Peaks and Valleys Summer 2016 by Bozeman Daily Chronicle

SUMMER 2016

PEAKS

VALLEYS A S W M O N TA N A T R A V E L + L I F E S T Y L E M A G A Z I N E

YOUR GUIDE TO THE AREA: EVENTS STORIES FISHING + MORE

A S P E C I A L P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E B O Z E M A N D A I LY C H R O N I C L E PEAKS AND VALLEYS

PEAKS

VALLEYS CREDITS

EDITOR & WRITER LISA REUTER PHOTO BY ADRIAN SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ

WELCOME TO PEAKS & VALLEYS W E ’ R E T H E N E W E S T L I F E S T Y L E A N D T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E

covering Bozeman to Yellowstone National Park and the Paradise, Gallatin and Madison valleys. One of the most beautiful parts of the country. The place we call home. The landscape is changing before our eyes. The world’s first national park, Yellowstone embodies and still protects wilderness. A hundred miles north, though, Bozeman is one of the West’s fastest growing cities. The population of Gallatin County is pushing 100,000 souls. How do we all get along – with each other, and that wilderness, and the wild animals that wander into our suburban neighborhoods? Out in the valleys, fourth-generation ranchers who know what’s what increasingly share property lines with Eastern transplants in search of outdoor recreation and their own Western ideal. They don’t always share viewpoints, but they can come to like each other. They have things to teach each other. Peaks & Valleys hopes to bridge some gaps, to introduce visitors to the lay of our land and residents to their neighbors and the fun town in the next valley over. We’ll recount the past, recommend a good book or restaurant and ponder what’s on the horizon. Come journey with us.

OUR NEXT EDITION OF “PEAKS & VALLEYS” WILL PUBLISH THIS FALL. TO ADVERTISE, C A L L S Y LV I A D R A I N AT 4 0 6 . 5 8 2 . 2 6 4 0 .

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER LOIS STEPHENS

D E S I G N & L AY O U T BROOKE BENSON

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR CINDY SEASE

ADVERTISING MANAGER S Y LV I A D R A I N

PHOTOGRAPHY ADRIAN SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ BIG SKY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VIRGINIA CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LISA REUTER N AT I O N A L PA R K S E R V I C E WEST YELLOWSTONE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ZOOT ENTERPRISES

A S P E C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N OF THE:

AREA MAP + STORY GUIDE 287

BOZEMAN

10 RIVE

LIVINGSTON

BIG SKY

3 VIRGINIA CITY

4 ENNIS

191

7 GARDINER

MAP

5 WEST YELLOWSTONE

STORY TITLE

PA G E

BOZEMAN IN & OUT

B I G S K Y: A G R A B B A G O F S U M M E R F U N

HISTORIC, BEAUTIFUL VIRGINIA CITY

SALMONFLIES HERALD PRIME FISHING

CAPTURING THE MOODS OF BIG SKY COUNTRY

A MOTHER, A DAUGHTER, AND BARREL RACING

G A R D I N E R ’ S A L L D R E S S E D U P F O R PA R K SERVICE CENTENNIAL

WEST YELLOWSTONE

S A G E LY R E C O N N E C T I N G W I T H D I R T & P L A N T S

Z O O T E N T E R P R I S E S : P I O N E E R O F A R E A’ S SURGING ECONOMIC SECTOR

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

PHOTO BY ADRIAN SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

BOZEMAN IN & OUT A C H A N C E T O PA R T Y L I K E T H E SUMMER NEVER ENDS

G AT E W AY T O Y E L L O W S T O N E B U T A C I T Y W I T H I T S

owner of one of the prettiest, busiest downtowns in Montana, home to Montana State University, locale of at least four distilleries, seven artisan breweries and a Gibson guitar factory, possessor of high culture – symphony, opera, ballet company, film society, art galleries and multiple theater companies, check, check, check, check, check and check. Home ground for one of the top dinosaur museums in the universe and the most active airport in the state, Bozeman is probably growing a little too fast for its britches, roadways, school system and housing market. OWN BOOMING TOURIST BIZ,

It’s the fourth largest city in Montana, a high-tech metropolis, the best place to live in the West for skiing, one of the nation’s most dogfriendly burgs, the shopping hub for a 90-mile radius, on the cusp of becoming the region’s next big foodie town. Asian Fusion, American sandwich, authentic Mexican, Chinese, Continental, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mediterranean, Thai, breakfast special, small plate, seafood, pizza, pub food, raw, locavore, fresh. It would take a month of nights out to hit all the great places to eat. If you like more indoor pursuits, we have them – starting with libraries. The Bozeman Public Library is phenomenal and nearby Belgrade Community Library is the 2015 Best Small Library in America.

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

The Museum of the Rockies and the American Computer & Robotics Museum are world-class. Both have don’t-miss special exhibits this summer. On June 16, MOR opens “The Villas of Oplontis, Leisure & Luxury in the Age of Nero.” It’s a display of World Heritage Site artifacts from a wealthy enclave near Pompeii, buried when Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. Already open is the computer museum’s “Hacking Hitler’s Code” show, about the Allies’ code-cracking spies. The star of the show is an authentic German Enigma machine, a sort of typewriter that sprouts wires like Medusa did snakes, all housed in a small wooden box that belies the havoc the encoding device wreaked.

Don’t think the other museums – the Children’s Museum of Bozeman and the Gallatin History Museum – are slouches. Both have intriguing exhibits kids and history buffs will love (including Gary Cooper’s autograph from high school, before anyone envisioned “High Noon” and “The Pride of the Yankees”). But who are we kidding? Half the population lives here to get away to the great outdoors. It’s why visitors come too. From Yellowstone National Park to Gallatin National Forest, mountains, valleys, rivers and lakes. We even escape outside in town, to magnificent urban parks, eight dog parks and 67 miles of trails for hiking and biking that take you from Main Street to the Mountains. Among the more popular are Gallagator, Triple Tree and College M. Ask about them in any of the city’s outdoor gear and clothing stores. Bozeman is a good place to try all kinds of outdoor pursuits, from mountain biking to bouldering. In fact, the city has put half-a-dozen climbing boulders in municipal parks, so anyone can try it at no cost. The oldest is in Langohr Park. The smallest – great for kids and first-timers – is in Gallatin County Regional Park.

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

Authentic Italian Cuisine

—in Belgrade, Montana!

PHOTOS BY ADRIAN SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ

Damasco’s is a family restaurant in this little town not far from the airport. Head chef Taylor Caracciolo is pushing Italian cuisine to its fullest potential—creating fresh, bold flavored local food. Taylor’s culinary accomplishments include: • • • • •

Calmer outdoor pursuits include the Tuesday night Farmer’s Market at Bogert Park. Downtown hosts plenty of doings all season long. Late June through mid-August on Thursday nights, it’s Music on Main. The second Friday of each month is Downtown Art Walk. And the third weekend of July is Summer Crazy Days, the sidewalk sale of sales.

Lead line cook at The Bachelor Farmer Cooked dinner at the legendary James Beard House Cooked a lunch for President Obama Cooked a dinner for Vice President Joe Biden Moved to Spoon and Stable working under renowned chef Gavin Kaysen

Find your way to Damasco’s to sample their cusine and their extensive wine list. It will become one of your favorite Montana small town finds!

Elsewhere, the Gallatin County Fair is July 18-24 at the fairgrounds, and the Sweat Pea Festival, No. 39, is Aug. 5-7 at Lindley Park. Mark your calendars and celebrate another summer in Bozeman all summer long.

Serving Dinner Tues–Sun 5-9 • Reservations Recommended Beer & Fine Italian Wine Available

90 W. Madison Ave. • Belgrade • 388-2724 PEAKS AND VALLEYS

P H O T O : M U S I C I N T H E M O U N TA I N S , C O P Y R I G H T A R T S C O U N C I L O F B I G S K Y

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

BIG SKY A GRAB BAG OF SUMMER FUN

IN WINTER, BIG SKY RESORT BOASTS THE BIGGEST SKIING IN

In summer, when days are warm and long and nights are cool, the high mountain getaway offers everything else: fishing blue-ribbon trout streams, mountain biking and hiking, riding the Lone Peak Tram to the top of 11,166-foot Lone Mountain, ziplining and river rafting, spa treatments and a double-black-diamond list of dining and shopping opportunities.

AMERICA®.

It’s all a great day trip from Bozeman, via scenic, and twisty-turny, Hwy 191 South. Turn right on Lone Mountain Trail (Hwy 64) and stop almost immediately at the Big Sky Greater Yellowstone Welcome Center for maps, guides and tips from the helpful staff. Spend a moment looking at the mementos of early pioneer Augustus Franklin Crail, whose homestead can be visited at Meadow Village Center; and at the desk and typewriter of Chet Huntley, the Montana native and renowned NBC newscaster (1956-70) who envisioned Big Sky Resort. Do spend a moment with the maps. Big Sky is divided into three visitor zones. The visitor center is at the first, called the Canyon. If you think you want to raft or fish, get details at the center, then head for the river. A few miles down the road, Meadow Village Center offers great dining choices and some choice shops, all grouped around the Big Sky Chapel. Nearby is the Big Sky Resort’s Arnold Palmer-designed par 72 golf course. Town Center, a mile farther down Hwy 64, is shopping central. The Creighton Block Gallery showcases fine Western art. For jewelry, check out Ari O, where MSU grad Ariane Coleman offers a stunning array

of bracelets, necklaces and earrings, some of precious stones and fine metals, others beautifully beaded, all of them her designs. If you need cowboy gear, stop into Big Horn Boutique, where the brand names are Lucchese and Stetson. While you’re here, take time to walk scenic and easy Ousel Falls Trail. It’s just 1.6 miles round-trip, and the waterfall is lovely. Beyond Town Center, the road climbs up to Mountain Village, past enviable homes, stands of pines and brilliant mountain views. At the top, scope out the ski resort’s amenities, including spa treatments and boisterous antics including paintball, archery, bungee trampoline, a giant swing, a high ropes course and skeet shooting. But save time to get away outdoors. Up here the choices are breathtaking. Top of the line is the Lone Peak Expedition: Tram to the Top, a 2.5-hour ride (wear layers) that includes transport by chairlift, expedition vehicle and the tram. From the top, you’ll see three states, two national parks and many mountain ranges. The cost is $88 a person (children 2 and under ride free on laps).

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

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Or, let a chair lift deposit you at a mountain bike trailhead. Hit them all and you’ll rack up 40 miles. Rental bikes are available. For a slower pace, hike. Lifts will take you up, you walk down. Drive to the best trail: Beehive Basin, named one of the world’s best hikes by Fox News. It winds along a creek and across mountain slopes bursting with wildflowers. When you arrive at the lake, fish or splash around, then start back. It’s 6.4 miles total. Then, it must be time to eat or shop again. And if you’re not ready to leave, check out lodging options: hotels, lodges, guest ranches, condos or cabins. Big Sky has 1,500 guest rooms and something in every price range. Find more information, including activities and lodging details, at VisitBigSkyMT.com.

% 20 OFF ALL LUCCHESE BOOTS (IN STOCK)

BIG HORN SHEEP LAMB, COURTESY OF VISIT BIG SKY

Nordic Hot Tub BOOTS • FASHION • JEWELRY • HATS • GIFTS • SOUVENIRES

WE SERVICE WHAT WE SELL! www.BigSkyHotTubs.com

(406) 995-4892 • NordicHotTub@aol.com 47520 Gallatin Rd. • Big Sky, MT 59716 10

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

OPEN DAILY 10AM - 6PM (EXCEPT FOR SPECIAL EVENTS) (406) 995-2230 • 33 LONE PEAK DR. IN THE TOWN CENTER

BIG SKY EVENTS W E D N E S D AY I S FA R M E R S M A R K E T D AY ,

5-8 p.m. every Wednesday, June to September, at Fire Pit Park in Town Center. The market is a super place to find the works of scores of local artists – offering jewelry, clothing, photography, woodworking and art – plus food vendors, live music and children’s activities. T H U R S D AY I S A N O T H E R G R E AT D AY T O M A K E

The Arts Council of Big Sky presents concerts by national touring musicians on Thursdays evenings, June 23-Sept. 1, at Center Stage in Town Center. The acts include Knoxville’s Black Lillies June 23, Band of Heathens from Austin, Texas, July 7, and DeadPhish Orchestra of Boulder, Colo., Aug. 18. Full list at www.bigskyarts.org. T H E T R I P.

J U L Y 4 , B I G S K Y H O S T S O N E O F T H E A R E A’ S

The free event in Town Center Park features live music by Bozeman’s own Tiny Band, fireworks shows, kids activities and food and beverage vendors. B I G G E S T C E L E B R AT I O N S .

THE BIG SKY PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDER’S COMP E T I T I O N I S J U LY 2 8 - 3 0 , at the Town Center arena. Concerts, activities and lots of bull riding. T H E 6 T H A N N U A L C L A S S I C A L M U S I C F E S T I VA L IS AUG. 12-14

at Town Center’s Center Stage.

S E P T. 2 4 , M O U N TA I N F I L M O N T O U R V I S I T S B I G SKY,

featuring some of the best films from the Telluride MountainFilm Festival.

PHOTO: 320 GUEST RANCH, POND IN THE SUNRISE

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

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OLIVE

B’s

THE PLACE FOR SEAFOOD, WILD GAME & DESSERT

WARREN “BIBBER” BIBBINS HAS BEEN A KNOWN CHEF IN B I G S K Y F O R M O R E T H A N 2 0 Y E A R S . He spent much of that time offering his Hyde Park, N.Y., Culinary Institute-trained skills to the patrons of the private Yellowstone Club.

The rest of the world got its first taste of them in 2011, when he and his wife Jennie, a pastry chef, opened Olive B’s Big Sky Bistro across the street from Big Sky Chapel. Together, the pair manage every aspect of the kitchen and business. The focus is always on the food. Appreciative diners come back again and again, both locals and visitors. The restaurant seats 80, the patio 26. Dinner reservations are definitely recommended. “We’re both East Coast transplants, so we brought our fish with us,” Bibber said. “It’s healthier.” The offerings vary by season, but they’re always fresh. The ahi tuna comes from Honolulu, the oysters and shrimp from Florida, the tuna and swordfish from Boston, and the halibut and salmon from Alaska. Patrons like the wild game too, and what’s not to like? Rocky Mountain elk served with huckleberry demi glace, and pheasant stuffed with housemade sage fois gras butter for dinner. Bison burgers for lunch. If you like tamer protein, try the crisp roast duckling in peach glaze, or the New Zealand lamb chops, served with honey mint syrup. “The lamb chops aren’t local, but we’ll probably never switch. The quality and flavor of this New Zealand lamb is so different. The meat is just purple. “Our food is in the classical realm, but approachable. We like to do a twist on classic ingredients.” Like Jennie’s 10 Layer Banana Cake. It’s always fresh because it sells out fast. It’s a must-order if it’s available. Make reservations by calling 406-995-3355 or through Open Table.

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

VIRGINIA CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PHOTOS

EXPLORING BEAUTIFUL, HISTORIC

VIRGINIA CITY BY LOIS STEPHENS

T H E S A G A O F W H A T W O U L D B E C O M E M O N T A N A’ S N O . 1 S TAT E - O W N E D T O U R I S T AT T R A C T I O N B E G A N I N 1 8 6 3 A L O N G A S M A L L U N N A M E D S T R E A M . Six grizzled prospectors stopped there in hopes of panning enough gold to purchase tobacco.

When the very first pan yielded more than $2 in gold, they realized they had literally discovered a gold mine. The resulting gold rush and the boom towns that grew up along the creek area, which the miners named Alder Gulch, produced more than $30 million in gold in the first three years, and more than $90 million by 1889. Alder Gulch still holds top honors as the richest placer gold strike in the Rocky Mountains.

Another lasting legacy is Virginia City, county seat of Madison County, with approximately 200 year-round residents. Come summer, Virginia City and its sister ghost town of Nevada City attract nearly half a million visitors, eager to explore the historic sites, immerse themselves in the area’s beauty and experience a bit of the Old West. Dozens of period buildings, from dilapidated outhouses to well-maintained and still-lived-in stately Victorian homes, provide a true feeling for life as it was lived 150 years ago. Still standing are the old print shop, home of the Montana Territory’s first newspaper, the Montana Standard, and the Hangman’s Building, where five unlucky souls were killed by a vigilante group. At the back of the building, the original hanging beam reminds visitors of the rough justice meted out in that turbulent era.

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Spend a few days in Virginia City to participate in all the activities. Museums and displays line three blocks of Wallace Street, or Montana Highway 287, which runs through downtown. The displays show mining life, tools of the era, wagons used for firefighting, and period shoes and clothing, dishes, toys and other items our great-grandparents used regularly. Stroll along quiet Idaho Street to observe many historic homes a block south of Wallace. In total, Virginia City displays one of the West’s largest collections of Americana antiques. There’s plenty to do as well as see. Pan for gold and ride the narrow gauge Alder Gulch short line railroad that travels between Nevada City and Virginia City. More adventurous folks can walk the scenic path between the two, which are just a mile apart, reading about mining and area geology at stops along the way. Or take an Alder Gulch mine tour, participate in a nightly ghost walk or tour the town on an old fire truck. Visitors can check out the train depot, now an art and jewelry outlet featuring local artists; purchase homemade ice cream from the Virginia City Creamery; buy to-die-for fudge from the candy shop; peruse the many offerings at Rank’s Mercantile; and discover great souvenirs and other items at the gift shops and jewelry store downtown. Just outside town, Boot Hill is the final resting spot of the five men hung at the Hangman’s Building by the Montana Vigilantes in 1865. A controversial group, the vigilantes originated in Virginia City. Proponents believe they eliminated the criminal element and cleaned up the town. Detractors maintain they were a lawless gang of hoodlums who hung many an innocent man. Whichever viewpoint you choose, Boot Hill is a stunningly gorgeous place to bury anyone good or bad, and to take spectacular snapshots of the town and surrounding mountains. Virginia City also provides a variety of entertainment venues to satisfy all tastes. The Brewery Follies performs adult entertainment nightly, while the Virginia City Players offer family musical shows throughout the summer. The Elling House hosts special events, including the Victorian Ball in August. Business establishments present arts festivals and musical events.

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

VIRGINIA CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PHOTOS

THE VIGILANTES ORIGINATED IN VIRGINIA CITY. PROPONENTS BELIEVE THEY ELIMINATED THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT AND CLEANED UP THE TOWN. DETRACTORS MAINTAIN THEY WERE A LAWLESS GANG OF HOODLUMS WHO HUNG MANY AN INNOCENT MAN.

After completing the touring and exploring, enjoy good meals and refreshments at the town’s eating establishments. The Virginia City Café offers breakfast, lunch and evening meals; Bob’s Place has pizza and sandwiches; and the Wells Fargo Steak House serves dinner each night. Both the Pioneer Bar and the Bale of Hay Saloon look inside and out about the same way they appeared a century ago. Numerous bed and breakfasts, cabins, an RV park and the Fairweather Inn on Wallace offer lodging for guests. The summer season begins in mid-May and runs through midSeptember. Virginia City hosts a Memorial Day kick-off parade, many big events for the July 4th holiday and an assortment of planned activities in the warm months. For a schedule, check the Virginia City Chamber of Commerce website at virginiacity.com.

M I C H A E L W R I G H T, C H R O N I C L E P H O T O

SALMONFLIES HERALD PRIME FISHING ON THE MADISON RIVER BY LOIS STEPHENS THE SEASON WHEN SALMONFLIES MAKE THEIR ANNUAL APPEARANCE ALONG THE MADISON RIVER

These huge insects, largest members of the stonefly family, come packed with nutrition and lure fish to the water’s surface to gorge on the tasty (to them) morsels.

APPROACHES.

The fly fisherman’s dream, the coveted trout, especially enjoys salmonflies. When the trout rise to the surface to feast on the bugs, fly fishermen come in droves. Men and women from all parts of the country congregate along the Madison in the expectation of snagging a few trophy fish. “A huge percentage of fish diet consists of salmonflies,” said Luke Lowery, manager of The Tackle Shop in Ennis, MT. “Salmonflies are large and full of protein. Trout are lazy and don’t like to expend a lot of energy obtaining food, so they eat the salmonflies because the high protein content gives fish a lot of energy and nutrition with each insect.”

He continued, “When the salmonfly hatch occurs, trout can justify expending energy to catch and eat them. Trout rise to the surface to feed and will even leap out of the water to catch these flies. Each fly provides more nutrition than hundreds of midges or other small insects.” Fishermen stand an excellent chance of catching fish of all sizes during the salmonfly hatch. “All fish, including the big ones, are feeding on the salmonflies. There are fish to be caught, and fishermen have a great opportunity to catch the larger ones because large fish don’t bother to feed on small insects. But they will rise for salmonflies.” The salmonflies live their entire life cycle on or near the water, starting out as eggs that hatch into nymphs and live under rocks in the river. When they mature, they crawl out from under the rocks and make their way to the riverbank. Upon reaching the bank, they climb onto dry rocks and shed their shells, metamorphosing into the adult fly. PEAKS AND VALLEYS

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ORVIS ENDORSED FISHING G U I D E , L U K E L O W E RY

“Shell casings litter the rocks,” Lowery said. “The adult females are very large, and they fly over the water dropping their eggs into the water. The eggs sink to the bottom, and the cycle begins all over again. These huge insects skimming along the water bring fish to the surface.” Trout will also eat the nymphs as they crawl out from beneath the rocks. The annual salmonfly hatch may last a few days or continue for nearly a month, depending on weather and other variables. “June 18 is the average date for the hatch to begin,” Lowery said. “Last year we saw salmonflies as early as June 5. Other areas of Montana may see salmonflies in late March, but along the Madison, the best time is the month of June. The hatch may last for five days or continue for four weeks. It’s anyone’s guess when it begins and how long it lasts... When they’re gone, they’re gone.” Fishermen love the hatch. “There are so many salmonflies and nearly as many fish, and the fish just go crazy over these bugs,” Lowery said. “It is easier fishing salmonflies because the fish are so wild about these bugs and they actively feed. “I love to throw a dry fly on the water and watch fish come to the surface to eat it. This is a classic reason why people love to fly fish. You are throwing a huge dry fly so it is easy to see and perfect for catching fish. The takes on the fly are huge, as fish hit the fly hard. You see it all happen. It is exhilarating.”

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

The lure of fly fishing also lies in the challenge it presents. “Fly fishing is a game, an endless pursuit. There are all sorts of variables to consider. There is always something new to learn, and the trout are never the same. A person becomes one with nature as he or she tries to mimic nature by making the dry fly look real. “Every time I chase a fish on a fly, I have an incredible feeling and sense of accomplishment. I understand I can never best Mother Nature. But I can be accepted by her and become almost one with the earth. Fishing is so much more than just catching a fish. It is all about rhythm and flow. It is true art.” For more information, visit thetackleshop.com.

CAPTURING THE MOODS

BIG SKY COUNTRY

STORY BY LISA REUTER PHOTOS BY ADRIAN SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ

T H E PA S T F O U R Y E A R S ,

the person capturing the face of Bozeman day in, day out for The Daily Chronicle has been photographer Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez.

He didn’t know a thing about the mountains or the West before taking the job; he was born and raised in L.A. Now his images help us understand and define ourselves. He photographs everything from fires to speeches to the Friday cover for Get Out! His favorite assignments are for “wild art,” a request to capture something in the community in a visually graphic way.

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“It can be hard. First, because you’re on deadline and have only an hour to shoot it, and then because sometimes I forget whether I’ve shot something before. That’s the big motivation, to always shoot a photo that’s new or to shoot the familiar in a totally different way.” His photo of a young bicyclist on the trail is a prime example. “Yeah, I planted myself in the sunflowers to get a different perspective,” he laughed. “More and more bicyclists were coming down the trail, but I couldn’t just shoot that. I decided the flowers could be a complement to the circular wheels of the bike and draw attention to the foreground in a different way, and I wanted to give the bicycle a feeling like it was part of its environment. I practiced a couple of shots before I got things set up right, and then I almost missed the picture because of the cyclist’s speed.”

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

Sanchez-Gonzalez loves to photograph from the top of the Bridgers. “You can get God’s perspective on what’s happening in our area – the agriculture, the growth, the recreation. Everything’s so photogenic up there, even if I can’t always get all the way to the top.” When photographing landscapes, he advised, “use a wide angle lens. But a telephoto above 100mm will work too. The key is to shoot a landscape that also has something in the foreground to focus on, a point of attention in one of the thirds of the frame.” The horizon line will create graphic interest for the eye, the point of attention will attract it, and the eye will keep moving around the photo in a pleasant way. “Always look at the light,” he added. “The light speaks in shadows and in bright light. Always know where the sun and the shadows are.” To shoot in the middle of the day – “that’s the hardest, it leaves harsh shadows under a person’s eyes, nose and neck” – put your subject in the shadow of a building or tree and shoot into the sun for a halo effect. To shoot a classic silhouette during the golden hours of the day – about 5 a.m. or 9 p.m. in Montana in summer – frame your picture to capture the best view of the light, then underexpose the shadows. “You don’t use filters. It’s all in your exposure in the camera,” he instructed. “Then I wait for the figure to turn so you see the forehead and nose and chin clearly, so you know you’re looking at a person and not just the back of some head.”

Great Finds! MONTANA CAMP Antiques & Boutiques

2 6 E . M a i n • D ow n t ow n B e l g ra d e • 4 0 6 - 3 8 8 - 0 7 2 2 w w w. m o n t a n a c a m p a n t i q u e s . co m PEAKS AND VALLEYS

G AY L E E N M A L O N E , O N L A D Y B E E S PA R K I N PHOTO CREDIT OLIESIMAGES.COM

A MOTHER, A DAUGHTER & BARREL RACING COMPETING FOR SECONDS, FRIENDS FOR A LIFETIME BY LISA REUTER ONE WOMAN, ONE HORSE, THREE BARRELS IN A

The primary judge, a ticking clock. You ride all out. Knock over a barrel, add five seconds. Barrel racing is that simple to watch. C L O V E R L E A F PAT T E R N .

If you’re the woman on the horse, nothing is easy. Thursdays through Sundays, June through October, you’re on the road, sometimes hitting four rodeos in a weekend. How does your horse feel? What’s the condition of the ground – do you run right after the arena dirt has been raked or just before? You pack and unpack your truck and trailer nearly every day, making sure you always have what your horse needs.

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

If you can afford it, you have two horses. Double the work. Double the fees. Maybe you share the driving with another racer to cut costs. Each week, you have to earn enough to cover fuel and fees. Back home during the week, you hold up your end of the ranch work, or work a regular job to help pay family bills. Do housework. Train your horse – that’s the most important thing. Got to keep her in shape, and yourself too. For sure, the horse sees a chiropractor. And a farrier every five to six weeks. In off months, the schedule slacks a bit. You’re hitting not rodeos but jackpots, barrel racing-only events that take some 100 competitors of all ages and skill levels. Long days in chilly arenas. Your significant other still doesn’t like the schedule.

Gayleen Malone of Pray, MT, has lived the life full-time the past 15 years, hitting 60 rodeos a season between the Northern Rodeo Association and Montana Circuit Women’s Professional Rodeo events. She competes regularly against women who end up at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas each December. It’s every barrel racer’s dream to get there. She shares the driving with her daughter, Milee Malone Dailey. On the road, they talk business mainly, and family. They’re friends as much as mom and daughter, and business partners. The past two years, Milee’s daughter Mya has joined them. She’s two. She lopes instead of runs, and carries a stick horse, not a baby doll.

G AY L E E N ( L E F T ) A N D MILEE (RIGHT)

A petite, no-nonsense Montanan, Gayleen has always wanted to live this life. She’s competed in the Northern Rodeo Association finals five times on three different horses. She was a qualifier for the Montana Circuit Finals in 2011.

and eight horses. “These days, at the rodeos, there’s lots of junior and high school kids who look up to me as a coach and a friend,” she said modestly. They keep an eye on Mya when Milee and Gayleen are racing.

“I’ve always ridden, since I was little. My mom and aunt rode all the hills above Emigrant bareback. They were crazy. As a girl, I dreamed about the barrel racers at the Livingston Roundup Rodeo.”

Since 2000, Gayleen and Milee have bred and raised barrel racing horses together. “We started with reining horses, good quality horses, and then looked for the ones with that extra burst of speed in their blood. The blood lines make a big difference,” Gayleen said.

She went to Montana State University with the help of a rodeo scholarship and rode with the second team, which traveled out-of-state “I didn’t do awesome. I had to work real hard for everything. I didn’t have the horses or the training like Milee.” When Milee and her older brother, Ryan, were old enough to ride and rope, the whole family competed in local team roping, including Gayleen’s husband, Marty, a Park County commissioner. “Marty and Milee headed, and Ryan and I heeled.” Milee was a natural, good at breakaway roping, barrel racing, goat tying and pole bending, a timed event with horse and rider running a weaving path around six poles. In high school, she was the Montana High School Rodeo Association’s AllAround Cowgirl winner in 1999 and 2000 and went to the national high school finals in 1999 and 2001. She too rode for MSU, on a full scholarship, qualifying three times for the College National Finals Rodeo in breakaway roping and once in goat tying. In 2011 and 2012, she won the NRA’s Breakaway Roping title; in 2012, she was named All-Around Cowgirl too. In 2015, she made the NRA finals in barrel racing. Like her mom, she’s quiet and responsible. She has her own business, Horsetrack Performance Horses, training 20 riders

“You want a horse with the heart, desire and training to do it,” Milee added. Barrel racing is about horse and rider working together. The horse is either a push-style animal the rider has to speed up to make the tight turns barrel racing requires, or a free runner the rider has to slow down to make the turn at all. “I like the push style horses, because I’m an aggressive rider,” Milee said. She’s a perfectionist about technique in the barrel turns, while her mom is more of a jockey. Some horses have enough speed that they don’t have to make the turn as tight. Others need to make perfect turns to make up time. In barrel racing, the difference is measured in thousandths of a second. Gayleen’s fastest time on a regulation pattern is 17.320; Milee’s 16.917. They compete with each other, but don’t focus on it. “You can’t go out there saying, ‘I’m going to beat someone,’” Gayleen said. “You have to make the best run you can make every time.” Milee agreed. Her eyes sparked as she added, “Barrel racing is thrilling. You’re always pushing to go faster.” PEAKS AND VALLEYS

G A R D I N E R ’ S A R C H PA R K W A S S T I L L V E R Y M U C H A C O N S T R U C T I O N Z O N E I N A P R I L . B Y A U G U S T, T H O U G H , R E S I D E N T S A N D T O U R I S T S W I L L G AT H E R T H E R E F O R Y E L L O W S T O N E ’ S C E L E B R AT I O N O F T H E N A T I O N A L PA R K S E R V I C E C E N T E N N I A L .

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P H O T O C R E D I T: L I S A R E U T E R , C H R O N I C L E P H O T O

GARDINERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ALL DRESSED UP FOR PARK SERVICE CENTENNIAL M A K E N O M I S TA K E , Y E L L O W S T O N E N AT I O N A L PA R K C A M E F I R S T, I N 1 8 7 2 . The town of Gardiner sprang up on top of its northern boundary eight years later, pushing and squeezing itself this way and that, wherever rivers and mountains, national forests, wilderness and parkland would let it. By 1883, travelers arrived, just a few intrepid souls at first, then throngs of men, women and children from everywhere around the globe. Belching steam trains brought them to Gardiner. Then they were crammed 25 or more at once into and atop creaky Tally Ho stagecoaches pulled by teams of six horses for wild, swaying, dusty multiday tours through Wonderland. They loved it, and wrote about it and encouraged their friends. Gardiner greeted them all. In 1903, a striking basalt arch went up to spiff up the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s North Entrance. It was named Roosevelt Arch, after President Teddy Roosevelt who laid a cornerstone. Stagecoaches rolled beneath it through 1916. Then came automobiles, and tourist swarms who now come through as a family or a couple, a car, tour bus or RV at a time.

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T H E N E W L A N D S C A P E O F PA R K S T R E E T F E AT U R E S V E H I C L E PA R K I N G R I G H T I N F R O N T O F S H O P S A N D R E S TA U R A N T S . T H E G A R D I N E R C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E H A S TA K E N U P R E S I D E N C E I N T H E M I D D L E O F T H E M A L L , W H I C H S H O U L D B E A P L U S F O R V I S I T O R S . P H O T O C R E D I T: L I S A R E U T E R , C H R O N I C L E P H O T O

AN EVENING AT T H E A R C H : AUG. 25, 2016

Gardiner welcomes them too, to its laid back, Old and New West restaurants, bars, coffee shops, storefronts, galleries, motels and campgrounds.

new parking areas, sidewalks and interpretive signs. In the middle of all of it, underneath flying state and national flags, is the Gardiner Chamber of Commerce’s new welcome center.

Yellowstone’s celebration of the Centennial of the National Park Service begins at 7 p.m. Aug. 25 in the shadow of Roosevelt Arch (gates open at 5 p.m.) Advance tickets are free, required and limited. Star entertainers have signed on, President Obama has been invited. Get information and tickets, or watch the festivities live online, at www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/evening-arch.htm.

The town is still unincorporated. Its population seldom tops 900 individuals. Yet it serves as the only year-round gateway for at least 700,000 of the park’s 3.5 million or so annual visitors. Last year, though, the park’s total count surged to 4,095,317.

There’s new vehicle parking directly in front of the shops and restaurants and a new pedestrian zone under the arch that will better separate vehicles from picture-taking tourists. Hopefully, all of it will reduce traffic congestion that in past years backed up for more than a mile through town.

Also check that website for traffic information, touring tips and suggestions for other area attractions to visit should park crowds be overwhelming. Some area prognosticators suggest the park may receive a half million more visitors this year than last. 24

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Maybe that was the universe’s blessing of the Gardiner Gateway Project, the first significant reconstruction of downtown Gardiner. It is one of the signature national projects celebrating the centennial of the National Park Service. The $24.3 million plan involves more than 16 local, state and national government and nonprofit agencies and entities. It’s designed to improve town infrastructure, pedestrian safety, roadways, sidewalks and traffic congestion. Serious talk started in 2011. Work began in spring 2015. Throughout that record-breaking visitor year, Park Street – actually located just inside the park boundary – was ripped up, relocated, repaved and redressed. This year, the street has a stylish new look featuring throwback streetlights, ornamental boulders and pavers, plantings and seatwalls,

When Phase One is finished by summer’s end, Gardiner will also enjoy a beautifully resculpted Arch Park, downhill from the arch, with a big stage and a sweeping basalt wall that reflects Reamer’s iconic entryway. “We’re getting set for an exciting year of celebrating and welcoming everyone to Yellowstone,” said Shalene Darr, president of the Gardiner Chamber of Commerce. Phase Two of construction continues into 2017. It includes work on Main and First streets and streets east of Highway 89, plus construction of new pedestrian access to the Yellowstone River for walkers and water enthusiasts. That may be the hidden gem of the whole venture, said Joe Regula, the Park Service landscape architect who has overseen the project.

L E AR N t h e S T O RI ES of the ME N & WO M EN b e h i n d t h e PARK SER V ICE

THIS SUMMER, EVERYONE U N D E R T H E B I G S K Y is throwing a

party for the 100th birthday of the National Park Service, with exhibits and events, hats and T-shirts, cake and concerts and fireworks. It’s a commemoration of dedication, service and love, bestowed first in 1872 with the creation of Yellowstone National Park. Forty-four years later, America acted again, creating the National Park Service as the best means of caring for and preserving all of its beloved pleasuring grounds, battlefields, byways, memorials and monuments. Today, the agency’s 22,000 permanent, temporary and seasonal rangers safeguard 411 areas across all 50 states and the U.S. territories, totaling more than 84 million acres. They are aided by an additional 221,000 volunteers. At Yellowstone, the story of the men and women of the National Park Service is told at the Museum of the National Park Ranger, an entrancing log cabin tucked into a pocket of pond and trees accessible from the Norris Campground road.

Yellowstone’s Division of Resource Education and Youth Programs has recently updated exhibits to show the tools and methods today’s highly specialized rangers use to do jobs in scientific research, search and rescue, fire-fighting, education, historic preservation and law enforcement as they keep America’s parks “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” “That little museum shows how the Park Service evolved from the Army, and that without the Army we wouldn’t be where we are,” said Colleen Curry, a 17-year Park Service veteran. She is supervisory museum curator for all of Yellowstone’s 3.5 million historic artifacts, including the old buffalo coat, Winchester Model 1886 repeating and Springfield Model 1884 rifles, and historic badges displayed there. “The museum offers a great way to get into the history of the National Park Service, to see the tangible items those first rangers used and how some things have and haven’t changed. Then get away from the developed areas and the crowds, onto a trail and around a bend, and you can step back yourself into the world they worked to protect.”

In a typical year, 30,000 people tour the six-room structure. It features re-creations of an 1890s-era U.S. Army barracks and a backcountry ranger cabin showing how Yellowstone’s first official guardians lived and managed. There’s a chiseled bust of whiskery Harry Yount, the park’s initial, solitary gamekeeper, who quit after a year and recommended he be replaced by a small, reliable police force to protect the park’s living and landscape treasures. The U.S. Army initially took up the task. On Aug. 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation creating the Park Service. At the Ranger Museum,

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N AT I O N A L PA R K S E R V I C E

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WEST YE L L O WS T O N E WEST YELLOWSTONE CHAMBER

OF COMERCE

A G R E AT B A S E C A M P F O R T O U R I N G Y E L L O W S T O N E PA R K A N D M O R E BY LISA REUTER I LIVE 35 MILES NORTH OF YELLOWSTONE

But when I’m taking guests there, I often relocated myself and company to West Yellowstone. N AT I O N A L PA R K .

Less than a square mile in area, the tiny town is much closer to major attractions such as Old Faithful, Grand Canyon and Lake. When I can’t find a room in Yellowstone – and booking a month out I usually can’t – I find one among West’s 20-plus motels and hotels, campgrounds, rental cabins and homes. The town is home to one of my favorite restaurants, Madison Crossing Lounge and Dining, and bookstores, the Book Peddler (killer espresso bar), and the best milkshakes, at Canyon Street Grill. West is also home to two of the best attractions outside the park: the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center and the Yellowstone Giant Screen Theatre with its six-story screen (nighttime activity covered). The Grizzly & Wolf Center earns extra praise because so many of its residents have been deported from Yellowstone

D A I LY EVENTS, JUNE THROUGH AUGUST

or other area spots as nuisances. Now those animals are true ambassadors of the wild, giving humans opportunities to take great photos without endangering themselves. If you have time, visit the Yellowstone Historic Center, at the old 1909 Union Pacific Railroad Depot. Back for an encore presentation this year is the “Meet Me at Old Faithful Inn” exhibit, featuring memorabilia from the railroad’s Yellowstone exhibit at the 1915 San Francisco World’s Fair. Make sure too that you leave West at least once without going east. I like to head northwest, to Earthquake Lake Visitor Center, near Hebgen Lake, where the destruction of the deadly 1959 earthquake, 7.5 on the Richter scale, is still vividly apparent. There’s lots of wild and wonderful outdoors all around — West Yellowstone is bordered on its other three sides by national forest — and many local shops and outfitters have the gear, info and expertise to help you enjoy a day or more of hiking, biking, kayaking, boating, rafting, horseback riding or fishing. Get all the details at www.destinationyellowstone.com.

J U N I O R S M O K E J U M P E R P R O G R A M / Y E L L O W S T O N E N AT U R E C O N N E C T I O N K E E P E R K I D S AT G R I Z Z LY & W O L F D I S C O V E R Y C E N T E R Y E L L O W S T O N E PA R K R A N G E R TA L K S / P R O G R A M S W I L D W E S T Y E L L O W S T O N E R O D E O , W E D N E S D AY- S AT U R D AY, B E G I N N I N G MID-JUNE

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SAGELY

RECONNECTING WITH DIRT AND PLANTS

JOHNI NELSON’S DENTED RED ’76 FORD F100

is parked next to Manhattan’s Parkhaven Retirement Community where five, waist-high steel stock tanks filled with soil sit amid gravel walkways. Resident Hank Hancock, 95, who was chief of the Montana Highway Patrol a few decades back, is already at work at one of them, putting up the pliable, fine metal fencing his pea vines will ultimately climb. One tank over, resident Vangier Bartle is telling master gardener volunteer Deborah Nash about the big farm she once had in Virginia as they use their fingers to make shallow rows in the fine dirt. In a few minutes, they’ll rip open a packet of radish seeds. At another planting bed, master gardener volunteer Teresa Browning and resident Mona Andrews share pet stories as they sow carrot seeds. Beyond them, another half-dozen residents are enjoying the early April sunshine and watching intently. It’s quite a bit of activity Nelson has stirred up, and the slim, blond plant wizard is busiest of all, moving between the groups to hand out additional seed packets, consulting her bulging binder of garden plans to suggest where the next furrows should go, and serving as waiter. “Time for a snack,” she says as she offers a plate of crisp green snap peas, yellow and purple baby carrots, and pieces of French bread topped with butter and radish slices to gardeners and onlookers. “This is just what will be coming up in a few weeks’ time.” An hour later, Parkhaven Activity Director Gordon Ross and Hancock are watering the newly planted seeds. The watchers and gardeners move indoors for lunch, and Nelson packs up her truck to head off to a similar group across town.

H A N K H A N C O C K , 9 5 , F O R M E R C H I E F O F T H E M O N TA N A H I G H W AY PAT R O L , H A S T E N D E D T H E S A G E G A R D E N E R S R A I S E D B E D S AT PA R K H AV E N F O R F I V E Y E A R S . H E L I K E S T O P L A N T V E G E TA B L E S H I S F E L L O W R E S I D E N T S C A N S N A P O F F A N D E AT. O T O C R E D I T: L I S A R E U T E R , C H R O N I C L E EAKS AND VALLEYS 28 P H P

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“See you next week,” Browning and Nash call out to their new gardening buddies. Like Nelson, they’ll be back weekly through the fall, planting more seeds, weeding and finally harvesting their crop.

Another season of Sage Gardeners is off to a fine start. Jonquil “Johni” Nelson, a master gardener herself, started the nonprofit in 2010, intending to reconnect retired ranchers, farmers and gardeners around the Gallatin Valley with the dirt and their roots. “I grew up on a farm in Indiana, and my grandfather had a huge farm,” she said. “When he went into a nursing home, it broke my heart to see him separated from his land and plants and dirt. Then the light bulb went on.” Around the world, scientific studies were pointing out the health benefits of keeping adults gardening. Digging in the dirt provided physical exercise and sparked pleasant memories of gardens past; what the gardeners grew stimulated their appetites and improved their nutrition. Someone just had to lay the groundwork to create easier-towork, raised beds and provide the seeds, tools and plans to get things growing. Nelson did that. She planted the first Sage Gardeners garden at Parkhaven five years ago and remains the organization’s single employee, director, fundraiser and organizer.

SAGE GARDENERS FOUNDER JOHNI NELSON CONFERS WITH VOLUNTEER DEBORAH NASH.

And, Nelson hopes, perhaps they’ll all discover that their effort is being transplanted across the country. Last winter, she mailed several packets of information to gardeners interested in replicating her idea in their area. She would like nothing more. Learn more about Sage Gardeners at SageGardeners.org.

For her, spring, summer and fall are full with planning and planting, gardening and visiting and days spent in the sun. Come winter, she corresponds with and visits all of her gardening clients. They review how their gardens grew and what they want to plant in spring. She presents canning and cooking demonstrations, showing new ways to preserve and cook all the fresh produce. She talks to groups of would-be volunteers and visits with the local nurseries and hardware stores that support her with donated supplies. And she spends hundreds of hours writing grants, and the follow-up reports that go with them, to area and national foundations for the tens of thousands of dollars needed to purchase the tanks, lumber, dirt, seeds, organic fertilizer and watering supplies. In their first five years, Sage Gardeners volunteers created 100 raised gardens at retirement, assisted living, skilled nursing home and affordable housing complexes around Gallatin County, at the Eastern Montana Veterans Home in Glendive and Bozeman’s Cancer Support Community Project, and at the private homes of dozens of individual older adults who could no longer manage in-ground gardening. This year, Sage Gardeners volunteers, including schoolchildren, area master gardeners and Montana State University students, will help replant all of those and install 20 more.

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ZOOT BUILDING PHOTO PROVIDED BY ZOOT ENTERPRISES

ZOOT ENTERPRISES P I O N E E R O F A R E A’ S S U R G I N G E C O N O M I C S E C T O R Anyone familiar with Bozeman’s outdoor adventure options and vibrant entertainment and restaurant scenes, knows the city takes care of its tourists. That economic sector is so obvious. The surprising boom town of the city’s economy is the high tech/computer services industry. Yes, in Bozeman. In Montana. The past two years, the Montana High Tech Business Alliance’s study of the industry’s growth has sparked huge headlines for good reasons. The 2016 numbers: The high tech sector is growing seven times faster than other Montana business sectors and paying wages twice the state’s average. Median industry wages increased 12 percent over last year, with starting computer science graduates earning $65,000 to $80,000 a year. “The last five years, Bozeman has seen the birth of lots of high tech startups, lots of little firms. What attracts them? MSU’s phenomenal engineering and biotech programs, great pay and high quality of life,” said Chris Nelson, founder and CEO of Zoot Enterprises, which employs 250 people working to provide credit decision and loan origination solutions for large financial institutions. 30

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Another draw is the presence of more than a handful of highly successful high tech companies like Zoot. They fought the early battles for funding and laid down the communications and power infrastructures the startups now count on. Nelson started his company in 1990 in his Bozeman basement. A single dad, he’d moved from Billings for a bank industry computer job that would flex to allow him more time with his young son. When that didn’t go as promised, he picked up an after-hours programming job for the Credit Union National Association. “They wanted a program that could pull credit reports on PCs,” he said. His solution – which could pull consumer financial information from multiple credit bureaus in seconds – changed the industry. The association licensed and installed it in 4,000 credit unions. American Express called. For them, he developed an algorithm that could calculate credit decisions based on the financial lender’s requirements. It cut the processing time for an American Express card from eight weeks to eight seconds. That changed the world. Bank of America and the Spiegel catalog company called next.

Companies needed quick, flexible computer programs. Laptops were becoming available. The internet was coming online. “It was an awesome time. I know Zoot exists today because we were in the right place at the right time,” Nelson said. If the company had been in Silicon Valley, it would have been one among 10,000. “Here, we were unique and we received a lot of really good attention. Because of Montana’s small population, we got great access to government support too.” While Bozeman was and still is the right place, Zoot didn’t always have an easy time growing. By 2000, the company was working out of five different Bozeman locations. Nelson wanted to consolidate in the city, to build a state-of-the-art building with multi carbonate fuel cells and geothermal cooling, innovations his biggest customers didn’t have. Zoot also needed complicated communications networks and massive power hookups, with double redundancies for its power provisions, triple for its communications connections. When things didn’t come together in Bozeman proper, he bought a 160-acre campus in Four Corners. Since 2002, the entire company has operated out of an $18 million, 150,000-square-foot, three-story brick building worthy of a business whose clients include three of America’s top five banks. The windows look out on the Gallatin, Bridger and Madison ranges, and a sign welcomes visitors to Zoot’s galactic headquarters. The company operates in 163 countries. Counting Bozeman, it has three data centers in the U.S., plus two in Europe and one coming soon in Australia. It’s been enough to stop the teasing Nelson once endured about his Montana location. “People used to ask if we rode horses to work, and whether sheep ate our power lines.” Today, clients love to visit the headquarters. Airline connections are easy at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. “Everything’s close. They love the beauty of the place and the smell of the air,” he said. “Bozeman’s a fun town, a food town. Yellowstone is nearby, and you can ski, fly fish and hike. They bring their families and make a holiday of it.”

CHRIS NELSON PHOTO PROVIDED BY ZOOT ENTERPRISES

Sir Scott’s Oasis

M A N H AT TA N M O N TA N A

Montana’s Favorite Steakhouse

Zoot attracts attention too from Montana natives who in the past had to relocate to find tech sector jobs. “A lot of them watch our job postings. They want to come back. They’re looking for a way to get back.” Thanks to Zoot, other high tech pioneers and the startups, they can do that with the assurance that Bozeman still has plenty of options if that first job doesn’t work out. Nelson remembers how that can be.

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