MONTANA - THE RIGHT PLACE MONTANA
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License plate image donated from “The Great Bear” painting by Monte Dolack. See the collection at the Monte Dolack Gallery at www.dolack.com.
VITALGROUND.ORG
rizzly bears once roamed the entire state from corner to corner, and the Great Bear has been Montana’s state animal since 1983. They define the strength, beauty and independence of both the state and its residents. Montana is The Right Place to appreciate these qualities, and you can show your support for Montana’s open spaces and unparalleled wildlife resources by getting your very own Vital Ground specialty plate the next time you renew your vehicle registration.
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For more information on Vital Ground’s license plate program and The Right Place Campaign, visit www.VitalGround.org.
“We don’t need to save thousands and thousands of acres – just those acres in exactly the right place.”
VITAL GROUND Background bear photo by Philip Demanczuk
THE VITAL GROUND FOUNDATION•20 20 FORT MISSOULA, MISSOULA, MT• INFO@VITALGROUND.ORG •WWW.VITALGROUND.ORG •406-549-8650 2 R E D I S C O V E R M O N TA N A
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The road to discovery isn’t always a road. Around the bend from Yellowstone, the beaten path slowly fades away. The views are of places you’ve yet to explore. Your thirst for adventure—for the unknown and all that comes with it—will be more than quenched.
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Discover the Montana you haven’t seen yet. Get your FREE Scenic Road Map by calling 1.800.736.5276 or going to VisitYellowstoneCountry.com.
Paradise Valley
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Lolo Florence Stevensville
Superior
Thompson Falls Plains
Kalispell
Whitefish
37
Eureka
Ronan
Polson
Columbia Falls
Hamilton
Woodside
Cities that also include Montana’s best lodging value (Townhouse Inns, Super 8, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn and Suites and Holiday Inn Express and Suites)
Deer Lodge
200
Dillon
Ennis
all
Whit eh
Butte
Boulder
Belgrade
Livingston
Bozeman
Townsend Three Forks
200
Havre
gs illin B
Red Lodge
Laurel
Lewistown
Chinook
Columbus
Big Timber
White Sulphur Springs
Great Falls
Conrad
Shelby
East Helena
Cut Bank
Helena
Rocker
Browning
Anaconda
Bonner
Missoula
Cities with Town Pump Stores, Car Washes, &/or Casino Operations
200
Troy Libby
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Hardin
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Forsyth
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Miles City
Glendive
Wolf Point
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Sidney
16
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Glacier Country
Central Country
Southwest Country Yellowstone Country
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Missouri River Country
Southeast Country
CONTENTS GLACIER COUNTRY YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY SOUTHWEST COUNTRY SOUTHEAST COUNTRY CENTRAL COUNTRY MISSOURI COUNTRY R E D I S C O V E R M O N TA N A
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ABOUT THIS SECTION Rediscover Montana is a publication of Lee Newspapers of Montana — The Billings Gazette, Missoulian, Montana Standard, Helena Independent Record and Ravalli Republic. rediscovermt.com ©2017
CONTRIBUTORS
FROM THE GOVERNOR WELCOME TO MONTANA
Amy Joyner
Growing up in Montana, I never took for granted the spectacular wide open spaces that make our state one of the last truly unspoiled places on Earth. Montana is still a place where you can walk for miles and see more elk, bear, and trout than people. Our world-class rivers, majestic mountains, and rolling plains are where I hunt, fish and hike with my family. We hope your travels will give you the same special memories we have from growing up here. On behalf of the people of Montana, we invite you to join us in exploring the “Last Best Place.”
Zach Benoit Rob Chaney Jackie Cripe Tommy Martino Michelle McConnaha Brett French Mike Ferguson Hannah Potes
See you soon,
Bronte Wittpenn Larry Mayer Gov. Steve Bullock
Casey Page Tiffini Gallant Al Knauber Pat Hansen Matt Hudson Michael Kordenbrock
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FROM THE COVER Top photo: Though technically not in Montana, Grand Prismatic Spring is one of the many thermal features in Yellowstone National Park, which overlaps three states including Montana. One of the most scenic ways to get to the Park is through the Beartooth Highway via Red Lodge in Yellowstone Country. Bottom left: Glacier National Park has been called “The Jewel of The Continent” and features breathtaking mountains, lakes and even wildlife. Bottom right: Tipis are traditional lodging of many Native American tribes including the Crow people. This photo was taken near Crow Agency. In the background stands the Little Bighorn National Cemetery and Monument.
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Saturday, y,, Jul July 8 3
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Shodair Children’s Hospital brings 80 of Montana’s best men and women high school soccer players to elson Stadium. Stadium Helena to play in the 18th Annual Shodair Soccer Classic. The games will be played at Carroll College - Nelson
FREE KID’S SOCCER CLINIC - AGES 5-12 The Shodair Soccer Classic Kid’s Clinic is hosted by players in the Soccer Classic. The clinic will be held on Friday, July 7th, from 9:00AM - 11:00AM at Carroll College Nelson Stadium. The first 300 registrants will receive a t-shirt. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
100% of the proceeds from the Shodair Soccer Classic benefit the children and adolescents served at Shodair Children’s Hospital.
To learn more about the Shodair Kid’s Soccer Clinic and the Soccer Classic, contact Keith Meyer at (406) 444-7560, or kmeyer@shodair.org SPRING/SUMMER 2017
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INSIDE THIS SECTION
GL ACIER COUNTRY
Going-to-the-Sun
Cherry Festival
Darby logging logging Darby
Calendar of Events Bigfork’s annual whitewater kayaking festival, Crown of the Continent Guitar Festival, Lake Como Triathlon, Maggotfest and more.
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SHIFTING
GEARS:
Bike riders experience Going-to-the-Sun Road as a trail at 3 p.m., as the avalanche danger near Logan Pass got too risky. That left at least 12 miles of roadGLACIER NATIONAL PARK – way snow-free and relatively safe. Compare that to the height Less than a mile up the road from Avalanche Campground, the roar of summer, when bumper-tobumper traffic turtles up and of a real avalanche overrode the down the Continental Divide. The burble of McDonald Creek. two-lane road clings to cliffsides, No animals were visible, but giving little shoulder for bikers to the scat of three major predaco-exist with cars. tor species spotted the asphalt. But only bikers realize how Now and again, the rain-washed much of a marvel the Going-tobreeze brought a musky whiff of the-Sun Road really is. Without a something furry. roof over your head, you can see With no car around you, the the rock overhangs that extend Going-to-the-Sun Road offers across entire lanes of traffic. You much more than a postcard view can also see the tiny stalactites of Glacier’s interior. The “secret that grow out of the ceiling of season” in spring and fall when the Heaven’s Peak Tunnel. You most of the 32-mile westside can notice the three-finger-wide highway is closed to motorized traffic turns the park’s most pop- grooves left by rock drills where construction workers placed the ular passage into a trail. explosives that blasted the road “I’m used to mountain-bikinto existence in the 1920s. ing in places like the Rattlesnake Once snowplow crews start (recreation area),” Missoula cyclist James Jendro said during a clearing the road above Avalanche Campground, a hiker-bikbreak from the rain on the lower stretch of the road. “This is easi- er shuttle service with a 16-bike er. Yesterday, we rode past a bear. trailer will begin free operations on weekends. It runs between You can hear and see the avaApgar, Lake McDonald Lodge and lanches when they rumble. They Avalanche. just come ripping down.” The service starts May 14 Jendro and companions Calvin (think Mother’s Day outing) and Haines and Mark Randolph were the only people on the entire west continues until the road opens to car traffic. That date remains at half of Going-to-the-Sun Road the mercy of the snowpack, alon that May evening. The park though routine daily shuttle sersnowplowing crew checked out BY ROB CHANEY rchaney@missoulian.com
TOMMY MARTINO Photos, Missoulian
Dozens of shades of green color Going-to-the-Sun Road’s lower portions along McDonald Creek. The McDonald Creek Valley has the easternmost extent of the Pacific Northwest Rainforest. It lies about 3,300 vertical feet below the Sun Road’s zenith at Logan Pass.
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If you go Non-motorized visitors can travel about 13 of the 14 miles of the Going-to-the-Sun Road between Avalanche Campground and Logan Pass. The final 2 miles will open depending on weather conditions and progress of snowplow crews. Bike riders can also travel about 2 miles of the east side of the Sun Road between Jackson Glacier Overlook and Siyeh Bend. The 13 miles between St. Mary Entrance and Jackson Glacier is open to motorized traffic. Once the pass is cleared, the Sun Road will open to motorized traffic. After that time, bicycle traffic is restricted between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Consult Glacier National Park visitor centers for complete riding information. Glacier road conditions are also available on the internet at home.nps.gov/applications/glac/ roadstatus/roadstatus.cfm
Slow travelers have time to see stalactites hanging from the ceiling of Heaven’s Peak Tunnel. Water seeping through the passage has left numerous cracks for Glacier National Park workers to seal.
vice is set to begin July 1. Those passenger buses will have racks to carry a couple of bikes, but won’t haul the big trailer. “When this parking lot fills, it fills fast,” shuttle driver Sunni Phillips said during a turnaround at Avalanche. The Huckwagon trailer allows visitors to leave their cars and bike racks at the much larger Lake McDonald lots but still start their rides at the preferred beginning above Avalanche Creek. It should also lower competition for parking space with those who want to picnic or hike at the frontcountry site. Glacier Park spokeswoman Margie Steigerwald said the bike shuttle idea was so popular at the Glacier Conservancy Backpacker’s Ball in 2015, someone volunteered to fund it on the spot. That dovetails with the growth in bicycle and bike rack rentals at Apgar, West Glacier and other nearby commercial areas. Biking the Going-to-the-Sun
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Shuttle driver Sunni Phillips secures a bicycle to a new trailer Glacier National Park has put in service this spring. Up to 16 bikes and a few trailers can fit on the trailer, which allows cyclists to begin pedaling at Avalanche Campground while leaving their automobiles at Lake McDonald Lodge’s much larger parking lots.
Road means gaining about 3,300 vertical feet over 10 miles, mostly at a 5.7 percent grade. While that
ranks it among the top 20 toughest climbs on the Tour de France, it’s not as steep as Lincoln Hills
Drive in Missoula’s Rattlesnake neighborhood. The first few miles along McDonald Creek climb gently through a glacial canyon flanked by dozens of waterfalls and several massive avalanche chutes. One off the side of Mount Cannon has mounds of still-freshly shattered trees and tipped-over aspen groves. Glacier lilies and Indian paintbrush provide yellow and red highlights to the extensive palate of greens in the forest and creekbed. Even the Garden Wall’s rock face gets into the spirit, with bands of blue, green, red and yellow sedimentary stone offsetting veins of bright white marble. Road signs warning travelers not to pass and reducing the speed limit from 35 mph to 25 seem ridiculously aspirational as you grind up toward the Loop. On the way down, they’re ridiculously inadequate. The only sound louder than the avalanches is the rush of the wind in your ears as you make your own gravity-driven descent.
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Logger Days depicts the former vocation of Darby. MICHELLE MCCONNAHA,
BY MICHELLE MCCONNAHA michelle.mcconnaha@ ravallirepublic.com
Ravalli Republic
Darby continues tradition of
CELEBRATING
LOGGERS
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Darby will celebrate the 16th annual Logger Days from July 21-22, honoring the long tradition of logging and the skill and bravery of the hardy workers in that profession. The two-day event has 17 traditional logging competitions drawing competitors from around the country and globe. The event begins Friday, July 21, and concludes with a yet-to-beannounced band late Saturday, July 22. Event coordinator Samantha Conner said the family-friendly festival is about the logging history of Darby. “It is put on by a nonprofit group and we raise money to maintain the South Valley Veteran’s Memorial,” Conner said. “We also send money to Camp Mak-A-Dream, Special Olympics and local organizations that need help. We’re all volunteers and put the event on to make money to donate to great causes.” Conner said the Friday competitions have more local competitors and Saturday draws the professionals. There are also kid events, competitions and prizes. “All the kids’ events are free and we give away 12 bikes,” Conner said. The gates open at 5 p.m. on Friday with food, beer, a climbing wall and vendor booths. Events for the evening include hot saw demonstrations, kids’ choker races, boxing over water competitions, chainsaw and skillet toss. There is a Ma and Pa Race, a logger relay, a limber pole and a loader contest. From 8 p.m. to midnight, there will be live music. On Saturday, sign-ups for the competition end at 8:30 a.m., the Darby community parade begins at 9 a.m. and educational, retail and food booths open at 10 a.m. Adult logging competitions
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begin at 11 a.m. in the main arena. In order, the events are couple cross cut, men’s speed chop, women’s speed chop, cookie stock, Jack and Jill cross cut, axe throw finals, obstacle pole, pole climb, tong throw, stock saw, men’s cross cut, women’s cross cut, choker race, hot saw, accuracy fall, saw, split & stack and log roll. Spring board competition runs through the day. The competitions end at about 6 p.m. Registration for kids’ events is at “Grammy’s Corner,” at 11 a.m. This year the kids’ events are in memory of Carol Marie Bush. Kids compete in the secondary arena from noon to 4 p.m. Kids’ events include a watermelon eating contest, mini-skidder race, three-legged race, Jack and Jill lumberjack relay, balance beam, Sponge Bob hard hat toss, firewood stack, the tomahawk throw, tug of wars and a sawdust pile laced with $250 gold and silver coins and candy. The live music is from 8 p.m. to midnight. The cost to attend the weekend event is $12 for pre-sales, $15 at the gate and kids 12 and under get in free when accompanied by an adult. The purchase of a button is the two-day admission pass but after 8 p.m. on Friday and after 6 p.m. on Saturday admission is $5 for the rest of the evening. No coolers or pets are allowed but RVs and tents are welcome. Logger Days committee member Barbara Liss said the production and details required to put on the event are long and demanding. “The wood used in the competitions is imported and to specification,” she said. “It is larch and cottonwood and has to be wrapped and kept wet. The production of putting this on is amazing and a big deal. Hopefully, people come out and enjoy the day.” Liss said her favorite part is the competitions that draw local
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Provided Photo by Mike Stark Darby
Community members and guests arrived early in preparation for the “Down Right County” band at Logger Days in Darby.
“All of it is amazing and to see what they can do is incredible.” Samantha Conner,
It’s Always Happening in Polson! Photos by Steve Pickel
event coordinator
June 15-17 June 23-24
and world-class competitors. “Libby has logger days, Missoula has collegiate competition but they don’t have our great atmosphere,” Liss said. “There are a lot of rodeos around but this is really unique and all of these competitions are amazing. On Friday, the kids’ events are in the main arena and on Saturday, they do activities in the kids’ arena. They are practicing over there and hope to be over in the big arena someday.”. Conner said her favorite part of the event is watching the kids’ events. “Also, Friday night is fun because it is locals,” she said. “All of it is amazing and to see what they can do is incredible.”
June 24 July 2 July 4 July 15-16 July 15-16 July 21-23 July 29-30 August 12 August 12 August 12
August 12 August 18-19 August 25-26 September 9
Senior Oympics in Polson & Ronan; 586-5543 Mission Mountain NRA Rodeo 7:30 pm w/Sho Down Friday night; free vendor fair, no food items; 261-2861 or 883-1100 Chamber Blast Sporting Clays Fun-Shoot; 883-5969 Flathead Lake Cheese OPEN HOUSE 10-2; Flatheadlakecheese.com 4th July Parade noon downtown Polson w/fireworks at dusk Live History Days at Miracle of America Museum; 883-6264 Polson Main Street Cherry Festival, downtown; 883-3667 Flathead Lake 3 on 3 Basketball Tourney; theflatheadlake3on3.com 3rd Annual Flathead Lake Festival of Art; sandpiperartgallery.com Summerfest Car Show downtown Polson; andersonbroadcasting.com 46th Annual Sandpiper Art Festival on Courthouse Lawn Aber Day Reunion Concert w/Mission Mountain Wood Band, Sam Riddle & Andrea Harsell; Regatta Shoreline Amphitheater Polson Fairgrounds; aberdaykeggar.com or andersonbroadcasting.com Polson Rotary Chili Cook-off at Riverside Park 11 am Flathead Lake Blues Festival; flatheadlakebluesfestival.com Flathead River Indian Rodeo 7 pm at Polson Fairgrounds; 890-3309 19th Annual Polson Fly-in at Polson Airport 8 a.m.
Polson Chamber of Commerce 418 Main Street - Polson, MT 406-883-5969 • polsonchamber.com
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Annual cherry festival heads back to Polson in July
BY JACKIE CRIPE for Rediscover Montana
Summer time at Flathead Lake brings countless hours of sunshine, sunburn (if you’re not carefully applying sunscreen) and, of course, cherries. Wait, cherries? Cherries in Montana? It’s true. The Flathead Valley’s warm days and cool evenings are just the right climate for producing sweet, sweet cherries. After the spring blossoms and fruit and labor comes the annual Polson Main Street Flathead Cherry Festival. Polson’s Main Street is closed down and filled up with more than 100 vendors; along with downtown businesses there will be something for everyone. Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 15, and Sunday, July 16. On Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., trucks of tasty cherries, homemade cherry pies, pastries, lemonade, aprons, quilts, jams, jewelry and everything cherry imaginable will be available. Vendors and businesses will delight with the unusual, and shopping will be a great experience. To keep up the energy there will be food, food and more food. Check out local hangouts downtown and food vendors. Don’t worry about gaining a pound or two; you can walk it off exploring all the fantastic merchandise. Don’t worry about the kids – or the kids at heart. The North Lake County Public Library will have coloring for both adults and kids. The cherry contests will thrill, and more than $400 in downtown gift certificates will be awarded
TOM BAUER, Missoulian
Marcos Ortis picks Rainier cherries at Glacier Fresh Orchards on Flathead Lake.
as prizes. Saturday is the only day you legally can spit downtown at the children’s and adults pit spitting contest. Plus, don’t forget the cherry pie eating contest. Cherry quilts from the cherry quilt contest will be on display in storefront windows throughout the weekend. The Great Scott Bagpipers will stroll the Main Street at 1 p.m. Saturday. On Sunday, the Shamrockers will stroll the streets with their music. Bring
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the family to downtown Polson on Saturday, July 15, and Sunday, July 16, for a fun-filled family event, rated one of the largest festivals in the state. Check out the website flatheadcherryfestival.com for times and details. While in the area, don’t forget to stop into Polson’s Miracle of America Museum’s Annual Live History Days, also Saturday, July 15, and Sunday, July 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Exhibitors
include wood carving, leatherworking, pine needle weaving, old time music, free blood pressure tests in the vintage medical building, rides on the trains and military vehicles, sawmilling demonstrations, shingle sawing, blacksmithing, tennis ball cannon, flint napping, food and ice cream treats served from the vintage soda foundation. Go to miracleofamericamuseum.org or 406-270-7895.
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Beauty found in art and nature in Bigfork BY GRETCHEN GATES for Rediscover Montana Bigfork has a national reputation as one of the nation’s best towns for the arts. In fact, Sunset Magazine calls it an “arts-meets-adventure town” that is “perfectly situated for a day trip for Montanans and most Westerners for a long-weekend getaway.” Bigfork, a picturesque town on the north shore of Flathead Lake that is a short drive to Glacier National Park or the Bob Marshall and Swan wilderness areas, is home to world-class art galleries, fine restaurants, a 27-hole golf course and much more. The 39th Bigfork Festival of the Arts, set for Saturday, Aug. 5, and Sunday, Aug. 6, shows that the community knows how to celebrate its artistic side. More than 150 booths will line the downtown area of Electric and Grand avenues, where arts and crafts booths will offer pottery, paintings, furniture, jewelry, woodworking, clothing, metal art and much, much more. Food vendors will have an array of mouth-watering treats, and live entertainment from local musicians will be scheduled throughout the weekend. One of the oldest art festivals in Montana, this juried event raises funds to support the advertising and marketing of Bigfork. Festival attendance is estimated to be more than 6,000 people. The Festival of the Arts originally was created by a group of downtown business people in 1978 and run by the Bigfork Marketing Association. It has been handled by the Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce for the past 16 years. Festival hours for both Saturday and Sunday are 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Because downtown will be closed to vehicle traffic, parking will be available at various locations throughout Bigfork,
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Photos courtesy Bigfork Chamber of Commerce
with a free shuttle service running continually during the festival. First come, first serve parking will be available at the Bethany Lutheran Church on Montana Highway 35 and at Potozny Field just west of the stoplight marking the intersection of Highway 35 and Holt Drive. John Villani’s expanded and updated second edition of “The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America” includes Bigfork as one of the best. The town is situated on Bigfork Bay, where the Swan River flows into Flathead Lake. For more information about the festival or to learn about other summer events like the Bigfork Festival of the Arts, set for August 5-6, or the Crown of the Continent Guitar Festival, from Aug. 27-Sept. 2, contact the Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce at 406-837-5888 or visit bigfork.org and click on the Festival of Arts link at the bottom of the page.
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GLACIER COUNTRY CALENDAR OF EVENTS ARLEE ARLEE ESYAPQENYI (CELEBRATION) June 29-July 4 Annual event includes dance and singing contests, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, a parade, powwow, food and more. Visit arleepowwow.com for more information.
Stan Whiteman dances during the Grand Entry at the 118th Arlee Esyapqeyni. TOMMY MARTINO Photos, Missoulian
BIGFORK WHITEWATER FESTIVAL May 27-28 Bigfork’s annual whitewater festival draws kayakers from all over the Northwest to compete on the thrilling rapids of the Wild Mile of the Swan River. Contact chamber@bigfork.org, visit bigforkwhitewaterfestival.com or call 406-752-2880 for more information. BIGFORK FOURTH OF JULY PARADE July 4 Noon event begins in downtown Bigfork. BIGFORK FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS August 5-6 Two-day event includes 150 vendors in Bigfork from all over the country. Wood work, pottery, paintings, jewelry and all sorts of other types of art work are on display. The festival draws thousands of people each day to buy artwork, listen to music, to eat great food or just people-watch. Contact chamber@ bigfork.org for more information. CROWN OF THE CONTINENT GUITAR FESTIVAL Aug. 27-Sept. 2 Create lasting memories as you see and hear music legends perform in the small meadow venue at Flathead Lake Lodge. A diverse line-up presents a mix of emerging and established artists from all genres. Call 1- 855-855-5900 or email info@crownguitar. org for more information. RUMBLE IN THE BAY CAR SHOW September 3 Downtown Bigfork, 10 a.m.-3 pm. Visit bigforkrumble.com or call 406-260-8385 for more information.
DARBY DARBY LOGGER DAYS July 21-22 A family event featuring expert competitors performing skills of days gone by. Contact the Darby Loggers at loggers@darbyloggerdays.com. DARBY STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL Third weekend in July An old-fashioned ice-cream social with music by local musicians, vendors and raffles. Contact 406-381-5114. HARDTIMES BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL July 21-23 A family-friendly festival with an “old timey
mountain feel” that features traditional bluegrass music. Contact 406-821-3777 for more information. LAKE COMO TRIATHLON July 22 A challenging XTerra style race with .9 miles open water swim, 12.6 mile mountain bike and 7.7 miles trail run at Lake Como in the heart of the Bitterroot Valley. Visit lakecomotri.com for more information.
HAMILTON BITTERROOT VALLEY MICROBREW FESTIVAL Fourth full-weekend Saturday in July Lots of micro brews to choose from as well as music, food and fun for the whole family. DALY DAYS FESTIVAL Fourth full weekend in July Music, food, fun, crafts and more as a celebration of Hamilton founder Marcus Daly. Visit hamiltondowntownassociation.org for more information. BITTERROOT CELTIC GAMES & GATHERING August 19-20 Highland and Irish Dancing, Highland heavy athletic competitions for adults and children, international pipe and drum bands, the gathering of the clans, scotch, mead and Irish whiskey tastings, vendors and live music. Contact 406-274-8886.
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HOT SPRINGS HOMESTEADER DAYS June 9-10 Event includes a parade, rodeo and more.
MISSOULA GARDEN CITY BREWFEST May 6 Missoula’s official start to the festival season, Brewfest has long been a favorite of locals and visitors alike. With more than 75 beers on tap, a wine bar, live music and delicious local food vendors, Brewfest kicks off annually at high-noon the first Saturday of May each year. MAGGOTFEST May 18-21 With new fields comes more teams to the annual social rugby tournament at Missoula’s Fort Missoula Regional Park. Both men’s and women’s teams from across the country, and even across the world, will be in town for a weekend of premier rugby, hosted by the Missoula Maggots men’s rugby team. Visit maggots.org for more information. OUT TO LUNCH Out to Lunch is the longest-running performing arts festival in the state of Montana. It attracts thousands of people to Caras Park every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in June, July and August. Out to Lunch features
some of Missoula’s best food and performing artists from throughout the region. Visit missouladowntown.com. DOWNTOWN TONIGHT Downtown ToNight is Missoula’s outdoor, after-work happy hour and features live music, exceptional food vendors and a beer garden. Downtown ToNight is held every Thursday evening from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. from June-August. Visit missouladowntown.com. GARDEN CITY RIVER ROD RUN June 23-24 Hundreds of classic cars join the festivities located in Missoula’s Caras Park, including the Friday night Cruisin’ Parade on Higgins Avenue and two day Show and Shine. This year the River Rod Run will be put on by the Five Valley Ford Club. Visit fivevalleyfordclub.com or call 406-728-0324 for more information. MISSOULA MARATHON July 7-9 A weekend celebration had evolved around the Sunday marathon and attracts runners from across the U.S. Visit missoulamarathon.org. INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL July 17-20 Choirs from across the world participate in this annual festival. Performances take place at several venues. Visit choralfestival.org.
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CELTIC FESTIVAL MISSOULA July 29 Eighth annual event features the Young Dubliners, a festival regular, and as many as three other bands, at Missoula’s Caras Park. Other regular features include children’s activities, Irish road bowling, the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band and traditional music and dance. Visit celticfestivalmissoula.com for more information. RIVER CITY ROOTS FESTIVAL August 25-26 Missoula’s signature celebration of the city, Roots Fest attracts more than 10,000 individuals to the heart of the community for a variety of fun activities and was named the 2009 Montana Tourism Event of the Year. This event features quality live performances on a big stage on West Main Street, a juried art show, entertainment for children and families and a 4-mile run. This admission-free festival takes place annually the last weekend in August. Visit rivercityrootsfestival. com for more information.
OVANDO FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION Called “The Biggest Taste of Old Time Americana, by the Smallest Old Town.” Ovando stands proud decorated in red, white and blue with flags flying everywhere. Including a Fourth of July Parade whose theme every year is “Everybody participates! Nobody watches;” with more horse entries than humans; patriotic speeches in front of the museum and lunch where the town’s volunteer fire department serves up a slab of beef so tender you don’t even need a knife. Contact ovandomontana.net.
POLSON SENIOR OLYMPICS IN POLSON AND RONAN June 15-17 Email kaujn@gamil.com, visit montanaseniorolympics.org/summer.html or call 406-586-5543. MISSION MOUNTAIN NRA RODEO June 23-24 Event begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday with live music after the performance. Free vendors fair, no food items. Call 406-261-2861 or 406883-1100 for more information. CHAMBER BLAST SPORTING CLAYS FUN-SHOOT June 24 Event at Bigfork Sporting Clays; registration at Polson Chamber of Commerce. Call 406-883-5969 for more information. FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION July 2-4 The Independence Weekend Concert kicks
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rodeo. Contact 406-883-3636 for more information. ANNUAL POLSON FLY-IN September 9-19 Held at the Polson Airport 8 a.m.
STEVENSVILLE
Ruby Knadler, 3, munches on a french fry during Out to Lunch in Missoula’s Caras Park in summer 2016. The summer series brings local food vendors and residents together for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. off the holiday, more details to come with a fireworks show at dusk at Sacajawea Park. The festivities continue July 4 with a parade at noon and fireworks at dusk. Contact the Polson Chamber of Commerce with questions at 406-883-5969. THIRD ANNUAL FLATHEAD LAKERS POKER PADDLE July 9 Bring your kayak, canoe, paddleboard or other human-propelled watercraft and join us in the Narrows. Event includes music by Highway 93 Band, a silent auction and picnic. Call 406-883-1346 for more information. MIRACLE OF AMERICA MUSEUM’S ANNUAL LIVE HISTORY DAYS July 15-16 The museum is open each day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day in Polson. Visit miracleofamericamuseum.org or call Gil at 406-8836264 for details. POLSON MAIN STREET CHERRY FESTIVAL July 15-16 More than 100 vendors converge on downtown Polson, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday. Bring the entire family. Visit flatheadcherryfestival.com for more information. FLATHEAD LAKE 3-ON-3 BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT July 22-23 Established in 1992, the Flathead Lake 3-on-3 is Montana’s longest running 3-on-3 basketball tournament. Visit theflatheadlake3on3.com for more information. 3RD ANNUAL FLATHEAD LAKE FESTIVAL OF ART July 29-30 On the shores of Flathead Lake at
Sacajawea Park in Polson from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit sandpiperartgallery.com for more information. 46TH ANNUAL SANDPIPER ART FESTIVAL August 12 This annual event takes place on the Lake County Courthouse lawn 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit sandpiperartgallery.com or call 406883-5956 for more information. POLSON ROTARY FESTIVAL FOR YOUTH CHILI COOK-OFF August 12 Event takes place at Riverside Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 406-883-1842 for more information. SUMMERFEST CAR SHOW August 12 Event begins at 8 a.m. in downtown Polson. ABER DAY REUNION CONCERT August 12 Held at the Polson Fairgrounds from 3 to 9 p.m., with the Mission Mountain Wood Band and surprise bands. Food and beverage vendors, no coolers. Visit andersonbroadcasting.com for more information. FLATHEAD LAKE BLUES FESTIVAL August 18-19 Held on the shores of Flathead Lake. Visit flatheadlakebluesfestival.com for more information. POLSON TRIATHLON August 19 Contact Matt at 406-871-0216 for more information. INDIAN NATIONAL FINALS TOUR RODEO August 25-27 Beginning at 7 p.m. each night at Polson Fairgrounds, with live music after the
WESTERN HERITAGE DAYS IN STEVENSVILLE June 16-17 A chuck wagon cook-off, beer garden, live music/street dance, parade, Salish drumming, singing, dancing presentations throughout the day at Historic St. Mary’s Mission, arts, crafts and vendors, sidewalk sales, and open houses throughout downtown Stevensville and more. For more information call 406777-3773 or visit mainstreetstevensville.com. MONTANA BICYCLE CELEBRATION July 15 Stevensville is the host community for the Montana Bicycle Celebration, there will be activities throughout the day including the Stevensville Bike and Brew with vendors, farmers market, food, kid’s activities, music and brews. Contact 406-777-3773. CREAMERY PICNIC August 4-5 A traditional, family-oriented Stevensville celebration with a parade, Montana State Bar-B-Q contest, food vendors, crafters and booths; and incredible ice cream. For more information visit creamerypicnic.com or call 406-777-3773.
ST. REGIS ST. REGIS FLEA MARKET May 27-29 Annual flea market occurs over Memorial Day Weekend in St. Regis. Visit stregismtflea. org for more information.
TROUT CREEK TROUT CREEK HUCKLEBERRY FESTIVAL August 11-13 More than 100 arts and crafts vendors display and sell wares at Trout Creek Community Park. Events include entertainment on stage, a parade, a 5K run, and much more. Visit huckleberryfestival.com for more information.
WHITEFISH HUCKLEBERRY DAYS ARTS FESTIVAL August 11-13 Art festival with more than 100 artists and food vendors, local live entertainment, a mobile climbing wall for kids and adults and a huckleberry dessert bake-off contest. All events take place in/around Depot Park, Whitefish, unless otherwise noted. Call 406862-3501 for more information.
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INSIDE THIS SECTION
YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY
New lodging and things to do in Yellowstone
Something for everyone in Red Lodge
Stupid tourist tricks in national parks Darby logging
Calendar of Events Gallatin River Fly Fishing Festival, Smoking Waters Mountain Man Rendezvous, Cruisin’ Red Lodge Car and Bike Show, the Livingston Roundup Rodeo and more.
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Out with the old,
IN WITH THE NEW New Yellowstone lodging built, upgrades made
BY BRETT FRENCH french@billingsgazette.com Since 2013 Yellowstone National Park’s concessionaire has pumped $150 million into facility improvements, including five new lodges at Canyon Village alone. “The park as a whole may be in better shape now than it’s ever been,” said Rick Hoeninghausen of Xanterra Parks & Resorts, the Yellowstone concessionaire. “It’s kind of cool.” That’s because in addition to Xanterra’s investments the National Park Service has in recent years rebuilt significant chunks of the park’s roadways, constructed new wastewater treatment infrastructure, repaired crumbling trails and overlooks and invested in park-owned facilities like the Old Faithful Visitor Center, which opened in 2010. Although those investments weren’t aimed at bringing more people to Yellowstone, visitation has nonetheless increased to more than 4 million people every year. Those tourists are lured by Yellowstone’s unique geysers, plentiful wildlife and jaw-dropping scenic vistas. But they also need a place to lay their head at night. While many choose to stay in motels and campgrounds outside of Yellowstone in the surrounding communities and national forests, for some, the opportunity to be based out of a park lodge can save on drive time and allow easier access to the numerous nearby trails leading to Yellowstone’s wonders.
Xanterra Parks & Resorts
The Moran Lodge at Canyon Village is one of several new facilities built in Yellowstone by Xanterra Parks & Resorts.
If you go Yellowstone National Park lodging fills up fast, so get a reservation now. Xanterra Parks & Resorts operates nine lodging facilities in the park with more than 2,000 rooms. Rates in peak summer season can run from $165 to $392 a night.
Canyon Village is aimed at some of those travelers. Lester Ashwood The five lodges, with 409 Mammoth Hot Springs Motel is being structurally refurbished as part of a rooms, were a $90 million invest- National Park Service project.
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Explore Yellowstone Summer ranger-led talks and hikes are offered throughout Yellowstone National Park. A complete listing of talks can be found online at https://www.nps.gov/ yell/planyourvisit/rangerprog.htm. The activities include stargazing, nature walks and talks explaining Yellowstone’s unusual geology, including hydrothermal features.
ment in a community close to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and its plunging 109-foot tall Upper Falls and the 308-foot tall Lower Falls. Several trails and pullouts access different viewpoints for the photogenic canyon that exudes a warm orange tone, from oxidized iron, mixed with yellows from sulfur in the rocks. Four of the lodges are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certified, while one meets the silver standard. By this summer, Xanterra is planning to have its $6 million refurbishment of the Canyon restaurant completed along with a new menu that will include more Asian offerings along with rotisserie chicken and stews, Hoeninghausen said. Altogether, work at Canyon Village is the most ambitious project Xanterra has undertaken recently in Yellowstone, but that’s just part of the company’s work. Down the road at Grant Village, Xanterra has completed lodging and exterior renovations for six lodges that house 300 rooms. That work cost $4 million. Over the hill from Grant Village, at Old Faithful, another Xanterra project refurbished 67 cabins at a cost of $7 million. They used to house employees but a new lodge was built for workers in 2015, allowing the cabins to return to guest use. Rounding out the lodging rehabilitation at Yellowstone is a twophase project at the historic Mammoth Hotel. Originally opened to the public in 1887, the building went through renovations in 1913
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Xanterra Parks & Resorts
This aerial view shows Canyon Village close to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
“Of course, as a result of all the required demolition the historic finishes have been removed and they will be restored too, including the wood map that is a hallmark of this building.” Lester Ashwood, A&E Architect’s site representative and 1933 that removed much of the old structure. Last year the National Park Service began the first phase of a project to upgrade the hotel. The initial $7.9 million investment is targeted at stabilizing the last vestiges of the original hotel to avoid catastrophic seismic damage. “Lots of structural upgrades including putting steel beams in hidden locations…” said Lester Ashwood, A&E Architect’s site representative. “The engineers were gravely concerned about the roof structure so in addition to the steel work the old rafters were removed and replaced with new trusses.” The electrical system will also
be modernized, as will the heating system and fire sprinklers. “Of course, as a result of all the required demolition the historic finishes have been removed and they will be restored too, including the wood map that is a hallmark of this building,” Ashwood said. “It’s going to look very similar to when the work started,” said Linda Veress, park spokeswoman. While the work is being conducted, though, the hotel will remain closed, although work may be finished in time for the hotel to open in August through the fall. Until then, lodging is still available in cabins behind the hotel. Phase Two of the Mammoth Hotel remodeling work should
Calendar Memorial Day weekend: All park roads are open and the fishing season starts. Mid-June: Boating services open on Yellowstone Lake, most campgrounds open on or before June 15. July: The bison rut begins in the Lamar and Hayden valleys, river levels drop, opening up many backcountry campsites. Mid-September: The elk rut begins near Mammoth Hot Springs and Grant Village.
begin in the fall of 2018 and will focus on the 97 guest rooms. Private bathrooms will be added to the roughly 30 rooms that do not now have them. Put all together the work is a tremendous investment in an area like no other in the lower 48 states, and some would argue that there’s no place like Yellowstone in the world. “This is a nice success story in terms of the visitor experience,” Hoeninghausen said.
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A wide range of wildlife frequents the Fox-Palisades Trail outside of Red Lodge. Courtesy photo
Yellowstone
COUNTRY Something for everyone in Red Lodge
for an eclectic group of travelers. From the thrill-seeking adventurer to the food and beverage connoisseur, the community has You might know that Red a little something for everyone. Lodge is nestled at the base of Boasting a diverse range of the Beartooth Mountains or activities, spectacular mountain that Rock Creek winds its way through the quaint town as it de- views and no shortage of friendly scends into the Clark’s Fork River. smiles from the locals, add Red Lodge to your summer trip. What What may come as a surprise is was once a favorite place for Erthat Red Lodge is a destination BY TIFFINI GALLANT Rediscover Montana
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nest Hemingway to hang his hat is sure to keep bringing you back to Yellowstone country, too.
The musician Enjoy views and tunes at the return of the summer Red Lodge Songwriter Festival, June 22-24. This year’s event hosts singers and songwriters from east of the Mississippi in Nashville, Ten-
nessee, and right here at home in Montana and Wyoming. Offering a multitude of performances, visitors choose from 11 shows in seven Red Lodge venues over the course of three days – or see them all. And if you have something to sing about, the festival has the stage. Twenty local songwriters will prep their pipes for a performance in front
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BITE
Songwriters perform in eleven shows in seven venues during the three-day event.
of the big league visitors from Nashville. A portion of the festival proceeds benefits Friends of the Beartooths, an organization dedicated to improving and promoting the Beartooth Highway. With lots to see, more to hear and support of a great cause, the Red Lodge Songwriter Festival is a must for your travel itinerary. For a full list of events, locations and ticket prices, visit redlodgesongwriterfest.com.
The adventurer
Songwriters come all the way from With some of the oldest Nashville, Tennessee to perform in granite on Earth and geological Red Lodge. formations like the Meeteetse Spires, limestone remnants from a time when Yellowstone Valley Explore the was submerged in water, hiking Wilderness trails in the Beartooth Mountains Fox-Palisades Trail are simply awe-inspiring. Take Highway 212 south of Red Make a day of wondering Lodge. Turn right on West Fork through the wilderness on a Road. Travel 1 mile and turn right family excursion. Fox-Palisades on Palisades Campground Road. Trail, new in 2013, is a three-mile Park at the campground, just 1 ½ hike with a mild 700-foot elevamiles ahead. Hike about 100 yards tion gain. A forest of pine, fir and on Willow Creek Trail before turning aspen descends into sagebrush right onto Palisades Trail. meadows. Wave to other trail-goLake Fork Trail ers on mountain bikes and horses, Take Highway 212 south of Red but be wary of the wildlife, espeLodge. After 8 ½ miles, turn right cially predators that also frequent on Lake Fork Road. Follow the this path. Please see Red Lodge, Page 26
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pavement about two miles to the trailhead parking lot.
Experience our Traveling Exhibits CROCS: Ancient Predators in a Modern World February 25 – September 10, 2017
Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge September 23 – January 12, 2018
Little Shadow Catcher: D. F. Barry Photographs September 23 – January 21, 2018
Enjoy our Permanent Exhibits Siebel Dinosaur Complex • Taylor Planetarium Shows Martins Children’s Discovery Center • Paugh Regional History Hall Welcome to Yellowstone Country • Living History Farm (Seasonal)
museumoftherockies.org 600 W. Kagy Blvd. | 406.994.2251
BOZEMAN,
MONTANA
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Red Lodge
Carbon County Historical Society Museum
From 25
If you’re visiting town without small children, consider a hike that presents a moderate challenge. Just a short jaunt down Highway 212, you’ll find Lake Fork Trail. Although the uphill grade is pleasant, this hike affords a long-distance journey in a league of its own. Choose a mountain lake destination; Lost Lake is the first at four miles and September Morn Lake is almost 18 miles from the trailhead with several others in-between. Whether you’re a novice hiker, mountain biker or experienced thrill-seeker, Red Lodge has a trail for your wilderness adventure. Additional trail descriptions are available at beartoothtrails.org.
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $5 adults $3 students and seniors Historic Walking Tour FREE Download the map at carboncountyhistory.com
Courtesy photos
Try one of Red Lodge Ales’ award-winning brews while you’re in town.
The artist No Yellowstone country landscape is more inspiring than the Beartooth corridor. The location serves as a gathering place for all types of artists, and their work is featured by the Carbon County Arts Guild. Kick off your summer travels at the 44th annual Art in the Beartooths on Saturday, July 8 in Lions Park. The much-anticipated event features more than 30 Guild members – including three signature artists – meeting under the Big Sky to create. The live art portion is free for spectators as sculptors, painters and others work with their medium of choice. Continue the celebration at the fundraising dinner. Catering by Big Guy Barbecue and Honey’s Café, a no-host bar, and live and silent auctions complete the evening. Guests bid on the pieces created earlier in the day, with proceeds supporting the Guild. Whether you’re an artist yourself or interested in watching others create, Art in the Beartooths is an event not to be missed.
received in the 2010 North American Beer Awards. As a tribute to the mountain range from which it hails, the Beartooth Pale Ale is light on the palate, but leaves nothing to be desired in its signature flavor. Each of these options and more is available year-round at Red Lodge Ales’ own restaurant, Sam’s Tap Room & Kitchen. With a casual dining atmosphere and food made for perfect pairing with their brews, you’ll see just what the buzz (pun intended!) is all about during your visit.
The historian
Explore the pine, fir and aspen forest on your nature hike.
44th annual Art in the Beartooths Saturday, July 8, 2017 Live art portion 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. FREE Fundraising event & dinner 4 p.m. $60 each carboncountydepotgallery.org
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The taste tester Montanans have an affinity for good beer, and the brewery business is booming. Red Lodge Ales is one of Yellowstone country’s favorite brewing companies, and craft beer lovers can sample the local libations while in town. Award-winning beers are in abundance at Red Lodge Ales. Bent Nail IPA gives a hoppy nod to area contractors while the Helio Hefeweizen is as golden as the medal it
Walk in the footsteps of iconic visitors to the small town with a big history. Colorful characters like the Sundance Kid, Calamity Jane and Ernest Hemingway have made their way through Red Lodge since its establishment in 1884. From Crow territory to coal country, and finally diverse Carbon County community, Red Lodge enjoys a rich heritage. Immerse yourself in the historic setting with displays showcasing Red Lodge’s past in the Carbon County Historical Society Museum. The exhibits highlight rodeo tradition, American Indians, homesteaders and the importance of mining in the area. Not enough for the history buff in you? Take in the sights and the secrets of how Red Lodge came to be by embarking on the Historic Walking Tour through town. See the original jail, the Finnish Opera House, and even “Little Italy.” There’s more to learn around every corner that shocks, stirs and surprises the historian in you.
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The future is
Hear
Contrary to popular belief, hearing loss can affect newborns. A simple, painless hearing test can ensure a bright, healthy future for your baby. Talk to your doctor and have your newborn’s hearing tested at birth.
Visit newbornscreeningmontana.com or call 800-762-9891 for more information
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If you go
A tourist hangs out a car window to photograph a bison in Yellowstone National Park last summer.
Yellowstone National Park begins opening to vehicle traffic on April 21 when the route from Mammoth to Old Faithful, Madison to the West Entrance and Norris to Canyon open up. Dates that the park’s other roads open include: May 5: Canyon Junction to Lake; Lake to East Entrance (Sylvan Pass); May 12: Lake to West Thumb, West Thumb to Old Faithful (Craig Pass), and South Entrance to West Thumb; Tower Junction to Tower Fall; May 26: Tower Fall to Canyon Junction (Dunraven Pass). A seven-day pass to enter the park costs $30 per automobile. An annual pass is $60.
BRETT FRENCH, Gazette Staff
them to take ever greater risks. People taking selfies also will make the mistake of turning their back on wildlife so they can both be in the photo, said Linda Veress, Yellowstone spokesperson. The park requires people to stay 25 yards from most mammals, but in 2015 two people were gored by bison after they walked within 3 to 6 feet, she said. Another possibility is that beTourist took baby cause more people than ever live in cities, far removed from animals in bison for a drive general and wildlife in particular, they don’t know how to act. BY BRETT FRENCH “The bison do seem docile, it’s french@billingsgazette.com hard to believe they can run 30 mph,” Nickerson said. “They look Last year Yellowstone National pretty friendly.” Park tourists seemed to hit new More tourists than ever are heights for weird behavior. In a taking photos with cellphones or couple of instances, it was even iPads. Without a zoom lens they deadly. often get closer to their subject to One tourist loaded a baby bison take a good shot, putting them at in the back of his vehicle and drove risk of falling off a cliff or being it to the nearby ranger station gored by a bull elk. because he thought it was cold and Three Canadian men faced charges for walking on geothermal features in As Nickerson noted, it only Yellowstone National Park and posting the photos on Facebook. abandoned; a woman was filmed takes one person to wander closer petting a full-grown bison on the to a black bear to prompt others wonder, ‘What was he thinking?’” ries going around,” Nickerson said. to follow, what she called “group head; a roving band of filmmakOne is our society’s attraction said Norma Nickerson, a research ers captured their illegal romp think.” Veress said that at times to the point of distraction with professor at the University of on a delicate thermal feature on so many tourists will surround an Montana and director of the Insti- social media – platforms like camera and posted it online; and animal that it feels threatened and Facebook, Twitter and SnapChat. acts defensively. one man’s exploration for a place to tute for Tourism and Recreation Posting a selfie with a bison may Research. soak in hot water ended with him “You can’t have a ranger at Why is such foolishness on the encourage others to take a similar falling into a steaming, acidic pool every bear and bison crossing,” she risk. Or feedback glorifying a rise? and being boiled alive. said. “So you’re on your own.” “There are a few different theo- person’s behavior may embolden “You kind of hit your head and Surveys of Mandarin speak-
2016 FEATURED ZANY ACTS IN YELLOWSTONE
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ing tourists in West Yellowstone revealed that some of them thought that if the animals, geysers or fumaroles were dangerous, the government would fence them off because that’s what they do in China. “In their culture they feel it’s not dangerous,” Nickerson said. Another reason could be as simple as statistics: More people are visiting the park so it is more likely that there will be people who are ignorant about proper behavior around free-roaming wildlife and hot pools. Last year was another record year for visitation, with more than 4.25 million people mixing with record-high populations of bison and more distracted drivers. Those distracted drivers create a hazard by stopping in the middle of the road, jumping out of their cars or backing up traffic that can lead to other drivers dangerously passing. “That’s something we see just about every day,” Veress said. Last year a woman was so ex-
Calendar items Spring — Sometime in late March or early April, depending on how soon the road becomes snow free, the route between Yellowstone National Park’s West Entrance and Mammoth Hot Springs is opened exclusively to cyclists and other nonmotorized travelers. It’s a great time to see a portion of the park without the bustle of vehicles. Many cyclists ride from West Yellowstone to Gardiner on one day and return the opposite direction the next. On weekends it’s not unusual to see costumed groups of friends. May 5 — The historic Old Faithful Inn, with its massive wood beams and three-story tall rock fireplace, opens to visitors. Check out the ice cream shop, sun yourself on the upstairs
cited to see a bald eagle perched in a nearby tree that she pulled over, stepped out in front of an oncoming vehicle, was struck and died. Veress said that incident points to a lack of situational awareness in a different environment. “Another thing we see quite often is people disregarding signs,” Veress said, everything from orders to stay on boardwalks to not walk on thermal features. Some parks with limited access,
Lodging for the Discriminating Angler
61 First Street East, Fort Smith, MT 59035
www.bighornfly.com 1-888-665-1321 or 406-666-2253
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deck or have dinner in the expansive restaurant. May 20-21 — Jackson Hole, Wyoming, ElkFest, a weekend of activities built around the 50th annual world-famous Jackson Hole Boy Scout Elk Antler Auction, a time for celebrating nature, outdoor skills, and hunting and ecological education and awareness. https://www.jacksonholechamber.com/events-calendar/elkfest/ May 26 — The Beartooth Highway usually opens the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, providing a beautiful route from Red Lodge to Yellowstone’s North Entrance. Take your skis and make some turns down the Red Lodge Headwall.
such as Zion in Utah and Denali in Alaska – have already restricted visitation by requiring entry by bus only. Having tourists crowded into one confined space allows tour guides or interpretive rangers to educate travelers about proper behavior. But Nickerson doesn’t see that happening in such a large place as Yellowstone or Glacier national parks, with their multiple entry points, any time soon. “I’m pretty sure parks don’t
want to go that way because parks are for the people,” Nickerson said. Yet the National Park Service is also charged with protecting the natural resources under its care. What is the tipping point? “You are always going to have some people who go around the rules,” Nickerson said, but social media seems to have embolden more people to take those risks, she added. “It’s very powerful and immediate.”
Have An Experience Make A Memory
B I G H O R N
Cowboy Cuisine ~ Family Fun Night Horseback Riding ~ Wagon Rides Riverside BBQ ~ Learn to Fly Fish Nightly Bonfire ~ Winter Sleigh Rides
R I V E R
Memories ories are made at the 320 Guest Ranch R www.320ranch.com 406-995-4283
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Hoppin’ and boppin’ to
CROCS AT THE ROCK BY MIKE FERGUSON mferguson@billingsgazette.com Ancient predators are now inhabiting the Museum of the Rockies, and the group of crocodiles from Pennsylvania won’t give up their new habitat until Sept. 10. “Crocs: Ancient Predators in a Modern World” opened Feb. 25 at the Bozeman museum to a fair amount of social media buzz, according to Alicia Thompson, MOR’s director of marketing. “Staff and volunteers are excited to have these new residents come to Montana for a few months,” she said. “We posted a video on Facebook and people are liking it and commenting on it. It’s pretty fun what we were able to bring in.” The exhibit, which features live crocs, was created by Peeling Productions, the exhibit arm of Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland, which previously brought two other popular exhibitions to the museum: “Geckos: Tails to Toepads” in 2014 and “Frogs: A Chorus of Colors” in 2011. Crocodiles have flourished for more than 200 million years. The stealthy aquatic predators have rugged bodies, keen senses and incredible strength. But crocs are more than just brutes, according to a museum description of the exhibit. They lead intricate social lives, communicating with a range of pips, grunts, hisses, bellows and subtle changes in posture. They also battle over territories, engage in lengthy courtship rituals and provide their young with tender parental care. Crocodiles range from diminutive forest dwellers to behemoths that eat wildebeests, buffaloes —
If you go The Museum of the Rockies is at 600 W. Kagy Blvd on the Montana State University campus in Bozeman. Through May 26 it’s open from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. From May 27 through Sept. 3, the museum is open 8 a.m. through 6 p.m. daily. From Sept. 4 through mid-May 2018, it’s open 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. daily.
Photo courtesy of Museum of the Rockies
At “Crocs: Ancient Predators in a Modern World,” visitors can explore the complex lives of crocodilians and discover what is lurking at the Museum of the Rockies.
and occasionally people. The exhibit is designed to immerse visitors in the realm of crocodilians with an engaging and entertaining experience, complete with interactive displays, artifacts and, of course, the crocs themselves. “They have a fulltime caretaker who comes and stays with them,” Thompson explained. “We moderate the temperature and the humidity in the building.” “Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge. Shared Science” will succeed the croc exhibit, running from Sept. 23 through Jan. 12, 2018. That exhibit will focus on four indigenous communities brought to life in real-world examples of how traditional knowledge and cutting-edge Western science can be blended together. The exhibit was produced and is toured by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).
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“Memory on Glass: D.F. Barry on Standing Rock, 1878-1891” will also open Sept. 23 and will run through Jan. 21, 2018. David F. Barry photographed Native American men and women, frontier scouts, soldiers, trappers, missionaries and other pioneers. His photographs include forts, battlefields and the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in present-day North Dakota. He developed long-term relationships with some of his Lakota and Dakota subjects, who called him Icastinyanka Cikala Hanzi, “Little Shadow Catcher.” Chiefs Sitting Bull, Gall and Joseph of the Nez Perce, George Custer and his army associates and many others are represented in Barry’s voluminous portfolio. The exhibition is produced by MOR Exhibitions and will feature new research about Barry’s life by Museum of the Rockies Curator of History Michael Fox.
Admission is $14.50 for adults, $9.50 for children 5-17, and free for children 4 and under. Seniors 65 and older pay $13.50. Montana State University students are charged $10 with a valid ID. The museum offers a 10-percent discount to American Automobile Association members and $1 off to members of the military, their spouse and children. More information is available by visiting www.museumoftherockies. org or by calling 406-994-2251.
Last year, about 160,000 people visited the museum, in large part thanks to the popular “The Villas at Oplontis near Pompeii: Leisure and Luxury in the Age of Nero” exhibit. “We are growing and becoming more and more visible to summer traveling tourists,” Thompson said. “A lot of people told us they went out of their way to see the Pompeii exhibit. We’re engaging more in social media, and people are finding out we are about more than dinosaurs.” “We want to look at what our visitors want,” she added, “and to keep our finger on the pulse of what is going on culturally.”
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YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY CALENDAR OF EVENTS
TAKE YOUR
CASEY PAGE/Gazette Staff
The route features mountains with peaks over 12,000 feet in elevation and the Custer, Gallatin and Shoshone National Forests.
BIG SKY GALLATIN RIVER FLY FISHING FESTIVAL July 1-2 The Gallatin River is the site for a funfilled weekend of rafting, running, biking, eating, dancing and, of course, fishing. This festival raises funds to support conservation and restoration efforts by the Gallatin River Task Force within the Upper Gallatin River Watershed. THE GREAT GALLATIN GUIDE-OFF AND PEDAL, PADDLE, RUN-OFF July 1-2 As part of the Gallatin River Fly Fishing Festival, The Great Gallatin Guide-Off pairs master fly fishing guides with people who want to have a good time, catch fish and support a healthy Gallatin River. Event concludes with Guide-Off Olympics, a fair, music, food, and more. The race finale included live music at Town Center Park in Big Sky that evening. Activities will include product demonstrations, casting clinics and competitions, fly tying, kids’ activities, guided nature trips to the river and educational booths At 6 p.m. Sunday, Hooked on the Gallatin Banquet at the Gallatin Riverhouse offers a BBQ and wine from Natalie’s Estate Winery, along with live acoustic music, and a live and silent auction to benefit the Task Force. Information for teams and all activities is at Gallatinrivertaskforce.org.
BOZEMAN BREWS AND THE BIG SKY Apr. 25 Brews and the Big Sky: Agriculture and Ales explores growth and success industry
paired with Montana brews. This installment highlights brews from Katabatic Brewing Company and looks at the history with the Montana College of Agricultural and Mechanical Arts (now Montana State University). The 6 p.m. event happens at the Museum of the Rockies, 600 W. Kagy Blvd. Admission is $8; must be 21 or older. Museumofrockies.org. ART WALKS June 9 – Sept. 8 From 6 – 8 p.m. on the second Friday of the month June through September and a special “Winter” Art Walk in December, art galleries and businesses display artwork located along Main Street and at the Emerson Center for Arts and Culture. The galleries feature artists’ openings and receptions, and often provide hors d’oeuvres and complimentary refreshments. Music may play as you stroll along Main Street in Downtown Bozeman. For more information, Downtownbozeman.org MUSIC ON MAIN June 29-Aug. 17 Every Thursday evening 6:30-8 p.m. from late June to mid-August, businesses along Main Street offer live music, food and fun in downtown Bozeman. Food vendors are on site and area restaurants are always an option. Many downtown stores stay open late. For more information, go to downtownbozeman.org SWEET PEA FESTIVAL Aug. 4-6 Celebrate the arts and community through events for the whole family. Start with the Chalk on the Walk, Aug. 1; the Bite Please see Calendar, Page 32
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YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Calendar From 30
of Bozeman, Aug. 2; Music on Main, Aug. 3; Adult Run, Children’s Run and Parade, Aug. 5. For more information, Sweetpeafestival.org HEART OF THE WEST ART SHOW & LIVE AUCTION Aug. 10-12 This high-quality, contemporary Western art show and sale combines with contemporary Western online auctions at the Grantree Inn of Bozeman. About 50 premier contemporary Western artists will be on hand for demonstrations, educational presentations, live auctions and sales of their latest artwork. For more information, Heartofthewestart.com
LIVINGSTON LIVINGSTON ROUNDUP RODEO July 2-4 Livingston’s rodeo draws 10,000 spectators yearly to see top rodeo cowboys and cowgirls from across North America competing in multiple events. These are the best saddle-bronc riders, team ropers, barrel racers, and bull riders. Fun starts 3 p.m. Sunday at the Livingston Chamber of Commerce Parade held downtown. Rodeos are held nightly at 8 p.m. Fireworks appear July 4 at the Park County Fairgrounds. For more information, Livingstonroundup.com or Livingston-chamber.com FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS Jul 2–4 The Livingston Depot Center’s Festival of the Arts will be held in the Depot Rotary Park, on West Park Street (next to the Depot Center) in downtown Livingston. This three-day juried show features works from all media of arts and crafts, created by approximately 100 skilled artists and craftspeople. Non-profit groups also offer specialty foods, and the Depot continues to host the acclaimed pie booth. For more information, Livingstondepot.org “COMPANY” AT SHANE LALANI CENTER July 7-30 Stephen Sondheim’s musical comedy is a summer must-see at the Shane Lalani Center for the Arts. “Company” presents the lives of five married couples through the eyes of perpetual bachelor Bobby on his 35th birthday. For more information, Theshanecenter.org SUMMERFEST July 21 This year’s Summerfest is a day-long event with music and family-friendly
Detroit Free Press
T. rex looms over visitors at the Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman. festivities along the Yellowstone River. Local vendors and Montana talent add to the show that is held each year by the Livingston Recreation Department. For more information, Livsummerfest.com PARK COUNTY FAIR Jul 26-29 This county-wide and 4-H fair has a carnival, games, rides, stock auction, commercial exhibitions, family entertainment, farmers market and pig wrestling contest. There are 20 water and electrical hookups for RVs and campers at the Park County Fairground, 46 View Vista Drive, Livingston.
RED LODGE RED LODGE MUSIC FESTIVAL June 3-11 The oldest and most successful music festival in Montana attracts more than 200 students annually, with faculty from universities, colleges and symphony orchestras from across the nation. Now a fullblown, nine-day music festival at the Red Lodge Civic Center, there are five evening faculty concerts, two evening student recitals, and afternoon band and orchestra performances. For more information, Redlodge.com or rlmf.org
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RED LODGE SONGWRITER FESTIVAL June 22-24 Celebrate summer listening to some of the country’s best songwriters in Downtown Red Lodge, Montana for the 2nd Annual Red Lodge Songwriter Festival. Shows will start late in the afternoon and play into the late night. A portion of the proceeds support Friends of the Beartooths, dedicated to the improvement and promotion of the Beartooth Highway and its neighboring communities. For more information, www. redlodgesongwriterfest.com RED LODGE HOME OF CHAMPIONS RODEO AND PARADE July 2-4 Home of Champions Rodeo features some of professional rodeo’s top cowboys and cowgirls. Celebrate 88 years of ropin’ and ridin’, singin’ and swingin’ with a downtown parade each day at noon and a rodeo at 6 p.m. July 2-3 and 3 p.m. July 4. Get information and tickets at www.redlodgerodeo.com. ART IN THE BEARTOOTHS July 8 The 44th Annual Art in the Beartooths is 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, July 8 at the Carbon County Depot Gallery. This annual fundraiser begins with 30 artists painting
live on the deck of the Depot Gallery and in Lion’s Park. As the artists paint until 2 p.m., viewing is free and open to everyone. Gates for the ticketed part of the event open at 4 p.m. in Lions Park. A no-host bar and hors d’oeuvres will be available while viewing the art created that day. For more information, www.carboncountydepotgallery.org BEARTOOTH MOTORCYCLE RALLY July 14-16 The 23rd annual Beartooth Motorcycle rally weekend promises lots of rides, food and fun. In the evening you can dance under the stars. Get an official rally shirt to remember the fun. www.bonedaddyscustomcycle.com CRUISIN RED LODGE CAR AND BIKE SHOW July 21-23 Red Lodge’s premiere summer car show will have you in awe at your favorite classic cars and motorcycles. A 6-9 p.m. Friday BBQ is at Bone Daddys, with a parade down Main Street at 7 p.m. The Saturday Car Show is all day at Pride Park. Saturday evening is a Drive In Movie at the Fairgrounds, and the Nostalgic Drag Races are Sunday on the airport runway. For more information, www.cruisenredlodge.com
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YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY CALENDAR OF EVENTS LABOR DAY ARTS FAIR September 4 Enjoy art and fine crafts from 90-plus artists for one annual Labor Day Arts Fair, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday, Sept. 5, in Lions Park, Red Lodge. Stroll the park and stop in the artists’ booths to shop for original creations. Food vendors surround the gazebo, and local groups entertain all day at the gazebo. Free Admission. For more information, www.carboncountydepotgallery.org
REED POINT GREAT MONTANA SHEEP DRIVE September 3 Hundreds of sheep take to Reed Point’s main street at 10 a.m. during this Labor Day weekend staple. Enjoy the street fair, parade and street dance, as well as the Classic Car Show and Round Bale Roll. For more information, Stillwatercountychamber.com
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS
Springs keeps the party safe. A portion of the profits from the Red Ants Pants Music Festival go to the Red Ants Pants Foundation to develop and expand leadership roles for women, preserve and support working family farms and ranches, and enrich and promote rural communities. Ticket information and details are at redantspantsmusicfestival.com.
THREE FORKS HEADWATERS COUNTRY JAM June 15-17 The biggest country music festival in Montana has three days of country music featuring more than a dozen bands, headliners Chris Young, Randy Houser and Frankie Ballard. Fans enjoy ice cold beer, a round of horseshoes or dancing the night away. Held at The Bridge near Three Forks, camping is available. For more information, Rock- A bronze statue of Sacajawea is silhouetted by the setting sun in Sacajawea Park near downtown Livingston. The park marks the location where Lewis and intherivers.com
WEST YELLOWSTONE
RED ANTS PANTS FESTIVAL SMOKING WATERS Jul 27 – 30, 2017 MOUNTAIN MAN RENDEZVOUS Music, food, camping, beer and more Aug. 4-13 bring thousands to this festival annually. Only one mile from the West Entrance A free shuttle service between the festi- to Yellowstone National Park, spend a day val grounds and the town of White Sulphur or a week experiencing frontier life in the
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Clark rested on their journey west in 1806. 1800s at this encampment. The rendezvous is complete with traders’ row, a real encampment, entertainment and seminars about “life as it was.” See the dangers and excitement of the era during Tomahawk and knife demonstrations for
adults and children, black-powder shoots and mountain-man storytelling. Admission is free; Traders must have primitive gear and canvas-style tents. The primitive camp has no water or electricity. For more information, Twoturtlestradingpost.com
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Reborn on the site of Anaconda’s century old copper smelter, Old Works is the first course ever built on a Federal EPA Superfund site. Jack Nicklaus incorporated historic relics into his design of Old Works. Granite slabs from the old mill line the banks of trout-filled Warm Springs Creek, protecting the 10th green. Massive stone furnaces border the third fairway, while the 150-foot flue provides a dramatic backdrop to the fourth green. Nicklaus also incorporated five sets of tees each hole allowing the course to measure from 5,290 to over 7,700 yards offering a challenge to players of all skill levels. All bunkers are filled with black slag sand - slag is a by-product of the copper smelting process - giving the course it’s unique and signature look. Managed by Troon and owned by Anaconda Deer Lodge County, Old Works is an 18-hole, par-72, public course spread across 220 acres. The club’s unique three-hole “Little Bear” course has two par 4s and a par 3 and is popular with families and with golfers short on time. The Old Works practice facility includes a driving range with multiple target greens, chipping and putting greens and two practice bunkers. Old Works is currently rated as No. 94 on Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” list, making the course a must-play for golfers traveling near or through Montana. Moreover, Old Works is one of the most affordable Jack Nicklaus Signature designs in the world.
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Black slag traps on hole 3
Old Works Golf Course 1205 Pizzini Way, Anaconda, MT 59701 406-563-5983 • www.oldworks.org SPRING/SUMMER 2017
INSIDE THIS SECTION
SOUTHWEST COUNTRY
Naturally air conditioned caves
Headwaters State Park
Montana’s state parks Darbyother logging
Calendar of Events Territorial Days, An Ri Ra Montana Irish Festival, Butte 100 Mountain Bike Race and more.
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Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park:
Stalactites and so much more
BY PAT HANSEN Discovered in 1892, Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park was dedicated as Montana’s first state park in 1941. The famous explorers never saw the caverns but the area overlooks about 50 miles of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Trail along the Jefferson River. Naturally air conditioned, the limestone caves are lined with intricate stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and helictites, and are electrically lighted and safe to visit. Bring a light jacket because temperatures inside the caverns are much cooler – 50 degrees year-round — in comparison to the outside temperature in summer. The tour is great for all ages and kids will love it! It’s a twohour two-mile walking trip deep into the mountain that requires a lot of stooping, bending and climbing that can be difficult for someone with knee or back problems; if you’re claustrophobic you might want to think twice. The tour guides are passionate about what they do and you will learn a lot about the caverns. The walk can be a bit strenuous, the trail to the cave is ¾-mile uphill; make sure the people you take can handle it. Small golf carts are available to transport people unable to walk the trail back from the caves, but there is significant walking to be done inside the caverns with many stairs, slippery areas, and even a short slide; but handrails throughout the caverns help steady you. If unable to meet the physical challenges, call the park for details on a modified tour and times. The park has a state-of-the-
If you go ... Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park is located on Highway 2, 19 miles west of Three Forks or 17 miles east of Whitehall. Season – All year, with cave tours from May 1 to Sept. 30 Phone 406-287-3541; alternate phone 406-287-3032; online: http:// stateparks.mt.gov Cave Tours are $12 for adults (12 and up), $5 for children between the ages of 6 and 11, five and under are free – due to clearance backpacks or bulky items are not allowed. May 1 - June 14: 9:00 a.m. 4:30p.m. June 15 - August 19: 9:00 a.m. 6:30 p.m. August 20 - September 30: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Montana State Parks photos
Bring a light jacket because the temperature inside the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park caverns is much cooler – 50 degrees year-round — in comparison to the outside temperature in summer.
art visitor center and interpretive displays that explain the geologic development and history, café, gift shop and evening programs during the summer months. For a full listing of subjects and times: www.stateparks.mt.gov A self-guided nature trail provides opportunities to understand the natural surroundings. Ten miles of hiking trails in the 3,000-acre park with an elevation of 4,300 to 5,600 feet provide opportunity for wildlife and bird watching. Cyclists are allowed on the trails, but must yield to hikers and not contribute to trail erosion. A large population of Western Big-Ear bats at the cave put on a spectacular show in the eve-
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ning when they fly out to feed on insects. There are no tours during the winter to allow the bats to have a peaceful hibernation. Canoe, kayak or float on the Jefferson River, across from the park, or go fishing. Two picnic areas are located along the 3.2-mile road to the Caverns. The campground has 40-spaces, three camping cabins, tipi, picnic sites, firewood, flush and vault toilets, showers, group use area, RV dump station, grills/fire rings, picnic tables, trash cans, drinking water, and a food/beverage and gift concession. Pets are allowed if on a leash and under control. The cabins are handicap acces-
Special candlelight tours are offered during the holiday season every December. Campground and cabins are open all year. For reservations call toll free: 855-922-6768
sible and sleep four comfortably (maximum occupancy is six people) - double bed, set of bunk beds and room for a cot. Plumbing, kitchen facilities, bedding and linens are not provided, so bring your own sleeping bag or bedding, towels, cook stove, etc. There are electric lights and plug-ins — you may bring your own coffee maker. A table and four chairs are provided and outside each cabin is a picnic table and fire ring. Shower facilities are located nearby. Lewis and Clark Caverns are a great stop during a trip between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.
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Lost Creek State Park framed with towering limestone cliffs BY PAT HANSEN Camp, fish, bird-watch, view wildlife, stroll to the waterfalls, picnic and hike in Lost Creek State Park, a 502-acre park located in a valley surrounded by mountains and shaded by lodge pole pine, Douglas fir and quaking aspen. Don’t forget binoculars to get a closer look at the towering limestone cliffs and pink and white granite formations towering 1,200 feet above the boulder-strewn valley. Mountain goats and bighorn sheep are occasionally seen on the cliffs and you may seer downy woodpeckers, Clark’s nutcrackers and other birds throughout the canyon. A five-minute stroll on the short paved trail brings you to Lost Creek Falls, a 50-foot cascade that tumbles over fractured bedrock. Above the falls a trail
If you go ... Lost Creek State Park is open May 1 to November 30. Directions: 1.5 miles east of Anaconda on Montana 1, then 2 miles north on Secondary 273, then 7 miles west on paved and gravel road to the dead end. From Interstate 90, take Montana Highway 1 toward Anaconda; one-quarter mile before the junction turn right onto Galen Road/Secondary 273, and follow signs to the park. Contact information: 406-287-3541 or stateparks@mt.gov Montana State Parks photo
At Lost Creek State Park near Anaconda, a five-minute stroll on the short paved trail brings you to Lost Creek Falls, a 50-foot cascade that tumbles over fractured bedrock.
trends uphill for five miles into the and possible wildlife sightings. There are 21 camp sites and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, offering panoramic views three day-use sites in the park; RV/trailer size is limited to 23 feet of the rugged Flint Creek Range
and a maximum stay is 14 days during a 30-day period. The park is handicap accessible with vault toilets, grills/fire rings, picnic tables, drinking water and interpretive displays. There is a fee for overnight and day use. Remember to pack in/pack out your trash.
Telling the story of Montana for over 75 years
Bannack State Park
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Photo courtesy of the Montana Office of Tourism & Business Development
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Missouri Headwaters State Park: Must-see for Lewis and Clark fans BY PAT HANSEN Within the boundaries of this scenic and serene state park near Three Forks, the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin rivers merge to form the 2,300-mile Missouri River. The National Historic Landmark area looks much like it did when Lewis and Clark camped here on July 28, 1805, during their expedition. If you are a Lewis and Clark history buff, this is a mustsee attraction, but there is other history, too, and it is a fun stop for the entire family. Missouri Headwaters State Park opened in 1951 and has many stories to tell – beginning with the first people who were here 3,000 years ago. Besides the confluence itself, there are walking and hiking trails, overlooks, petroglyphs, the remains of a ghost town and extensive historical and environmental signage that help you understand the history and what you are looking at. The park is 532 acres in size and is 4,045 feet in elevation. You can climb to the top of Fort Rock, and put your hand or feet into the various rivers. It’s a great spot for pictures. Much of the region’s abundant wildlife, lush vegetation, and scenic beauty that have attracted people for thousands of years are preserved in the park. The tranquility here is rejuvenating, so sit back and listen to the sounds of the river, birds singing and the breeze rustling leaves of cottonwood trees while absorbing the sights. Meriwether Lewis wrote of this important geographic point in the western part of the continent — the country opens suddenly to extensive and beautiful plains and meadows which appear to be surrounded in every direction with
Montana State Parks
Missouri Headwaters State Park opened in 1951.
If you go ... Located near Three Forks, the park is easy to access. Leave Interstate 90 at the Three Forks exit onto the frontage road and drive two miles east, turn left onto Trident Road and follow the signs. Season: Open all year The park provides 17 campsites for RV or tent camping and a tipi – six are first-come, first served, the others and the tipi are by reservation.
distant and lofty mountains. The legendary Shoshone woman, Sacajawea, was captured here as a child and eventually returned as the interpreter and only female member of the Corps of Discovery. John Colter, another member of the expedition, later made several trips to the area in search of furs
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There is a camp host and camp sites have grill/fire rings, firewood and ice is available to buy, vault toilets and drinking water. To reserve a campsite call: 855-922-6768 toll-free (Mountain time), Mon-Fri 8:00am7:00pm, Sat-Sun 9:00am-5:00pm, or visit stateparks.mt.gov Contact number: 406-285-3610; online stateparks@mt.gov
floating the river, fishing, picnicking, bicycling, camping, interpretive programs, and photography are popular activities; pack in/ pack out trash. There is also a paved walking, bike riding trail that extends all the way into nearby Three Forks. Pets are allowed but must be on a leash.
Summer events:
Speaker Series, Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. in the park’s picnic area. The 2017 theme will be and began his famous run nearby. “The Importance of Watersheds.” Pioneers slowly settled the surFollowing each presentation is rounding area and transformed it a marshmallow roast campfire. into profitable grazing and farming Presentations are free, just bring land. a chair. The park is ADA accessible, Kids ages 7—10 can join the with restrooms, grassy picnic area Lewis & Clark Discovery Club with a shelter, walking and hiking activities, at 10 a.m. Saturday in trails and a boat launch. Boating or the summer.
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JULY 7-9, 2017 BUTTE, MONTANA
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Beaverhead Rock, Clark’s Lookout state parks little but interesting Clark’s Lookout State Park From stateparks.mt.gov Clark’s Lookout State Park is located above the Beaverhead River and is a place that provided the Lewis and Clark Expedition with a view of the route ahead. On August 13, 1805, Captain William Clark climbed this hill overlooking the Beaverhead River to get a sense of his surroundings and document the location. It is situated on 8.2 acres of land at 5,118 feet. Clark’s Lookout State Park is located just 1 mile north of Dillon off Highway 91. Near the paved parking lot, interpretive signs explain navigational methods used by the expedition. Make the short walk to the top of the lookout and you’ll discover a magnificent view of the Beaverhead Valley and a monument showing the three compass readings that Captain Montana State Parks photo Clark took on that day. The sighting of Beaverhead Rock by Sacajewa gave the Lewis and Clark Expedition hope that they may be able to find Native peoples from which to acquire horses for their trip across the mountains to the Pacific Ocean.
Beaverhead Rock State Park From stateparks.mt.gov Sacagawea, a young Shoshone Indian guide traveling with the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805, recognized this rock formation and knew that she may be in the vicinity of her relatives. The sighting gave the expedition hope that they may be able to find Native peoples from which to acquire horses for their trip across the mountains to the Pacific Ocean. The park is northeast of Dillon. Meriwether Lewis, August 8, 1805 wrote: “The Indian woman recognized the point of a high plain to our right which she informed us was not very distant from the summer retreat of her nation on a river beyond the mountains which runs to the west.
This hill she says her nation calls the beaver’s head from a conceived resemblance of its figure to the head of that animal. She assures us that we shall either find her people on this river or on the river immediately west of its source; which from its present size cannot be very distant.” Resembling the head of a swimming beaver, this natural landmark is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The site may be viewed and photographed from a distance, but is not directly accessible.
Madison Buffalo Jump State Park From stateparks.mt.gov Situated on the edge of a
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broad valley carved by the Madison River, south of Three Forks, this high limestone cliff was used by Native Americans for 2,000 years — ending as recently as 200 years ago. Native people stampeded vast herds of bison off this massive semicircular cliff, using them for food, clothing, shelter and provisions. “Runners,” highly skilled young men trained for speed and endurance, wore buffalo, antelope or wolf skins to lure bison to the “pishkun” or cliff. The buffalo jump was often the key to existence for native peoples. Although the introduction of horses led to the abandonment of this jump sometime after 1700, the rugged outcropping now serves as an inspiring
monument to the region’s early inhabitants. The park includes all the main geographical features of a jump site and other evidence remains to provide visitors with a glimpse into the cultures that used this hunting style. Interpretive displays help visitors understand the dramatic events that took place here for nearly 2,000 years. Buffalo bones still lie buried at the cliff’s base, and archaeologists have located the tipi rings of an extensive village. With a little imagination it is easy to visualize the drama of a buffalo drive, the thunderous roar of the stampede, the dramatic sight of the fall, and the frenzy of activity that followed.
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Bannack State Park BRINGS OLD WEST ALIVE ONCE AGAIN BY PAT HANSEN The site of Montana’s first major gold discovery in 1862 and Montana’s first territorial capital is off the beaten path, but Bannack State Park is well worth the time to see the “Old West” come alive again. The history of the area is fascinating and you can spend hours exploring the 50 buildings that line Main Street. But allow at least two hours to walk the deserted street and listen to the voices of past residents — if you have ears to hear them. Definitely get a guide booklet so you can learn about the history of each building — this is what makes it all come alive and an adventure enjoyed by all ages. At the visitor center you will find a public restroom, get your guide for the town and trail maps, view videos on Montana history and there’s a good assortment of Montana history, outdoor books and other merchandise for sale. Self-guided tours are offered year round that allow you to spend as much time exploring what and where you want. Guided tours are available during the summer months and by special request. The park is handicapped accessible, and pets are allowed on a leash Bannack is one of the best preserved of all Montana ghost towns — being preserved rather than restored. The registered historic landmark is the site of Montana’s first major gold discovery on July 28, 1862. This strike set off a massive gold rush that swelled Bannack’s population to over 3,000 by 1863. As the easy to work gold deposits were exhausted, the bustling population steadily declined. The town
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If you go ... Bannack State Park Located 21 miles west of Dillon: take I-15 south of Dillon to Exit 59 (Highway 278 exit.) Open daily all year Campground - Open all year weather permitting Visitor Center - Memorial Day to Labor Day, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., daily Contact Information: Phone 406-834-3413 To reserve a camping space or the tipi call (toll free) at 1-855-922-6768 or on their website at www.stateparks.mt.gov
Special events: Summer activities: One-hour tours of the town are available, or book the 50-minute Mill tour to visit a restricted area. Want to pan for gold? Join in a supervised activity from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. on weekends – you keep what you find in the pan. Gold panning, mining and rock hounding are not permitted elsewhere in the park. Each Saturday during sumMontana State Parks photo mer months, entertainers, The 50 buildings at Bannack State Park vary from one-room log cabins to actors, workshop facilitators, and a multi-room wood-frame house, a church, sod-roofed jail, saloons, a twostory combination Masonic lodge and school and stores. The Hotel Meade is scientists give talks and perforpictured here. mances that might include music, star-gazing, poetry or lecture/ demonstrations. the sheriff — who was a lawman became a state park in 1954. Also Bannack Days, the third turned outlaw. The 50 buildings vary from weekend in July, celebrates pioneer There are two cemeteries — one-room log cabins to a multione on the road into the park and life and Bannack’s glory days with room wood-frame house, a the other on a hill above the town. historic displays, re-enactors, church, sod-roofed jail, saloons), activities and food; Living History a two-story combination Masonic It is a bit of a hike up the hill to Weekend, September 14 – 17, 2017; lodge and school, stores and a brick the cemetery, but well worth it Bannack Ghost Walks, the third government building that was lat- for a beautiful view of the town, week of October; ice skating, Dec. the trails leading into town and er converted to a hotel. There is a gallows where the Vigilantes hung mining building on the far moun- 26 (weather permitting) to first week of March. tainside. several highwaymen, including
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Welcome to
Butte • Mt Great Dinners
Gamer’s Got It! Wed-Sat 5p.m-10p.m Lunch Mon-Sat 7-2 & Sunday 8-2
15 West Park • 723-5453
Mall Hours
MONDAY – FRIDAY 10am – 9pm SATURDAY 10am – 6pm SUNDAY 12pm – 5pm
While you’re enjoying our summer festivities visit the Butte Plaza Mall!
3100 Harrison Avenue Butte, Montana 59701
While in town don’t forget to try... Simplify your Butte vacation with a stop at the Butte Summer Chamber Hours Visitor Center. Where you’ll find information about (late May-Sept.) individual attractions, walking tours, maps & more. You’ll Monday - Saturday: 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. also find friendly, knowledgeable staff to answer any of Sunday: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. your Butte questions! While you’re here, take a narrated 1000 George Street trolley tour of “The Butte, MT 59701 Richest Hill On Earth.” Phone: (406) 723-3177 Call today to make your Toll Free: (800) 735-6814 reservations for our daily www.buttechamber.org trolley tours”.
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LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED
SPRING/SUMMER 2017
Welcome to
Butte • Mt Open Tues. - Sat. 11:30am - 7:00pm
Montana St. & Rowe Rd.
All Beef Hamburgers, Homemade Fries, Homemade Ice Cream
An Rí Rá Montana Irish Festival
FREE ADMISSION August 11,12,-13, 2017
Butte,Montana | The Original Mine
mtgaelic.org facebook.com/anriramontana
Copper King Mansion
219 West Granite, Butte 406-782-7580 Home of Senator William Andrews Clark
Bring this ad in for a FREE TOUR with one paid tour. Get 10% OFF your B&B stay
Truzzolino Pasties and Party Pasties Baked Fresh Daily TTamales & Tamale Pies FRESH OR FROZEN
A Production of The Montana Gaelic Cultural Society Festival Partners: Butte-Silver Bow Government, Butte-Silver Bow CVB, Butte-Silver Bow TBID
1921 Harrison Ave., Butte • 782-0374 • M-F 8-5 1
Butte's only Boutique Hotel in Historic uptown Butte
Located within walking distance of Festivals, Restaurants, Local Breweries & Distilleries and so much more that Uptown Butte has to offer! Only 8 rooms Available!
Call or book online Today! • 53 W. Park • 406.723.8928
www.theminershotel.com
Gifts For All Occasions, Moscow Mule Mugs, Home Decor, Jewelry, Personalization Station, Montana & Butte Appeal, Souvenirs & More 2125 5H Harrison i A Ave. | 406 406-494-2070 494 2070 | b buttecopper.com tt
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Welcome to BUTTE Come Stay at one of WELCOME TO Hotels BUTTE Buttte’s Newest Your Stay Includes: Business Service Health & Fitness Center Indoor Pool and Spa Free Breakfas
Welcome to
DILLON
2609 Harrison Ave – Butte
Reservations 406-782-2000
Special Gifts for Special People and Customize Products Take Home Something Uniquely Butte or Something Made in Montana
20 Local Businesses in 1 Shop 21 N. Main, Butte | 406-491-1534 Open Tuesday - Sunday 11-6
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Check in to a productive stay.
201 E. Helena St. (406) 683-2205 Chris Tomlinson
Dillon, MT 59725 Owner/Manager
www.adventurecycleandsled.com • cyclensled@msn.com
Barrett Hospital & HealthCare Celebrates 5Years In Our New Home
We're proud to serve our guests, with everything from flexible spaces to free hot breakfast.
From $99/night* To reserve your room, call 800.MARRIOTT or visit fairfieldinn.com
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Butte 2340 Cornell Avenue Butte, MT 59701 406-494-3000 fairfieldinn.com/btmfi
You're our #1 priority.
“Quality Healthcare Close to Home” Learn more at http://fairfield.marriott.com/guarantee.php *Hotel's room rates vary depending on time of year, and are subject to applicable state and local taxes in effect at the time of check-out.
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600 MT Highway 91 South Dillon, MT 59725 | (406) 683-3000 www.barretthospital.org
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SOUTHWEST MONTANA HOT SPOTS 3 BUTTE Perkins Restaurant & Bakery
1 ANACONDA Anaconda Country Club 1521 Country Club Rd. 406-797-3220 www.anacondacountryclub.com
2900 Harrison Ave. #2 (406) 494-2490 Sun.-Thurs. 6am-11pm; Fri. & Sat. 6am-1am www.perkinsrestaurants.com
4
Barclay II Supper Club
1
1300 E. Commercial Ave. (406) 563-5541 Tues.-Sun. 5pm-9pm
Remember That? Candy Shop
Rocker
2
Community Hospital of Anaconda
2450 Harrison Ave. 406-498-6500 Mon. & Sat. 10am-5pm Tues.-Fri. 10am-6pm
3
401 W. Pennsylvania St. (406) 563-8500 communityhospitalofanaconda.org
Royse’s Hamburgers, Shakes & More 2340 Harrison Ave. (406) 782-1971 Dining Room: Mon.-Fri. 10:30am-7:30pm Drive Thru: Mon.-Fri. 10:30am8:30pm, Sat. 10:30am-4pm
Copper Village Museum/Art Center 401 E. Commercial Ave. (406) 563-2422 www.coppervillageartcenter.org MUSEUM
Dee Motor Company
St. James Healthcare
1200 E. Commercial Ave. (406) 563-5225 www.deemotors.com GM, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Chevy
Dunne Communications Inc. 204 E. Commercial Ave. (406) 563-7115 www.rf-team.com
Goosetown Health Club and Training Center 909 E. Front St. (406) 563-7878 Mon.-Thurs. 5:45am-9 Sat.-5:45am-8, Sun.-10am-5pm
Glacier Bank
Member FDIC
ATM 307 E. Park Ave
AVAILABLE (406)
563-5203 www.glacierbank.com
RFWave High Speed Internet 204 E. Commercial Ave. (406) 563-5333 www.rfwave.net Subway Eat Fresh 1420 E. Park Ave. (in Thriftway) (406) 563-6570 Fri. & Sat. 5am-Midnight Sun.-Thurs. 5am-11pm
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400 S. Clark St. (406) 723-2500 www.stjameshealthcare.org
5 2 ROCKER Subway Eat Fresh
Town Pump Plaza 1000 Grizzly Trail (406) 782-0101
3 BUTTE Addicted Boutique 1639 Harrison Ave. 406-600-5798 Tues.-Thurs. 11am-6pm; Fri. 11am-5pm; Sat. 10:30am-5pm www.addictedboutiquemt.com
Beautiful Things
3 BUTTE Christina’s Cocina
102 S. Washington St. 406-723-5407
Joe’s Pasty
2201 Silver Bow Blvd. (406) 723-8444 www.christinascocinacafe.com
1641 Grand Ave. (406) 723-9071 Mon.-Fri. 7am-7pm; Copper King Mansion Sat. 7am-6pm 219 W. Granite St. Lisac’s Tri Stop 406-782-7580 2544 Harrison Ave. www.copperkingmansion.com (406) 782-9359 Open 24 Hours Fairmont Hot MUSEUM
Springs Resort
M&M Bar & Cafe
I-90 Exit 211, 15 miles west of Butte 1-800-332-3272 www.fairmontmontana.com
9 S. Main St. (406) 299-3998 Sun.-Thur. 7am-10pm; Fri. & Sat. 7am 12pm
27 W. Broadway Glacier Bank Member FDIC 406-697-1500 ATM 1880 Harrison Ave. www.beautifulthingsonbroadway.com AVAILABLE 3701 Harrison Ave. Broadway Café www.glacierbank.com 302 E. Broadway Great Harvest 406-723-8711 Bread Co. Mon.-Thurs. 11am-9pm; Fri. 1803 Harrison Ave. 11am-10pm; Sat. 11:30am-9pm 406-723-4988 Butte Catholic www.greatharvestbutte.com
Community-North
3 BUTTE
Miller’s Boots & Shoes
1900 Wall St. 406-490-7057
The Stone Fly 2205 Amherst Ave. 406-494-0707 Mon.-Fri. 9am-6pm Sat. 9am-5pm Thestonefly.com
Whitehead’s Cutlery & Candy Shop 73 E. Park St. 406-723-9188
4 DEER LODGE Deer Park Golf Course
838 Golf Course Rd. 301 S. Arizona Ave 406-846-1625 406-782-1306 Open Daily Mon.-Fri. 9am-5:30pm See us on Facebook Sat. 10am-4pm www.millersbootsandshoes.com 5 DILLON
Old Butte Historical Adventures
Horizon Credit Union ATM 1555 Harrison Ave. AVAILABLE (406) 723-8288 www.hzcu.org
Studio 19
MUSEUM
117 N. Main St. 406-498-3424
Barrett Hospital and Health Care 600 State Hwy 91 S (406) 683-3000 www.barretthospital.org
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Anaconda Smoke Stack State Park: An unforgettable structure BY PAT HANSEN The short side trip to view the well-known landmark at Anaconda Smoke Stack State Park is worth your time. Access to the viewing/interpretive area is free. There is no visitor center or staff at this location. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the stack may be viewed and photographed only from a distance. Interpretive signs tell the history of the stack and smelter, while the brick circle around which the panels were placed provides an impressive image that demonstrates how enormous the size of the base and top of the stack really are. There are also a few mining artifacts including a pair of giant smelting pots from the smelter. Big enough to stand up in, they make great photo opportunities with your family. The old Anaconda Copper Company smelter stack, completed in 1919, is one of the tallest free-standing brick structures in the world at 585 feet, not including the foundation. In comparison, the Washington Monument is 555 feet tall. The stack contains 2,464,652 locally manufactured bricks – each about 2.7 times larger than a normal brick. The lowest 80 feet is an octagonal shape, while the rest is circular; encircled by many large steel rods for reinforcement. The inside diameter is 75 feet at bottom, tapering to 60 feet at the top. The walls are six feet thick at the bottom and two feet at the top. The smelter was shut down in 1980, and today the stack and mountains of black slag dominate the landscape, a reminder of
Walter Hinick, The Montana Standard
In this file photo, thousands of people attend the opening night of the Montana Folk Festival at the Original Mine yard July 8, 2016.
SUMMER IN SOUTHWEST MONTANA:
Pat Hansen photo
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the stack at Anaconda Smoke Stack State Park may be viewed and photographed only from a distance.
If you go ... Anaconda Smoke Stack State Park Open all year The park is located at the junction of Park Street (Highway 1) and Monroe Street on the eastern edge of Anaconda, adjacent to Goodman Park.
the company that once dominated the area’s economy. They are part of one of the biggest environmental cleanup Superfund sites in the United States. Anaconda citizens organized to “Save the Stack” and in 1986 it was designated a state park.
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A 2017 calendar of events Territorial Days in Deer Lodge, Saturday-Sunday, June 16-17: Show ‘n’ Shine, parade, poker run, brewfest and Jaywalkers Jamboree. Details: 406-846-2094 Big Sky Draft Horse Expo, June 30-July 2, Powell County Fairgrounds, Deer Lodge; 406846-2094; http//drafthorseexpo.com and Facebook Montana Folk Festival, Friday-Sunday, July 7-9, Uptown Butte; montanafolkfestival.com; geverett@montana. com. Music from around the world. Free. Art in the Park, Friday-Sunday, July 14-16, 2017. Annual arts festival in Anaconda’s spectacular Washoe Park. Cookin’ on the Clark Fork BBQ Cook-off and Festival, Saturday, July 19, Main Street
Walter Hinick
One of two base jumpers leaps from high atop a 200-foot boom set up in the Original Mine yard during Evel Knievel Days.
in Deer Lodge; 406-560-5006; www.clarkforkbbq; Facebook
SPRING/SUMMER 2017
A scene from Territorial Days in Deer Lodge is ictured in this photo. The event features a car show, pancake breakfast, fun run, outdoor movie and parade, among other activities. Pat Hansen photo
COUNTY FAIRS
Silver Bow County Fair, Butte Civic Center, August 2-5, 2017; buttesilverbowfair.com.. Madison County Fair in Twin Bridges, Aug. 9-13. Evel Knievel Days, July Includes rodeo. Details: Dana 27-29, 2017, Uptown Butte. A Escott, 406-684-5824. weekend of motorcycle stunts Tri-County Fair in Deer and related mayhem. Free. Lodge, August 16-20, 2017. De Butte 100 Mountain Bike tails: Danielle Stevenson, 406Race, July 29, 2017: The na691-0582. tionally recognized Butte 100 mountain bike race includes a Jefferson County Fair and 25-, 50- and 100-mile all off-road Rodeo, Boulder, Aug. 24-27. race that draws professionals and Details: http://www.jeffersonamateurs alike - it is described county-mt.gov/fair.html as ‘the most difficult mountain Montana’s Biggest Weekbike race in the country’. Details: end, Sept. 2-4, Dillon, featuring www.butte100.com. rodeo, county fair, concert, food. Frontier Days, Whitehall, http://www.dillonjaycees.com
SPRING/SUMMER 2017
Walter Hinick
Jerry Grcevich and his orchestra get the crowd dancing Saturday opening the second day of the Montana Folk Festival.
38TH ANNUAL ART IN THE WASHOE PARK IN ANACONDA!
SPONSORED BY COPPER VILLAGE ART MUSEUM Featuring new bands and artists.
July 21, 22, 23 Friday the 21st 3 - 5:30 pm Under the Bleachers; 6 - 10 pm ShoDown Friday - Noon to 10:00 P.M. Saturday - 10:00 A.M. TO 9:30 P.M. Saturday the 22nd Noon - 3 pm Cimarron; 3:30 - 6 Genuine Article, 7 - 10 pm Tom Catmull Band Sunday - 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
HOURS
Walter Hinick
Gene Sullivan flies through a burning wall successfully completing his jump for Jesus jump in the Original Mine yard to open the 15th annual Evel Knievel Days.
July 28-29. Details: 406-2872260. whitehallmtchamber@ gmail.com An Ri Ra Montana Irish Festival, Friday-Sunday, Aug. 11-13, at the Original Mine Headframe venue in Uptown Butte. http://www.mtgaelic.org. Free. Covellite International Film Festival, Butte, Sept. 14-17. After a successful inaugural festival in 2016, the festival will be back in Uptown. covellitefilmfest.org
Sunday the 23rd 1 - 4 Rob Quist and Great Northern
80 Art and Craft Booths | 20 Food Vendors
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Telling the story of Montana for over 75 years
Makoshika State Park
Photo by Kenton Rowe
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FAMILY oWNEd & opERATEd SINCE 1971.
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SPRING/SUMMER 2017
INSIDE THIS SECTION
SOUTHEAST COUNTRY
Sweet 16: Magic City Blues Festival celebrates another terrific line-up
New at the Little Bighorn Battlefield
The Buckinglogging Horse Sale Darby
Calendar of Events The Strawberry Festival, Heart and Sole Run, Montana Renaissance Festival, The Battle of The Little Bighorn re-enactment, and more.
SPRING/SUMMER 2017
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MAGIC CITY BLUES GEARS UP FOR 16TH YEAR OF PRESENTING URBAN FESTIVAL IN BILLINGS BY JACI WEBB jwebb@billingsgazette.com Do you remember when the Lumineers played Magic City Blues at South Park? Just a couple hundred people took in their show in the hot afternoon sun in 2011. A few months later, their self-titled debut album landed at No. 2 on the Billboard charts with the hit song, “Ho Hey.” And, that’s why the No. 1 rule for going to music festivals is: Get there early to check out the opening acts. In 2016, opener Elle King ruled the night with her bluesy swagger on her hit song, “Ex’s and Oh’s.” Now in its 16th year, MCB’s reputation continues to grow and fans across the country make the two-day music festival an annual event. MCB has brought in giants like Buddy Guy, John Fogerty, Ziggy Marley, Hank Williams Jr., George Thorogood, Alison Krauss, Lucinda Williams and Michael Franti. The festival’s promoter, Tim Goodridge, is good at picking acts that may be under fans’ radar, but who are incredible live. This year’s festival is Aug. 4 and 5 on Montana Avenue. The Saturday night headliners are Blackberry Smoke, an act that Goodridge described as “Allman Brothers meet Lynyrd Skynyrd” who perform a wild live set of southern rock. Also announced is Victor Wainwright and the Wildroots, who will open the festival with a free, all-ages show on Aug. 3 at St. John’s Lutheran Home pavilion.
CASEY PAGE/Gazette Staff
Tim Goodridge is the promoter of Magic City Blues. Pictured at the site of the downtown concerts in 2012.
Wainwright has a big bluesy voice paired with dynamic keyboards. Wainwright also plays at the downtown festival on Friday, Aug. 4, at 7 p.m. Goodridge said in mid-March that he has many offers on the table and is hoping to announce the rest of his 12 acts in coming months. “Hopefully, somebody else will say yes to my money. The funny thing is how every year is differ-
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ent. Last year, we had all the acts secured in January.” Tickets are on sale now at magiccityblues.com or by calling 406-534-0400. The best deal is the two-day pass at $89 for both nights. There are only 500 of those passes available so if you want a deal, buy early. Tickets purchased individually are $49 per night in advance or $60 at the gate. Reserved seats are $95 per night or $736 for a reserved
table for eight people. Some businesses purchase tables to treat clients or reward employees. MCB has grown such a strong reputation for being a fun festival with an urban vibe that many fans buy their tickets before a single act is announced. “It’s more about the event, the people you see, the vibe of it. It’s a collective event where you discover new bands, see your friends,
SPRING/SUMMER 2017
HANNAH POTES, Gazette Staff
Elle King performs for a huge crowd on Friday during Magic City Blues downtown.
meet new ones. Our intent is to populate our slots with great artists from 1 to 12,” Goodridge said. You’ll get more out of Magic City Blues if you preview the music before you go. Even though only two acts have been announced, you can start by listening to them on Spotify or Pandora or YouTube. Technology makes it so easy to familiarize yourself with the songs so you can join in with the rest of the crowd singing along. When John Fogerty played all of his Creedence Clearwater Revival hits in 2014, hundreds of people sang every word. It was one of the most memorable moments at MCB. “That’s the beauty of music, it’s one of the last things where people can come together and participate in a communal moment of singing with everyone else,” Goodridge said. If you come early, you avoid lines at the gates and can grab some food from one of the six food trucks before the lines get too long. Goodridge said food available will include barbecue and Asian. Fans liked the increased options in food last year so Goodridge is expanding to six trucks this year. He also suggests booking a downtown hotel room at the nearby Northern Hotel, Clock Tower Inn or the DoubleTree at Hilton.
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Take a step back.
HANNAH POTES/Gazette Staff
The Magic City Blues performance by John Fogerty, legendary singer and songwriter of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s timeless hits, was a can’tmiss, bucket-list show for thousands of Billings fans.
“It’s fun to have your headquarters only a few blocks from the festival. This is what distinguishes us from the field fests, we’re downtown, take advantage,” Goodridge said. Leave your chairs, coolers, pets, and children under 18 at home. Get ready to enjoy some premium music outside. “Music is sacred and the common thread that ties us all together,” Goodridge said.
With the weather warming up, everyone is going to be spending more time outside. So, whether you’re working or playing, remember to keep an eye out for overhead and downed powerlines. For your safety, keep all objects, including yourself, at least 10 feet away from powerlines. And if you bac and call 911. see a downed line, step back
Levi A. Vegetation n Coordinator, 8 years of service
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BATTLEFIELD STILL CAPTURES PEOPLE’S IMAGINATIONS
BY SUSAN OLP solp@billingsgazette.com
It’s no surprise that the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument annually draws hundreds of thousands of people from around the world. “There’s a lot of mystery about this battle, said Ken Woody, chief of interpretation for the battlefield who also oversees visitor services. “And it’s a highly emotionally charged battle because it represents a lot of things to different people.” Indeed, it’s the most studied battle in the United States, Woody said, along with the Battle of Gettysburg. The interest has generated more than 5,000 items, books, DVDs, movies and other media about the battle. The national monument is the site of one of the most iconic battles in American history — the June 25, 1876, clash between Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer’s 7th Cavalry and a coalition of Indian tribes, most of them Cheyenne and Sioux. It is located at Crow Agency, about an hour southeast of Billings off of Interstate 90. An estimated 330,000 people visited the site in 2016, Woody said. History buffs and Custer experts may come for days or weeks to study in the archives at the historic site. “Most people spend about an hour and a half,” visiting the grounds and the museum,” he said. “Generally that’s the person who is maybe on their way to Glacier or Yellowstone or the Black Hills and they’ve heard of Custer.” The peak season for visitors at
Courtesy Photo
Make a stop for the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and explore the battlefield and prairie views.
the battlefield are the months of June, July and August, with July the biggest month. However, the park is open year-round, with 30 to 50 people stopping by in the colder months compared with 1,000 a day in the summer. Visitors have different ways to explore the national monument. They can visit the small museum
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If you go The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument operates year round, but the hours change by season. From April 1 through Memorial Day, the entrance gate is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Summer hours, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The entrance fee for non-commercial vehicles is $20; for motorcycles, $15;
per person on foot or bicycle, $10; commercial sedan of one to six people, $25; commercial van, minibus of seven to 15 people, $40 and commercial bus, $100. For more information about the national monument, take the link in this story at billingsgazette.com.
Please see Battlefield, Page 56
SPRING/SUMMER 2017
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SPRING/SUMMER 2017
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Battlefield From 54
at the Visitor’s Center, which contains Custer’s personal effects, firearms typical of that era, information on the Indian scouts who were with Custer and a display about the Plains Indians. Those who come to the battlefield can explore the grounds. The easiest walk, Woody said, is the 200-yard trek from the visitor center to Last Stand Hill, where Custer’s body was found after the battle, and where a granite memorial lists the soldiers of the 7th Cavalry who died in the battle. Nearby, the Indian Memorial commemorates the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors who allied in the battle to form the largest Native army ever recorded on the Northern Plains. Panels in the circular memorial also honor the Crow and Arikara scouts who served with the U.S. Army against their traditional, more powerful enemy tribes. Those who visit the battlefield can also wander through the national cemetery, where white headstones dot the landscape. The cemetery includes veterans from the Indian Wars through Vietnam. Visitors can also drive their vehicles on a 4.5-mile road tour and listen to cell phone audio descriptions of the various sites as they drive along. “There are all kinds of wayside pull-offs on the road,” Woody said. Markers “are designed to be read from inside the car, but you can get out, as well.” From Memorial Day to Labor Day, visitors are invited to listen to five ranger talks that generally last 30 to 40 minutes. All the rangers tell their stories a little bit differently. “It’s information about the battle cross-referenced with Native accounts, archaeological accounts,” he said. “But we all have our little twists to the stories, perhaps.”
LARRY MAYER. Gazette Staff
Visitors look at displays in the museum at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.
Upcoming events
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
George Armstrong Custer, 1865, by Mathew Brady.
Also from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Apsaalooke Tours, run by the Crow Nation Office of Tourism and housed in the Visitors’ Center at the national park, offers tours seven days a week,
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Anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn: June 25, will include guest speakers and other activities.
Memorial Day at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument: In honor of America’s veterans, active duty personnel and casualties from the nation’s wars, a Memorial Day program is held at the national cemetery on May 29 at 11 a.m.
Real Bird Family presents the Battle of the Little Bighorn Reenactment, June 23-25. Located on the east frontage road between Crow Agency and Garryowen.
Crow Native Days: June 22-25 at Crow Agency. To celebrate the culture and heritage of the Crow Tribe, a number of events take place, including parades, a powwow, Indian relays and rodeo.
99th annual Crow Fair: Aug. 16-21 at Crow Agency. During Crow Fair, the encampment is billed as the “Tipi Capital of the World.” The event includes parades, a four-day powwow, a rodeo and horse races.
five times a day. Tour guides on the short buses go into great detail about the battle, as customers look out the windows at the various sites of the battle. The anniversary of the battle at the national monument, an event is held with special speakers. On Memorial Day, a ceremony is held at the nation-
al cemetery. And during the fall and winter, the 25-minute DVD “Triumph and Tragedy Along the Little Bighorn” is shown upon request at the Visitor’s Center. People who want to take a little history away with them can visit the bookstore, where they can buy books about the battle.
SPRING/SUMMER 2017
THEBIGSALE Annual bucking horse sale is Miles City’s ‘time to shine’
BY ZACH BENOIT For The Gazette
There are the livestock sales and rodeos. The raucous street parties and Sunday cowboy church session. Those are all hallmarks of the renowned annual Miles City Bucking Horse Sale, but ask those who’ve been around for a while and the heart of the event some call “The cowboy Mardi Gras” may be a little tougher to explain. “As it is, the things we do from a tangible standpoint, I think we outdo even that with the intangibles,” said John Laney, executive director of the Miles City Chamber of Commerce and a member of the event’s governing board. “You’re dealing with an incredible group of people and a lifestyle that is maybe unfamiliar to a lot of the people who might be visiting.” For more than 65 years, the Bucking Horse Sale — held in Miles City on the third full weekend of each May (19-21) — has been a time to not only showcase livestock, but also for people to get a taste of a Western lifestyle not found anywhere else in the country. That lifestyle is inexorably intertwined with Montana’s Western history and it’s strong agricultural ties, including the original version of the sale, called the Miles City Roundup, dating back to 1914 and just a few decades after the Eastern Montana town’s founding. And for the more than 10,000 people who attend annually — effectively doubling Miles City’s population for the weekend — the
SPRING/SUMMER 2017
LARRY MAYER/Gazette Staff
The Miles City Bucking Horse Sale brings in more than 10,000 people each May for the rodeo, sale and other events.
collision between history and the present day is on full display. “We’ve got a lot of people from out of state, even out of the country,” Laney said. “It’s fun to expose them to what we’re all about. Everybody gets to be a cowboy that weekend. That’s what people are here for.” Each year, the sale kicks off with a Thursday night concert before a full slate of weekend events. On Friday, the slate includes a rodeo grand entry, wild horse
races complete with betting, the Bucking Bull sale that lets cowboys ride the bulls as they’re being auctioned off, and mutton busting, which puts youngsters on sheep for a sort of mini-rodeo. Saturdays include a downtown parade, quick draw art show, more horse races and the famous Bucking Horse Sale that once again lets riders show off the horses up for auction. Everything wraps up on Sunday, kicking off early with cowboy
church and continuing with even more races, match horse rides that feature some of the world’s top professional riders and, as with Saturday, Western States Ranch Rodeo Association rides. For those seeking a bit more wild in their West, Friday and Saturday night feature street dances, with live music and five blocks of downtown Miles City cordoned off for party-goers. Please see Sale, Page 59
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2401 2nd Avenue North Billings MT 59101 406-245-0389 1903
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Sale From 57
“They actually corral off all of those blocks, and there are usually three or so live bands to choose from,” said Terri Newby, executive assistant at the chamber. “And all of the bars in the area are on board.” Organizers of the Bucking Horse Sale also work to ensure a family atmosphere for those not as interested in the late night celebrations. Newby said the annual event also gives people a great opportunity to explore Miles City and the area’s history. “I think it’s a really good time to go to places like the Range Riders Museum,” she said. “This area is so rich in history, and it’s just phenomenal.” Laney said that most, if not all, of the nonprofit organizations in the area get involved through
Gazette Staff Photos
Fans at the fairgrounds salute the flag held by Miss Rodeo Montana Laramie Pursley during the singing of the National Anthem in 2014 at the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale.
the weekend. He described the weekend as a win-win, with visitors getting the chance to take part in the spectacle and Miles City a little time in the spotlight that, hopefully, encourag-
es those visitors to come back soon. “It’s everything that everybody wants to see in the Old West in one weekend, in a place that’s throwing it out there for them,” he said. “It’s our big time to shine and you
Open Mon-Sat @ 11am • Sun @ 10am
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can make it whatever you want. It can be a family thing where you sit in the grandstands with your kids that have never seen a rodeo, or you can get down in front and party with the best of them.” For schedules and more information, visit www.buckinghorsesale.com.
Serving the West Since 1919 BOOTS • HATS • CLOTHING • WESTERN FURNISHINGS
123 N. Broadway • Downtown Billings (406) 245-2248 • 1-800-871-9929
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119 N. Broadway Billings, MT 59101 406.294.9119
Josh Davidson rides during the World Class Bucking Futurity at the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale in 2014.
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THE SWEET SPOT Fishing South Central and Southeast Montana can be the right place for anglers of all skills
BY JOHN LETASKY jletasky@billingsgazette.com In Montana in the spring and summer, true joy for many includes outdoors fishing. Once lunch and fishing gear has been packed, remember to bring dry clothes (in case you get wet), a coat, hat, sunscreen and insect repellent. Below are a handful of spots those who fish must try out when JAMES WOODCOCK/Gazette Staff coming to Montana. Those hoping to have a good time fishing can visit the Bighorn River. While there may be crowds, there are plenty of opportunities for anglers to reel in a Bighorn River healthy fish either while wade or float fishing. The Bighorn is one of the we are backed up by a dam and boat in the 13-mile section. world’s most famous rivers for Anglers can be found throwing are a tailwater fishery, out water trout fishermen. It is truly a temperatures stay more constant Rapalas, Blue Fox, Thomas and blue-ribbon trout fishery. and the flows typically stay more The Montana FWP 2016 Annual other lures from both shore and drift boat on the river, but a majori- constant.” Fishing Newsletter states that Some anglers complain about ty of those who fish the Bighorn are since 2005 angling pressure has having to clean their line on the steadily increased on the river. But, tossing flies. river, but it is worth it considering Schreiner explained that population estimates near Three the amount of action one’s rod those who fly fish on the river and Mile Access resulted in 4,504 has from fish striking an angler’s brown and rainbow trout of all siz- practice catch and release can, presentation. es per mile. For the lower river near “typically on a good day, you can “On a tailwater fishery, you’ll catch 15 to 20 fish and upwards Mallard’s Landing Fishing Access Site, brown and rainbow estimates from there on out. But on freestone get the temperatures being more were 924 trout of all sizes per mile. streams, a good day is five fish. You consistent as well as the flows,” said Schreiner. “It is the optimum can always count on the Bighorn. The Mallard’s Landing Access is production for insects. A lot of “I always say that it is one of below the Bighorn Fishing Access people complain about the grass we the top fisheries in the lower 48 and sees considerable less traffic states and it consistently produces have in the Bighorn. I tell people to from fishermen compared to the grin and bear it. Without the grass, consistently bigger fish.” main 13-mile stretch from the you don’t have the insects and One of the reasons SchreinAfterbay to Bighorn FAS. without the insects, you don’t have er said the river fishes so well is While there is a very small because it is a tailwater, with water the high number of trout.” portion, from the Afterbay Dam And for people who don’t know to the cable 600 feet downstream, feeding it from a dam on Bighorn how to fly fish, Schreiner said all Lake. where anglers may use bait on the one has to be able to do is cast out 15 “Essentially, the Bighorn is main 13-mile stretch of the river, to 20 feet and they’ll be able to get nothing more than a big spring artificial lures only are allowed into the fish, which he said average creek. It is essentially a spring from the cable 600 feet below the 14 to 16 inches for browns and creek. It is a tailwater fishery,” Afterbay Dam to Bighorn FAS. rainbows with the catch averaging Duane Schreiner, owner of Bighorn he said. “A tailwater fishery is a 50-50 split. Fly and Tackle Shop in Fort Smith, anything that is essentially pro“The Bighorn is a great place to duced by the flow out of a dam. said anglers should be aware that learn how to fly fish, because it is So anyway, because essentially they cannot use motors on their
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forgiving and most of the fishing is done via a drift boat. As long as they can cast out,” he said.
Stillwater River Chris Fleck, owner of Stillwater Anglers in Columbus, loves the Stillwater River. “It’s definitely a good trout fishery. There are pretty good fish numbers in there,” Fleck said. Beloved by anglers for its both sleek and fast-moving cold waters and surrounding Beartooth country beauty, the river is a tributary of the Yellowstone. Fleck said most trout run in the eight- to 12-inch range, with the population trending a little heavier toward rainbows. A 15- to 16-inch trout on the river “is a pretty-good sized fish, but there are certainly bigger fish than that.” There are also whitefish in the river and Fleck said some people target them for their taste when smoked. There are nine listed Fishing Access Sites in a 2013 Montana’s Fishing Access Sites FWP publication. Depending on the time of year, weather and water levels, there are also 45 miles of floatable river to the confluence with the Yellowstone said Fleck. “It’s a classic freestone river and has all types of different features,” said Fleck. “It has ripples, runs, pocket water and pools and so forth. It has all the different type of water features one can fish. You may be using stimulators and attractors and searching the water. There may be a hatch and you try and match what is coming off. “It’s a beautiful river, particularly to float. You can access so much water. Sometimes when you are wade fishing, you can run out of
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or shrimp. While the population as one travels east on the Yellowstone is obviously less than in the Billings area, and while other fishing holes in the state receive more pressure, Schantz acknowledged “there are lots of people” utilizing the river in the Miles City vicinity. Yellowstone River, Columbus “There are getting to be lots of boats from here to Glendive, to SidWhat makes fishing in the ney,” Schantz said. “They are using Columbus and Absarokee area nice the river from Hysham all the way is that if an angler is not having a Lower Yellowstone River to Sidney.” good day on the Stillwater, they With that being said, Schantz can drive a short distance to the The lower Yellowstone River said at times fishing success can Yellowstone. offers plenty of opportunities for Anglers have the potential to anglers to hook a fish. Novice to ex- vary. “It is getting slimmer with catch larger fish in the Yellowstone pert fishermen can all have a good more people,” he said. “There are than the Stillwater and “there is time, as there are plenty of game fewer fish. It can be tough at times, always the chance of a good-size and non-game species to catch. especially if they are just starting fish,” said Fleck. Fishing tactics can be as simple or out and new at it. It will take them Fishermen can walk the river tactical as one desires. some time to figure it out.” and fish at fishing accesses, or For those who wish to target Eddie White of TeamMinnowwhere given landowner permisgame fish such as catfish, sauger, smallmouth bass and walleye, they Bucket.com said in the Huntley sion, and will have opportunity to area that May tends to “bring high may catch some with the above catch fish. But for your best luck, water, so catfishing is your best methods but may use other baits Fleck recommends fishing from a option.” Anglers should look for as well. For example, catfish may boat. bite shrimp, cut bait or minnows as backwater or flooded feeder creeks “It’s a little more difficult to well as a worm. And at times, they for best results he said. When wade fish it. You can go to the the water starts to clear in June, access sites and wade fish it, but at may prefer one bait over the other minnows worms and assorted some point up or down you will run and larger fish may hone in on cut plastics work well for smallmouth. out of water. You can’t just ford the bait. Walleye and sauger are in the deep For sauger, smallmouth and Yellowstone anywhere,” said Fleck. holes and anglers usually present walleye, many fishermen will “The best way to fish the Yellowa jig and a minnow or crankbait. throw crankbaits or use jigs. stone is by floating it. You can Casey Schantz, manager of Red The July bite normally slows as Sporting Goods in Miles City, the catfish spawn, White said, but Montana fish records Rock said early-season success depends bass fishing remains good. Walleye Montana lists records for 37 species and sauger fishing tends to be slow on the weather and runoff on the of fish in its Montana Fishing until evening hours. In August, river in the Miles City area. While Regulations pamphlet for 2017. it depends on the weather, general- the catfish bite should perk up and bass will strike jigs or crankbaits ly runoff can start in mid May and Included below, with length, White said. September can offer run through June. Schantz noted weight, site, fisherman and fun smallmouth fishing with water that last year, spring fishing was year caught, if available, are temperatures dropping. Anglers good, but it varies with the year. some you might catch in South Central and Southeast waters: Schantz said generally fall fish- can catch plenty of smallmouth ing is best beginning in mid to late and walleye and sauger move in Brown trout: 29 pounds, Wade shallower White explained. August on the lower river. That is Lake, E.H. “Peck” Bacon, 1966 Another spot to try in Southeast when the water temps start to cool Channel catfish: 41.75 inches, Montana would be the Tongue down and the clarity improves. 34.8 pounds, Fort Peck Reservoir, River, where anglers can search for Fishermen can target three to 10 Dan Davenport, 2013 feet of water in the fall for walleye, catfish, sauger, smallmouth, wallRainbow trout: 38.62 inches, eye and northern pike. Schantz said sauger and smallmouth using a 33.1 pounds, Kootenai River, it is basically the same formula, jig and a minnow or crankbaits Jack G. Housel, Jr., 1997 with clean water being key for the he said. For catfish in the fall, one species, except catfish. He said the should center around five to ten Walleye: 35 inches, 17.75 pounds, Twelve Mile Dam fishing access is feet of water and fish the bottom Tiber Reservoir, Robert Hart, 2007 a good spot for public access. Other using a crawler, cut bait, minnow fishable water,” Fleck said. There are plenty of large boulders and rocks that create spots for fish to hide. Fishermen need to be respectful of them, along with the fast water. Fleck said fishermen should be sure to have a “good pair of wading shoes or wading boots.”
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cherry pick your spots, stop and wade fish it and work some spots while floating a section.” While many of the anglers fishing the Stillwater and Yellowstone will be casting flies, spin fishermen can also get in on the fun. Those who wish to harvest fish to take home and eat should be aware that on the Stillwater River the combined trout limit is only one fish more than 14 inches.
Before you go Anglers should refer to the current Montana Fishing Regulations before going on a fishing trip. Among things to check are possession limits and restrictions and bait/tackle restrictions and regulations. One should read the standard and general regulations for each district they wish to fish in and check if the body of water they wish to fish is listed in the Exceptions to Standard Regulations. To fish in the Treasure State, most fishermen need both a conservation license and fishing license. The yearly license allows an angler to fish from March 1 through the end of February the following year. For those ages 0-11, no license is required, but anglers must observe all limits and regulations.
than that, fishermen need permission from a land owner for access. Schantz said the river is generally “too shallow to run a boat.”
DEEPLY ROOTED • BRANCHING OUT • GROWING STRONGER
Discover Powell, Wyoming In the heart of the Basin, Great People, Wholesome Values! Nestled between the picturesque Big Horn and Absaroka mountain ranges of Northwest Wyoming, Powell is a community historically rooted in agriculture.
Agricultural Tours
We can help you learn more about the agriculture industry in and around Powell by customizing a tour for you or your group. Learn about crops, livestock production, irrigation systems & more. Chartered Bus Tours Available. Call to set up your tour.
Powell Valley Chamber of Commerce 111 S. Day Street
307-754-3494
www.powellchamber.org e-mail: info@powellchamber.org Powell Valley Chamber
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SOUTHEAST COUNTRY CALENDAR BILLINGS ALIVE AFTER 5 June 1 – Aug. 24 The annual outdoor concert series happens 5 to 8 p.m. at a different venue every week. Each evening combines live music, adult beverages, fresh food and favorite downtown locations such as restaurants, breweries, cultural venues and South Park. Call 406-259-5454 or see downtownbillings.com. SPRINGFEST AT MOSS MANSION June 3 This juried art festival features handicrafts and art by regional artists, antique booths, musical entertainment and a wide variety of refreshments. Pancake breakfast, artist demonstrations and lively musical acts are on the grounds of Moss Mansion. Call 406256-5100 or see Mossmansion.com. MONTANA RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL June 3-4 Revel in the atmosphere of a 16th Century European Country Festival at ZooMontana, 2100 S. Shiloh Rd. Explore the bustling market place, attend a royal wedding, interact with costumed characters and enjoy full-contact armored jousting tournaments. Story tellers, musicians, jousters and villagers welcome all while the air fills with scents of foods and ale from the Renaissance period. It happens 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Montanarenfest.com YELLOWSTONE HIGHLAND GAMES June 3 These Scottish-Irish-inspired Yellowstone Highland Games happen in conjunction with the Montana Renaissance Festival. Saturday, June 3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., featured events include athletics, song and dance on the grounds at ZooMontana. For information, call 406-652-8100 or visit zoomontana.org. STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL June 10 Held 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the streets of downtown Billings, the long-cherished community event opens the summer season with a rich diversity in arts and crafts, interactive children’s area, fresh produce and strawberries, food-truck fare, live street entertainment and a 60-foot strawberry shortcake. Call 406- 259-5454 or see downtownbillings.com. FESTIVAL OF CULTURES June 11 From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the campus of Rocky Mountain College, celebrate diversity and culture at thousands sing, dance and sample ethnic delicacies during this free, public event. Enjoy free children’s activities, ethnic crafts, food and drink. Contact 406-657-1042 or peacestudies@rocky.edu.
HANNAH POTES/Gazette Staff
Hundreds gather to enjoy live music on Thursday during Alive After 5 at Skypoint.
HANNAH POTES/Gazette Staff
Cy Oresman, left, as “Sir Kynric de Coventry” and Justin Mickelberry as “Sir Daman Macmillan” compete in a swordfight during Montana Renaissance Festival at ZooMontana.
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HEART & SOLE RACE June 17 The 38th Annual Heart & Soul Race features people of all ages and abilities. Choose from 5K, RRCA 10K, or 2-Mile Health Walk; all start at St. Vincent Healthcare and are a fundraiser for the YMCA and Billings TrailNet. 406-254-7426, Heartandsolerace.org STAY AFTER THE RACE MONTANA ACTIVE LIFE FESTIVAL June 17 Held before and after the Heart & Sole Race, this festival happens 8- 11:30 a.m. at Dehler Park, home of the Billings Mustangs. This free healthy lifestyle event features live music, over 40 interactive booths, kid’s events and family fun. 406-254-7426, Heartandsolerace.org SYMPHONY IN THE PARK June 25 Live, symphonic music comes to Pioneer Park for a relaxing evening while you can sit on your blanket or lawn chair while enjoying a picnic from our food vendors. Take in the Instrument Petting Zoo, Billings Community Band Concert, Young Conductors’ Contest and the Billings Symphony Orchestra Concert. Reserved parking ($5) and reserved seating ($10) are available by calling 252-3610 or visit www.billingssymphony.org. SUMMER CHRISTMAS Aug. 24-25 Shop for the holidays early with 70-plus vendors at the Shrine Auditorium, 1125 Broadwater Ave., and have lunch with Sandees. 406-545-9711 SUMMERFAIR July 7-9 Yellowstone Art Museum hosts the region’s largest arts and crafts festival featuring some of the best artisans, craftspeople and entertainers in the area. More than 100 artists, community groups and food vendors are at Veteran’s Park, 13th Street West and Poly Drive. This year, the weekend event is open Friday night, a4 – 9 p.m..; Saturday hours are 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Sunday hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults, free for children ages 12 and younger. Artmuseum.org BIG SKY STATE GAMES OPENING CEREMONIES July 14 See the kick off for this Olympic-style amateur sports festival at the afternoon an evening offerings that lead up to the 7 p.m. Opening Ceremonies of the 32nd Annual Big Sky State Games. The begins with family entertainment at Daylis Stadium beginning at 5:30 p.m. Autographs with an Olympic athlete, food trucks, cash giveaway ($3,200 total), sponsor booths,
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SOUTHEAST COUNTRY CALENDAR sport demonstrations, athlete t-shirt pick up, souvenir sales and other interactive events will happen. Admission is $5 for adults, free for ages 6 and younger. Bigskygames.org MAGIC CITY BLUES Aug. 4- 5 Bring your ID for this 18-and older Montana Urban Music Festival happening on the 2500 block of Montana Avenue with gates opening each day at 5 p.m. See featured acts at Magiccityblues.com. MONTANA FAIR Aug. 11- 19 MontanaFair is an agricultural celebration in the historic tradition of fairs. Held at MetraPark, the 9-day celebration has livestock, arts and crafts, a carnival and food. Stages provide entertainment that can include music, comedy, hypnosis, kid’s entertainment and variety acts. The Supercross motorcycle event happens Aug. 15, and on Aug. 17-19 there is the PRCA rodeo event. Night shows feature internationally known artists. Montanafair.com SCHOOL OF ROCK Jul 21-23, 28-30 At 7:30 p.m. in the NOVA Center for the CASEY PAGE, Gazette Staff Performing Arts, the School of Rock musical shows how a wanna-be educator turns his Lights from MontanaFair reflect in the pond at MetraPark on Saturday, August 20, 2016. class into a guitar-shredding, mind-blowing LAUREL rock band. www.novabillings.org 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION CROW AGENCY July 4 LITTLE BIGHORN REENACTMENT Laurel entertains over 30,000 people, June 23-25 starting at the 6-11 a.m. pancake breakReal Bird’s Battle of Little Bighorn Reenfast at Fireman’s Park., followed by The actment happens 1-3 p.m. each day, with Chief Joseph Run that begins at Thomson the Real Bird family showing troopers and Park with races set for 2, 4 and 8 miles. braves as they rush through the Little BigA Kiddies Parade begins at 10 a.m. at horn River, just as they did 139 years ago. Western Security Bank and ends at FireThe battle is held at Garryowen, a portion fighter’s Memorial. The Grand Parade is of the Sioux camp where soldiers are beat 11a.m. A Food and Craft Fair begins at lieved to have attacked the village. Littlebig9 a.m. and ends at 9 p.m. As soon as it is hornreenactment.com dark, one of Montana’s largest fireworks CROW FAIR displays takes over. Laurelmontana.org TAILYR IRVINE/Gazette Staff Aug. 16-21 POMPEY’S PILLAR Celebration features parades, a four-day Competitors race into Lake Elmo for the start of the Big Sky State Games CLARK DAYS powwow, a rodeo and horse races. This larg- Triathlonnster. July 28-29 est Native American event in Montana has BADLANDS HUNTLEY PROJECT To commemorate William Clark’s stop one of the biggest powwows in the counSUPER CON II at the site on July 25, 1806, on his trip try and is held by The Apsáalooke people THRESHING BEE August 25-27 down the Yellowstone River, the historiof the Crow Indian Reservation just South Aug. 19-20 This “convention” brings together fans cal site hosts free interpretive programs, of Hardin. www.crazycrow.com The South Central Montana Antique Tracof superheroes, comic books, music, star gazing, Black Powder demonstrations, GLENDIVE monsters, anime, steampunk and many tor and Machinery Association sponsors nature walks and a main presentation at this weekend of steamand gas-threshother genres to interact with each other, BUZZARD DAY the amphitheater. This Saturday night and with vendors, artists, writers, actors ing, and events for all ages. There’s static is the only night each year when overJune 10 Celebrate the annual return of the Tur- and musicians. Costumed fun is at EPEC engine displays, plowing, hay bailing, bind- night camping key Vulture at this family event at Mako- (Eastern Plain Event Center.) Organized ing, sawmill, blacksmith shop, tractor pull, is allowed at the Pillar; Bureau of Land shika State Park featuring the 10k, 5k, fun by Hell Creek Music & More. Informa- parade, arts/crafts, food concessions and Management rangers are on duty to asrun, various entertainment, food and fun tion at 406-377-3876 or www.badlands- more. Admission is $5 per person, ages 12 sist campers. Food vendors on site. www. and older. antiquetractorclub.org for all ages. stateparks.mt.gov supercon.com. pompeyspillar.org
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INSIDE THIS SECTION
CENTRAL COUNTRY
Montana’s portal to history
A sense of spiritual connection
Chew-choo this train Darbychoose logging
Calendar of Events Montana Cowboy Poetry and Western Music Rendezvous, “Homestead Dreams,” Buffalo Jump Half Marathon, Red Ants Pants and more.
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The Missouri River as it passes by Fort Benton. KURT WILSON, Missoulian
MONTANA’S PORTAL TO HISTORY Fort Benton preserves Montana’s early riverboat history BY AL KNAUBER al.knauber@helenair.com Fort Benton comes highly recommended. Forbes Magazine’s list of America’s top 15 prettiest towns included Fort Benton and said that the West is well preserved and celebrated there. Andrew Evans, National Geographic’s “digital nomad,” savored the languid Missouri River downstream of this historic river town as it passed through the famed White Cliffs area. He wrote of the experience and compared his feelKURT WILSON, Missoulian ings to those of Meriwether Lewis, A obelisk and a painted steel cutout of Shep, arguably the most famous dog in whose passage with the expedition Montana, stands on a bluff above the railroad station where the faithful dog helped cement Fort Benton’s place held vigil for the return of his long-dead master for 5 1/2 years.
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in history. Fort Benton is north and east of Great Falls and less than an hour’s drive along Highway 87. It bills itself as the birthplace of Montana – a claim that history supports and a trademark protects. “This is really where Montana began,” said Randy Morger, who is a fifth generation Fort Benton resident and member of the Central Montana Tourism Board. He calls his hometown with its population of about 1,400 people an idyllic little spot. “You’re captured by this tiny, little town that revels in its history,” he said. Please see Fort Benton, Page 66
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Fort Benton From 65
The town traces its roots to 1846, when the foundation was laid for the fort that would be built there, Morger said. The first steamboat arrived in 1860, according to the Fort Benton information website www. fortbenton.com. The discovery of gold two years later in what would become Bannack further fueled Fort Benton’s growth as those seeking their fortunes and others that would provide them with the goods they needed passed through the town. The 30-year era of the steamboat ended in 1890 when the railroad arrived, Morger said. What remains of that history helps bring people there today. The fort is being reconstructed and several of its buildings now help tell this story of the town’s past. “When you drive up, it looks like a fort,” said Sharalee Smith, a member of the board of trustees for the River and Plains Society in Fort Benton. Buffalo hides, beads, Hudson Bay blankets, pots and pans are all part of the trade store’s character that greets visitors, she said. Blackfeet tribal elders were brought to the old fort to help with the interpretation of the trade store’s history, Smith said. The Museum of the Upper Missouri, the state of Montana’s Museum of the Northern Great Plains, Homestead Village, The Hornaday Smithsonian Buffalo Gallery, the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument Interpretive Center, Joel F. Overholser Historical Research Center, and the Schwinden Library and Archives are destinations for visitors and historical researchers alike. What there is to see at these museums and destinations includes the rifle Chief Joseph used for his surrender, which is on display at the Upper Missouri
KURT WILSON, Missoulian
A vacation to Montana without a stop in Fort Benton wouldn’t be nearly as fun, said Sharalee Smith, a member of the board of trustees for the River and Plains Society in Fort Benton.
River Breaks National Monument Interpretive Center, the 5 millionth International Harvester Co. Farmall tractor at the Museum of the Northern Great Plains, the bell and telegraph from the steamboat Far West and the Hornaday Smithsonian bison. There’s so much to see that admission tickets to the town’s museums and attractions are valid for two days, Smith said. This is also the Montana town with a life-size bronze memorial to a sheepherder’s dog. Shep, as the dog was named, kept his vigil for more than five years at the train station after seeing his owner’s body loaded on a train in 1936 for delivery to relatives back East. The dog met four trains each day until its death in hopes of the sheepherder’s return.
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The Grand Union Hotel, built in 1882 and since restored, is another reason for visitors to include Fort Benton in their plans. The hotel was known as the finest hotel between St. Louis and Seattle, Morger said. And the Grand Union is the place to stay, Smith said, if visitors are lucky enough to be able to get a room there. Among what’s planned for the town this year is its 40th annual summer celebration held from Friday, June 23 through Sunday, June 25, according to the town’s website. Friday’s activities include a pig roast lunch, an ice-cream social, concerts by the city band, a community pot luck and pie auction and a street dance. The parade along Front Street
begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, which is filled with activities such as open houses and tours of museums, entertainment, another street dance and fireworks that night. Sample the biscuits and gravy breakfast on Sunday and know your purchase will help fund repairs to the town’s swimming pool. But if you’re looking for something a little more low-key or planning a visit at another time of the year, there’s always the opportunity to sit on one of the benches and just watch the Missouri River as it passes by. A vacation to Montana without a stop in Fort Benton wouldn’t be nearly as fun, Smith said. “If people want to see a really pretty little town, Fort Benton is it.”
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‘A sense of spiritual connection’: First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park BY TOM KUGLIN tom.kuglin@helenair.com First Peoples Buffalo Jump is where beauty meets history and the seemingly endless prairie momentarily falls away to the sky. Records of Native Americans using the buffalo jump, called Ulm Pishkun, near Ulm date back thousands of years. Now a state park, First Peoples Buffalo Jump offers visitors an interpretive center and 3.5-mile hiking trail that allows nearly unparalleled access and education. “A lot of people really feel a sense of spiritual connection to this place when they come to visit,” said park manager Rick Thompson. “It really gives you a sense of time and place.” Herds of 100 or more bison were funneled to the sandstone cliff which at first glance seems only to be a part of the prairie. But here the ground suddenly disappears, sending unsuspecting bison plummeting 30 to 50 feet as they followed the animal in front of them. “When you’re on top you really get that deceptive feeling like you’re on the prairie and it’s very apparent to visitors that a stampeding herd of buffalo would’ve been totally surprised,” Thompson said. Still evident “drive lines” lead to the edge while bison bones and other remnants below demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency with which Native Americans used the site, with artifacts dating back to 300 A.D. In 2015 First Peoples was listed as a National Historic Landmark. Along with the history, the beauty is also a major attraction
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How to get there
Montana State Parks
First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park offers unparalleled access and education.
To get to First Peoples Buffalo Jump, drive about 8 miles southwest of Great Falls on Interstate 15 to the Ulm exit. Turn north onto the Ulm-Vaughn Road and drive about 4 miles north to the visitor center, following the signs. Admission is free to Montana residents.
annual summer programs. The Little Shell Chippewa Tribe held a powwow here in 2015 and orfor visitors. ganizers are hopeful for a return “The view is very panoramic this year. and one of my favorite views in More information on the state Montana,” Thompson said. “You park and upcoming programs is see the Rocky Mountain Front, the island mountain ranges and the view of Square Butte is really second to none.” Carleen Faulkner, who is going into her third summer working at the state park, agreed that the aesthetics and history are what sets the park apart. “It’s the largest jump in North America and it was used by 13 different tribes that would travel here,” she said. “There is a lot of history to it but I would say it is the whole experience. The view is just awesome, it’s beautiful everywhere you look and thee are all kinds of wildlife and plants.” A tour of the interpretive center provides some history of those tribes, which include Pend O’reille, Shoshone, Assiniboine, Blackfeet, Cree, Gros Ventre, Salish and others. Events honoring the history of First Peoples have also become a staple of the park. A day of traditional Native American games and opportunities to try primitive weapons such at the atlatl and archery have become
available at http://stateparks. mt.gov/. While every season offers a different experience at First Peoples, the most popular times tend to be early summer and fall. Located only about 4 miles from the interstate, both tourists and Montana residents have easy access to the park. “Most folks are pleasantly surprised to find a facility and site like this out here,” Thompson said. “The landscape is mostly wheat fields and not very dramatic, but then you find a very nice visitor center and the largest buffalo jump in North America. Folks really enjoy it.”
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Hit the trail with the Old Trail Museum BY ANGELA BRANDT angela.brandt@helenair.com The Old North Trail has existed for thousands of years, with some thinking it could have started in Asia with passage across the Bering Land Bridge and eventually following the Rocky Mountain Front all the way to Mexico. In Choteau, the Old Trail Museum guides two tours of the trails each summer, with a chance to go either north or south of the Teton River. The tours are a combination of three miles of easy walking and some driving. Dave Shea, a volunteer guide for five years, said parts of the trail are still visible after centuries of people walking on the trail and grooves created by sleds called travois to carry children and supplies. Hikers will see an old village with 30 tepee rings and the site of a buffalo jump, where hunters herded buffalo over a cliff while others waited below with bows and spears. The tour will also include access to land privately owned by a nature conservancy, where a turtle effigy outlined by stones remains in the ground, likely party of a Native American creation story. Shea will include sites of eagle trapping to gather feathers primarily for decoration and to vision quest sites. “These were always on a prominent place and they wouldn’t eat anything for four days until they received their vision and their spiritual helper,” Shea said. “It helped guide them through the rest of their lives.” Shea said hikers often see wildlife and will learn about plants and their use by Native Americans and what he says is spectacular geology. The North Tour will be held on July 15 and the South Tour on July 22 with both segments meeting at
Montana Office of Tourism photos
The Old Trail museum is one of 14 stops on the Montana Dinosaur Trail.
the Old Trail Museum at 7:30 a.m. People interested in taking the tour do not have to RSVP, but should bring their own transportation and lunch. The museum suggests a $25 donation for adults and $10 for children and students. The museum can be contacted at 406466-5332. The Old Trail Museum is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is one of 14 stops on the Montana Dinosaur Trail. Regular museum exhibits include a fossilized duck-billed dinosaur thighbone, a cast of a meat eating dinosaur, eggs, nests and dinosaur claws. In addition to paleontology exhibits, the museum offers Native American artifacts, the local history of the Rocky Mountain Front region, Jesse Gleason’s art studio The Old Trail Museum is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. and Choteau’s last hanging.
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Charlie Russell Chew-Choo a crazy Western restaurant on wheels BY ANGELA BRANDT angela.brandt@helenair.com Those looking for a wild west experience hit the jackpot with the Charlie Russell Chew-Choo, which includes a crew of masked bandits up to no good, scenic rolling hillsides filled with wildlife and an ample slab of prime rib. The chew is for the coursed meal. The choo is because it all happens aboard a train. The track starts on the outskirts of Lewistown, which is nestled between the mountains and prairies in central Montana. The train chugs along ranches and even through a tunnel on its way to Denton. It then makes its way back to the northwest Lewistown area on the spur track, which was built in about 1912 as a connection between the town and Great Falls. In all, it’s a 50-mile trek. And don’t forget the saloon girls. Food Networks deemed Charlie Russell Chew-Choo one of the craziest restaurants in America. Connie Fry, sometimes wait staff on the train and executive director of the Lewistown Area Chamber of Commerce, says a rider would have to try to have a sour time aboard. “If you don’t have fun here you don’t want to,” she said. “You chose that, because we have some great entertainment.” “Mostly people just want a new experience,” Fry added. Trip Advisor lists the Charlie Russell Chew-Choo as the No. 1 thing to do in Lewistown. Fry said many participants take part during the area’s annual events like the chokecherry festival on Sept. 9 and the cowboy poetry gathering weekend in August. The train ride lasts an average of four hours. Lively musicians
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Rediscover Montana photos
The Charlie Russell Chew-Choo has been in operation since the late 1990s and offers guests a three-and-a-half-hour train ride through the sparse ranchlands and mountains outside town, complete with a full prime rib dinner.
2017 schedule
MAY 14: 2 p.m. JUNE 10, 24: 5:30 p.m. JULY 1, 15, 22: 5:30 p.m. AUG. 5, 18, 26: 4:30 p.m. SEPT. 9, 16, 30: 3:30 p.m. OCT. 7: 3:30 p.m.
The Charlie Russell Chew-Choo has On the way back, a visit from been in operation since the late 1990s the Salt Creek Gang is imminent. and offers guests a 3-1/2-hour train Although they are train robride through the sparse ranchlands and mountains outside town, complete bers, they’re swell folks, Fry said, with a full prime rib dinner. and even take pictures with the riders. entertain and instigate during the “We’re known as being a wayventure. There is also some narra- out-there restaurant,” she said. “It is fun.” tion about the area and namesake The majority of participants Charlie Russell himself. Meancome from Montana, but Fry says while, wildlife such as antelope, eagles and coyote can be seen from she’s met visitors from places such as Germany, Japan and Australia. the five rail cars.
“You meet so many different people,” she said. “It’s a cool thing.” The Chew-Choo started in the late 1990s as a way to bring more visitors to the area. It was a hit. “It’s been very popular,” Fry said. The season starts with a Mother’s Day trip. Fry encourages interested parties to book ahead, as many of the summer excursions sell out. Each trainload can accommodate about 240 passengers. Tickets are $100 per adult. VIP tickets are $135 each and include priority boarding, preferred seating, a drink with dinner and a T-shirt. For children aged 2 to 12, admittance is $50 each or $70 for VIP. Tickets are available from the Chamber at 406-535-5436.
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CENTRAL MONTANA CALENDAR CHOTEAU METIS MUSIC AND ART FEST June 9-11 Held at the Choteau Pavilion, the festival is based on celebration and preservation of the Metis, includes indigenous arts, music, cultural foods, dance, historical preservation and emphasis on the Metis (Michiff) language. Call 406-243-6022 for information. OLD NORTH TRAIL TOUR: NORTH July 15 Follow the Old North Trail north of the Teton River. The guided tours are a combination of three miles of easy walking and some driving. Meet at the Old Trail Museum at 7:30 a.m. Call 406-466-5332 for information. OLD NORTH TRAIL TOUR: SOUTH July 22 Follow the Old North Trail south of the Teton River. The guided tours are a combination of three miles of easy walking and some driving. Meet at the Old Trail Museum at 7:30 a.m. Call 406-466-5332 for information.
CONRAD WHOOP-UP DAYS AND RHUBARB FESTIVAL Adam McCaw, Independent Record June 2-4 The Red Ants Pants Music Festival is held annually in a cow pasture outside White Sulphur Springs. The annual Whoop-Up Trail Days and RhuExpoPark brings well-known and talented barb Festival features a children’s parade, callers and cuers from across the U.S. and rodeo calcutta, pancake breakfast, parade, Montana to town for four days of round fun run, lots of good food and two days of and square dancing. Call 406-799-1715 rodeo. Call 406-271-7791 for information. for information. FORT BENTON LEWIS AND CLARK FESTIVAL FORT BENTON SUMMER CELEBRATION June 16-18 June 23-25 Experience the incredible journey of Lewis Montana’s “birthplace” community celand Clark at Gibson Park. Included are reebrates summer with a parade, arts and enactors in historical dress, Native Amercrafts on the levee, historical tours, free ican dancers and drummers, demonstraentertainment, street dances, fishing derby tions, children’s activities, exhibits, a float and fireworks on the levee at Old Fort trip, a Bluegrass concert, food and more. Benton, 1900 River St. Also included is a Call 406-452-5661 for information. fun walk and run. Call 406-750-2918 for MONTANA STATE FAIR information. July 28-Aug. 5 Experience Montana’s culture and hisGREAT FALLS tory at the Montana ExpoPark in Great FIRST FRIDAY ART WALK Falls. Includes superstar entertainment, the The First Friday Art Walk is held on the Mighty Thomas Carnival, live horse racing, first Friday of the month in downtown Great five nights of pro-rodeo, food vendors, liveFalls, promoting galleries, studios, busistock shows, stage acts, Native American Adam McCaw, Independent Record nesses, artists and musicians. Call 406art, quilts, floral and cooking exhibits and Singer-songwriter Hayes Carll belts one out at the Red Ants Pants Music 453-6151 for information. more. Call 406-727-8900 for information. Festival in White Sulphur Springs in 2016. ARTS ASSOCIATION OF MONTANA: HARLOWTON “COLOR” IS IN THE EYE forth their renditions and inspired ideas MONTANA STATE SQUARE AND OF THE BEHOLDER “HOMESTEAD DREAMS” ROUND DANCE FESTIVAL about “color” in paintings, 3D art, fused April 7-May 31 June 6 May 26-29 Held at the Great Falls Public Library, glass, pottery and jewelry. Call 406-788Held at the Upper Musselshell Historic 20 Arts Association of Montana artists put 8185 for information. The 46th annual event at Montana Society, Historian Hal Stearns explores the
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KURT WILSON, Missoulian
At the peak of its history of rowdiness, women were not allowed on the town side of the street separating the row of bars from the river. Homestead Act and how this far-reaching law continues to leave a mark on our history. He describes the American West’s last great agricultural land rush and the drought and depression that followed, illustrating his talk with myriad signs left on the landscape. Call 406-243-6022 for information.
HAVRE MARY NAULT, “WINTER’S HARVEST” April 15-May 31 The artist shares watercolors and acrylics at Artitudes Gallery. Call 406-244-9220 for information.
LEWISTOWN “FOLLOWING NICOLAS POINT THROUGH BLACKFEET COUNTRY” May 23 Held at the Lewistown Public Library, Sally Thompson explores roots of perception through a discrete body of evidence from the Montana buffalo plains in the 1840s, when the Blackfeet met the Black Robes. The visual and narrative histories from both perspectives of this encounter provide a means to examine the factors that shape our views and, at the same time, learn some little known Montana history. Call 406-538-5212 for information. MONTANA COWBOY POETRY AND WESTERN MUSIC RENDEZVOUS Aug. 17-20 More than 120 cowboy poets, western musicians and artists convene at Fergus High School for the 32nd annual four-day cultural festival to celebrate and preserve the history, heritage and values of the cowboy lifestyle of the Upper Rocky Mountain West. Through cowboy poetry and western music lyrics, an oral history of the American cowboy is shared. Highlights include hourly sessions of cowboy poetry and western music, workshops, a Friday night Jam
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Susan Dunlap, The Montana Standard
Jim Pearson, 74, performed a poem about a rodeo cowboy from Butte at the 31st annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Lewistown. ’n’ Dance, and Sunday morning Cowboy Church. Call 406-781-1422 for information.
ULM BUFFALO JUMP HALF MARATHON May 21 Two-mile, 6.2 mile and gauntlet races are also on tap at this event at First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park. Proceeds benefit the University of Great Falls cross-country team. Email bbrist012ugf.edu for information.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS RED ANTS PANTS MUSIC FESTIVAL July 27-30 The fun starts with a street dance downtown and runs through Sunday with live music at the festival grounds on the Jackson Ranch. Connect with good folks and celebrate rural Montana. The Festival’s fans have enjoyed headliners including Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Charley Pride,
Keb’ Mo, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The festival is designed to bring people together and support the Red Ants Pants Foundation, which is dedicated to women’s leadership, working family farms and ranches, and rural communities. The festival was founded and is produced by Red Ants Pants owner Sarah Calhoun. It remains a home-grown celebration, run by a dedicated crew and 250 festival volunteers. Call 406-547-3781 for information.
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INSIDE THIS SECTION
MISSOURI RIVER COUNTRY
Kayak Fort Peck
Dinosaur displays
A historic and revitalized hot springs Darby logging
Calendar of Events Longest Dam Run, Frontier Days, Fort Peck Summer Theatre, CatďŹ sh Classic and more.
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PADDLING GAINING POPULARITY ON FORT PECK to navigate your kayak,” especially on more open water. He also recommended wearing a life jacket, bringing something to signal others with if you’re in trouble and picking a paddling option that fits your abilities. Those embarking on day-long trips should pack general outdoor survival gear. The area occasionally sees hardcore paddlers in the midst of full-length trips on the Missouri River, and a handful of dedicated anglers fish regardless of conditions. But for most folks, flat water offers a relaxing experience. “It’s a great alternative to enjoy the lake,” Whitmer said.
BY MATT HOFFMAN mhoffman@billingsgazette.com Five years ago, paddlers almost never appeared near the Dredge Cuts swimming area below the Fort Peck Reservoir. Now there’s almost always a canoe, kayak or stand-up paddleboard floating in waters off of the beach areas on nice days. “The river is becoming pretty popular just below the dam,” said Fish, Wildlife and Park Information and Education Manager Marc Kloker. The lake that fills up a vast, meandering shoreline above the Fort Peck Dam has traditionally been a hub for motorized recreation, but more and more people, both locals and tourists, have been discovering paddle power. In Glasgow, D&G Sports and Western started stocking kayaks last year, and just received another shipment this year. People have especially enjoyed the gentle float from the Dredge Cuts fishing access to the School Trust fishing access, about six miles east of Fort Peck. “It’s just real relaxing for them to coast down the river,” said D&G owner Darrell Morehouse. Stand-up paddleboards have been a hot ticket for Steamboat Dry Goods in Wolf Point, for sales and rentals. The store offered rentals at the reservoir two years ago and plans to start again this year. People explore some of the quieter bays on the reservoir as well as flat areas below the dam. ‘We’ve got elderly ladies who go out in their 70s and say, ‘I just got my hair done, can I go out and stand on these?’ They come back and say, ‘I never fell once,’” said Steamboat co-owner Alice
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2017 Season
48 Years of Bringing Live Theatre to Northeastern Montana Erica Doornek
Paddle powered options like kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboards are growing in popularity on the Fort Peck Reservoir and surrounding areas.
Whitmer. Options like canoes, kayaks and paddleboards offer a more portable and nimble option than motorized boats and jet skis. “That’s way cheaper entertainment on the water,” Whitmer said. Paddling can also offer a way to reach into the reservoir’s well-known fishing. Paddlers can slowly troll bait in search of walleye near the reservoir’s points and shorelines, especially from fishing-specific kayaks. Near the dam, anglers using spinning tackle can target bass and northern pike. However, the vast area holds plenty of recreation options without fishing. “You’re gonna be able to find
a lot of peace and quiet on the reservoir,” Kloker said. “Even the smaller bays are pretty big.” A personal favorite of Kloker is The Pines Recreation Area, which is tucked into a large bay on the lake’s west shore. The nook personifies the ease of access near campgrounds, as paddling options often don’t require a formal boat landing. For kids, a good beginners option is the pond bordering Kiwanis Park, just below the main reservoir. The park is within walking distance of campsites and the Fort Peck Interpretive Center. There are some safety considerations, including weather. “The big issue is wind,” Kloker said. “If there is much, it’s tough
Show Times: Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 pm Sundays 4:00 pm
ARSENIC AND OLD LACE June 2 - June 18 OLIVER June 23 - July 9
Lionel Bart’s
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET July 14 - July 30 GREASE August 4 - August 20 SOUVENIR August 25 - Sept. 3 NEW Ticketing System! Order online at www.fortpecktheatre.org and pick your seat. Call 406-228-9216 for more information.
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Larger than life: Fort Peck Interpretive Center offers prehistoric glimpse of Montana BY MIKE KORDENBROCK mkordenbrock@billingsgazette.com Upon entering the lobby of the Fort Peck Interpretive Center and Museum, visitors come immediately under the gaze of the so-called Peck’s Rex, a life-sized model of a Tyrannosaurus rex that peers over the gallery, perched on a pedestal. Along the opposite side of the room, suspended from above as if swimming in midair hangs the 40-foot long skeleton cast of a Tylosaur. “It was like the T. rex of the sea,” said Michele Fromdahl, the museum’s former director who recently became the Fort Peck Lake manager. Large, fearsome and toothy, these creatures along with the other casts and models in the museum offer visitors a look in a small town at some of the oldest and largest inhabitants of the Treasure State from a time when the West was a lot more wild. “We don’t have any cool replicas of something that would be found in China,” Fromdahl said. “It’s all from Montana.” Elsewhere on display is a Struthiomimus, a dinosaur which Fromdahl said bears resemblance to the ostrich. Joining the tylosaur on the ceiling is a 17-foot long pleiosaur, a creature which Fromdahl said looks like the fictional Lochness monster, albeit with a shorter neck. A skull mold of a fossil known as the Wankel T. rex is one of two in the museum. Fromdahl said the name Wankel comes from the family who discovered the original fossil along the Fort Peck Lake sometime in roughly the late 1980s. The original fossil is on loan to the Smithsonian Museum in
If you go What: Fort Peck Interpretive Center and Museum Where: 157 Yellowstone Rd., Fort Peck, MT, 59223 Hours: Beginning May 1 until Sept. 30, open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., every day of the week. Cost: Free Planning ahead: Group reservations required, walk-ins welcome For more information: Call 406-526-3493
Powerhouse tours are popular and during the summer weekends special programs and activities geared toward kids cycle in and out, including a particularly popular one about water safety for which children get to drive and ride in electric mini boats in a nearby pond. A popular campground is nearby including a three-mile paved trail that leads to an area near the museum which includes picnic tables, horseshoe pits and basketball courts. The Gateway Club is a popuCourtesy US Army Corps of Engineers lar local restaurant as is the Park A life-sized Tyrannosaurus rex model in the Fort Peck Interpretive Center. Grove Bar, which Fromdahl said she believes is at least partially made up of a building originating Washington D.C., where Fromdahl models and skeletal molds, the museum holds what Fromdahl said from the early boom town days of said it is known as “The Nation’s Fort Peck. were the two biggest aquariums T. rex.” For the less outdoorsy visitors, in Montana, one sitting at 8,000 A large wall mural shows how gallons and another holding 5,500 the Fort Peck Theatre remains life might have looked under the a popular attraction during the gallons of water. sea in Montana thousands and summer, Fromdahl said. The one holds fish that can be thousands of years ago. Until May 1, the Fort Peck found in the nearby lake, the other The museum is free and its Interpretive Center is open only dinosaur-oriented portion doesn’t fish found in the Missouri River. by advanced appointment, after A display with current and offer tours but instead provides which it remains open seven days historical wildlife of the area is scavenger hunt handouts for a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until younger visitors to fill in with facts also housed in the building, along Sept. 30. with an exhibit dedicated to the from displays throughout the For information, call 406-526history of the construction of the building. 3493. Fort Peck Dam. In addition to the dinosaur
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Hi-line
HOT SPRINGS Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs gets rustic remodel
permanent structures for public use of the pools. Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs got its newest facade since Of Montana’s commercialized geothermal groundwater features, the Simpson family took over. Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs, Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs in Saco geographically stands apart. Inc., bought it in 2013, after the facility’s previous owner came into There are 12 hot springs financial trouble. They bought the grouped in south-central and southwest Montana. The closest of small resort at a sheriff’s sale. “It was about as far gone as you those to Saco is 276 miles by road. The Hi-line’s own hot spring is could get and still resurrect it,” about 90 years old. It sprung from said Dennis Simpson, who overan oil man’s test drill at 3,100 feet, saw the renovations. Demolition for the remodel beaccording to the owners. Instead gan in 2014. The original plan was of oil, hot water flowed from the just to patch up some spaces here well. and there, but it eventually grew An area rancher built wooden into more of an overhaul. tubs to make pools of hot water, “Slowly, we just kind of started but it was still in a very natural seeing what this place could be,” state. Escaping gas from the well he said. “So I went the extra mile could be ignited with a match, to try to take it back to its original though the source was later blocked. Under the Depression-era state.” They removed the sheet rock in Works Progress Administration in the main pool building and found the 1930s, workers built the first BY MATT HUDSON mhudson@billingsgazette.com
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the original stone structure. At 19 inches thick, Simpson said the rock had real beauty. Crews jackhammered the floors to install a radiant heat system—a series of tubes that run hot water to give off heat for the building. And, of course, with a hot spring nearby, it’s free to heat the water. They also installed a drain in the main pool, which refreshes the water daily. Cabins on the grounds received updates, two more were added and accouterments were installed throughout. The hot springs re-opened on Christmas Day 2014. “When word first came out that the Sleeping Buffalo was being renovated, the entire community was thrilled,” said Dina Sainato-Meneely, executive director of the Malta Chamber of Commerce. “As their Facebook page came online, it was so neat to see the
memories folks had about it and the strong identity it had in the community.” The resort now includes multiple pools, a sauna room and five cabins. There’s also RV camping space. Sainato-Meneely said that it’s valuable to have an attraction like the hot springs in the regional economy. Chances are that travelers going through Sleeping Buffalo will stop in Malta or another nearby town. She said that the saying is, “We have all the necessities of life with a personal touch.” And one of the things Simpson likes the most about the resort’s remodel is that they’ve updated it to feel more like the past, thanks to the stone and wood features that were originally in place. “When you go in there, you kind of see a modern effect with an old 1930s and 40s feel,” he said.
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MISSOURI RIVER COUNTRY CALENDAR CULBERTSON FRONTIER DAYS June 9-11 Enjoy two full days of western hospitality and fun, including rodeos at the Saddle Club, Saturday parade, barn dance and concessions on the grounds. For more information, www.culbertsonmt.com/events ROOSEVELT COUNTY FAIR August 10-12, 2017 Culbertson’s free event of traditional family activities food, crafts, plants, 4-H and FFA livestock auction, fashion revue, petting zoo, various vendors and fun run. Free noon meal Friday and Saturday. For more information, www.culbertsonmt. com/events TRAIL RIDE AND WAGON TRAIN Sept. 4 Local folks bring their “Old West” covCourtesy ered wagons or saddle horses imagining Runners cross the finish line at the Dam Run in Fort Peck. the working cowboy’s way of life 100 years ago. The weekend includes food, entertainANTIQUE, COLLECTIBLE GLASGOW ment and hay for the horses. Call for inforAND VENDOR FAIR CATFISH CLASSIC mation, 406-790-0600. See the past and the present July 22, June 2-3 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., at the Phillips County MuThe “grand daddy” of the Montana Cats seum’s Antique, Collectible and Vendor FAIRVIEW Tour is a nighttime event annually boasting Fair. For more information, www.maltaOLD TIMER’S REUNION a full 80-team field and more than $10,000 chamber.com & SUMMER FESTIVAL in guaranteed cash and prizes. Slots fill July 14-16 PLENTYWOOD Fairview’s honors its “Old Timers” with fast, so see montanacats.com to register. NORTHEAST MONTANA FAIR SHERIDAN COUNTY CAR & games, dancing, live music, crafts and hamAug. 1-5 MOTORCYCLE SHOW burgers in the park. The Northeast Montana Fair has a carniJune 3 FRAZER val (Aug. 2-5), PRCA Rodeo (Aug. 1-2), DemAt 9 a.m., June 3, classic cars, trucks and olition Derby (Aug. 3) and Joe Diffie Con- motorcycles from Montana, the Dakotas RED BOTTOM CELEBRATION cert (6 p.m. Aug. 5). All happens at Valley and Canada will shine, while visitors enjoy June 16-18 See the oldest powwow on the Fort Peck County Fairgrounds in Glasgow. For more in- food vendors, a parade and fun run. Show Reservation. The Red Bottom Celebration formation, www.northeastmontanafair.com is free and open to all. held in Frazer, honors Native American culBIG MUDDY MOTORCYCLE RALLY HINSDALE ture and traditions through dancing, food, June 4 MILK RIVER DAYS crafts, fellowship and more. Open to all. The public in invited to enjoy fun runs, July 2 life music and food vendors. EntertainFORT PECK Milk River Days includes a MRCA rodeo ment is free. and street dance. More information is availFORT PECK SUMMER THEATRE PRAIRIE FEST able at Facebook – Milk River Days. June 8 – Sept. 3 June 24-July 4 This century-old theatre features three Towns in Sheridan County – including MALTA plays this summer. “Arsenic and Old Lace” Plentywood, Westby and Medicine Lake – CAR SHOW/DINO DAYS/ runs June 8-18; Lionel Bart’s “Oliver” hapcelebrate the area’s way of life. For details, PCMS RACES pens June 23 - July 9; “Grease” is on Aug. contact Sheridan County Chamber of ComJune 3-4 – 20; and, “Souvenir” runs Aug. 25 – Sept. merce at 406-765-8500. Visit Malta’s First State Bank Car Show/ 3. Friday and Saturday shows are at 7 p.m.; SHERIDAN COUNTY FAIR Sunday shows are at 4:30 p.m. For more in- Dino Days/ PCMS Races. Information on July 27-30 Test & Tune, the Points Race and High Line formation, www.fortpecktheare.org This traditional fair and PRCA rodeo has Drag Strip are at pcmotorsports.org. That all the entertainment you’d expect. See LONGEST DAM RACE website also has information on races held details at Facebook/SheridanCountyFair. June 17 This family event begins at 8 a.m., with through the summer. POPLAR 10k Run, 5K Run, 5K Walk, Novice Bike race, THE MILK RIVER GOSPEL JAMBOREE June 23-15 and/or 1 mile walk/Run. All start at top of WILD WEST DAYS Malta hosts his music event organized the Fort Peck Dam and finish at Kiwanis June 9-11 Family events start Friday with kids’ bike Park. For information, call 406-228-2222 through a non-profit group founded in 2001. or visit www.glasgowchamber.net. For more information, mrgjamboree.org races and downtown contests; Saturday
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features a downtown parade at noon, and 2 p.m. rodeo at the rodeo grounds.
SCOBEY PIONEER DAYS & DIRTY SHAME SHOW June 22-24 Five family-oriented variety shows are offered starring the Dirty Shame Belles and Dixieland Band. There’s a non-alcoholic saloon and “thresherman’s breakfast.” See information at scobeymt.com.
SIDNEY SUNRISE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS July 8 Visitors can enjoy browsing displays of artists and crafters from many states while taking in live music in scenic Veterans Memorial Park. There is also a “writers’ row” and free children’s events. For more information, www.sidneymt.com RICHLAND COUNTY FAIR & RODEO Aug. 3-6 The Richland County Fair & Rodeo offers homestyle events and rodeo action. For more information, www.sidneymt.com
WOLF POINT WOLF POINT BREW FEST June 17 The annual Wolf Point Brewfest at Marvin Brookman Stadium will have live music along with 30-plus micro- and macro-beers. www.wolfpointchamber.com WOLF CITY RODS AND RIDES June 18 Wolf City Rods and Rides event features a car and bike show, and poker run – all at the Marvin Brookman Stadium. www.wolfpointchamber.com WOLF POINT WILD HORSE STAMPEDE AND PARADE July 6-8 This two-day celebration includes the annual stampede and several parades. For more information, www.wolfpointchamber.com WOLF POINT ART IN THE PARK July 8 Wolf Point Art in the Park offers plenty to see and do at Sherman Park in the gazebo area. www.wolfpointchamber.com WADOPANA POWWOW Aug. 4-6 See the oldest traditional powwow in Montana. It allows elders and younger generations to hold special ceremonies for naming of individuals and honoring of family members. For the young people, there are run/walks and outdoor activities. Open to everyone; for information call 406-6507104 or 406-650-8724.
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a fantastic way a to start father’s da
Major ajor Sponsors
Community Sponsors
Contributing Sponsors
Presenting Sponsors
micromesh T-shirt finish at dehler park montana active life festival
registration and information
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RRCA 5K Western Regional Championship free team category and picture
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On the Loop!
An authentic gold rush town born in 1863, now frozen in time. Original buildings remain, once housed dry goods stores, gold assays, crooked lawmen and Vigilante law, now are host to restaurants, gift shops, museums, live theaters and more.
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