Montana Kaimin Orientation Issue

MONTANA KAIMIN THE LAST BEST COLLEGE NEWS

SUMMER 2015

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FLOAT ON page 7 DRINK UP page 9 CHOW DOWN page 10

Welcome to Missoula What to eat, drink and explore this summer

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Summer 2015

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Surfing Snowmelt Rylan Boggs @RT_Boggs

Brennan’s Wave might just be one of the best places in town to kill a little time, go for a swim and watch surfers shred hundreds of miles away from the nearest ocean.

Right next to the Higgins Avenue Bridge, the wave is in the heart of downtown Missoula. Created by pouring concrete and boulders into the river, the wave allows surfers and kayakers to practice and exhibit their skills in public.

The wave was opened June 25, 2006, to memorialize Brennan Guth, who passed away in a 2001 kayaking accident on the Rio Palguin in Chile. Guth was a prominent figure in Missoula’s river community and had always dreamed of help-

ing remove the tangle of rebar and concrete that once rested where the wave is now.

Though surfing is mostly enjoyed in the spring and summer months, some die-hards will don full-body dry suits and dodge floating ice chunks while surfing during the coldest winter months.

Though Brennan’s Wave is the most easily accessible and iconic wave in the area, more surf-able waves can be found on the Lochsa River and Alberton Gorge.

One of the strongest influences behind surf culture in Missoula is Strongwater Mountain Surf Co. Started in 2008 the shop provides rentals, lessons, custom boards and other surfing gear for those wishing to shred the wave.

Another local river outlet is Zoo Town Surfers, a whitewater company specializing in rafting, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. The company offers guided tours on the Blackfoot, Clark Fork, and Bitterroot Rivers.

Looking to expand Missoula’s river scene is a group set on building a second wave downriver of Brennan’s. The new wave, dubbed the Max Wave, will be a memorial to Max Lentz, a Hellgate High school student who passed away in a 2007 kayaking accident in West Virginia.

After his death, family and friends wanted to create a memorial to Max that was something the community could enjoy.

The Max Wave project has slowly been fundraising money to reach the nearly one million dollar price tag attached to the wave. One of the biggest fundraising opportunities for the wave is the annual event Best in the West, a kayaking competition held on Brennan’s Wave.

The event has always drawn large crowds and brought awareness to the new project with all entrance

Matt Robbins/@matt_robbins_photo

Kris Moon, surfs at Brennan's Wave on the Clark Fork River in Missoula, Sunday, June 28.

fees from competitors going toward the new wave. As the design stands, the Max Wave will consist of two features, an upper and lower wave as well as providing wheel chair access right down to the shore.

Despite the diligent fundraising efforts, the Max Wave project lags far behind projected goals. It began in 2008 and was scheduled to be completed this year, but has not even completed the permitting phase.

The delays are due to the sheer size of the project, endangered river species and not wanting to overly disturb the natural ecosystem of the river, according to Zoo Town Surfers Owner and Vice President of the Max Wave project, Jason Shreder.

While Missoula already has a large river surfing scene, Shreder hopes that the Max Wave will bring more attention to the town and that it may one day hold a World Championship event.

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Mount Jumbo, Missoula’s ‘other’ mountain The Montana Kaimin @montanakaimin

Hiking the M on Mount Sentinel is a ritual for many visiting the University of Montana campus, so it’s surprising how long it takes new students to find their way across the river to the L. The L, which represents Missoula’s Loyola Sacred Heart High School, is on the western flank of Mount Jumbo and overlooks the Lower Rattlesnake Valley and Hellgate Canyon. The trail is steep, rougher than the climb to the M, and almost as high. It offers extraordinary views of the Clark Fork River and the Missoula Valley to the west.

Persistent hikers who climb on above the L find a route to the rounded summit of Mount Jumbo and the gateway to the forested ridges above the Rattlesnake. This trail system is open to hikers for most of the year and provides access to dozens of miles of backcountry hiking and running.

Nick Mertes, a Griz football player from Minnesota, climbed Jumbo and watched the sun set his first semester at UM last year.

Pastel colors spilled off the horizon and into the valley, he said.

“I could have sat there for days,” he said. “I was no more than 15 minutes away from my dorm, but for some reason I felt hours away.”

Summer hikers up Missoula’s “other” downtown peak can expect to find wildflowers, big views and a breeze. A shepherd’s wagon is on the hillside, a summer home for a rancher who watches over a herd of sheep the city employs to keep noxious weeds in check.

To climb to the L from campus, cross Clark Fork River on the pedestrian bridge and follow Van Buren Avenue north to Cherry Street. Turn right and walk to the end of the street, and the beginning of the Mount Jumbo trail system.

Courtesy of Google Maps

509 S. HIGGINS

MON-SAT 10-7

SUN 11-5

WWW.BETTYSDIVINE.COM

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Backpack the Bitterroots Blodgett Canyon offers activities for every intensity

Evan Frost / @efrostee

Evan Frost @efrostee

Some of Montana's premier rock climbing, scenic hikes and backcountry camping lie in Missoula's backyard. 52 miles south of Missoula, just past Hamilton lies Blodgett Canyon.

Known to some as the "Yosemite of Montana," the glacier-carved canyon is lined by jagged peaks on which you can spot both rock climbers and mountain goats. Following the Blodgett Creek trail along the canyon floor, you are lead through dense forest before rejoining Blodgett Creek and your first full view of the canyon. The trail proceeds to follow the creek for

another 2.5 miles before crossing a bridge and continuing to the roaring Blodgett Falls.

Along the trail, the creek transforms from rushing rapids to serene marshlands and back again. The canyons proximity to Wilderness area and diverse habitats make it an excellent place to spot birds and wildlife. Black bears are frequently seen foraging for berries off the trail and moose sometimes saunter through the marsh further into the canyon. The wet environment also supports dense vegetation throughout, with an enormous variety of wildflowers lining the trail.

Blodgett can be experienced both

Blodgett Canyon as seen from Blodgett Overlook.

in the afternoon and overnight. Hiking from the trail head to the falls adds up to a seven mile round trip, with creekside campsites about two miles in. For the ambitious backpacker, follow the creek 12.5 miles all the way to its source at Blodgett Lake and spend the night in some of Montana's most serene wilderness.

The canyon also offers world class rock climbing and hundreds of different routes frequented by locals and climbers from around the country.

Whatever kind of adventurer you call yourself, you can call Blodgett Canyon home.

Looking to watch the skies turn

crimson over some of the most majestic mountains in the Northwest?

Try the Blodgett Overlook trail. Just three miles round trip, grab a bottle of wine and watch the sun descend into the Bitterroot Wilderness from rocky outcrops that sit above the canyon.

How to get there Follow US 93 from Missoula for about 45 miles, then turn right onto Bowman Road, followed shortly by a left onto Ricketts Road.

Follow Ricketts Road until you take a slight right onto Blodgett Camp Road, which will take you to the trail head.

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Art is cool.

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Missoula’s galleries offer more than just air conditioning

Radius Gallery Evan Frost @efrostee

A newcomer on the Missoula art scene, Radius Gallery is quenching the city's thirst for the contemporary while supporting artists from around the region.

After teaching in UM's English department for seven years, owner Lisa Simon aspired to combine her passion for prose and interest in visual expression, all while helping contemporary artists gain footing in a town where they're often overlooked.

"It's nice to help visual artists talk about their work, find a voice I suppose," Simon said.

Simon has seen a connection between literature and art history throughout her career and wanted to bring this connection out of the classics and into modernism.

Their current exhibition, "Scapes: Land, Sea, Mind," focuses on artists interpreting scene as subject . The exhibition features over 80 pieces by 61 artists and will be displayed until August 8.

"We wanted to press the boundaries of traditional art," Simon said.

In August of 2014, Simon and her husband, Jason Neal, opened Radius. This September they will host a one-year anniversary celebration.

Evan Frost / @efrostee

We opened Radius because we wanted to press the boundaries of contemporary art,” Founder Lisa Simon said. After seven years of teaching at UM, Simon and her husband opened Radius in August of 2014 and will be hosting a celebration for their one year anniversary in September.

Missoula Art Museum: Talking about where we are now The Montana Kaimin @montanakaimin

The Missoula Art Museum offers University of Montana students two great things: fantastic art and free admission.

The museum’s collection offers a range of contemporary western art and it is one of the few art museums its size in the West to emphasize abstract as well as narrative art from the region.

“This is about the conversations that are happening now,” said Bran-

don Reintjes, the new MAM curator.

“The conversations about society through art and the values that we live are important and they happen here.”

This summer’s exhibits at the MAM include the Montana Triennial: 2015, which represents the state of art under the Big Sky. The show includes an important look at contemporary ceramics in Montana, the legacy of the vitality of Montana artists such as Rudy Autio and Peter Voulkos, who forged the path of ceramics from practical craft to fine art. The Trienni-

al runs through Sept. 4.

The museum is especially dedicated to showing contemporary work

by Native American artists. Painter Jeneese Hilton’s work is on display in the current exhibit, “Raven Reviewing Modern.” Hilton was raised on a ranch on the Blackfeet Reservation east of Glacier National Park. Her work blends Native American realities – both the brilliant and the dark – with an international and multicultural complexity developed though a lifetime of travel. The exhibition runs through Aug. 22.

The MAM joins downtown Missoula in celebrating art with gallery talks, refreshments and music on the first Friday of each month. The First Friday of August – Aug. 7 – features Missoula photographers Keith Graham and Neil Chaput. They will discuss their new exhibition of photographs of the daily life of Montana’s 21st century one-room school houses.

Graham is a professor at UM’s School of Journalism.

Admission on First Friday, as always, is free.

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Loren Benoit for the Montana Kaimin

Osprey’s Austin Byler squares up a ball and hits it over the right field fence for a solo homerun in the seventh inning, his second homerun of the night.

Osprey season in full swing at Ogren Park Andrew Houghton @ETNHoughton

As the weather has started heating up in Missoula, so have the Missoula Osprey.

Three weeks into their season, the local minor league baseball team has jumped out to a 10-6 record, good for first place in the Northern Division of the Pioneer League.

“We’re starting to kind of settle in to what professional ball is,” Osprey Manager Joe Mather said.

Mather, along with most of his players, is adapting to a new job this summer. He’s in his first year managing the Osprey, a rookie-league team that is often a player’s first stop once he enters profes-

sional baseball.

The team is largely made up of players who have been recently drafted or signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Osprey’s parent club at the major league level.

“Six of our nine starters offensively were draft picks, so only a third of our guys were in pro ball last year,” Mather said about his lineup in a recent game.

The Osprey have seen their attendance suffer a little bit with the recent heat wave that swept through Missoula, but General Manager Jeff Griffin is confident that his team is one of the best draws in town.

“We’re all about fun, affordable family entertainment,” Griffin said. “We’ve got something going every night.”

Their promotions include fireworks after selected Friday games, a t-shirt giveaway on July 31, and weekly brewfests during Saturday home games.

The Pioneer League runs a split schedule, with the teams that win the first and second half of the season advancing to the playoffs.

Mather thinks they have a chance to get there.

“As long as we can all stay together and everybody keeps putting the work in … I think talent-wise we have as good a shot as anybody to make a run at the championship,” Mather said.

The Osprey play at Ogren Park, next to the Kim Williams Trail and the Clark Fork River.

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COMING UP SUNDAY, 7/12 Blade runner / Roxy Theater What better way to get acquainted with your new home than a dystopian sci-fi thriller?

An all-time classic, 1982’s “Blade Runner” stars Harrison Ford as an assassin who tracks down and kills “replicants,” androids who are indistinguishable from people that are only legally allowed to perform menial labor on planets other than Earth. It won’t do anything to dissuade your dad’s fear that he’ll one day be replaced by a computer at the plant, but you’ll probably have a great time! 7:30 p.m. All ages. $8 Sunday, 7/12, 7:30 p.m. @ The Roxy Theater

MONDAY, 7/13 HONEYHONEY / Top Hat One of the things that you’ll quickly learn about Missoula is that folk and blues music is literally inescapable. You dart down a corner, there’s a kid with an acoustic guitar singing “Wagon Wheel.” You try to escape into a bar, and it’s open mic night for everyone who learned three chords and then gave up after that. You seek refuge on campus, and there’s That Guy playing “Wonderwall” under the tree outside Miller. Give in now or wind up a bitter events calendar writer, this Monday at the Top Hat. 8:00 p.m., 18+, $12 advance.

Float on Stay cool in the Clark Fork

$12 in advance Monday 7/13, 8 p.m. @ The Top Hat (18+)

TUESDAY, 7/14 Farmer’s Market / The Four X’s One of Missoula’s most prized institutions is the downtown Farmer’s Market, where you can purchase a whole variety of healthy foods you convince yourself you’re going to start eating before beelining to the donuts and slushies.

5:30 p.m., by the X’s at the corner of North Higgins.

Tuesday, 7/14, 5:30 @ The Four X’s, North Higgins Ave.

TUESDAY, 7/14 Missoula Music Showcase / The Badlander Every week, the Badlander features a different Missoula artist or band of any genre.

You never really know exactly what you’re going to get until you show up, so it’s kind of like gambling AND getting to see a show. There is also gambling. Get acquainted with one of Missoula’s favorite venues, and wade through the Tuesday night drunks to get to one of the food trucks that may or may not be open. It’s like a really frustrating mystery! All ages, 9:00 p.m.

Monday 7/13, 9 p.m. @ The Badlander (all ages)

Michael Seibert @michaelcseibert

Talia Zook For the Montana Kaimin

As you’ve probably already realized, it’s hot. Like really hot. Like melting-into-a-puddle-of-your-own-sweat hot. And, to the dismay of those who migrated here from predominantly warmer climates to escape extreme temperatures, this heat wave comes at least once a year. The good news for all of us is, however, that there’s a way to beat the heat.

One way to enjoy Missoula’s natural beauty and to not melt into a sweaty puddle is to free up your schedule, spend 15 bucks on a black, chalky tube,

and head for the Clark Fork.

The concept of floating as a recreational activity is pretty self-explanatory: you sit on a tube and largely let the current do the rest. If it gets too hot to be out of the water, you hop in and swim around a little.

1 However, there are some suggestions I’d like to make if you’re going to give floating a shot: 2 Bring something to drink. Whether it’s water (for those of you who, like me, are not of age yet) or spiked lemonade, it makes the experience even more refreshing.

3 Don’t be stupid if you drink,

Summer 2015 montanakaimin.com

though. Like if you can shotgun a beer better than you can swim, wear a life vest or something.

4 Sunscreen is sexy. Peeling away sunburnt skin like a molting snake is not.

5 If you’re going with a larger group and you want to remain that way, bring rope to tie your tubes together. You’re welcome.

6 Avoid flip-flops, but definitely bring shoes for the walk back.

7 Speaking of the walk back, make sure you have two cars (i.e., one at the beginning of the float and one at the end). I don’t know if that’s common sense or not. Seems a little like common sense.

8 When you’re floating and having a grand ol’ time, don’t be that annoying group that competes with each other to see who can scream the loudest. It makes it kind of unpleasant for the rest of us.

9 I had a friend who kept his iPhone (in a LifeProof case) in his pocket throughout a float trip only to realize that it had fallen into the river somewhere along the way. For your own sake, just leave your phone in the car.

10 Prepare yourself for the occasional rapid. They’re only fun if you’re coordinated and paying attention.

Please don’t litter. My inner-environmentalist dies a little with each can I see floating around. We want to make sure that the float stays pretty for everyone!

11 One of the greatest things about floating the river is your surroundings.

Many floaters drift in groups from East Missoula to downtown—getting to see a pleasant mix of Missoula cityscape and Montana wilderness. So, if the Albertson’s parking lot seems a little crowded in summer and the beer aisle seems a little empty, you can probably guess why. Maybe join in next time!

The Basics Swimsuit Don’t float naked. Please.

Speedos are acceptable.

Sunscreen Lobsters aren’t native to Montana.

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Extra tube It’s better than a patch kit.

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DRINK

Quench: Warm your soul with local spirits Hunter Pauli @paulimeth

Evan Frost/@efrostee

Montgomery Distillery’s spin on the classic Screwdriver, the Damiana Dare Me, rests on the bar next to a bowl of fresh citrus used in a number of their craft cocktails.

Montana has not been spared this century’s resurgent local movement, and as the state’s cultural epicenter, Missoula has no shortage of enterprising young graduates and wellestablished icons looking to get you as drunk as three pints of beer or two ounces of liquor can. Despite restrictive laws on serving and business hours, each year sees the opening of at least one new tap room or distillery. For newcomers it’s becoming hard to keep track.

Our recommendations are only the tip of the iceberg, but if they’re not enough to get you through the weekend you might want to speak to an addiction counselor.

Missoula Brewing Company

For decades, Highlander beer has been to Missoula as Rainier beer has been to Seattle: A hometown classic produced out of town. Missoula Brewing Company has contracted Great Northern Brewing in Whitefish to bottle and ship Highlander south for years, but this summer sees production return to Missoula. The new MBC Tap Room sits astride Grant Creek on North Reserve and will serve four new beers named after Montana peaks under the Highlander label. Old hands fearful of the brewery’s swanky website and new tartan-less bottle designs can rest assured the classic Highlander red ale isn’t changing any time soon. Now it just comes with artisanal pizza and a view, at least until 8 p.m.

The Dram Shop

The Dram Shop is another recent addition to Missoula’s drinking culture, with a geographically diverse tap selection rivaling that of The Rhino bar but with a crowd less likely to throw up on your daughter. Those with arcane knowledge of how small a dram unit actually is will be pleased to find the Dram Shop has broken from gilded tradition and is perfectly willing to fill as many growlers as you can carry. Minors and teetotalers can enjoy regional craft sodas while the celiac-inclined are provided a deserved selection of wines. Patrons can have deli food delivered to order by the nearby Market on Front, or something more haute from the next door Pearl Cafe.

Sydney MacDonald/@sydneymacdo

UM students (left to right) Mike Bouchee, Alec Bouchee, and Zach Peevey enjoy drinks at Missoula’s recently opened Dram Shop.

Montgomery Distillery

If you favor big city cocktail culture over the folksy pretension of the craft beer movement, you won’t find it in Missoula. But what you will find at Montgomery Distillery is the hardscrabble mixology of the American pioneer. The West was founded on liquor, for better or worse, and the operators of Montgomery Distillery reflect the over-abundance of character the frontier attracts. This eccentricity is carried over to the cocktails, which are adorned with fruits, roughage and fungi mysterious to even the most esoteric University biologists. Missoula’s status as the weird artsy child among Montana’s settlements is defended vigorously by Montgomery in a kombucha cocktail, which tastes faintly of paddle board yoga.

Evan Frost/@efrostee

Philip Schaefer mixes a “Damiana Dare Me” at the Montgomery Distillery

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EAT

Taste the Big Sky: Story and Photos: Evan Frost @efrostee

Pork belly, eggplant and lamb burgers, oh my!

BREAKFAST Market on Front ($)

Whether you’re preparing for a picnic, looking for a latte or just grabbing breakfast on the fly, Market on Front can probably help you out. The breakfast menu is innovative and customizable, emphasizing fresh ingredients and twisting breakfast staples with homemade pesto and chipotle aioli. The Fruity Pig uses date/fig preserves to compliment your choice of savory bacon or ham (or turkey if you opt for its lunch version, the Fruity Bird). Breakfast, lunch or beer, Market on Front has you covered. $5-$10

Burns St. Bistro ($$)

Crisp pork belly sitting atop cherry compote and Jo Jo potatoes from Burns St. Bistro

Part food co-op, part warehouse and all local, Burns St. Bistro is revitalizing an oft-forgotten part of Missoula one brunch at a time.

Featuring an ever-changing menu highlighting local producers and ingredients meant to catch you off guard. Far from the downtown restaurant scene, the Bistro always draws a crowd for their weekend brunch with their classic brunch burger, veggie browns and weekly specials ranging from crispy pork shoulder to quail eggs. $10-$15

Missoula’s premiere boutique for contemporary women’s clothing and accessories.

117 W. Front St.

http://laurelcreekmissoula.com

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LUNCH Taco Sano ($)

Sandwiched between Kettlehouse Brewing and the Higgins Street Holiday gas station, Taco Sano has flavors to suit every palate. After the burrito joint staples of rice and beans, your options are endless.

Both the chicken and brisket are slow cooked in house and can be topped with a variety of veggies and sauces, including the infamous Glacial Melt, a blend of habanero peppers that might be the spiciest thing you’ll find in Missoula. Their BYOB policy is encouraged and easy to do with Kettlehouse around the corner, but you can also throw a burrito in your backpack before hitting the trail if that’s more your style. $5-$10

Caffe Dolce ($$)

Mediterranean meets Missoula at Caffe Dolce. Pasta is made fresh every day and their patio provides a perfect spot to cool off with one of their many flavors of gelato. The lunch menu infuses the flavors of Greece and Italy into a number of sandwiches and salads, including a lamb burger topped with goat cheese and arugula. Dolce also boasts one of the most robust wine menus in the state, with a match for any meal, lunch or dinner. $10-$15

Eggplant alla Parmagiana on a bed of pasta waits to be served to expectant diners at Ciao Mambo in Missoula.

DINNER Bridge Pizza ($)

Whether you’re in the mood for a single slice or just a salad, Bridge Pizza can accommodate just about any budget. The daily pizza specials rarely disappoint and their wide selection of beer in bottle and on tap has something for everyone’s palate. Beat the dinner rush and go in for happy hour. $5-$10

Ciao Mambo ($$)

Italian cuisine any way you want it. Ciao Mambo’s menu of traditional Italian pizza and pasta is made to order, as your server is sure to inform you, as they skillfully write their name upside down on you paper table cloth. The wine list is vast and the dinner options plentiful. Traditional staples like lasagna keep the crowds happy, but if you’re feeling adventurous opt for the Baked Eggplant Parmigianna.

When the waitstaff warns you about the wait for a dish, you can bet it’s probably worth it. $15-$20

Courtesy of Caffe Dolce

Flavors of Italian gelato change with the seasons at Caffe Dolce, but the wide variety can suit anyone’s palate.