The Coldsmoke Awards

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…

The Heart of The Beartooth

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…

What is The Ski Life

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…

Loving Bozeman in Four Seasons

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…

You’ll Laugh, You’ll Cry, You’ll Crave Cannoli

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…

Got Sidecut? A Ski Chat with the Doctor

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…

Bozeman Winter Recreation

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…

Leading Mother’s In Dance: Dancing for Birth

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…

Ride at Montana’s Sweet 16

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…

A Trip to Hellroaring Lake

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…

Jacks KidCatChat

Jack Thorsen

Saturday September 15th was the big game for the Bobcats as Stephen F. Austin came in to Bobcat Stadium 1-1 and my prediction was they would leave 1-2. Stephen F. Austin is a Division 2 team now and they look good, they have beat teams such as Baylor…

On the River in the Fall

As I look at the calendar and another summer has come and gone, it’s a little hard to imagine that I’ve spent more than two decades pounding the banks of local rivers and streams. But as summer comes to a close and fall begins turning the…

Raising the Ice Barn

Long ago, entire communities would gather together to build a neighbor’s barn. Fellow citizens would contribute what they could in exchange for the knowledge that their neighbors would come to their aid when necessary. Barn raising as a…

The Big Game (Bobcat Football 2012)

August 30th was the big game. There are a lot of new players and even some that played last year. First, John Ellis who was a big receiver last year, now that Akpla is gone he might be noticed even more. Ellis is one player to watch. Secondly, Tray…

MSU hosts welcome activities to get students engaged for the fall semester

In addition to the cooler weather and changing leaves, September also brings students back to Bozeman as the fall semester gets underway. In order to get students involved, MSU hosts many exciting events each year during the first weeks of school…

Victory: a true adventure short story

The delicate spring flowers shyly displayed their new attire as we stepped lightly along the rough stone-filled trail. Butterflies, some golden, some blue, darted in front of us, as if to lead the way. We had not sensed that this was anything more…

Warm Water Fly Fishing in MT?

So what in the world is a fly shop guy in Bozeman, Montana talking about fishing for bass, Sauger, Walleye and other “non-game species” for? That is a legitimate question. After all, we are in the heart of trout country — is there…

Raptors: The Extinct Kind, The Living Kind, and Those We Might Create

Are dinosaurs flying over Bozeman? Why is world renowned paleontologist, Jack Horner, the keynote speaker for The Bridger Raptor Festival? If you know very much about dinosaurs or have visited the Museum of the Rockies, you know the answer to this…

Fear Bear: Roadtrip to Glacier National Park

Recently, I took a trip up to Glacier National Park with one of my best friends. She arrived at my apartment the evening before we departed, and I was determined to host a barbeque that night, despite wailing winds and looming thunderclouds. It was…

Doggies On Your Mark

Bozeman Canine Classic, who brought Bozeman the K9-9K in May, is coordinating two events this fall for those who like to gain foot mileage in the company of their furry best friends. The 2nd annual Doggie Dash is a 1 mile fun run (or walk) on Sunday…