sas Honors Vets - Explore Big Sky

Big Sky Weekly 

Big Sky 

July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 

Volume 3 // Issue No. 15 

Exploring life, land and culture from the heart of the Yellowstone Region 

Professional 

Bull riding tour 

returns to Big sky 

Community rec Center 

proposed for Big sky 

sas Honors Vets 

media@theoutlawpartners.com 

gala raises $100,000 for 

BsCC parks and trails 

new BaCkCountry yurt 

to oPen in Cooke City 

art rendezVous is July 30 and aug 6. at 320 ranCH 

Big Sky's locally owned and published newspaper explorebigsky.com 

photo by kene sperry

July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 

Volume 3, Issue no. 15 

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 

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 

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS 

Taylor Anderson, Renae Counter 

STAff WRITER 

Tyler Allen 

ConTRIBuToRs 

Dan Armstrong, Chris Bangs, Jamie Balke, Black Betty, 

Buscrat, Mike Coil, Audrae Coury, Maren Dunn, Kathy 

House, Brian Hurlbut, Jim Kudrna, Mike Mannelin, Alli 

Neils-LeMoine, Anna Middleton, Brandon Niles, Kaela 

Schommer, Theresa Da Silva, Kene Sperry, Ryan Day 

Thompson, Adrian Valenzuela 

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 

AugusT 10 Issue: 

August 3, 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 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 explorebigsky.com 

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ouTlAW PARTneRs & 

The BIg sKy WeeKly 

P.O. Box 160250, 

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explorebigsky.com 

(406) 995-2055 


explorebigsky explorebigsky 

Charlie bolte climbing at redcliff, south of big sky. photo by ryAn DAy thoMpson 

working together 

Talk to just about any businessperson in Big Sky and 

they’ll tell you something is brewing. 

Greg Pack, Moonlight Basin’s long time general manager 

and new president, said the energy has been high 

at the resort this summer. 

The growing number of events in the area also reflect 

this. The Big Sky Community Corp. Gala this July, for 

example, raised more than $100,000 for local parks, 

trails and outdoor programming—more than double 

what previous events have ever raised for the group. 

“What happened there that night is so powerful,” said 

the Gala’s co-chair and long time BSCC supporter Eric 

Ladd, also the publisher of this newspaper. 

Big sky weekly distribution 

Anaconda 

Hamilton 

Bozeman Big Timber 

Three Forks 

Livingston 

Wisdom 

Dillon 

Big Sky 

Ennis 

Virginia City Gardiner 

West Yellowstone 

Community...4 

Local news...8 

regional..10 

opinion...11 

Montana...12 

yellowstone...14 

Gallery...17 

sports...20 

But it doesn’t stop there. Visitors and locals have been 

working together on other events like the upcoming 

Country fair (July 28), the Professional Bull Riding 

tour (July 31 - Aug. 1), and the Big Sky XC dirt bike 

race (Aug. 24 – 26). 

And there are regional ties. for the Gala live auction, 

Bozeman’s Yellowstone Park foundation donated a stay 

at the Silvertip Ranch near Yellowstone, bringing in 

$6,500 in one fell swoop for the BSCC. 

folks are coming from around the state, region and 

country for the PBR, which this year includes two days 

of free concerts open to the community. 

When Pack says “there’s momentum building in Big 

Sky,” he’s onto something. e.s. 

BC 

AK 

tAbLe oF Contents 

health...23 

business...24 

outlaw news...28 

Business Profile...30 

Classifieds...31 

environment...32 

outdoors...33 

Gear reviews...37 

events...38 

entertainment...41 

Fun...43 

Columns...45 

back 40...48 

special section: 

big sky pbr...49

Rob Akey 

Greg Alexander 

Jim Barrett 

Diana Brady 

Lynn Cain 

Todd Connor 

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 

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 

UPCOMING EVENTS 

JULY 27 – 30 

AUG 3 – 20 

AUGUST 31 

DATE TO BE 

DETERMINED 

3 DAY SHOW OF TOM DEAN TROUT SCULPTURE 

Meet Montana Circle of American Masters member Tom Dean 

and see his remarkable work in wood. 

Reception Friday evening July 27, 4:30 - 7:30PM. 

TODD CONNOR: CITYSCAPES 

Opening and artist reception Friday Aug 3 4:30 – 7:30PM. 

Todd Connor, well known for Western historical and landscape painting, 

shows his range as a painter with a show devoted to urbanscapes. 

MEET JERRAL DERRYBERRY 

Friday evening reception for well-known Texas artist 

Jerral Derryberry. 4 – 7 PM. 

UPCOMING 

2 person show for famed wildlife artist Dwayne Harty and 

Portraitist/landscape painter Tammy Callens. 

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

CoMMunity 

4 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 



gala raises $100,000 for parks and trails 

photoGrAphy: kene sperry www.eyeintheskyphoto.CoM 

by eMiLy stiFLer 

big sky weekly managing editor 

BIG SKY – If the Big Sky Community Corp. Gala 

was a good litmus test, then parks and trails have 

enthusiastic support from the Big Sky community. 

Held at the Community Park on July 21, the event 

was a step up from past fundraisers, said BSCC 

executive director Jessie Neal. The final numbers 

hadn’t been tallied at press time, but the Gala raised 

at least $100,000 in net profit, which was more than 

double last year’s fundraiser. 

Attendance also doubled, Neal said, and the crowd 

of nearly 200 included many people not previously 

involved with BSCC. 

The evening started with a silent auction, cocktails 

and delicious wines in one of the tents, Neal said. 

Attendees perused the park’s new basketball court, 

softball field and multiuse field, as well as the artificial 

climbing boulder and a skatepark currently under 

construction. 

When the rain came in, the party moved to a second 

tent for the live auction and dinner from the Corral 

Bar and Steakhouse. Gala co-chairs Shelly Bermont 

and Eric Ladd did the auctioneering. 

The highest dollar item that evening was Tom 

Gerrard’s classic car tour and dinner, which went 

for $7,000. In a surprise move, Gerrard announced 

he would match the bid. A stay at Silvertip Ranch, 

donated by the Yellowstone Park foundation, came 

in second, at $6,500. 

The money raised will go toward park improvements 

and trail expansions, Neal said, adding that 

the BSCC board makes the final decision on specifics. 

“We’ll have a better idea of that in the next couple of 

weeks.” 

Past fundraisers have supported both physical improvements 

and programming. “There are a lot of obvious 

things that have been done, but a lot of things 

that aren’t as noticeable are equally important,” Neal 

said, noting Camp Big Sky, which sends local kids to 

camp at no charge, and BSCC subcommittees like the 

Historic Crail Ranch, disc golf and tennis. 

“We’re really a driver of community activity,” Neal 

said. “More and more people are getting involved. It 

feels like things are just getting better, [with] more 

awareness, more donations and an amazing volunteer 

base.” 

Neal also expressed gratitude for the event’s sponsors, 

which were STOA Management, Outlaw 

Partners, Lone Peak Brewery, Lohss Construction, 

Bozeman Audi, Nordic Hot Tub, Big Sky Conoco, 

Stacy and Eric Ossorio and On Site Management. 

Bermont hopes the Gala can become “the big event of 

the season,” with “total community commitment.” 

“Everyone is here because of the parks and trails and 

how beautiful it is,” Bermont said. “I love the people 

Big Sky attracts and everything this community 

has to offer. As someone who loves it, I feel like we 

should all give back.” 

Big Sky Weekly

CoMMunity 

Big sky Broadway needs storage 

for sets, costumes 

big sky weekly staff writer 

BIG SKY – More than 600 people came 

to the two sold-out performances of 

“The Wizard of Oz” this summer, put 

on by Big Sky Broadway June 22 and 23 

at Big Sky Resort. 

This year, the group’s 31 local actors 

ages 7 – 14 performed with professionallooking 

sets, built for free by generous 

local builders. 

"People were completely wowed by the 

clever staging," said producer Barbara 

Rowley. " I think it made the kids’ performances 

that much better." 

Unfortunately, Rowley says, while she 

now has professionally-built sets, she's 

got nowhere to store them. 

“I’m searching for someone with a garage 

or extra storage space they could share,” 

Rowley said. The nonprofit theater 

company operates with thin margins, 

Rowley said, and renting a storage unit 

would be a big budgetary hit. 

In total, Big Sky Broadway is looking to 

store five rotating pillars, half of a house, 

and two steps connected to a platform 

(with a trap door for disappearing). 

“You always need a house [for theatre 

shows], and the rotating pillars 

are lightweight—perfect for easy set 

changes,” Rowley said. “I don't want to 

throw them out because we can repaint 

them each year.” The whole shebang 

would take up approximately the same 

amount of room as one car. 

In the long run, she’d like to have a 

space to put all theatre-related items, 

so the community can share them 

and not have to reinvent them. 

Young audience members were so 

excited about “Oz” that Big Sky 

Broadway is planning for future 

growth. 

"Parents of young kids said their 

kids can't wait to be in the show," 

Rowley said. 

As a result, Rowley and director 

John Zirkle are launching an 

all-encompassing theater camp for 

children entering first through 

fourth grades next year, called Big 

Sky Broadway Junior. This camp will 

also likely make use of the costumes 

and sets if they can be stored and 

saved, as will the school. 

If you have a storage space, contact 

Barbara Rowley at (406) 995-4984 or 

browley@3rivers.net. 




Community library news 

used book sale is July 28 at the Country Fair 

by kAthy house 

big sky community library 

BIG SKY – The annual used book sale 

is one of friends of the Library’s biggest 

fundraisers. Books of all genres will 

be available at this year’s sale, which is 

Saturday, July 28 from 10:30 a.m. – 5 

p.m. at the Big Sky Country fair. 

Students, parents and community 

members are invited to join the Community 

Library for the final summer 

reading program event, “Dream Big…. 

Read!” Wednesday, Aug. 1 at 4 p.m., 

where magician Walt Woolbaugh will 

once again bring his wonderful world 

of magic to the library. The program is 

free and open to the public. You don’t 

want to miss it! 

After 12 years of service to the library, 

Bill and Roberta Crew are moving 

on. Roberta has been the volunteer 

coordinator for the fOL board as well 

as the coordinator for the Books for 

Soldiers program since the launch of 

the community library. Their dedication 

and commitment to the library will 

be greatly missed. 

Henrietta Gale comes on in Roberta’s 

place as a new fOL board member and 

volunteer coordinator. An active participant 

in fOL, Gale has been instrumental 

in updating the library’s website 

The library has are several new releases 

available for circulation. Watch for the 

“new” sticker on all recently acquired 

books and AV materials. 

for more information or to volunteer at 

the used book sale, visit bigskylibrary. 

org or call (406) 995-4281 ext. 205. 

Library hours: 

Sunday 1 – 5 p.m. 

Monday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (story time 

10:30 a.m.) 

Tuesday and Wednesday 4 – 8 p.m. 

Correction 

in the July 13 weekly we featured the forthcoming book, 

images of america: big sky, but misspelled one of the coauthor’s 

last name. we apologize to Dr. Jeff strickler for the 

mistake. 

gCwC awards three scholarships for 2012 

by AuDrAe Coury 

gallatin canyon women's club 

BIG SKY – The Gallatin Canyon Women’s Club 

Scholarship Committee has selected three area 

high school seniors as its 2012 scholarship recipients. 

The recipients are Grace Anne Ganoom, 

John Christopher Goode and Mishael Garz, all of 

whom are Ophir graduates. They’ll be able to use 

the awards for study in post-secondary education 

programs for the 2012/13 school year. 

Ganoom, daughter of Marla and Mark Ganoom 

of Big Sky, received a $1,500 scholarship. She 

John Christopher Goode, Mishael Garz and Grace Anne Ganoom 

has been accepted at Montana State University 

where she plans to pursue a degree in Mathematics 

Education. 

Goode, son of J. Mark and Marie Goode of Big 

Sky, has also been awarded $1,500. This fall he 

will enter Carnegie Mellon University’s Carnegie 

Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, Penn. to 

study engineering. 

Because the GCWC scholarship preference is given 

to families who continue to live in the greater 

Gallatin Canyon area, Garz, who has been living 

and attending high school in Idaho, will receive 

a $1,000 scholarship. She will use the award for 

her pre-medical studies at Westminster College 

in Salt Lake City, Utah. Garz is the daughter of 

Tawnya Garz-Brewer and Tracy Brewer of Ashton, 

Idaho. 

The GCWC Scholarship fund was started in 

1977 to commemorate the club’s 50th anniversary. 

Since then, 50 students have benefited from 

the fund in varying amounts. Scholarships are 

available to graduates of Ophir School. 

July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 5

CoMMunity 

Big sky Country fair is July 28 

BIG SKY – The Big Sky Chamber 

of Commerce is going all out for 

the Country fair this year. There 

will be a poi fire dancer, a live glass 

blower, an 18-foot tall water slide 

for all ages, a street artist painting a 

live mural, cotton candy, and a high 

heeled race—something the event’s 

organizer says is rarely ever done 

outside of New York City. 

“The goal is to bring more people 

to the event,” said Robin Brower- 

McBride, programs and membership 

director for the Chamber and 

the driving force behind the 32nd 

annual Country fair. “We’re really 

trying to do something different.” 

Brower-McBride has also set up a 

mechanical bull, free pony rides and 

an art gallery where anyone between 

ages 3 – 18 can submit work to be 

exhibited. feeling artsy? Get your 

face painted or get a henna tattoo. 

Instead of just the usual bouncy 

house, there will be a full-on 

obstacle course on bouncy house 

material. There will be stations for 

kids to make dream catchers, chimes 

and other crafts. 

Grizzly Outfitters will teach fly casting 

for .25 a cast and a chance to win 

prizes. The school Booster Club and 

GREAT fALLS – The first ever Ride for Respect 

will benefit Special Olympics Montana athletes 

and families, helping children and adults who have 

intellectual disabilities. 

The scenic ride will begin in Billings on Aug. 22 at 

8 a.m. and travel west on I-90 to Livingston, then 

turn south on US 89 to the north entrance to Yellowstone 

National Park at Gardiner. from there, the 

group will cross the northeast corner of Yellowstone 

and head over the Beartooth Highway to Red Lodge, 

6 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 

the Chamber will host a 

car wash, raising money 

for middle and high 

school sports uniforms. 

“Trailers, bikes, cars— 

everything from your 

campers to your bicycle, 

we’ll wash it,” Brower- 

McBride said. 

And don’t miss a chance 

to dunk your old (or 

current boss) in the dunk 

tank, a fundraiser for 

the Big Sky Community 

Corp. that will send 

prominent community 

figures into the tank. 

Adventurers and Scientists 

for Conservation, 

a Bozeman-based nonprofit 

that’s been wildly 

successful in its first 

year, will be there, signing 

outdoor recreationists 

up for trips and helping them 

give back to science. There will also 

be a chance to check out live Birds 

of Prey from the Grizzly and Wolf 

Discovery Center. 

food vendors will include a “choochoo 

train BBQ smoker,” a real brick 

oven pizza, and popcorn made fresh 


on-site out of a true copper kettle!” 

Brower-McBride said. 

“The bands will rock, with four instead 

of three this year and one local 

favorite who will be plucking their 

mandolins along the parade route 

arriving via float!” she added. “The 

energy will be high!” 



Last year's Country Fair parade photos by kAeLA sChoMMer 

As usual, the event is free. 

ending day one at Rock Creek Resort. Day two will 

take riders back over the Beartooth Highway and on 

to the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway, ending in Billings 

at Alive After 5 and another Special Olympics 

event called Over The Edge. 

To participate in R4R, riders must raise a minimum 

of $1,000. The event’s hosts, Law Enforcement 

Torch Run, are encouraging riders to use the first 

Giving website (firstgiving.com/somt) to create a 

personal fundraising page. This will allow riders to 

“It’s something we do for the community,” 

Brower-McBride said. “I’d 

like to see it be successful. We want 

people to believe in it!” e.s. 

new motorcycle event raises money for special olympics Montana 

tours yellowstone park, beartooth and Chief Joseph highways 

Memorial mass and tribute for Jimmer gillispie 

by ALLi neiLs-LeMoine 

A memorial mass for James C. "Jimmer" Gillispie will be 

held Saturday, Aug. 11 at 10 a.m. at the Big Sky Chapel 

in the Meadow Village. Jimmer and his wife Collette 

owned a bar on the mountain called the Brass Bell and 

Caboose at the Mountain Village and lived in Big Sky 

since the early 1970s. The following is a tribute written 

by Mr. Gillispie's granddaughter. 

My grandfather used to wear furry boots. They 

weren't as much furry as they were hairy—kneelength 

hairy Ugg-like boots made long before 

Uggs were invented, made from real animal hair. 

He was half man, half big horn sheep, and warm 

enough for a Montana winter. 

He walked through Big Sky like he belonged (he 

did)—through the lift lines like he'd been skiing 

there since day one (he did). He parked his car in 

the same snowy lot they always parked in. They 

hauled their lunch to their lockers, pulled on 

their ski boots, hit some groomers, lunched on 

the deck under brilliant Montana winter sunshine 

that reflected and bounced off of freshly 

fallen snow, and watched Tippy's, Ambush, Sliver 

Knife and Mr. K. 

Lunch was Kettle potato chips, sandwiches, 

pickles and something out of a small plastic flask. 

Grandpa told stories about this place when it only 

had a handful of lifts—of when they first put in 

the gondola, of when it was just the condos in 

the Meadow, of horses, wildness and hot-air balloons… 

stories of when. 

The mountains are still here, the snow still falls on 

the same lines, the wind still blows across Andesite 

Mountain, the moose still wander along the creek, 

but now, the place will always be different somehow: 

In part because of the condos blocking the 

share personal stories, accept and track online donations, 

and make facebook updates. 

Special Olympics Montana empowers children and 

adults who have intellectual disabilities to train for 

life through sports. An athlete-centered, familybased 

and volunteer driven organization, it relies 

on support from individuals, businesses and service 

organizations for leadership, planning and preparation, 

and in-kind and financial gifts. for more information 

or to register for R4R, visit somt.org. 

view of his favorite run, in part because I looked more 

for the deep and steep than I do for long groomers, and 

in part because this special place is loaded with more 

old memories than new ones. 

I hope to make new memories, but I will honor and 

cherish those that I have of this beautiful place where 

these beautiful people, my grandparents, lived. This 

is where I learned to ski. It's because of them, what 

they gave, what they offered, how they loved us, and 

what they made here, that made part of me. I think it's 

the part of me that loves these mountains—that loves 

fresh tracks as much as I do cutting corduroy, the part 

of me that slows the car for big horn sheep every time 

(even though they’re on the same corner, every time). 

My grandpa wore furry boots. He didn't wear them to 

my wedding, but he was there and said he wouldn't 

have missed it for the world.

CoMMunity 

strings under the Big sky 


BIG SKY – “Some Enchanted Evening” 

was the 11th annual Strings Under 

the Big Sky event, but it offered up 

some “firsts.” The evening, sponsored 

by friends of Big Sky Education and 

held at the Rainbow Ranch, once again 

featured music by members of the 

acclaimed Muir String Quartet and 

friends. 

More than 100 

patrons attended 

the event, the 

largest crowd 

ever to attend 

the dinner and 

concert. In 

addition to the 

first attendance 

higher than 100, 

the Muir group 

introduced 

another first. 

Typically the 

ensemble performs 

traditional chamber 

music, which it did this year during 

the first two sets by Beethoven and 

Handel-Halvorsen. But the last set 

featured an accordionist, clarinetist and 

double bassist playing klezmer folk 

music, which derives from the Eastern 

European Jewish culture. 

Strings Planning Committee member 

and local piano teacher, Klaudia Kosiak, 

gave high praise to the clarinetist’s dynamics 

scale and technique. “My world 

changed within his first few notes!” she 

said. 

The musicians performed beside the 

Gallatin River, and the river itself, 

combined with the percussion of the 

rain on the tent, added unique qualities 

to the music. 

Through this fundraiser that benefits 

the Big Sky School District’s clas- 

sical music and dramatic arts programming, 

Strings patrons this year 

contributed $11,000 to “Complete 

the Vision” for the Warren Miller 

Performing Arts Center. WMPAC 

Artistic Director John Zirkle says the 

funds will help fOBSE pay for the 

curtains and rigging it plans to buy, 

which are priced at $32,000. 

Strings event coordinators Doug and 

Henrietta Gale report that during 

the last six years the effort has raised 

more than $60,000 for arts programming. 

Last year, Strings kicked off 

the capital campaign for the Warren 

Miller Performing Arts Center. 

Sponsors for the event included 

Big Sky Sotheby’s, ERA Landmark, 

Ousel and Spur Pizza (John and 

Jolene Romney), the Rainbow Ranch, 

and friends of Big Sky Education. 

Individual sponsors were Doug and 

Henrietta Gale, Wayne and Marilyn 

Hill, Lew and Deb McCabe, Jerry 

and Anne Marie Mistretta, as well as 

Roger Schwer and Marjie Toepffer. 

Updates and plans for next year’s 

event are available at 

stringsunderthebigsky.org. 

level 1 water restrictions 

by renAe Counter 

big sky weekly editorial assistant 

strings under the big sky featured music by members of 

the acclaimed Muir string Quartet and Friends. 

BIG SKY – The Big Sky Water and Sewer District is enforcing a Level 1 water restriction 

for Big Sky. Signs were posted on July 1 around the area to remind residents 

of the restriction, which is due to water levels in the “fire water reserve” 

hitting a point of concern. 

“Once we put those signs up we saw a significant drop in water use,” said Jim Muscat, 

operator at Big Sky Water and Sewer. 

In the course of one minute, a sprinkler can put out 10 – 15 gallons of water, 

Muscat said. With 1,440 minutes in a day, that adds up to approximately 15,000 – 

20,000 gallons of water if the sprinkler is left running. 

Big Sky is a high-elevation desert, Muscat says, so keeping grass green requires 

more water and is more difficult than in places with high humidity. Because of this, 

he encourages landowners to properly landscape their yards with adequate dirt to 

hold water, and also to plant low-water vegetation. 

This restriction is imposed in Big Sky every summer to ensure water conservation. 

The Level 1 restriction limits watering to every other day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. 

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Aimee Gerharter 

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Marcie Hahn-Kno 

406.599.3530

LoCAL news 

8 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 



new recreation center proposed in Big sky 



BIG SKY – A group of Big Sky 

residents is planning to build a new 

recreation center in the Big Sky Town 

Center. The idea, they say, is to 

enhance the area and provide indoor 

recreation for locals and tourists. 

The team, which consists of Michelle 

Horning, Jamie Daugaard and Andy 

Dreisbach, have been planning the 

recreation center over two years. 

“We’ve been doing research about 

other small communities who have 

these types of recreation centers to 

see how they fit in the community,” 

Horning said. 

The center would contain facilities 

for indoor soccer, basketball, teeball, 

volleyball, cardio, weights and 

an aquatic center. It would provide 

a health benefit to the community 

during the muddy and cold seasons, 

Daugaard said. 

After this summer, the adult gym at 

Ophir School will be closing due to 

its transformation into the Warren 

Miller Performing Arts Center. The 

renDerinG Courtesy oF Centre sky ArChiteCture 

school’s new gym will be available 

for indoor elementary, middle, and 

high school classes, but there will 

be little room for indoor adult fitness 

classes. This brings more need 

for a community reaction center, 

the group says. 

50% Off THROUGH AUGUST, 2012 

Wellness Exams 

Pre-scheduled and same-day appointments available 

Pediatrics • Chronic Conditions • Women’s Health 

Pregnancy Care • Osteopathic Manipulation 

Maren Dunn D.O. 

Board Certified in Family Medicine 

18 Meadow Village Drive, Big Sky, MT (across from the post office) 

Phone: 406-995-3111 | gallatinfamilymedicine.com 

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

“When you think of Big Sky 

you think of outdoor sports, but 

there are times where you can’t be 

outside or it isn’t as conducive,” 

Daugaard said. 

They’d like the recreation center’s 

aquatic area to have water park 

features for children and families. 

There will also be space available 

for retail shops and restaurants, as 

well other attractions such as ski or 

local history museums. 

“What we are trying to do is create 

a stimulus for other urban pioneers 

to build and develop around the 

center,” Daugaard said. “We want 

to fill up the restaurants and retail 

shops to help people who have 

already committed to Big Sky—we 

want something with depth that 

is healthy for the community and 

speaks to what Big Sky has to offer.” 

The group hopes to bring in already 

established businesses to enhance 

the facility. An example of this, 

according to Dreisbach, would be 

fly fishing casting lessons hosted 

by a local outfitter in the middle 

of January, followed by a free wine 

tasting reception. Indoor rock 

climbing, spin classes and kayaking 

are also on the agenda. 

Along with being a place for community 

members, the group hopes that 

the recreation center will help draw 

more people to Big Sky, especially 

those passing by on their way to 

West Yellowstone. 

“Big Sky needs to have a focal 

point,” Daugaard said. “We are 

more than just the traffic light by 

the Conoco.” 


After several presentations with 

Simkins-Hallin, which has developed 

most of the Town Center, the 

group has identified a suitable piece 

of land. The size will depend on 

“what the community wants to see 

occur,” Horning said. 

The group has already developed a 

plan and drawing for the recreation 

center. 

“Now, the next point is the feasibility 

study and getting the community 

involvement and input through 

community meetings,” Daugaard 

said. 

The group has set up a survey to 

guage community interest in the 

project. The survey is online at surveymonkey.com/s/bigskyccsurvey 

Ryan Hamilton of Big Sky Town 

Center is working on the rezoning 

requirements for the center. A 

building date and timeline have not 

been set due to the project’s dependency 

upon funding and community 

support. 

The group hopes to make the center 

a nonprofit supported through fundraising, 

Big Sky Resort Tax, grants 

and private donations. To keep costs 

down, the plan is to minimize the 

energy used to heat and cool the 

building by using solar hot water 

systems and wind ventilation. 

“Hopefully we can find people and 

stand on their shoulders and they 

can lift us up and ultimately build 

this project,” Daugaard said. 

for further information or questions regarding the proposed recreation 

center, email cms@3rivers.net.

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

eGionAL 

BIG SKY – Operation Never forgotten, a wounded 

warriors support group for veterans of the Iraq and 

Afghanistan wars, brought a group of 50 vets and 21 

spouses and caregivers to Big Sky for a week of activities 

and meetings, July 19 – July 23. This is the group's 

second visit to Big Sky. They were previously here for a 

winter visit in January 2011. 

A national organization, ONf sponsors advertising to 

generate support and attention for wounded vets and 

their families, and also the Sports Afield and Stream 

project (SAS), which runs the activities in Big Sky. 

The SAS group this year included vets suffering from 

traumatic brain injuries and post traumatic stress syndrome, 

double and single amputees, and at least one 

who was wheelchair bound from his injuries. Another 

member of the group was blind and participated with 

her service dog. 

10 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 


SAS organized a wide array of activities for the vets 

and their families so they could enjoy the beauty and 

grandeur of Montana in the full flush of summer. 

These included whitewater rafting, rock climbing, 

a tour of Yellowstone National Park, a hike into the 

backcountry with llamas, horseback riding, fly fishing, 

golf, a trip to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center 

in West Yellowstone, and activities at the Big Sky Resort 

Base Camp. Most participants took the tram ride to 

the summit of Lone Mountain. 

Other veteran support groups contributed to support 

the activities. Tee It Up for the Troops organized and 

ran the golf outings. Bob Jacklin of West Yellowstone 

spent a morning with the vets teaching them to fly cast 

before they went fishing with guides from Warriors 

and Quiet Waters on the Yellowstone River. 

On friday, July 20, SAS held a banquet for the participants, 

which included a drawing for guided hunts, 

a pack trip, a hot air balloon ride and guided fishing. 

Comedian Mark Sweeney emceed, and Pulitzer Prize 

winning author David Phillips spoke to the veterans 


wounded warriors come to Big sky 

Veterans receive standing ovation at Gallatin County Fair 

photo by theresA DA siLVA phot0 by JiM kuDrnA 

by Mike CoiL 

big sky weekly contributor 

photo by Mike CoiL 


about his book on combat experiences in Iraq. Video 

messages from Lee Greenwood, Tom Brokaw, J.R. 

Martinez, John Elway, Taylor Swift, Randy Couture, 

Sen. John Tester, Dennis Miller and Ted Nugent were 

presented, and Adele Morgan and Devora provided 

musical entertainment. A silent auction with items 

donated by local merchants included a football autographed 

by John Elway of the Denver Broncos, which 

sold for $600. 

The following day, the veterans attended the Gallatin 

County fair and rodeo, where they boarded horse 

drawn wagons and rode into the arena carrying the 

American flag for a rendition of “The Star Spangled 

Banner” by Adele Morgan. The Bozeman crowd gave 

them a standing ovation. 

On Sunday evening, the group returned to Bozeman 

for a dinner sponsored by the American Legion Post 

of Bozeman. The menu included elk spaghetti and 

rattlesnake chili. Local snake wrangler Roger Siemens 

provided the rattlesnake meat. The chili had a unique 

flavor and was surprisingly good. Siemens presented a 

program with Dr. Greg Moore, M.D., an ER physician 

from Dillon, complete with a slide show and a display 

of live rattlers. Several people who were squeamish 

about snakes had to leave the room when the live rattlers 

came out. 

Many of the participants said they were impressed by 

Montana’s beauty and variety of outdoor recreation. By 

the end of the week, the group was tired, sunburned 

and delighted by the Big Sky hospitality and warmth. 

Some were already planning to return. 

Big Sky Resort provided discounted lodging and gave 

the group its ballroom facilities as a headquarters 

for the duration of their stay. Other local businesses 

supported SAS by helping with travel expenses, food 

and activity costs. A volunteer committee of vets and 

community members organized the event and made 

sure it ran smoothly during the week. Stacie Johnson, 

a therapist from Denver, donated her time to counsel 

the vets as needed whenever there was a flashback or 

meltdown. 

SAS is planning future events in the area. for more 

information, to donate or volunteer, visit 

operationneverforgotten.org.

eGionAL 

rei Bozeman stewardship 

grant goes to gVlt 

BOZEMAN – The REI Bozeman 

store has granted $10,000 to the 

Gallatin Valley Land Trust to assist 

ongoing development of Bozeman’s 

Main Street to the Mountains trail 

system. 

GVLT will use the REI funds 

for two new trail projects: one to 

reroute the upper loop of the Triple 

Tree Trail to reduce soil erosion, 

improve wildlife habitat, improve 

user safety, and make the trail 

easier to maintain, and another to 

begin construction of trails on land 

owned by Bozeman Deaconess Hospital 

east of Highland Boulevard. 

GVLT has long worked to help create 

and expand what is now more 

than 60 miles of trail in the Main 

Street to the Mountains trail system 

around Bozeman. The group’s commitment 

to the outdoors through 

its mission of land conservation, 

stewardship, and creating trails to 

connect people, communities and 

the land aligns with the values of 

REI and its efforts to increase volunteerism 

in the outdoor, according 

to a press release from REI. 

The project will utilize the help of 

community volunteers. 

The grant is the result of a nomination 

made by the Bozeman REI 

store. 

REI’s annual grants budget represents 

approximately 3 percent of 

the previous year's operating profits 

and is approved by its board of 

directors. Last year, the company 

donated $2 million to conservation 

nonprofits across the country 

through its grants program. Since 

1976, REI has provided more than 

$35 million to outdoor and conservation 

nonprofit organizations. 

Previous stewardship grants from 

the Bozeman REI store funded 

GVLT’s Westside Boulder Connection 

project and the construction 

of artificial climbing boulders in 

city parks. In addition, REI funded 

the Montana Conservation Corps 

to support the Montana Outsiders 

Youth Service Corps project, which 

provided opportunities for young 

people to build trails and improve 

parks. 

The Bozeman REI is situated in 

a geographically isolated part of 

the mountain West, says REI’s 

Outreach Specialist Teresa Larson. 

Because of this, she recognizes the 

advantages of broadening the store’s 

regional outreach. 

“We are all part of the local outdoor 

community, whether we live and 

recreate in Bozeman, Big Sky or 

West Yellowstone,” Larson said. 

“With stores in Bozeman and Missoula, 

we strive to connect with 

local nonprofits, nearby communities 

and visitors to the Greater 

Yellowstone Area alike. We always 

look at ways to partner with outlying 

communities to see how we can 

better support programs to preserve 

outdoor places.” 

eagle Mount program set for 

Bozeman stampede 

BOZEMAN – The Bozeman Stampede is hosting a special program this year 

that will allow youth with cognitive and physical challenges take part in 

rodeo. 

MSU rodeo team members, Northern Rodeo Association contestants, Copper 

Spring Ranch, and Eagle Mount volunteers will help the Eagle Mount 

participants in a variety of events that replicate ones used in real-life rodeos. 

They include horse riding, seesaw bull and bronc riding, roping, stick horse 

barrels, goat tail untying and a clown station. 

The special rodeo will be held at 2 p.m. Aug. 4 at the Gallatin fairgrounds 

in the Anderson Arena. The contestants will receive t-shirts, bandanas and 

rodeo tickets for the Saturday evening performance. 

The Bozeman Stampede also features performances at 7 p.m. on Aug. 3 and 

4, with Jacobs Rodeo Company of Great falls serving as the stock contractor. 

for additional information contact Eagle Mount at (406) 586-1781 or visit 

copperspringranch.com. 

COOKE CITY – 

Beartooth Powder 

Guides began work 

this summer on what 

will soon be a new 

backcountry cabin. 

Located near the confluence 

of Woody and 

Hayden creeks in a 

non-motorized use area 

that is a 2 1/2 mile ski 

or walk to the southeast 

of Cooke City, the 

cabin will sleep up to 

12 people and be available 

for nightly rental 

this November. 



new backcountry cabin near 

Cooke City to open this fall 

Cabin construction photo by ben ZAVorA 

Powder Guides owner Ben Zavora is building the structure almost entirely from 

standing dead timber he’s harvesting and milling on the property with a chainsaw 

mill. He’s also using recycled construction materials like metal roofing, windows and 

a wood burning stove, carrying them to the site by foot. 

The cabin is surrounded by extensive outdoor recreation opportunities and will be 

available for rent year round. 

“Enjoy powder skiing and ski touring, cross country skiing and snowshoeing, hiking 

and wildlife viewing right out the front door!” Zavora said. 

follow the construction of the cabin at Beartooth Powder Guides’ new website: 

beartoothpowder.com. e.s. 

bigskytowncenter.com 

Where Big Sky Comes Together 

Big Sky Town Center is proud to host the 

2nd AnnuAl 

Big Sky PBR 

August 1, 2012 

The World’s Best Cowboys 

face off against the Rankest Bulls. 

Voted Big Sky’s Event of the Year

MontAnA 

Paddling race on flathead lake to 

benefit young adults with cancer 

epic shore to shore race Aug. 4 

raises money for First Descents 



KALISPELL – A new race on northwest 

Montana’s flathead Lake will push 

sea kayakers and other paddle-sports 

enthusiasts to challenge themselves 

while also raising money to support 

adventure therapy for young adults 

with cancer. 

The inaugural Shore to Shore race, will 

benefit first Descents, a Denver, 

Colo.-based nonprofit. The event, 

held on Aug. 4, will host the 24mile 

“epic” race for teams or solo 

paddlers, a 9.5-mile intermediate race 

and a fun 4.5-mile paddle. Beginning 

on the south end of flathead Lake, 

the racers will crisscross the bays and 

inlets along the west shore of the 

lake. 

first Descents founder and CEO Brad 

Ludden, 31, grew up in Kalispell and 

was a professional whitewater kayaker 

for 15 years. In that time he became 

Nike’s first sponsored kayaker, 

traveled to 40 countries to paddle, 

and did more than 100 first descents. 

Last year, after 11 years with Nike, he 

switched to Teva. 

He started first Descents 12 years ago 

because his aunt was diagnosed with 

cancer when he was a young man, and 

it had “a pretty big impact on me.” 

Shortly after that, he started volunteering 

with his mother for a local pediatric 

oncology program, every summer taking 

his kayaks to the camp to teach the 

kids to paddle. 

“I fell in love with it and decided to 

start my own nonprofit to serve people 

with cancer through the experience of 

kayaking,” Brad said. “I chose young 

adults because my aunt was a young 

adult and literally had no resources 

available to her so I recognized a need.” 

With programs nationwide, first 

Descents offers young adult cancer 

fighters and survivors free outdoor adventures 

“designed to empower them 

to climb, paddle and surf beyond their 

diagnosis, defy their cancer, reclaim 

their lives and connect with others doing 

the same,” according to its mission 

statement. 

• See Us at the 320 Ranch • 

12 miles south of Big Sky on Hwy 191 

BIG SKY 

ART RENDEZVOUS 

Monday Night 

JULY 30 TH & AUGUST 6 TH , 4-9 p.m. 

BearFeather Studio - Ken W. Hall - fi ne art photography 

BearFeather Studio - Penny Hall - hand sculpted leather 

Bill Sweney - contemporary western paintings 

Ed Totten - western landscapes & wildlife paintings/carvings 

Fish’s Antler Art 

Jim Dick - Big Sky landscape oil paintings 

Karen Kreek Camp Design - spirited rustic furniture 

Ott Jones Sculpture - wildlife & sporting bronzes 

Todd Connor - western, historical & landscape oil paintings 

Pig Roast Dinner and Live Entertainment $10/person 

Art show is FREE and open to the public 

For more info contact Ott Jones at (406) 585-9495 

professional kayaker brad Ludden paddling big water. 

photo by DAn ArMstronG 

“It’s something I’m as passionate 

about—or even more—than kayaking,” 

Brad said. 

first Descents’ fundraising platform, 

Team fD, has been growing quickly 

since Brad started working full time 

on it last year. Two years ago it raised 

$120,000, last year $800,000, and 

this year Brad said it’s aiming for 

$1.25 million. The Shore to Shore 

race raised $3,000 the first day it was 

announced, July 15. 

According to the Team fD mission, 

“it’s about each individual picking an 

activity which represents a challenge 

to him or her, training for it, setting a 

fundraising goal and completing that 

challenge.” 

Brad’s family still lives in Kalispell, 

and he credits his mother with the 

idea for the flathead Lake event and 

his father Chuck for organizing it. 

The Luddens organized past Big fork 

Whitewater festivals and have been 

paddlers for more than 20 years. 


The Kalispell community has been 

first Descents’ largest supporter and 

helped it get off its feet, Brad said. 

Chuck hopes to have at least 50 participants 

in the Shore to Shore race, and 

imagines there will be a mix of serious 

racers and also groups there to get out 

and paddle for fun. 

“If you do the epic, it’s the longest 

flatwater race on fresh water in the 

country,” Chuck said. 

It’s also the same weekend as the 

wooden boat show in Lakeside, so the 

lake will be buzzing with festivities, 

Chuck said. 

Participants can register on the Epic 

Shore to Shore website, epicshoretoshore.com, 

and follow race information 

on the event facebook page. Event 

sponsors include Kalispell Toyota and 

Hammer Nutrition. 

firstdescents.org 

epicshoretoshore.com 

First Descents 2012 surfing program in the Outer Banks, NC. 

photo Courtesy oF First DesCents

MontAnA 

Mcelyea new Montana 

water rights judge 

steps down as Moonlight Coo 



BOZEMAN – Russ McElyea left his 

position as Moonlight Basin’s chief 

operating officer and started work as 

associate judge of the Montana Water 

Court July 16. 

The 2011 Montana Legislature created 

the associate judge position to help the 

state’s chief water judge Bruce Loble 

in assessing water rights and resolving 

conflicts that the Department of Natural 

Resources and Conservation cannot. 

The new job is “intellectually stimulating,” 

McElyea said. “It’s interesting approaching 

these issues for the first time 

as a judge instead of as an advocate.” 

McElyea worked at the ski area for 

six years in total, first as the attorney, 

and then as COO and general counsel. 

Previously, he practiced water and real 

estate law in Bozeman and acted as a 

water rights advocate. He also sat on the 

board of the Bozeman Daily Chronicle 

but stepped down before accepting 

this position to avoid any conflict of 

interest. 

While the court is based in Bozeman, 

McElyea said the job will likely entail 

travel all over Montana as cases arise. 

Based on the doctrine of prior 

appropriation—“first in time, first in 

right”—Montana water rights are based 

on a mix of old and new, McElyea said, 

explaining that while many of the cases 

pertaining to water law are more than 

a century old, a lot of the statutes he 

works with are modern. 

The history is what makes water law 

so interesting, he says. “It’s kind of a 

blend of science and historic practices, 

culture, and changing public perceptions 

about how this resource should 

be allocated as time passes.” 

Since the 1970s, the DNRC has been 

responsible for many of the programs 

associated with the uses, development 

and protection of the state’s water. The 

water rights court comes into play 

when the DNRC’s decisions are in 

question. 

The rights are governed within individual 

watersheds, of which there are 

dozens around the state, and they apply 

to many industries including agriculture, 

mining, recreation and business. 

“There’s such a relationship between 

water and money,” McElyea said. 

“There are also relationships between 

water and recreation, water and 

spirituality, and water and philosophy. 

Ultimately, we all need to drink it to 

stay alive.” 

As Montana’s population grows, domestic 

water needs will grow alongside 

it. But, McElyea points out, because 

“there isn’t really any more water to be 

had, there will be an increased pressure 

to identify what water can be made 

available.” That, he says, isn’t unlike 

most of the Western U.S. 

While he’s excited about the new 

position and admits it's something he’s 

wanted to do for a long time, McElyea 

said he’ll miss Moonlight. 

“There’s some really wonderful people 

on that team… I’ll always have strong 

feelings for the Moonlight area, itself. 

The landscape and the skiing and the 

beauty of that setting—once it gets 

into your bloodstream you can’t get 

rid of it.” 




SEIZED ASSETS 

PUBLIC AUCTION 

JEWELRY AND FINE ART SIEZED BY 

POLICE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES 

Property from seized and forfeited assets auction. 

Bankruptcies and liquidation of Rolexes, large 

diamonds, fine art, and jewelry together with 

general order merchandise which constitutes the 

majority to be liquidated piece by piece. 

ALL ART AND JEWELRY AUTHENTICATED AND CERTIFIED. OVER 2 MILLION DOLLARS!! 

9 Ct.Tanzanite W/Diamonds 

Peter Max 

Ladies 18K Pearlmaster, 

Diamonds 

Marc Chagall 

Large Diamonds 

Ruby Earrings 

Rolex Watches 

Armed Security on Site 

Free Registration/ID Required 

For more information, please call 770-454-9201 

12 Ct. Diamond Bracelet 

SUNDAY 

JULY 29 

AUCTION-1:00 PM 

PREVIEW-12:30 PM 

HOSTED AT: 

BUCKS T-4 LODGE 

BIG SKY, MT 

46625 GALLATIN RD. 

HWY 191 

FROM BOZEMAN AIRPORT 

PASS THROUGH BELGRADE TO US HWY 

191 S FOLLOW SIGNS TO BIG SKY FOR 45 

MILES LODGE 1 MILE ON RIGHT AFTER 

FLASHING YELLOW STOP LIGHT OR CALL 

(406) 995-4111 FOR DIRECTIONS 

For information regarding the auction, 

call (770) 454-9201 during normal 

business hours. 

Norman Rockwell 

Emerald and Diamond 

Necklace 

Items pictured subject to prior sale and 

may not be available at this auction. 

Itzak Tarkay 

H.C. Pissarro 

Joan Miro 

Salvador Dali 

Tennis Bracelet 

Diamond Earrings 

Rolex Watches 

18% Buyers Premium. 

Terms: Verified Checks/All Credit Cards. 

July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 13

yeLLowstone 

HELENA – Yellowstone bison may eventually 

inhabit lands adjacent to or near the border of 

Yellowstone National Park year-round. 

The Montana fish, Wildlife and Parks and Montana 

Department of Livestock are jointly conducting 

an environmental review on a proposal to 

change the Interagency Bison Management Plan 

and allow for expanded bison ranges in parts of 

the Gallatin National forest. 

Under the proposal, the animals would be allowed 

in the following areas year-round: the 

Hebgen Basin, the Cabin Creek Recreation and 

Wildlife Management Unit, the Monument 

Mountain Unit of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness 

Area, the Upper Gallatin River corridor, and the 

Gardiner Basin (for bull bison). 

The agencies released a scoping notice on July 

23 intended to solicit public comment regarding 

the proposal. The agencies want to address the 

following issues during the environmental assessment 

and public scoping process: 

• How would the year-round presence of bison 

affect public safety? 

• What are the effects to private landowners in 

the vicinity of the year-round bison habitats? 

• Would the year-round presence of bison 

provide for additional bison hunting opportunities? 

• Would the bison move back into YNP over 

time without hazing activities? 

• Would there be a measureable change in 

seasonal bison movements if there was yearround 

habitat available? 

14 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 



affect local livestock operations? 


affect other wildlife and habitat? 

• What is the likelihood that bison will move 

beyond the proposed boundaries, what are 

consequences of these movements, and how 

will they be mitigated? 

Public meetings are planned in West Yellowstone 

(Aug. 20, 6 – 8 p.m. at the Holiday Inn) 

and Gardiner (Aug. 21, 6 – 8 p.m. at the Gardiner 

High School Theatre). The public scoping period 

will end Aug. 24, with a draft EA expected by 

late October. Public comment on the draft EA is 

expected to close in late November, with a final 



yellowstone bison range may expand in gallatin national forest 

environmental review of year-round bison tolerance up for public comment 

TWENTY FIFTH ANNIVERSARY 

ANNIVERSARY 

BOZEMAN, MONTANA 

406.586.1500 

JACKSON, WYOMING 

307.733.0733 

www.onsitemanagement.com 

decision on the EA expected by mid-December. 

Comments and questions can be directed to: 

Bison Habitat EA 

Montana fish, Wildlife and Parks 

PO Box 200701 

Helena, MT 59620 

(406) 994-4042 

yearroundbison-scoping@mt.gov 

Bison EA 

Montana Department of Livestock 

PO Box 200201 

Helena, MT 59620 

(406) 444-9431 

bison-EA@mt.gov 

Truth & Beauty 

Architect: Candace Miller Architects Photography: Gordon Gregory

yeLLowstone 

YELLOWSTONE – Taking photos of our nation’s natural treasures 

never gets old. Yellowstone and Grand Teton are particularly 

photogenic, and visitors this summer can learn a few tricks 

of the trade for free through a workshop called Photography in 

the Parks. 

Now in its sixth year, Canon’s Photography in the Parks program 

offers professional instruction in photography and video. The 

hands-on workshop is taught through a guided walking photo 

tour, and participants can bring their own equipment or borrow, 

at no charge. 

Canon equipment is available for photographers at every skill 

level and includes a selection of EOS DSLR cameras and Ef 

lenses, PowerShot point-and-shoot cameras or VIXIA camcorders. 

following the tour, participants can print their work on site 

or download their image collections later from the program’s 

website. 

The workshops in Yellowstone will take place July 23 – 31. 

Instructors will lead workshops three times daily at 8:30 a.m., 

12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. from Old faithful Inn. The workshops 

in Grand Teton National Park will take place Aug. 1 – 2, at 9 a.m., 

12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. from Teton Village in Jackson, Wyo. 

Those interested should show up 15 – 30 minutes ahead of time. 

Co-hosted by Canon U.S.A and American Park Network, the 

program will also take place this summer at Rocky Mountain and 

Acadia national parks. for more information visit facebook.com/ 

canonUSA or photographyintheparks.com or call (800) 925-2949. 




free photo and video workshop in yellowstone national Park 

Burning and fireworks Ban 

in Madison County 

on June 28, 2012, the board of Madison 

County Commissioners, in cooperation 

with the sheriff/Fire warden, the Director of 

emergency Management, and all Local Fire 

Chiefs, confirmed an Open Burning Ban, effective 

June 26, 2012, on private property in 

Madison County due to extreme fire danger, 

and initiated a ban on the use of all Fireworks 

in Madison County until further notice. Any 

exceptions to this ban will be considered on 

a case by case basis and must be approved 

in writing by the sheriff/Fire warden and the 

local Fire Chief. 

Castle Geyser in yellowstone (CC) 

July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 15

16 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 


HELMS 


J E F F HELMS 

JAMISON 

KULESZA 

Commercial building for sale in superior location 

Ringstone Building 

• Located across from the Post O ce 

• Total 6,730 square feet 

• 11 Executive Suites 

• 73% current occupancy 

• Shared lobby, conference room, kitchenette and DSL 

• Entire building is 3 condominiums 

• $975,000 

Current tenant, 

business for sale 

$329,000 

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. 


section 2: 

business, heALth AnD enVironMent 

GALLery 

GALLATIN CANYON – On Monday 

evening, July 16, 320 Ranch played 

host to some of the region’s great artistic 

talent. The fourth annual Big Sky 

Art Rendezvous, organized by Bozeman 

sculptor Ott Jones, drew a stream 

of visitors to 320’s conference center 

from the ranch’s weekly Monday night 

pig roasts. 

They hobnobbed with the artists, 

asking questions, gazing at oils, and 

touching Penny Hall’s hand-sculpted, 

leather blessing bowls. 

“These were a therapy project for me 

between eye surgeries,” Penny says. 

She started making them when doctors 

diagnosed her as legally blind. “I 

needed to prove to myself that I wasn't 

blind.” 

When she donated her first one to a 

fundraiser and it went for $450, she realized it could 

help pay for medical expenses. But as Penny was 

prepping for the Ennis Art show, her retina detached. 

While recovering from that surgery, she knew she had 

to do something new. 

“I call them my blessing bowls because I was looking for 

the worst in life, instead of the good. Now I use them as 

a container to hold all my blessings, all the good in life.” 

At the next table over, Penny’s husband Ken W. Hall 

has his luminescent landscape photography on exhibit. 

Because he prints on archival canvas, it almost looks as 

though you can walk right into the photographs. 

“I’m trying to get them in major cancer hospitals, 

because I’ve seen physical changes when people 

look at them,” he says. “It triggers things—spiritual 

healing. It allows people to go places where they’re 

consciously uncomfortable.” 

The photos are breathtaking landscapes that have 

been compared to Ansel Adams and Elliot Porter’s 

work. 

Ken recalls an encounter with a woman at the Ennis 

farmers Market. “She looked at this one,” he says, 

pointing to a black and white called “Guardian of 

the Beartrap” taken just below Ennis Lake. Sunlight 

shines off the water and fog rises past Ramshead 

Rock. 

“She started shaking,” Ken says. “‘I can feel that 

painting coming through my body,’ she said. I said, 

‘Honey, it’s not a painting.’ She said, ‘I don’t know 

what it is, but I can feel it coming through my body.’” 

The Halls came to Ennis together from Taos, N.M. 12 

years ago to visit for two days, and they never left. 

“I came over the rise at 

Norris Hill, and said 'I 

don't know what’s here, 

but this is where I’m 

gonna work,'” Ken said. 

On the opposite side 

of Penny’s table, in the 

center of the room, is 

work from the Bozemanbased 

sculptor Ott 

Jones, who organizes 

the Rendezvous. Some 

of his bronzes, like the 

life-sized fly fisherman 

at the Bozeman airport 

and the sculpture of Jim 

Bridger at the Bozeman 

Chamber of Commerce, 

have become Bozeman 

landmarks. 

Jones points at some 

of his newest works, 

sculptures made from 

barbed wire. “Instead of dealing with mass [like with 

the bronzes], I’m dealing with space,” he says. 

“There’s a gaggle of artists here,” Ken Hall says, looking 

around. Indeed—at one end of the room are the 

husband and wife team of Karen Kreek, whose rustic 

custom furniture are found in the Pendleton Home 

Catalogue, and Bill Sweney, who describes his contemporary, 

abstract paintings as an expression of the 

“spiritualism of the West.” 

“I want to find out: How do you paint the wind?” 

Sweney says. 

At the other end of the room, classic Western painters 

Jim Dick and Todd Connor talk quietly. 




July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 


320 ranch hosts prominent local artists 

Art rendezvous events are July 30 and Aug. 6 



"Guardian of the bear trap" by ken hall 

"A day to remember" by ott Jones 

Dick, a native 

of northeastern 

Montana and now a 

Bozeman resident, 

participated in the 

Rendezvous last 

year. “I always have 

good shows here,” 

he said. 

A painter of iconic 

scenes, he’s done 

thousands of plein 

air field studies, 

often horse packing 

into the mountains 

to paint on location. 

Oils of Lone Mountain 

in winter and 

summer are lined 

up alongside Upper 

Yellowstone falls, 

the Gallatin River, 

Soldier Chapel and 

teepes from the fort 

Peck Indian Reservation where 

he grew up. 

Get him talking, and he’ll 

tell you that he got a business 

degree from a school in California, 

worked two years in 

business, and never went back. 

When he returned to Montana, 

Dick took a janitorial job at 

night and painted during the 

day. Then, he and his wife built 

a cabin at 7,000 feet in the Tobacco 

Root Mountains where 

they raised their two daughters. 

“There was no power, we’d just 

sit around the lantern in the 

evenings, and my wife would 

read books like Little House on 

the Prarie [aloud].” 

While his work was represented 

in major national galleries in the past, Dick has cut 

back. “I like to keep it hometown, local,” he says. 

Next door, the quiet, McAllister-based painter Todd 

Connor is humbly presiding over some his masterful 

historic Western oils. 

Connor, who is represented by Creighton Block Gallery 

in Big Sky, participates in the Charlie Russell Museum 

Auction but rarely shows his work at booth shows like 

this. 

“I’d rather just paint and give my work to galleries,” 

Connor said. “But Ott called and asked me, and I 

thought, ‘why not try it?’ Shows like this can pay off. 

You can make connections even if you don't sell anything. 

People can’t find you if you’re not out there.” 

July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 17

GALLery 

the urban side of todd Connor 

opening and artist reception, Aug. 3 

BIG SKY – Todd Connor is best 

known for his Western historical and 

landscape paintings, but when he 

visited an artist friend in New York 

City in 2008, he was inspired to paint 

‘urbanscapes,’ as well. 

What struck him most about the city 

was “the buzz, the energy and the 

contrast between organic and man 

made.” 

Connor has since visited New York 

three times and San francisco twice, 

and has approximately 40 paintings 

from those trips. Cities, he says, are 

“like canyons,” in the sense of light 

and shadow. 

Born in Okahoma, Connor did a stint 

as a Navy Seal, went to the Art Center 

College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., 

worked at Universal Studios, and 

finally landed in Montana in 1999. 

Today, living in rural McAllister, 

which is north of Ennis, he says his 

interest in city scenes represent an 

alter ego. 

Plus, he says, it’s important to try new 

things. “If I have something different 

to do, it keeps me fresh for the 

Western stuff.” 

18 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 

Connor is classically trained, 

and some of his main influences 

include European and American 

Impressionists—something that’s 

evident in this show. 

Although he’s already sold two of 

the urbanscapes, this is the first 

time Connor will have hung them 

in a gallery as part of a show. Holding 

this kind of show in Montana 

is an experiment, he said, meaning 

that here, people are often more 

interested in Western art. 

Connor credited Creighton Block 

gallery owner Colin Matthews for 

thinking outside the box. 

for Matthews, who moved Creighton 

Block to Big Sky from Virginia 

City two years ago, “It’s important 

to represent artists first and 

foremost, as opposed to being here 

to make it easy to sell a particular 

genre of popular Western art to 

clients.” 

This show, Matthews says, shows 

Connor’s range and his command of 

impressionist techniques. “It was 

something I found exciting.” e.s. 

todd Connor’s city scenes will be in Creighton block Gallery, 

in the big sky town Center, Aug. 3 – 20. there will be a reception 

Aug. 3 from 4:30 – 7 p.m. 

"waiters in Little itlay" 


"the bass player" 30 x 24 

"san Francisco nite" 



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GALLATIN CANYON CABIN 

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commerical, 4 +/- acres zoned residential 

• Big Sky water and sewer accessible 

• West Fork of the Gallatin borders parcel 

ARROWHEAD CONDO 

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• 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 

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$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 

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• 4 bd, 4 ba, 3,500 +/- sf 

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• next to fl owing creek with outstanding views 

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

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MADISON COURT # 17 

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

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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

sports 

Big sky softball schedule 

field 1 - 530pm field 2 - 530pm field 1 - 645pm field 2 - 645pm 

31-Jul 6v12 12v13 6v14 

6-Aug 9v14 2v11 2v12 4v10 

7-Aug 5v13 1v14 8v13 3v14 

8-Aug 4v12 6v9 Make up #7 

13-Aug 3v11 4v13 4v11 3v13 

14-Aug Make up #8 8v9 8v14 5v10 

15-Aug 2v13 

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

National League W/L 

Team 1 Big Sky Resort 0-9 

Team 2 Country Market 7-0 

Team 3 Scissorbills 5-4 

Team 4 Big Sky Christian fellowship 1-5 

Team 5 Cab Lizards 5-5 

Team 6 Black Bear 7-3 

Team 7 first Place/Cabin 5-9 

American League 

Team 8 Lone Pine Huckers 8-0 

Team 9 Eye in the Sky 10-0 

Team 10 Milkies Big Dogs 4-4 

Team 11 Beavers 6-4 

Team 12 Broken Spoke 2-6 

Team 13 Lone Peak Brewery 1-5 

Team 14 Connecticut Softball Club 1-6 

Put your home in good hands. 

Call us to learn why our services make a difference 

(406) 995-7220 | hpmmontana.com 

Located in the Meadow Village directly across from 

Big Sky Furniture, next to ERA Landmark 

20 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 

Offering Full Service 

Property Management & 

Home Owners Association 

Management in Big Sky 


Olympic participant and long-time 

Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant 

recently made a comment that’s caused 

a stir in sports media. When comparing 

the current Olympic basketball team 

to the 1992 “Dream Team," Bryant said 

this year’s team could beat them. He 

wasn’t certain they could win a seven 

game series, he said, but in one game, 

they would have a chance. 

While obviously a soft statement 

meant to encourage his teammates and 

show confidence in his own abilities, 

Bryant’s remark set off a flurry of media 

attention. Articles have emerged all 

over the Internet discussing whether 

it’s true, and famous members of the 

1992 squad laughed it off, showing 

competitive spirit. 

The 1992 squad was the first time 

NBA players were allowed to participate 

in the Olympics. The team had 

11 hall of fame players on it, including 

legends such as Magic Johnson, Larry 

Bird and Michael Jordan. They easily 

went undefeated and won the gold 

medal. While other teams have had 

similar success in the games since, the 

1992 team will forever be known as 

the original “Dream Team” and is often 

considered the greatest compilation of 

sports stars in history. 

To some, Bryant’s challenge is sacrilege. 

How could a person, for even a moment, 

question the greatness of these 

basketball icons? 

But in professional sports, new stars are 

often compared to those of yesteryear, 

usually coming up short in the eyes 

of those who wax nostalgic of past triumphs. 

[A memory of Browns running 

back Jim Brown dominating the competition 

couldn’t possibly match up to 

the prowess of Adrian Peterson today.] 

Just as Wilt Chamberlain’s impact on 

basketball can’t possibly be duplicated 

by somebody like Dwight Howard. 

Eras of sports stars simply cannot be 

compared. While one can argue the 

historical impact or innovative techniques 

that certain players added, it’s 

difficult to make a compelling argument 

that players from the past were 

better than their modern counterparts. 


by brAnDon niLes 

big sky weekly sports columnist 


Comparing legends 

kobe bryant speaks out 

Guys like Chamberlain and Brown 

were amazing at the time, but they 

were also bigger and more athletic than 

the competition. 

Sports evolve and so do athletes. Players 

get bigger, smarter and faster with 

each decade, and some, like Kevin 

Durant and Lebron James, now have 

the speed and size to play nearly any 

position on the basketball court. The 

game is at a higher level than it ever 

was, and that’s the case in all sports. 

Even though 1992 may not be as far 

back as the eras of players like Chamberlain 

and Brown, the game has 

changed in 20 years since the original 

Dream Team ruled the house. for 

example, in the NBA of today the 

center position has changed so much 

that there are very few true centers in 

the league. Centers today are long and 

athletic, with the ability to step out and 

hit 12 – 17 foot jump shots. Gone are 

the days of the immobile giant manning 

the position. 

Athleticism has become the primary 

tool needed for players to excel. It’s 

difficult to imagine the best players 

in 1992 facing James and Durant and 

not being frustrated by their insane 

athleticism. 

The 1992 team will always be legendary, 

and in many ways, it will always 

be considered the best team of all time. 

Guys like Chamberlain and Brown will 

always be iconic, as will their counterparts 

from eras past. However, the argument 

should never be which player 

is better or which team would win. 

The players of the next decade will be 

better than those of today, and that’s 

why sports stars can never truly be 

compared across eras. 

Brandon Niles has done online freelance 

writing about the NFL since 2007. His 

articles range from NFL news to teamspecific 

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.

A lifetime OF SKIING, GOLF 

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ask dr. dunn 

by MAren Dunn 


I’m worried I might have diabetes. 

What are the symptoms and how is it 

diagnosed? 

Type 2 diabetes, formerly called “lateonset 

diabetes,” is a major health problem 

in the U.S. Currently, 8 percent of 

the population has the illness, while up 

to 25 percent remains undiagnosed, and 

these numbers continue to rise. Type 2 

diabetes, which results from high blood 

sugar, can eventually cause problems 

with eyesight, healing, kidney function, 

sensation in the extremities and increased 

risk of heart attack. That’s why 

it’s important to diagnose the illness as 

early as possible. 

Diagnosis is usually based on physical 

symptoms and blood test results. Diabetic symptoms 

can include excessive thirst or hunger, frequent 

urination, fatigue or weight gain. In type 2 

diabetics, these symptoms can go unnoticed due 

to the relatively slow progression of the disease. 

So, screening with blood tests has become the 

standard for detecting the illness. 

in the u.s. Currently, 

8 percent 

of the population has type 2 

diabetes, while up to 

25 percent 

remains undiagnosed, 

and these numbers continue 

to rise. 

The blood tests include a fasting plasma glucose, twohour 

oral glucose tolerance test or glycated hemoglobin. 

If any of these are positive for diabetes, a second 

test will be run to confirm the result. If the tests are 

abnormal, but not high enough to qualify for diabetes, 

you’re considered pre-diabetic and can expect to repeat 

the test in six months. 



Join us on the porch this summer 


Certain key risk factors increase the likelihood 

of having diabetes. These include: being overweight, 

being older than 45, having an inactive 

lifestyle, having a family history of diabetes, 

having a personal history of gestational diabetes, 

having high blood pressure, having high cholesterol, 

and having a history of polycystic ovarian 

syndrome. 

If you’re at risk or have diabetic symptoms, see 

your healthcare provider immediately so you can 

learn how to manage the illness appropriately and 

delay complications. 

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 

baked goods | pizza | $2 pbr | sweet iced tea | fresh lemonade | iced coffee 

we deliver 406.995.2305 

open 7 days a week 7am-10pm 

view menu at: bigskybluemoonbakery.com 

located in westfork plaza mall, Big Sky 

July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 23

usiness 

Pack is new president of Moonlight 

resort moves forward under Lehman 

MOONLIGHT BASIN – Moonlight Basin’s upper management 

has seen a restructure this summer, and since 

June 13 Greg Pack has been the resort’s president and 

general manager. 

Pack has been Moonlight’s general manager for five 

years and will continue working in that capacity, as 

well. Before coming to Montana he worked two years 

at Intrawest and 14 at Vail Resorts. He has been a Big 

Sky Chamber of Commerce board member for four 

years. 

Russ McElyea stepped down as Moonlight’s chief 

operating officer to take a job in Bozeman this July, and 

his position will not be filled, Pack said. 

Other management changes include naming Chris 

Leonard, longtime technology director, as the new 

chief financial officer, and hiring Tom Hart as the new 

hospitality director. 

“With them in place, plus John Knapton in mountain 

operations, Karen Lum in marketing, Mike Wilcynski 

in golf and Kevin Germain in development, we have 

all the key players so the transition [with McElyea 

leaving] has been extremely easy,” Pack said. That core 

team has been together for years, he added. 

In January, an affiliate of Lehman Brothers Holdings 

officially took ownership of the ski and golf resort after a 

lengthy, three-way Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As part of the 

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Come in to see us! 

Located in the Big Horn Center, across from Bugaboo 

Café, at corner of Hwy 191 & Lone Mtn Trail to Big Sky 

24 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 

Call: Janine & Dick @ 406-993-9333 

Open: 7 days a week, Mon – Sat 10 AM to 6 PM 

Sun 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM 


reorganization, Lehman hired the Colorado-based 

property management company the Atira Group to 

work directly with Pack and other high level managers. 

Together, they’ve redefined the resort’s budgets and 

accounting structure, and put together a proposed 

long-term development plan, Pack said. 

“Lehman’s been great for us,” Pack said. “They’ve 

supplied us with funding when we needed to move 

things forward. When we have infrastructure to take 

care of, they’re on top of it—building roads, replacing 

snowmaking electrical lines or adding seating [at 

the Madison base area]. As far as being an owner with 

resources, they’ve been there and had that.” 

Lehman has taken care to understand Moonlight as an 

asset and invest in the best places, Pack said. 

As for a future sale of the resort—something rumored 

this spring—Pack said his team has been in conversation 

with Lehman but no decision has been made. 

for now, he says, “The great thing is we have a bunch 

of talented people still here in all the key positions. I 

think the energy level up here has been really good, 

with [both] homeowners and guests. In Big Sky in 

general, I think there’s some momentum building.” 

e.s. 



zone text 

amendment to 

town Center allows 

car and pet wash 

BIG SKY – A recent zone text amendment 

to the Town Center now includes car and pet 

washes to the list of permitted buildings in 

Town Center. for this amendment, the definition 

of car wash was modified to include 

pet wash under the title. 

According to Ryan Hamilton, Big Sky Town 

Center project manager, a car wash is one of 

the most requested businesses in Big Sky. 

One individual has expressed interest in 

building a car wash in Town Center but no 

official plans have been made on a building 

or site. 

A pet wash would provide an indoor establishment 

where owners could take their dogs 

to self-serve wash in an eight-foot by eightfoot 

stainless steel tub with a collar clip and 

drying station. 

“The pet wash would be something an owner 

would go use after a day at the river with 

their dog instead of washing them at home in 

the tub,” Hamilton said. R.C.

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-RR Wine AcAdemy 

Thursdays through October | 3:30pm | $15 per person 

Join us Thursday afternoons for interactive wine classes followed by 

wine and cheese sampling on the deck. Can’t make it in time for the 

class? Just come for wine and cheese and gorgeous scenery. 

WinemAkeR dinneR – RAptoR Ridge WineRy 

Tuesday, August 7, 2012 | 6:30pm | $100 per person 

Featuring winemakers Annie and Scott Shull of Raptor Ridge Winery 

for a delicious five-course feast expertly paired with their beautiful 

Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and maybe a surprise or two! 

-RR Wine cRush 

Wednesday, August 8, 2012 | 6pm – 9pm | $90 per person 

Featuring multiple tastings with the winemakers from Ken Wright 

Cellars, Raptor Ridge Winery, Walla Walla Vintners, and wine 

aficionados from Bottleneck Imports, Vias Imports, and Palm Bay 

Imports to show more than 50 different wines. 

LocALs onLy: Take advantage of this limited time offer for a one-night 

stay and a bottle of wine starting from $199 per night Sunday through 

Thursday in September and October when booked by August 17. 

Visit rainbowranchbigsky.com and enter promo code “LOCALS” 

or call 1.800.937.4132 for reservations. 

Valid for new bookings Sunday - Thursday September 3 – October 31, 2012 when booked by August 17. 

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1.800.937.4132 for reservations | RainbowRanchBigSky.com for menus 

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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 

foster is new manager of lMr 

by tyLer ALLen 


BIG SKY – Bob foster is now the new 

general manager at Lone Mountain 

Ranch, as of late July. former managers 

Mark and Kim Parlett oversaw daily 

operations at the ranch since December 

2010, and are now leaving for other jobs. 

foster holds a Master's degree from the 

Cornell University School of Hotel Administration 

and most recently worked 

as general manager of The Historic 

Plains Hotel in Cheyenne, Wyo. He also 

served as the president and CEO of Lost 

Valley Ranch, in Sedalia, Colo. for 21 

years. 

“I look forward to integrating 38 years 

of ranch and hospitality experience with 

Lone Mountain Ranch's rich heritage, 

exceptional accommodations, and unparalleled 

service,” foster said. 

In other staffing changes, the ranch 

hired Scottie Burton as its new executive 

chef this past January, taking over 

for Bill Baskin. Burton has more than 20 

years of culinary experience and said he 

plans to feature fresh products from local 

and regional farmers and ranchers. 

Burton has training from the New 

England Culinary Institute and with top 

chefs at Boston’s l’Espalier restaurant and 

the Saporitos florence Club Café. He’s 

also worked as the chef at the Gallatin 

Gateway Inn and was the first sommelier 

at Plonk wine bar in Bozeman. 

rapier foundation donates 

$50,000 to area nonprofits 

Funds split between AsC, Friends of hyalite, 

bsCC, booster Club, Chamber 

BIG SKY – The Country fair may not 

make much of a profit itself, but this 

year it’s helping several of the region's 

charities in a significant way. 

When the Rapier family found out 

that this year’s event, organized 

by Robin Brower-McBride at the 

Chamber of Commerce, was already 

benefitting four other local nonprofits, 

the family decided to use their 

foundation to amplify that good. 

Just a week before the Country fair, 

the Rapier family foundation gave 

the Chamber $50,000 to be split between 

the five organizations: Adventurers 

and Scientists for Conservation, 

friends of Hyalite, the Big Sky Community 

Corp., the Big Sky School 

District’s Booster Club, and the Big 

Sky Chamber of Commerce. 

The original idea, says Brower- 

McBride, was to “cross promote the 

event. The more people you have 

benefitting from [it], the more they’re 

going to promote it.” 

NOW OPEN 

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

She's lined it up so the Chamber 

will split the profits of the dunk 

tank with the BSCC, and the cotton 

candy, snow cones and the 

car/bike/RV/trailer wash with the 

Booster Club, plus giving $2.50 of 

each $10 entry in the high heeled 

race to ASC and $2.50 to friends of 

Hyalite. 

Brower-McBride was thrilled when 

she heard from Kym Rapier. 

“for her to give us $50,000 to 

distribute $10,000 to each—it’s a 

really big deal,” Brower-McBride 

said. 

Since founding the foundation in 

2006 Dr. George and Kym Rapier 

have donated more than $100 million 

annually to various causes, 

including stay-in-school and youth 

initiatives, animals in need, seniors 

and children's health programs. The 

family has a home in Big Sky. e.s. 

• Landscape Design + Installation 

• Full Service Landscape Maintenance 

• Award Winning Container Gardens 

NOW OFFERING MAINTENANCE and LANDSCAPE SERVICES 

TO THE HEBGEN LAKE COMMUNITY 

406.995.4818 • san@wildwoodbigsky.com 

WILDWOOD 

NURSERY 

Hwy 191 just south of the 

Big Sky stoplight 

wildwoodbigsky.com 

Growing in Big Sky for 32 years 



Items pictured subject to prior sale and 

may not be available at this auction. 


SEIZED ASSETS 

PUBLIC AUCTION 

JEWELRY AND FINE ART SIEZED BY 

POLICE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES 

Property from seized and forfeited assets auction. 

Bankruptcies and liquidation of Rolexes, large 

diamonds, fine art, and jewelry together with 

general order merchandise which constitutes the 

majority to be liquidated piece by piece. 

ALL ART AND JEWELRY AUTHENTICATED AND CERTIFIED. OVER 2 MILLION DOLLARS!! 

9 Ct.Tanzanite W/Diamonds 

Peter Max 

Ladies 18K Pearlmaster, 

Diamonds 

Marc Chagall 

Large Diamonds 

Ruby Earrings 

Rolex Watches 

Armed Security on Site 

Free Registration/ID Required 

For more information, please call 770-454-9201 

12 Ct. Diamond Bracelet 

SUNDAY 

JULY 29 

AUCTION-1:00 PM 

PREVIEW-12:30 PM 

HOSTED AT: 

BUCKS T-4 LODGE 

BIG SKY, MT 

46625 GALLATIN RD. 

HWY 191 

FROM BOZEMAN AIRPORT 

PASS THROUGH BELGRADE TO US HWY 

191 S FOLLOW SIGNS TO BIG SKY FOR 45 

MILES LODGE 1 MILE ON RIGHT AFTER 

FLASHING YELLOW STOP LIGHT OR CALL 

(406) 995-4111 FOR DIRECTIONS 

For information regarding the auction, 

call (770) 454-9201 during normal 

business hours. 

Norman Rockwell 

Emerald and Diamond 

Necklace 

Itzak Tarkay 

H.C. Pissarro 

Joan Miro 

Salvador Dali 

Tennis Bracelet 

Diamond Earrings 

Rolex Watches 

18% Buyers Premium. 

Terms: Verified Checks/All Credit Cards. 

July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 27

ARTS COUNCIL 

OF BIG SKY 

PRESENTS 

BIGSKYARTS.ORG 

outLAw news 

FREE MUSIC CENTER STAGE IN 

TOWN CENTER PARK 

JULY 4: FREDDY PINK 

JULY 12: THE B-SIDE PLAYERS 

JULY 19: THE BLACK LILLIES 

JULY JULY 26: NICKI BLUHM AND THE GAMBLERS 

JULY JULY 31: 31: PBR PRE-PARTY WITH MORGAN FRAZIER 

AUG 2: THE CLUMSY LOVERS 

AUG 9: THE ELDERS 

AUG 16: JOHN REISCHMAN & THE JAYBIRDS 

AUG 23: MIKE BECK & THE BOHEMIAN SAINTS 

AUGUST 30: COLD HARD CASH SHOW 

SEPTEMBER 6: PINKY AND THE FLOYD 

AUGUST 10-12 

CLASSICAL MUSICAL FESTIVAL 

Three nights of world-class music 

JULY 4 - SEPT 6 

PARK OPENS 

AT 6PM- MUSIC 

STARTS AT 7PM 

28 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 

photo courtesy of travis andersen // travisandersenphotography.com 

LEGEND 

Outlaw Partners Present 

Greg Stump’s 

OF AAHHHS 

door prizes 

swag 

best 80’s 

costume 

MARCH 21 

DOORS OPEN AT 6:30PM 

SHOW STARTS AT 8:00PM 

at Lone Peak Cinema 

APPEARANCES BY 

GREG STUMP & 

SCOT SCHMIDT 

$20 at the door $15 

Buy tickets On the 

world wide web 


PART OF PROCEEDS BENEFITING: 

Big Sky Ski 

Education 

Foundation 

Warren Miller 

Performing 

Arts Center 

JAMIE PIERRE FAMILY 

FUNDRAISER 

DECEMBER 

26 7:00 PM 

Please contact Doug 

Timm or Outlaw 

Partners to donate 

items for auction. 

581-0142 

OR 

cash donations 

can be made 

at Wells Fargo: 

Jamie Pierre 

Memorial Fund 

AT BUCK’S T-4 LODGE, BIG SKY, MONTANA 

of the proceeds benefit 

MIN. $10 DONATION100% 

the PIERRE FAMILY 

SILENT AUCTION 

FROM 

& FOOD LOCAL 

RESTAURANTS 

The food will include 

a “DINE AROUND” 

format with food from 

numerous numerous restaurants in 

the Big Sky area area 

visit explorebigsky.com for more information 

Jamie Pierre 

1973 - 2011 


moonlightbasin.com 

ARTWALK 

JULY 7-8, 2012 

SAT. JULY 7 12-7PM 

SUN. JULY 8 12-5PM 

Adam Schwankl 

Alan Snell 

Cliff Rossberg 

Christina Perry 

Celebrating 

MONTANA ARTISTS! 

Daniel Parker 

Jerry Inman 

Jim Dick 

Katie Lee 

Any Thursday through the end 

of the season, buy 1 college lift 

ticket & get 1 college ticket FREE 

Valid for college students under age 24. Each student must show proof of age & a 

valid college ID. Tickets valid on Thursday of purchase only. Cannot be combined 

with any other offer or discount. 

Kelsey Dzintars 

Loren Kovich 

Mary Ann Cherry 

Marcy Bergmann 

“BROOKIE BALLET” 

By Loren Kovich 

Mary Blain 

Mitch Billis 

Pat Branting 

Ron Lowery 

& MORE 

come meet the new owners 

Get insane deals on all the 

Gear you need 

test drive the newest rods, 

reels, waders, and boots 

eat Free Food 

Moonlight Basin 

2012-13 

SEASON 

PASS SALE 

March 17-April 30, 2012 

Saturday, June 30 th 

1:00 - 5:00 pm 

3 rd annual 

Pesca Fiesta 

+ 

Grand Opening! 

montanaflyfishing.com • 406-995-2290 

Pat Straub; Montana licensed outfitter #7878 

SPRING IS HERE 

Time for the best season 

pass deal around! 

Fresh hot Gear: 

saGe one Fly rod 

winston boron 3X Fly rod simms 

Felt-soled wadinG boots 

PataGonia rock GriP wadinG boots 

and rio GalleGos wader 

+ and more! 

moonlightbasin.com 

Ski & ride with your 2012-13 pass for the rest of the season! 

ADULTS $499 // JUNIOR + COLLEGE $299 

Kids 10 and under always ski FREE 

Ask about our $50 renewal bonus and PAY IN 2 plan 

(406) 993-6074 


NEVER GO ALONE 

GOING OUT OF BOUNDS? 

Sharpen your skills, bring the proper safety gear and always bring a partner. 

THINK RISK, THEN REWARD 

BSSAR.ORG // MTAVALANCHE.COM 

Big Sky Softball League Presents 

$5 Cover 

Food & Drink Specials All Night 

Portion of the night’s 

proceeds will benefit the Big 

Sky Community Corporation ’ 

Community Park project 


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. 

Poster advertising 

Poster advertising has been around for centuries, yet still can be a very effective way to gain attention 

for your event, business or cause, as it reaches many people at a minimal cost. Poster design is one of 

the many creative services the Outlaw Partners offer, check out some of our previous designs below. 

pray for 

snow 

party & 

o fferings to Ullr 

- B ring yoU r olD rail 

skis anD B oarD s 

to BUrn in the 

B onfire 

e nter to w in a 

m oonlight Basin jam 

season pass 

Beer & fooD speC ials all night 

l ive mU siC B y DJ Bones 

m eet the t oy s olD iers team & watC h 

2011/12 “s et y o U r s ights” ski film 

dec 2, 2o11 \ Big sky town center 

5pm - p arty starts in t own Center: Bonfire, o fferings to Ullr, DJ Bones live 

6 - 8pm - r ail Jam (format tB a) 8 - 9pm - p arty C ontinU es in Choppers, t o y 

s olD iers movie 9pm - Drawings for m B season pass, m B swag & r o C kstar swag 

(mU st B e present to win) 9pm - Close - DJ Bones live in Choppers 

Ophir School Gymnasium 

Games begin at 6:30pm Monday and Tuesday 

Games begin at 6:00pm Wednesday and Thursday 

$250 Registration Fee 

All proceeds benefit the parks of the 

Big Sky Community Corporation 

The Big Sky Community Corporation is a 501 (c) (3) not-for profit entity created to promote, acquire, preserve and maintain land, 

parks, trails and easements for the use of the people of Big Sky Community and general public. 

Friday, December 9th 

5:00 Santa arrives in Meadow Village Center on fi re truck; Lighting of 

the tree and Carolers in front of the Blue Ribbon Builders offi ce 

5:15-6:30 Letters to Santa and Photos at Outlaw Partners 

6:30 Magic Show at First Security Bank 

7:00 Town Center Bonfi re, S’Mores, ice skating (weather 

permitting), sleigh rides, etc 

8:15 Fireworks - Town Center 

9:00 Live Music at Choppers featuring the Cropdusters 

Throughout the evening there will be artist markets, open houses, raffl es, 

scavenger hunt, sleigh rides, beer tasting (provided by Lone Peak Brewery), 

and much more! 

COLLEGE 

STUDENTS 

Don’t be duped. Ski & ride 

1900 acres of un-crowded 

terrain all season long — 

without breaking the bank. 


2012-13 

SEASON PASS SALE 

$ 299 * 

Pay $99 down 

and ski the rest 

of this season 

for FREE! 

Get your season pass - (406) 993-6074 

*Sale ends April 30. College passes not available online, proof of registration required. 

Payment Plans 

PAy iN 2 

available 

Montucky Cropdusters 

s a t u r d a y 

april 

2008 

Live at the Half Moon 

 

 

 

10 p.m. $5 cover 

Raffle prizes including snowboards 

Portion of proceeds benefit big sky 

community park project 

half moon saloon 

2 miles south of big sky on the gallatin

outLAw news 

outlaw joins Cody and Jackson 

chambers of commerce 

big sky chamber also has regional members WHERE BIGGEST SKIING IN 

Outlaw Partners joined the Jackson and Cody, Wyo. chambers of commerce 

this summer. This allows the Big Sky Weekly and Mountain Outlaw magazine 

placement in both markets, and also gives Outlaw access to those business 

communities. 

“The idea was to further Outlaw publications’ concentration around Yellowstone 

National Park,” said Megan Paulson, Outlaw’s chief operating officer. 

“With our strong ties to the outdoor community, we wanted to grow the 

reach of our publications and also spread the word about Big Sky.” 

The Cody chamber and visitor's center has a few other regional members from 

Red Lodge and Billings. 

“We get a lot of travelers going into [Yellowstone] and going northward to 

Montana,” said Elizabeth Stuard from the Cody chamber. The member businesses 

get added exposure to those travelers, Stuard said. 

The Big Sky chamber also has similar types of regional members, including 

businesses from Helena, Billings, Missoula Livingston, Belgrade, Bozeman, 

Jackson, Wyo., and Idaho falls, Idaho. 

They join for one of several reasons, said the Big Sky chamber’s membership 

and programs director Robin Brower-McBride: It opens up networking 

opportunities, they want to support the community, they see an advertising 

benefit, or they have clients in Big Sky. 

AMERICA ® AND 

THE WORLD’S ONLY PRIVATE 

SKI AND GOLF COMMUNITY 

Unite. 

Build your dream and let the memories begin. 

loneviewridge.com

“This lodge-style 

te, and return within five working days for completion of your file. 

Victoria Bentley, Certified 

Health & Lifestyle Coach 

30 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 

PILATES 

YOGA 

MASSAGE 

PERSONAL TRAINING 

HEALTH COUNSELING 

Call for appointments in 

Bozeman or Big Sky 

Appointments only [ 406.570.9154 ] bentleybodies.com 



is greatly appreciated in returning this proof even if the ad is approved as is. 

....................................... ❑ 

ated changes ............... ❑ 

Asphalt Paving • Maintenance 

Seal Coating • Lot Striping 

Lot Striping Patchwork • Patchwork • Crack • Sealing Crack Sealing 

Owner Supervised Owner Supervised - 30 years Experience 

30 years Experience 

Asphalt Paving • Maintenance • Seal Coating 

Serving all of Southwest Montana 

Serving All of Southwest Montana 

TREE REMOVAL 

995-7852 

REMOVING DEAD AND INFESTED TREES 

1 st PROOF 

Grants Available for 

Home Fire Suppression 

proof will not be sent out to customer. 

Approved RC&D 

rned before publication, Statewide Publishing will not be 

Hazardous 

responsible 

Fuels 

for any inaccuracies style, he in said. the advertisement. 

Reduction Contractor 

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE DATE 

Tom Newberry: 

Designer: LDM Proofed by: ______ N:_____A:_____P:_____ 

995-7852 

BigSkyTrees@aol.com 

BIG SKY – Three 

local businesses 

were featured in 

a Timber Home 

Living 2012 special 

edition entitled 

“Best Homes of the 

Year,” for Elk Ridge 

Lodge, a second 

home built in 2010 

in The Club at 

Spanish Peaks. 

The architect was 

the Big Sky-based 

Centre Sky Architecture; 

the builder 

was Gallatin-Gateway-based 

Teton 

Heritage Builders; 

and the interior de- 

signer was Carole 

Sisson Designs, 

also of Big Sky. 

business proFiLe 


local home, 

businesses featured in 

timber Home living 



retreat showcases a rugged elegance perfectly suited to its Montana location,” 

wrote Janice Brewster in the article. “Creating a home that would fit in but 

still stand out was the goal for Centre Sky in designing this project.” 

More than 10 photos, including three full-page spreads, highlighted different 

features of the 8,068 sq. foot home. The magazine had run a feature on Elk 

Ridge Lodge earlier in the year, and then featured it in this piece alongside 11 

other designs from across the country. 

A hybrid timber frame/log structure, Elk Ridge Lodge “has some good bones 

to it,” said Centre Sky Architecture principal Jamie Daugaard, referring to its 

log and timber structure. The project exemplifies Centre Sky’s clean design 

The three businesses work together regularly and make a great team, said 

Sisson Design’s owner Erica Jennings. With this project in particular, “everybody 

had a very clear path to what the end goal was.” 

CAFE & ESPRESSO • theDITCHmt.com 

81305 Gallatin Road 

CREEKSIDE DINING | 406.587.3114 

4 blks S. of 4corners on Hwy 191 | Mon-Sat / 8am-3pm

That meant “an earthy, clean-lined, mountain look,” Jennings said. “It really 

let the building materials speak volumes. Great stone and great wood 

and the keep the furniture understated and let it all just shine.” 

Teton Heritage Builders, which recently expanded its Gallatin Gatewaybased 

office, was founded 16 years ago in Jackson, Wyo., and has been here 

in Montana since 2003. 

“The reason that this project turned out so well is because the owners 

wanted a collaboration right from the get-go,” said Teton Heritage Builders 

co-founder and CEO Peter Lee. Lee was project manager on this job. 

Lee credits that process of working together from the start with allowing 

the architectural and design creativity, and also fitting the whole project 

into the owners’ budget. 

“By time the 

drawings were 

done there were no 

surprises, so every 

dollar went toward 

making that place 

look like the jewel 

box they wanted it 

to be,” Lee said. “It 

turned out really 

sharp.” 

Elk Ridge Lodge 

was also featured 

in Big Sky Journal’s 

winter 2011 issue, 

and in the fall/ 

winter 2011 issue 

of Dream Home 

Showcase. 

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 

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 

for rent 

RENTALS 

RAfTS/TUBES, DRIfT BOATS, 

RV'S, TRAILERS, SKI BOAT, 

BABY GEAR 

BigBoysToysRentals.com 

406-587-4747 

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 


CLAssiFieDs 

Home of tHe 

Classifieds! 


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 

Housing wanted 

Young, professional couple looking 

for 2 br place to rent or caretaking 

arrangement in Big Sky or Gallatin 

Canyon area. Can start lease Sept. 

1st. Month to month or 6 month 

lease preferred. N/S N/P Call 

Kelsey at (605) 431-2178 


Email classifieds and/or 

advertising requests to: 


(406) 995-2055

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 

enVironMent 

Compass found in the nose of trout? 

by tyLer ALLen 


Trout use many senses to find their original 

spawning grounds, including excellent eyesight 

and sense of smell. They also use the magnetic 

fields of the Earth to navigate, and researchers 

have recently made a discovery as to how that 

may be possible. 

Previous studies showed that some species of fish 

and migratory birds have tissue containing magnetite, 

the most magnetic mineral on Earth. Yet until 

this most recent 

study—con- 

ducted at the 

Ludwig MaximilianUniversity 

Munich in 

Germany and 

reported online 

July 9 in the 

Proceedings of 

the National 

Academy of Sciences—scientists have not been able 

to isolate the magnetite in animal tissues. 

Only 1 in 10,000 cells have magnetite—if they were 

clustered together they would interfere with each 

other’s magnetism—which makes them difficult to 

isolate. 

Using cell tissue from the noses of rainbow trout 

(Oncorhynchus mykiss) the scientists suspended 

DON PILOTTE, GRI RRS SFR 

BROKER 

Ranch & Recreational Group 

Prudential Montana Real Estate 

Cell 406-580-0155 

RanchMT.com 

these cells under a microscope and 

rotated a magnet around the sample. 

Each cell that contained the magnetite 

rotated around with the magnet 

and was found to be at the edge of 

the cell membrane. 

The scientists found the magnetism 

was 10 – 100 times stronger than 

previously hypothesized, something 

they thought might allow 

the fish to detect more detailed 

information about longitude and 

latitude, 

scientists found the 

magnetism was 10 – 

100 times stronger than 

previously hypothesized 

in addition 

to 

locating 

magnetic 

north. 

That 

could 

be why 

fish can 

travel hundreds of miles from the 

ocean, through inland waterways, 

rarely getting lost on their way to 

ancestral hatching grounds. 

The next step for researchers is to demonstrate 

that these are sensory cells, actually passing information 

to the trout’s brain. They will also test 

various tissues from migratory birds, which travel 

thousands of miles during annual migrations, in 

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. 

b 


hopes of finding where these navigation tools exist 

in the animals. 

Through this intriguing discovery, scientists 

hope to crack one of the great mysteries of the 

natural world. 

1/2 price appetizers 

after Thursday concerts 9-11pm 

fresh, unique cuisine 

warm, friendly atmosphere 

hand-crafted cocktails, 

extensive wine & beer selection 

word of 

mouth 

serving late night 5-11pm daily 

for reservations, call 406-995-2992, opentable.com 

located in West Fork Meadows, Big Sky 

spread the word...

section 3: 

LiFe, LAnD AnD CuLture 

riVers rule 

by MeGAn pAuLson 


Whether it’s spring, summer or fall, southwest 

Montana offers an abundance of river fun. Here's a 

quick guide to exploring notable whitewater in our 

area. 

yellowstone river 

With some of the best family-friendly whitewater 

in the area, the Yellowstone is the longest undammed, 

free-flowing river in the U.S. and has 

famous blue ribbon fly fishing. While affected by 

runoff, it tends to receive more sun and warms more 

quickly than the Gallatin. Whitewater rafting on 

the Yellowstone is popular from late May through 

September. 

The Yellowstone has two main whitewater stretches 

near Yellowstone National Park, one beginning in 

the town of Gardiner and another just north, in 

Yankee Jim Canyon alongside Highway 89. 

The rapids on the Yellowstone generally run class 

II – III, and have big, rolling waves and some short, 

quick drops. At high water, Yankee Jim has strong 

eddy lines and numerous holes and pour-overs to 

avoid; watch out for tricky laterals off the narrow 

canyon that can be dangerous during spring runoff. 

whitewater activities are dangerous, 

so please raft or kayak at your own 

risk. be sure to follow proper safety 

techniques and always wear a pFD. 

For current water levels and streamflow 

information, visit waterdata.usgs. 

gov/Mt/nwis/rt. 

Madison river 

World renowned its fly fishing, the Madison also 

offers exciting whitewater through Bear Trap 

Canyon and flatwater on the lower section for 

leisurely summertime floats. 

Scenic and remote, the rapids in the Bear Trap 

vary from Class II – III, to the class IV Kitchen 

Sink. Many technical maneuvers are required in 

the Kitchen Sink, so it's best to scout from river 

right above the rapids to see what you're in for. It 

takes some work, but rafters or kayakers can also 

portage this rapid if flows or skill level necessitate. 

Above the Bear Trap and Ennis Lake, just below 

Earthquake Lake, the Madison releases from a 

the kokatat Meridian gore-tex 

dry suit is my go-to piece for rafting 

on the Gallatin, the Madison's 

bear trap Canyon and early season 

trips to the Main and Middle 

Fork in idaho. bottom line: it really 

keeps you dry no matter what 

the conditions are. 

i took a swiftwater rescue course 

over Memorial Day this year and 

as luck would have it, the water 

was 38 degrees, there were 

strong winds and occasional 

blizzard conditions. i wore a 




July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 


natural dam created by a 1959 earthquake into a 

section of class IV – V whitewater not commercially 

guided and run less frequently by locals. 

The section below the Bear Trap running from 

Warm Springs to Blacks ford is the most popular 

non-technical float. 

With origins in Yellowstone National Park at the 

confluence of the firehole and Gibbon rivers 

at Madison Junction, water temperature in the 

183-mile Madison is usually warmer than other 

rivers in the region due to its shallower depth and 

contributions from the firehole. Rapids tend to 

be less affected by runoff, as flows are managed 

by the Hebgen and Madison dams. 

Continued on p. 35 

kokatat - Meridian gore-teX 

dry suit with drop seat 

lightweight wool base layer and 

a synthetic vest beneath the 

Meridian, and i stayed warm and 

dry. the best features are the 

integrated drop seat, reinforced 

Cordura knee patches, and the 

diagonal chest zip (which actually 

makes putting on the full 

one-piece fairly effortless). 

Available in men's and women's 

colors and sizes. M.P. 

kokatat.com 

July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 33

Storm Castle River Access 

Prudential (III) 

Avoid large rock pourover on river right. 

Davey Jones Locker (III) 

Large hole on river right. 

Rodeo (III) 

Large hole in the center of the river. 

Super Eddy 

Calm water before House Rock Rapid. 

BIG SKY 

TO BOZEMAN 

THE MAD MILE 

Magnet Rock (III) 

Avoid large rock on river left. Stay 

river right. 

GoGoosh (III) 

Ray’s Bay 

Eddy on river right. 

Geyser Whitewater 

Expeditions 

Squaw Creek 

Storm Castle River Access 

Lava Lake 

Straightaway (II) 

Long wave train located next to the road. 

Bambi & Thumper (II) 

House Rock and Bouldergarden (IV) 

House Rock is a giant boulder located in the middle of the river. Go left of 

House. River left just before House is a large hole called Whacker. After House, 

you will enter a very shallow, boulder packed section called Bouldergarden. 

191 

Porcupine 

Trailhead 

Montana Whitewater 

Hellroaring (II) 

Two Scoops (III) 

Snaggletooth (III) 

Old Bridge (III) 

Showstopper and Pinball (II/IV) 

Showstopper (II) on river left, Pinball (IV) on river right. 

CAUTION - There is a seive on river right. A sieve is where 

two rocks are lodged very close together; water can pass, but 

objects cannot. 

Entrance Exam (III) 

High water straight down the middle. Low 

Lava Lake 

water hug right side and right of large boulder. 

Deer Creek (Green Bridge) 

TO WEST 

YELLOWSTONE 


The Mad Mile (see detailed inset) 

1.3 miles of continuous class III to IV rapids. Many rocks 

create swimmers and during high water become large holes 

that can fl ip boats. There is not much calm water throughout 

the Mad Mile and incidents can create a very dangerous 

situation. Proceed with caution! 

Hilarity Hole (III) 

At high water this hole is very dangerous and located after a 

sharp river bend to the right. Stay left. It has been reported 

that boats have been stuck in this hole for over an hour until 

the river level changed. 

Screaming Left (III) 

On river left there is a large boulder resembling a 

face named Chief Joseph Rock. Hug river left 

corner and stay left. 

New Rock Rock (II) 

Picture Rock (II) 

Beers From Heaven (II) 

In 2003, a Miller High Life truck crashed on 

the highway, spilling 40,000 cans into the river. 

Sheep Eater Falls (III) 

Downstream of Green Bridge. 

Large jagged rocks on river left. 

Moose Creek 


Portal Creek (III) 

Approx. 2 river miles downstream of Green Bridge. Watch out for this 

one as it comes up fast and has many large boulders throughout. It catches 

many boaters off-guard. Line is center right or center left. 

Commercial Rafting Company 

Put-in/Launch Point 

Rapid 

Eddy 

Take out/Exit Point 

Gallatin River 

MONTANA 

The Gallatin River starts from Gallatin Lake in Yellowstone 

The Gallatin River starts at Gallatin Lake in Yellowstone 

National Park and runs approx 120 mi north till it converges 

National Park and runs approximately 120 miles north, where 

with the Jefferson and Madison river to form the Headwaters 

it converges with the Jefferson and Madison rivers, to form the 

of the Missouri. In July of 1805 Meriwether Lewis named the 

headwaters of the Missouri. In July of 1805, Meriwether Lewis 

river after Albert Gallatin who was the longest serving U.S. 

named the river after Albert Gallatin, who was the longest 

Secretary of the Treasury. Many fisherman know the Gallatin 

serving U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Many fishermen know 

as the “blue ribbon” trout stream. As your floating keep an 

the Gallatin as a blue ribbon trout stream. As you're floating 

eye out for Big Horn Sheep that range on the cliffs above 

keep an eye out for Bighorn Sheep ranging on the cliffs above. 

while enjoying what the Indians called “valley of the flowers.” 

© 2011 Outlaw Partners, LLC. All Rights Reserverd. Published by Outlaw Partners, a marketing and media company based in Big Sky, Montana. www.theoutlawpartners.com | www.explorebigsky.com 

* This map is to act as a visual guide. Actual water levels may vary and therefore affect rapid behavior and boating lines. Please raft at your own caution.

Continued from p. 33 

outDoors 

gallatin river 

With origins in Yellowstone National Park, this free-flowing river cascades 

through the Gallatin Canyon and is one of the most exciting and accessible whitewater 

rapids in the state. Because it’s largely class II – III, the Gallatin provides a 

great introduction to whitewater. 

Numerous put-ins and take-outs along Highway 191 allow boaters the option to 

choose their whitewater experience. Below Moose Creek Campground in the canyon, 

the river picks up its gradient and hosts over 20 named rapids like Screaming 

Left, Thumper and Straightaway. The most technical is House Rock—a class IV 

rapid requiring precise maneuvering; the "Mad Mile" begins here and includes a 

mile of fun, continuous rapids below House. 

The Gallatin is fed mainly through snowmelt, so more challenging and dangerous 

conditions exist during runoff in the spring when water temps hover around 

38 degrees and the river fills the banks, becoming very turbulent. The water 

tends to be more friendly and crystal clear in July, August and September. 

Most of the rapids can be scouted from the highway, so be sure to check out your 

line on the drive to the put-in. 

geyser whitewater 

by kAtie Morrison 


Looking for a hassle-free guided river trip instead of planning your 

own? Look no further than Geyser whitewater, in big sky. 

experienced guides handle the logistics, while you relax or get your 

adrenaline fix—depending on which trip you choose. They’re happy to 

do some handholding 

for the 

newbies, or find 

fun surf spots or 

creative routes 

through the 

rapids for the 

adventurous. 

while Geyser’s 

guides take 

safety seriously, 

they also enjoy 

what they do, 

which makes 

the entire float 

entertaining, no 

matter what the 

class of rapids is. 

Laughter, cheering, and paddle high-fives resonate throughout every 

raft trip. 

paddling a wave train, pin balling through the Mad Mile, and the 

showstopper, maneuvering around house rock, are all enough to get 

your heart racing on a trip down the lower Gallatin. 

if your group would prefer a lighter adventure, try the upper Gallatin 

or a scenic float instead. The smaller rapids will still keep you focused, 

and because they’re a little more relaxed, these trips allow you to take 

in the beauty of the river, an eagle soaring above the trees, a moose 

hiding in the willows, or a bighorn sheep grazing beside the river. 

no matter what you decide, a day spent on the river is a day well 

spent. 

review: k9 life jacket 

and dog bed 

by bLACk betty 

big sky weekly k9 contributor 

Black Betty, a Big Sky dog, recently did some gear testing on the Middle Fork of the 

Salmon River in Idaho while volunteering with the river rangers. 

Ruffwear K9 Float Coat 

finally, a life jacket that works for 

a dogs who want a combination of 

safety and performance! The sleek 

design and efficient buckle system 

makes for a snug fit that works well 

in the water and on the shore. The 

handle on the back makes 

it easy for people to 

lift me out of the 

water without 

the 

jacket 

slipping 

over my 

head. The sizing system provided 

by RuffWear was perfect. This 

jacket is a must for all dog activities 

on or around water. 

Ruffwear Flophouse Foam Pad 

This is a dog bed made for dogs on 

the go. The pad is not only comfortable 

but also lightweight and dries 

quickly if wet. The bottom side of 

the pad is very durable and holds up 

to all sorts of ground cover. It’s the 

perfect pad for dogs who are chasing 

their owners around the mountains, 

rivers and road trips. ruffwear.com 

Playing outside? 

Let us take care of your bites, 

bruises, cuts, burns, rashes 

and other summer injuries 

Pediatrics • Chronic Conditions • Women’s Health 

Pregnancy Care • Osteopathic Manipulation 

Maren Dunn D.O. 

Board Certified in Family Medicine 

18 Meadow Village Drive, Big Sky, MT (across from the post office) 

Phone: 406-995-3111 | gallatinfamilymedicine.com 

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

Eric & Stacy Ossorio 

• FIND YOUR • 


(406) 995-7700 | moonlightbasin.com 


DISCOVER 

A HIDDEN PARADISE WHERE 

REJUVENATION AWAITS 

MOONLIGHTSPA 

PERFECT PROPERTY 

Now open for summer 

season 9am-7pm daily 

• Full menu of luxurious spa treatments 

• Relaxing sanctuary and steam rooms 

• Outdoor heated pool and waterfall hot tub 

• Complimentary family pool pass the day 

of your spa treatments 

BIG SKY • YELLOWSTONE CLUB • MOONLIGHT BASIN • THE CLUB AT SPANISH PEAKS • SKI, GOLF AND FISHING PROPERTIES 

Eric Ossorio, Broker - 406.539.9553 

Stacy Ossorio, Broker - 406.539.8553 

eric.ossorio@prumt.com 

stacy.ossorio@prumt.com 

ossoriorealestategroup.com 

With 19 years of local expertise, Eric and Stacy Ossorio are committed real estate professionals. They have an exceptional 

insight into the Big Sky market and are informed and savvy about every development in the area. While working with 

them they will share with you their expertise to help you make the best real estate choice for your family and lifestyle. 

Real Estate Group

GeAr reViews 

da kine reload 26l camera pack 

by Chris DAVis 


In a world where outdoorsmen are feverishly cutting ounces in their pack, I'm 

the guy trying to find a way to strap my tripod and dolly to the outside of my 

Dakine Reload bag. If I have to decide between 

a light pack (read: missing the shot) 

or a little extra training weight (getting 

the shot), I'll choose the latter every time. 

kit’s organic fruit and nut bars 

simple. organic. Delicious. 



My cupboard can attest to the fact that 

peanut butter is one of my favorite 

foods. Thanks to the idea from a friend, 

I often spread it over granola bars for 

added taste or as just another excuse to 

eat peanut butter. 

I’ve often been disappointed with bars 

that claim to taste like peanut butter, 

because frankly they don’t. So when 

the new Kit’s Organic fruit and Nut 

Bar Peanut Butter flavor landed on my 

desk I was skeptical. And then I ate it, 

Since I started using the Reload this 

winter, it’s exceeded my expectations. 

At 26 liters, it has ample carrying 

space and plenty of protection for 

a DSLR with extra lenses and a 

myriad of accessories, or for larger 

cameras like our Sony f3. 

This bag has treated me well in 

every situation—from hustling 

through the streets of Nairobi, 

to straight lining groomers in a 

futile attempt of catching up 

to Olympic skier Heather Mc- 

Phie. I can't wait to see where 

the bag and I end up next, and 

what sort of footage it allows me. 

dakine.com 

and it didn’t need extra support from 

the peanut butter jar. The four ingredients 

that compose this bar are enough. 

Kit Crawford, co-owner of Clif Bar and 

Co., developed these delicious new 

bars. They’re certified organic, developed 

out of Kit’s passion for simple, delicious 

food. Organic dates and almonds 

compose the bulk of the bars, which 

come in four flavors: peanut butter, 

cashew, berry almond and chocolate almond 

coconut. All of them are gluten, 

soy and dairy free and have no artificial 

ingredients or dyes. 

Big sky Hikers' summer 2012 schedule 

Dates are an excellent source of energy, 

packed full of fiber and vitamins, so the 

bars work great as an afternoon pickme-up 

at work or a recharger after an 

afternoon of mountain biking. Though 

slightly on the dry side, they stayed 

intact and didn’t leave a huge pile of 

crumbs on my lap. Both flavors I tried, 



Date rating-hike trailhead Length Climb Leaders Comment 

August 2 A Monument peak private property 12 miles 3,000 ft. Leslie piercy (993-2303) 


peanut butter and chocolate almond coconut, 

stayed true to their title without 

being overwhelmingly flavorful. 

Kit’s Organic fruit and Nut Bars can be 

purchased at REI and Rosauers in Bozeman, 

as well as online at 

clifbar.com/food/products_kits_organic. 

b Lava Lake Lava Lake 6 miles 1600 ft. hilda and keener hudson 

(995-7951) 

C windy pass portal Creek-windy pass 4.6 miles 1,260 ft. henrietta and Doug Gale 

(995-7951) 

August 9 A emerald Lake bozeman 10 miles 1,840 ft. nancy hagen (995-3153) 

b Frog rock bozeman 12 miles 2,100 ft. Arlyn selting (522-8118) 

C bozeman hike bozeman 6 miles 800 ft. robyn Faris (763-4230) 

August 16 A Deer Lake Deer Creek 9.5 miles 3,200 ft. Lud Long (995-3931) 

b sheep Lake sheep Creek 12 miles 2,600 ft. George tallichet (993-2909) trailhead near raynolds pass 

C Mica Creek storm Castle 6 miles 800 ft. woody burt (995-2761) 

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

sanuk fault line sandals 

by briAn niLes 


There’s nothing like finishing a 

great hike or bike ride and slapping 

on your old smelly, worn in pair 

of flip flops that you've grown to 

know and love. for me, that experience 

is almost as euphoric as the 

hike or bike ride itself. 

I actually wear sandals so often I 

wear them down to the point where 

my heels drag on the pavement 

and my toes catch every pebble in 

my way. I have a hard time letting 

go. When I finally do get new flip 

flops, it’s a big deal. 

I recently put my feet into a brand 

new pair of Men's Sanuk fault Line 

sandals and immediately experi- 

enced that same refreshing feeling 

of a perfectly used and abused set, 

but without the smell. 

The fault Lines have a soft, comfortable 

cushion and a forgiving 

leather strap that’s extremely 

delightful right out of the gate. 

Their sleek dark leather look will 

not hinder your mojo when you’re 

walking the strip, putting out the 

vibe. However, I don’t recommend 

puddle jumping in them, because 

the leather soaks up the water. 

So, if you’re looking for a durable, 

stylish, and most importantly, comfortable 

sandal that carries a great 

name and reputation like Sanuk, 

the fault Line is a perfect choice. 

sanuk.com 

July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 37

Big sky 

yoga on tHe deCk 


Mondays thru Aug 27, 9:30 a.m. 

Dimension3yoga.com 

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. 

eVening eXPeditions 

Basecamp, Big Sky Resort 

6 p.m. daily 

Monday nigHt Pig roast 

320 Steak House Restaurant 

Mondays, 5 – 8 p.m. 

Big sky tennis assoCiate weekly 

round roBin soCial 

Tuesdays, 7:30 a.m. 

Kimberly Maxwell, (406) 369-3008 

kmaxwell@montana.com 

Hayride and riVerside BBQ 

320 Steak House Restaurant 

Wednesdays, 5:30 – 9 p.m. 

Monday nigHt Bike rides 

Town Center fire Pit 

Until July 30, 6 p.m. 

Hike, Bike and BBQ 

Moonlight Lodge 

Every Tuesday Evening until Aug. 31 

4:30 p.m. 

friday nigHt trail ride & Cookout 

Cedar Mountain Corrals at Moonlight Basin 

fridays and Saturdays thru Oct. 15, 4 p.m. 

tHe deadloCks 

Live Music 

Town Center Park 

July 28, 3:30 p.m. 

Big sky Country fair & arts festiVal 


July 28, 8:30 a.m. 

Morgan frazier 


July 31, 7 p.m. 

eVents 

woMen’s BiBle study followed 

By PotluCk 

Longview Cabin, private residence at 

Elkhorn Ranch 

Aug. 1, 10:30 a.m. 

biblestudyallsaintsbigsky.com 

MusiC in tHe Mountains: tHe 

CluMsy loVers 


Aug. 2, 6 p.m. 

tHe urBan side of todd Connor 

Creighton Block Gallery 

Aug. 3, 4:30 – 7 p.m. 

Big sky farMers Market 

fire Pit Park, Town Center 

Wednesdays, 5 – 8 p.m. 

38 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 

liVe MusiC: tHe elders 

Town Center 

Aug. 9, 7 p.m. 

Big sky ClassiCal MusiC festiVal: 

Boston Brass 

Town Center 

Aug. 10, 6 p.m. 

CaMP Big sky: dog days of suMMer 

Big Sky Community Park 

Aug. 11, 8:30 a.m. 


enso string Quartet 

Town Center 

Aug 11, 6 p.m. 

old tiMe fiddle MusiC 

Historic Crail Ranch 

Aug. 12, 1 – 3 p.m. 

woMen in aCtion’s annual 

CroQuet tournaMent 

Big Sky Resort Golf Course 

Aug. 12, 3 – 7 p.m. 


iMani winds 

Town Center 

Aug. 12, 3 p.m. 

Booster CluB golf tournaMent 

Big Sky Golf Course 

Aug. 17, 1 p.m. 

BozeMan 

Bridger Creek Boys 

Bozeman Brewing Co. 

July 30, 5 p.m. 

tHe QueBe sisters Band 

Ellen Theater 

July 30, 7:30 p.m. 

liVe MusiC: Beau Huston 

Bogert Park 

July 31, 5 p.m. 

lunCH on tHe lawn: 

tHe longHorns 

Emerson Center for the Arts and 

Culture 

Aug. 1, 11:30 a.m. 

Bike MaintenanCe BasiCs for 

woMen 

Bozeman REI 

Aug. 1, 6:30 – 8 p.m. 

gPs naVigation BasiCs 

Bozeman REI 

Aug. 2, 6:30 – 8 p.m. 

MusiC on Main: Halden woddord 

and tHe Hi-BeaMs 

Downtown Bozeman 

Aug. 2, 6:30 p.m. 

Volunteer for red lodge Creek 

trail CaMP 

Aug 2 – 7 

Contact David Kallenbach (406) 425-1944 

tHe dirty sHaMe 

The Eagles Lodge 

Aug. 2, 9 p.m. 


guys and dolls 

Ellen Theater 

Aug. 2, 3 and 5, 8 p.m. 

silent CoMedy, strangled darlings, 

and PoMengranate 

The filling Station 

Aug. 3, 9 p.m. 

BBQ fundraiser for tHe liBrary 

Heeb’s East Main Grocery 

Aug. 3, 11 a.m. 

slaM festiVal 

Bogert Park 

Aug. 4 – 5, 10 a.m. 

liVe MusiC: sMootH Money gesture 

and Blue Voodoo 

The filling Station 

Aug. 4, 9 p.m. 

gCf farMers Market 

Gallatin County fair Grounds 

Saturdays, 9 a.m. 

free Bike-to-farM 

Leaves from the Leaf & Bean Coffee 

and Tea Shop 

Aug. 4, 10 a.m. 

Montana sHakesPeare in tHe 

Park: HaMlet 

Lindley Park 

Aug. 5, 5 p.m. 

roCkin’ tJ ranCH farMers Market 

Mondays, 5 p.m. 

Bogert farMers Market 

Bogert Park 

Tuesdays, 5 p.m. 

lunCH on tHe lawn: tHe Bridger 

Creek Boys 

Emerson Center for the Arts and 

Culture 

Aug. 8, 11:30 a.m. 

days on tHe green 

BHS Grad Music Jam 

Bozeman Public Library 

Aug. 8, 6 p.m. 

MusiC on Main: kaneae riVer 

Downtown Bozeman 

Aug. 9, 6:30 p.m. 

garden and HoMe tour 

Various locations 

Aug. 10 (4 – 8 p.m.) and 11 (9 – 4 p.m.) 

west yellowstone 

wild west yellowstone rodeo 

Rodeo Arena 

Tuesdays – Saturdays, 8 p.m. 


Planning an eVent? let us know! email media@theoutlawpartners.com and we’ll spread the word. 


4th annual kenda Big sky XC presented by kliM 

August 24-25 

this year's race will feature some of the country's top amateur and 

professional off road racers from every major off road racing series. 

the starting lineup will include desert specialists, endurocross stars 

and GnCC competitors and. the kenda big sky XC is off-road racing's 

premier summer event. 

Follow along for the next month at facebook.com/bigskyxc. 

42nd annual yellowstone rod run 

Pioneer Town Park 

Aug. 2 – 5 

sHakesPeare in tHe Park: twelftH 

nigHt 

Union Pacific Dining Lodge, West side 

Aug. 2, 6 p.m. 

sMoking waters Mountain Man 

rendezVous 

Aug. 11, 10 a.m. 

liVingston & 

Paradise Valley 

liVingston farMers Market 

Sacajawea Park 

Wednesdays, 4:30 p.m. 

Pine Creek oPen Blue grass JaM 

Pine Creek Lodge & Café 

Aug. 2, 7 p.m. 

reining HorsesHow 

Anderson’s Arena, Livingston 

Aug. 2-4, TBA 

JoHn Conlee ConCert 

Music Ranch Montana 

Aug. 3, 7:30 p.m. 

liVe MusiC: Cure for tHe CoMMon 

Pine Creek lodge & Café 

Aug. 3, 7 p.m. 

liVe MusiC: russ nassett & 

tHe reVelatos 

Chico Hot Springs 

Aug. 3 and 4, 9 p.m. 

liVe MusiC: Prairie wind JaMMer 

Pine Creek Lodge & Café 

Aug. 4, 7 p.m. 

MiCHael d. Band 

Chico Hot Springs Saloon 

Aug. 5, 9 p.m. 

JoHn neMetH 


Aug. 7, 9 p.m. 

sHields Valley Pig wrestling 

Park County fairgrounds 

Aug. 4, 8 p.m. 

Park County deMolition derBy 

Livingston fairgrounds 

Aug. 5, 1 p.m. 

tHe Mane eVent-fundraiser united 

in ligHt 

Music Ranch Montana 

Aug. 10, 5 p.m.

liVe MusiC: Honkey tonk Heroes 


Aug. 10-11, 9 p.m. 

17tH annual Madison Valley 

arts festiVal 

Peter T’s Park, Ennis 

Aug. 11, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

riVer runs tHrougH it 

tournaMent 

Livingston Golf Course 

Aug. 11 – 12 

Virginia City 

tHe Brewery follies 

H.S. Gilbert Brewery 

4 and 8 p.m. 

eVents 

Crail ranch annual bake sale and 

Colors of kyrgyzstan show, July 28 

BIG SKY – Homemade pies, cakes, 

cookies, breads and other baked 

goods go on sale in the main cabin 

at Historic Crail Ranch Saturday 

morning, July 28, starting at 9 a.m. 

Organized, by Barbara Gillispie and 

her team, the Crail Ranch Bake Sale 

is a long-standing Big Sky tradition, 

says Al Lockwood, chairman of the 

Historic Crail Ranch Conservators. 

“It’s one of our happiest fundraisers,” 

Lockwood said. 

At the same time, former Big Sky 

resident Paula Halverson Goldman, 

will return with her trunk 

show and sale of beautiful rugs and 

wool-felt clothing from Kyrgyzstan. 

liVing History weekend: PlaCer 

gold 

Aug. 4 – 5 

1st annual Vigilante MusiC 

festiVal 

Train Depot Park 

Aug. 4, noon 

annual Virginia City art sHow 

Aug. 10 – 12, 9 a.m. 

Her goods will be on display and for 

sale until 3 p.m. Halverson Goldman 

played a key role in the original 

grassroots community action 

to save the Crail Ranch during the 

1980s. 

Historic Crail Ranch is a preserved 

Montana homestead celebrating 

110 years this year. Operated and 

administered as an educational 

homestead museum by the Big Sky 

Community Corp. and the Historic 

Crail Ranch Conservators, it’s located 

in the Big Sky Meadow Village 

on Spotted Elk Road and is open 

free to the public on weekends from 

noon to 3 p.m. through August. Details 

available at crailranch.org. 

seCond saturday farMers 

Market 

Aug. 11, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

norris Hot 

sPrings MusiC 

tHe Missing Parts 

July 29, 7 p.m. 

Bozo MoJo 

Aug. 3, 7 p.m. 

tHe sHaMroCks 

Aug. 4, 7 p.m. 

toM CatMull 

Aug. 5, 7 p.m. 

tHree forks 

roCkin’ tHe riVers MusiC festiVal 

Aug. 10 – 12 

rockintherivers.com 

Backpacker magazine brings get out 

More tour to Bozeman 

Backpacker magazine is bringing its 

celebrated Get Out More Tour to 

Bozeman on Aug. 23. The magazine’s 

renowned ambassadors, Randy and 

Sheri Propster, will visit Bozeman as 

part of the eight-month tour, which 

is stopping at 64 venues in 36 states. 

The idea: Inspire tens of thousands of 

hikers and backpackers to get out and 

explore the great outdoors. 

The Get Out More team is offering 

seasoned advice via an in-depth, 

BIG SKY – for its biggest fundraiser 

of the year, Women in Action will 

host its croquet tournament from 3 

– 7 p.m. Aug. 12 at the Big Sky Golf 

Course Driving Range. 

funds raised at the event will support 

WIA’s Community Counseling 

program, summer and winter camp 

scholarships, an annual flu clinic, and 

the new parent liaison program in the 

Big Sky school system. 

Come for hors d’oeuvres, drinks, 

croquet, a silent auction and live 

75-minute seminar. This informative 

and fun session will cover a range 

of topics including: backpacking essentials, 

the latest in gear and apparel, 

survival skills and trail-tested tips. 

Participants will have the chance 

to win outdoor gear and apparel. 

Register for this free event at rei.com/ 

bozeman to reserve a seat. for more 

information, go to: 

backpacker.com/getoutmore 

women in action host seventh annual 

croquet tournament fundraiser, aug. 12 

music by Tumbledown House. Dress 

is summer whites, khakis and festive 

whites. 

WIA aims to enrich the lives of 

children and families in the Big 

Sky community through volunteer 

activism and fundraising, and assist 

in providing the community with 

affordable health, family and educational 

services. 

To reserve your spot to play, contact 

WIA at (406) 209-7098 or info@ 

wiabigsky.org. 

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!

FREE MUSIC CENTER STAGE IN 


MUSIC STARTS AT 

6PM NIGHTLY 

40 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 


ARTS COUNCIL OF BIG SKY PRESENTS 

FRIDAY- WINE 

TASTING 

4-6 PM $20/TICKET, 


SATURDAY - OPEN 

REHEARSAL WITH 

ENSO QUARTET 

10AM, TALUS ROOM, THE 

SUMMIT 

SATURDAY - LECTURE 

WITH ERIC FUNK 

“ HOW TO ENJOY CLASSICAL 

MUSIC” 2:30PM, TALUS 

ROOM, THE SUMMIT 

BIGSKYARTS.ORG 


AUGUST 

10-12 

MUSIC/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: 

ERIC FUNK 

PERFORMANCES BY 

Friday, August 10: 

BOSTON BRASS 

Saturday, August 11: 

ENSO STRING 

QUARTET 

Sunday, August 12: 

IMANI WINDS 


Southwest Montana’s News · Business · Video · Media Network 

Stay connected • Get involved • Never miss a story 



entertAinMent 

Big sky Classical Music festival is aug. 10 – 12 

wine tasting, lecture and open rehearsal added to schedule 

by briAn hurLbut 

arts council of big sky 

BIG SKY – The second annual Big Sky 

Classical Music festival is returning for 

three nights this summer, again bringing 

a broad spectrum of world-class 

music to the stage in the Town Center. 

Hosted by the Arts Council of Big Sky, 

the event is Aug 10 – 12, and is free and 

open to the public. Each night begins 

at 6 p.m. with an opening ensemble 

featuring young regional performers. 

The world-renowned Boston Brass will 

kick off the festival friday, Aug. 10 

with a mix of classical, jazz and brass 

arrangements. This lively ensemble has 

been together for 26 years, creating a 

one-of-a-kind, fun musical experience. 

The 11th Avenue String Quartet will 

open the evening. 

The following night, on Saturday, Aug. 

11, the award-winning Enso String 

Quartet will bring what the Houston 

Chronicle called “edge-of-the-seat vitality” 

to Big Sky. The young, New Yorkbased 

ensemble was nominated for a 

Grammy in 2010 for a Best Chamber 

Music Performance. Performing before 

the Enso Quartet will be the Bridger 

top: imari winds bottom: enso Quartet 

boston brass will kick off the festival Friday, Aug. 10 

Brass Quintet, a youth ensemble from 

Bozeman. 

The Imani Winds will close the festival 

on Sunday, Aug. 12. North America's 

premier wind quintet, the group is also 

one of the most successful chamber 

music ensembles in the U.S. Since 

1997, the Grammy-nominated group 

has taken a unique path, carving out a 

distinct presence with dynamic playing, 

culturally poignant programming, 

genre-blurring collaborations and 

inspirational outreach programs. It’s 

played at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, 

Kennedy Center, Disney Hall and 

Kimmel Center. Opening the show 

that evening will be the Montana State 

University Cello Ensemble. 

Local composer and educator Eric funk 

will again serve as the festival’s music 

and artistic director. A faculty member 

at MSU and the 2007 President’s 

Excellence in Teaching Award recipient, 

his Montana PBS-TV show “11th 

& Grant with Eric funk” has won an 

Emmy award. During the festival, 

funk will give a free lecture, “How to 


Enjoy Classical Music,” on Saturday at 

2:30 p.m. in the Talus Room. 

Additional events include a wine 

tasting on friday, Aug. 10 from 4 – 6 

p.m. at the Town Center Park, and an 

intimate open rehearsal and discussion 

with the Enso Quartet at 10 a.m. in the 

Talus Room at the Summit Hotel at Big 

Sky Resort. 

The Big Sky Classical Music festival 

is supported by funding from the Big 

Sky Resort Tax District, the Gilhousen 

family foundation, the Smith family 

foundation and the Yellowstone Club 

Community foundation. More information 

is available at bigskyarts.org. 

Happy Hour ALL Day! $2 50 Beer 

Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner 

Open 8 am everyDay! 

Patio Dining Open! 

5 miles South of Big Sky - HWY 191, Mile Marker 43 

menu online - www.corralbar.com - 406-995-4249 

LiL’ ELMO Li VE! SATURDAY 28th 9pm LETS DANCE! 

explorebigsky.com July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 41

TYLER JAMES BRIGADE - AUGUST 23 

42 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 

AT 11:30 A.M. 

LUNCH & DINNER 



LOCATED IN THE BIG 

SKY TOWN CENTER 

big sky, montana 

406-995-3830 


LIVE BLUES, SATURDAY AUGUST 4 TH 

SAT. 8/30 – THE HURT PROJECT (BLUES FROM BROOKLYN) – 9 PM 

THURS. 8/9 - DRIFTWOOD GRINNERS - 10PM 

THURS. 8/16 - MOUNTAIN GRIP - 10PM 

SAT. 8/18 - MATHIAS AND FRIENDS - 9PM 

THURS. 8/23 - THE TYLER JAMES BRIGADE - 10PM 

THURS. 8/30 - BOTTOM OF THE BARREL - 10PM

Fun 

Buscrat's fables 

the bear and the elk (a fable for parents) 

One day back in the early 1900s, I 

seen a bear and three cubs wanderin’ 

down the mountain toward the meadow 

to graze, and also a elk wanderin’ 

down that same trail with three of 

her calves to get to that same meadow. 

I learnt sumpin’ real innerestin’ about 

the manner in which they taught 

their young’uns and the consequences 

of their methods of teachin’. 

first I watched the mama bear with 

her three cubs. She told them to 

foller behind her and be careful of 

the dangers in the woods. As the 

bears came across a steep ravine, 

they had to find another way to 

git to the other side. Mama saw a 

large tree that had fallen across the 

ravine. 

"foller me," she said to her cubs, "but 

make sure you don't look down." 

One of the cubs wasn’t payin’ too 

much attention, and when he heard 

his mama say sumpin’ about looking 

down, he looked down. He got scared 

and lost his balance, and away he fell 

to the bottom of the ravine. 

As they reached the other side of the 

ravine the mama bear and two cubs 

came into cougar country. Mama bear 

told the cubs, "be sure and don't walk 

slow". 

The baby bear pulling up the rear 

wasn’t paying much attention 

neither, but he heard sumpin’ about 

walking slow, so he walked along real 

slow. Just then a cougar came out of 

the bushes and snatched him away. 

When the mama bear and last baby 

bear got to the meadow, the mama 

yelled to her last cub "look out fer 

that snake on yer left!" The bear cub 

heard her mama sayin’ sumpin’ about 

looking left, so she looked to the left 

and saw the snake. By then it was too 

late to react cuz the snake sprung out 

and bit the last little bear cub. 

The mama bear was left in the meadow 

with none of her bear cubs left. 

Then I noticed the elk and her calves. 

She told her three calves to foller her 

and be careful of the dangers in the 

woods, and to foller her lead. 

As the three calves and mama elk 

came across the steep ravine, they had 

to find another way to git to the other 

side. Mama elk saw the large tree that 

had fallen across the ravine. 

"foller me," she said to her calves, 

"and make sure you look up ahead and 

keep yer eye on the other side." They 

all looked up and crossed to the other 

side. 

Reaching the other side, the mama 

and her three calves were in cougar 

country. "Run along with me as fast as 

you can," Mama said to her calves. 

The calves heard sumpin’ from their 

ma about runnin’ so they runned 

real hard ‘til they got outta cougar 

country. 

we deliver 



When the elk got to the meadow, 

the mama yelled, "Quick! Jump 

to yer right, and look out fer that 

snake!" The calves was distracted a 

little by the fun-lookin’ meadow, 

so they wasn’t paying too much attention, 

but they heard “jump” and 

“right,” so they all reacted quickly 

and jumped to the right. When the 

snake sprung out at ‘em, it missed 

cuz the elk was too far right. 

finally the elk and her calves 

reached the meadow and foraged 

on the sweet green grass, safe and 

happy. They also seen a sad, lonely 

bear wandering along all by itself. 

Seemed kinda innerestin’ how 

the bear and the elk taught their 

young’uns the same things in such 

a different manner, and how them 

young’uns reacted to the way they 

was taught. 

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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wAnDerer At rest 

east entrance 

by JAMie bALke 

big sky weekly columnist 

Sometimes, when I let myself get wrapped up in the 

tedious requirements of everyday life, I take living in 

Montana for granted. Today I was feeling a bit nostalgic 

and got lost in some old pictures that reminded me of 

the first time I laid eyes on the West. 

After I graduated from middle school in all my awkward 

glory, my parents planned a road trip to Yellowstone. 

As we packed up the station wagon and began 

the drive to the mountains, I had no idea that the trip 

would change the course of my life. 

Wisconsin’s rolling hills and forests gave way to the 

vast lonely farms of Minnesota, and looking out the 

window, my mom proclaimed she’d surely lose her 

mind if ever forced to live in such a place. Don’t worry, 

we reassured her, it was already too late. 

I’ve always been particular about hotels, especially if 

they don’t meet my expectations on cleanliness. As I 

looked around the unfolding landscape, noting only 

the occasional outpost of civilization, I realized we 

were screwed. We pulled into one of the only motels 

in the area at nightfall, and I spent the evening crying 

until my brother agreed to take the rollaway bed, 

which was stained with urine and what appeared to be 

blood. 

Things could only get better. 

Sure enough, the next day found us stopping at Wall 

Drug where my brother procured a cowboy hat that 

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smelled like cow. Our hotel near the Badlands was 

complete with bird-sized moths. But by then it didn’t 

matter: I was captivated. Topographical and ecological 

variations are hard to come by in my native Chicago 

suburbs, and those explorations of the crumbling 

desert hills were my first taste of real hiking. There was 

no going back. 

We stopped at Mount Rushmore, and then buzzed on 

to Cody, Wyo. There, fascinated with the idea of cowboys 

like any proper teenage tourist would be, I asked 

my parents to take us to the rodeo. However, when I 

thought they were being mean to the bulls, I begged to 

leave. 

Next we went rafting, and my mom asked the guide if 

people in the West have lots of guns. When he replied 

in the affirmative, indicating that people in the West 

have guns like many parts of a frog are waterproof, my 

mom desisted in her line of questioning. 

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The next day we entered Yellowstone by the East 

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day these are some of my most vivid memories. 

I remember the bear-shaped soap in our cabin at 

Canyon Village, the feeling that the trail to get to 

the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone was wild 

and remote, and seeing Old faithful for the first 

time from the crowded boardwalk. 

Most of all, I remember being overwhelmed by 

the feeling that we were driving in the wrong 

direction on the way home. 

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Further FetChins 

ADVentures between MontAnA AnD ALAskA 

on playing outside 

by Mike MAnneLin 

big sky weekly columnist 

I could hear the train coming for a 

few minutes. It must have been a mile 

away. The ground started rumbling 

under my feet, and I knew it would 

come into view any second. When it 

appeared around the corner through 

the trees, I cringed with excitement. 

I’m not sure why, but I always used 

to do that when I was a boy. 

The rusty and dented steel cars flew 

past, loaded down with steaming 

piles of iron ore. I counted the cars as 

they went by. 

“14, 15, 16… 78, 79, 80… 123.” 

Then it was silent. I raced over to the 

tracks to pick up pellets of iron ore 

that had fallen off the train, fresh 

from the mine. 

When my pockets were full, I picked 

up my bike and ride to my friend’s 

house. In the backyard we shot slingshots 

at birds, squirrels and anything 

else that moved. The marble-shaped 

ore pellets made perfect ammo. 

This was my life as a 10-year-old kid 

on summer vacation in a small town 

at the edge of the small world in 

northern Minnesota. 

One lucky afternoon we stumbled 

across a hatchet and went into the 

woods, chopping down trees and 

mapping out trails. We used the trees 

to build forts, which came in handy 

when we were hiding from parents, 

playing army or camping. 

Another day, we built a fire using a 

set of matches my friend found in his 

parents’ garage. I wasn’t allowed to 

make fires yet, and when I got home 

I was in trouble for smelling like 

smoke. 

from my yard we’d scoop up handfuls 

of smashed and rotting crab 

apples and throw them at the garage 

and at other neighborhood kids. The 

fights often evolved into full-on wars 

involving all the kids from the block. 

At the end of every summer day, our 

mothers would call us in for dinner, 

and we’d say goodbye reluctantly. 

Not much has changed, although 

I now spend summers working in 

remote Alaska. At 7 a.m. the alarm 

goes off. The snooze button is hard 

to find sometimes, but the incessant, 

horrible sound magically disappears 

if I just swat my hand in its general 

direction a few times. 

The steep stairs leading from the 

sleeping mats in the attic to the main 

cabin are always sketchy, especially 

in the morning. In the entryway, I 

sift through a few pairs of identical 

waders to find my own. My feet find 

their way into the damp boots, and 

I pull them up to my chest. I call the 

dog, grab the gun and head out the 

door. 

The fish have their noses pressed 

into the gate as if they know that I’m 

about to open it. One pokes his head 

upstream, looking for danger, then 

swims through cautiously. Another 

follows a little less cautiously. Soon 

the opening is plugged full of salmon 

charging upstream to spawn. As 

they begin to slow down, my clickercounting 

device is nearing 1,000. I 

pack up my gear and head back to the 

cabin to make coffee. 

During the day, I wander outside to 

work on projects around the cabin. 

There’s the banya addition. I’m building 

a new diesel tank stand and a new 

boat shed. The boats need attention. 

And there’s bear destruction to repair 

on buildings. 

By dinner time, when we have our 

scheduled radio meeting with headquarters, 

several projects have been 

finished, some new ones have been 

started, and we’ve been to the weir 

to count fish at least four or five more 

times. By 11 p.m., the sun is ready to 

set, and I’m heading down to do one 

last fish count before dark. 

As I write, it’s been 26 years since the 

slingshots and childhood mischief. I 

still feel the same freedom now that I 

did when I was chucking crab apples 

at the neighbor kids. These days, my 

cabin is like a mansion-fort, I get to 

make fires in the banya, and once and 

awhile I chuck a fish at my wife. 

Mike Mannelin is a skier with roots in 

Minnesota, Montana, and Alaska. He 

gains his inspiration in life by spending 

time in the mountains with friends.

48 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 

noun: wild or rough terrain 

adjacent to a developed area 

origin: shortened form of 

“back 40 acres” 

summer skiing on denali 

the Messner and a few other nice looking ski runs are above Camp 3, at 14,000 feet. photos Courtesy oF Chris bAnGs 

by Chris bAnGs 


As I stood in Base Camp at 14,000 feet 

on the continent’s highest peak, potential 

ski runs loomed above, taunting my 

imagination. 

Denali is a mountain so big its twin 

summits are three miles apart. Just 

reaching Base Camp was the hardest 

approach hike I’ve ever done. It’s also 

one of the coldest places in the world, 

and storms move in and wreak havoc 

for days and weeks at a time. 

My climbing partner had gone home 

after we climbed the West Buttress 

together this past June. I stayed, hoping 

to make a ski descent from the summit. 

Denali is an intense place. Originally 

we hoped to climb a couple routes 

together, maybe the harder Cassin 

Ridge, ski something super steep 

and exciting. But the elevation, the 

cold temps and the miles of slogging 

uphill with heavy packs took a toll. 

The day we reached the summit, my 

partner began to suffer from altitude 

sickness, so we turned around and 

descended quickly. 

Now I was camping alone in Base 

Camp, with about 300 other climbers 

as my neighbors. The extreme 

cold and daily snowstorms had left 

a clean canvas of snow on the upper 

mountain. The skiing looked great, 

but I could see a shiny blue armor 

of ice just beneath the surface of 

the snow. On slopes steeper than 45 

degrees, the ice was plainly visible, 

and I wondered how dangerous the 

skiing would be there. 

The view from the door of my tent 

reminded me of mountain photos 

that captivated me as a kid. I found 

myself unable to look away from the 

steep slopes above. The mountain’s 

size foreshortened the appearance of 

the runs, making 5,000 vertical feet 

look more like 2,000. 

Preparing myself mentally, I went over 

the necessary steps to pull off a safe ski 

descent. first I needed to ski adjacent 

slopes to assess the conditions. Then 

I needed to pick a route and commit 

myself to it. 

I chose the Rescue Gully as my first 

warm up run. Visible from Base Camp, 

it drops from 17,000 to 14,000 feet. 

Skiing into the top, I kicked off a 

few small wind slab avalanches and 

watched them break free and slide 

down the mountain. They were about 

six inches deep and didn’t trigger any 

additional slides lower in the bowl. 

The first couple turns were some of the 

coolest I’ve ever made. The sensation of 

skiing something steep on Denali gave 

me a massive adrenaline surge. 

for the next 400 feet I performed “controlled 

recovery,” a technique used in 

places so steep that making turns causes 

one to start sliding out of control. It’s 

not really skiing as most of us know 

it. first I sidestepped down a foot or 

two and cleared away the wind-loaded 

snow. Then I attempted to make a turn 

on the hard pack snow under the wind 

slab. When I started sliding, I dug my 

edges in as hard as I could and tried 

to stop. I repeated the process until I 

reached a place where the slope opened 

up and the angle subsided. 

Once I reached the main bowl, the 

snow turned to perfect powder, and I 

linked beautiful turns for more than 

1,000 feet. I was careful not to stray 

into the middle, where crevasses hid 

under thin snow. 

At the bottom, a giant crevasse called a 

bergschrund stretched across the entire 

slope. The only way across was to jump 

over the thing and hope I picked the 




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. 

right spot. While airborne, I looked 

into the gaping hole and down a giant 

crack with an endless color of blue. 

I was relieved when I landed on the 

other side, 

safe and still 

on my skis. 

Next, I decided 

to ski 

the headwall 

run on 

a section 

of the West 

Buttress 

route where 

the guided 

parties 

have ropes 

fixed to the 

mountain. 

Again the 

angle of the slope was terribly steep 

for skiing, but I was excited about the 

look of the run anyway. Here, the snow 

was only about a foot deep, pasted onto 

solid blue ice. If I was to make a descent 

off the summit down the Messner Couloir 

or the Orient Express, which is what 

I hoped to do, I needed to know how 

this snow would behave over the ice. 

The first turn was a success, so I made 

another. Then the tails of my skis 

started sliding out from under me. 

Looking down, I saw that the snow was 

gone, and I was standing directly on the 

ice. I held on with my edges and came to 

a stop, perched like a spider on the wall. 

I was shaking, scared. 

Climbers were descending the fixed 

ropes next to me about 100 feet away, 

and we all just stood there for about 

five minutes looking at each other. 

They must have been as scared as I was, 

hoping they were not about to watch a 

man slide to his death. Tucking my tail 

between my legs, I skied over to the 

fixed lines and grabbed hold. 

Back at camp I weighed my options. 

The Messner Couloir looked 

too dangerous to ski. Thousands of 

feet of blue ice was showing in and 

around the 

snow, and I 

now knew 

I wanted 

nothing to 

do with it. 

The Orient 

Express 

was a 

better option, 

but 

I couldn’t 

see the entire 

route 

from camp. 

Nervous 

about my 

decision-making, I decided to stop 

thinking about it for a while. I had 

five days left before my scheduled 

flight off the glacier and my return 

trip back home. 

this photo of Chris bangs was taken at 17,000 feet, just 

before the rescue Gully descent. 

The next morning a series of powerful 

snowstorms moved in. High 

winds wracked the mountain, 

causing avalanches to come down 

hourly. from Base Camp, we could 

hear massive slides rumbling down 

distant faces, but we couldn’t see 

them because clouds obscured the 

mountain. 

With the snowstorms came a realization 

that I would not be making a 

solo ascent of Denali this year, and I 

would not be skiing off the summit. 

A wave of relief washed over me. 

Climbing mountains is a dangerous 

game, and sometimes it’s best to let 

the mountains win. 

Chris Bangs lives in Bozeman and is 

the owner of Human-Powered Mountaineers, 

Inc.

Thank you to all of our sponsors. 


Yellowstone Club & Continental Construction Present 

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beau Hill 

July 31 & 

august 1, 2012 

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PBr in Big sky 

The gate banged open and the bull, 

with rider Beau Hill on top, spun 

onto the packed dirt and circled, 

kicking. The crowd, 2,000-deep, 

stood and cheered. Hill had chosen 

a re-ride, risking his second place 

finish at the chance for victory. 

The counter ticked up from zero to 

eight, and Hill hopped off, landing 

on his feet. Arms raised, he turned 

to see his score: 88. He jumped, 

hugged and high-fived flint the 

Entertainer. 

In that ride, Beau Hill won the 

2011 Big Sky PBR. 

Held in the Town Center last 

August, the inaugural Big Sky PBR 

won “Event of the Year” from the 

Big Sky Chamber of Commerce. 

It was a beautiful summer evening, 

with clouds lit up by the sunset, 

the mountains glowing around the 

intimate arena. 

“There aren’t many places you can 

go to an event of this caliber and 

have this kind of scenery,” said 

Jacey Watson from the Montana 

Anyone who wears a cowboy hat to 

the Big Sky PBR has a chance to win 

a cash prize. 

In an effort to promote and encourage 

cowboy tradition, the Cummings 

and the de Shields families 

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 will pick the 

winners from—yes, a hat. 

The Cummings got the idea from 

the Calgary Stampede, which is 

PBR production company, freestone 

Productions. 

Big Sky’s second annual Professional 

Bull Riding event is part 

of the PBR Pro Touring Division, 

which allows up-and-coming bull 

riders and those not competing on 

the elite Built ford Tough Series to 

compete in PBR-sanctioned events 

while earning money to qualify 

them for the BfTS and the PBR 

World finals. 

The event is unique, Watson says, 

especially compared to the ones on 

the Built ford Tough Series, which 

are held inside coliseums or large 

buildings and host about 15,000 

people a night. 

“from a production standpoint, it 

was one of the best shows, if not 

the best, that we’ve pulled off as a 

company.” 

Outlaw Partners and freestone are 

producing the 2012 Big Sky PBR. 

The Yellowstone Club is title sponsor, 

and Continental Construction 

is the presenting sponsor. 

don’t forget your 

cowboy hat 

Calling all 

the largest rodeo in the world, Jan 

Cummings said. 

During the parade at Calgary, vendors 

give out coupons to discounted 

items and giveaways—but only to 

attendees wearing cowboy hats. 

When the Cummings first came to 

Big Sky in 1989, more people wore 

cowboy hats, Jan said. 

“It’s a recognition of those who 

came before us,” she 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.” 

hockey & skating 

enthusiasts! 

The Big Sky PBR will make a modest donation to the BSSHA if 10-15 people 

will help pick up trash the morning after the PBR. To participate, be at the 

PBR arena site in the Town Center at 7 a.m. on Thursday Aug. 2 and plan 

to be there for about an hour. Wear work clothes and bring gloves. RSVP to 

bigskyice@gmail.com. 

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“sky ride” 

"I like to tell a story with 

my work and have it be 

meaningful" 

Professional Bull Riding is nothing new 

in Montana. 

Billings has hosted a Built ford Tough 

PBR touring series event for the past 17 

years, making it the most consecutive 

event since the series began 20 years ago. 

The Built ford Tough PBR series is part 

of the major league division and hosts 

the top 35 to 40 riders from around the 

world as they compete to become World 

Champion Bull Rider. 

2012 will be Livingston’s third year 

hosting the Touring Pro Division PBR, 

and Big Sky’s second. The Touring Pro 

Division is the PBR’s minor league 

division. A crowd of 4,000 – 5,000 is 

expected for the Livingston PBR, which 

will be Saturday, July 28. 

The Built ford Tough PBR season starts 

annually Jan. 1 in Madison Square Gardens 

and runs every weekend through 

mid-May, before starting again in August. 

The Championship event is held in 

52 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 


Las Vegas in October. The Pro Touring 

Division events are held throughout the 

summer, giving fans a chance to get their 

PBR fix while the Built ford Tough 

series is on break. Top riders from that 

tour can make points toward entry into 

the championship. 

BIG SKY – The moment of truth is 

frozen in time. The bull is midbuck, 

and it looks as though the 

cowboy is going to make it through 

this ride, but he’s leaning a bit so 

it’s hard to be sure. 

This is “Sky Ride,” a 14-inch tall 

bronze sculpture by Big Sky homeowner 

Sandy Epstein that will be 

the trophy for the champion of the 

2012 Big Sky PBR. 

“I like to tell a story with my work 

and have it be meaningful,” Epstein 

said. “There’s a synergy between 

this rider and the bull, in that the 

cowboy is mirroring the movement 

of the [animal].” 

Epstein was inspired to create the 

sculpture after watching the first 

ever Big Sky PBR last year. She was 

inspired, too, by the generosity of 

those who supported the event. 

“I was trying to figure out a way in 

which I could contribute, too,” she 

said. 

Epstein first started making bronzes 

in Cody, Wyo. in 1991, where 

she was mentored by a local sculptor. 

Back at home in New Jersey, 

Epstein learned from masters at the 

National Academy of Design and 

the Art Students League in New 

York City. 

To create “Sky Ride,” Epstein first 

made a wire skeleton called an armature, 

and then sculpted with wax 

atop that. When she was satisfied 


Professional bull riding in Montana 





photos By mike coil 


with her sculpture, she brought 

it to Caleco foundry, which has 

been casting bronzes for prominent 

Western artists for three generations. 

Using the complex, 3,000-year-old 

“lost wax process” developed by the 

Chinese, Caleco created an exact 

replica of Epstein’s design, pouring 

2,100 degree farenheit molten 

bronze into a cast. 

“Basically, it works very well for 

very intricate things like bronze 

artwork,” said Caleco co-manager 

Matthew Hall. 

Epstein, who also recently started 

painting, draws influence from 

the art scene in Cody. One of her 

works, “The floater,” is in the 

collection at Cody’s Buffalo Bill 

Historical Center. She describes it 

as “a peaceful expression of a foal in 

utero inspired by seeing an ultrasound 

of a pregnant mare.” 

“I like the actual process of working 

with clay or wax and using my 

hands—in a primitive way, really—and 

having my vision realized 

in a three-dimensional form. I try 

to go for realism and authenticity, 

but also more of an impressionistic 

style.” 

Epstein, together with the event’s 

lead sponsors, will present “Sky 

Ride” to the winner at the end of 

the Big Sky PBR.

Rider profile: Beau Hill 

Winner of the 2011 Big Sky PBR, Beau Hill is a Montana 

native and has been a professional bull rider for 13 years. 

This winter, Hill won the Abbotsford, British Columbia 

PBR Canadian Cup event, and also the 33rd Montana Pro 

Rodeo Circuit finals in Great falls. 

A Jack Daniel’s sponsored PBR bull rider and an Outlaw 

Partners ambassador, Hill turned down college baseball 

scholarships to ride bulls. He has also competed in the National 

finals Rodeo twice, the PBR World finals four times, 

and was the National PBR Champion in Canada in 2009. 

Hill lives in Columbia falls, Mont. with his wife Keri and 

three children. This summer, he’s riding in PBR events in 

Billings, Missoula, Livingston and Big Sky. 

BeauHill 

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Big sky PBr Cowboys 

54 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 



Card Dakota beck Moses Lake,wA 

world C Chad besplug Claresholm, Ab 

permit shawn best ii omak, wA 

Card tyler bingham honeyville, ut 

Card bonner bolton odessa, tX 

world C tanner byrne prince Albert, sk 

Card Cody Campbell summerville, or 

world Card brendon Clark Morpeth,nsw Australia 

Card Jarrod Craig hillsboro,tX 

world C Dusty ephrom kenosee Lake, sk 

Card Josh Faircloth randleman, nC 

Card Cody Ford hermiston or 

permit Cole hermanson Mandan, nD 

Card beau hill west Glasier, Mt 

permit skyler Johnson stanton, nD 

Card Cody Johnson kaufman, tX 

world Card ben Jones boyd, tX 

permit Cody kehr killdeer, nD 

Card Michael Lane randleman, nC 

Card stetson Lawrence williston, nD 

world C kyle Lozier 150 Mile house, bC 

Card Markus Mariluch elko,nV 

Card Jory Markiss Missoula, Mt 

Card Cody Martin butler, GA 

Card Cord McCoy tupelo, ok 

world C ty pozzobon Merritt, bC 

Card shane proctor Mooresville, nC 

world C Lachlan richardson Gresford, nsw 

world C Aaron roy yellow Grass, sk 

permit Cody tesch Los Lunas, nM 

world C tyler thomson black Diamond, Ab 

Card Matt triplett Lakeside, Mt 

Card Chad VanAmburg Archdale, nC 

Card sean willingham summerville, GA 

Card stormy wing Dalhart,tX 


Chad Berger Bucking Bulls 

The Berger family has been in the rodeo business 

for nearly 50 years. When their famous bulls 

are unloaded from the trailers one ton at a time, 

they’re continuing a history that makes Montana 

rodeos special. 

Chad, his wife Sarah, and their three kids are 

all involved in the business today. The family 

brought bulls to last year’s Big Sky PBR and are 

returning again this year. 

A word from sarah Berger, Chad’s wife: 

Chad Berger Bucking Bulls started in 2003, but 

the history goes back further down the family line. 

Chad's dad Joe Berger started raising bucking bulls 

in the mid ‘60s. Chad's brother, Nevada, and dad 

still raise and haul top bulls to several events a 

year. 

In eight years of providing bulls to the PBR, our 

family group has been named PBR Stock Contractor 

of the Year three times, which is a great honor 

and a testament that all the hard work is appreciated. 

The location 

is beautiful 

and the event 

is top notch! 

Chad is also a cattle buyer by trade and the family 

runs a 1000-head feedlot on an 80-acre ranch south 

of Mandan, N.D. We enjoy rural life in the country 

and the ability to have the bulls so close at hand. 

We have 200 bulls on the farm, as well as plenty 

more cattle. Chad goes to all the events of course, 

and I go when I’m able. 

Our daughter Lacey, who is 30, works full time 

for us, and is in charge of the breeding program as 

well as the day-to-day of animal care. John, who’s 

28, helps when he can with bull riding events and 

flanking duties. Sadie, 20, is going to be a junior in 

college and is in charge of merchandising and also 

helps with marketing and ranch work. 




here are a few of the top Bulls at the 

Big sky pBr from the Berger’s operation: 

Smackdown 

smackdown 

Big, strong and powerful, Smackdown always brings his A-game. Smackdown is a PBR Bucking Bull 

of the Year contender and has been in the top ranks all season. He has lead many top PBR riders to 90 

plus point rides or left them empty handed. 

Yellow Jacket Jr. 

yellow Jacket Jr. 

This bull is a brother of three-time PBR Bucking Bull of the Year, Little Yellow Jacket, and is a great 

bucker in his own right. 

Bring it 

Bring It is a little bull with a lot of heart. He is a great bull to lead a bull rider to winning and is 

a bull that won’t give up. 

July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 55

the entertainer: 

flint rasmussen 

flint Rasmussen did his first 

rodeo clowning gig on a dare at 

age 19. It was a natural fit. 

During high school in Choteau, 

he’d played football and basketball 

and ran track, but was also 

into music and drama. 

“I loved being in front of 

crowds, whether for sports or 

entertaining," Rasmussen says. 

Rasmussen worked as a clown 

at small rodeos around Montana 

all through college, and then 

went to work as a teacher in 

Havre for two years while still 

working rodeos in the summer. 

When he started getting 

more and more calls to do rodeo 

work, he knew he’d have to quit 

teaching if he wanted to pursue 

it. 

“You start at the very bottom, 

like anything else,” he recalls. 

The Ramirez family has lived 

in Big Sky for two generations. 

James and Luke Ramirez, 13 

and 10, have been taking care 

of horses and riding since they 

could walk. 

from March to October, when the 

brothers aren’t in school or playing 

basketball, the family is on the 

road headed to a rodeo. The boys 

compete in various classic events— 

James at the junior high level in 

team and calf roping, goat tying, 

56 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 

But Rasmussen’s no small potato 

anymore. He started doing bigger 

rodeos in 1996, and pretty 

soon he was traveling from California 

to Oregon to Cheyenne, 

Wyo. 

Exclusively a PBR entertainer 

for the past seven years, Rasmussen 

does all of the Built 

ford Tough Series events and 

contracts a few other PBR sanctioned 

events, including the one 

in Big Sky. 

His job in the arena is to work 

with the bull fighters, who he 

says are really the life savers. 

“Really, I just have to entertain 

the crowd, but part of the job 

is being really aware of what’s 

going on out there and knowing 

the sport in and out.” 

The entertainer’s job is also to 

educate the crowd, Rasmussen 

said. “There is that demographic 

James and luke ramirez 

photos By anna middleton, Big sky weekly contriButor 

barrel racing, flag race, ribbon 

roping and bulldogging, and Luke, 

in the junior league, in goat tying, 

barrel racing, breakaway roping 

and team roping. 

This year, his first at the junior 

high level, James ended up missing 

Nationals by 6/10th of a second 

in goat tying and was ninth in the 

state in calf roping. Luke was in 

seventh in the state his age group at 

mid-season. 


of people who haven’t seen what 

we’re doing, so you almost have 

to entertain and educate a little 

bit at the same time, which can 

be fun.” 

for example: If a rider is bucked 

off, Rasmussen may explain 

how it happened. If someone 

gets a certain score the crowd 

thinks it’s too low, he might 

explain why. 

Last year’s Big Sky event was 

different from other PBR events, 

he says. 

“Even for a guy from Montana, 

that’s a unique place 

to be. I go up skiing once a 

year there, so it’s fun to see 

things without snow on them. 

The riders from out of state, 

from down south, they love 

to come up here. It’s a cool 

evening, it’s just a great spot.” 

e.s. 

“To us it’s about them having fun 

participating in rodeo, we don’t put 

pressure on the kids to win. If they 

rodeo because they love it they will 

win.” said their mother Kristen. 

for them, rodeo is more than just 

horsemanship. The rodeo associations 

they belong to hold them 

accountable for their actions and 

choices. Cowboy attire must be 

worn at all times during competition 

weekends. 



“It is who we are, it is a way of 

life not just a sport,” their father 

Ed said. 

James and Luke will have a booth 

at the Big Sky PBR to sell raffle 

tickets to raise money for the Montana 

High School Rodeo Association. 

The kids are required to sell 

at least 30 raffle tickets to compete 

in state. However, the kid who 

sells the most raffle tickets each 

year receives a scholarship for their 

future education.


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58 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 

by renAe Counter, 

big sky weekly 

editorial assistant 

This year’s Mutton Busting 

will host 15 of Big Sky’s toughest 

riders. 

Mutton Busting, which has 

been a part of Western rodeos 

since the 1980s, involves kids 

clinging to the backs of sheep 

during intermission, competing 

for the eight seconds 

and title of Mutton Busting 

Champion. In Big Sky, PBR 


It's youth vs. ewe 

In all out war 

official judges will judge the 

event, awarding the children 

on performance and time. 

“It’s pure excitement for the 

kids,” said Michelle frederick, 

event and program manager 

and marketing coordinator 

at Moonlight Basin, which is 

sponsoring the Mutton Busting 

for the second year in a row. 

“They get to be in the middle 

of the arena, in the dirt where 

the bull riders were just competing,” 

frederick said. “for 


some, it’s the highlight of their 

summer.” 

Each participant will receive 

a prize, and the champion 

will take home a custom belt 

buckle. 

Participants must be between 

ages 4 and 6 and weigh less 

than 60 pounds. A Gallatin 

Valley farm, Ewe Hoo, will 

provide the sheep. The children 

will be armored in a 

helmet and protective vest provided 

by the event producers. 


Mutton 

youth vs 

ewe

elI gAle 

Age: 4 Weight: 42 lbs 

Experience: Eli has ridden a horse once, for a minute, 

with Peggy (Ring) in the driveway 

favorite activity: Dirt bikes and peddle bikes 

favorite superhero: Robin 

You should know: He’s good at making things, and he really 

like to go outside. 

JosePh gAle 


Experience: Joseph has ridden a horse once, for two 

minutes with Peggy (Ring) on the driveway 

favorite activity: Swimming, playing angry birds, buying stuff 

favorite superhero: Aquaman 

You should know: He will be sad to go to school (kindergarten) 

in 10 weeks, then he'll be happy to play with 

friends in the afternoons 

dReW dITullIo 


Experience: Drew has ridden a horse on trails with her dad 

and also rode a sheep at least year’s PBR event 

favorite activity: Horseback riding 

favorite superhero: Batman 




geno dITullIo 


Experience: Geno has ridden a horse and likes 

to ride around in the pen and rode a 

sheep at last year’s PBR event 

favorite activity: Going off jumps on his bike 

favorite superhero: Spiderman 

You should know: He has a pet goat named Hank 

luCy sTRATFoRd 

Age: 5 Weight: 41 lbs. 

Experience: Lucy has been riding horses for 2 yrs. 

favorite activity: Skiing and playing with her cat Dililah 

favorite superhero: Catwoman 

You should know: Lucy took a pass on this event last 

year, but feels like she is older now 

and ready for the challenge! She 

hopes her friend fin Macrae will join 

her next year 

RyKen dAugAARd 

Age: 7 Weight: 51 lbs. 

Experience: He has ridden a sheep once before 

favorite activity: Wave running at Hebgen Lake and 

biking 

favorite superhero: Green Lantern 

You should know: He likes to draw houses with his dad 

You should know: She just learned to waterski and tube behind 

the family’s boat 

busting 

JACe hIll 

Age: 6 Weight: N/A 

Experience: Jace has been riding sheep since he was 3 

years old 

favorite activity: snowboarding in the winter and gopher 

hunting in the summer 

favorite superhero: His dad, Beau Hill 

You should know: He has ridden sheep in Las Vegas at the 

national sheep riding finals! 

JoRy hIll 


Experience: Jory has only ridden a sheep once but rides 

his horse Gus every day 

favorite activity: Jumping on the trampoline, riding on his 

brother’s back, pretending he’s a bull rider 

favorite superhero: Spiderman 

You should know: His favorite song is 'Paradise City' by 

Guns n’ Roses 

Cody hodge 


Experience: Cody has been riding horses since he was 5 

favorite activity: Skiing, hunting, swimming in the river and 

baseball 

favorite superhero: Spiderman and Buzz Lightyear 

You should know: He skied Headwaters and Challenger this 

season 

hAley hodge 


Experience: Haley has been riding horses for two 

years 

favorite activity: Skiing, playing, swimming in the 

river and riding her bike 

favorite superhero: Tom and Jerry 

You should know: She jumped off the Green Bridge this 

summer 

TAnA BRennAn 


Experience: Tana rode a sheep once and has ridden 

a horse four times 

favorite activity: Riding horses 

favorite superhero: Her brother, Caleb 

You should know: She loves animals but not roosters or 

chickens 

CAleB BRennAn 


Experience: Caleb rode a bull really fast for three 

minutes 

favorite activity: Playing and swinging high 

favorite superhero: His Daddy 

You should know: He likes to go up into the mountains in a 

green tractor to give water to the cows. 

July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 59

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DON’T FORGET TO GRAB A COWBELL FROM RYAN AND TALLIE AT THE BIG SKY PBR 

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Lukas nelson, third from left, and his band promise of the real 

lukas 

nelson & 

Promise of 

the real 

fresh off their second studio album release 

and appearance on David Letterman, Lukas 

Nelson and his band Promise of the Real, 

are the headliners at the second annual Big 

Sky PBR. 

Nelson was featured in last winter's Mountain 

Outlaw magazine, which is published in 

Big Sky. The one-time music school dropout 

and three others in the group—Anthony 

LoGerfo, Tato Melgar and Corey McCormick—have 

spent the last year touring and 

recording a new album that dropped on 

April 3. 

The Ventura, California-based band mixes 

hard rock and roll influences with Lukas’s 

Texas roots to create a unique sound that 

has been quick to pick up momentum in 

the music world. The new album, Wasted, 

was produced by Bob Weir, formerly of the 

Grateful Dead. 

Music starts playing at the stage outside 

the arena seating immediately after riding 

concludes on Aug. 1. 



greatness in his jeans 

By taylor anderson, Big Sky Weekly Editorial Assistant 

About a year ago, Lukas 

Nelson and his band rolled 

into in Victor, Idaho, and 

parked their tour bus at 

the home of ski filmmaker 

Greg Stump for what Stump 

would later call Rock and 

Roll Summer Camp. 

One can only speculate what 

that camp entailed exactly, 

but it culminated in a free 

show at Music on Main 

where the band would rock 

into the night and cut an 

encore short due to lightning 

in the area. 

It was truly a sight. 

That morning, after bolting 

to town for an interview with 

Lukas, son of famed country 

star Willie Nelson, I had 

tucked away in my bag the 

local paper from over the hill 

in Jackson Hole. 

“Greatness in his genes,” 

the headline read. The story 

detailed mostly Willie’s life 

with splashes of how his son 

would be playing a free show 

in the park. Talks echoed in 

bars that day of Willie and 

his kid bussing around the 

same area. 

Willie was playing two 

shows just north in Montana, 

one in Missoula and one in 

Billings, with about a day to 

break free and join his son’s 

band on stage to surprise 

everyone in attendance. 

That, of course, didn’t happen. 

What did happen, about 

five minutes before show 

time, was that Lukas picked 

up that same paper. “Greatness 

in his genes,” he read 

aloud, then looked down 

at his denim pants. “Well, I 

thought these jeans made me 

look good,” he said. 

Indeed. After another quick 

interview in the final minutes 

leading to show time, 


Lukas sat in the back room 

of the tour bus, reached up 

toward the TV, and turned 

on a game of Skate 3 on 

Playstation. 

The rest of the band on stage 

already, Lukas sat staring at 

the screen. He talked about 

his guitars, about facial hair, 

and about the excitement before 

playing a show in front 

of thousands of people. 

He had earlier played two 

new songs on his acoustic 

that would appear on the 

band’s newest album Wasted. 

He wrote them just days earlier, 

yet today they appear, 

lyrics and chords virtually 

unchanged. first, he played 

“frame of Mind,” then “I 

Won’t fail Her”. 

"I have all that I want, and I 

give all I can, a drink and a 

smile, and a ghost of a man," 

he sang, his Texas drawl 

peaking through in his lyrics 

and songwriting style. 

No time left, and about 10 

minutes late to join the stage, 

Lukas stood up and turned 

off the switch on his video 

game, walked out the bus, 

and turned on another switch 

on stage. 

July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 61

ising country music star 

62 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 



performing free concert in Big sky 

morgan frazier playing at pBr arena stage July 31, 8:00 p.m. 

fresh off appearances at the 2012 

CMA Music festival and the ACM 

Awards show, Morgan frazier is 

a young country music sensation 

poised to become a fixture on the 

national scene. And she’s playing 

a free show in Big Sky on July 31 

starting at 8 p.m. as a kickoff to the 

PBR. 

frazier is amid her first nationwide 

tour that has her sharing the stage 

with such country music stars as 

Sara Evans, Chris Young and Billy 

Currington. She’s also appearing at 

some of the biggest country festivals, 

including Watershed, Oregon 

Jamboree and Country Thunder. 

Now signed with Curb Records, 

frazier wrote her first song, "Gates 

Of Heaven," at age 7. It was a 

fitting title for a young girl 

whose first audience was 

her church congregation. 

With a background 

in singing Gospel 

music, a passion for 

country music, and 

a smile that can capture a room, frazier, 

now 18, has made a name for 

herself and is one of Music Row's 

rising stars. 

At 9 years old, frazier recorded 

her first CD in her hometown of 

Breckenridge, Texas. Believing in 

her talent, her family ordered 1,000 

copies and hit the road, traveling 

the South and Southwest for the 

next two years. frazier says she’s 

visited nearly every small town 

between Texas and Georgia, selling 

and singing in each. They sold more 

than 30,000 copies. 

"It made me who I am,” she says. “It 

gave me a lot of opportunities.” 


On her 13th birthday, Morgan performed 

at a songwriters showcase in 

the Hotel Preston, near the Nashville 

Airport. Her future manager, 

John Northrup of Northrup Entertainment, 

was in the audience. Two 

years later, Northrup helped frazier 

transition to Nashville, and within 

a year she’d earned a recording 

contract with Curb and negotiated a 

songwriting deal alongside that. 

Since then she’s been co-writing 

with many of Nashville's best 

including Dean Dillon, Randy 

Boudreaux, Keith Anderson, Doug 

Johnson and John Scott Sherrill. 

"i LoVe sonGwritinG. i wrote My First 

sonG when i wAs seVen AnD i'Ve kinD 

oF been ADDiCteD to it eVer sinCe." 

- MorGAn FrAZier 

morganfraziermusic.com 

Morgan Frazier

andy and Jacey watson: 

PBr power couple 

2012 will be the seventh year the PBR 

tour will come through southwest Montana 

thanks in large part to Andy and Jacey 

Watson, Montana’s bull riding power 

couple. Andy Watson was a PBR photographer 

for 18 years before the two started 

freestone Productions, a PBR production 

company based near Three forks. 

freestone, which coordinates and produces 

PBR events here and in Idaho, is one 

of three companies the Watsons run, all 

exclusively involved with the PBR. They 

also manage Bull Stock Media and Watson 

Rodeo Photos, which capture and manage 

PBR imagery. While Andy is on the 

road as the sole action photographer for 

PBR, Jacey manages their stock of nearly 

a million photos. Their photography has 

expanded, and the public now has access to 

images of their favorite riders. 

“We want to bring the best of bull riding 

to southwest Montana,” Jacey said. for 

the PBR, which hosts events in locations 

across the country, “It’s fun to find the 

towns that embrace Western culture,” 

Jacey said. 

In Montana, “It’s all about quality versus 

quantity,” Andy said. “It’s a lot of heart 

and effort.” 

Producers 

outlaw Partners 

While freestone is in charge of the event logistics surrounding the bulls, cowboys and arena, 

Outlaw Partners, a marketing and media firm based in Big Sky, has organized the rest of the 

details including promotion, ticketing, sponsors, entertainment, lodging, vendors and volunteers. 

Outlaw CEO Eric Ladd fell in love with PBR eight years ago, and decided, after getting Continental 

Construction’s Jim Murphy hooked as well, that Big Sky needed its own event. The 

two dove in and created the inaugural Big Sky PBR, which became known as the event of the 

year. 

“Big Sky was ripe for an event like this,” Ladd said. Not only would it be fun and boost community 

morale, but it would help fulfill his vision to bring people, awareness and business to 

the Big Sky community. 




July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 63

thank you to our sponsors 

TITLE SPONSOR: 

Yellowstone Club 

PRESENTING SPONSOR: 

Continental Construction 

EVENT PRODUCTION: 

Outlaw Partners 

freestone Productions 

CHARITABLE SPONSORS: 

YCCf 

Yellowstone Park foundation 

BSCC 

Big Sky fire Department 

BIG SCREEN SPONSOR: 

Black Bull 

MUTTON BUSTING SPONSOR: 


BARREL SPONSOR: 

fay Ranches 

LODGING SPONSOR: 

Big Sky Resort 

EXIT GATE SPONSOR: 

Lone View Ridge 

64 July 27-Aug. 9, 2012 

CHUTE GATE SPONSORS: 

fay Ranches 

Haas Construction 

STOA Management 

Jack Daniels 

Centre Sky Architecture 

Ressler Toyota of Bozeman 

PROGRAM & GOLDEN BUCKLE 

TICKET SPONSOR: 

Jeff Helms 

VIP ARENA BANNER 

SPONSORS: 

fulton, Hertz, Hoover Wealth 

Management / Stifel Nicholas 

Bill Earls 

Savantage 

ARENA BANNER SPONSORS: 

Bucks T4 

Olive Bs 

Big Sky Western 

Hammond 

Big Sky Sothebys 

Blue Ribbon Builders 

Nordic Hot Tub 

Simkins Hallin 

Ousel & Spur 


first Security Bank 

Geyser Whitewater 

Buscrat 

Lone Peak Cinema 

GOLDEN BUCKLE TENT 

SPONSORS: 

Natalie’s Estate Winery 

Lone Peak Brewery 

Wrap Shack 

BSCC 

Grizzly Outfitters 

YCCf 

Continental Construction 

Outlaw Partners 

Creighton Block 

Yellowstone Park foundation 

Half Moon Saloon 

VENDOR VILLAGE: 

Half Moon Saloon 

Scissorbills 

Choppers 

Broken Spoke 

Burger Bar 

Gourmet Gals 

Lone Peak Brewery 

Wrap Shack 

Ressler Toyota of Bozeman 



Delaware North 

Willow Boutique 

Big Horn Boutique 

Gallatin River Gallery 

Stone Legends 


OTHER SPONSORS: 

Lone Pine Builders 

Ryan Kulesza & Tallie Jamison 

320 Guest Ranch 

Sam Byrne 

The Signature Group - Branif Scott, 

Ania Bulis, Jason Parks 

Arts Council of Big Sky 

Jan and Jim Cummings 

Big Sky Town Center 

Mountain Sky Electric 

Titan Rentals 

Big Sky Build 

Montana Office of Tourism 

Big Sky Convention & Visitors 

Bureau 

thanK you Fans, 

FrIenDs anD 

suPPorters oF the 

BIg sKy PBr!

sas Honors Vets - Explore Big Sky

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