eight weeks of out 

the summer. The Equinox Theater also brings in camp 

programs to perform plays. 

The Bogert Farmers Market is every Tuesday evening 

from 5 – 8 p.m. through Sept. 25. More information at 

bogertfarmersmarket.org.

loCal Food 

BIG SKY— With July quickly approaching, Big 

Sky’s own famers’ market will soon be taking 

over the Town Center on Wednesday evenings. 

Since the market started four years ago it has seen 

tremendous support from the community, according 

to Wendy Swenson, events coordinator 

at the Town Center. 

“The Farmers market has been a great place for 

people from the community to come out, gather 

together, get dinner and listen to music,” Swenson 

said. 

Though the Big Sky Farmers Market draws a 

few vendors from as far away as Idaho and Billings, 

many are local and regional. This year, past 

favorites like Big Sky Antlers and the Bozeman 

Alpacas will be in attendance, along with many 

others. The vendor list was close to 80 at press 

time, with the market still a couple weeks away. 

“We have a great mix of local and regional artisans, 

which gives a great feel of shopping for an 

evening and going home with things you don’t 

see everywhere else,” Swenson said. 

The live music during the market will feature 

many of the same Montana musicians as last 

season. 

Community Supported agriculture 

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is 

the easiest and best way to get locally grown 

and organic food straight from the farm to your 

table. With CSA’s, farmers and costumers work 

together to grow and share produce. 

Each season, farmers offer a “share” of their 

produce to the public. These shares, which 

consist of a box or bag of produce, are bought 

by consumers. Each week, the buyer receives a 

basket of produce from that week’s harvest. 

Simple, healthy and sustainable, CSA’s benefit 

both parties. Along with receiving their shares, 

costumers may also be offered the chance to 

meet “their” farmer and see where food is 

“The vendors at Farmers markets are one big 

traveling family,” Swenson said. “It’s been 

wonderful to be a part of that and get such good 

feedback from the community.” 

The Big Sky Farmers Market runs every Wednesday, 

5 – 8 p.m., from July 11 – Sept. 5 in Fire Pit 

Park. 

grown. This is not only a great opportunity for 

farmers to share their knowledge and lifestyle, 

but also a great way for consumers to become 

more active and involved in food choices and 

local farms. 

Along with vegetables, some farmers add other 

goods to their baskets such as meats, farm eggs, 

homemade bread, cheese, fruit and flowers. 

Shares can also be customizable depending on 

the farm, allowing the consumer a choice in 

which products fill their basket each week. 

There are many CSA farms in southwest Montana. 

To learn more about CSA or find a farm 

that fits you, visit localharvest.org. 




Big Sky farmers Market farmers markets 

around the region 

Photos by wendy swenson 


big sky Farmers market 

ousel Falls rd. & lone Peak drive - Fire Pit Park 

wednesdays, 5 – 8 p.m. 

July 11 – sept. 5 

Bozeman 

bogert Farmers market 

bogert Park, s. Church ave. 

tuesdays, 5 – 8 p.m. 

June 5 – sept. 25 

gallatin Valley farmers Market 

901 n. black, Corner of tamarack & n black 

saturdays, 9 a.m. – noon 


Monday night farmers Market 

rockin’ tJ ranch, 651 lynx lane 

5 – 8 p.m. 


ennis 

madison Farm to Fork Farmers market 

valley bank parking lot, e. main st. 

saturdays, 9 a.m. – noon 

June 2 to sept. 15 

Livingston 

livingston Farmers market 

miles bandshell park, next to Civic Center, 

229 river drive 

wednesdays, 4:30 – 7:30 p.m., music until 9 p.m. 


Big Timber 

big timber Farmers market 

lions Club Park, corner of mcleod street 

& e. 8th ave. 

thursdays, 4 – 7 p.m. 


Whitehall 

whitehall Farmers market 

legion street Park, east end 

saturday, 9 a.m. – noon 


June 2 – oct. 6 

June 6 – oct. 10 

Virginia City 

second saturday Farmers market 

virginia City artisans & growers guild, 

across from the opera house 

2nd saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

march – aug. 

Butte 

butte Farmers market 

west Park street between gamer's Cafe 

and the Phoenix building 

saturdays, 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. 

may 26 – oct. 6 

Manhattan 

manhattan Farmers market 

Park on west main in downtown manhattan 



June 29, 2012 53

54 June 29, 2012 

WHERE BIGGEST SKIING IN 

AMERICA ® AND 

THE WORLD’S ONLY PRIVATE 

SKI AND GOLF COMMUNITY 

Unite. 

Build your dream and let the memories begin. 

loneviewridge.com 

the Pure barre storefront and studio in bozeman 


BOZEMAN – “Hold onto it…only 

20 more to go! Working that Pure 

Barre leg!” 

This encouragement inflicts both 

fear and pride as one pushes through 

a set of toning tracks known as 

the Pure Barre 

technique. Think 

yoga meets ballet 

meets weights 

meets pilates… 

and then allow 

the beautiful 

space at 34 E. 

Mendenhall in 

Bozeman distract 

you from that 

satisfying but 

possibly painful 

burn you feel. 

A toning 

workout based 

largely on ballet, 

Pure Barre was 

founded in 2001 

by professional 

dancer and choreographer 

Carrie 

Rezabek Dorr. Its 

focus is building 

long, lean 

muscles using 

small isometric 

movements, and 

the workouts 

are set to upbeat 

music. 

It’s a little like mellow dancing and 

stretching and is different than any 

other workout in the Gallatin Valley. 

Among Pure Barre’s claims to 

fame are the absence of jumping or 

bouncing, which ensures the joints 

are protected, as well as focusing on 

abs, hips, glutes and arms. 

Upon entrance to one of the hourlong 

classes, the shoes come off 

and the muscles turn on. It’s a rich, 

intimate space that sees patrons 

of all ages, shapes and sizes. The 

local studio has customers of both 

genders from ages of 18 to 78. Each 

of the six instructors is certified in 

Pure Barre. 

Although Pure Barre started out as 

an uncertain endeavor in a Michigan 

studio without so much as a bathroom, 

franchised studios can now 

be found nationwide. The workout 

found its way to Bozeman about 

a month ago, when Kaitlyn Kurn 

opened a studio on May 22 after 

deciding to move from San Diego. 

Kurn grew up dancing competitively 

and discovered Pure Barre in San 

Diego in 2010. She was smitten. 

Having spent the past 10 years visiting 

her parents and the mountains 


Fitness 

Lift. Tone. Burn. 

Pure barre is a hip new workout technique 

by katie thomas 


around Bozeman after studying 

international business at the Munich 

Business School in Germany, Kurn 

knew this was the place. 

“You have to have danced at a 

competitive level to own a studio,” 

Kurn says. Her time working in the 

fashion industry is evidenced by the 

Photo Courtesy oF kaitlyn kurn 

items for sale in the studio entryway, 

including clothing, jewelry, 

gifts, and Pure Barre equipment and 

DVDs. 

Kurn’s father is an entrepreneur 

and small business owner, and after 

growing up watching him run his 

companies, she decided that she 

wanted the same for herself. 

“A lot of people don’t realize that a 

franchise is not some huge corporate 

entity,” she said. “It’s not. By taking 

classes here, you are supporting a 

local business.” 

Next time you find yourself driving 

down Mendenhall and that caterpillar 

green of Mint* Dental catches 

your eye, be sure to check out Pure 

Barre. Don’t let all those elegant 

ballerina-looking figures in the 

window scare you away—Pure Barre 

is for everyone who is open to trying 

a new workout. 

“If you can hold onto a bar, you can 

take Pure Barre,” Kurn says. 

Classes are held seven days a week, 

and signup is online. Choose from 

single or recurring reservations, and 

a range of class times. 

Katie Thomas writes from Bozeman.

wilderness mediCine 


Dehydration is a numbers game 

Facebook relationship: “it’s complicated” 

by dave mCevoy 

aerie backcountry medicine 

To understand dehydration, read 

about the financial turmoil in the 

world. Being in massive debt hurts. 

It makes you irritable, weak and 

crampy. It gives you a headache and 

makes you susceptible to infections. 

Worst of all, it causes you to make 

bad decisions, jeopardizing yourself 

and those with you. 

Dehydration from sweat is a numbers 

game. Sweat is 99 percent water. 

This water comes directly from your 

blood, where you have roughly five 

liters in circulation. Yet only half of 

your blood is water, meaning you 

only have 2 – 3 liters of water to 

sweat. 

For obvious reasons, like death, having 

no water in your blood would be 

very bad. To avoid this, your body 

begins running a tab on water, borrowing 

it from the tissues, where 

you have over 30 liters in reserve. 

This is a normal part of a healthy 

body process. Rest, drink and eat, 

and your body replenishes the loss. 

Trouble comes when you ignore the 

deficit and continue running the tab. 

If dehydration were in a relationship 

on Facebook, it would have 

the descriptor “it’s complicated.” 

Because we borrow water from all 

body tissues, dehydration can be felt 

in isolated muscles or lead to a bodywide 

crisis. You might feel like you 

have anything from a pulled muscle 

to the flu, and not know what part 

dehydration is playing in any of it. 

To keep it simple, focus more attention 

on avoiding water debt than on 

treating it. 

PreVenTion Do’S 

acclimatize 

It takes your body 6-10 days to acclimatize 

to a warm environment, 

after which time you sweat more efficiently, 

radiate heat more readily, 

and feel a lot better exercising in the 

heat. To best acclimatize, you need 

to break a sweat every day for about 

an hour during this process. 

moderate activity 

Short, frequent breaks in the shade 

are essential to prolonged activities, 

particularly with high temperatures 

and humidity. Don’t mistake this as 

wimpy advice for pampered people. 

Everyone, from soldiers in combat to 

extreme athletes, needs to periodically 

reduce activity when working 

hard in a hot environment. 

drink enough to pee clear and 

often 

This usually means 2 – 6 liters of 

water over the course of each day of 

strenuous outdoor activity. That’s 

more than we’re accustomed to 

drinking but is critical to avoid going 

into water debt with your tissues. It 

is possible to drink too much water. 

This condition, called hyponatremia, 

typically happens during endurance 

events with participants pushing 

themselves at high levels for many 

hours and significantly exceeding 

the above fluid recommendations. 

Wear proper clothing 

The key is wearing materials with 

little or no insulating value that allow 

airflow over the skin. 

Consider adding electrolytes to 

your water 

Endless debate surrounds the efficacy 

and need to supplement drinking 

water with electrolytes. While 

electrolyte solutions with less than 

8 percent carbohydrates can help 

prevent and treat some forms of heat 

illness (particularly when a well-balanced 

diet isn’t possible) they aren’t 

a substitute for eating well and 

resting. By the way, recent evidence 

refutes an old theory that electrolytes 

help prevent hyponatremia. 

PreVenTion Don’TS 

don’t rely on pounding water 

It doesn’t work. You won’t absorb 

most of it and instead will feel sick 

or vomit. Instead, drink about a halfliter 

per hour of activity, as well as a 

liter before and after activity. 

don’t rely on adding electrolytes 

to water 

Electrolytes are essential for basic 

function, and adding electrolytes 

to water can be very helpful, but 

we get most of what we need from 

food. Don’t believe the hype about 

expensive drinks at the expense of 

thinking about drinking water and 

eating well. 

don’t rely only on thirst to guide 

fluid consumption 

Thirst is triggered only when you’re 

significantly dehydrated, meaning 

by the time you feel crappy and 

thirsty, you’re already well behind 

and hours from recovery. 

don’t think your body will get 

accustomed to dehydration 

It won’t, and it will punish you for 

treating it that way. 

TreaTMenT Do’S 

stop activity and slowly hydrate 

If a dehydrated person is conscious but 

weak, tired, nauseated, has a headache 

and/or muscle cramps, stop the activity 

for at least a few hours, take off restrictive 

clothing, move him into the shade, 

lay him down, get some cool water onto 

him, and slowly hydrate him. Nausea 

will seriously limit the amount he can 

drink, which is usually about a quarter 

to a half-liter per hour. Adding electrolytes 

and massaging cramping muscles 

can be beneficial. 

Cool off aggressively and plan for 

immediate evacuation 

If a dehydrated person is hot, hallucinating, 

unresponsive and unable to walk, 

cool him as quickly as possible; the fastest 

means of cooling him often includes 

spraying with water and fanning air. He 

also needs an immediate trip to a hospital. 

Until proven otherwise with tests in 

that hospital, this is heat stroke, which 

is a life-threatening emergency with a 

very high mortality rate. It can come on 

quickly, without much warning. 



TreaTMenT Don’TS 

don’t think recovery will be fast 

Remember, it can take hours to 

fully replenish water and electrolyte 

losses. 

don’t underestimate how many 

ways dehydration can affect you 

Dehydration affects all body systems, 

making a person feel tired, 

crampy, nauseated and irritable. 

As such, it’s a contributing factor 

to many of the most common 

and serious backcountry illnesses 

and injuries. Preventing it is fairly 

simple. Treating it can be long and 

challenging. It’s an easy choice! 

David McEvoy is a paramedic and 

the director of Aerie, a wilderness 

medicine training organization based 

in Missoula. Aerie teaches Wilderness 

First Aid, Wilderness First 

Responder and Wilderness EMT 

courses at MSU in Bozeman. 

aeriemedicine.com 

Have a pain-free 

summer 

Try Osteopathic Manipulation 

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Phone: 406-995-3111 | gallatinfamilymedicine.com 

Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays 

June 29, 2012 55

56 June 29, 2012 

mental health 



a wilderness meditation pilgrimage 

by Charles wolF drimal 


SAN RAFAEL SWELL, Utah—A 

cascade of clear, piercing whistles 

invites the first sign of dawn. The sun’s 

rays have yet to touch the depths of 

Dirty Devil Canyon, but to a canyon 

wren—the melodic harbinger of morning—there 

is no reason not to sing. 

Each ensuing note falls in tone, slowly 

settling across a sand desert floor held 

cold through the dark by clear spring 

starlight. 

More than 600 miles from my home 

in the Northern Rockies and five days 

deep into a wilderness meditation 

expedition with Absaroka Institute in 

south-central Utah, my perspective has 

shifted. From the comfort of a sleeping 

bag, I feel a slight air current brush across 

my face. The canyon wren’s early morning 

inspiration to rise has habitually 

become my own. 

Unlike past backcountry trips, which 

have brought me immediately to a stove 

for breakfast, tea and conversation, 

my first movements of the day lead to 

a meditation cushion, the lighting of 

incense and the sounding of a bell. 

As I take the cross-legged position, 

the encompassing shrine of ancient 

sun-scorched Navajo sandstone, cottonwood 

leaf chatter and distant creek 

babble all arise and fade in my perception. 

An unceasing effort for the next 

40 minutes directs my awareness to my 

own breath. Thoughts of last night’s 

dreams come and go. A changing light 

warms my skin. I straighten my posture 

and sink my knees into the substratum 

of stone, grounding myself. A raven’s 

call overhead reminds me to return to 

my breath. 

The natural world of mountains, rivers, 

deserts and forests has been a place of 

healing and a source of insight for the 

human psyche since time immemorial. 

Removed from society, spiritual seekers, 

priests, shamans and saints trace 

moments of awakening to prolonged 

sojourns in wild country. Reclusive 

hermits of Asian peaks and plateaus, 

Native Americans seeking visions on 

hilltops, Australian Aborigines on 

walkabouts, the Buddha’s enlightenment 

under a Bodhi tree, and Jesus fasting 

in the Judean desert all exemplify a 

common orientation of the soul. 

People from all walks of life have recognized 

the power of an untrammeled 

landscape. The renaissance of the modern 

day urbanite’s magnetic pull toward 

remote wilderness areas throughout 

this continent and beyond is no aberration 

to human behavior. Likewise, 

there are explanations beyond deep 

powder turns, cold beer and a paucity 

of romantic partners for bucolic, pennypinching 

ski bums to eke out a living 

near Western wild lands. 

The natural world holds the power 

to mirror our struggles and ignite our 

inherent potential. Influenced by 

both wilderness travel and meditation 

practice, the human condition may 

be catalyzed to realize that the world 

around and the world within are not 

separate from one another. Through 

close study of the mind, we develop the 

capacity to know our own freedom and 

self-induced suffering. 

Often associated with Buddhism and 

Hinduism, meditation can be found 

in faiths as diverse as Taoism, Sufism, 

Judaism and Christianity, as well as in 

contemporary psychotherapy practices. 

Today, in the U.S. alone, more than 10 

million people practice some form of 

meditation. Worldwide, the number 

of practitioners enters the hundreds of 

millions. 

The practice is just as extraordinary 

in simplicity as it is challenging in 

execution. An effort must be made to 

bring full awareness to the breath. As 

thoughts arise, one must acknowledge 

them, let them go, and return awareness 

to the breath. This practice can be 

repeated for 10 minutes, 20 minutes, an 

hour, or throughout a long walk in the 

mountains or desert. The cultivation 

of this skill leads to stress reduction, 


Photos Courtesy oF Charles wolF drimal 

expanded awareness, clarity, momentto-moment 

presence, recognition of 

shared commonality, and many masters 

would add, the realization of life as 

intimate flow. 

There is no better place to explore this 

practice than on a wilderness pilgrimage. 

A week of walking sandy creek 

bottoms and watching the sun and 

moon track across the sky becomes a 

flowing movement that meshes the 

boundaries of earth and mind. Time 

told by shades of red sandstone and nomadic 

blue firmament offers a welcome 

inheritance to any agenda. 

Through extensive meditation under 

swaying cottonwood trees planted 

by the weathering of remote canyon 

corridors, I’m reminded that human existence 

is a process itself. We are more 

verb than noun. The ever-changing nature 

of the physical body, of thoughts, 

feelings, perceptions, responses—all is 

in flux. With each passing backcountry 

day my mind grows sharper, more 

observant of the nuances of inhalation 

and exhalation. With time and practice, 

assumes its own lead. 

Like a canyon creek carried forward 

without hindrance, there is a time in 

meditation to simply let go. When 

the mind as we know it is no longer 

in charge, the breath experiences this 

world of canyon and sky with an intimacy 

previously unknown. 

Charles Wolf Drimal is an ecopsychologist, 

wilderness guide, conservationist, 

Zen Buddhist practitioner and a poet. He 

leads wilderness meditation expeditions 

for the Absaroka Institute and advocates 

for public lands conservation with the 

Greater Yellowstone Coalition.

old world 

The good waters of Bad homburg 

story and Photo 

by tyler allen 


BAD HOMBERG, Germany— Just 

north of Frankfurt, Germany is a 

town renowned for the healing powers 

of its mineral waters. 

Bad Homburg—bad meaning “bath” 

in German—has attracted people 

from around the world since remains 

of the old Roman baths were discovered 

170 years ago. Its 14 therapeutic 

springs are used internally and externally 

to treat rheumatism, digestive 

and intestinal issues, circulatory 

problems, liver and gall bladder diseases 

and dermatological complaints. 

The town itself is a very prosperous 

neighbor of Frankfurt, which is the 

economic capital of the eurozone and 

is where many of the bank executives 

commute from in Porsches and 

BMWs. The town has long been a 

destination for nobility from around 

the world. King Chulalongkorn, who 

ruled the Thai kingdom for 42 years, 

was so pleased by a successful cure 

here that he donated a Thai garden 

pavilion to the town in 1914. Czar 

Nicholas II, one of many Russian 

elites to vacation here, built a Russian 

church nearby to serve his summer 

residence. King Edward II was a 

frequent guest of Kaiser Wilhelm II, 

who in 1888 made Bad Homburg his 

summer home. 

Today five spa clinics offer holistic 

aqua therapies including Indian 

Ayurvedic treatments. The Taunus 

Therme at one end of the Kurpark 

has a 15,000-square-foot water 

facility with mineral baths, Jacuzzis 

and a solarium. Across the park is 

the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Bad, built in 

1890. This neo-Renaissance building 

houses the Kur-Royal Day Spa, 

which opened in 2002 after a lavish 

restoration. 

But the town is not just a vacation for 

the elites, as showcased by Kurpark— 

or “spa” park—in the center of town. 

Here, fountains cap numerous wells, 

and anyone can imbibe the healing 

waters lying beneath Bad Homburg. 

The most important of these is the 

Elizabethenbrunnen—brunnen is 

German for well—which is renowned 

for treating gastroenterological 

disorders. Its rich mineral water has 

perhaps the most active ingredients 

of any source in Germany. During 

World War I, Wilhelm II himself 

designed the ornate temple capping 

the spring. 

Each of the springs in the 109-acre 

Kurpark has a placard denoting the 

well’s depth and mineral content, 

and the maximum quantity a person 

should consume daily. 

Doctors here will prescribe patients 

a regimen of the different waters, depending 

on their malady or particular 

recovery needs after an operation. 

Strolling through the park tasting 

water from the different fountains— 

some salty, some metallic and one 

with an overpowering sulfur scent— 

it’s hard not to imagine what it would 

be like to recover from an illness here. 

Instead of a prescription for synthetic 

pills from the pharmacist, a patient 

would be armed with a measuring 

cup and a list of the healing fountains 

to visit each day. A walk through the 

leafy, well-manicured Kurpark on a 

sunny day is therapeutic in its own 

right. 

Montana resident Tyler Allen visited 

Bad Homberg this past year. 

reCiPe 

olive B's 

Mango Barbeque Chicken: 



Olive B’s, one of Big Sky’s newest and hippest restaurants, is run by 

husband and wife team Jennie and Warren “Bibber” Bibbins. Based in 

the Meadow Village, the restaurant's food and atmosphere both are a 

refreshing mix of refined and relaxed. 

Here, they share a recipe for Mango Barbeque Chicken from Olive B’s 

upcoming summer menu. 

olive B's mango Barbeque Chicken: 

Barbeque sauce: 

1 1/2 c catsup 

1 c cider vinegar 

1/4 c worchestershire sauce 

1/4 c soy sauce 

1 c packed brown sugar 

2 T dry mustard 

1/8 c chili powder 

1 T grated fresh ginger 

2 garlic cloves, minced 

2 T vegetable oil 

2 c pureed mango 

For barbeque sauce: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer 

over medium heat stirring often. Simmer five minutes. 

At the restaurant we use boneless breast and thigh pieces, but you can 

use any part of chicken you prefer. Baste chicken with sauce and grill. 

Serve with corn on the cob and ancho cole slaw. 

BIG SKY’S ONLY FULL-SERVICE WORKOUT FACILITY 

OPEN 5 A.M.-10 P.M. 7 DAYS A WEEK 

DAY, WEEK AND YEAR-LONG MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE 

VISIT OZSSAGE.COM/GYM.PHP FOR DETAILS 

32 MARKET PLACE, MEADOW VILLAGE, BIG SKY (406) 995 4522 

June 29, 2012 57

Electrolyte (salt), carbohydrate (sugar) and water 

replacement during aerobic exercise lasting greater 

than one hour can improve athletic performance and 

decrease the risk of dehydration or hyponatremia 

(low sodium concentration). 

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 

that in general, athletes should consume 

about 500 – 700mg of sodium for every liter of 

fluid and 30 – 60mg of carbohydrates per hour during 

sustained aerobic activity. Water replacement 

during exercise depends on a variety of factors but 

most athletes should consume about .4 – .8 liters per 

hour during sustained exercise, with higher rates 

for warmer environments and lower rates for cooler 

environments. A variety of products are available to 

help an athlete obtain the recommended balance of 

salt, sugar and water during exercise. 

Here, I’ve reviewed one type of carbohydrate and 

electrolyte replacement product that’s popular 

among triathletes, cyclists and runners: the carbohydrate 

gel. 

58 June 29, 2012 

noun: wild or rough terrain 

adjacent to a developed area 

origin: shortened form of 

“back 40 acres” 


Carbohydrate gels are an excellent way to fuel your 

body and replace lost electrolytes during aerobic 

exercise. Most come in single serving packages 

and contain a carbohydrate source and electrolytes 

(mainly sodium and potassium). These gels are also 

available with varying levels of caffeine. In addition, 

some brands also contain a protein source, calcium 

or antioxidants. The data is not as convincing 

for other products often included in carbohydrate 

gels, with the exception of caffeine. 

Caffeine is known as the most commonly used 

drug in the world and has been used by athletes to 

improve athletic performance for many years. Specifically, 

caffeine improves performance during prolonged 

moderate-to-high intensity exercise lasting 

greater than 30 minutes. Most studies have shown 

that the optimal dose of caffeine for improving performance 

during exercise is 3 – 6mg per kilogram of 

body weight. However, more recent data has shown 

a performance benefit with caffeine doses as low as 

1mg per kilogram of body weight. So, a 175-pound 

individual (about 80 kgs) would have to consume 

about 80 – 480mg of caffeine during exercise to 

obtain a performance-enhancing effect. 


For the big sky weekly, the back 40 is a resource: a 

place where we can delve into subjects and ask experts 

to share their knowledge. topics include regional 

history, profiles of local artists and musicians, snow and 

avalanche education, how-to pieces for traditional or 

outdoor skills, and science. 

big sky weekly 

a review of the most popular carbohydrate and caffeine gels for endurance athletes 

by eriC anderson, m.d. 


"Carbohydrate gels are an 

excellent way to fuel your body 

and replace lost electrolytes 

during aerobic exercise." 

If you choose to use caffeine during exercise, 

begin with the lowest dose for your weight to 

minimize the chance of side effects. Levels of 

caffeine in the blood usually stay high for about 

three to four hours after ingestion and are mostly 

gone within six to seven hours. Intake should 

be about 30 – 60 minutes prior to exercise to 

ensure levels are high when the exercise begins. 

During longer events, consumption of caffeine 

during regular intervals has a similar performance 

enhancing effect to taking the entire dose prior 

to exercise. Contrary to popular belief, caffeine 

consumption during exercise has not been shown 

to have a negative effect on hydration status or 

heat tolerance. 

All gels are not the same, so read nutrition labels 

to make sure the product is in line with your 

nutrition and electrolyte replacement plan. 

Eric Anderson is a sports medicine physician with 

Rockwood Clinic in Spokane, Wash. A competitive 

Category 1 cyclist and avid alpine and nordic 

skier, he lives in Spokane with his wife and two 

daughters.

REVIEWS I 

3 

1 




chose four brands to review based on a non-scientific survey called “what gels my friends use.” I 

asked this group of mostly competitive triathletes and cyclists about their preferred carbohydrate gels. 

the top four picks were hammer gels, Clif shots, gu and Power bar gels. 

2 

4 

1 Clif Shots 

Clif Shots have 100 – 110 calories per package 

and contain about 22 – 24 grams of carbohydrate. 

Made with up to 90 percent organic ingredients, 

their main carbohydrate source is organic maltodextrin 

and dried cane syrup. 

The cool thing about these gels is they vary from 

0 – 100mg of caffeine, depending on the flavor. 

So, you can decide how much caffeine you want 

according to where you are in a workout and 

how you like to fuel. The different flavors 

also vary in sodium levels, from 60 – 90 mg. 

Two flavors, chocolate cherry and double 

espresso, are available with 100mg of caffeine. 

in general, Clif shots have a very thick 

consistency and wouldn’t work well in 

a flask container. Vanilla is my flavor of 

choice. clifbar.com 

2 gU 

gu energy gels have been around 

since 1991. they have 100 calories per 

package and contain 20 – 25 grams 

of carbohydrate. the carbohydrate 

source is a combination of maltodextrin 

and fructose. like hammer gels, 

gu contains a blend of amino acids. 

the sodium content ranges from 40 

– 55mg per gel, depending on the 

flavor. These gels are a similar consistency 

to hammer gels and work well 

in a flask. There are 12 flavors with up 

to 40mg of caffeine. my favorite is 

vanilla bean. 

in 2008, gu produced the gu roctane 

energy gels designed for ultra 

endurance events lasting greater 

than four hours. the carbohydrate 

source is still the same, and it still has 

100 calories per package. the main 

differences are that roctane gels 

have more branched chain amino 

acids, more histadine, caffeine and 

electrolytes. roctane also contains 

ornithine alpha-ketaglutarate, which 

reduces muscle trauma during prolonged 

exercise. these have a similar 

consistency to the regular gu energy 

gels and are available in six flavors. 

they’re about twice as expensive 

as any gel mentioned in this article 

(about $2.50 per gel versus about 

$1.25 for other gels). guenergy.com 

3 hammer gel 

hammer gels have 80 – 90 calories 

per package, 21 – 22 grams of carbohydrate 

and four amino acids 

(alanine, isoleucine, leucine and 

valine). these gels are also available 

in a 26-serving jug to be used in a 

flask container that can hold up to 

five gels. The carbohydrate source 

is a combination of dextrose, also a 

simple sugar, maltodextrin and fruit 

juice. they contain only 20 – 35mg of 

sodium per package and are designed 

to be used with electrolyte 

replacement capsules called endurolytes 

(each capsule contains 40mg of 

sodium along with 25mg of potassium, 

50mg of calcium, 25mg of magnesium, 

1.6 mg of manganese, 6.6 mg 

og vitamin b6 and 50mg of l-tyrosine). 

they are also available with or without 

25 or 50mg of caffeine per gel. there 

are a total of 10 flavors available. My 

favorite is raspberry. 

hammer gels are very popular 

among racers due to the large size 

they come in. racers also like the 

ability to adjust electrolyte intake 

using the endurolyte product. their 

consistency is slightly thicker, but still 

thin enough to work well in a flask. 

they tend to be on the sweeter side 

due to their fruit juice and low sodium 

contents. 

The company is based in Whitefish, 

and all the products are made in the 

u.s. hammernutrition.com 

4 Power Bar gel 

Power bar gels have 110 calories per 

package and contain 27 grams of 

carbohydrate; they’re made from 

a combination of fructose, a simple 

sugar, and the complex carb maltodextrin. 

this gel is unique in that it 

contains 200mg of sodium. it’s also 

available with or without 25 or 50mg 

of caffeine per gel. The nine flavors 

include raspberry cream and vanilla 

the Power bar gels have a relatively 

thin consistency that works well in a 

flask type container for longer events. 

they have a salty aftertaste that takes 

some getting used to; however, I find 

that you don’t have to worry about 

additional electrolyte supplementation 

when using these, as compared 

to the hammer gels. powerbar.com 

Product Calories Carbohydrate Sodium Caffeine other 

Clifshot 100-110 22-24 grams 60-90 mg 0, 25, 50 or 100 mg none 

gu 100 20-25 grams 40-55 mg 0, 20 or 40 mg amino acids 

gu-roctane 100 20-25 grams 90-125 mg 35 mg amino acids, ornithine alpha-ketaglutarate 

hammer gel 80-90 21-22 grams 20-35 mg 0, 25 or 50 mg amino acids 

Power bar gel 110 27 grams 200 mg 0, 25 or 50 mg none 

References: 

Campbell C, Prince D, Braun M, Applegate E, Casazza GA. Carbohydrate-supplement form and exercise performance. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 2008; 18(2): 179-190. 

Paluska SA. Caffeine and Exercise. Current Sports Medicine Reports 2003;2:213-219. 

Sokmen B, Armstrong LE, Kraemer WJ, Casa DJ, Dias JC, Judelson, DA, Maresh CM. Caffeine use in sports: considerations for the athlete. J Strength Conditioning Res 2008; 22: 978-986. 

June 29, 2012 59

TRACT 3 & 2 SECTION 5 

$9,000,000 • #175380 • Call Erin 579-3583 

• 337.5 +/- acres 

• outstanding commercial property 

• unique mountain hideaway 

• spectacular mountain views 

NORTH FORK RD, TRACT 2 

$1,050,000 • #180623 • Call Stacy 

• 20 acres Triple Triangle Ranch 

• extraordinary views and ski trail access 

• desirable, private enclave 

• contiguous to North Fork Tract 8 

BEAVER CREEK W, LOT 13 

$695,000 • #176399 • Call Don 

• 20 +/- acres, spectacular views 

• located on gentle slope, private driveway 

• ideal for a new home, well is drilled 

• convenient to all of Big Sky 

SKYCREST CONDO #1704 

$320,000 • Call Don 

• 2 bd, 2 ba, 1604 +/- sf 

• remodeled like new 

• furnished, lower level unit 

• fi replace, indoor hot tub 

GALLATIN CANYON CABIN 

$190,000 • #183761 • Call Lynn 581-4268 

• 406 +/- sf 

• 1 +/- acre, picnic area, fi re pit 

• 150’ Gallatin River frontage 

• boarders USFS, great access 

60 June 29, 2012 

COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR 

$5,000,000 • #182936 • Call Peter 

• 81 +/- acres 

• runs parallel to Highway 191 

• zoned community commercial 

• great development potential 

COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR 

$995,000 • #175374 • Call Erin 

• 20 +/- acres (16 +/- acres zoned community 

commerical, 4 +/- acres zoned residential 

• Big Sky water and sewer accessible 

• West Fork of the Gallatin borders parcel 

ARROWHEAD CONDO 

$614,000 • #181216 • Call Tim 

• condo unit #1659, 3 bd, 4 ba, 1,950 +/- sf 

• ski/in, ski/out, upgraded free standing condo 

• great furniture package, indoor hot tub 

• Spanish Peak views, agent owned 

LOOKING GLASS RD LOT 63 

$225,000 • #181151 • Call Stacy 

• .25 +/- acre level building lot 

• overlooks golf course 

• great views of the surrounding mountains 

• municipal water, sewer, utilities are adjacent 

RAMSHORN, LOT 4 

$189,500 • #180395 • Call Don 

• nice level building lot 

• all season easy access 

• great views of Porcupine Creek 

• electricity and phone to lot 


TRACT 3 SECTION 5 

$4,000,000 • #175378 • Call Erin 579-3583 

• 162.4 +/- acres 

• section 5 zoned commercial/residential 

• close to hunting, skiing, hiking 

• great mountain property 

NORTH FORK RD, TRACT 8 

$950,000 • #180527 • Call Stacy 

• 20 acres Triple Triangle Ranch 

• hiking and ski trails to lot 

• desirable, private enclave 

• contiguous to tract 2 to create 40 acres 

2500 LITTLE COYOTE RD 

$495,000 • #183440 • Call Stacy 

• 2 bd, 3 ba, 2403 +/- sf 

• Spanish Peaks Club condo #13 A 

• end unit on the pond 

• upstairs den and downstairs bonus room 

BEAR CREEK, LOT #68 

$199,900 • #183893 • Call Don 

• 2.3 +/- acre estate lot 

• adjacent to Bear Creek 

• Spanish Peak Views, trees 

• beautiful home site, well is in 

CEDAR CREEK #50 

$149,900 • #183116 • Call Stacy or Eric 

• 2 bd, 2 ba, 868 +/- sf 

• sold furnished w/ hot tub on deck 

• gas fi replace, lots of storage 

• well cared for unit, view of ski slopes 



PINEWOOD HILLS ESTATE 

$1,075,000 • #175582 • Call George 

• 3 bd, 5 ba, 4,500 +/- sf home 

• 8 +/- acres (2 contiguous lots), pond 

• $50,000 allowance for kitchen upgrade 

• fabulous mountain views 

CRAIL RANCH TOWNHOME 

$899,000 • #180839 • Call George 

• 4 bd, 4 ba, 3,500 +/- sf 

• furnished with over $124,000 furniture 

• next to fl owing creek with outstanding views 

• heated 2 car attached garage 

261 HERON DRIVE 

$410,000 • #183610 • Call Tripp 579-6978 

• 4 bd, 3 ba, 2776 +/- sf 

• close to Hebgen Lake 

• panoramic view of the mountains 

• full daylight basement 

MADISON COURT # 17 

$199,000 • #180293 • Call Eric 

• 2 bd, 2 ba, 1,207 +/- sf furnished condo 

• corner unit, spacious kitchen 

• 1 car attached garage 

• close to Big Sky Town Center 

ANTLER RIDGE LOTS 

$99,000 • #156549/#156551 • Call George 

• 46 & .5 +/- acres lots 

• wonderful building sites, gorgeous views 

• water and sewer (septic) metered 

• purchase 1 lot or make an offer on both 

Stuart Koch, Sales Associate, 406.581.1225 

NEW PRICE

HEALTH Strings Under the Big Sky - Explore Big Sky

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