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• Craving sushi? Stop in here • The Montana Club’s next chapter • Go Fish! Ice fishing a family affair
life in the helena area
BETTER BATHROOMS
CONTEMPORARY OR RUSTIC WESTERN: HELENA DESIGNERS SHOWCASE NEW TRENDS Winter 2010
Randy Rickman publisher We're just out shopping for some Butch Larcombe post-pregnancy editor clothes.
Sheila Habeck art director Eliza Wiley photo editor
by Denny Lester
Jim Rickman advertising manager Shawna Swanz special projects manager
How Cute. AND How is it going?
having a little contributors trouble finding pants that fit. Dylan Brown Eve Byron Ginny Emery Martin J. Kidston Denny Lester Alana Listoe John Harrington Peggy O’Neill Crystal Shors Dave Shors
[contents] editor’s note 6 food & drink Wok-N-Roll brings Far East flavors to Helena 8 Vigilante Vodka is the area’s newest boutique liquor 12 gear Everybody’s favorite pants are couture in the capital city 18 homes Modern or rustic? Builders showing new bathroom designs 26 features Ice fishing brings anglers of all ages out for winter fun 34 The Montana Club hoping to attract the next generation 40 Take a hike with new winter cables and grippers 46 my office Ron Mercer has a spectacular view from his airport digs 52
cover photo bathroom design by Sysum Construction
laughs chance gulch 53
Photo by Ginny Emery
life in the helena area
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[editor’s note]
W
Welcome to the first issue of 596, a new quarterly lifestyle magazine brought to you by the Independent Record. The inspiration for this publication comes from the firm belief that the Helena region needs a good magazine that focuses on how we live, work and play in this wonderful part of Montana. It’s our contention that there is no group better suited to produce a quality magazine than the talented folks that bring you the Independent Record and www.helenair.com. So what’s up with the name? It’s a code. More precisely, it’s the first three digits of the postal zip code that Helena and surrounding communities share. And it’s a rough description of the physical and social geography that will be part of 596 issues to come. Common themes will revolve around outdoor recreation, homes, food and beverage, work life, history and architecture. You will find those topics reflected in the words and photographs of this inaugural issue. Local writers and historians Crystal and Dave Shors offer up a generous slice of Helena history with their story about the past and future of the landmark Montana Club, a downtown institution and architectural gem. Intrepid outdoorsman Martin Kidston shares personal experiences and talks to experts about the best way to enjoy Helena’s remarkable trail system in the winter months. And Eve Byron takes us to the ice in an effort to unravel the cold, mysterious appeal of ice fishing. On the warmer side, freelancer writer-photographer Ginny Emery shares trends on local bathroom design, while reporters Peggy O’Neill and John Harrington provide inside looks at the relatively exotic world of Japanese cuisine and the making of Montana vodka. Newsroom fashionista Alana Listoe does her part, helping to unravel the ever-expanding cult of Carhartt clothing. With it all are images from photo editor Eliza Wiley and photographer Dylan Brown. Many thanks to all those Independent Record advertising, circulation and production folks who joined with the writers and photographers to make this magazine a reality. I hope you enjoy their efforts, all across 596. Butch Larcombe Editor
Photo by Eliza Wiley
far east story by peggy o’neill photos by eliza wiley
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food
[food & drink]
This page: Norma Pigman serves up platters of sushi to regulars on a busy Monday $1 sushi night at Helena’s Wok-N-Roll. Sushi is just one of the many items diners can enjoy at Wok-N-Roll, facing page.
S
Sushi in a land-locked state is a little like, well, a fish out of water. Thank goodness for air travel. Freshly caught yellowtail can be packed, shipped and lying in a bed of ice behind the sushi bar at Helena’s Wok-N-Roll quicker than it takes to drive to the Missouri River, float from Wolf Creek to Craig, catch and release copious amounts of trout and stop for a cheeseburger on the way home. Indeed, the search for good sushi in Montana used to mean a road trip to Sushi Hana in Missoula or Dave’s Sushi in Bozeman. But if the crowd at Wok-N-Roll’s $1 sushi night is any indication, Helena has officially arrived on the sushi scene. The building—although painted red and black—is easy to miss, or at least dismiss as being closed. Unless you are sushi bound, your eyes might be distracted by the surrounding businesses—some of which seem like unlikely neighbors to a restaurant. Your memory also might deceive you, as the address—2058 Euclid—has been the home to other less fortunate enterprises. Even the current owner and chef, Kevin Pigman, closed the place down for a while during his deployment in 2004 and 2005 to Iraq. But business has been steady since he remodeled and reopened in 2006. “Sushi was a little bit of a hard sell when we opened in 2002, u
wok-n-roll caters to locals’ cravings for japanese cuisine
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but I think the demographics have changed,” Pigman says. “When people move in, it’s the first thing they look for. I think the younger generation is into sushi because it’s healthy and it’s a fun thing to
the couple’s daughter, Carrie, fills in preparing the raw fish. “Making sushi is like second nature to me now,” Carrie, 23, says.“I grew up on sushi made with hot dogs and scrambled eggs.”
‘When people move in, it’s the first thing they look for. I think the younger generation is into sushi because it’s healthy and it’s a fun thing to do—like texting.’ Kevin Pigman
do—like texting.” Pigman has literally employed the help of his family to keep the place running. His wife, Sunny, doubles as sushi chef and hostess. When Sunny’s away, as she was on a recent visit to the restaurant,
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Pigman’s mother, Norma, waits tables and, while not a big fan of sushi herself (the tempura halibut is her favorite item on the menu), she anticipates the demands of sushi lovers. “Everybody wants their food right now,” Norma says. “If they
don’t get it, they get irate. But they have to understand—everything here is made to order.” Pigman’s father-in-law, JJ—short for Jia Jing—helps out in the kitchen, preparing popular items like Mongolian beef and bowls of steaming hot noodles with vegetables. A Helena native, Pigman never imagined he’d open an Asian restaurant; his mother was a bit surprised, too. She knew he had a future in food, however. “When he was a kid, he would sit on the counter while I was cooking and ask all kinds of questions,” Norma says. “His favorite food was macaroni and cheese.” Homemade, of course. Pigman also began his culinary training at an early age—working beside his mother at the Rustic Inn (now the Last Chance Casino) while she waited tables. “All he wanted to do was go to work,” she says. Pigman would go on to become a certified executive chef with the American Culinary Federation and work at such restaurants as the Riverside Country Club in Bozeman, Loews Country Club in Tucson and the Montana Club here in Helena. He has also cooked in the military for more than 20 years. But love led him to eventually open Wok-N-Roll. Pigman met Sunny, who is Chinese, while he was a salesman for a food distributor. She owned L&D Chinese Buffet at the time and was his customer. The rest of the story can be summed up with a quote from the Wok-N-Roll menu: “Life is short! Eat raw fish.” Hours: Monday through Thursday 5 to 10:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 5 to 11 p.m. Closed Sunday. Monday is $1 sushi night. [!]
Tempura Halibut (Norma’s favorite)
6-8 oz. halibut cut in three to four slices 6 oz. tempura batter (can be bought at most grocery stores) Four to six slices of whole potato, sliced very thin the long way 4 oz. fish sauce (see below) Thaw halibut. Dip halibut and potato slices in tempura batter. Deep fry until golden brown. Serve with rice and sautéed vegetables. Garnish with lemon wedge, carrot curls and daikon curls. Serve with fish sauce.
Wok-N-Roll’s Fish Sauce
8 cups mayonnaise 2 cups ketchup 1 cup chopped green onion 1 cup chopped daikon ½ cup ginger juice ¼ cup sesame oil Salt and pepper to taste Mix well, place in plastic tub and refrigerate.
Mongolian Beef (pictured at left)
6 oz. sliced beef or six to eight slices of beef 2 oz. julienned carrots 2 oz. julienned onion 1 oz. Sirachi sauce ½ oz chopped garlic 2 oz. sesame oil 1 oz. Butter-It oil 2 oz. cooking wine 3 oz. teriyaki sauce In a sauté pan, add oils and chopped garlic, vegetables and beef. Sauté until tender. Add cooking wine and teriyaki sauce. Combine. Serve with rice and garnish with carrot curls and daikon curls.
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[food & drink]
spirited
science
M
ten days from start to finish is the time it takes to create boutique vodka at new helena distillery
allowed for microdistilleries—in a cozy, cement-floored, fluorescent-lit space in the local business incubator off Chestnut Street in the middle of Helena. “Everybody thinks you make vodka out of potatoes,” Uda says. “The truth is, throughout history, people have made alcohol of any sort, and vodka in particular, out of whatever they had.” And in Vigilante’s case, that first meant molasses—and now means basic cane sugar. The whole u
Mike Uda doesn’t make vodka in a room piled high with Idaho potatoes, or amid stacks of burlap bags bulging with Montana wheat. There are no oaken casks, no dimly lit cellar, no other advertisinggenerated images of the magic or romance of the distilling process. Instead, Uda manufactures his Vigilante Vodka— one of the first boutique liquors made in Montana after a law change earlier this decade
story by john harrington photos by dylan brown
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Mike Uda, owner of Vigilante Vodka, explains the specific gravity meter used to measure the alcohol content in his Helenamade vodka.
‘Everybody thinks you make vodka out of potatoes. The truth is, throughout history, people have made alcohol of any sort, and vodka in particular, out of whatever they had.’ mike uda, vigilante vodka
Uda runs tests on his Vigilante Vodka, left. The boutique liquor is available in several Helena venues.
process—including multiple distillations and multiple filtrations of the water and the finished product—takes around 10 days. The company first used molasses while awaiting permission from the federal government to use sugar in the distilling process. “The interesting thing is, I really can’t tell the difference (between the molasses- and sugar-based vodkas),” Uda says. “When you smell it, you know what’s good and what’s not.” An attorney by trade, Uda has taken several years to get Vigilante off the ground. In addition to countless reams of paperwork and approvals necessary to make booze, there was the matter of teaching himself how to do it. It’s an ages-old process, but one that still
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requires some knowledge, patience and a good sense of timing. At the micro level that Vigilante’s at right now, the process starts in a 55-gallon high-density polyethylene drum. Into the barrel go 50 to 60 pounds of sugar and four packets of “turbo yeast.” The drum is filled to the top with water. An aquarium heater and aerator are added to warm the mix and hasten the fermenting process. Uda checks the fermentation every day, using a specific gravity meter and cross-checking a series of tables to determine the potential alcohol content of the brew. As the yeast consumes the sugar and turns it into alcohol and waste, the density of the mix, or “wash,” decreases. After four or five days, the wash is typically ready
‘The nice thing about this is, it’s really sort of idiot-proof.’’ mike uda, vigilante vodka
for distillation. Vigilante uses a process called fractionating distillation, which essentially boils off the components of the wash one at a time as the temperature rises, with the sought-after ethanol boiling off between the waste products, called the “heads” and the “tails.” The trick is to capture as much ethanol as possible, without including any of the impurities that evaporate at higher or lower temperatures. “Quality control is everything with small-batch distilleries,” Uda says. “If you don’t have that, you don’t have anything.” The airtight still has a pot at the bottom with a boiler beneath, and a three-foot copper column extending up from the top that’s filled with rolled copper mesh. Cooling lines filled with cold water atop the column condense what’s been boiled up through the column, and the results then precipitate down through the copper mesh. “The steam goes up through the column; it’s hot. The cooling coil is cold so it condenses and precipitates back down. And what precipitates back down largely is ethanol. The more it boils up and
down, the more separation you get” between the heads and the ethanol, Uda says. “The nice thing about this is, it’s really sort of idiot-proof.” The longest it will take to distill the ethanol, he says, is two or three days. Uda and his partner, John Hicks, monitor the still constantly during that time, making sure the temperature stays in the right range to distill out the alcohol. Once the ethanol is distilled out, it’s run through the still two more times to try to eliminate every impurity—hence the company’s bottle-label claim of distilling three times “to banish unsavory flavors from our highly polished product.” The resulting liquid is right around 190 proof, or 95 percent pure alcohol. A batch off 55 gallons of wash typically yields around four to four-and-a-half gallons of alcohol. In order to scale the booze back to 80 proof, or 40 percent alcohol, Uda dilutes it with filtered water. The vodka is then filtered three times, then bottled, labeled, boxed and ready for sale at package stores across the state. “And that’s how you make kick-ass vodka,” Uda says. [!]
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[gear]
capital city
couture functional fashion the Carhartt way
Story by Alana Listoe
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Montanans have a style all their own: Hiking boots with Smart Wool socks, shorts and t-shirts; Keen sandals with skirts and dresses; and fleece for every occasion. We love the outdoors, so wearing clothes that allow us go from work to play is ideal. Call it functional fashion. Carhartt clothing, available at many retail outlets in the Helena area, tops the wardrobe must-have list, a staple for many Montanans even before the brand became trendy. Fourth-generation cattle rancher Mark Diehl admits he’s hard on his clothes, but his Carhartt bib coveralls seem to handle whatever he puts them through. From feeding cattle in the frigid, sub-zero temperatures to lying in the field helping a heifer give birth, Diehl says he stays comfortable and warm in the coveralls. Santa Claus brought Diehl his first pair as a little boy, and he purchased his first pair in the 1970s. “I think the thing is, you can freeze your butt off or you can have your pair of Carhartts,” he says. u
This page: Carhartts traditionally were used as work pants, top. Below: Lindsey Bona loved her Carhartts so much that when they became too worn, she turned them into skirts. Photo by Lindsey Bona. Facing page: Traditional brown work pants. Photos courtesy of Carhartt.
‘From a female perspective, it’s cool that Carhartt now makes clothes that are cut for ladies.’ BJ Geier, a Helena real estate broker and avid horsewoman
Carhartt pants go from the office to the outdoors in the Helena area, top. Left: A men’s T-shirt and logo on a wool hat. Right: A V-neck women’s T-shirt. Photos courtesy of Carhartt.
For 120 years, Carhartt has manufactured clothing known for durability, comfort and quality. Lindy Bleau, spokesperson for Carhartt, said the brand is a fitting choice for those who work and play outdoors. Headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., Carhartt is a privately owned company managed by the descendants of founder Hamilton Carhartt. Bleau says what sets the clothing manufacturer apart from others is in the details, such as the triple-stitched main seams, generous and functional pockets, heavy-duty zippers, interior draw cords and fabric with moisture management and anti-odor properties. In recent years, Carhartt has expanded its offerings to include a variety of lifestyle apparel for men and women. Now, options are not merely brown or darker brown, but an array of vibrant colors. In the summer, there are cropped pants for women that come in an assortment of playful and feminine shades. Jackets and vests with a princess cut are [20]
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made to conform to a woman’s curves. The dress shirts and jeans give women an outfit they can wear to just about any Montana function. BJ Geier, a Helena real estate broker, says Carhartts have always been part of her life. “From a female perspective, it’s cool that Carhartt now makes clothes that are cut for ladies,” she says. An avid horse rider and trainer, Geier has a pair of 20-year-old coveralls hanging in her mud room that she wears every day to feed her animals. “They last a long time,” she says. “I’d rather wear two-year-old Carhartts than something new because they slide on perfectly once they are broken in.” Lindsey Bona of Missoula knows all about that broken-in comfort. Bona, who works for the Missoula County weed district, couldn’t bear to toss her Carhartt pants even though they were so worn they had holes in them. “They were my favorite pants, and I wasn’t ready to let go,” she says. So, she cut off the legs and made herself a skirt. It wasn’t easy, but her sewing hobby keeps her favorite clothes in her wardrobe. At the beginning of March, Carhartt is expanding its clothing line once again with a children’s line. Focusing primarily on girls, the line offers a colorful selection of raglan tees, plaid shirts, skirts and tights. Rachel Meeks, Carhartt specialist at Murdoch Ranch and Home Supply in Helena, says her customers have been asking for Carhartt children’s clothing for years. “The new line will be keeping with the style of Carhartt, but younger to the eye,” she says. [!]
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better story & photos by ginny emery
For a contemporary style bathroom, Helena homeowner Katya Wallery chose crisp colors, funky fixtures and modern lines for her master bathroom in a Sussex Construction custom home.
from rustic mountain lodge looks to sleek contemporary themes, designers are creating welcoming spaces for helena homes
bathrooms Since bathrooms are
much-loved newcomer.
traditionally a place Natural Grace
for practical matters and often some of
The rustic mountain
the smallest rooms in
lodge look continues
a home, it might be
to be the favorite for
surprising to learn that
its rich earth tones,
today’s Helena hom-
distressed and natural
eowners and builders
materials and elegant
are paying a lot of at-
details. The look is
tention to these seem-
desirable because of its
ingly secondary spaces.
likeness to the dramatic
To put it more plainly:
Montana landscape
bathrooms aren’t just a
as well as an inherent
place for doing business
warmth and feeling of
anymore. A well-
welcome.
designed bathroom can
Layton Sysum, own-
be a sanctuary; a space
er of Sysum Construc-
designed for relaxing
tion, says that it has
moments and peaceful
been the sought-after
retreats. In the Helena
look among his clients
area, two designs are
for years and believes
standing out: the fa-
it will continue to be
vorite rustic mountain
a favorite, especially
lodge style and the increasingly popular contemporary look. Here, Helena professionals discuss the tried-and-true favorite and the
The sinks have clean, modern lines in Katya Wallery’s master bathroom.
in western Montana. The perfect lodge-style bathroom, he says, is a marriage between materials and architecture. u winter/spring 2010
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Design Details Mountain Lodge Bathroom + barn wood vanity + hammered copper sink + slate flooring + oil-rubbed bronze fixtures + granite countertops
Contemporary Bathroom + ceramic 4-inch by 4-inch backsplash + modern polished chrome fixtures + pebbled shower floor + 12-inch by 24-inch and 6-inch by 24-inch bath & shower tiles + whitewashed pine window sills
Timber frames and trims and natural stone products are the main elements that go into the equation. His woods of choice are knotty pine or alder—preferred for visual variance and unique knots that create a fantastic texture for the room. “But the floor really enhances everything,” says Sysum. Both he and John Carter at The Floor Show, a Helena flooring retailer, agree that the favored natural-stone product is slate. Slate itself, says Sysum, is relatively inexpensive. It is more difficult to lay because of its imperfect surface, but worth it for the results. Carter sees a lot of people also selecting travertine. “It adds elegance with softer warm tones,” he says. For people who still aren’t sold on stone, there are many ceramic and porcelain tile options that can offer an elegant and varied look to a mountain lodge-style bathroom. Carter says many clients
‘Little tiles really have become the jewelry of the bathroom.’ Bekka Cantrell, Sussex Construction
also opt to incorporate listellos, or decorative accents, into the floors, walls and shower areas with small ornamental tiles and mosaics. Selecting colors in bold or dark earth tones will further enhance the balance between rustic and elegant. For richness with a little contrast, says Carter, you can’t beat the look of red cherry cabinetry
and vanities in combination with dark stone. Simple Beauty One of the area’s newly sought-after designs is the European or spa-like contemporary look, often featuring simple lines, crisp colors or whites and modern fixtures. Ron Bartsch and Bekka Cantrell, owners of Sussex Construction, have worked with several Helena-area clients to build bathrooms in the contemporary style. According to them, the aesthetic is becoming easier to achieve thanks to a better selection in the contemporary range. “The [local] availability of products has grown hugely even in the last four years,” says Bartsch. The pair says that their clients are looking to create a chic room with distinct personal style, but are also extremely interested in the aspects of its functionality. Those aspects involve u Facing page: The contemporary style bathroom often features creative touches inspired by nature, top left. An elegant hammered copper and barnwood vanity complete the rustic look in a Sysum Construction custom home, middle. Porcelain tile is a popular alternative to stone for showers, pictured here in a home by Sysum Construction, bottom. This custom contemporary bathroom built by Sussex Construction, features several European influences, bottom right.
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This master bathroom built by Sysum Construction has a palette of warm, welcoming earth tones and personal touches chosen by the owners, top. Accessiblitly and function meet sleek, chic style in this Sussex Construction master bathroom, below.
What is a powder room? Originally, a powder room was not a bathroom at all. In the 18th century, the term “powder room” referred simply to a room or space where servants added powder to the wigs that were the fashionable headdress of men during that era. Today, the term is synonymous with a “half-bath;” a smaller bathroom, usually on the main floor and containing only a sink, mirror and toilet. But despite the usually small and simple offerings, modern powder rooms are anything but mundane. According to both Sysum Construction and Sussex Construction, a lot of powder rooms in Helena are receiving the royal treatment with elements like unique vanities, unusual sink bowls, funky colors, creative decor and amazing lighting. [30]
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things like accessibility—step-down showers, easy-to-clean surfaces,
One of the major benefits of a contemporary look is that it works
impervious stone and non-porous grouts, and longevity—along with
well with both warm and cool tones. Warm hues like creamy beiges,
well-built cabinetry and quality fixtures.
browns and caramels pair well with the sleek and chic, while calm-
No matter what functional features a bathroom needs, with a lit-
ing grays, blues and welcoming greens also make a smart match.
tle creativity it can be done in an aesthetically pleasing way. When
Cantrell recommends incorporating crisp whites into the mix. “It’s a
it comes to adding personal touches, Sussex says its clients are opt-
classic look that won’t date,” she says.
ing for layered and sometimes dramatic lighting, sleek manufactured products, unusual wood finishes, and non-traditional sizes in tiles. “Little tiles really have become the jewelry of the bathroom,” says
No matter which style the bathroom, it’s clear that Helena’s homeowners and builders are interested in unique looks that make a strong statement. Whether achieved with simple touches of interest
Cantrell. Another way to add architectural interest is to use oblong
or through dramatic statements of luxury, today’s bathrooms are
and large tiles juxtaposed with texture. Porcelain tiles are often
about striking the perfect balance between personal comfort and exceptional design. [!]
preferred for fashioning the clean lines of a contemporary bathroom.
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This page: Fishermen on the hunt on Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Photo by Dylan Brown. Facing page: Manhattan’s Ken Westergard waits for the fish to bite on Canyon Ferry Reservoir near the Silos. Bottom: Bart Thompson sits in his ice fishing hut and relaxes by the fire while he waits for the trout to take his bait. Photos by Eliza Wiley.
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&
augers anglers why wait for warm weather? fishermen & women of all ages take to the ice in search of the elusive lunker
story by eve byron
K
Kailey Charleton’s little pink mittens slip on the slick blue line as she struggles to pull a 4-pound rainbow trout out of a 10-inch hole in the ice. The frigid water splashing out of the hole doesn’t bother her, even though the air temperature is hovering in the teens, because Kailey, 4, is eager to show off the trout hooked earlier by Russ Hyatt. Her step-dad, Jeff Hyatt, smiles at her persistence as he rambles over to give Kailey a hand. While he’s been ice fishing for 13 years, this is Kailey’s first time, and he wants to make sure she’s having fun. “Here you go. Let me help,” Jeff says, and the two pull the fish, hanging from the thick stringer through its gills, onto the ice. Kailey does a happy dance and claps her hands, then musters all her strength to hold the trout high as the other nearby anglers watch, grinning at her delight. Sure, they’re all here to catch fish themselves, but kicking back and drowning worms under the crystal blue skies, with the warm sun shining down and a giggling little girl for entertainment, is every bit as good as hauling in the elusive lunker. u
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Yet to outsiders, ice fishing seems like an odd sport, if it even can be called that. Consider this: Wait until it’s really, really cold outside, then go someplace sure to be even colder, like a frozen lake. Anglers usually
‘I think that for most guys, it’s an excuse to escape the indoors .... I’ve got a honey-do list a mile long, but it just never seems to get done during ice fishing season.’ Mark Dreiling
Kailey Charleton gets some assistance from her stepfather Jeff Hyatt after she snagged a fish at the causeway on Hauser Lake. Photo by Eve Byron.
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walk—although some are known to drive—onto this iceberg that’s seemingly alive under foot, moaning, popping and cracking with deep resounding booms as the water below shifts and pressure builds. Don’t worry about stepping over all those cracks in the ice. There’s too many, and besides, they don’t really mean much. Just grip those
nails in your pocket a little tighter, held in anticipation that the unthinkable happens and you need a sharp tool to help pull yourself out of the water. Once you’re at the hot spot—that would be figuratively—use an auger to power through anywhere from 7 to 20 inches of ice. Do this four to six times, then stick a worm or maggot on a hook and drop a line in each hole. Next, sit down on a 5-gallon bucket, crack open an icy cold beverage, and wait for dinner to come calling. Those are the ice-fishing basics. But in reality, it’s so much more. Look beyond the buckets and there’s a dad driving an all-terrain vehicle and towing kids on a sled, who are screaming at him to go faster. Nearby, a mom is teaching her son to ice skate and promising a mug of hot chocolate soon. A little ways over, someone lit a small fire on the ice and they’re roasting marshmallows and hot dogs. While gazing about, don’t forget to jig the fishing lines every once in a while to entice that trout, perch, or if you’re lucky, a walleye, into biting. Tease the fish a little, and when the hook is set, pull quickly and evenly—don’t “horse” or jerk it—and holler for someone to grab the gaff to drag the fish onto the ice. Meanwhile, don’t forget about those other lines, since fish like traveling in schools yet never learn that the tasty morsel their buddy just devoured was the ultimate failed test. Fishing is a social event for Al Zabel. He waves toward a group standing about 100 feet away; that’s one of his brothers and his kids; a lone figure a little farther away is another brother. “I don’t catch much, but I have fun,” Zabel says, walking among
his grid of four holes with a long metal spoon, skimming off the layer of ice that’s formed in each hole. “It gets me out of the house,” he adds, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses. After fishing for most of his 70 years, Zabel comes prepared for just about anything. He’s built a lightweight plywood box and mounted it onto a pair of old skis. When he finds the right spot, he unfolds the back and sides of the box, which forms a three-sided windbreak with a bench to sit on. Inside the box are fishing poles, plus a heater and a tarp that can go over the top if it starts to snow. Shelves in the right side of the bench hold tackle boxes full of bait, hooks, sinkers, lures and a couple of propane tanks for the heater. Zabel perches on a pillow for a little extra comfort. His 13-year-old nephew, Caleb Zabel, comes over to check out the fishing action, and helps himself to the cooler holding all sorts of snacks—sandwiches, crackers, and candy—which Al Zabel mentions is an integral part of ice fishing. “You want some orange juice?” he asks the teenager, who is tearing into a pack of Oreo cookies. Caleb incredulously replies: “Did you bring a whole refrigerator out here?” What’s also critical is the proper attire. Al Zabel’s boots are good to 80 below zero. He’s wearing a heavy coat over a down vest, sweatshirt and T-shirt, along with a wool hat and pants. He’s warm enough today that he’s shed his gloves. It’s clear that Zabel gets out of the house often to ice fish. “I’ve been out here since about 7:30, and we’ll probably stay all day,” he says. “And if the fish aren’t biting, then I guess we’ll just u
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drown some bait. I usually have a radio, and sometimes I bring a book. I don’t catch much, but I have fun and it’s great to be outside.” Eric Roberts, a fisheries biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said he’s seen a decline in the number of people ice fishing in the greater Helena area in recent years, and attributes that mainly to the drop in perch numbers in Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Perch not only are a favorite meal for anglers, they’re also prime forage for walleye that were introduced to the reservoir almost two decades ago, which caused the perch population to plummet in recent years. “With the perch decline, we’ve seen a big decline in ice fishing,” Roberts says. “With perch, you could catch a lot of them and they’re pretty tasty. If you’re going to go out and sit on ice in sub-zero weather, it helps if you’re catching fish.” Back at the Causeway, Mark Dreiling is ready to pack it in. He’s spent the past few days hauling in northern pike, trout and perch at Salmon Lake, but hasn’t had so much as a nibble here today. “It was 3 degrees when we got to Salmon Lake, and got up to 7 by the time we left, and it was snowy and windy—but it sure was a fun time,” Dreiling says. “I caught one brown trout that was 19 inches, but I didn’t keep him. I just like perch and walleye.” Like the Zabels and Hyatts, Dreiling says he goes ice fishing mainly to enjoy the outdoors during the long Montana winters. Catching dinner is just a bonus. “I think that for most guys, it’s an excuse to escape the indoors,” Dreiling says, looking around at the sunshine bouncing off the bright white snow and the kids playing on the ice. “On days like this, it’s great to be outside. I’ve got a honey-do list a mile long, but it just never seems to get done during ice fishing season.” [!]
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S
Stained glass lamps on each end of the bar and subdued light from sparkling chandeliers set a mellow mood as the sweet, soulful sounds of the Wilbur Rehmann Quintet fill the large room that was designed to impress. It’s Jazz Night at the Montana Club and Rehmann’s vintage soprano sax adds a nostalgic note to the history of this club as its members blend new traditions with those that have made this elegant place a Helena social hub for more than 125 years. Can an organization created by men for men—wealthy and powerful at that—be relevant in the 21st century? Behind the fine trappings, there is something tough and tenacious about the Montana Club and its membership. Financial challenges began not long after Wilbur Fiske Sanders, Joseph Woolman and Albert Weed filed articles of incorporation in 1885. Construction of the grand new clubhouse was completed in 1893, about the time of the Silver Panic. The club’s board of governors made frequent, sometimes desperate efforts to raise money over the decades. And if that wasn’t enough, there were other hurdles and setbacks, including a fire that destroyed the original building in 1903, and pressures u
Top: A stained glass lamp backlights for a cocktail. Bottom: The main entrance on Sixth Avenue. Main photo: The Doug Turman Quartet plays during Jazz Night. Below, right: President Theodore Roosevelt’s signature is in one of the club’s guest books.
Still in Style? Helena’s historic Montana Club adapts its policies and programs with an eye on a new generation Story by Dave and Crystal Shors
Photos by Eliza Wiley
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An announcement for the 1905 Smoker, top left. A replica of Charlie Russell’s painting hangs in the dining room at the Montana Club, top right. The original was sold to keep the club afloat financially. Below, left: A private dining room serves members on special occasions, left. A silver charger with the club’s logo.
from a changing society. The Montana Club has adapted constantly to changing times. Jazz Night is just one of many attempts to keep one of the oldest remaining social clubs west of the Mississippi fresh and vital to members and prospective members. Although it remains a private club, it’s not exclusive; members from the community and throughout the country are welcome to enjoy it, according to Chuck Butler, acting general manager.
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Members and guests relax in the second-floor dining room and adjoining bar, private meeting rooms, the medieval basement Rathskeller and sixth-floor formal dining room. The rich patina of beautiful century-old wood glows throughout the interior. New members love the history, dining in company with the 7,000-piece, cut-glass chandelier and the replica C.M. Russell painting “When the Land Belonged to God” over the fireplace in the second-floor dining room.
“The club is an institution, widely known throughout Montana and the country,” says Butler. “People join the club and become a part of history.” But they also want their club to host events like jazz and theater nights. Some older members trace their family memberships back to the early days when the club was a male bastion. Jean Baucus, mother of U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, laughs as she remembers stories about the club’s early days when women were only allowed between 10:30 a.m. and noon, and only if they were escorted. Her grandfather, Montana rancher Henry Sieben, was one of 110 charter club members, and Mrs. Baucus still maintains his membership number 16. She enjoys meeting friends several times a month. After the grittiness of its gold-camp beginnings—primitive miners’ cabins and tents, dusty, often muddy streets and false-fronted stores—Helena aspired to genteel greatness. The state capital produced its share of affluent Helena miners, businessmen and ranchers. While it has never been proven, according to local legend, Helena had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the country. In the late 1880s, grand commercial buildings and private mansions began to populate Helena’s landscape, and the community dubbed itself “The Queen City of the Rockies.” When those early leaders formed the Montana Club in 1885, their dream was to build a clubhouse where they could enjoy the finer things of life, a place worthy of entertaining dignitaries and guests which over the years have included the likes of President Theodore Roosevelt, William Jennings Bryan, Mark Twain, Prince Olaf of Norway, Otis Skinner, Averell Harriman, Gary Cooper and Myrna Loy. In those early years, club members gathered in the Parchen Block and later in the Gold Block, both downtown, where they had rooms for billiards, cards and socializing. A Montana Weekly Herald story on Dec. 27, 1888, described the largest reception ever in Helena, hosted by the Montana Club in the Gold Block. Several women who were invited were heard to say: “We don’t wonder the men like to come here. I wish women had some place of the kind.” According to an account by late Montana historian Dave Walter, published in the Independent Record in 1999, behind the club’s closed doors “men could converse with colleagues, smoke, play billiards or cards, enjoy a stiff drink, read current newspapers from all over the nation, or just relax.” By 1891, buoyed by the popularity of club life, members of the Montana Club purchased a triangular lot at the corner of Fuller and Sixth for $45,000 and hired architect John Paulsen to design a clubhouse that cost another $75,000, which he described as “Romanesque.” The six-story clubhouse was completed in 1893, featuring the finest woods, a quarried stone foundation and bricks from Nick Kessler’s brickyard. Social clubs flourished in many Montana cities by the turn of the century. A 1900 story in the Anaconda Standard said Montana’s tycoons could relax in the Silver Bow Club in Butte; the Electric City Club in Great Falls; the Miles City Club, the Rocky Mountain Club in Livingston; and the Cosy Corner Lambs Club in Helena. “There’s a breezy western hospitality about the Montana clubs that astonishes the visiting Easterner almost as much as does the luxury and comfort of the clubs themselves,” the story notes. “But the famous Montana Club at Helena stands at the front.” Three years later, disaster struck. Late one evening, two “incendiary” type fires were started in the building, one in the basement shortly before midnight; a second was discovered on the sixth floor. They were extinguished before causing any major damage. But three nights later on April 27, 1903, a third fire destroyed “the most ornate club building in the West.” The Montana Daily Record reported the building and furnishings were a total loss, but a recent snowstorm covered roofs of downtown business blocks and homes in nearby residential areas and “prevented what would have been by far the most disastrous fire in the history of the city.” Investigators found all three fires were started by a boy who wanted to “see the horses run,” according to the Helena Independent. The boy was 14-year-old Harry u
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Anderson, son of Julian Anderson, the club’s soft-spoken steward for some 60 years. Almost before the smoke had cleared, plans were in place to build a new clubhouse, grander than the first. Designed by renowned architect Cass Gilbert and completed in 1905, the building incorporated the original stone foundation and the archway which is still the entrance. During the ensuing years, the club followed financial trends, high and low. At the peak of the gambling years in the mid-1940s, club membership skyrocketed to 1,150 and the club bought Green Meadow Country Club. During lean years, membership slipped, rooms were rented and the golf course was split off. In the 1970s, the club faced a $1 million challenge to meet city building codes during Urban Renewal, a federal program for blighted areas that changed the face of Helena’s downtown. While considering the sale of the city landmark, club members explored every possibility to save it. They formed a condominium association and sold three floors of the building. Faced with high insurance and renovation costs, the club sold the Russell painting “When the Land Belonged to God” to the Montana Historical Society for $450,000. The painting, now in the MHS permanent collection, was considered by many, including Russell himself, his masterpiece. Commissioned in 1913 by the Montana Club, it hung over the fireplace in the second-floor dining room until the state, its legislature, schoolchildren, various clubs and private donors raised enough to buy the painting and keep it in Montana. As part of the sale agreement, the club’s present replica was completed and now hangs in the painting’s
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traditional place. The painting depicts a lead bull and huge bison herd crossing the Missouri River about three miles downstream from Fort Benton. It gives one the feeling “of power and relentless motion, amid choking dust and muffled exertion,” Walter noted. Like the painting, today’s Montana Club reflects powerful past times. But the story of the club is still being written. Butler, a board member and longtime member before assuming management during its current transition, says he’s excited about the future of the club, as well as its past, as it continues to adapt and appeal to new members and young professionals in the community. “I believe the club will be here 125 years from now,” he says. [!]
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Below: Kurt Fuehrer, left, and Harry Houze, begin an evening hike that has become a weekly Monday-andWednesday night ritual for the last eight years. The hiking group has about eight regular members.
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i Deadly-looking foot gear is key to staying on your feet in the winter
It happened on a Christmas morning when he was carrying presents and a pumpkin pie down the hill to a family gathering. As if moving in slow motion, one foot slipped out from under him, and then two. Like a cartoon character, my stepfather’s feet went over his head, the pie flew skyward and he crashed to the ground with a thud. If only he’d been wearing a pair of grippers, then Christmas morning would’ve been saved, not to mention the pumpkin pie. As it turned out, he broke his arm in that fall, demonstrating the perils that ice and slope can present when compounded by poor traction. Like a sports car on the highway, you’re only as stable as your traction with the earth below you. Luckily, there are a dozen or more choices when it comes to how you stick to the terrain with your feet. Charles Udell is glad he spent the $60 for a set of Kahtoola MICROspikes, which avid hikers may be one of the best traction devices on the market. “They’ll walk on anything,” Udell says, gearing up for a hike on a sunny Sunday morning. “They’re easy on, easy off. They dig into the ice. They stay on your boots. I like everything about them.” Thanks to the chains and saw-type teeth under his feet, Udell walks through winter with confidence. He laughs at ice and thumbs his nose in the face of slick terrain. With the MICROspikes strapped to his boots, his fun-meter only climbs when the trails turn slick. A good pair of grippers can certainly make or break your confidence—and possibly your health—when the trail below you is more akin to a hockey rink than a mountain slope. Chances are good that in the winter and early spring, nearly any trail you chose will be slick, particularly those that lie in the sun and never seem to fully melt. u
take a hike Story by Martin J. Kidston
Photos by Eliza Wiley winter/spring 2010
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But if you think people lay low in winter because, well, it’s winter, then take a drive to the Mount Helena kiosk, the hub of Helena’s fabled South Hills trail system. If you’re worried about finding the path under all that snow, don’t be. The trail will be revealed with a little searching. On a recent winter day, snowfields glimmered in the morning sun. The powder is untouched, save for a few animal tracks peppered here and there—the scampering of squirrels and the lazy ambling of deer through the trees. In contrast to the purity of the snowfields, the trail is a mess. Boots and skis have trampled the powder so that it now resembles a city street neglected by the plows. It takes a lot of people to pack the snow like this, but this is winter and the trails are a popular place. More than once I’ve tried to be the first one to reach the trail after a heavy snow, an effort that recently included an outing up Casey Meadows in the Elkhorn Mountains. I was certain I’d be the guy who got to lay fresh tracks. But as it turned out, two elk, a large dog and a human sporting a size 10 boots had already beaten me to it. The fact that nearly all local trails are, as the Department of Transportation would say, “snow packed and icy,” indicates just how many people enjoy the snowy woods in winter. The more traffic a trail gets the more treacherous it becomes, which is why most hikers and runners set out with grippers or cleats of some sort affixed to their shoes, be it Udell with his MICROspikes or Len Walch and his YakTrax. “These are good for the conditions today,” says Walch, returning from a trip up Mount Helena. “It’s mostly coming down that causes the problems. There are the little pitches, like on the Prospect Trail, where you need grip.” Buying the right pair of grippers isn’t always a cheap. But if you want to avoid the chiropractor, spending a little up front [48]
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A good pair of grippers can certainly make or break your confidence—and possibly your health—when the trail below you is more akin to a hockey rink than a mountain slope.
may save you money in the long run. It may also keep your bicep from shrinking with atrophy because you spent the winter stuck in a cast.
Before you buy, however, Leah Johnson at The Base Camp suggests that you ask yourself a few questions. Will you use your new grippers to walk the dog on slick city sidewalks or for hiking steep mountain trails? What kind of footwear will you apply them to? What type of abuse will you put them through? YakTrax are a popular selection, evidenced by the crisscross patterns stamped in the snow on trails around Helena. Ranging from $19.95 for the basic YakTrax Walkers to $29.95 for the YakTrax Pro, most would agree they’re reasonably priced for recreational use. They are available from a number of Helena-area outdoor stores. “The only difference, the Pro has a strap that goes over the top,” Johnson explains. “We recommend that if you’re doing any type of elevation change that you get the Pro. For around town on flat surfaces, the Walker is great.” Some have complained that even the YakTrax Pro, while a good choice for moderate use, doesn’t hold up. High-impact activities such as trail running may cause the coils to fall off. Even with recreational use, Johnson says, the YakTrax may only last a year. Some prefer a completely different system, such as STABILicers, which employ small spikes instead of coils to improve your grip. The spikes work something like a studded snow tire and are suitable on flat surfaces and slight inclines. The downside? The spikes wear out with use and must be replaced, providing that you have the system that can be replaced. While the STABILicers Light Traction Device sells for around $20, you can’t replace the spikes when they wear down. In contrast, the heavy-duty STABILicers Traction Device sells for around $40 and does have replaceable spikes, which cost around $7 a bag. u
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When you boil it down, any gripper is better than no gripper at all. Just ask my stepfather, who sat around that Christmas Day wearing a cast and a sling. Short of buying a set of crampons and climbing a glacier or a frozen waterfall, any brand will help you avoid slipping on ice. “You could do these trails without any grippers, you just have to be careful,” Walch notes, packing up for the day. “If I know it’s going to be icy, the YakTrax don’t work so well. You really need the spike advantage.” [!]
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[my office]
Ron Mercer
Helena Regional Airport Director By Butch Larcombe
W
Ron Mercer has a spectacular view from his office at the airport. Photo by Eliza Wiley.
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When it comes to having an office with a view, Ron Mercer has got it made. Mercer is the director of the Helena Regional Airport and it’s the airport that occupies center stage. But beyond the tarmac and runways and buildings that form the southern boundary of the 1,300-acre facility, sit the distinctive landmarks of Helena. The Capitol dome. The unmistakable spires of the Cathedral of St. Helena. The South Hills, including Mount Helena and Mount Ascension. On a winter day, the sun streams through the office’s tall south-facing windows, warming the office and making the view all the more enticing, despite the bitter cold outside. “It’s got a great view, that’s for sure,” says Mercer, who has been employed at the airport for 29 years and been its top manager for more than two decades. “It’s a
nice office to come to work in.” For those who can’t resist watching aircraft of all shapes and sizes land and take off, the office has no equal. “I’m not a person to sit and look at airplanes but people who come to see me do,” Mercer says. Along with the usual office accoutrements, Mercer’s work digs contain some atypical items. Take the mountain lion, perched on the wall. It was part of a collection of critters donated to the airport by the family of the late Dr. Bob Kechely. Other pieces of the stuffed wild kingdom, including a couple of bears, adorn the airport lobby and other public areas. There is wooden cross-section of a scaled down airplane wing on another wall. Along with providing an aeronautical element to the work space, the wing, a gift from the airport staff, serves as an unusual shelf. The office also includes old photos of several key events in the airport’s history, most notably the visits decades ago of distinguished flyers Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart and Cromwell Dixon. And there are personal items, including pictures of grandchildren, photos of cars, dragracing memorabilia and a set of miniature Great Northern rail cars. On a wall close to Mercer’s desk hang a couple of proclamations that are markers of a long career in Helena. One, from a former mayor, officially notes “Ron Mercer Day.” Another framed item thanks him for his local economic development efforts. “Those are a few of the things that mean a little more to me,” Mercer says. [!]
[laughs chance gulch] We're just out shopping for some post-pregnancy clothes.
by Denny Lester
How Cute. AND How is it going?
having a little trouble finding pants that fit.
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