Ten years ago, working on a job site in the heat of mid-August, a discussion about starting a local film festival that would celebrate winter culture and showcase independent filmmakers planted the seed for the Coldsmoke Awards. The initial focus was…
In my heart, mountains have always been sacred places. I know I’m not alone in feeling a deep sense of gratitude for the opportunity to seek refuge from daily stresses or heavier emotions in the undisturbed silence on a snow-covered peak. My…
My ski life started one cold February morning, just after I had done my morning chores and headed off to school in an old Montana schoolhouse. As soon as we piled off the bus, a smiling teacher rounded us up and declared that we were loading back on…
An Inner Voice —the sense that my calling and my study lie elsewhere, in the sweet air and under the open sky of the broad world, among my friends and folks, in space and movement and adventure. —Edward Abbey
When I am in Montana, I…
As I sit at my kitchen table, watching Brutus the snowstorm transform the view outside my window into a winter wonderland I have two diametrically opposed urges. The first is to grab a coat and snowshoes while running out the door screaming MONTANA…
Ski Bum – as defined by the online urban dictionary, is “a skier, usually male, in his late 30’s or older, who generally spends the entirety of his life at ski resorts. The rest of his life is spent sharpening skis or purchasing…
There is no denying that we live in a ski town. Many employers offer powder days along with sick days, and a free bus runs from town up to Bridger Bowl. So, when I moved to Bozeman from out-of-state, people often assumed it was because I was in…
The dance studio is filled with women in comfy, loose fitting clothes moving in a circle. One by one they draw one card each from two piles. One pile of cards has a single word printed on it such as “Simplicity” or…
It’s not a secret that Montanans love to ski. And while it’s well known that our state is home to some of the best skiing in the country, what even some of the biggest ski enthusiasts don’t know is just how many ski areas are close…
I snapped the waist on my backpack closed with a sharp click, jumped up and down a few times to test it and then set off walking. The intensity of the mid-afternoon sun was already drawing beads of sweat out of my face. My worn, leather boots…
