Explorer

Patience pays when casting on the Bitterroot Rolling with the rolls on Brennan’s Wave Saddle up for a different view of the Wild West

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Don’t hit the trail until you’ve hit the biggest bulk department in Montana. The Good Food Store stocks more than 800 different bulk items, which means you can carry a different load of energy-rich nutrition on every trip you take this summer. Pasta, rice and grains. Cereal and dehydrated soups. Candy, dried fruit, nuts and granola. Coffee and tea. Pancake mix.

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Glacier National Park’s Lake McDonald, looking east. Mountains, left to right: Cannon Peak, the Little Matterhorn, Edwards Mountain, Sperry Peak and Mount Jackson.

Photo by Chad Harder

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

W

elcome to western Montana. Pretty nice, eh? We think so, but sometimes it’s easy to forget just how good we have it. That’s why this year we decided to approach Explorer from a fresh perspective.

For this issue, we’re all beginners. While the Indy staff may include some seasoned skiers, mountain bikers and climbers—and more than a few couch potatoes—we each stepped out of our comfort zone and decided to try something completely new. One writer satisfied a lifelong desire to learn fly-fishing. Another was anxious to find a rush of adrenaline, and discovered it within the tight confines of a gorgeous grotto. All of us walked away hooked on a new thrill.

Now it’s your turn. If you have half as much fun during your first-time adventures as we did on ours, we’ll consider it a success. No need to thanks us. Just wave when you pass us on the river, trail, course, etc.

Photo by Chad Harder

Table of Contents PUBLISHER

Matt Gibson GENERAL MANAGER

Lynne Foland EDITOR

Skylar Browning PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Joe Weston

BUSINESS MANAGER

Adrian Vatoussis ARTS EDITOR

Finding my roll—and courage—on Brennan’s Wave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Patience pays when casting on the Bitterroot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Seeing the light inside western Montana’s most popular grotto . . . . . . . . . . .19 Saddle up for a different view of the Wild West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Letting it fly in Missoula’s disc golf scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Six spectacular treks, from the simple to the sublime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 The Indy calendar of summer events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Erika Fredrickson PHOTO EDITOR

Chad Harder CALENDAR EDITOR

Cover photo by Chad Harder

Jonas Ehudin

STAFF REPORTERS

Jesse Froehling, Matthew Frank, Alex Sakariassen COPY EDITOR

Advertising Focus Pages

Samantha Dwyer ART DIRECTOR

Ko u M o u a PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS

Jenn Stewart, Jonathan Marquis ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES

Carolyn Bartlett, Steven Kirst, Chris Melton, Hannah Smith, Scott Woodall CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING MANAGER

Miriam Mick

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

Tami Johnson FRONT DESK

Lorie Rustvold MAILING ADDRESS:

P.O. Box 8275 • Missoula, MT 59807 PHONE NUMBER:

406-543-6609

Art, Antiques & Collectibles . . . . . . . . . 37 Bitterroot Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Dish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Downtown Missoula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Explore Montana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Glacier Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Hip Strip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Lodging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Mission Valley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Pamper Yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Philipsburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Real Estate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Seeley Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Sportin’ Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Sustainable Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Whitefish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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Photo by Chad Harder

Wired for whitewater Finding my roll—and courage—on Brennan’s Wave

by Skylar Browning ne thing kept going through my mind when I was stuck underwater, upside down, with my knees wedged snuggly into a little boat: They make it look so easy.

By “they,” I’m referring to the growing legion of kayakers who populate Brennan’s Wave on the Clark Fork River during most of the warmer months of the year. These freestyle artisans attract crowds of onlookers, like me, mesmerized by their effortless command of a tiny boat on a lip of angry water.

They balance, flip, roll, preen, tease—and then do it again, sometimes to applause and awes. Almost never do they wipeout. In fact, they make such failure seem impossible.

With that aura of invincibility, I had the audacity to stroll into Strongwater, Missoula’s new paddle sports shop located a

O

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

short walk south from Brennan’s Wave, and announce my intention to tackle the popular swell. I needed lessons and I had a deadline.

I didn’t care that it was high water and that I hadn’t been in a kayak for nearly 20 years. I wanted to get on the water.

K.B. Brown and Luke Rieker, both competitive kayakers and co-owners of Strongwater, didn’t even blink at the idea. “No problem,” K.B. said. They make it look so easy.

“If you love the water, love being on the water, and if you think you might be even the least bit interested in getting into a kayak, then I think you deserve to give it a shot,” said K.B. “That’s why we’re here. We have a passion for it and all we want to do is offer a chance to share that with other people who might also love it. We’ll give you the chance to try it out.”

A week later I hit the Clark Fork in a yellow Jackson kayak with K.B. alongside in his

boat and Luke standing on the shore. I wore a wet suit, life jacket, helmet and skirt. The latter fastens to the kayak, preventing water from leaking into the boat during rolls. In our first exercise we practiced removing the skirt in a wet exit—an emergency maneuver where I intentionally flip the kayak and get the heck out of it before drowning. The move’s easy, but the idea is to get to a point where you never have to use it.

To that end, we spent a few hours in a mellow channel of the river practicing basic strokes—forward, backward, draw, etc.—and braces that prevent you from tumbling into the water. The boat proved remarkably responsive. Even the slightest lean sends the kayak tipping in that direction and my knees, which were lodged against the top of the boat, could help whip me back upright.

Movement in my hips all of a sudden felt hugely important.

Having quickly conquered the basics, K.B. and Luke switched to what they referred to as “the holy grail” for beginning kayakers—the roll. In theory, it’s simple: Just flip the boat back up. Yet, before my lesson, I’d been warned that rolling a kayak was disorienting, a confusing move that requires a series of counterintuitive movements to perfect. Since you’re underwater and upside down, you forget that down is up and up is down and, by the way, that water goes up your nose and you lose your breath faster than you think.

Sounded like good times.

K.B. wouldn’t let me psych myself out. We practiced a few faux rolls where Luke cradled me in the water, my boat halfway flipped and my head just barely above the water. I practiced a simple C-stroke and hip snap that propelled me out of his arms and upright, and repeated it until the blade of my paddle was properly in line with the surface of the water.

The trick, of course, would be duplicating that same paddle position, C-stroke and hip snap while upside down, underwater and without Luke’s assistance. I failed. Miserably.

And repeatedly. I looked, at best, like something spinning helplessly down a toilet bowl.

Each attempted roll ended with Luke physically flipping my boat from the stern, saving me from a wet exit. My mistakes varied—wrong paddle position on one roll, pushing the paddle down to the river bottom rather than across the surface on another. We ended the first lesson without a successful roll.

They make it look so easy. Needless to say, it’s not. My second lesson started much like the first, with any momentum thwarted by more failed rolls. Then something clicked. I relaxed. I realized, finally, after the countless times K.B. had reminded me, exactly how to position myself underwater. I leaned forward, positioned my paddle correctly on the surface of the water and proceeded to combine the Cstroke and the hip snap successfully. It wasn’t the cleanest roll in the world, but it worked.

K.B. swore he didn’t help me.

I kept rolling in the channel, showing some signs of fatigue as the lesson wore on.

Some rolls felt better than others. Some felt terrible. Either way, I found myself reveling in

the split second underwater when I couldn’t hear a thing, when I could see just a flicker of sunlight on the river’s surface beckoning me back up. It felt like a cinematic moment, suspended, the result hanging in the balance. I couldn’t get enough.

“That feeling you’re getting with the roll is what this is all about,” said K.B. “You’ll never lose that. Once you get the roll down, there will be another trick that you’ll try and try and want to perfect. Then there will be another one. I’m still learning moves and wanting to get better, and every one feels the same as trying to learn that first roll.”

I felt encouraged by my progress, but we weren’t quite done. Toward the end of the lesson, K.B. and Luke reminded me of my ultimate goal—riding Brennan’s Wave—and asked if I was game for a run. I tried to think of the most eloquent way to point out that, a few days earlier, I looked like somebody getting flushed down a toilet. How was trying the wave a good idea?

“We’ll be right there with you, so worst case scenario, you do a wet exit and go for a

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

7

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

game of croquet.

And I discovered, after a few hairy moments, that I had safely paddled out of the wave, unscarred. I raised my paddle Photo by Chad Harder in victory, caught a glimpse of my little swim,” said K.B. “Keep in family cheering me on from the mind that you’re always in rocks, then promptly felt between swims.” myself start to tip. It happened So we did it. I paddled into too fast—I couldn’t adjust Brennan’s Wave and saw first- quickly enough to try a roll hand that it looks demonstra- and, before long, I reached for bly bigger from the water than the skirt and took a swim in the it does from the Higgins Clark Fork. I deserved it. It Avenue bridge. I found out that wouldn’t be fair to triumph some of the brace techniques I over the wave on my first learned come in incredibly attempt. As K.B. helped me to handy when whitewater’s toss- shore, I was already realizing ing you around like a rag doll. I what I did wrong. More imporrealized that the rush of being tantly, I was also envisioning in the wave in that tiny little how to fix it during my next lesboat doesn’t compare to any- son. And I found myself repeatthing else I’ve ever tried; it ing one thing: They make it makes snowboarding feel like a look so easy.

Find your roll Multiple options exist for whitewater paddle gear and lessons in western Montana. Strongwater offers lessons for $20 an hour ($35 if you need equipment) and is an official retailer for Jackson kayaks. To get fully outfitted at Strongwater—kayak, paddle, skirt, life jacket and helmet— runs approximately $1,200. You can reach them at 406-7212437, or stop by 612 S. Higgins Avenue in Missoula. Other whitewater options include: 10,000 Waves Raft & Kayak Adventures Lessons and guided trips 1-800-537-8315 Pipestone Mountaineering Kayaks and gear 129 W. Front Street Missoula 406-721-1670 Rocky Mountain Outfitter Kayaks and gear 135 Main Street Kalispell 406-752-2446

Silver Moon Kayak Company Kayak instruction and gear 1215 N. Somers Road Kalispell 406-752-3794 Tarkio Kayak Adventures Guided tours 406-543-4583 World Class Kayak Academy Two-week summer session courses (and more) 406-829-8071 Zoo Town Surfers Full slate of whitewater instruction 406-546-0370

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

9

Bay Point On Whitefish Lake!

O We have 1-3 bedroom condos and over 600 feet of Whitefish Lake Shore. Boat slips available for rent at $30 a day when you are spending some time with us.

We love family reunions and we are a great jumping off point for Glacier National Park. Like the readers of the Independent, we are a bunch of independent owners sharing our condos, for a reasonable fee of course.

If you can’t make it this summer, give a “look-see” in the fall or, better yet, THE WINTER! Check us out on our web site

www.baypoint.org

406-862-2331 or 888-BayPoint

Lewis & Clark did,

you can too!

Find your way to Great Falls and visit the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center. It’s more than 6,000 square feet of exhibits. Take a hike, pitch a tipi, make fire using flint and steel, or braid rope from hemp.

m - 6:00 pm a 0 :0 9 er b em t ep S h Open Daily throug 4201 Giant Springs RD Great Falls, MT 59405 www.fs.fed.us/r1/lewisclark/lcic.htm 10

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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Photo by Chad Harder

Fishing pretty Patience pays when casting on the Bitterroot

by Erika Fredrickson or whatever reason—I’ll blame the movie A River Runs Through It—I’ve always equated fly-fishing with coordinated dance-like movements.

Problem is, I don’t have the dancing gene.

I’m much better sitting in one place, staring into a black hole and enduring cold weather, which is why I ended up falling for ice fishing.

Then my dad built me a fly rod a few years ago, and I started to romanticize the sport. But whimsical visions of elegant casting on local rivers didn’t translate to

F

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

results. The few times I tested my new rod, my hook would get caught in treetops or under river logs. Even when I did it right, I found myself getting impatient casting into moving waters without having an instinctive sense of a good spot.

So, it was with a considerable room for improvement that I drove to the Kingfisher fly shop to meet with fishing guide Stacy Jennings. Having been voted Best Fishing Guide the past two years by the Indy’s readers—one write-up remarks, “Brad Pitt is her bitch”—Jennings seemed to be up to the task. She’s been teaching since 1994, but says she sees every student as a new

challenge. She wants to see me catch fish and get hooked on it. She’s determined to get us in the best stretch of river with the least number of people. She wants to make sure that by the day’s end, I’m better than even my dad. I appreciate her confidence— and it doesn’t hurt that, as a woman approaching what seems to be a predominately male sport, I’m in the hands of another woman who’s already mastered the craft.

We drive her rig to the boat ramp near Darby on the upper Bitterroot and ease the Clackacraft drift boat into the current. It’s a warm day, one of the first of the season,

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

13

and while the sun reflects off the water and heats our backs, we can see the dramatic Bitterroot Range still covered in snow.

As we float along, I ask Jennings about women in fly-fishing. Jennings waves the question aside. “There are women fly-fishing everywhere,” she says. “There’s just a perception that there’s not. I don’t know why people think that.”

To make the point that women have been fishing for a long time, Jennings tells me about the first documented account of fishing, Treatyse on Fysshynge Wyth an Angle, a book written in 1496 by a Benedictine nun named Dame Juliana Berners. She also shows me how to cast using a technique developed by New York pro Joan Wulff. It’s a three-part movement meant to reduce the amount of energy you put into casting while maximizing the result.

First, you pull the rod up firmly but not too powerfully so as not to create too much friction with the water. Keeping the wrist straight, you accelerate the path of the line as you cast back with a “power snap.” The final movement is a forward cast using the force of your arm from the shoulder with a slight retraction of the forearm. The movements are simple and occupy the same space like a tightly edited phrase. It’s hard only when I over-think it.

Twenty feet from the put-in I get a bite. Not just a bite—it’s a chomp. I pull up sharply and my rod bends with the weight. When we finally see it through the glassy surface, Jennings reckons it’s a 19-inch cutthroat. But right when I pull it partway out of the water, it gets away. Here’s where I learn another lesson in patience and grace: You have to get it close to the boat with a taut line,

but at the same time give it space to thrash and tire out so it can be ushered into the net.

I don’t make the same mistake twice.

Over the next few hours, standing confidently at the boat’s bow, I catch more cutthroats, a cutbow (rainbow-cutthroat hybrid) and one brown trout.

As we pass boats filled with mostly men, often while Jennings rows with stunning power back upstream to a particularly good spot, she yells out, “Afternoon, gentlemen.” She talks flies and water conditions with them, throwing out fishing lingo with the same grace she has when releasing fish. She’s not really trying to one-up them, but there’s something satisfying about watching their faces go from a slightly flirtatious, “Hey ladies!” to a blank stare, to a look of, I think, respect.

Our Lady of the Rockies Experience an incredible journey to the top of the Continental Divide and the site of Our Lady of the Rockies.

Daily tours – June through Sept. (call for reservations and prices)

3100 Harrison Ave. Butte, MT 59701 1-800-800-LADY 406-782-1221 www.ourladyoftherockies.com 14

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

Visit our unique gift shop at the Butte Plaza Mall

R-House Inn

Only $150 per night

Your comfortable home away from home Guest House • Daily Rental • Handicap accessible • Baby proof • 4 queen beds

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Pintler Suites 136 East Broadway • Philipsburg, MT Looking for something to do?

Pintler Suites is located right in downtown Philipsburg, near many great attractions, activities, and Discovery Basin Ski Resort!

Next to the VFW - Maxville - 859-7492 (PIZA) - WE DO TAKEOUT! Thurs & Fri 11am-8pm • Sat 7am-8pm • Sun 7am-7pm Espresso VISIT OUR Burgers OUR CRUSTS A Salads - Soup Z IZ P GIFT SHOP! E D A M Sandwiches ARE DAILY! H S E FR Pizza Homemade Breakfast & Lunch Specials

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Every Sat & Sun 7am-11am Homemade Breakfast Favorites

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Sunday, August 23 • 11am - 5pm Downtown Philipsburg • Continuous Live Jazz Featuring Eden Atwood, The Mike Bader Band, and Montana Lite Jazz • Wine and Montana Micro Brew Beer Available • Free Children’s activities including face painting, art projects and more For more information, please contact Connie Donlan at (406) 859-0165 or email: coppersok2@aol.com

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Fishing, rafting, tours of ghost towns, 4x4 tours of beautiful mountain scenery, & many other things. Take a look at our web site!

4959 Hwy 1 Hall, MT 59837 (406) 288-3819 www.flintcreeklodge.com Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

15

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

Our lunch is a full-on hot buffet from Missoula’s Old Post—blackened catfish, savory mashed potatoes and marinated spicy green beans. This is the cuisine you can expect from a professionally guided trip. As we eat, the air fills with a thick March Brown hatch and Skwala stoneflies.

Jennings grins, ready to go back on the water. One of her favorite things, she says, is seeing clients end the day still “moving with the river.”

“Doesn’t it feel like that out there?” she asks. “It’s like you’re participating in this sort of surreal movement with the water.”

It’s true. In the evening, when I step off the boat I feel wobbly, like the ground’s rolling by. It’s an awesome sensation, mostly because it makes me feel like part of the landscape. So maybe in a day I’m not a better fly-fisher than my dad, but I don’t need to be. I’m just more confident and more hooked on fishing than I’d been when we first pushed from shore. Not bad for a day’s fishing.

Photo by Ashley Sears

Picking your spot Stacy Jennings begins her Women’s Introduction to Fly-Fishing School Saturday, June 7, and you can get more info at kingfisherflyshop.com.

But Jennings is just one of many fly-fishing resources who can hook you up with gear and guiding.

Fishaus Fly Fishing 702 N. 1st St. Hamilton 406-363-6158

Glacier Wilderness Guides 11970 U.S. Highway 2 East West Glacier 800-521-7238

The Kingfisher 926 E. Broadway Missoula 406-721-6141

Fisherman’s Mercantile 73 Rock Creek Road Clinton 406 825-6440

Grizzly Hackle 215 W. Front St. Missoula 406-721-8996

Lakestream Flyshop 334 Central Ave. Whitefish 406-862-1298

Arends Fly Shop 7356 U.S. Hwy. 2 East Columbia Falls 406-892-2033

Fly Fishing Always 714 S. 4th St. Hamilton 406-363-0943

John Perry’s Montana Fly Fishing 68 Rock Creek Road Clinton 406-825-2997

The Missoulian Angler 401 S. Orange St. Missoula 406-728-7766

Chuck Stranahan Fly Fishing 109 E Main St. Hamilton 406-363-4197

Glacier Fly Shop 111 Hungry Horse Blvd.

Hungry Horse 406-387-4079

Kesel’s Four Rivers 1522 S. Reserve St. Missoula 406-721-4796

River Otter Fly Shop 5504 Old Hwy 93 Florence 406-273-4858

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

17

Kendra Richardson R O C K

S Montana Real Estate O L 406-329-2043 I D Kendra.Richardson@prumt.com

Looking to Invest?

I specialize in multi-family properties.

Testimonial: "I was very impressed with the level of Jodie's knowledge of the investment process. She skillfully guided me through the decision making process and helped me evaluate all costs. I can't recommend her highly enough" ~ Missoula Investor

Jodie L. Hooker Quality Service Certified REALTORÂŽ, GRI, ABR

406-239-7588 • 800-647-6560

www.MissoulaMultifamily.com 18

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

Photo by Chad Harder

Craving more caving Seeing the light inside western Montana’s most popular grotto

by Jesse Froehling hile researching the Argenta Cave, I came across a particularly startling bit of information: If you ever get stuck in a cave, panic and pass out, it becomes relatively easy for your buddies to pull you out. Good to know, in a backhandedly comforting sort of way.

This bit of information became my mantra as, at the back of the Argenta Cave, I squeezed into a hole that felt about as big as a mail slot. Once halfway in, I got stuck.

So, suspended upside down, with everything above my thighs jammed into the tiny opening and with the rock pinching my sternum and spinal cord, I came to know claustrophobia. And I tried not to panic.

W

Argenta Cave lies a few miles outside of Argenta, maybe 45 minutes from Dillon. The directions are a bit vague—it’s in a grove of trees a few hundred feet from the road—so Indy photographer Chad Harder and I spent the better part of four hours boot packing through two feet of late-season snow looking for the entrance. When we finally found the opening, Chad looked at me, looked at the hole and said, “This is serious.”

A steep embankment guards the entrance. If you were to slip and fall, you’d have just enough time to fill your shorts before you tumbled over the edge and down, maybe 50 feet to the bottom. This probably isn’t the best cave for a beginner’s guide, but we were determined to—safely— give it our best shot.

Neither Chad nor I are expert cavers.

(Nobody calls it spelunking, by the way.

From what I understand, that term connotes inexperience, ill preparation, naivete.) Chad has been caving before in Illinois and owns kneepads and a helmet.

He doesn’t consider himself an expert, but does prefer the term “caver.” My caving experience, on the other hand, is limited to the time I hiked through a cave in Panama in board shorts and flip-flops with a dim flashlight to share between three people. I’m fine with calling myself a spelunker.

Despite Argenta Cave’s daunting appearance, we develop a game plan. First, we decide to set up a rappel at the Continued on page 23 Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009 19

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Just down from the Argenta Cave’s entrance stands a handful of ice stalagmites, the tallest of which reaches about five feet. As Chad sets up for the perfect shot, I venture around a corner to where I couldn’t see him anymore, and I switch off my headlight. To say a cave is dark is like saying the ocean’s wet, an understatement at best. You literally cannot see the tip of your nose. The air is also completely stagnant. So, sitting there, with no light, no sense of touch, no smell, and only the drip-drip-drip of water, I feel like I’m in a womb. It’s completely peaceful and time stops.

The spell breaks a few minutes later when I hear Chad’s footsteps behind me. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t just a little bummed.

Nevertheless, we continue along, exploring every passageway we can fit ourselves into. I find an Photo by Chad Harder opening and wriggle through to find a cavern I can stand up in. For Continued from page 19 a second, I feel like a 10-year-old with the entrance. There’s really only one place to world’s raddest fort to call my own. Then set an anchor—a prominent tree just outside of the opening. The rope slides down Chad, who’s bigger than me, squeezes in, an ice-encrusted crack, which leaves us wet stands up, and tries to squeeze back out. I have to prop his foot so he can push out and a little banged up before we ever set and, for a second, I think how much it foot in the actual cave. Squeezed tight in would suck if he got stuck. But he doesn’t the rock’s crack, sliding down an icy static and I soon join him on the other side. line, I briefly question the sanity of our Then, we find the passageway at the very decision. I also have no idea how we’re back of the cave. going to get out.

Remembering how cool that little room In certain parts of the country, the cavfelt, I try to fight off the panic and push ing community is tight and cavers guard through the small opening. I’m tempted by their spots like jewels. They mount doors what I may find on the other side. What if on the top and seal them with padlocks so nobody else had tried this before? What if I, you have to know somebody to get inside. an inexperienced spelunker, became the This is necessary to protect the cave’s frag- first person in the history of the world to ile ecosystem. Snap off a stalagmite, and stand in some fabulous untouched room you just ruined the product of thousands deep in the cave? How cool would that be? of years of geology. In fact, if you even I try to push a little farther, but I don’t fit. touch a piece of flowstone, the oil on your So, slowly, I inch my way out. Next year, hand will alter its formation forever. As after I lose about 10 pounds, Chad and I such, being in a cave is like being in an art are going back and I’m going to see what gallery. Look, but don’t touch. Luckily, lies beyond that passageway. there’s plenty to look at.

First steps Argenta Cave may not be the best option for a beginning caver, but there are a few local resources that can help you get started in the sport. The trick is to meet local experts.

“As cavers, we try to not publish locations on caves,” says Jason Ballensky of Caves of Montana, a nonprofit project of the National Speleological Society. “Beginners visiting caves can destroy something that can never be replaced.”

He does point out an exception: Lick Creek Cave, near Monarch, is the most popular cave in the state. For caving in western Montana, Ballensky recommends Argenta, but suggests going with an experienced caver.

Northern Rocky Mountain Grotto, a local caving organization, holds meetings on the third Wednesday of every month at Missoula’s Pipestone Mountaineering, 129 W. Front Street.

Thomas Coleman, a member of the group, recommends Ophir Cave, near Avon, for beginners.

“It has a small pit, but much of the cave can be explored fairly easily without rope work,” he says.

For additional information, Coleman’s group maintains a website—www.caves.org/grotto.nrmg— with a long list of “deep” and “long” caves in Montana.

Lastly, Caves of Montana still proves to be a valuable local resource even though it was published in 1978. The Argenta listing, for example, supplies some useful pointers alongside a hand drawn map. The map resembles the cave about as well as Columbus’ maps resembled America, but we still found it useful.

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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Photo by Pam Voth

Whoa, Nellie Saddle up for a different view of the Wild West

by Matthew Frank hey’re not usual nose-to-tail type horses, I was warned. Not like the dawdling and depressed horse I rode during a family vacation when I was 10, my only other riding experience.

So when our guide, Sue Matthews, hollered, “Okay, let’s pick it up a little,” and my hoofed partner Charger effortlessly charged ahead down the trail, I was leaving behind my comfort zone.

It’s called a canter, a three-beat gait somewhere between a trot and a gallop.

These Tennessee Walking Horses are specifically bred to travel at such speeds smoothly—to glide, like a Cadillac. It makes the horses well suited for trail riding over long distances.

But while my fiancée in front of me,

T

astride a sorrel named Flash, appeared to have instantly achieved that glide, complete with idyllic blowing brown hair, I bounced so uncontrollably on Charger that the saddle chafing could have started my Carhartts on fire.

Keep your energ y in your feet, I thought. That’s the advice I received from SuzAnne Miller, owner of Dunrovin Ranch in Lolo, who invited us out for the ride.

“If you want to be a good rider and really become one with your horse, then what you have to do is get your center of gravity down to their center of gravity, and that means your energy as well,” SuzAnne said. “You want all your energy to be down in the bottom half of your body, as opposed to your upper half, so that you’re seated deep in the saddle and your weight is centered on their weight.”

Cantering down the trail, I pushed my feet down in my stirrups and pulled back on the reins, as much to maintain my balance as to keep Charger from shifting into his next gear. It almost felt like water skiing—except you’re also controlling the boat. Though I imagine, for riders more graceful and less tense than me, there are better analogies that might involve weightlessness.

It was during those thrilling moments atop Charger’s wide, charcoal back that I realized my assumptions about horseback riding were wrong. Unlike other outdoor pursuits endeavored in western Montana— climbing, mountain biking, rafting, etc.— horseback riding seemed more tame, almost novel. Not so. It’s infused with adrenaline, and remarkable for the chance it offers to Continued on page 30 Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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Continued from page 27 connect with a responsive, 1,000-pound, impossibly strong animal. And you still get your quiet amble through the woods.

Our foursome rode just a few miles up the Elk Meadows Trail on the Lolo National Forest about 10 miles from Lolo on Highway 12, one of the dozens of trails explored by guests and members of Dunrovin Ranch. Sue, who worked as a wildlife biologist for 30 years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, pointed out fresh black bear scat, glacier lilies, tiny larches, beds of kinnikinnick and trilliums tucked on the hillside in such a way they could only be seen from the back of a horse. We stayed mostly quiet, and I kept an eye on Charger’s sensitive ears hoping he’d detect the bear who left the scat behind. Drizzle fell intermittently as we navigated downed trees and puddles.

Back at the truck, after an hour or so on the trail, I dismounted—rather gingerly—and rubbed Charger’s neck in thanks. He was

described by Jessie, the ranch manager, as a “lunkhead.” “But he’s got a lot more to him than people give him credit for,” she said.

We loaded the four horses into the trailer and headed down the dirt road back toward the highway and Dunrovin Ranch.

“How long does it take to get to the point where your butt doesn’t get sore?” I asked.

“Depends on the size of your butt,” joked Jessie. Sue explained that after a while you don’t even feel the saddle anymore, that it and the horse become almost an extension of your body.

Riders can test that claim on Dunrovin Ranch expeditions. The “Big Sky at Night Overnight Expedition” takes place twice this summer, July 22-23 and August 24-25 ($600 per person). It’s a jaunt to the West Fork Butte Lookout for a night of stargazing with University of Montana astronomer Diane Friend and her high-powered telescope. There’s also a “Visions of the West” expedition, September 14-18 ($2,550 per

person). The journey travels along the Rocky Mountain Front on the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch and into the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area with professional photographer and teacher Pam Voth.

SuzAnne, who spent 24 years in Alaska as part of her career in natural resource management, explains that the integration of natural and cultural resources is the trademark of Dunrovin Ranch programs.

“The outdoors and being involved in education and management of those resources is really a huge part of who I am,” she says.

As for the horses, “Our whole philosophy is one that’s really based on the fact that we see them as our sentient partners,” she says, “and how can we do this in a way that’s supporting them, as opposed to restricting them or harming them in any way, or making them uncomfortable.”

Dunrovin Ranch sits on 14 acres abutting the Bitterroot River just east of Lolo. It’s close to Missoula but feels completely apart.

Find your own ride We ’ r e i n w e s t e r n Montana, folks. That means there are lots of businesses offering horseback riding adventures. For more on Dunrovin Ranch, visit www.dunrovinranch montana.com, or call 406-273-7745.

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Let it fly Dodging danger and downing drinks on Missoula’s disc golf courses

by Alex Sakariassen My teacher makes the first throw look easy. A low arch and a dip to the left put him within spitting distance of the basket. He’ll make par no problem.

My goal proves much harder than making par: to not hit my teacher in the head.

The professional drawbacks of pissing off your mentor aside, that seems the first logical step in improving on my first and only other disc golf—or “folf ”—outing.

Turns out, it’s a hard game to play with your fingers crossed. A few swigs of Miller High Life help lessen the sting when my first throw dead-ends against a tree trunk 15 yards away, and wobbles into a ravine. I fig32

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

ure it’s going to be a long and humbling nine holes.

Few minimalist sports are as integral to the Missoula Valley as disc golf. Pattee Canyon, Blue Mountain, Montana Snowbowl and Fort Wenty all house courses in varying stages of development. Casual golfers can get by with one or two discs, a sturdy pair of shoes and a conservative stash of beer (say, six to eight per person). Local enthusiasts, however, take to the fringes with bags of assorted discs, which, depending on shape and texture, are better suited for long drives, putting, etc. Think Frisbee’s take on golf clubs.

As a beginner, disc golf requires an unexpected amount of patience. Discs can fly in

any number of directions based entirely on speed, angle, moment of release or number of beers drained. To assume you’ll land anywhere near the basket on the first, second or 15th try is lofty. In fact, it’s best just to assume you’ll look like a middle school phys ed flunky during your first outing.

At least, that’s how I looked on Blue Mountain’s sprawling 18-hole course. The U.S. Forest Service oversees both this course and the one up Pattee Canyon. The former boasts standing chain baskets and two dirt tee pads at each hole—one beginner, one advanced. Local clubs like the Garden City Flyers help clean and maintain the facilities.

Blue Mountain once took the brunt of local golf activity while Pattee Canyon remained

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underdeveloped as a wilderness area for other recreators.

That story has changed, says Brian Bjortomt, club president of the Garden City Flyers and state coordinator for the Professional Disc Golf Association. Last August his club installed nine baskets on the Pattee Canyon course. This June they ’ll complete the upgrades with nine more baskets and 18 rubber tee pads, and the course will remain closed until rehabilitation efforts are completed.

Bjortomt says disc golf is a “hugely popular” sport in Missoula, with Pattee Canyon and Blue Mountain each drawing between 300 and 500 disc golfers a day in summer months. Garden City Flyers boasts the second largest

club membership in the Pacific Northwest, second only to Portland.

For newbies, Bjortomt’s best advice is to purchase a disc carefully. It doesn’t have to fly the fastest or the farthest, it just has to feel comfortable for you.

“Don’t expect to go out there and throw the disc as far as professionals do,” he says. “Just go out and have fun.”

Indeed, getting too technical too fast is a mistake. My first throws “hyzer,” or dip and fall to the ground in one arch. This can be good or bad, a fact I learn when my disc rolls a painful 150 yards downhill of hole three. Once you get the hang of stroke, angle and release, you’ll find it easier to “anhyzer” (a dip followed by a long arch and fall

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in the opposite direction). Adding this talent to your forehand or backhand takes concentration, but allows you to navigate long fairways and groves of trees.

As I watch my teacher thread his orange Valkyrie through pine trunks with practiced grace, I think about my first brief brush with disc golf. We were up Pattee Canyon on a fall

day, a few friends and a few strangers. I’m an amiable guy—passive and non-threatening, in a George Costanza way. So it certainly wasn’t my intent to bean someone. I just never knew a plastic disc could ricochet that fast. But a tree redirected one of my first throws, nailing one of the aforementioned strangers in the head. I didn’t hit him hard

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enough to concuss, only to dislodge a string of expletives that would make my mother blush.

I still blame the incident on blurred vision.

On hole four, I’m feeling more confident but no less stupid. The basket is invisible beyond the bluff we’re teeing off from, and my disc hits a thick clump of branches.

My spirits lift a little when I throw my first anhyzer, my disc landing close to the basket.

We bump into a friend, Morgen, on the next tee. He and his dogs tag along on the next few holes. The longer I’m out here, the more I realize that disc golf is a social sport.

It’s almost more akin to hiking than its namesake golf, with a competitive edge that’s easily abandoned. And by the end of the ninth hole, I’m hooked.

I may have tripled par, but at least my teacher’s not nursing any goose-eggs.

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Photo by Chad Harder

Handpicked hikes The Indy staff selects six spectacular western Montana treks, from the simple to the sublime ince it’d be criminal to put together a guide to western Montana adventures and not recommend a few of the area’s renowned trails, we asked our staff to handpick their favorite hikes. Some are not-sosecret stashes close to Missoula, while others provide a nice getaway to more remote stretches of the region. Whichever you choose, we’re hoping these views offer something new to you.

S

Crown Jewel As a wild and easy-to-access utopia of subalpine lakes connected by a network of wellmaintained trails, please take any recommendation to hike into Jewel Basin as more of a suggestion than specific instructions to follow a rigidly defined pathway.

Located in the Swan Range east of Bigfork, the Jewel Basin Special Hiking Area is indeed a well-hidden basin, complete with a full array of Montana wildlife—including one of the state’s densest concentrations of grizzly bears and 27 trout-filled lakes.

40 Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

But what really sets the area apart is its exclusivity for hikers, as bikes, horses, motorized vehicles and even dogs are banned from the 50 miles of pristine pathways. Scramblers will find excellent route-finding opportunities on the surrounding ridges (consider bagging Mount Anaeas directly) and overnighters will find world-class campsites dotting the entire area, from lakeside fishing holes to top-of-theworld promontories providing primo views of both sunsets and sunrises.

Stop at the can’t-miss-it Echo Lake Café en route, and don’t forget your mountain bike to bomb down the wicked approach road after a day in the mountains. (Chad Harder) Creek-side Mosey Sure, the R attlesnake National Recreation Area is probably the most popular place to hike in Missoula. But no matter how many Subarus are lined up at the trailhead, solitude seekers—whether on foot, bike or horseback—can always find it.

That’s because the Rattlesnake offers about 73 miles of trails through 28,000 acres, not including the 33,000 acres of designated Wilderness to the north.

I find the best stretch starts a few miles in, where a spur trail breaks from the main artery and follows the contours of Rattlesnake Creek. There are plenty of pebbly beaches along the route, even a hole or two deep enough for a quick dunk on the hottest of days.

When the spur meets back up with the main trail, it more or less follows the creek to Beeskove Creek, where anglers can begin casting. The route lasts a total of six miles one way, and offers the perfect antidote to anxiety.

That’s my cure, at least. (Matthew Frank) Hell of a View The trail from Missoula’s Cherry Street to the “L” runs along the south of Mount Jumbo, where grassy hills, rocky overhangs and choke cherries add a certain fairytaleContinued on page 44

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Continued from page 40

like je’ ne sais quoi to the hike’s beginning.

The trail to the “L” is a nice climb, but if you choose to continue straight alongside the mountain you’ll find yourself in a less peopled landscape. Sure, there’s the highway in plain view to your right and an awkward telephone pole lining the trail, but the intimate view of Hellgate Canyon gives you a sense of the valley’s dramatic entryway.

After a while in Missoula, Mt. Sentinel and Jumbo develop a two-dimensional feel, as if they’ve been superficially propped up and stamped with letters. This trail reminds you of their depth. (Erika Fredrickson) Shady Retreat A hike doesn’t have to be a sweaty all-day affair. Sometimes it’s nice just to get your feet moving while you digest a lazy Saturday lunch. Both activities are a nice fit for the

DeVoto Memorial Cedar Grove, just off U.S. Highway 12 on the west side of Lolo Pass.

In the early 1950s, historian Bernard DeVoto used the remote cluster of western red cedars as an outdoor office while editing the famed Journals of Lewis and Clark. And you can see why. A maze of trails meanders along the Lochsa River where the grove’s namesake once camped. They should get your heart rate up high enough to pass as “exercise.”

The picnic area is well worn but perfect for an afternoon getaway with friends or family. Polish off a light meal and a stroll with some choice fly-fishing on the Lochsa (be warned, the river is on the Idaho side). That is, if you don’t decide to steal a nap on cedar needles in the shade. (Alex Sakariassen) Awesome Overlook My favorite hike usually involves the walk from our Missoula office to the front door of the

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Kettlehouse Brewery. But if I’m looking to stretch my legs and break a sweat, then I’m hoping for, at least, a killer vista with minimal effort.

Blodgett Canyon Overlook delivers the goods. Situated just north of Hamilton off of Highway 93, the well-marked and mostly shaded trail covers a mile and a half of gorgeous terrain. Views of the Bitterroot Valley abound, best witnessed from wooden benches conveniently placed along the route. But the payoff comes at the end: The overlook opens up to massive vertical mylonite gneiss walls, snowcapped peaks, snowmelt waterfalls and a steep drop to the canyon floor.

For a slightly longer trek, choose the Canyon Creek trail from the same parking lot that you’d start the overlook hike. It covers six miles—and climbs 2,300 vertical feet—before ending at East Lake and Canyon Lake in the canyon’s upper reachContinued on page 49

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

FOOD & FUN Go-Karts • Lazer Tag Mini Golf and much more!

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Mountaintop Dining Overlooking Hamilton • • • • • •

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Daly Days! July 24-25 in Hamilton Sponsored by the Bitterroot Valley Chamber of Commerce 48

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

Continued from page 44

es. Just understand that the longer option means you’ll have that much less time to make it into Hamilton and try a pint at their best local brew house, the Bitter Root Brewery. (Skylar Browning) Power Lunch Missoulians have no excuse waiting for the weekend for their adventure dosage—not when bliss is attainable, from town, during an average lunch break. Just head to Mount Sentinel’s well-hidden southern flank to escape work and recharge your spirit—but still return in “just over an hour, boss.”

Begin your power lunch on Maurice Avenue, just behind the University of Montana Golf Course. Slip through the gate on the right and ascend a ribbon of excellent singletrack— on foot, mountain bike or, seasonally, skis.

Watch the valley come into view as you pass a trail junction, merge with the Sentinel Fire

Photo by Chad Harder

Road and cross onto the mountain’s shadeless southern flank. Soon the road funnels into a perfectly narrow tread and rolls through an impressive stand of ponderosa pines. Cool your sweaty noggin in the (seasonal) stream and soon you’ll arrive at the Crazy Canyon Trail. If time permits, continue left to tag the

summit of Sentinel, or just bust a U and bomb back down to work.

Expect your boss to wonder why you’ve morphed into a poster child for productivity, but wipe the mud—and grin—off your face and only you will know. (Chad Harder)

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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3

months of fun

Photo by Chad Harder

JUNE Monday 1 June It’s official, everybody: Welcome to the summer months. As an aside, this first month was named by the Romans in honor of Juno, queen of the gods, daughter of Saturn, sister—and, uh, also wife—of head deity Jupiter. Celebrate in whichever way best accommodates your steez.

Wednesday 3 June Nineteen different food vendors, ice cream sellers and coffee shop drips emerge for Out to Lunch in Missoula’s Caras Park, this week with music from the Andrea Harsell Band and kids’ activities by Bitterroot Gymnastics. 11 AM–2 PM. Free.

Thursday 4 June Cap off another Hump Day Plus One with food, drinks and fellow workers during Downtown ToNight in Missoula’s Caras

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

Park, where Salsa Loca competes for your attention with kids’ activities by Bitterroot Gymnastics. 5:30–8:30 PM. Free.

Friday 5 June The third annual Love Your Mother Earth Festival, a three-day music and enviro-fest at Lolo Hot Springs, begins at noon and runs through Sun., June 7, featuring 44 bands on three stages, a geodesic DJ dome, free camping and swimming with admission, local and organic food, ecoworkshops and more. $55/$40 advance.

Visit ear thboundproductions.org or griztix.com.

It’s First Friday, which means downtown Missoula is overflowing with art galleries, coffee shops and political action groups proudly hosting the works of local artists. Take a stroll through the area, dig the complimentary grub and hooch and then slink on to your next engagement with the self-satisfaction borne of a run-in with high culture.

Saturday 6 June Communities around western Montana host farmers’ markets, featuring local produce, flowers, baked goods and crafts—in Missoula at Circle Square (missoulafarmers market.com), on Pine Street (missoulasaturdaymarket.org) and under the Higgins Avenue bridge (clarkforkrivermarket.com), in Stevensville at Third and Main streets, in Hamilton at South Third and Bedford streets and in Kalispell at Center Street and Fifth Avenue. Hours for each market vary, but 8 AM–1 PM is the total span.

Sunday 7 June The Bitterroot National Forest invites you to learn how the Wind River Bear Institute uses Karelian Bear Dogs to reduce humanbear conflicts as they host the Monthly Moonwalk “Bear Moon” at 7 PM at the Blodgett Canyon campground, where a guided hike leads into the evening’s presentation. Free. Call 375-2606.

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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Wednesday 10 June

One of the nicest hotels this side of the Park

(Glacier National Park, that is) You choose - beautiful boutique hotel in the mountains or chain hotel just off the highway. Specials, packages, events.

There has never been a better time to Be Enchanted; Be Our Guest

Visit our website or call for more info Located at Whitefish Mountain Resort www.kandaharlodge.com/800-862-6094

Nineteen different food vendors, ice cream sellers and coffee shop drips emerge for Out to Lunch in Missoula’s Caras Park, this week with music from Greenstar and kids’ activities by the Childbloom Guitar Program.

11 AM–2 PM. Free.

Thursday 11 June Dance first and ask questions later at Downtown ToNight in Missoula’s Caras Park, featuring food from the locals, music from Joan Zen and kids’ activities by Mismo Gymnastics. 5:30–8:30 PM. Free.

Two silverbacks of the hip hop community dispense themselves like a swirly cone of soft serve at 8 PM, when Bizzy Bone of Bone Thugs N Harmony and B Real of Cypress Hill unleash their Unite the Mic Tour on what will no doubt be a very, very mellow Wilma Theatre crowd. $23.50, tickets available at Rockin Rudy’s.

Friday 12 June Honoring the homesteaders and settlers who called dibs, Hot Springs’ annual Homesteader Days Celebration takes place through Sun., June 14, and promises rodeos, parades, live music, a powwow, 3K and 6K runs, an antique car show and more. Call 741-2662 or visit hotspringsmtchamber.org.

Here’s to overlapping events: The Chief Victor Days celebration begins at 5:30 PM and pays homage through Sun., June 14, at Victor Park in Victor. Highlights include Friday’s fireman’s dinner, a parade, a 5K run, a photographic scavenger hunt and more. Call 642-3924 or visit victormt.com.

If you like your comedic entertainments to linger ever so tenuously on the edge of the offensive, the Hamilton Players consider you a fitting audience for their production of The Producers, which begins a three-week run at 8 PM at the

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

H a m i l t o n P l a y h o u s e , 10 0 Ricketts Road. Shows begin at 8 PM Thu.–Sat., with 2 PM matinees every Sun., and the production lasts through Sun., June 28. Call 375-9050 or visit hamiltonplayers.com.

Saturday 13 June Communities around western Montana host farmers’ markets, featuring local produce, flowers, baked goods and crafts—in Missoula at Circle Square (missoulafarmersmarket.com), on Pine Street (missoulasaturdaymarket.org) and under the Higgins Avenue bridge (clarkforkrivermarket.com), in Stevensville at Third and Main streets, in Hamilton at South Third and Bedford streets and in Kalispell at Center Street and Fifth Avenue. Hours for each market vary, but 8 AM–1 PM is the total span.

You and all Missoula’s other eco-peeping Toms can get your fill during homeWORD’s seventh annual Sustainability Tour, “Green in Today’s Economy,” which highlights model homes and communities in the Westside neighborhood and features a mid-day event at the Missoula Community Food Coop. Call 532-HOME, or visit homeword.org.

Sunday 14 June And the curious child asks, “Why is this day different from all other days?” And the Missoulians on Bicycles (MOBI) answer that today is the occasion of Shirley’s Birthday Ride, the annual celebration of the passage of Shirley Braxton through one more high-speed chase around the sun. For visitors, the MOBI typically undertake 45–90-mile journeys, so keep that in mind before you call 728-4963.

Monday 15 June Now that school’s been out for a little while, jump back into learning with the Missoula Art Museum, 335 N. Pattee St.,

Continued on Page 57

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53

Glacier Park this is your back yard www.goglacier.com St. Mary KOA @ Glacier Park

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

Cabin Rentals • Private Rock creek Access

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Stay one night or stay a month 406-830-3900 120 Expressway, Missoula www.staymissoula.com

• Indoor pool and hot tub • Free laundry facilities • Business Center with free high speed internet

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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• Long Term Rentals • Vacation Rentals • Lakes, Mountains, Town Mountain Mall • Whitefish, MT 59937 Tel: (406) 862-5994 Toll Free: 877-523-5994

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• 20 cabins/rooms available for rent.

• Located just 55 miles SW of Missoula on Hwy 12.

• Only 12 miles from Lolo Pass & 10 miles from Jerry Johnson Hot Springs!

• Plenty of parking year-round for trailers, campers, snowmobiles, and large groups.

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

D o w n t o w n To N i g h t i n Missoula’s Caras Park, featuring food from the locals, mindmelting music from Bob Wire and kids’ activities by the Jump 4 Joy Bounce House. Yes, yes, y’all! 5:30–8:30 PM. Free.

SPOTLIGHT time to rawk

Of course, you could take in an entirely different shot of culture at 5:30 PM at the Missoula Art Museum, where Artini: 23,024 Rose Stones blends exhibiting artist Kerri Rosenstein, a 7 PM gallery talk from MAM’s Registrar Ted Hughes, live jazz and funk from Def Cartel and all the hors d’oeuvres and beverages you’d expect from an event with such a name. Free.

Call 728-0447 or visit missoulaartmuseum.org.

When you’ve got something really special, like, say, a sack of Montana-made elk jerky, perhaps, it makes sense to dole it out slowly over time. Such is the tactic taken this year by the organizers of Total Fest VIII. Missoula’s favorite three-day festival of all things musical and D.I.Y. fills the Badlander/Palace Lounge complex with a smashing conglomeration of more than 45 bands on at least three stages. There’s no backstage area, so fans and rockers can get to know each other a bit better.

As with above jerky analogy, this summer’s line-up is being released slowly on the totalfest.org site, but so far, these are some highlights: Missoula’s sole surf band, Thee Hedons, makes a reunion appear-

Friday 19 June

piece sex-funk—is that even a genre?—fan favorite Vile Blue Shades.

WHAT: Total Fest VIII WHEN: Thu., Aug. 20–Sat., Aug 22, 8 PM WHERE: The Badlander/Palace Lounge Complex HOW MUCH: Three-day pass under $50/Nightly cover TBA MORE INFO: Visit totalfest.org ance, Philly-based double-drummer trouble arrives via Mountain High, a splash of techmetal is added by Utah’s Le Force and another wild grope-a-thon ensues with 11-

Continued from Page 52 which begins 10 weeks of arts classes—from paper, clay and batik to nature art and chalk pastels—beginning today and running through Thu., Aug. 13.

Tuitions vary. Call 728-0447 or visit missoulaartmuseum.org Tuesday 16 June Whitefish’s Alpine Theatre Project begins a two-week

Peripheral Total Fest staples— in addition to screen-printed underwear and fezes—are back this year, like Saturday’s free show and record swap at noon at Big Dipper Ice Cream, the abundant barbecues for bands and fans, and the ever-epic Blackfoot River swim.

Compare ticket prices with The Gorge’s Sasquatch Festival, and this one’s a no-brainer. Keep the extra cash, support some of the hardest travelin’ bands in the country and party like a total local.

—Jonas Ehudin

run of Stones in His Pockets, the award-winning tale of a quiet Irish town and the onslaught of a hot shot Hollywood film crew, with Tue.–Sat. shows at 8 PM and 6 PM Sun. matinees, at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center, 600 E. Second St. $12–$37. Call 862-SHOW or visit alpinetheatre project.org.

Wednesday 17 June Nineteen different food vendors, ice cream sellers and coffee shop drips emerge for Out to Lunch in Missoula’s Caras Park, this week with music from the Full Moon Prophets. 11 AM–2 PM. Free.

Thursday 18 June Dance first and rub hemp oil on your brownies later at

Keep it a bit more local, if no less internally combustive, when Montana Harley Davidson Buell sponsors Hot Harley Nights—which we can only assume involves lots of folks keeping the fun between their legs—at 6:30 PM in Caras Park. Call 721-2154 or go to mtharley.com.

Saturday 20 June Your veggie bin—not to mention your meat cupboard—is looking a mite bit bare: western Montana responds with several farmers’ markets, featuring local produce, flowers, baked goods and crafts—in Missoula at Circle Square (missoulafarmersmarket.com), on Pine Street (missoulasaturdaymarket.org) and under the Higgins Avenue bridge (clarkforkriver market.com), in Stevensville at Third and Main streets, in Hamilton at South Third and Bedford streets and in Kalispell at Center Street and Fifth Avenue. Hours for each market vary, but 8 AM–1 PM is the total span.

Unsure about the name of our state flower? Visit the 30th annual Bitter Root Days celebration hosted by the Ravalli County Museum in downtown

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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Alpine Tipis • Cultural Education Classes are open to the public.

• Wednesdays: Open beading classes.

• Annual Camas Dig and Traditional Bake in August 2009 • Annual Artist Market - July 10-11, 2009 • Social Pow-Wow August 22, 2009 from 5pm to 9pm

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

Moments later, the Lolo Hot Shots crew parachuted in to extinguish the man’s arm. Reverend Horton Heat brings all the craziness of his own brand of psychobilly to the Wilma Theatre at 8 PM on Wed., July 15, with Nekromantix. $21. Tickets available at Rockin Rudy’s.

Hamilton, from 9 AM to 2 PM today and 1 to 4 PM tomorrow, promising arts, crafts and food as well as over 1,000 blossoms of Montana’s state flower, the Bitterroot.

shop drips emerge for Out to Lunch in Missoula’s Caras Park, this week with music from Secret Powers and kids’ activities by the Missoula Public Library.

11 AM–2 PM. Free.

Sunday 21 June

Thursday 25 June

Omaha indie rock splashes down at The Palace in Missoula, where Cursive gives the crowd plenty to sway about about at 8 PM. Cover TBA. Visit www. cursivearmy.com.

Dance first and learn to be suave later at Downtown ToNight in Missoula’s Caras Park, featuring food from the locals, music from the Clumsy Lovers and kids’ activities by the Jump 4 Joy Bounce House.

5:30–8:30 PM. Free.

Monday 22 June Missoulian eyes shine just a little brighter as the Wilma Theatre hosts the roots rock tonality of Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band at 7:30 PM. $25/$23 advance at Rockin Rudy’s and Ear Candy.

Wednesday 24 June Nineteen different food vendors, ice cream sellers and coffee

Friday 26 June Nothing kicks off Western Heritage Days in Stevensville like a good old fashioned parade with games, barbecue, Dutch oven desserts, crafts, a Native American art show, music and food, as well as living history activities, wagon rides, antiques, rodeos and more continuing

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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• • • • • •

79 guest rooms including suites with jetted tubs Free deluxe Continental Breakfast Outdoor Pool & Hot Tub Free hi-speed internet in all rooms 26 miles from Glacier National Park Hiking, rock climbing, swimming, biking, kayaking, running, golf, fishing, hunting and almost every other outdoor activity imaginable right outside our door.

If you have never visited picturesque Whitefish and experienced the beautiful grandeur of Glacier National Park and the Flathead Valley - or even if you have experienced it many times isn't it time to be awed and inspired?

Make the short trip to rejuvenation.

Stay at the Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge.

6510 Hwy 93 S. Whitefish, MT 59937

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

through tomorrow. Call 7773773 or visit mainstreetstevensville.com.

Hold onto your fish, Missoula Osprey fans, because tonight kicks off a season-opening, three-game series against our bitter rival, the Helena Schwagmeisters. Fri.–Sat. games at 7:05, Sun. game at 5.

Call 543-3300 or visit missoula.osprey.milb.com.

Here’s hoping gas is still under $4 a gallon when the ninth annual Garden City River Rod Run brings over 200 hot rods and classic cars to Missoula’s Caras Park at 1 PM—with a 9 PM parade down Higgins Avenue— and resumes at 8 AM on Sat., June 27. Free. Call 543-4238 or visit missouladowntown.com.

Contestants from five states and several Canadian provinces compete in the Western

Montana Quarter Horse Association Horse Show, taking place at the Sapphire Event Center in Corvallis today through Sun., June 28. Call (208) 683-1617 or visit mqha.com.

Saturday 27 June Get up to the Lolo Pass Visitor Center by 7:30 AM so you can feel the burn during the Mountain to Meadow Half Marathon and 5K Fun Run, which is limited to 225 runner/walkers, so hurry up and call (208) 942-0008 or visit runlolopass.org.

Run 5K or 10K during the 32 annual Whitefish Lake Run in Whitefish, which begins at 8 AM. Call 862-3111 or visit sportsmanskihaus.com.

nd

Communities around western Montana host farmers’ markets,

featuring local produce, flowers, baked goods and crafts—in Missoula at Circle Square (missoulafarmersmarket.com), on Pine Street (missoulasaturdaymarket.org) and under the Higgins Avenue bridge (clarkforkrivermarket.com), in Stevensville at Third and Main streets, in Hamilton at South Third and Bedford streets and in Kalispell at Center Street and Fifth Avenue. Hours for each market vary, but 8 AM–1 PM is the total span.

Sunday 28 June And again, the five valleys’ deepest rollers, Missoulians on Bicycles (MOBI), invites hearty souls and their bikes to jump in on the Geezer Ride to Montana Club, which leaves at 10 AM from the Greenough Park parking lot, at the corner of Monroe and Locust streets,

for the mellow 14-miler. Gayle and Ernie beckon you to call 240-9279.

Haunting tones and sweet melodies fill Caras Park at 2 PM, where a concert by the Renaissance of the Native American Flute aims to create a niche for Montana’s first Native flute festival. Call 726-3353 or visit aoflutes.com/rnaf.htm.

Monday 29 June The Downtown Dance Collective, 121 W. Main St., presents the Kids’ Day Camp “No Child Left Inside,” which begins at 9 AM with a family dance session and continues through the day with separate age-appropriate groups discovering the joy of moving outside. Price depends upon age. Call 541-7240 or visit ddcmontana.com.

Large Gift Shop, Snacks, Sodas & Ice Cream Guided Tours Daily 10AM - 5PM

406-892-1210 www.montanavortex.com

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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All the single ladies, as well as several married ones, will be friskily jumping around when Splash Montana’s After Hours Adult Swim goes down from 7:30–9 PM. Ride the slides, float the Lazy River, cross the Log Walk, play inner-tube water polo, water volleyball, tonsil hockey… whatever! Regular admission fees apply. Call 721PARK or visit missoulaparks.org.

JULY

homestand against the Great Falls Chunderheads beginning tonight. All games begin at 7:05.

Call 543-3300 or visit missoula.osprey.milb.com.

Thursday 2 July Dance first and apply the yardstick later at Downtown ToNight in Missoula’s Caras Park, featuring food from the locals, music from Full Grown Men and kids’ activities under banner of Safety Night. Get irie!

5:30–8:30 PM. Free.

Friday 3 July

Wednesday 1 July Nineteen different food vendors, ice cream sellers and coffee shop drips emerge for Out to Lunch in Missoula’s Caras Park, this week with music from Blue Rock Shop and kids’ activities by the spectrUM Science Tent. 11 AM–2 PM. Free.

It’s an in-state throw-down at the old ballpark when the Missoula Osprey begin a three-game

62

View and buy art from over 100 regional artists when the 30th annual Whitefish Arts Festival begins at 10 AM. Runs through Sun., July 5, at Parkside Credit Union Park in Whitefish.

Visit whitefishartsfestival.org.

The galleries, shops and restaurants of downtown Missoula and Stevensville celebrate First Friday with art exhibits and bands, starting at 5 PM. Free.

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

Ronan goes down all the way as super-charged AC/DC tribute band Highway to Hell rocks us into the Fourth of July with a 10 PM show on Main Street in Ronan, as part of a fundraiser for the Big Sky ProR a c i n g A s s o c i a t i o n . $ 25 .

C a l l 261- 6 59 2 o r v i s i t bigskyracing.net.

Saturday 4 July Communities around western Montana host farmers’ markets, featuring local produce, flowers, baked goods and crafts—in Missoula at Circle Square (missoulafarmersmarket.com), on Pine Street (missoulasaturdaymarket.org) and under the Higgins Avenue bridge (clarkforkrivermarket.com), in Stevensville at Third and Main streets, in Hamilton at South Third and Bedford streets and in Kalispell at Center Street and Fifth Avenue. Hours for each market vary, but 8 AM–1 PM is the total span.

Happy Independence Day! Cool your jingoistic patriotism with a plunge at the Splash Montana Independence Day Party, which runs from 1–3 PM and features roughly one million flavors of ice cream donated by Cold Stone Creamery.

Call 721-PARK or visit missoulaparks.org. And once it gets quasi-dark, check out Southgate Mall’s fireworks show beginning at 10:30 PM. Celebrate the 4th of July with Stevensville’s Annual Pig-nic, a community potluck and freedomfest—with meat and drink provided—that takes place at noon at Lewis and Clark Park.

Call 777-1610.

Picture yourself as an early A m e r i c a n r e v o l u t i o n a r y, charged with delivering vital messages to the people in the countryside. Now live the dream as you join the Missoulians on Bicycles (MOBI) for a four-day adven-

ture as you ride the famed Beartooth Highway, the same route upon which colonists once pedaled hundreds of miles through the dead of night on their wicker cycles to organize the hinterland against the approaching redcoats. Seriously.

Call Wayne at 721-3095.

7 PM at Lake Como’s north trail area, where a guided walk leads to a presentation about wolf behavior (They don’t eat people. Ever.), biology and management from an official with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Free.

Call 375-2606.

Sunday 5 July

Who’s afraid of a friendly ghost?

Find out when the Missoula Osprey commence a threegame homestand against the Casper Ghosts beginning tonight. All games at 7:05.

Call 543-3300 or visit missoula.osprey.milb.com.

Now that we’ve reaffirmed our deep commitment to the flag, our moms and apple pie, it’s time to suck the poppy marrow out of the alt-rock bones of Saving Abel, who play the Wilma Theatre at 7:30 PM. $25/$23 advance at Ear Candy and Rockin Rudy’s.

Tuesday 7 July The Bitterroot National Forest’s second Monthly Moonwalk of the summer—this one carries the title “Wolf Moon”—begins at

Wednesday 8 July Nineteen different food vendors, ice cream sellers and coffee shop drips emerge for Out to Lunch in Missoula’s Caras Park, this week with music from Deja Voodoo and activities by the spectrUM Science Tent. 11 AM–2 PM. Free.

Thursday 9 July It’s the Independent’s Best of Missoula Night, sponsored by yours truly, at Downtown ToNight in Missoula’s Caras Park, featuring food, drink and tunes from Tom Catmull & the Clerics, as well as kids’ activities by Mismo Gymnastics.

5:30–8:30 PM. Free.

Cutler Brothers Productions begins an 11-show run of Neil Simon’s The Goodbye Girl: The Musical at 7 PM in the Gunport Theatre located in the middle of Deer Lodge’s Old Montana Prison Museum. Shows run through Fri., Aug. 14. Call 8463111 or 846-3543.

Whitefish’s Alpine Theatre Project begins a two-and-a-half-week run of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a musical tale of angsty overachievers and their competition of a lifetime,

with Tue.–Sat. shows at 8 PM and 6 PM Sun. matinees, at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center, 600 E. Second St. $12–$37. Visit alpinetheatreproject.org or call 862-SHOW. Friday 10 July Enjoy music, food and dessert during the 28th annual Hellgate Rendezvous, a juried arts and crafts show that takes place on the Missoula County Courthouse lawn in downtown Missoula today from noon to 7 PM and Sat., July 11, from 10 AM to 6 PM. Flathead’s art scene heads south for the weekend during the Artists and Craftsmen of the Flathead Summer Outdoor Show, which takes place through Sun., July 12, next to the courthouse in Kalispell. Call 881-4288.

It’s your time.

Experience the authentic side of Montana

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1-800-532-4350 Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

63

SPOTLIGHT

divine bovine Chances are, you’ve picked up this issue of Explorer looking for a little insight to our neck of the woods. Perhaps you’re new to these parts, or a tourist, and you’re hoping to tell your friends how you’ve lassoed your own little slice of Big Sky Country. You want to say you climbed to a stunning vista, fished a Blue Ribbon stream or simply saddled up to a real ol’ Western bar and downed a whiskey. All these postcard

through some of the most scrumptious concession stand options imaginable (mmmmm, Tater Pigs). This year’s festivities also include

WHAT: Western Montana Fair WHEN: Tue., Aug. 11–Sun., Aug.16 WHERE: County Fairgrounds, at the intersection of South and Russell.

HOW MUCH: TBA MORE INFO: westernmontanafair.com moments would be just fine, but those looking for something a little more authentic should check out the Western Montana Fair.

One phrase sorta hammers home the point: “Herd it through the bovine.” That right there makes up this year’s fair slogan. It doesn’t get more genU-ine than that, pard.

Folksy taglines aside, the fair benefits 115 nonprofits, mainly Hold onto your fish, Missoula Osprey fans, because tonight kicks off a four-game series against the Idaho Falls Fly-BallDroppers. Fri.–Sat. and Mon. games at 7:05, Sun. game at 5. Call 543-3300 or visit missoula.osprey.milb.com.

Celebrate the culture we’ve amassed in the past 232 years when you travel to Butte for the 71st annual National Folk Festival, three days of music,

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

Tuesday’s cooking competition featuring local chefs, the usual cornucopia of carnival rides, a rough-n-tumble rodeo and a special Wednesday night concert by country stalwart Sawyer Brown, pictured above.

It’s a glimpse of Montana living sure to provide you with a good memory—or at least one of this year’s “bovine” T-shirts.

—Skylar Browning crafts, demonstrations and more. Free.

Saturday 11 July Communities around western Montana host farmers’ markets, featuring local produce, flowers, baked goods and crafts—in Missoula at Circle Square (missoulafarmersmarket.com), on Pine Street (missoulasaturdaymarket.org) and under the Higgins Avenue bridge (clark-

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Behavioral Health Department

Celebrating 38 years of Community Service

Chemical Dependency Program (Adult and Adolescent) Chemical Dependency Evaluation Cultural Activities Out-patient Treatment Intensive Out-patient continuum of care MIP Grp I & II

Family Groups: (Individual, Group & Native Women’s) Prevention Education (All ages) 24 Hour Crisis Intervention: HOTLINE 721-2700 Outreach

Outreach & Referral Services General Welfare Health/Medical Adult & Adolescent In-Patient

Support Center Telephone and Fax Services Job Listings Health Advocacy

Early Cancer Detection -Mammogram -Breast and Cervical Free HIV Counseling & Testing Free Condoms tobacco use prevention

Health Services Medical Assistance Over the Counter Medicines Pharmacy Assistance Behavioral Health Services HIV/STD Education Health Fitness Promotion Immunizations Medical Transportation Special Screening Clinics Diabetes Program Services -education classes

Mailing Adress: Box 16927, Missoula MT 59808 Physical Adress: Building #33, Fort Missoula, 59804 Phone: 829-9515 Fax 829-9519 ”Providing Health and Human Services to the Missoula Community”

For further information on these & other services phone 829-9515 or stop in M-F 8am to 5pm.

24 Hour Drug & Alcohol Crisis Hotline Phone 406-370-2745

www.missoulaindiancenter.org

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

forkrivermarket.com), in Stevensville at Third and Main streets, in Hamilton at South Third and Bedford streets and in Kalispell at Center Street and Fifth Avenue. Hours for each market vary, but 8 AM–1 PM is the total span.

Should river conditions not be totally out of control like last year, the fourth annual Bitterroot Floating Weed Pull begins at 12:30 PM and includes a free post-pull barbecue and prize drawing.

Children above the age of eight are invited along, inner tubes are to be left at home and for Pete’s sake, bring your sunscreen and/or a big hat.

RSVP with the Ravalli County Weed District at 777-5842, or visit rcweeds.org.

Giclee Art

Endure one or all of six different legs of the 7th annual Glacier Challenge, a 55-mile race that includes a 10K run, canoe race, road bike, mountain bike, kayak and 5K run around Whitefish and promises music and free food at an afterrace party. Call 755-4622 or 261-1831, or visit youthhomes.com/glacier_challenge.

presents a World Dance Kids’ Day Camp, which begins at 9 AM with a family dance session and continues through the day with separate age-appropriate groups exploring belly dance, hip hop, Afro-Brazilian, flamenco, African boogie, Zumba and more. Price depends upon age. Call 5417240 or visit ddcmontana.com.

Missoula b-ballers show off their skills on the court at the 12th annual 3-on-3 Street Jam, taking place in the parking lot of Northgate Plaza, located near the intersection of Mullan Road and North Reserve Street.

Call 543-6623 or visit missoulachamber.com.

All the single ladies, as well as several married ones, will be friskily jumping around when Splash Montana’s After Hours Adult Swim goes down from 7:30–9 PM. Ride the slides, float the Lazy River, cross the Log Walk, play inner-tube water polo, water volleyball, tonsil hockey… whatever! Regular admission fees apply. Call 721PARK or visit missoulaparks.org.

Monday 13 July The Downtown Dance Collective, 121 W. Main St.,

Gift Cards

Tuesday 14 July In honor of our dear allies to the East, celebrate a big French national holiday—aka Bastille Day, or Fête Nationale in the mother tongue—by gathering up an unruly mob of unwashed peasants, laborers, office workers and the like and storming whichever government building most raises your bile. And if this ever goes to court, I didn’t write that. Skylar Browning did.

Wednesday 15 July Nineteen different food vendors, ice cream sellers and coffee shop drips emerge for Out to Lunch in Missoula’s Caras Park, this week with music from the International Choral Festival. 11 AM–2 PM. Free.

Everything around town starts to seem a little weird in the

Writings

Natural Herbals Shop is often open --

1520 S. 7th St. W.; Missoula

Highlandwinds@gmail.com ;

c al Lo

Fre

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406- 541-7577

Bike Powered • Argentine

S ty l e•

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Clark Fork River Market - Saturdays 8-1 Downtown ToNight - Thursdays 5:30-8:30 www.empanadalady.com • 728-2030

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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Treat yourself to a refreshing getaway.

Enjoy our cabins and soak in our natural hot springs.

Finish with dining and drinks.

Open 7 days a week.

Cabin or RV reservations 273.2294 All Other Info 273-2290 38500 W. Hwy 12 Lolo

www.lolohotsprings.com

Large Selection of Inexpensive Travel Games & Toys for all Young Explorers Locally owned and operated with roots in Missoula

543-0101 Southgate Mall learningtree@montana.com

afternoon, and by early evening the vibe is incontrovertible: Psychobilly mastermind Reverend Horton Heat rattles the Wilma Theatre and its fleshy contents once Nekromantix warms the place up a bit at 8 PM. $21. Tickets available at Rockin Rudy’s.

Step, step, hop at the fifth annual Northwest Montana Polka Festival, being held at Kalispell Eagles Aerie #234 today through Sun., July 19, with polka music as well as Latin, Cajun and country stylings. $10/$25 weekend pass. Call 883-6151.

Thursday 16 July

Artists take it to the streets—well, the fields, really—for five days of sketching during the Dana Gallery’s seventh annual Paint Out, with completed works displayed during next month’s First Friday artwalk on Fri., Aug. 6., at 246 N. Higgins Ave. Call 721-3154.

Show the trees and their huggers who’s boss when the Darby’s three-day eighth annual Logger Days take place at the R a v a l l i C o u n t y Ve t e r a n ’ s Memorial, featuring scores of logging competitions and a parade Sat. morning at the south end of Darby on Hwy. 93.

Call 821-4151 or visit darby loggerdays.com.

Dance first and feel like you’ve been there before—which you most likely have—at Downtown ToNight in Missoula’s Caras Park, featuring food from the locals, music from Deja Voodoo and kids’ activities by the Children’s Museum of Missoula.

5:30–8:30 PM. Free.

Alternately, get your art on at the Missoula Art Museum, where Artini: Triennial features artists from far and wide, big melodies from the Montana Lyric Opera, great food and drinks, and it all starts at 5:30 PM. Free.

Cutler Brothers Productions begins an 11-show run of the three-time Tony-winning play, Urinetown: The Musical at 7 PM in the Gunport Theatre located in the middle of Deer Lodge’s Old Montana Prison Museum.

Shows run through Sat., Aug. 15.

Call 846-3111 or 846-3543.

Friday 17 July Take your classic car for a spin around Sanders County during the 10th annual Rods & Classics Annual Show & Shine by a Dam Site, taking place at Ainsworth Field in Thompson Falls from 5–9 PM today and from 10 AM–4 PM on Sat., July 18.

Call 827-4485 or visit rodsn classics.com.

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

Saturday 18 July

Communities around western Montana host farmers’ markets, featuring local produce, flowers, baked goods and crafts—in Missoula at Circle Square (missoulafarmersmarket.com), on Pine Street (missoulasaturdaymarket.org) and under the Higgins Avenue bridge (clarkforkrivermarket.com), in Stevensville at Third and Main streets, in Hamilton at South Third and Bedford streets and in Kalispell at Center Street and Fifth Avenue.

Hours for each market vary, but 8 AM–1 PM is the total span.

The Miracle of America Museum on Hwy. 93 in Polson puts on Live History Days—two days of demonstrations by blacksmiths, spinners, quilters, weavers and other artists as well as exhibitions of cars, tractors and heavy machinery of all sorts along with country music and dancing. Call 883-6804 or visit miracle ofamericamuseum.org.

Slide into those too-tight jeans and prepare your palate for a fiesta when the Hip Strip Block Party shimmies all around beginning at 5 PM on the 500 block of South Higgins Avenue.

Vi s i t h i p s t r i p b l o c k p a r t y. blogspot.com.

Sunday 19 July If you’re feeling a little cottonheaded and confused, you’ll be in great company when you meet the Missoulians on

Illustrious Virginia City Players Under new management by Rocky Mountain College and the gifted direction of Professor Gearld B. Roe

Turn of the century style melodrama

May 23rd - September 6th (Dark Mondays) Aggie, The Mail Order Bride Rustle Your Bustle Sweeney Todd The Marriage Proposal

Reservations Strongly Recommended 1.800.829.2969 • 1.406.843.5312 VirginiaCityPlayers.com

Join our Player's Club in the CASINO! Monday - Double points for Ladies! DJ/Karaoke in the bar.

Wednesday - $1.00 shots! Free jukebox.

Thursday - DJ/Karaoke, Ladies Night, 2 for 1 for the girls!

Friday & Saturday - Prime Rib, live music inside & outside in the Event Center!

June 13th - Grizzly Jack's 4th Annual "Run to the Sun" Poker Run featuring the "Rockaholics."

June 18th - Eighties Band "EXILE" featuring Nashville recording artist Tim Ryan.

Serving Lunch & Dinner 7 days a week

Live Poker, Mobile Catering. Schedule our Event Center for your upcoming receptions, reunions, etc.

1 mile north of Bigfork • 837-4749 Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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Bicycles (MOBI) at 10 AM in the Greenough Park parking lot— corner of Monroe and Locust streets—for the 10–14-mile Geezer Ride to Some Restaurant Somewhere. Call Gayle or Ernie at 240-9279, and bring a nametag to pin to your shirt in case you get lost.

217 Ryman St * 728-9881

Wednesday 22 July

HD CABLE & SATELLITE

Nineteen different food vendors, ice cream sellers and coffee shop drips emerge for Out to Lunch in Missoula’s Caras Park, this week with music from Smoke and kids’ activities by the spectrUM Science Tent. 11 AM–2 PM. Free.

MISSOULA’S SPORTS BAR SINCE 1952 KENO POKER POOL DirecTV Sports Pack NFL Sunday Ticket ESPN Game Plan Mega March Madness

11 Plasma TVs Montana’s Largest Football Helmet Collection MLB Extra Innings NBA League Pass ESPN Full Court NHL Center Ice

SPRING SALE! FREDDY MAC, FHA & VA FINANCING AVAILABLE

Interest rates comparable to normal home financing FULLY SECURE BUILDING HEATED UNDERGROUND PARKING HIGH EFFICIENCY HEATING NO-HASSLE LIVING IN MISSOULA

Thursday 23 July Come see just what horses can do at the four-day Event at Rebecca Farm, an equestrian competition featuring dressage, cross-country, steeplechase and stadium jumping that takes place today through Sun. at 1385 Farm to Market Road in Whitefish. Call 755-3276 or visit rebeccafarm.org.

Dance first and turn on the meter later at Downtown ToNight in Missoula’s Caras Park, featuring food from the locals, live music from Locust Street Taxi and kids’ activities by the Jump 4 Joy Bounce House.

5:30–8:30 PM. Free.

Hold onto your fish, Missoula Osprey fans, because tonight kicks off a four-game series against the Billings Hamfists.

Thu.–Sat. games at 7:05, Sun. game at 5. Call 543-3300 or visit missoula.osprey.milb.com.

Friday 24 July

www.thedearbornmissoula.com (BROKER OWNED) Call Collin Bangs or Sheryl Mickelson: 406.728.9410 / 406.239.2562

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

Celebrate the founder of Hamilton—and owner of the Anaconda Copper Mine— Marcus Daly, today and Sat., July 25, during Daly Days in Hamilton, which runs from 9 AM–5 PM each day, features a Friday night Street Dance, the Bitterrodder Car Show and a Pinewood Derby race on Sat. Call 363-2400 or visit bitterroot valleychamber.com.

Kalispell’s Depot Park hosts the 41st annual Arts in the Park—a benefit for the Hockaday Museum of Art that takes place today through Sun., July 26, and promises the work of over 100 regional and national artists as well as art activities for children and food, music and performances for everyone. $3/$5 weekend pass. Call 755-5268 or visit hockadaymuseum.org.

Saturday 25 July Ball it up at this year’s Flathead Lake Hoopfest, the 3-on-3 tournament that fills Polson’s Main Street with basketball courts for dribblers of all ages, with slam dunk and 3-point competitions throughout the weekend. Call 883-5255 or visit 750kerr.com.

Communities around western Montana host farmers’ markets, featuring local produce, flowers, baked goods and crafts—in Missoula at Circle Square (missoulafarmersmarket.com), on Pine Street (missoulasaturdaymarket.org) and under the Higgins Avenue bridge (clarkforkrivermarket.com), in Stevensville at Third and Main streets, in Hamilton at South Third and Bedford streets and in Kalispell at Center Street and Fifth Avenue. Hours for each market vary, but 8 AM–1 PM is the total span.

Celebrate northwest Montana’s wildlands and support the Yaak Valley Forest Council’s stewardship work when you attend the fifth annual Yaak Wilderness Festival at the notorious Dirty Shame Saloon in “downtown” Yaak. A crowd-pleasing roster of live music, plenty of kids’ activities, vendors, free camping and a raffle round it all out. Call 2959736 or visit yaakvalley.org.

Monday 27 July Hold onto your fish, Missoula Osprey fans, because tonight kicks off a two-game series against the Helena Bat-Tossers.

Both games start at 7:05.

Call 543-3300 or visit missoula.osprey.milb.com.

su m mer f u n is just a rou nd the cor ner.

enjoy

SU MM ER EV ENTS i n cda!

CAR D’LANE 4TH OF JULY STREET FAIR

BOAT SHOW

june 12-13

july 4

july 31 - august 2

august 21 - 23

Get your motor runnin’

The Coeur d’Alene 4th of

Coeur d’Alene’s Sherman

Wooden boats line The

as over 1200 gorgeous

July Festival, presented

Avenue is transformed

World’s Longest Floating

classic cars line the

by Your Hometown Chevy

into a huge outdoor

Boardwalk as The Black

streets of Coeur d’Alene.

Dealers includes the

market, during the

Book presents the 24th Annual Coeur d’Alene

Bring the family and

American Hero’s Parade

Downtown Street Fair,

enjoy the Friday night

sponsored by Sterling

with arts and crafts,

Wooden Boat Festival.

cruise starting at 6 pm

Savings, music, food

gifts, food and lots more!

Wooden boats from all

on Sherman Avenue,

vendors, kid’s activities

Set beautifully on Lake

over the world come to

Saturday Show & Shine

and a spectacular

Coeur d’Alene, the Street

Lake Coeur d’Alene for

starting at 8 am and the

fireworks display at dusk.

Fair is a perfect time to

this unique event

Saturday night street

Bring the family and

soak in the beauty and

which is free and open

dance on Sherman Ave.

celebrate together.

charm of Coeur d’Alene.

to the public.

www.cdadowntown.com

www.cdachamber.com

www.cdadowntown.com

www.cdachamber.com

w w w. c o e u r d a le ne . or g Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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Wednesday 29 July Nineteen different food vendors, ice cream sellers and coffee shop drips emerge for Out to Lunch in Missoula’s Caras Park, this week with music from Full Grown Men and kids’ activities by the spectrUM Science Tent.

11 AM–2 PM. Free.

Union owned & operated.

Live Music Every Friday & Saturday Night * Never A Cover * Voted best place to dance in Missoula 8 years running!

208 E. Main • 728-7980 Milo's Grill- Come check it out in the back of the Union Club

Thursday 30 July Dance first and sketchily check into a local hotel with skunkysmelling luggage later at Downtown ToNight in Missoula’s Caras Park, featuring food from the locals, live music from Reverend Slanky and kids’ activities by the Childbloom Guitar Program. Spark it up! 5:30–8:30 PM. Free.

The Montana Lyric Opera presents Giuseppi Verdi’s “Rigoletto” in a semi-staged concert directed by Darko Butorac at 7:30 PM in UM’s University Center. Call 542-7423 or visit mtopera.com.

AUGUST Saturday 1 August

$28 Hemp flip-flops

$60 Recycled poly shorts

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$20 Stainless steel kanteen

$49 Melissa Ultragirl flats

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

$20 Recycled sunglasses

$140

stewart & brown crepe ruffle dress

Communities around western Montana host farmers’ markets, featuring local produce, flowers, baked goods and crafts—in Missoula at Circle Square (missoulafarmersmarket.com), on Pine Street (missoulasaturdaymarket.org) and under the Higgins Avenue bridge (clarkforkrivermarket.com), in Stevensville at Third and Main

streets, in Hamilton at South Third and Bedford streets and in Kalispell at Center Street and Fifth Avenue. Hours for each market vary, but 8 AM–1 PM is the total span.

The Flathead Valley’s artisans head to Bigfork this weekend when more than 100 artists display and sell their work from 10 AM to 5 PM at the 30th annual Festival of the Arts in Bigfork, which also takes place on Sun., Aug. 2.

The Missoula Art Museum gives you reason to drag the whole truckload of kin down to 335 N. Pattee St., where they present a Saturday Family Art Workshop “Simple D.I.Y. Silk Screening” at 11 AM. $5 per artist. Call 728-0447.

The Montana Lyric Opera presents Giuseppi Verdi’s “Rigoletto” in a semi-staged concert directed by Darko Butorac at 7:30 PM in UM’s University Center. Call 542-7423 or visit mtopera.com.

Monday 3 August Dig in and hold onto that flipflopping trout in your lap, Missoula Osprey baseball fans, because tonight kicks off a three-game series against the Helena Hornswagglers. All games start at 7:05. Call 5433300 or visit missoula. osprey.milb.com.

Wednesday 5 August Nineteen different food vendors, ice cream sellers and coffee shop drips emerge for Out to Lunch in Missoula’s Caras Park,

this week with music from Tom Catmull and the Clerics and kids’ activities by the Children’s Museum of Missoula. 11 AM–2 PM. Free.

Thursday 6 August A free celebration of kids, by kids and for kids—let’s not speculate about what’s in the hot dogs, shall we?—washes up on the banks of the Clark Fork River’s Caras Park at 10 AM when the KidsFest Children’s Festival offers games, crafts, live music and entertainment, as well as tons and tons of food and beverage. Call 721-PARK or visit missoulaparks.org.

Dance first and craft international policy later at Downtown ToNight in Missoula’s Caras Park, featuring food from the locals, music from Bozeman’s The Clintons and kids’ activities by the Missoula Parks & Recreation Department’s climbing wall. Get high!

5:30–8:30 PM. Free.

My fellows from the nation’s capital, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, represent for us all when Hot Tuna plays the Wilma Theatre at 8 PM. $24/$22 advance at Rockin Rudy’s.

Friday 7 August The galleries, shops and restaurants of downtown Missoula and Stevensville celebrate First Friday with art exhibits, bands and refreshments, beginning at 5 PM. Bring along the bulk Lactaid and get your fill of buttermilk 2 for 1 Margaritas Sun-Thurs 4-6pm

during the 97th annual Stevensville Creamery Picnic through Sat., Aug. 8, featuring live entertainment both days as well as a Sat. parade and car show along with the Montana State Barbecue Cook-off. Call 777-7210 or visit mainstreetstevensville.com.

Polson hosts Festival Days, a three-day event for the whole family that includes the Cruisin’ by the Bay Car Show today and Sat., Aug. 8, and the Art in the Park show and carnival throughout the weekend. Call 883-5969 or visit polson chamber.com.

Downtown Whitefish celebrates the little purple berry western Montana loves during the Huckleberry Days Art Festival, which uses the native fruit as inspiration for music, entertainment and an art fair.

The three-day annual event, which begins today, also features crafts, a pie-eating contest and a treasure hunt. Visit whitefishchamber.org or call (877) 862-3548.

The oldest and biggest gun show in Montana shoots off in UM’s Adams Center and carries on through Sun., Aug. 9: The annual Original Missoula Gun and Antique Show highlights all shapes and sizes of weaponry and has tables full of cowboy and Native American artifacts, civil war antiques and other cool western substances. Call 549-4817 or 543-0019, or visit hayesotoupalik.com.

Saturday 8 August Bag a bushel or two when communities around western Montana host farmers’ markets, featuring local produce, flowers, baked goods and crafts—in Missoula at Circle Square (missoulafarmersmarket.com), on Pine Street (missoulasaturdaymarket.org) and under the Higgins Avenue bridge (clarkforkrivermarket.com), in Stevensville at Third and Main streets, in Hamilton at South Third and Bedford streets and in Kalispell at Center Street and Fifth Avenue. Hours for each market vary, but 8 AM–1 PM is the total span.

As part of Polson’s Festival Days, the Sandpiper Art Gallery, 306 Main St., hosts their 38th annual Art Festival from 10 AM–6PM on the Courthouse lawn. Call 883-5956 or visit sandpiperartgallery.com.

Rigid devotees of old-school tunes would do best to steer clear of the Missoula Art

Museum, 335 N. Pattee St., where Eric Moe—whose work has been described as “Rachmaninoff in hell”—presents a contemporary piano concert at 1 PM. Free. Call 728-0447.

Sunday 9 August Get to Caras Park early, as the place is bound to fill up when the Missoula Symphony Orchestra presents their annual Symphony in the Park at 7 PM. Free. Visit missouladown town.com or call 543-4238.

Monday 10 August Clamp that wriggling fish tight in your greasy jaws, Missoula Osprey baseball fans, because tonight kicks off a four-game series against the Orem Polygamists. All games start at 7:05. Call 543-3300 or visit missoula.osprey.milb.com.

Tuesday 11 August While you’re unlikely to run into that guy with the smoked chameleon again this year, the Western Montana Fair and

The art of packing - easy is elegant.

Ship your Montana collectibles anywhere, worldwide.

Happy Hour 2 for 1 Coronas

Late Night Happy Hour Sun-Thurs 10pm to Close Daiquiri specials • Bucket of Corona $10

We make shipping easy! ® theshippingdepot.com 1001 E. Broadway • by Albertsons • 721-0105 2120 S. Reserve • by Rosauers • 549-7400 Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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Guided Rides Guest Accommodations River Recreation Events

On the Bitterroot River, minutes from Missoula, MT

Enjoy fabulous rides and outdoor adventures all year-round.

877-273-7745 or 406-273-7745 www.dunrovinranchmontana.com Positions available in Missoula.

Bring your values to work.

Reach goals. Feel rewarded.

As a Thrivent Financial representative, you’ll enjoy unlimited income potential, a flexible schedule and all the training and support you need.

For more information, contact: Bonnie Miller • Recruiting Manager 509-924-2530 ext. 303 bonnie.miller@thrivent.com www.thrivent.com/careers WORK WITH PURPOSE

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

Wilma Mixon Hall, Broker

Savoir Faire Properties, Fr. translation "to know"

One block off Hwy 93 on 3rd St E, Polson • 883-3346

Rodeo kicks off at the Western Montana Fairgrounds today and runs through Sun., Aug. 16, featuring music, carnies, a demolition derby and lots of deep-fried love. Call 258-3236 or visit westernmontana fair.com. (see Spotlight) Whitefish’s Alpine Theatre Project begins a two-week run of The World Goes ‘Round, a stylish, slick and star-studded revue featuring the work of famed Broadway songwriting team Kander and Ebb—think Cabaret, Chicago and “New York, New York”—with Tue.–Sat. shows at 8 PM and 6 PM Sun. matinees, at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center, 600 E. Second St. $12–$37. Call 862SHOW or visit alpinetheatre project.org.

Wednesday 12 August Nineteen different food vendors, ice cream sellers and coffee shop drips emerge for Out to Lunch in Missoula’s Caras

Park, this week with music from Sho-Down and kids’ activities by the Stick Pony Races. 11 AM–2 PM. Free.

Thursday 13 August Dance first and scurry home with your tail tucked between your legs later at Downtown ToNight in Missoula’s Caras Park, featuring food from the locals, live music from No Shame and kids’ activities by Mismo Gymnastics. Boing!

5:30–8:30 PM. Free.

Friday 14 August You’ll feel just like you’re back at Palo Alto in ‘73—or was it Soldier’s Field in ’82?—when Dark Star Orchestra busts out entire historically accurate—like anyone can really even remember—song-for-song sets from the Grateful Dead’s epic concerts as they inspire a twoday parking lot scene at Lolo Hot Springs. The nostalgia begins at noon and runs through Sat., Aug. 15. $33 one

night/$55 both nights. Visit griztix.com.

You know, maybe a pair of Vise Grips would help you keep a tighter grip on that trout, Missoula Osprey baseball fans, but whatever you decide to do, tonight kicks off a three-game series against the Ogden Sandstones. Fri.–Sat. games at 7:05, Sun. game at 5. Call 5433300 or visit missoula. osprey.milb.com.

The Montana Lyric Opera presents Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” in a fully staged English performance directed by Patricia Heuermann at 7:30 PM in the Hamilton Performing Arts Center. Call 542-7423 or visit mtopera.com.

Saturday 15 August Communities around Western Montana host Farmers’ Markets, featuring local produce, flowers, baked goods and crafts—in Missoula at Circle Square (missoulafarmersmar-

ket.com), on Pine Street (missoulasaturdaymarket.org) and under the Higgins Avenue bridge (clarkforkriver market.com), in Stevensville at Third and Main streets, in Hamilton at South Third and Bedford streets and in Kalispell at Center Street and Fifth Avenue. Hours for each market vary, but 8 AM–1 PM is the total span.

The Missoula Art Museum gives you reason to drag the whole truckload of kin down to 335 N. Pattee St., where they present a Saturday Family Art Workshop “Papermaking” at 11 AM. $5 per artist. Call 728-0447.

If you want to see what a jail break at the animal pound might look like, trot on down to Caras Park from 11 AM–5 PM, where the 4th annual Pet Fest celebrates all that those furry, scaled and/or feathered friends add to our lives. Free, and please, consider bringing a pooper-scooper.

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

Sunday 16 August The Montana Lyric Opera presents Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” in a fully staged English performance directed by Patricia Heuermann at 3 PM in the Hamilton Performing Arts Center. Call 542-7423 or visit mtopera.com.

activities by Mismo Gymnastics.

11 AM–2 PM. Free.

Free. Visit www2.montana.edu/ Shakespeare or call 994-1220.

Thursday 20 August

A gargantuan slew of bands in three days rocks your world when Wäntage USA brings on Total Fest VIII, taking place through the weekend at the Badlander and Palace Lounge in Missoula. Visit totalfest.org.

(See Spotlight)

Wednesday 19 August

Dance first and clock out later at Downtown ToNight in Missoula’s Caras Park, featuring food from the locals, live music from Blue Collar and kids’ activities by Bitterroot Gymnastics.

Yeehaw! 5:30–8:30 PM. Free.

See the same carnival rides that were in Missoula last weekend in a different setting when the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo comes to Kalispell’s Flathead County Fairground today through Sun., Aug. 23, bringing 4-H and FFA exhibits as well as rodeo, horse racing, country and rock music. Call 758-5810 or visit nwmtfair.com.

The Missoula Art Museum celebrates four years of monthly artstravaganzas at 5:30 PM during Artini: Mastering Somersaults, which features live performance by all-female indie rockers Butter, a gallery talk with Anne Appleby and Kerri Rosenstein and birthday cake, of course, at 7 PM. Free.

Call 728-0447.

Like a traveling band of actors, directors and props wenches, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks rolls into the St. Ignatius Amphitheatre for a 6 PM performance of the bard’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Free. Visit www2.montana.edu/ Shakespeare or call 994-1220.

Nineteen different food vendors, ice cream sellers and coffee shop drips emerge for Out to Lunch in Missoula’s Caras Park, this week with music from the Ende Brothers and kids’

Like a shot off Missoula’s western flank, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks rolls up behind Superior High School for a 6 PM performance of the bard’s The Tempest.

Why continue to water your garden when you can get all you need at Western Montana’s Farmers’ Markets?

They feature local produce, flowers, baked goods and

Friday 21 August

Saturday 22 August

crafts—in Missoula at Circle Square (missoulafarmersmarket.com), on Pine Street (missoulasaturdaymarket.org) and under the Higgins Avenue bridge (clarkforkrivermarket.com), in Stevensville at Third and Main streets, in Hamilton at South Third and Bedford streets and in Kalispell at Center Street and Fifth Avenue. Hours for each market vary, but 8 AM–1 PM is the total span.

The inaugural Hemp Hoe Down gets red-eyed and grinny at Lolo Hot Springs Resort, where Railroad Earth provides the music once the gates open at 1 PM. $28. Visit griztix.com.

Like a day where you seem to catch only green lights, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks rolls up to Charlo’s Palmer Park for a 6 PM performance of the bard’s The Tempest. Free.

Visit www2.montana.edu/ Shakespeare or call 994-1220.

the

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the $$-$$$…$15.00 and over

Bitterroots. Dine on one of our Chef's specialties and don't forget his "to die for" desserts!!

Ciao Mambo 541 S. Higgins Ave. 543-0377 Ciao Mambo, at the end of the Hip Strip on 4th and Higgins, serves up fresh, classic, immigrant style Italian food seven days a week. Terrific service and an extensive domestic and Italian wine list makes Ciao Mambo a hit for any occasion. Dinner only and take out service available. Ciaomambo.com or 543-0377. $$-$$$

Pearl Café & Bakery 231 E. Front St. 541-0231 Country French specialties, Bison, Elk, fresh fish daily, delicious salads and appetizers. Breads and desserts baked in-house.

Reservations recommended for the warm & inviting dining areas, or drop in for a quick bite in the wine bar. Now, you may go to our website Pearlcafe.US to make reservations or buy gift certificates; while there, check out our gorgeous wedding and specialty cakes. Open Mon-Sat at 5:00. $$-$$$

Curley's 2915 Brooks (next to Southgate Mall on the 93 strip) 721-4133 Curley’s is a locally owned and operated Steak and Seafood house that takes pride in our home-made meals and fresh atmosphere. At Curley’s we take the time to make sure each dish is prepared with the freshest ingredients and with the finest quality.

Come in and enjoy our full bar and vast array of menu items. www.curleysbroiler.com. $$-$$$ Lolo Hot Springs-Boulder Room 38500 W. Highway 12 Lolo, MT • 273-2290 Come up to Lolo Hot Springs and experience our newest edition, "The Boulder Room". Sit back and relax in our newly remodeled fine dining restaurant and enjoy the warm atmosphere and beautiful view of the

Red Bird Restaurant & Wine Bar 111 N. Higgins Ave. 549-2906 A hidden culinary treasure in the Historic Florence Hotel. Treat yourself to a sensuous dining experience; service, cuisine and ambiance delivered with creative and elegant detail. Seasonal menus featuring the freshest ingredients. Wine bar open Monday - Saturday, 5:00 - 10:30. Enter through the Florence Building lobby. $$-$$$ Sushi Bar & Japanese Cuisine 549-7979 Corner of Pine & Higgins Located in beautiful Downtown Missoula, serving tradi-

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tional Japanese cuisine and exquisite sushi. Sushi Hana offers a variety of traditional and local favorites, including nigiri-sushi, maki-sushi rolls and sashimi. In addition, we offer Tempura, Teriyaki and appetizers with a delicious assortment of sauces. Expanded selection of sakes, beer and wine. Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. $$–$$$

$-$$…$5-$15.00 $-$$…$5-$15.00 Biga Pizza 241 W. Main Street 728-2579 Biga Pizza offers a modern downtown dining environment combined with traditional brick oven pizza, calzone, salads, sandwiches, specials and desserts. All dough is made using a "biga" (pronounced bee-ga) which is a time-honored Italian method of bread making. Biga Pizza uses local products and the freshest produce, as well as artisan meats and cheeses. Featuring seasonal menus.

Lunch and dinner, Mon-Sat. $-$$ The Bridge Pizza Corner of S. 4th & S. Higgins Ave. 542-0002 Dine-In, Drive-Thru, Delivery... Truly a Missoula find. Popular with the locals.

Voted best Pizza. Everything from hand-tossed, thincrust, stone-deck pizza to wild salmon burritos, freerange chicken, rice & noodle bowls, ribs, pasta, salads, soups & sandwiches, “Pizza by the Slice.” Local brews on tap and wine by the glass. Open every day for both lunch & dinner. $-$$

1805 Regent • Missoula • 543-7436 • Open daily 7AM - 2AM

Tentatively Re-Opening Late Summer 2009 Montana's best food values every day Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

$2 Tuesdays All Drinks $2

EVERY DAY Buck's & The Other Side feature Free Pool, $2.50 Pabst Pounders & Drink Specials Smoke-Free Performance Area!

Music, Shows, Events • 543-3405

See full calendar at www.theothersidemusic.net 78

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

the The Café at McNamara's Landing 22878 Hwy. 200 East (406) 244-2015 Homestyle cooking served 7 days a week.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Steak and eggs, sandwiches, burgers, soups, homemade lasagne and salmon fillets with California blend vegetables.

Nightly dinner specials. Come dine in this beautiful setting along the Blackfoot River, just 16 miles east of Missoula. Join us after a day of tubing, or stay a while in one of our vacation cabins. $-$$

MCNAMARA’S

LANDING

Cold Stone Creamery Across from Costco on Reserve by TJ Maxx & Ross 549-5595 Cold Stone Creamery, the ultimate ice cream experience! Our smooth and creamy ice cream is made fresh daily using our secret recipe. Come in for our weekday specials. Get $5 off ice cream cakes with your business card. Get Gift Cards any time. Treat yourself to a 10-minute vacation at Cold Stone Creamery. $-$$ The Dinosaur Cafe 428 N Higgins in Charlie B's 549-3589 Located at the back of Missoula’s legendary bar Charlie B’s, the Dinosaur Café features the best Cajun food this side of the Mississippi.

Featuring southern classics like Po Boys, Jambalaya and Catfish, the Dinosaur is sure to tantalize your taste buds. Open for lunch and dinner Monday – Saturday. $-$$

Famous Dave's 2915 N. Reserve • 541-7427 Stop in, or grab a load to go! Either way you'll enjoy the most succulent meats, savory seasonings and lipsmackin’ sauces around. Twenty-five years of tastin’ and cookin’ make Dave’s 'Que the best ever. Dave's ribs are classic, St. Louis-style spareribs, hickory smoked to perfection, and Dave's award-winning Rich & Sassy sauce is made from a secret recipe - even his mother doesn't know! $-$$ James Bar 127 W. Alder • 721-8158 An urban rock feel is what James Bar is all about. Enjoy sipping wine or a specialty cocktail by the fireplace in plush booth seating while rock from every generation plays in the background. It's the escape you're looking for. The menu is designed with sharing in mind as well as a Missoula take on the urban slider (little burger).

Monday - Saturday 11am; Sunday 1pm $-$$ HuHot Mongolian Grill 3521 Brooks • 829-8888 At HuHot you’ll find dozens of meats, seafood, noodles, vegetables and homemade sauces for the timid to the adventurous. Choose your favorites from the fresh food bars.

You pick ‘em…we grill ‘em. We are as carnivore, vegetarian, diabetic, lo-salt and low-carb friendly as you want to be! Start with appetizers and end with desserts.

You can even toast your own s’mores right at your table.

A large selection of beer, wine and sake’ drinks available. Stop by for a great meal in a fun atmosphere. Kid and family friendly. Open daily at 11 AM. $-$$

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Milo's 208 East Main • 240-6744 Located in the back of the Union Club, Milo's is the home of the famous BLP burger (Bison, Lamb & Pork), which features all locally raised meat. Milo's also offers fresh soups daily and much more. A great place for vegetarians and carnivores alike! And, with 5 meals under $5, guaranteed to fill you up, what are you waiting for? Monday-Thursday 11-9, Friday 11-10, Saturday 4-10. $-$$ The Mustard Seed Asian Café Located outside Southgate Mall Paxson St. Entrance 542-7333 Contemporary Asian Cuisine served in our all new bistro atmosphere. Original recipes and fresh ingredients combined from Japanese, Chinese, Polynesian, and Southeast Asian influences to appeal to American palates. Full menu available in our non-smoking bar.

Fresh daily desserts, microbrews, fine wines & signature drinks. Take out & delivery available. $–$$.

Rowdy's 4880 N. Reserve • 543-8001 A totally smoke free western style bar, casino, and restaurant with a warm and friendly atmosphere. Rowdy’s offers 16 beers on tap, an extensive liquor selection, nationally interactive trivia, two happy hours, and more. At Rowdy’s Cabin enjoy Fiesta en Jalisco’s, the only Mexican restaurant in Missoula with a full service bar. $-$$

Looking for fresh food and a great atmosphere?

Curley's Broiler has what you are looking for! A variety of menu items. Appetizers, sandwiches, salads, wraps & burgers

Nightly Dinner Specials Featuring thick cut steaks & premium seafood

Social Hour Mon - Fri 4 - 6pm $3 appetizers & 2 for 1 well drinks & Margaritas

Breakfast served Saturday 8 - 12 & Sunday 9 - 1

Located at 2915 Brooks St. (Next to Southgate Mall) 406-721-4133 Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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$…$5 and $…$5 & under under Al's & Vic's 119 W. Alder • 728-4804 A Missoula institution for over 70 years, Al's & Vic's keeps the tradition and its unique spirit intact for its local residents. Buckets of PBR, a wailing Juke box, free pool on Sundays are just a few amenities that keep this bar a local favorite since 1936. $ Bernice’s Bakery 190 South 3rd West 728-1358 Where Myrtle Avenue ends at Bernice's, a tiny bakery sits as a veritable landmark to those who enjoy homestyle baked goods, strong coffee, community, and a variety of delicious treats. Join us for lunch if you'd like.

Crazy delicious. Crazy cheap. 30 years and still baking. Open Every Day 6AM to 8PM. $ Big Dipper Ice Cream On the corner of 5th and Higgins • 543-5722 Big Dipper Ice Cream serves Missoula's favorite home made ice cream and sorbet. We have cones, shakes, sundaes, specialties and pints and quarts to take home. Open daily. $ Bucks Club 1805 Regent 543-7436 Missoula’s best Food & Drink Values. 2-for-1 food specials daily. Eat the legend. Burgers for a buck.

Bucks Club

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Over 1,000,000 sold. Great Breakfast served daily.

If you go away hungry, don’t blame us. Closed– tentatively scheduled to re-open late summer.

Butterfly Herbs 232 N. Higgins • 728-8780 Celebrating 37 years of great coffees a n d t e a s . Tr u l y t h e “ e s s e n c e o f Missoula.” Offering fresh coffees, teas (Evening in Missoula), bulk spices and botanicals, fine toiletries & gifts. Our cafe features homemade soups, fresh salads, and coffee ice cream specialties.

In the heart of historic downtown, we are Missoula’s first and favorite Espresso Bar. Open 7 Days. $ Le Petit Outre 129 South 4th West 543-3311 Twelve thousand pounds of oven mass...Bread of integrity, pastry of distinction, yes indeed, European hand-crafted baked goods, Pain de Campagne, Ciabatta, Cocodrillo, Pain au Chocolat, Palmiers, and Brioche. Several more baked options and the finest espresso available. Please find our goods at the finest grocers across Missoula. Saturday 8-3, Sunday 8-2, Monday-Friday 7-6. $ Outlaw Subs 2325 S. Higgins Ave. 830-3153 Enjoy great hot baked & cold subs and soups.

Featuring a variety of breads, meats, cheese, sauces & spreads as well as various additions to build a delicious sub. Open Monday - Saturday 10am 10pm, Sunday 11am - 7pm www.outlawsubs.com

In thebitterroot Bitterroot Blacksmith Brewing Company 114 Main Street Stevensville, MT 59870 (406) 777-0680 www.BlacksmithBrewing.com Blacksmith Brewing Company is located in The First Best Place, Stevensville. Montana. Stevensville was the first settlement in Montana in 1841. The old brick building that houses our brewery was built in 1908. With a town full of history, it seemed only right to preserve what was there. The blacksmith shop had seen 70 years of the valley history. The blacksmith himself burned it into the walls as a testament of all who had come before. And they, some of Montana's first registered brands, are still here today hanging in the brewery. Blacksmith Brewing Company prides itself in only using the best local ingredients to make some of the finest beer you will ever taste. Along with our homemade Cold Forge Rootbeer, we make an American Style Hefeweizen - our Brickhouse Blonde. Next we have our Montana Amber, P.D. Pale (you will have to stop by the brewery to find out what the PD stands for!!) We also brew our almost famous Pulaski Porter and we round it all off with one of our I.P.A.s, you never know if you are going to find the much anticipated Black Iron I.P.A. or the very tasty Cutthroat I.P.A. Stop by and say hello next time you are in the Bitterroot Valley. We would love to see you. Hours: Sunday - Thursday 3pm 'til 8pm, Friday & Saturday 12pm 'til 8pm

the Bitter Root Brewing 101 Market St., Hamilton 406-363-7468 Bitter Root Brewery is open 7 days a week serving delicious microbrews and tasty hand crafted food. Live music EVERY Thursday and Saturday from 6-8:30pm. Check out our website at www.BitterRootBrewing.com for upcoming events, menus, and other info to help you "Get Local.”

The Grubstake Hamilton • 363-3068 www.grubstake.com The Grubstake Restaurant is located 2000 feet above the Bitterroot Valley overlooking Hamilton Montana. We are open from Memorial Day weekend to early September. Please phone for reservations and directions. Our Classic Menu (Wednesday through Saturday) includes prime rib, steaks, fried chicken, trout, shrimp and other entrees. We serve our "All You Care to Eat" BBQ Menu on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. On those nights we have BBQ Country Ribs and Chicken, Bakers, Corn, Rolls and home-made Rootbeer. We have a full Salad Bar and Buttermilk Pie every night. Billy-Jack will be here to greet you - bring your camera! $$-$$$ The Hamilton - A Public House 104 Main St. Victor, MT 59875 • 642-6644 Enjoy traditional pub fare in a warm, comfortable atmosphere. Serving a variety of appetizers, soups and salads and pub favorites from English Style Fish & Chips to

Calamari & Chips to a Grand Tattie. Open at 11a.m.

Monday-Friday and 4:00p.m. on Saturday.

Hidden Legend Winery 1345 Hwy 93 N. (4 miles north of Hamilton in the Sheafman corner plaza) 363-6323 • www.hiddenlegendwinery.com Hidden Legend Winery, owned by Ken and Lisa Schultz, produces honey meads that are a contemporary version of man's oldest wine. They make world-class wines from local ingredients such as knapweed honey, elderberries, huckleberries, and chokecherries gathered from the surrounding mountain valleys. Our wines are a new sensation for the traditional wine drinker. $$ River Rising Bakery 337 Main St. Hamilton • 363-4552 Hamilton's newest bakery, deli, and espresso bar. Serving all butter pastries, delicious and nutritious muffins, cream scones, and delectable desserts. Or choose from our selection of home-made soups, salads, and sandwiches found nowhere else. Open 6:30am-5:30pm Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:00pm Saturday, 8:00am2:00pm Sunday. Weekday local business lunch delivery available 9:00am-1:00pm. $-$$ Time After Time B & B 197 Pistol Lane Victor • 642-3258 Need a quick getaway?

Why drive for hours when you can head to Victor,

Time After Time Bed & Breakfast

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and Time After Time B&B. Quaint, cozy and nearby. Reasonable rates. Just 32 miles from Missoula.

Come let us pamper you. You'll be glad you did!

Excellent Breakfasts; Great Conversation. Fun things to do locally.

Maxville Maxville The Back Forty 16 1/2 Maxville Rd. Maxville, Montana 859-7492 (PIZA) Off Hwy. 1, next to the VFW in Maxville, The Back Forty offers pizza with crusts made fresh daily. We also feature espresso, burgers, salads, soup, sandwiches, homemade breakfasts and lunch specials. Join us every Saturday & Sunday morning from 7am-11am for our $5 Breakfast Buffet. Prime Rib Saturdays. Open Thursday & Friday 11am-8pm, Saturday 7am-8pm, & Sunday 7am-7pm - 859-7492 (PIZA)

Virginia City Virginia City Bale of Hay Saloon 344 West Wallace Street, Virginia City, Montana 406-843-5700 www.baleofhaysaloon.com Step back in time at an old west saloon located in historic Virginia City, Montana.

Join us for live music, the best Montana Microbrews, full bar and fun. Festivals include the Dog and Grog, Micro-brews on July 17-18 and the Blues Fest on Aug 28-30.

WELCOME TO The

DINOSAUR CAFE Missoula’s Best Cajun

Lunch and Dinner

428 N. Higgins in Charlie B's • 549-3589

BUTTERFLY HERBS

Come Enjoy the Beauty of the Blackfoot!

THE ESSENCE OF MISSOULA

COFFEE • TEAS • HERBS • SPICES • UNUSUAL GIFTS

Vacation Cabins, Cafe & Store

COFFEE HOUSE

Seven handcrafted log cabins, equipped with gas fireplace, refrigerator, & microwave.

Two cabins include a jacuzzi tub!

Homestyle cooking at The Cafe, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, 7 days a week.

ESPRESSO • ICE CREAM • SANDWICHES SALADS AND SOUPS 232 NORTH HIGGINS AVENUE DOWNTOWN MIS SOULA • 728-8780

Since 1972

22878 Hwy. 200 East, Bonner Call for reservations: 244-2015 Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

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Continued from Page 77 Sunday 23 August Historic downtown Philipsburg attains a highly-polished sheen as it rolls out the 7th annual Art and Jazz on Broadway event, which runs from 11 AM–5 PM, features over 60 juried artisans, live jazz from Eden Atwood, the Mike Bader Band and Montana Lite Jazz, numerous children’s activities and all the food and drink the crowd can handle.

Call 859-0066 or 859-3189.

Like a steppin razor, watch their sides, they’re dangerous: Montana Shakespeare in the Parks rolls into the Daly Mansion in Hamilton for a 6 PM performance of the bard’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Free. Visit www2.montana.edu/ Shakespeare or call 994-1220.

Tuesday 25 August Here’s your last chance to cling

desperately to that fabled piscine specimen, Missoula Osprey baseball fans, because tonight kicks off a three-game series against the Great Fall Swing-And-A-Missers. All games start at 7:05. Call 5433300 or visit missoula. osprey.milb.com.

Thursday 27 August Dance first and practice your quick-drawin’ later at D o w n t o w n To N i g h t i n Missoula’s Caras Park, featuring food from the locals, live music from Sho-Down and kids’ activities by the Great Griz Encounter. Grrrrrr! 5:30–8:30 PM. Free.

Saturday 29 August Communities around western Montana host farmers’ markets, featuring local produce, flowers, baked goods and crafts—in Missoula at Circle Square (missoulafarmersmarket.com), on

Pine Street (missoulasaturdaymarket.org) and under the Higgins Avenue bridge (clarkforkrivermarket.com), in Stevensville at Third and Main streets, in Hamilton at South Third and Bedford streets and in Kalispell at Center Street and Fifth Avenue. Hours for each market vary, but 8 AM–1 PM is the total span.

It’s Missoula’s signature event, people—the two-day River City Roots Festival promotes love for all things Garden City: From fun runs to juried art shows to food and drink amid a sea of free music in the streets, you can get the lowdown on this dog days delight at rivercityrootsfestival.com.

Sunday 30 August Sad as it may seem, this here summer’s almost over, so for those who need public officials to tell you what time it is,

Missoula Parks & Recreation Department hosts the End of Summer Ice Cream Social from 1–3 PM at Splash Montana, where you can take a weepy last ride of the season down the waterslides before bawling into the free ice cream provided by Cold Stone Creamery.

Regular admission fees apply. Call 721-PARK or visit missoulaparks.org.

We have made an honest effort to scoop up every car show and carnival, fair and festival that could have qualified for this guide of what’s happening in western Montana. If we left you out, drop a line to calendar@missoulanews.com and let us know what you’ve got going on and when. We’ll put you in the regular paper and file you away for next year. Until then, enjoy the summer.

Tires Brakes Shocks Batteries Service, repairs, & replacements done right.

MISSOULA NORTH 721-1770

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MISSOULA SOUTH 721-0888

Missoula Independent Explorer, 2009

HAMILTON 363-3884

STEVENSVILLE 777-4667

THOMPSON FALLS 827-8473

POLSON 888-1099

RONAN 676-7800

Put Some Bulk In Your Backpack This Summer.

Don’t hit the trail until you’ve hit the biggest bulk department in Montana. The Good Food Store stocks more than 800 different bulk items, which means you can carry a different load of energy-rich nutrition on every trip you take this summer. Pasta, rice and grains. Cereal and dehydrated soups. Candy, dried fruit, nuts and granola. Coffee and tea. Pancake mix.

Peanut butter. And, of course, 16 varieties of trail mix. So hike on over. For bulk food so healthy and delicious, it’s well worth the weight.

www.goodfoodstore.com

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1600 S. 3rd St. West

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Missoula

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541.FOOD

Glacier National Park’s Lake McDonald, looking east. Mountains, left to right: Cannon Peak, the Little Matterhorn, Edwards Mountain, Sperry Peak and Mount Jackson.

Photo by Chad Harder

Patience pays when casting on the Bitterroot Rolling with the rolls on Brennan’s Wave Saddle up for a different view of the Wild West