EDITORS' MESSAGE

CALL IT A COMEBACK…

A flyfisherman releases a westslope cutthroat trout in the Flathead River. STEVEN GNAM

“Every day is a renewal, every morning the daily miracle. This joy you feel is life.” - Gertrude Stein

O summer. Those perpetually fleeting months between spring snow and the brilliance of fall. Is there anything more glorious than summertime in the Rockies? Barbecues and patio beers, long, warm evenings (midweight-puffy warm) and crisp mornings. The snow disappears off all but the tallest, glaciated peaks for a short-lived glimpse of the rock beneath.

We inhale opportunity—the chance to start again, to redefine what we hold sacred, a rebirth of nature and ourselves. Anything is possible in the summer, when we set free the dreams dreamt in the dark of winter. This is our comeback, baby.

Here in the Rockies, we watch the rebirth of nature like we watch the weather blow down the valley—blink and you might miss the rapid interplay of snowmelt and green sprouts. Our proximity to nature also shines a spotlight on its fragility and our lead-footed impact on its delicacy. To survive, we must repurpose ourselves and our resources; reinvention and renewal are necessary to the process of life.

In this, our sophomore issue, biologist and author Karsten Heuer explores the comeback of an ecosystem in the aftermath of a popular tourist attraction; Andrew Findlay reports on our environment as a harbinger as botanists decode the messages sent to us from our resident flora and fauna and biologists consider the effect of the warming environment on human-wildlife interactions; Indigenous actor and creator, Marika Sila, shares how rebirth from childhood trauma strengthens her voice and her resolve; Ultramarathoner, Sam Dickie, faces a terrifying wildlife encounter and resurfaces a more determined and resilient athlete; and Golden’s “deranged” Psychosis mountain bike race is back—and nuttier than ever.

Lace ‘em up, fire it up, and send it—because it’s summertime in the Rockies. See you on the trails. – Kristy & Erin