Big Sky
Big Sky’s Locally Owned & Published Newspaper - distributed virtually everywhere
August 12, 2011 Volume 2 // Issue #15
special section:
fishing
PBR roundup Montana’s first
DIRTY DASH food & dining
Trout on the grill Rotenone debate: a deadly solution
media@theoutlawpartners.com
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photo by daniel bullock
Q&A with candidate franke Wilmer
Big Sky Weekly explorebigsky
facebook.com/explorebigsky
On the cover: Outlaw Frank Jordan casts at Ousel Falls
Publisher of the big sky weekly August 12, 2011 Volume 2, Issue 15 CEO, PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eric Ladd COO & SENIOR EDITOR Megan Paulson CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mike Martins MANAGING EDITOR Emily Stifler GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kelsey Dzintars EDITOR Abbie Digel Editorial Assistant Taylor Anderson Sales Director Frank Jordan Distribution Director Danielle Chamberlain VIDEOGRAPHER Brian Niles Intern Kaela Schommer CONTRIBUTors Tyler Allen, Erin Bills, Evelyn Boswell, Daniel Bullock, Will Casella, Cdub photography, Mike Coil, Eileen Connors, Jamie Daugaard, Felicia Ennis, Royce Gorsuch, Marcie Hahn-Knoff, Marne Hayes, Kim Ibes, Dr. Holcomb Johnston, Chad Jones, Bill Lerch, John Marshall, Craig Mathews, Steve Michaud, Katie Morrison, Brandon Niles, Amy Smit, Deb Courson Smith, David Schwartz, Barbara Taylor, Tim Tollett, Ennion Williams
Editorial Policy Outlaw Partners LLC is the sole owner of the Big Sky Weekly. No part of this publication may be reprinted without written permission from the publisher. The Big Sky Weekly reserves the right to edit all submitted material for content, corrections or length. Printed material reflects the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the opinion of Outlaw Partners or the editors of this publication. No advertisements, columns, letters to the editor or other information will be published that contain discrimination based on sex, age, race, religion, creed, nationality, sexual preference, or are in bad taste.
Paper Distribution Distributed every other Friday in towns across Southwest Montana, including Big Sky, Bozeman, West Yellowstone, Three Forks , Ennis, Dillon, Gardiner and Livingston.
CORRECTIONS The Big Sky Weekly runs corrections to errors we’ve printed. Please report them to emily@ theoutlawpartners.com © 2011 The Big Sky Weekly Unauthorized reproduction prohibited
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Comaraderie among riders at the Big Sky PBR. Photo by Daniel Bullock
The power of community As the world falls further into chaos and confusion, I find myself in introspection on Southwest Montana. While we are not immune to the morning news, we are blessed to live and vacation in such a spectacular region. We’re also lucky to have a strong sense of community in Southwest Montana. This past week I witnessed the power of community here in Big Sky. Over seven days Big Sky hosted nationally touring music acts, held its 31st annual country fair and community parade; entertained guests from around the globe, and debuted the first annual PBR rodeo to a sell-out crowd. This community stood together, leaving locals and visitors glowing. Small town living can be a blessing and a curse. As a business owner in this region I struggle with the same problems many of my peers do – lack of customers and seasonal business trends, for example – but I feel thankful to have found this silver lining in my zip code. In this fragile financial climate, as we look toward the future and the unknown, we must band together as a cohesive comLetter to the Editor Parameters This is a platform for readers to express views and share ways they would like to effect change. The Weekly will run letters, positive or negative, of 250 words or less that are respectful, ethical, state accurate facts and figures, and are proofread for grammar and content. We reserve the right to edit letters. Please include: first and last name, address, phone number and title. Send letters to emily@theoutlawpartners.com.
OUTLAW PARTNERS & THE BIG SKY WEEKLY P.O. Box 160250, Big Sky, MT 59716 explorebigsky.com (406) 995-2055 media@theoutlawpartners.com
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munity. Now is the time to pool resources, host events, thank visitors for choosing us, and share our message with the world – Southwest Montana is one of the world’s special places. My belief is that communities who stand together will survive, recover and thrive. Cherish the empty trailheads, and wave to your neighbors. We have an opportunity to take a step forward and show the rest of the country how small town living can be a model for others to follow. The Outlaw Partners are committed to this region, are thankful for our customers, cherish our readers and are excited for the future. A special thank you to all the sponsors and fans for the first annual PBR event, particularly our lead sponsors – Yellowstone Club, Continental Construction, Big Sky Town Center, Big Sky Resort and Resort Tax – you helped make this the event of the year! Eric Ladd CEO, Outlaw Partners eric@theoutlawpartners.com
Join Creighton Block Gallery in Big Sky for a SOUTHWESTERN JEWELRY AND TEXTILES TRUNK SHOW
4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12 through Noon Sunday, Aug. 14
Table of Contents Community…4 Letters...5 Big Sky…6 Local News...10 Regional…12 Montana…14 Food & Dining...17 College Counselor...19 Sports...20 Architecture...21
Food & Dining...23 Business Directory...22 Events...25 Classifieds...26 Environment...27 Science...28 Health & Wellness...29 Local Adventure...30 Explore...31 Back 40...32 Special Section: Fishing...33
HELMS JAMISON KULESZA
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POWDER RIDGE 114 - BIG SKY RESORT Ski In / Ski Out, Luxurious Upgrades 4 BD, 3 BA, 2577 SF, $799,000
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406.995.2244 W E K N OW L O G C A B I N S
BIG SKY SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
JEFF H E LMS Broker
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TALLIE JAMISON Associate
RYAN KULESZA Broker
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Big Sky Weekly
community The 31st annual Country Fair story and photos By Kaela Schommer Big Sky’s 31st annual Country Fair on July 30 had great weather, music and local art. There were 12 floats, which meant 12 chances for the kids to collect candy. The participating floats were:
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Blue Dog Services, appropriately dressed in blue.
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The Future Dirtbags float won the best overall float, with children dressed up and hanging out of a canoe.
The American Legion driving an old Willys in honor of Roger Cantwell, a local war veteran who painted the white crosses along highway 191.
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The best non-commercial float went to the Dirtbags, who were sitting in a raft.
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The best commercial float went to Cedar Mountain Corrals.
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Morning Star Learning Center won best children’s float, with the kids donning bright yellow shirts that said ‘I heart my school.’
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With an almost full campsite set up on a trailer, Big Sky Western Bank won the overall best decorated.
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An estimated 500 people were in attendance, according to Marne Hayes of the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce. Hayes also said the day was successful because of help from the community. See you at next year’s 32nd Country Fair!
The Grand Marshals of the parade, the Outlaw Partners and Arts Council of Big Sky, drove in a stylish red Pontiac, with Marne Hayes from the Chamber of Commerce at the wheel. Floats in the parade include: •
3 Rivers Communications
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The Broken Spoke pulled their smoker and brought a great new scent to the parade.
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Lone Mountain Ranch had candy and horses.
Help kids have a wild experience: camp, scholarship to honor Walkin’ Jim Stoltz legacy By Barbara Taylor No celebration of the life of Walkin’ Jim Stoltz, who passed away last year, would be complete without a nod to the famed singer/songwriter and environmentalist’s strong commitment to children. “Jim knew kids were natural caretakers of the environment,” said Leslie Stoltz, Jim’s wife of 20 years and longtime friend. “He worried about how many kids were not getting the experiences he had as a child of exploring the outdoors.”
Jim sang at Lone Mountain Ranch sleigh rides and appeared at dozens of schools (including Ophir) each year. His popular children songs are collected on his best-selling Kid for the Wild and Web of Life albums. In honor of Jim’s commitment to kids, Leslie Stoltz and MUSE (the nonprofit Musicians United to Sustain the Environment) have established the Kid for the Wild Scholarship. Two $750 scholarships will be awarded annually
Moonlight Basin to host August Business After Hours
to help children age 12 to 17 further their understanding and advocacy for the natural world. Although the scholarship is not limited to local kids, preference is given to children residing in Montana, and to kids who have demonstrated a commitment to and interest in the environment.
crafts and activities and will also have professional singers on hand to teach Jim’s songs. The campers will perform on stage at the Forever Wild concert Aug. 20 on the Town Center Stage. To enroll your child in this fast-filling camp, contact Katie Coleman at Camp Big Sky (209-1643).
To help further the scholarship, Camp Big Sky will donate proceeds from their Kid for the Wild camp (Aug. 15 -19) to the fund. The camp will feature nature
To donate or find out more about the Kid for the Wild scholarship, contact musemusic.org.
Sippin’ on Gin and Juice
The Big Sky Chamber of Commerce and Moonlight Basin would like to invite all Chamber Members to the upcoming Business After Hours on Thursday, August 18 at 5:30 p.m. The mixer will be at The RESERVE at Moonlight Basin Clubhouse. Moonlight will offer appetizers and drinks. Business After Hours is a venue for Chamber members to get together, meet new faces in the growing membership, reacquaint with familiar ones, and catch up on the state of business among Big Sky colleagues. The functions are an avenue to increase exposure for businesses in the Big Sky area and beyond, as well as a platform to visit different businesses and locations. We encourage members to come out for this opportunity to network. Join us, along with Moonlight Basin, for this month’s Business After Hours social. This will be one you won’t want to miss! All attending members will be eligible to enter to win a round of golf for two people at Moonlight’s Jack Nicklaus signature course. To get to The RESERVE, continue past Moonlight’s Madison Village base area and follow signs. For more information, contact the Chamber at 995-3000. - Marne Hayes The Gourds played for a big crowd at Choppers on Aug. 7. Photo by cdub photography
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letters Photo by Daniel Bullock
PBR - an evening to remember
A note of thanks
In the 22 years that we have lived in Big Sky, we have never enjoyed an evening as much as the PBR which was held here last Wednesday. What an amazing event. It was big fun for our entire family. Our thanks go out to Eric Ladd for his vision for this community. Without his continued leadership and the support of the many great sponsors from the Yellowstone Club/Community Foundation and other terrific local businesses, this event would not have taken place. We hope that the PBR becomes an annual event with even more sponsors next year. It is great to have these type of events which draw people from surrounding areas to support our local economy and to enjoy our beautiful community.
I wanted to pass a note along and give a special thanks to all who contributed to the PBR Rodeo and concerts this August. To all the major contributors – the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, Big Sky Town Center, Resort Tax, Continental Construction, the Outlaw Partners and all the numerous sponsors – hats off for seeing the big picture and putting together the most successful event of the summer.
- Jan and Jim Cummings and family
I had dozens of clients and friends calling for tickets until an hour after the gates opened. Friends and clients drove in from southern Idaho, Colorado and Washington and flew in all the way from Florida.
Kudos from the Town Center I am writing to thank the Yellowstone Club, Continental Construction, the Big Sky Resort Area District and Outlaw Partners for their generous and far-sighted sponsorship of last week’s Professional Bull Riding event held at the Town Center. It took a great deal of commitment and vision to pull off this amazing event, starting with nothing more than vision and some raw land in Town Center. I was also impressed at how well the PBR representatives ran the event, and by the great fun the residents and visitors to the community enjoyed. During the 15 years I’ve been involved with the Town Center project, the PBR is one of the biggest events I can recall. This event, and what it could bring to the community, will be a real game changer. I also want to thank the other sponsors and people in Big Sky who came and showed support for the PBR and the community. We hope this event is the first of many more large community-wide events that we can all enjoy. Gatherings like these will help expand the Big Sky economy for the benefit of all. At the Town Center, we’re looking forward to do whatever we can to help stage next year’s event!
As a Partner in Shuttle to Big Sky & Taxi and a Broker with Big Sky Sotheby’s, I’m in constant contact with both visitors and locals. Consistently, they tell me they’d like to be entertained while at the same time enhancing the Big Sky community. As Beau Hill made his winning ride, I glanced around the crowd. From Geyser Whitewater’s bus to the VIP tent, from the chutes to the vendors, everyone got to their feet, hands in the air, screaming and hollering. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It gave me a taste for what this community can put together when we all work collectively. Here’s to more, bigger and better. - Ryan Kulesza
-Bill Simkins, Big Sky Town Center
Bikers please use caution on trails On Sunday morning, July 17, Canyon Adventures led four customers on a guided horse ride. Near the Beaver Creek crossing, the rear horse was spooked by an approaching mountain biker, which caused a chain reaction, scattering the other frightened horses. The biker claimed to have rung his bike bell to alert the horses of his presence, but it went unheard. Two riders were thrown from their saddles and one horse impaled itself on a metal fence post. When stopped, the biker was described as being indignant for the horses “not being in control.” The
biker fled unidentified. Unfortunately, one customer cracked his rib and the injured horse will be out of commission for the rest of the summer. To those at Canyon Adventures, the Big Sky Mountain Bike Alliance wants to express our deepest regrets. We discourage this type of behavior and expect all of our members to practice trail-user friendliness. It disappoints us that a fellow two-wheeler would endanger your guests, your horses, and the integrity of your business. At the least, we ask this unknown biker to apologize.
We request that all mountain bikers when approaching horses slow down, get off bikes, and notify the nearest equestrian as soon as possible. Horses don’t like surprises, so please approach them with soft, yet audible voices. Guides at Canyon Adventures said they will be happy to let you pass as soon as possible. Their suggested guidelines for biker/equestrian interaction are on our website bigskytrails. org. The more cooperation among all trail users, the more likelihood mountain
bikes will be permitted on trails. The U.S. Forest Service has already forbidden mountain bikes from certain trails in our area. More are at risk of being lost, particularly if we don’t achieve harmony among user groups. For more information on the mission of the BSMBA, please visit bigskytrails.org. Please note that the site is still under construction. Ride on, The Big Sky Mountain Bike Alliance
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Big Sky Weekly
Big Sky Beau Hill scored an 86 and became the first rider to advance to the final round. PHOTO BY JOHN MARSHALL
Big Sky’s first annual PBR
Beau Hill wins in final round at Professional Bull Riding event By Taylor Anderson If it wasn’t called the first annual Big Sky PBR event before, it is now. That’s because the sellout event that included installation of a 2,000-person rodeo stadium in the Big Sky Town Center, a $20,000 fundraising Calcutta event, and a dramatic last ride win for Montana rider Beau Hill has solidified talk of a second annual Big Sky PBR. It started as a fledgling idea by Jim Murphy and Eric Ladd (the publisher of this newspaper), picked up momentum in the form of sponsors and local support, and event came to fruition Aug. 3. The night the bull riders came to town is a night to remember in Big Sky’s short history.
THE ROOTS Eric Ladd met Jim Murphy while working with the Yellowstone Club years ago, and the two started talking about bringing the riders to town. “The first event I attended was about eight years ago in Las Vegas, and that’s what got the wheels turning [in my mind],” Ladd said. Ladd, who has lived in Big Sky for 12 years, hooked up with PBR promoters Andy and Jacey Watson after the Las Vegas event. The idea began to solidify, though it was a long time coming. There were no potential venues to fit the bid, and creating a temporary one would be expensive. “The opportunity finally presented itself last
year,” Ladd said. “Murphy was a catalyst, after he took Sam Byrne from the Yellowstone Club fishing and laid out the idea.” Byrne, the Boston-area real estate investor, bought the Yellowstone Club in 2009, and became an integral part in finding financing for the Big Sky PBR. After finding supporters, Ladd and Murphy connected with the Watsons again, and they officially approved another stop to the PBR Montana tour for August 2011. The group chose to host the event at the Big Sky Town Center. Workers mounted tractors in early 2011 summer, scratching through the rough dirt with archaic-looking plows. The stage was set and within a matter of weeks, bleachers, chutes and fences were put in place.
“The involvement at that level showed that a permanent arena would be a great addition and a permanent stop every year for the PBR” -Jay Daugherty, Senior Vice President of competition for the PBR 6 August 12, 2011
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PHOTO BY DANIEL BULLOCK
Jessica Kilroy played the pre-party at Choppers
Big Sky Weekly
Big Sky
“From a production standpoint, it was one of the best shows, if not the best, that we’ve pulled off as a company”
PHOTO BY DANIEL BULLOCK
-Jacey Watson, Freestone Productions
THE EVENT The event kicked off with a promotional video from The Outlaw Partners, the media sponsor, about life in the West and featuring Montana rider Beau Hill clad in cowboy hat and riding gear. The small stadium kept fans close together and built excitement as Chad Berger’s bulls ran headstrong at the arena fencing. Fans crept from their seats in search of a closer view of the massive animals. The crowd erupted when the lone wrangler roped a bull charging a fence and pulled him back. In the first round, riders mounted bulls in the chutes, tied tightly their leather-covered hands, and gave nod to the chute operators to pull open the gate. With a bang of metal and a kick of mud and dung, the bulls were off, rider clinging to a flank rope from on top. Some riders were lucky and fell off ‘gently’ as the bull leapt to his front legs, while others were slung at the top of the bull’s hind kick, and thrown high into the air or into the fence. Beau Hill hung onto a bull for eight seconds that round, scoring an 86 and becoming the first rider to advance to the final round. After the short go (final round), Josh Faircloth was in the lead, with only Hill remaining. Hill hung on when his bull hopped sidelong into the fence, but his score was negatively impacted, and he would’ve finished second had he not been offered a re-ride. Some fans shouted for him to take it, and others muttered he would surely ride. Hill chose to risk second place for a chance at victory, and tension in the stadium built as he readied his bull.
With the clack of the gate, the bull, Hill on top, spun onto the packed dirt and circled, kicking. 2,000 eventgoers stood and cheered. A counter on the 10-foot video screen ticked up from zero to eight.
10 kids competed in Mutton’ Bustin’ between rounds. PHOTO BY JOHN MARSHALL
Hill hopped off his bull, landing on his feet. Arms raised, he turned to see his score: 88. He jumped, hugged and high-fived Flint the Entertainer. In that ride, Beau Hill won the Big Sky PBR. Hill made $6,392 but was not the main money winner. That’s because there was a final, $5,000 grand prize ride The Geyser Whitewater crew watched the event from their bus offered to the rider with the parked outside the arena. PHOTO BY DANIEL BULLOCK highest collective score from the Livingston Classic and “I think Big Sky was probably the most beautiful Big Sky events, which happened to be Faircloth, the setting we have ever been in for an event,” said PBR winner of the Livingston event. entertainer Flint Rasmussen Tuesday in an email. There was a short break for Hill’s celebration before the announcers called Faircloth to the chutes. Fans remained standing while Faircloth rode his bull for eight seconds, winning the cash prize and pushing his event earnings to $8,995. “From a production standpoint, it was one of the best shows, if not the best, that we’ve pulled off as a company,” Jacey Watson said.
Rasmussen, a Montana native, said that he appreciated the scenery at Big Sky’s event. “The Lee Metcalf and Lone Mountain backdrops were nice to show southern-born riders why I stay in Montana,” he said. As for a second annual, “We’re 100 percent behind it,” said Hamilton of the Town Center.
THE MONTANA COWBOY HALL OF FAME That the PBR came at the heels of a push to make Big Sky the spot of the new Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and seems to have added significance to its success. Approximately 17 Montana towns have expressed interest in submitting a bid, said Ryan Hamilton, who is heading up a group from Big Sky. This group is the only party from Gallatin County to have expressed interest. Madison County has also placed a bid for all of its towns. Photo by John Marshall
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8 August 12, 2011
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M o u n t a i n
Big Sky Weekly
Big Sky
Big Sky Fire Dept. donates equipment to Jackson, Mont. By Emily Stifler Last summer Big Sky Fire purchased 25 new breathing apparatus, equipment firefighters use in dangerous environments where they might breath heat, smoke or chemicals. Theirs were 10 years old, and this purchase brought the department’s equipment up to the current standard. The apparatus is a tank of compressed breathing air and a mask, which are probably “one of the most crucial pieces of equipment we have, along with our bunker gear (the firefighter pants, coat, gloves boots and helmet),” said Matt Mohr from the department. “We had 25 [old] breathing apparatus that we didn’t know what to do with,” Mohr said. They didn’t want to sell them, because they weren’t brand new, and they knew smaller fire departments might have funding issues or need equipment. They found Jackson Volunteer Fire Department, in Southwest Montana’s rural Big Hole Valley, west of I-15.
“They only had two operational breathing apparatus, and those were very old, low pressure systems [so they weren’t as efficient],” Mohr said. So, this summer, Big Sky fire donated 10 breathing apparatus, 10 extra high pressure air bottles, and a rapid intervention kit, which helps in rescuing downed, injured or trapped firefighters. “The whole system is lighter, so it puts less strain on a working firefighter. The high pressure bottles hold more air so they can work for longer,” Mohr said. “This is a huge asset to our community,” said Kyle Malkovich, Jackson’s fire chief. In rural communities like Jackson, the fire department is very important, considering how far away they are from major metropolises. Big Sky Fire is funded partly by resort tax and property tax.
Big Sky Fire Run Report CPR and First Aid classes are offered at Station 1 as needed. Please call 995-2100 for information or to schedule a class. 8/1 01:30-02:25; EMS crews responded to ABDOMINAL PAIN. After assessment and initial care, the patient signed a refusal of care. 8/2 12:04-12:10; Fire crews responded to a WILDLAND FIRE. Crews were cancelled enroute. 8/2 13:37-16:50; EMS crews responded to an EMS CALL. BLS crew transported the patient to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. 8/2 17:21-17:50; Fire crews responded to a FIRE ALARM. Crews found no hazard. 8/4 08:43-12:30; EMS crews responded to an EMS CALL. ALS crew transported the patient to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. 8/4 09:17-10:03; EMS crews responded to an EMS CALL. After assessment and initial care, the patient signed a refusal of care. 8/5 18:39-18:53; Fire crews responded to a FIRE ALARM. Crews were cancelled enroute. 8/6 19:00-19:50; EMS crews responded to Big Sky Resort for an EMS CALL. After assessment and initial care, the patient signed a refusal of care. 8/8 19:34-22:38; EMS crews responded to an EMS CALL. ALS crew transported the patient to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital.
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local news
Resort Tax Board seats up for election By Amy Smit On June 15, the Big Sky Resort Area Board of Directors appropriated over 2.4 million dollars to various organizations for infrastructure and programming in Big Sky. At that meeting, the Chair challenged those in attendance to consider running for one of the four board seats to open this November. The elected board serves on a voluntary basis and oversees all aspects of the collection and appropriation of Big Sky’s 3 percent sales tax. Three seats are full four-year terms. The fourth seat is a two-year, unexpired term. In the 2009 election two candidates tied, so the Board appointed one. Interested parties must specify they are filing specifically for this seat, and voters will choose one candidate in this category. Otherwise, they will be placed in the election pool for a four-year term. To run, download the “Oath of Candidacy and Special District Candidate Petition for Nomination” from bigskyresorttax.com, or contact the BSRAD office in the RJS Building (above Grizzly Outfitters and next to the Medical Clinic of Big Sky). Potential candidates can also contact the Gallatin County Election Office at (406) 582-3060, or at 311 W. Main, Room 210 in Bozeman. File the form with the Gallatin County Election Department no later than August 25, 2011 at 5 p.m. The two-page form requires a minimum of five signatures by registered
voters who reside in the Big Sky Resort Area District. Charlotte Mills from the election office suggests collecting extra signatures to be sure five qualify. The candidate’s signature must be notarized or signed in front of a deputy at the Gallatin County Election Department. The Board meets monthly to oversee the Administrative Officer, review financial reports, deal with collection or enforcement issues, and receive public comment. In May, board members review all applications for funding and host a Q+A meeting. Funding decisions are made during the June meeting. All meetings open to the public. Board members make important decisions about the Big Sky community and serve as a sounding board for the public. In some cases, they make difficult or controversial decisions about funding or enforcement. If you like what the Board has done in the past, you have a chance to keep it happening. If you disagree with decisions the Board has made, you have a chance to argue for a change. If you know someone you feel would be a good fit, please encourage him or her to run. Two of the incumbents do not plan to file for reelection. Amy Smit is the Big Sky Resort Area District’s Administrative Officer. bigskyresorttax.com
Montana XC dirt bike race draws racers from across the U.S., Canada Back by popular demand, the third annual KLIM Big Sky XC is coming up soon, Aug. 27 - 28. Located on Big Sky Resort’s ski slopes, this race has gained a national reputation for its challenging courses. Several professional racers have already been confirmed for the event, including X Games athlete Kevin Rookstool of Klamath Falls, Ore., former national champion Jason Raines of South Carolina, current national champion Brian Garrahan of California and current Canadian national champion Jason Schrage. “This event is unique because there are classes for professionals, four-year-old kids new to the sport, 60 years and older, and everything in between,” race promoter Jamey Kabisch said. The race hosted over 300 racers in 2010, and there is a strong possibly this year will be even larger, according to the race committee. The race has received quite a bit of motorcycle industry press and praise since its inception in 2009. “It was our hope that this would become a nationally recognized race, but we couldn’t have predicted it would happen by the third year,” said Joe Miller, also a race promoter. “Race families are typically very active outdoor enthusiasts, so Big Sky is a perfect match for this crowd…I recently spoke with a racer from Florida who made plans for a weeklong Big Sky vacation with his family.” Youth and novice racers compete on Saturday, starting at 9:30 a.m. Intermediate, expert and professional classes are scheduled for Sunday. The expert/pro class leaves the base area at 12:30 p.m. for a three-hour race. bigskyxc.com facebook.com/bigskyxc twitter.com/bigskyxc
Two softball teams that include players and sponsors from Big Sky recently won the Bozeman district championships. Men’s C League Team - Big Sky Conoco/Yopper/Milkies/Outlaw Partners and Coed C League Team - Dugout Daycare. Both teams will be top seeds in the upcoming state championships. Schedules for state tournaments are at gvsoftball.org. PHOTO: Men’s C League Team
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Big Sky Weekly
local news Gallatin County passes Big Sky Meadow Trails, Recreation and Parks Special District By Katie Morrison On July 26, the Gallatin County Commission passed the Big Sky Meadow Trails, Recreation and Parks Special District. This is a milestone in the process to create a multi-jurisdictional park, trail and recreation district in Big Sky. The collaborative effort started with the intention of allowing Big Sky to maintain control of its parks and trails through a government district. In order to create a district in which both counties of Big Sky could work together as one, two separate districts need to be passed, along with an interlocal agreement to define how the two districts can work together. With the passage of the Gallatin County district, along with their portion of the interlocal agreement, this process is half complete.
positions on the multijurisdictional board. Two board members must be residents or property owners in Gallatin County within the district, two must be residents or property owners in Madison County within the district, with the fifth board member owning property or residing in either county. According to state law, the board
members must also be residents of the county from which they are representing. The Madison County hearing is Sept. at the Huntley Lodge at 10 a.m. If you have questions please contact Katie Morrison at (406) 993-2112 or bscc@bsccmt.org
The Madison County Commission is set to have a hearing in Big Sky on Sept. to make a decision on the Resolution of Intent to create the Big Sky Mountain Trails, Recreation and Parks Special District, which, if passed, will begin a 30 day comment period. This Resolution of Intent will expand a current 3-square mile Big Sky Park District (created in 1988, but never activated), and strip it of its 10 mill taxing authority to be consistent with the non-taxing Meadow District. The district boundary will include all trails and property that are primarily accessible via Big Sky rather than Ennis. If the Commission does not receive significant opposition, they will pass the final resolution and sign the interlocal agreement with Gallatin County. After each signing the interlocal agreement, the two counties will advertise for
BSCC to complete initial phase of park construction this summer Leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as reading. I will rather say more necessary because health is worth more than learning. -Thomas Jefferson The days of all work and no play are limited for the Big Sky Community Park. Construction began last Sept., with the initial scope to address drainage concerns, along with the addition of two ball fields, a multi-use field and temporary concert area. While work was extended until Nov., the spring weather halted construction for six weeks. Although much of the park has not been accessible this summer, the Big Sky Community Corporation (BSCC) raised enough money to add several components to the project which will all be completed this year. Generous contributions from Big Sky Resort Area District, Meadow View One, Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, Big Sky Water and Sewer District, Bozeman Audi and private donors have made sod for the three fields, resurfaced tennis courts, a basketball court, a paved parking lot, wildlife resistant trash enclosures, a relocated skate ramp, scoreboards, bleachers, electricity for the entire park and an extended Community Park Trail possible. This summer completes the initial phase of the Community Park Project. The final Community Park plan, a multi-year project, also includes a skate park, climbing boulders, lighting, concession and plaza area, landscaping, and outdoor concert venue. Fundraising efforts for these components has begun through the annual BSCC fundraiser, private donors, and through Rotary Club’s Nordic Hot Tub Raffle. To contribute to the BSCC or the Park Project, please contact Executive Director, Katie Morrison at (406) 993-2112, bscc@bsccmt.org or bsccmt.org. -K.M.
Schweitzer’s third visit to Big Sky this year Governor Brian Schweitzer was in Big Sky the week of July 18 for the Western Association of Fish And Wildlife Agencies convention, hosted by Big Sky Resort. The governor took a break from his busy day to zipline and meet with Basecamp staff. This was Schweitzer’s third time to Big Sky since May; he previously attended the APEC Convention and Trial Lawyers Meetings. When Big Sky Resort opened Basecamp three summers ago, it began with six employees. This year with the addition of archery and laser tag, Basecamp employs 42 people from the community. - Chad Jones
explorebigsky.com August 12, 2011 11
Big Sky Weekly
regional Vigilante Theatre Company continues legacy of rural touring theatre Grant from Phyllis and Dennis Washington Foundation helps offset cost of professional live performances in small towns Since at least the 1940s, rural communities in Montana and neighboring western states have benefited from the creativity and dedication of small touring theatre groups who brought live performances to places that often had no other exposure to live theatre. The Bozeman-based Vigilante Theatre Company is one group continuing this tradition. They perform original works by regional playwrights, traveling to small towns throughout Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, and Idaho, and as far as Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada. “Many of the small local arts councils that used to host us are struggling. Some have folded and the rest are short on funds,” said John Hosking, Cofounder of the theatre group. Through interviewing contacts at their previous performance venues, Hosking and his board members discovered that people missed their regular appearances, but they simply couldn’t afford to bring the group in. “But during hard times, that’s when people really appreciate the arts,” Hosking said. After recent shows, audience members have told VTC Co-founder Rhonda Smith how great it was
just to laugh at something. “Everyone needs a little comic relief in their lives right now,” Smith said. “It’s also the value of coming together as a community. Touring theatre performances have always helped make that happen.” Now, with help from a $5,000 grant from the Phyllis and Dennis Washington Foundation, the VTC will offset performance costs for the small communities, which otherwise would be unable to afford live theatre. The company is reviewing requests from arts councils and other non-profit organizations interested in partnering to support theatre in rural, remote or otherwise underserved areas. The group welcomes sponsorship from local and regional businesses to help make the performances possible. The Vigilante Theatre Company, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has been performing original theatrical works throughout Montana and neighboring states since 1981. Its mission is to stimulate and promote interest in theatre, to educate both adults and children in the dramatic arts, to advance the culture of the West in drama, and to bring theatre to areas of the West which lack adequate opportunities to enjoy live performances. vigilantetheatrecompany.com
Work continues on recreation facilities near Bozeman and Big Sky Some Forest Service sites may have limited or no access for a period in the coming month because of facility construction work. Hyalite Canyon trailhead reconstruction - Limited or no trailhead access while reconstruction work is in progress on the East Fork trailhead (closed Aug. 21 – 26) and the Hyalite (Grotto Falls) trailhead (closed Sept. 6 - 10. The Hyalite Orientation Site and the lower fishing access site will be closed for paving for a couple of days in mid-August. Fairy Lake campground and trailhead reconstruction - The Fairy Lake campground and trailhead will be extensively renovated and reconstructed in the near future. This work could begin in mid-Sept. and will close all or part of the trailhead and campground. The project includes reconstruction and realignment of trailhead and campground roads, parking areas and camp site spurs, and installation of new facilities. Due to the presence of Tomentosus root rot, extensive hazard tree removal will occur. Red Cliff campground reconstruction - The Red Cliff campground south of Big Sky on Highway 191 will close on Sept. 7 for reconstruction. The campground usually closes for the season on Sept. 15. The project includes reconstruction and realignment of roads and camping spurs, and installation of new facilities. For future information about the Red Cliff project, visit recreation.gov or yellowstonecountrycampgrounds.com.
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12 August 12, 2011 explorebigsky.com
Big Sky Weekly
regional Habituated Yellowstone grizzly bear euthanized An aggressive, habituated grizzly bear conditioned to human foods was captured and euthanized by Yellowstone National Park staff on August 1. For the past three years, the 4-yearold, 258-pound male bear had been unsuccessfully hazed at least 25 times from the Lake Village, Bridge Bay Campground and Fishing Bridge developments. On July 30, the bear aggressively approached and then charged at a man sitting along the Storm Point Trail on the north edge of Yellowstone Lake. The man threw his pack at the bear, which stopped the bear’s charge. However, the bear then tore into the man’s pack and ate the food inside. Due to the bear’s history of associating people with food, repeated visitation to developed areas within the park and numerous unsuccessful hazing attempts, the bear posed a threat to the safety of park visitors. Efforts to relocate food-conditioned bears have also generally proven unsuccessful because the bears sim-
ply return to the areas from which they were removed. Park visitors are reminded to keep food, garbage, coolers and other attractants stored in hard-sided vehicles or bear-proof food storage boxes. Hikers in bear country are encouraged to travel in groups of three or more, carry bear spray, make plenty of noise on the trail, and to be alert for the presence of bears. If a bear charges during a surprise encounter, stand your ground, do not run, and use your bear pepper spray. Park regulations require that people stay at least 100 yards away from black and grizzly bears at all times. The best defense against bear attacks is to stay a safe distance from bears. Bear sightings should be reported to the nearest visitor center or ranger station as soon as possible. nps.gov/yell
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Yellowstone July visitation second highest on record Monthly visitation to Yellowstone National Park in July topped the 900,000 mark for the third time in the park’s history. The park recorded 906,935 recreational visitors, the second highest monthly visitation level ever recorded. It was down from the record 957,785 in July 2010. July is typically the park’s peak visitation month, followed by August, June, September and May. The number of recreational visitors entering Yellowstone for the first seven months of the calendar year is also down compared to last year’s record levels. The park recorded 1,848,658 recreational visitors from January through July 2011, down 8.1 percent from the 2,011,586 visitors recorded during the same period in 2010. Despite the year-to-year decline, park visitation for the first seven months of 2011 is still the third highest ever recorded. Yellowstone hosted a record number of visitors in 2010, with over 3.64 million visitors. This was up 10.55 percent from 2009, which was itself a record year. nature.nps.gov/stats
Recreational visitors to the Park in July 1,000,000 800,000 600,000
Forever Wild 2011 Celebrating the life of Walkin’ Jim Stoltz
Saturday, August 20 3:30-8:30 p.m.
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Town Center Park Big Sky Town Center Big Sky, Montana
The Forever Wild memorial is a way to both honor Jim’s life and continue his mission. Concert-goers will have opportunities to donate to MUSE and its new scholarship fund, Kid for the Wild, which is intended to help kids spend time in the outdoors through assistance with camp or outdoor expedition expenses.
Dakota Sid Clifford Earth Mama Joyce Rouse Kate Bennet Emma’s Revolution Alaskan troubadour Susan Grace Stoltz
Bluebird Sky Prairie Wind Jammers Keith Hammer Cowgirl Poet Buzzy Vick Concessions Available
For more information: www.musemusic.org or www.walkinjim.com
400,000 200,000 0
explorebigsky.com August 12, 2011 13
Big Sky Weekly
montana Montana candidates:
the U.S. House of Representatives
This is second in a series of interviews with 2012 U.S. Congressional candidates from Montana. Two Bozeman residents have declared their candidacy for Montana’s singular House of Representative’s seat currently held by Republican Denny Rehberg: Democrat Franke Wilmer and Republican Steve Daines. As of the end of June 2011, four of the five declared candidates have filed their Statement of Candidacy and second quarter financial statements with the Federal Elections Committee. The primary election will be June 5, 2012 and the general election Nov. 6, 2012.
By Kim Ibes
A conversation with candidate Franke Wilmer
Franke Wilmer is a political science professor at MSU and a three-term member of Montana’s legislature. The 61-year-old was born and raised in Maryland. Wilmer’s mother was born in Terry, Mont., but the family moved east after their ranch burned during the drought of the 1920s. A single mother, Wilmer worked her way through her undergraduate and graduate degrees over 16 years. She completed her Ph.D. in Government and Politics at the University of Maryland in 1990, and the next year accepted a teaching position with MSU. This move to Montana was serendipitous, Wilmer said. “My mother talked about Montana all her life. From the moment I got off the plane it just always fit.” At MSU, she’s taken a leadership role in unionizing MSU faculty, written three books focusing on war and ethnic conflict, and was appointed by Governor Schweitzer to chair the Montana Human Rights Commission. Q+A Why are you running for the 2012 House of Representatives seat? I feel strongly about today’s issues, and I feel strongly that the U.S. House of Representatives should be broadly represented. We need more waitresses who become professors who serve. I bring unique qualifications that address these issues, including the knowledge and experiences I have as a professor and as a blue-collar worker. It’s an important voice to bring to the table in the discussion of how to strengthen and accelerate our economy. What values are most important to you? Fairness is number one. We talk a lot about liberty and freedom, but liberty,
justice, fairness and freedom are equally important. Justice without freedom is not really just, and freedom without justice is not really fair. We have to balance those two. I think most people can support a decision or outcome if it was arrived at fairly. If asked about a policy or issue this is a good yardstick. It means you have to look at solutions from a different point of view, and it’s an antidote to self-centeredness. What skills and experiences make you a successful representative for Montana? My life experiences working in a blue-collar job, my public service experience in a legislative environment, and my practical knowledge about foreign policy and national security. My area of expertise is in conflict, war and human rights. My first book was on indigenous people, talking about fairness. It looked at the creation of an American state from the point of view of indigenous people on a global scale. My second book was on war crimes in Yugoslavia and the psychological consequences of war. One of my research projects was on rethinking national security in terms of both state and non-state or terrorist threats, and protecting ourselves from non-state entities. There are about 130 countries with weak institutions where nobody knows what’s going on. They’re fertile grounds for terrorists, and it’s why we need to have ‘good-enough’ relations with other countries so we know what’s going on. What will be the main issues in the upcoming election? How will you address them? The number one issue is jobs. This election has to be about our economy. It’s about the people who work in our economy and are out of work. Everybody says they want to create jobs. I’ll be a little more specific. I want to create jobs that pay wages that support families. I want a level playing field for American workers. Secondly, we need to look at ways to exercise fiscal responsibility and eliminate waste and fraud. Social Security wasn’t part of the federal budget until the 1980s, and since
14 August 12, 2011 explorebigsky.com
then it’s been used to fund other programs. It should be taken back out of the federal budget. Third, we need to let the current tax cuts expire for the very wealthy; you can set it at $250,000 per person. The cuts were in response to a surplus in the 1990s. I’m taking a different view in approaching the deficit and debt problem. Workers in good paying jobs pay more taxes. When we’re prosperous, we have a healthier economy. There’s a saying in congress that freshman should be seen and not
heard. If elected how would you be heard? This is a seniority question. I think if you bring good ideas to the table it’s the idea – I don’t have a problem if someone with more seniority picks it up and makes it happen. I think you can be quietly effective. It’s about being upfront with voters on how I approach problems. I want Montana voters to know what they’re getting. Representing people is an important part of the job. I’ll bring a more reserved perspective about foreign policy and fair trade.
Candidates on record with the FEC as of July 27, 2011: Republican:
Steve Daines, Bozeman: Vice-President, General Manger Asia Pacific for Right Now Technologies • Q2 2011 raised $365,362 in funds • Cash on hand $401,967 • Filed Statement of Candidacy Feb. 2011, with financial statements John Abarr, Great Falls: former Ku Klux Klan organizer • Q2 2011: No filings or financial statements filed Democrat: Franke Wilmer, Bozeman: MSU-Bozeman Professor, member of the Montana House of Representatives (2006 - present) • Q2 2011 raised $51,576 • Cash on hand $33,076 • Filed Statement of Organization Feb. 2011 Kim Gillan, Billings: MSU-Billings Workforce Development and Training Coordinator, member of Montana State Legislature (House 1997 - 2005, Senate 2005 - present) • Q2 2011 raised 27,094 • Cash on hand $22,561 • Filed Statement of Candidacy June 2011 Dave Jon Strohmaier, Missoula: Historical Researcher, two-term Missoula City Council Member • Q2 2011 raised $26,436 • Cash on hand $14,042 • Filed Statement of Candidacy June 2011 Robert Stutz: former Assistant Attorney General with the Montana Department of Justice; worked at the U.S. Dept. of Education; Chief Legal Counsel to the Montana Legislature for 2011 session • Announced candidacy Aug. 10
Campaign Finance Update: Five candidates have declared their intention to run for the single 2012 federal House of Representatives seat. Four of these candidates, one Republican and three Democrats, have filed financial statements with the Federal Election Commission. The Federal Election Commission regulates federal elections. For up to date information on candidate filings see fec.gov.
Big Sky Weekly
montana
Test scores show improvement among Montana students Feds to waive No Child Left Behind requirements for some states 74 percent of Montana’s public schools met federal education requirements for yearly progress, according to an Aug. 5 report released by the Montana Office of Public Instruction. Data showed consistent improvement in student test scores, and 609 of Montana’s 821 public schools currently meet federal requirements. Coordinated by Montana’s Office of Public Instruction, the report complies with the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and requires schools to meet 41 benchmarks. A school’s “adequate yearly progress” is calculated based on test participation, academic achievement, graduation rate, as well as other statistics. Although Montana was scheduled to jump to 92 percent proficiency in Reading and 84 percent in Math, the Superintendent of Public Instruction didn’t raise statewide testing goals this year. As required by NCLB, Montana has set a goal for 100 percent proficiency for all students by 2014. “I’m not afraid of accountability or reform,” said Denise Juneau, Montana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction. “I am working with the public school community to improve education in Montana in a
100
way that matters for our students and prepares them for college and careers.” Where reform is necessary, Juneau’s office works in collaboration with teachers and administrators to find local solutions that fit Montana’s rural communities. On Monday Aug. 8, the Obama administration announced a waiver that will lessen some of the No Child Left Behind mandates. Soon more than 80 percent of the nation’s schools aren’t meeting the strict requirements, according to Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
Superintendent Juneau pointed to the following reform efforts underway in Montana:
Many states, as well as the administration, have asked Congress to rewrite the law, saying it’s too punitive. The waiver will allow states to avoid many of NCLB’s penalties and deadlines, according to an NPR newscast.
• Recommending the Board of Public Education adopt the Common Core State Standards in English, Language Arts and Mathematics. These are higher and clearer than Montana’s current standards, are aligned with college and workforce expectations, and are designed to ensure students learn skills to be competitive in a global economy
Further information about the waiver won’t be out until Sept., so Montana’s Supt. Juneau is waiting to see the details before deciding whether to apply for it. “I want to make sure that any reforms attached to the waiver will work for Montana’s rural communities,” she said.
• Collaboration in four communities to turn around the state’s lowest-performing schools, which resulted in increased average test scores in Reading, Math and Science • Overhauling the Montana accreditation standards to make them more performancebased, giving schools flexibility to focus on student achievement
E.S.
Percentage of Students at or above “proficient” in Reading and Math 2006-2011
• Launching Graduation Matters Montana, a statewide initiative that engages schools, communities, businesses and families in a focused effort to increase the number of students who graduate
80 60
• Creating a new data warehouse to improve transparency and access to education data for the public, and allowing more individualized instruction and support services for students by teachers and administrators
40 20 0 Math
Reading
Report: Climate change hits Indian country hardest By Deb Courson Smith Indian country is bearing the biggest brunt of climate change, according to a new report from tribal groups and the National Wildlife Federation. More frequent extreme weather – such as droughts, floods, wildfires and snowstorms – is detailed, with flooding in Montana this year noted as particularly destructive and expensive for natives. Kim Gottschalk, staff attorney for
the Native American Rights Fund explains the impact of ecological damage:
the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and to repeal tribal exclusion from federal environmental programs.
“They depend on these systems for their spiritual, cultural and economic welfare – and yet, despite their historically low carbon footprint, have been disproportionately affected by climate change.”
Indian nations face profound challenges to their cultures, economies and livelihoods, says Jose Aguto, policy adviser for the National Congress of American Indians, yet they also have natural-resource expertise they want to share by collaborating with federal, state and local governments.
The study asks Congress to boost funding for conservation and climate adaptation projects through
“They have practices that are time-
tested, climate resilient, sustainable, bountiful and cost-effective.” Some of the richest renewable-energy resources in North America are on tribal lands, yet it’s difficult to find capital or investors, and most federal incentives aren’t available to the tribes. The full report, “Facing the Storm: Indian Tribes, Climate-Induced Weather Extremes, and the Future for Indian Country,” is online at nwf.org.
explorebigsky.com August 12, 2011 15
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food & dining
Big Sky
August 12, 2011 Volume 2 // Issue #15
Montana cuisine: trout on the grill
Smoked trout, Bing cherry salsa, and kiwi rum chili vinaigrette tostadas recipe and photo By Will Casella Hot smoked trout
Kiwi chili vinaigrette
• 2 large fillet or 4 smaller fillets • Salt and pepper • Mirin to add color (not required) • Smoking chips - available in stores or any hardwood will work. Hickory, apple, alder, etc.
• 2 ripe kiwis • 1 red chili • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar • Squeeze of lime • 1/2 shot of rum (light or dark) • Pinch of salt
With a doubled piece of tin foil, create a palm-sized cup and add a small handful of dry smoking chips. Leave the top of the cup uncovered.
Peel and halve the kiwis and press through a fine sieve to get a glorious bright green ectoplasmic pulp. Add finely diced red chili to your level of heat preference (usually 1/4 of pepper, no seeds, will suffice), and the rest of the ingredients to taste.
Clean and prepare fish. Leave skin on if you plan to cook the fillet whole, or take skin off and cut fillet into one inch chunks if you’d like a smokier flavor (or if you massacred the filleting process). Drizzle with a touch of mirin to add a darker color; the sugars will also absorb some of the smoke. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once the coals burn down or your gas grill heats up, add the foil smoking cup straight to the coals and replace the grill. Place whole fillet skin side down, or put chunks on a flat piece of tin foil in the colder corner of the grill. Cover completely and cook for about 20 minutes or until the fish starts to flake. Remove from the grill and let stand at room temperature or refrigerate for later use.
Bing Cherry Salsa • 1 lb. Bing cherries • 1/4 large Walla Walla sweet onion • whole lime, squeezed • tiny pinch of ground chipotle or smoked paprika • pinch of salt Seed and quarter the cherries, dice the onion to an equal sized cube, squeeze in the lime, add the salt and spice if you like, mix and throw in the fridge.
Final preparation: Everything is easy now. On the tostadas place a good helping of the cherry salsa, a nice chunk of fish (just flake off from fillet), and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Garnish with a bit of bias cut scallion, serve with a bottle of bubbles or a cold New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and enjoy! Will Casella has been wandering the world in pursuit of the ultimate outdoor traveling/ camping/fly fishing experience for the past 10 years. Since unpacking his bags in Bozeman, he started Phasmid Rentals, through which he shares his passion for Montana and self-drive adventures by providing outfitted rental vehicles and itinerary planning for like-minded souls.
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Tostadas
• White corn tortillas, Goya wrappers or Round tortilla chips • Vegetable oil I prefer preparing my own tostada base, but if you are pressed for time store bought chips are fine. White corn tortillas provide more crunch and texture. Goya wrappers are a little easier, have a lighter texture, and provide an extra froufrou gourmet touch, if that’s your thing. For the white corn tortillas, use a 2” round jar lid or glass to cut bite sized rounds out of the whole the tortillas or use a whole tortilla to serve the dish as an entrée. Heat about a 1/2” of vegetable oil in a heavy cast iron pan on medium-high heat until it spatters with a drop of water. Place tortilla rounds or gyoza wrappers flat in oil and lightly brown both sides. Place on newspaper or brown paper bag to drain, and sprinkle with a little salt. Repeat process until an adequate number of tostadas are made (about three per person), and a couple are saved for the chef.
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Big Sky Weekly
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college counselor
What’s your magic number? Advice for students applying to college or university By Steve Michaud
Experience Counts What is the “magic” number of colleges and universities to apply to? The simple answer: at least one. You can only attend one college at a time, and ultimately you’ll only select one. But for most students, applying to only one school isn’t a reasonable expectation. There is no perfect formula of how many schools to apply to, but there is a formula for finding the college that fits. I advise students to apply to colleges based on their needs; therefore the number of schools to which each person applies varies. Now, with online access, fees waived, the common application, and applications without essay requirements, applying to colleges can be easy. I often encourage students to apply to four to six schools, and no more than eight or 10. But many students do feel compelled to apply to many schools. Here is some advice for going through this process: •
•
Clarify your priorities and match those to a college. Research and visit schools. While you’re there, talk to colleges about their criteria. This requires you to engage in critical thinking and decision-making before applications are even due. Casting a broad net of possible choices is a popular strategy. The idea is that applying to more schools improves chances for acceptance. But the greater the number of applications, the greater the risk of careless
mistakes. An application should reflect your intention. •
•
•
A student can fit many schools. It can be a challenge to narrow the list. Remember, the college you attend will be your home away from home for four or five years. Think about how close (or far) you’ll be to your family. Decide if you want an urban or rural setting. If financial aid is a priority, it may be advantageous to apply to more schools, widening possible choices. Discuss financial aid opportunities with schools and learn where each stands on merit and/or need based aid. Find out average financial aid numbers, and if there’s a drop-off in award monies after completion of freshman year.
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For some students, the best choice is to apply to in-state universities or colleges.
College admissions is not a perfect science or process, and it’s not just about numbers. It’s about finding the best fit through a diligent, mindful and intentional practice. Steve Michaud, owner of Family Pathways College Counseling, is a practicing independent college counselor in Bozeman. Michaud has more than two decades of experience helping families across the country navigate all post secondary options. Contact him at: Stevemichaud73@gmail.com or (406) 570-1178.
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Big Sky Weekly
sports After a long off-season of worry and speculation about whether or not the NFL would have a season this year, the league and players have finally come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. Almost as exciting as the agreement is the duration of the contract. Fans now know that words like “lockout” and “labor agreement” won’t need to be discussed at least for the next decade.
By Brandon Niles
Lockout Over!
This new agreement is good for both the players and the owners. It includes assurance that the season will continue to be 16 games (instead of the owner proposed 18 games), and rookie wages will be cut in half. Additionally, the players will get a fair percentage of revenue. I would’ve liked to see more money go to retired players, particularly in the form of medical assistance, but overall I think this is a good deal. Perhaps most exciting for fans are the flurry of offseason activities that occurred since the agreement was put in place only a couple of weeks ago. Transactions that usually take place over the course of the entire off-season have instead been compacted into a matter of days. As a result, football fans all over the world have been glued to news headlines and Twitter for updates. Also, the pre-season is underway, a welcome appetizer to the regular season coming in September. Fans have been clamoring for football since the Super Bowl in February. They’ve been concerned and fed up with the league, but the pre-season gives them the opportunity to see the rookies play in their new uniforms, creating an intoxicating excitement for the upcoming season.
Fans have had a tough year. The NFL provides many who are struggling in a difficult economy with hope and camaraderie. The sport provides fathers and sons opportunities to bond, friends a reason to get together and banter, and perhaps most of all, it provides our soldiers overseas something to look forward to each week. As a veteran who served a short deployment in Iraq several years ago, I remember how much we all loved and looked forward to football every Sunday. Even the non-football fans watched the games. The NFL provided an amazing escape from the world around us, and helped keep us connected with home. I can’t imagine my time in Iraq without football, and I know many men and women serving feel the same way today. Many fans have been disenchanted with the NFL as a result of this lockout. Many have said they wouldn’t return as fans, and that the sport is diminished to them now. I can sympathize, and at times feel the same way. However, while I may not be happy about this off-season, all the frustration has quickly fallen away. Like a battered ex-boyfriend, beleaguered, I return to this sport I love so much. And after all that has gone on, I can honestly say I am unequivocally ready for some football. It’s almost here. Brandon Niles has done online freelance writing about the NFL since 2007. His articles range from NFL news to team-specific commentary. A Communication Studies graduate student at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Niles is also an avid Miami Dolphins fan, which has led to his becoming an avid Scotch whisky fan over the past decade. He hopes to visit Montana some day.
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Big Sky Weekly
Architecture
The new American mountain home By Jamie Daugaard Social and financial changes in our culture are causing an evolution in the style and substance of the American mountain home. Many people are finding less can definitely be more in both the expression and size of new construction. Design details often have the most impact. Done well, these are clean, unobtrusive, useful, and subtly carried throughout the rest of the design. These vary from a structural connection detail, to variously sized and expressed recessed niches for artwork or firewood, to a backlit lighting element guiding up the driveway and into and through a house. Details can make even the smallest of homes rich with character. The trend in new construction is to decrease the square footage. Most new and vacation homes now are about two-thirds the size of what they were before the recession. This has positive effects, including decreasing heating, cooling and lighting load, and minimizing the impact on the surrounding environment. Increased construction and utility costs and an awareness of sustainability are
also encouraging this change. Geothermal heating and cooling is another movement that works well in Southwest Montana due to the temperate climate. This system is low maintenance, reliable and has a long lifespan. Other sustainable, low-input systems like solar energy are also growing in popularity. Solar technology’s increased efficiency and integration into building materials and systems like window glazing and shingles has made it a viable and non-intrusive solution that doesn’t dominate the style of a house. The new design tendency is becoming more contemporary, while remaining within the context of mountain style: Clean lines and textures, lower-slope roofs, and a balanced combination of materials characterize it. Natural elements such as wood and stone accented with metal, salvaged and reused items recall and celebrate our rich mountain history. Traditional materials are also being used in new ways. Large and multiple windows with low or no-profile
trim and minimal mullions, open floor plans, sweeping celebrated staircases, and exposed structure are a few interior elements that create a light, airy and honest impression. This new regional mountain style includes elements of sustainability and independent living integrated into simple yet full and connected design.
Jamie Daugaard, principal of Centre Sky Architecture, received his B-Arch and M-Arch from Montana State University. Sustainability is deeply rooted in his work, which is mostly located in mountain regions with offices in Denver, Colorado, and Big Sky, Montana. If you would like to comment on this article or would like to learn more about another topic, you can contact him at jamie@centresky.com or (406) 995-7572. centresky.com
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explorebigsky.com August 12, 2011 21
business directory
Big Sky Weekly
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As he grills bison prime rib and wild caught Alaskan sockeye salmon for 30 guests, Charlie Immenschuh’s laugh echoes through the trees. Guests sit at a long familystyle table covered with a red-checked cloth and lit by candles. Children run and play next to Cache Creek’s timber pavilion, while adults snack on Dutch oven spinach artichoke dip. Seven miles up Moose Creek Road, in Gallatin Canyon, a wooden sign with faded black paint marks the turnoff to Cache Creek. Horses graze in a pen, and tall grass surrounds the road that takes guests by horse drawn buggy up to the pavilion Charlie built with timber harvested from the property and milled with a portable band saw. His is the only structure on the 700 acres, which he leases from private owners. “Conservation is what we do,” Charlie said. He works with the owners to protect the land, ensuring guests get to experience a wild place.
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22 August 12, 2011 explorebigsky.com
Big Sky Weekly
OZssage Ltd - Therapeutic Massage & Spa Join Delilah for yoga Monday & Friday 9:30 a.m.-Moonlight Lodge
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Wearing a cowboy hat and a cherubic smile, Charlie greets guests who are equally pleased to see him. Many of Cache Creek’s clients return for the outfitter’s hospitality, guided trips and delicious cuisine. The cookouts are the newest addition to the outfit, which has been in business since May 2003 guiding fishing, trail rides and horse pack trips. Charlie and his wife Mitch started the business together, and now have two wranglers and five guides. They began by outfitting Rainbow Ranch guests, but now run their own full-time operation spring, summer and fall. Born in Billings and raised in Sheridan, Wyo., Charlie often cracks jokes while imparting his knowledge of the land. He’s been guiding for over 20 years. Cache Creek trips are also a great option for younger children and older adults, Charlie said. Some choose a short horseback ride before dinner. Kids love the bonfire and s’mores, and adults enjoy watching the sunset over Gallatin Canyon. The full menu includes plated salad, Dutch oven jalapeno corn bread, Dutch oven drunken red potatoes, balsamic vinegar grilled asparagus or squash medley, corn on cob, sautéed portabella mushroom caps, and Dutch oven pineapple upside down cake. cachecreekoutfitters.com A.D.
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explorebigsky.com August 12, 2011 23
big-sky-weekly-ad.pdf
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EVENTS big sky Big Sky Classical Music Festival Town Center Stage Aug. 12- 14 7 p.m.
Camp Big Sky’s Dog Days of Summer Big Sky Community Park Aug. 13 8:30 a.m. registration
Lone Peak’s Revenge Mountain Bike Race Big Sky Resort Aug. 13 - 14 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Women in Action’s Annual Croquet Fundraiser Big Sky Golf Course August 14 3 – 7 p.m.
Indian Night at Lotus Pad Aug. 13, 20 $22
Brunch at Lone Mountain Ranch Aug. 14, 21 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Art Show at 320 Guest Ranch Aug. 15 Free to Public 4-7 p.m.
Monday Night Pig Roast 320 Guest Ranch Aug. 16, 23 6 – 8 p.m.
Mixed Doubles Disc Golf Tournament Big Horn Ridge Community Course Aug. 16, 23 6 p.m.
Shuffleboard Tournaments Lone Peak Brewery Aug. 17, 24 8 p.m.
Bluebird Sky Lone Mountain Ranch Veranda Aug. 17, 24 8 – 9:30 p.m.
Big Sky Farmers’ Market Town Center Aug. 17, 24 5 - 8 p.m.
Hayride and Riverside BBQ 320 Guest Ranch Aug. 17, 24 5:30 – 9 p.m.
Big Sky Weekly Planning an event? Let us know! Email abbie@theoutlawpartners.com and we’ll spread the word. Check explorebigsky.com for an extended calendar.
Big Sky Fire Department Annual Open House & BBQ Station 1, Westfork Meadow Aug. 15 5:30 p.m.
Dave Walker Band Town Center Stage Aug. 18 7 p.m.
Disc Golf Tournament Big Sky Community Park Aug. 20 10 a.m.
Keegan Smith and the Fam Town Center Park Aug. 25 7 p.m.
Wildflower and weed hikes on Aug. 13, Sept. 9 The third in a series of three-hour community hikes will be held at the Crail Ranch on Saturday, Aug. 13 from 9 a.m to noon. The hike will travel parts of the Reflector Trail. The fourth hike on Sept. 9, will be at Porcupine Creek near Big Sky on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 9 a.m to noon. To reach the trailhead, from the Big Sky Conoco head south toward West Yellowstone 2.7 miles (just south of Ophir School) and go left at the bridge over the Gallatin to the trailhead. The events, led by Jennifer Mohler, coordinator of the Gallatin/Big Sky Noxious Weed Committee, are free and open to the public. Participants will learn about a wide variety of native plants. The hike also will include discussion of noxious weeds and what residents can do to help eradicate them. Participants should bring water, sunscreen and good walking shoes. The sponsor of the event, the Gallatin/Big Sky Noxious Weed Committee, is a citizen-led committee working to address the spread of noxious weeds along the Gallatin River corridor, from the entrance of Yellowstone National Park to Four Corners. For more information, contact Jennifer Mohler @ (406) 209-0905 or bigskyweeds@gmail.com.
Free Fly Fishing Clinics
Gallatin Canyon’s Women’s Club Annual Luncheon
Jacklin’s Fly Shop Aug.14, 21 7:30 p.m.
Buck’s T-4 RSVP by Aug. 19 Aug. 24
Music in the Park
Bozeman Bridger Ridge Run
Gardiner Gardiner Brew Fest Arch Park Aug. 13 3 p.m.
Town Park Aug. 13
Annual Trout Cook-off Kirkwood Resort and Marina Aug. 20
Piano Music at Rosie’s Roost Aug. 13, 20, 27 6 – 9 p.m.
Aug. 13 7 a.m.
Music on Main Aug. 18, 25 6:30 p.m.
ChiRunning Clinic Bozeman REI Aug. 17 6:30 p.m.
Lunch on the Lawn Featuring the Tyler James Brigade Aug. 17 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Bike Maintenance Basics Bozeman REI Aug. 18 6:30 p.m.
The Art of Cartooning Bozeman Public Library Aug. 19 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Garden and Home Tour The Emerson Aug, 19, 20 4-8 p.m., 9- 4 p.m.
west yellowstone Wild West Yellowstone Rodeo Aug. 17-21, 24 - 27 8 p.m.
explorebigsky.com August 12, 2011 25
Big Sky Weekly
Classifieds Email classifieds and/or advertising requests to: media@theoutlawpartners.com (406) 995-2055
help wanted Opening at the Medical Clinic of Big Sky for receptionist/patient coordinator. Previous medical background helpful but not required. Must be computer savvy, have the ability to multi task, work well with others and maintain confidentiality at all times. Bring fax or resume to the Medical Clinic, 11 Lone Peak Trail - suite 202 - FAX 406-9932965 or mail to PO Box 160609, Big Sky, MT 59716 --------------------------------------------Bucks T-4, Looking for creative hard working individuals to join our culinary team, Line cooks, pantry, dishwashers, Wage DOE, Pickup application at hotel front desk, Call Chuck 995-4111 -----------------------------------------Local Big Sky construction company looking for experienced carpenters; 5 years experience and references required. Please fax resume to 9953676 or email info@bigskybuild.com. -----------------------------------------Ophir School District in Big Sky is seeking an Activities/Athletic
Director with intense interest in directing extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, successful experience in scheduling student activities and athletic events. This position serves as the district leader in the planning and supervision of district activity programs, as well as evaluation of activities/athletic personnel. Specific functions of the position include, planning, supervision, staff development, public relations/ booster organizations, communication, budget, staff relations, facilities, and record keeping. Please see the district website (www.ophirschool. org) “Employment” for more information and an application form. --------------------------------------------Experienced childcare provider in Big Sky, for 4 year old and infant 600-1448
for sale CHEAPEST HOUSE IN BIG SKY 2265 Little Coyote 3 BD, 2 BA, Golf Course Views Call Big Sky Sotheby’s 406.995.2244 -----------------------------------------For Sale - brand new furniture from a model home in Big Sky in Spanish Peaks. 4 Bar Stools, Couch, Entertainment Center, Cabinet and King Bedding. Call 406-993-5381.
for rent Office Space - Executive Office suites available in amazing building in Meadow Village, Big Sky - $300 to $500/mth depending on terms and office size. Each office has private door, shared conference rooms, shared kitchen space. Terms Negotiable. Call Eric 570-0639
SERVICES Golf and Ski Membership Opportunity. $5,000 and monthly dues gives you full member rights for the use of the Club at Spanish Peaks. Spanish Peaks is one of the few Communities in the world where you can ski, golf, fish and ride horses in the same neighborhood. Only one of these opportunities is available and membership must be approved. Call 303-4191263 for details.
housing wanted Local reporter seeks to ski, save gas and make the move to Big Sky. Year lease; that would be swell. Think you’ve got what I need? Peachy! call Taylor at (847) 902-7110 or email taylor@theoutlawpartners.com
Lost & Found
Stuffed monkey found on Big Sky Road. Call (406) 696-0971 to claim. --------------------------------------------LOST at the Big Sky PBR, August 3: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi Camera Please call (605) 431-2178 with any information. Request for Proposal Big Sky Chamber of Commerce is seeking the professional services of an advertising and marketing agency to work as a collaborative partner in the development and implementation of a comprehensive strategic planning, marketing, and branding initiative to identify and promote Big Sky as a travel destination to state, regional, national and international markets. For detailed information, visit http://www.bigskychamber.com/ pages/260/strategic-planning-marketing-and-branding-initiativerfp.html
This is how Big Sky gets into hot water.
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www.BigSkyHotTubs.com (406) 995-4892 • NordicHotTub@aol.com 26 August 12, 2011 explorebigsky.com
47520 Gallatin Rd. • Big Sky, MT 59716
environmental column
Don’t do disposable
Big Sky Weekly
Come in and see us now!
By Eileen Connors Having a society based on disposable products is the single most environmentally abusive thing humans do. We are “convenience-ing” ourselves out of a livable planet. Disposable products spend more time being manufactured, packaged and transported than they do being used. This endless cycle of manufacturing to dispose requires processes that pollute and emit greenhouse gasses, and doesn’t follow the environmental hierarchy of reduce, reuse, recycle. This destructive cycle produces waste problems and contributes to oil demand: The main ingredient in plastic is oil, including all the one-time use plastic people discard every day. We throw away plastic soda and water bottles, plates and packaging into plastic garbage bags, increasing oil demand. While today there is a lot of talk about reducing oil demand, no one is talking about the one way to immediately reduce it, which is to stop using disposable plastic, or disposables, period. If we used fewer garbage bags, we’d produce fewer.
Our disposable society basically got its start with the first fast food chain restaurant, and spiraled from there. We all have the ability to never use a disposable product again, starting right now. So, be a good global citizen, and don’t do disposable. Keep us in a livable planet. Learn this and so much more at EnvironmentalEducator.org a highly rated website and app.
We’ve got: women’s, men’s & children’s clothes; many inhome goods; sports; golf clubs & bags, bicycles, fishing items, camping chairs, tents, etc.
Price reductions in store now Located in the Big Horn Center, across from the Bugaboo Café @ the corner of Canyon Hwy 191 & Lone Mtn Trail
Please call Janine or Dick @ (406) 993-9333 for an appointment to consign your items for sale
explorebigsky.com August 12, 2011 27
Big Sky Weekly
Science
MSU team surprised by results of lung, mold study Researchers found common mold can cause dangerous lung condition By Evelyn Boswell Researchers led by Montana State University in Bozeman have found a surprising condition that occurs in the lungs after an invasion of a common mold that can cause deadly infections in humans. In the most oxygen-rich environment in the body – the lungs – the scientists discovered a shortage of oxygen. The shortage resulted from inflammation and invasive growth of Aspergillus fumigatus, which greatly reduced the available oxygen to the pathogenic mold. The mold is generally found in hay, soils and compost piles and can cause a variety of lung infections when inhaled by humans. The most lethal of those infections is invasive aspergillosis, which can kill 30 to 90 percent of its victims depending on the patient population. Most susceptible are people who have had organ transplants, HIV, chemotherapy or other medical treatments that weaken their ability to fight off infection. “We think this [lack of oxygen] is a really big stress on the pathogen,” said Nora Grahl, a doctoral candidate at MSU. Grahl led the study that’s adding knowledge to the field of infectious disease and was published in the July 21 issue of “PLoS Pathogens.” Based in Dr. Robert Cramer’s laboratory in MSU’s Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, the study
was the first to show a strong link between hypoxia, or low oxygen levels in the lungs, and fungal infections, Grahl said. The research was unique because little research has been done on the microenvironments encountered by Aspergillus fumigatus in such detail during infection. The study was conducted in mice and showed a variety of ways that the lungs and mold respond to each other. The scientists noted, for example, that Nora Grahl and Robert Cramer examine a film used to verify the low levels of oxygen presence or absence of a specific DNA sequence in different funare just one of many gal DNA samples. MSU photo by Kelly Gorham challenges mold has to Cramer said most microbes can use fermentation to overcome before it can generate energy during hypoxia, but Grahl has also cause a lung infection. When the shortage occurs, found mutant strains of the mold that use respiramicrobes may adapt through fermentation or other tion instead. As a result, the researchers are interchanges in metabolism. An important finding was ested in continuing to study respiration as it relates that the mold’s fermentation could also influence to Aspergillus fumigatus pathogenesis. the host immune response to the pathogen.
O P E N
CASUAL
Entries to be judged by experts with cash prizes. 9:00 a.m.
Top prize is $150
Yoga or Zumba Class by Suzi Ragsdale and Abby Majerus
10:30 a.m. 1st Annual Hebgen Cup Sailboat Regatta Starts 5:00 p.m. Live Music Suzie Ragsdale Begins Casting Lessons with Jacklin’s Fly Shop Associates Kayak Rides with Lava Creek Adventures Beer Tasting with Bozeman Brewing Co. Great Food and Drinks available at the Kirkwood Roadhouse Grill 6:00 p.m. Cook-Off Entries Presented & Judging Begins 6:30 p.m. Ballots available for People’s Choice Award Voting 7:00 p.m. Cook-Off Winners Announced Live Music Continues leading into a Jam Session Those who would like to participate please feel free!
F O R
T H E
FineDining
S U M M E R
IN A WARM MONTANA ATMOSPHERE
Superb Cuisine Using Local and Regional Ingredients for a Unique Flair in Rocky Mountain Dining Hand Cut Steaks, Wild Game, Trout, Seafood Game Burgers & Lighter Fare
Location:
Big Sky’s Mountain Village ~ Arrowhead Chalet Mall ~ 3rd Floor
Call 406-995-4244 for Reservations & Information
Dinner 6:00-Close Tuesday~Saturday
w w w. c a b i n b a r a n d g r i l l . c o m
health & wellness
Rural healthcare in crisis By Erin a. Bills Primary care providers are responsible for initial and ongoing healthcare for most patients, and a large percentage of Montanans rely on these physicians. But in the past decade, the number of primary care physicians practicing in rural clinical settings in Montana has declined. Because of this, many small communities lack counseling on preventive medicine and have little access to healthcare or emergency health services.
erational and clinical peer networks with several specialty care clinics such as orthopedic care and obstetric care in Bozeman.
A quarter of Montana’s active physicians are 60 or older and will retire in the next five years. According to a recent report by the Montana State University Office of Rural Health, there are approximately 19 primary care physician openings in Montana each year. Despite increases in medical graduWithout a sufficient number of ates, the number of primary care primary care residents training to physicians remains low, according to fill these positions, the problem recent studies*. of provider As Montana residents, we shortages will Medical stuneed to communicate dents’ and mediexpand. The cal residents’ depracticing mediwith our legislators and creased interest cal community policy makers, asking in primary care must assume a them to create sustainable specialization leadership role programs and policies is due to low to facilitate compensation that will improve physician quality educacompared to urand sucrecruitment and retention tion ban counterparts cessful return in all rural Montana and specialty of rural practicpractice, rising physicians. communities. ing malpractice premiums, professional isolation, As Montana residents, we need to and limited time off, according to the communicate with our legislators Rural Health Research Center. Recent and policy makers, asking them to economic instability and declining create sustainable programs and Medicare reimbursement have also policies that will improve physician spurred the decline. recruitment and retention in all rural Montana communities. The Medical Clinic of Big Sky has addressed this issue by establishing a Erin A. Bills, MPH, is a public student program open to fourth year health consultant who lives in Big medical students and medical resiSky. Her ongoing research of social dents. This clinic specializes in intercapital with the University of Monnal medicine, sports medicine, family tana and CARD Clinic in Libby, care and women’s health care. WithMont. has aided in the development out this, Big Sky residents wouldn’t of effective health policy in rural have access to primary care. Montana. Because residents of rural communities may sometimes require specialty care, public health professionals and primary care physicians maintain relationships with specialty referral healthcare centers. Big Sky’s clinic has established opBISON Big Sky Weekly :Layout 1
41 REASONS TO VISIT BOZEMAN DEACONESS PHARMACY AT BIG SKY. Fill a prescription. Refill a prescription. Shop for over-the-counter remedies for head colds, heartburn, and whatever else ails you. Quickly. Conveniently. Right here in Big Sky at Meadow Village Center across from the Big Sky Chapel.
Hours: Monday-Friday, 10:00 am-6:00 pm; Closed 2:00-2:30 pm for lunch Meadow Village Center | 36 Center Ln, Suite 2 406-993-9390 | www.bozemandeaconess.org/pharmacy
*Completed by the Rural Health Research Center, in conjunction with the University of Washington School of Medicine and the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho)
7/27/10
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Catch a flight in the morning. Be totally amazed by noon! You can’t land any closer to where you want to be!
Yellowstone Big Sky Gallatin Madison Ennis Virginia City Island Park
www.yellowstoneairport.org FLIGHTS DAILY FROM WEST YELLOWSTONE MONTANA
explorebigsky.com August 12, 2011 29
by word of mouth
Local adventure
Horseback riding at Lone Mountain Ranch b i s t r o + c a t e r i n g fresh, unique cuisine made with local gallatin valley botanical farm products open daily 5:00 - 10:30 p.m. In addition to our regular menu, join us for: Tokyo Tuesday hand-rolled sushi & more Friday Fish Fry all-you-can-eat, hand-battered fish & all the fixins’
try our summer signature sweet basil martini For reservations, call 406-995-2992
30 August 12, 2011 explorebigsky.com
By Abbie Digel It was a perfect summer day in Big Sky. The rains had cleared and blue skies abounded. My sister was visiting Montana for the first time, and she wanted to see tumbleweed dancing on an orange evening, fields of livestock with a horizon dotted by jagged mountains, and most of all, she wanted to go horseback riding. I took her to Lone Mountain Ranch, just up the street from my house in Big Sky. We met the wranglers by the corral at the edge of the guest ranch’s winter nordic ski trails. Neither of us had been on a horse since our birthday party pony days, and we listened intently to our guide’s safety briefing, then stepped into the stirrups. I rode an American quarter horse, and my sister a handsome Arabian. The animals followed our guide, Molly, also on horseback, in a single file line. We spent two hours trekking through LMR’s beautiful trail system, then ventured further into the North Fork on single-track trails through which our horses maneuvered, always taking the path of least resistance. Fresh out of college, Molly had spent her life on horseback, and told stories of her equestrian days and polo matches.
She pointed out wildflowers and large estates. My horse moved as if I had been riding her for years. She had a competitive edge, and shook her head in protest when I pulled up on the reigns, telling her to stay in her place. Molly explained her team takes most experienced riders to the Lee Metcalf Wilderness, the Gallatin National Forest or Yellowstone National Park. The Ranch is one of few operations that allows guests to lope and run, she said. The wranglers, a team of eager, knowledgeable folks, also give private lessons and provide all day rides with picnic lunches made by the Ranch’s kitchen staff. All the equipment is provided, even the stylin’ cowboy boots every cowboy/girl dreams of. lonemountainranch.com
explore
Montana’s first Dirty Dash Filth, fun and funds for charity By Abbie Digel Nearly 2,500 Tutu and spandex-clad runners race through a makeshift course, hurdling five-foot “hog bales,” running through abandoned barns, and slipping through mud pits. Add fire hoses, beer, sunshine and 2,000 spectators, and you’ve got Montana’s first-ever Dirty Dash, held Saturday, July 30, at Metra Park in Billings. “There were more cars in the parking lot than there are for concerts,” said Matt Ward, a founding member of the Dirty Dash. “[Metra Park] was blown away.”
through 100 meters of thick brown mud under a wall of zig-zagging pipeline. The “hog wallow” and “pig pen” led adrenalized racers through a rubber-tire field, over high walls and through narrow chutes. For every race, “The end goal is the same. We want to get people off the couch, and outside working out,” Ward said. “We get people who’ve never in their life run a race before, [because] our race is so unintimidating.”
A nationwide phenomenon, the Dirty Dash is a 5 or 10K “mud run obstacle course where a military boot camp meets your inner five-year-old’s fantasy and subsequently converts boy to man and then…man to swine,” according to its website.
In Billings, the last mile included a well-received beer stop called the “slop and slide,” and then the “pig sty,” two giant mud pools a team from Big Sky deemed the best thing ever.
In Billings, the intensity (and filth) built during the “hometown special,” which required racers to swim
The Dash will return to Billings next year under a different name: The Montana Dirty Dash. People showed
up from all over the state, Ward said. And the best part wasn’t the filth or the fun, but the $100,000 that goes to charity, he added. This year, a little over $4,000 went to the Billings YMCA.
Don’t miss other Dirty Dash events this summer in Spokane, Wash., (Aug. 20) and Boise, Idaho (Aug. 27). Look for two new locations next year, Eugene, Ore., and Las Vegas, both slated for April.
Summers in Montana
are Short Enough
Don’t spend them Cleaning your carpets Big Sky’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Specialists | Water • Fire • Odor • Resortation Contractor JIM ANDERSON: 406-995-2811
After Hours Emergency: 406-582-2825
IICRC CERTIFIED
Call Us TODAY! explorebigsky.com August 12, 2011 31
Big Sky Weekly
Noun: wild or rough terrain adjacent to a developed area Origin: shortened form of “back 40 acres”
For the Big Sky Weekly, the Back 40 is a resource: a place where we can delve into subjects and ask experts to share their knowledge. Topics include regional history, profiles of local artists and musicians, snow and avalanche education, how-to pieces for traditional or outdoor skills, and science.
Healing inflammation naturally By Dr. Holcomb Johnston Biking, hiking, riding, paddling, skiing, climbing, fishing – there is no shortage of ways to use our bodies here in Montana. And chances are, whether you’re a weekend warrior or a professional athlete, pain and inflammation are part of your routine. Many people manage these symptoms with anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, but prolonged use of these medicines can have serious consequences, such as causing digestive tract ulcers. Fortunately, alternatives do exist to help ease the pain, including some from our own backyard. Thankfully, our world is filled with natural and relatively safe substances that promote wellbeing without causing unwanted side effects. Begin using these common treatments in your daily routine, rather than simply suppressing pain, you’ll prevent it.
Hypericum perforatum, aka St. John’s Wort, is another plant found locally with a long history of medicinal use, most notably documented during the Roman Empire. Popularized for its efficacy with mild to moderate depression, Hypericum is also an excellent remedy for nerve pain such as sciatica, tailbone injuries and burns. Like arnica, this plant can be applied topically or taken internally. Studies show Hypericum aids in tissue healing by decreasing wound closure time, increases wound contraction, and promotes better tensile strength of damaged tissues. Look for this bright yellow plant in areas where livestock graze.
One final non-local plant, Curcuma longa, commonly known as the spice tumeric, has endless research showing its benefits for everything from cancer to simple aches and pains. Tumeric decreases inflammatory compounds in the body, while increasing beneficial anti-inflammatory messengers. Studies also show it helps generate our major intracellular antioxidant, glutathione, which aids in the body’s cellular adaptation to stress. This bright orange spice can be used in cooking, blended into a smoothie, eaten straight or taken as a capsule. It’s classically used in Indian cooking and has a mild but distinct taste.
While out in the mountains, look for Arnica Montana, a beautiful yellow daisy-like flower that grows in meadows and woodlands up to 9800 feet. Used for centuries by Native Americans, medicine from the flowers can help ease bruising and trauma. Applied topically in the form of gels, creams, poultices, or oils, arnica is a great first-line therapy. Internally, arnica is best used homeopathically, acting both acutely and as prophylactic before surgery or a long, hard day. In a pinch, pick some arnica flowers, apply to a bruised area and wrap in place, until more refined options are available.
Pineapple contains a compound know as bromelain, which is useful to alleviate bruising, swelling, sprains, strains and general inflammation. It is in a class of anti-inflammatories known as ‘proteolytic enzymes’ – substances that, when taken away from food, help to stop the inflammation cascade. Incredibly, bromelain also changes the migration of white blood cells and deters them from further complicating an injured area. Most people use supplemental bromelain, as it comes from the woody and less palatable core of the pineapple.
A list of natural anti-inflammatories is not complete without mentioning omega-3 rich fish oil. Benefits include faster recovery time, improved circulation, increased lean muscle tissue, decreased chance of joint and connective tissue injury, and prevention of inflammatory compound formation. Fish oil is fantastic in high doses for acute injury and is also beneficial as a daily preventative supplement. While eating fish is helpful, the beneficial omega-3 oils are concentrated in the liver, which is rarely eaten. Therefore, a high quality supplement is recommended. Dr. Holcomb Johnston owns Sweetgrass Natural Medicine in Bozeman. When not in the office, she enjoys playing outdoors, growing her own food and watching the light on the mountains with her husband and dog.
32 August 12, 2011 explorebigsky.com
August 12, 2011 Volume 2 // Issue #13
Big Sky
photo by daniel bullock
Special Section:
fishing Photo courtesy of Bill Lerch
photo by mike coil
Fishing Report...34 News...37 Opinion...40 Alternative...41 Fish Tails...43 Fishing the Backcounty...45 Select Fish of Montana...48
photo by mike coil
photo by mike coil
photo by royce gorsuch
photo by mike coil
explorebigsky.com August 12, 2011 33
Big Sky Weekly
fishing report
Photo by Ennion Williams
Trout life in Southwest Montana By ennion Williams Montana fly fishing summer 2011 will go down as a year to remember in more than one angler’s book. We’ve had high water like many have never seen, summer hatches a full month behind, and we may not even see some hatches this year. This has been a summer full of anticipation for rivers to clear and finally, the joy that’s come with setting a hook, the first take of the year on a dry fly. Near Big Sky and Bozeman, the Gallatin River and its tributaries are fishing very well. Right now, look for the Spruce Moth in the afternoons. Soon, grasshoppers will begin to get the trout’s attention. As we move into Aug., anglers will want to have plenty of terrestrial patterns like ants, beetles and
grasshoppers in their kits. There are still some caddis out there from 10 a.m. into the afternoon, and evening fishing until dark is always productive. Many other rivers in our region are also just now coming into their own. It started a little late and slow, but now the fishing is on in full force. If you’ve never fly fished or want to learn more, hiring a guide for the day is a great way to learn the basics or hone your skills. There are many fine fly shops around Southwest Montana, so stop in for local information, or find a guide to show you the hot spots. The following reports are from a couple of fly shops with local knowledge from around the region.
Exceptionally large fish on the Beaverhead, dry flies on the Big Hole By Tim Tollett, Frontier Anglers, Dillon What a season we are having here in beautiful Beaverhead and Big Hole Country. Early in the season we experienced very good river flows, unlike other areas in Montana. Now as our season progresses, the massive insect population caused by years of good water, combined with our generous trout population, has made the fishing as solid as we can remember it. The Beaverhead, reminding us of the days of old, is producing some exceptionally large fish. Both browns and rainbows are eager and respond to well presented nymphs, streamers and dry flies. The yellow sallies are thick this year, as are the caddis flies. The Pale Morning Duns have been on for a couple weeks, and we should see quality
34 August 12, 2011 explorebigsky.com
fishing using these imitations through Aug. Watch for the middle of Aug. to really kick into gear using hoppers! The quality of dry fly fishing on the Big Hole this year has ranked with all-time great seasons. We’ve noticed a remarkable increase in the overall grayling population, as well as cutthroat trout. Large browns, over the magical 20” mark, have shown their colors, with most of them coming to the dry fly. Hatches of brown and green drakes have been heavy, and we are looking forward to the fantastic spruce moth, trico, and hopper fishing yet to come. frontieranglers.com
Ennion Williams compiled these fishing reports for the Big Sky Weekly. He is a professional fishing guide and outfitter in Big Sky. He can be reached at (406) 579-7094 or at ennion3@yahoo.com. He also runs Big Sky Local Foods. bigskylocalfood.com
Big Sky Weekly
fishing report
Late summer and fall fishing forecast for Yellowstone country Craig Mathews, Blue Ribbon Flies, West Yellowstone Late summer and fall fishing in Yellowstone country will be incredible in 2011. Big water years mean big aquatic insect hatches and big fish, and late season this year will be the best in over 15 years. This is a special time, as the summer crowds head home, bull elk bugle to their harems, and wild trout become active in the cooling water. The Firehole River in the Park will fish well in late summer during insect emergences like caddis and mayflies like the Fall Baetis. Also, grasshoppers, beetles, ants and damsel flies can bring up good rises. During Fall Baetis emergences, which begin around mid-Aug., anglers can expect wonderful dry fly fishing from noon to 4 p.m. This hatch will continue from late Aug. until the Park fishing season closes Nov. 6. These tiny mayflies, size #20-24, emerge best on cool, wet days, especially in snowy conditions. Caddis flies prefer warmer weather, and will emerge during afternoons and evenings. The Madison River in the park will see its first run of fall run-up fish from Hebgen Lake in mid-Aug. This run of big brown and rainbow trout gets stronger each day through the late season, and anglers from around the world travel here to fish during this
time. In Aug. and Sept. the river fishes well when grasshopper, ants and beetles are active. The Gibbon River is another favorite among anglers in the know. The river below its 88-foot waterfall sees a good run of fall run-up fish from the Madison River and Hebgen Lake. It, too, fishes well when grasshoppers are active in Aug. and Sept. The Lamar River and its tributaries, Slough and Soda Butte Creeks, fish well in late summer and fall. These fine waters are noted for strong terrestrial insect activity and lots of big, rising cutthroat and rainbow trout. Mormon crickets, grasshoppers, bees and beetles and ants all bring up the trout, as does late green drake and Baetis mayfly emergences. In early Aug., they were just beginning to fish well. These fine waters will see some very big fish coming up for insects during late summer and fall. The Gardner River in the north portion of Yellowstone Park is a sleeper bet for late summer and fall fishing. It gets a strong run of run-up brown trout from the Yellowstone River outside the park, and the late season grasshopper and cricket fishing can be awesome, too.
The Yellowstone River just downstream of Yellowstone Lake will fish well through Aug. this year with our high water, but the fish here are lake fish which migrated downstream from Yellowstone Lake and will return to the lake in early Sept. Fishing from the falls upstream to Yellowstone Lake is not recommended after Sept. 1. However, the Yellowstone River below Gardiner has wonderful late summer and fall fishing – put this one on the list if big trout are in your plans. The river will fish well all the way downstream to Big Timber.
and fall fishing. This is a good time to float the river below Lyon Bridge and all the way downstream to Ennis. The streamer fishing gets better as fall progresses, and it’s a fine time to enjoy fall colors along the river, watch pronghorn migrate to winter range, and catch plenty of wild brown and rainbow trout along the way.
The Gallatin River both in and out of the park offers wonderful late summer and fall fishing. For that matter, it fishes well downstream of Yellowstone National Park all winter too, and the fishing season is open on Montana’s section of the river year-round. Late season angling is wonderful when the grasshoppers, bees, ants and beetles are out, and the river gets good Fall Baetis mayfly emergences, as well.
If still-water fishing is your game, you won’t be disappointed with lakes like Hebgen, Earthquake, Wade and Cliff in Montana, or Henry’s Lake in Idaho. On Hebgen and Wade, Callibaetis mayflies will continue emerging in Aug. and Sept., and big trout will sip them until the snows fly in late fall.
The Madison River below Hebgen Dam and Earthquake Lake is a late season favorite. Fall Baetis emergences begin around Aug. 20, and the midge activity lasts from late summer through fall and winter. Grasshoppers, ants and beetles offer fine late summer
The Henry’s Fork in southeastern Idaho can be fun in the late summer and fall. Fall Baetis, grasshopper and beetles and Mahogany Duns will all bring big rainbow trout to the surface.
I get excited thinking about late season angling opportunities in Yellowstone country for 2011. Again, big water means big trout and lots of them. I hope to see you soon on the waters of southwest Montana and Yellowstone country! blueribbonflies.com
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Big Sky Weekly
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Big Sky Weekly
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The “Reel Hookers of Big Sky” in Craig, Mont. August 1-5, 2011
Pictured: Martha Schreiner, Kimmi Warga, Bonnie Stephens, Joan Balcombe, Connie Smith, Bennita Whittington, Pam McCurley, Teddi Solaimani, Suzanne Schreiner, and host Betsey French, owner of Gallatin Riverguides
Photo by Mike K. of Headhunters Fly Shop
This group of lady fisherwomen are mostly from Big Sky and have been fishing together for more than eight years, exploring the waters of Montana and beyond. The gals had a great three days fishing this summer, with lots of rainbows and browns landed. The largest fish was a 23” Rainbow. Top row, left to right: Sandi Brown, Babs Vanyo, Sue Arneson, Carol McClerkin, Suzanne Baetz, Jean Olson; bottom row, left to right: Barbara Blesch, Janet Rice, Sandye Carpenter, Donna Thompson, Ginna Hermann, Jan Bernards.
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Big Sky Weekly
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Big Sky Weekly
Whirling disease
Populations rebound after nearly two decades of battle By Taylor Anderson It starts as a tiny parasite in water, infects worms, and eventually makes its way onto the bodies of fish before infecting their nervous systems and killing the fish. It’s called Whirling disease, and for the past 17 years it’s infected Montana’s waters and fish.
biologist with Fish, Wildlife and Parks. “It was so widespread, and it was out there in the wild, it’s not like we could deliver some kind of knockout drug to get the bad guys,” Vaughn said.
Whirling disease is found in both the eastern and western U.S., and was particularly devastating to anglers in Southwest Montana because of its affects on the trophy rainbow trout fishing on the Madison and East Gallatin rivers. Montana biologists discovered it in the early 1990s on those rivers after deformed fish, some with black tails, were swimming in circles, being eaten and dying. Fish populations dropped by up to 90 percent in some stretches of river (though numbers are disputed). Conservation biologists rushed to find solutions, but stopping it proved difficult because the dying fish released the parasite into the river, restarting the parasitic cycle. The only thing to do was wait for the natural path of the disease to run its course, said Mike Vaughn, a fisheries
C
C a
A 2009 report by several fisheries biologists found mixed results and a complex disease. Some trout, for instance, died from the effects of the parasite, while others weren’t affected. After two decades, the disease seems to have ebbed drastically, and populations during the late 2000s have been strong, according to FWP fish counts. Pre-summer estimates pegged the Upper Madison at 2,500 rainbow trout per mile, and around 2,000 browns; the Lower had an estimated 1,500 rainbows and 1,000 brown trout per mile. East Gallatin numbers near Bozeman have been a bit lower, which Vaughn said had been the case before the disease.
Rainbow Trout showing clinical signs of whirling disease. PHOTO BY STEPHEN ATKINSON
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opinion
Rotenone: native trout’s deadliest weapon By Tyler Allen The mention of Cherry Creek conjures images of poisoned fish washing to shore and into the Madison River late in the summer of 2010. The poisonous perpetrator was rotenone, a piscicide capable of killing fish in a river or lake. The chemical gained local notoriety last fall when over 1,000 fish were accidentally killed in Cherry Creek, a tributary to the Madison River north of Ennis.
state to remove nonnative fish and then stock those streams and lakes with native trout. Unfortunately, this treatment is poisonous to amphibians, invertebrates and most stream-dwelling organisms. Biologists can time treatments after larval amphibians have emerged from the water, Horton from the FWP said. And with such short life cycles, invertebrates recolonize quickly after a treatment, he added.
The cause of the fish kill was a miscalculation by state biologists, said Travis Horton, a biologist with MonBut researchers from the USDA National Aquatic Ecotana Fish, Wildlife system Analysis Lab and Parks. A decision “Are we bringing the cutthroat back befound different results. was made not to apply cause of a moral obligation to right the A study done after a potassium permanrotenone treatment on wrongs of our predecessors?” ganate that day, a the Strawberry River chemical used to detoxify rotenone. The plan was to in Utah found 21 percent of the invertebrate species treat the water downstream the following day, leaving had not re-populated after five years. the rotenone in its toxic state. High water and resulting low surface temperatures created conditions where “If there were better ways, everyone would use them. the rotenone did not degrade as soon as expected and Rotenone is a serious solution to a serious problem,” poisoned the stream below the intended area. said Peter Brown, a fisheries biologist. Brown likens rotenone to chemotherapy: If there were a way to restore In Montana, the nonnative rainbow, brown and brook the body or the ecosystem without bringing it to the trout, which draw fishermen from around the world, brink of death, biologists would do it. have out-competed the native cutthroat where they exist together. Without rotenone treatment, a stream Smaller lakes and streams can be harvested mechanior lake would need to be electro-shocked exhaustively, cally, but a restored population of native fish could barriers would need to be erected, and the man-power be wiped out by a wildfire or landslide, negating the required would be cost-prohibitive. restoration. Indigenous tribes use rotenone, which is derived from tropical and sub-tropical plants, to harvest fish by grinding the roots into a powder and spreading it on surface water. Because rotenone is hydrophobic, it’s usually mixed with acetone to facilitate its dispersion in water in management applications. Fish take in the chemical through their gills and skin, but humans don’t absorb it well so poisoned fish can be eaten. The westslope cutthroat trout, a sub-species of the Yellowstone cutthroat, is Montana’s state fish and is designated as a “Montana fish of special concern.” In the ‘70s and ‘80s, biologists believed “a cutthroat was a cutthroat,” so Yellowstone cutthroats were stocked in lakes and streams that were originally home to the westslope. Since then, hybridization and habitat loss have drastically reduced the species’ range and population, and pure westslope currently exist in about 4 percent of their historic range in the upper Missouri Basin. Since the early ‘50s, biologists from what was then Montana Fish and Game, now called Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, have used rotenone around the
Cherry Creek, on the Madison, is a unique project in westslope re-introduction. The watershed is large, with multiple lakes and over 60 miles of stream in the treatment area. The size means the system will be resilient to natural disturbance – a fire or wind event isn’t likely to destroy the entire population of re-introduced fish. A waterfall near the bottom of the stream course closes it off from natural re-population by invasive fish. But what if a spawning rainbow or brown is picked up below the waterfall by an osprey and dropped upstream in the creek? The random character of the natural world can thwart the best of human intentions, and biologists must consider that at length before embarking on such ambitious and ecologically destructive projects. Mike Kasic, a filmmaker and biologist, applauds the cause of restoring native cutthroat, but not at the cost of destroying underwater ecosystems. He believes rotenone has its place in smaller streams and lakes, but fears fishery managers are being cavalier with its use, acting “more like ranchers than biologists.” These
Upcoming rotenone treatments Yellowstone Lake is one of many fisheries in the region where Lake Trout are having a significant impact on native fish. Rotenone will surely enter the discussion as biologists decide how to manage this threat to one of the Park’s crown jewels. In Northwest Montana, the South Fork of the Flathead River has been treated with rotenone to combat the rainbows and brook trout that are interbreeding with westslope cutthroat and competing with bull trout. Similar projects are slated for Dyse and Grasshopper creeks, tributaries to the Beaverhead, as well as Cherry and McVey creeks, which flow into the Big Hole. State biologists say they have a new detoxification policy in place after last summer’s incident at Cherry Creek. watersheds often require re-treatment to completely eradicate the invasives, he added. Humans are an indelible part of the Southwest Montana landscape. In addition to the habitat destroyed as we populate the hills and valleys, we have a significant impact on the flora and fauna here – the introduced European trout species now pervasive in our streams and lakes are one example. As stewards of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, we’re faced with a philosophical question: What are we trying to accomplish with management of these world-class fisheries? What conditions do we hope to restore? Forest managers grapple with this when attempting to restore forest systems to “historical conditions.” Do we want to create the forest of pre-human existence? Or of preEuropean colonization, when indigenous populations intensively managed the woodlands for wildlife and food-bearing plants? Are we bringing the cutthroat back because of a moral obligation to right the wrongs of our predecessors? Fisheries biologists brought invasive species into our lakes and streams, and their successors must be careful how they atone for that. Rotenone is a powerful weapon that quickly undoes decades of poor management, but it is a weapon being fired in a losing battle. An ecosystem dominated by native species is more resistant to natural or human disturbance – but Montana’s landscape has already been disturbed dramatically. We are trying to save a native species in an environment that is different than the one where it evolved. I fear we’re introducing chemicals to our streams for aesthetic and economic purposes. Montanans want to catch Montana fish. We want to draw anglers here with the lure of native fish. You can catch a European trout in rivers across this country, but cutthroat are unique. If state biologists allow the westslope cutthroat population to dwindle, they will end up on the Endangered Species List, and control of their fate will be lost to the feds. The people of Montana must manage our fisheries with the best science available. Rotenone seems to be the most effective means to an end, but what is that end we hope to achieve?
The westslope cutthroat trout, a sub-species of the Yellowstone cutthroat, is Montana’s state fish and is designated as a “Montana fish of special concern.”
40 August 12, 2011 explorebigsky.com
Tyler Allen writes from Bozeman.
Big Sky Weekly
Alternative
photo by Carol Endicott
The Chadbourne Diversion
FWP biologists, ranchers working to restore native cutthroats and agricultural water use By Emily Stifler In the early part of the 20th century, the Shields River Lower Canal Company built a four-foot tall, 10 inch wide concrete dam to provide water for an agricultural channel in the Shields River valley north of Livingston. Today, the Chadbourne Diversion still provides vital irrigation to working farms and ranches in the valley. But it’s in need of repair. Over the years, the dam has also protected the migration and growth of the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout upstream. By limiting the incursion of rainbow, brown and brook trout into that watershed, it protected the native cutthroats’ habitat and genetic purity. Although brown trout and brook trout are threats to Yellowstone cutthroat trout in the Shields River watershed, they remain relatively secure because of the protection from rainbow trout.
because the two interbreed. If the diversion were to fail, it would open the “floodgates” for rainbows to move upstream, something that would be catastrophic for the cutthroat population in the Shields, Endicott said.
“It’s dangerous work,” Endicott said. “We’re looking to find a way to come up with a mechanical alternative that would not be so unsafe.”
This spring, the stakes on the repair project were raised: With the high runoff, massive cottonEndicott, working with another FWP biologist, wood trunks floating downstream knocked an Scott Opitz, and the agricultural shareholders in eight-foot wide chunk out of the concrete, said the Lower Shields River Canal Company, have Mike Dailey, a nearby landowner who holds Shields water rights. Dailey is Secretary and Treasurer of the Lower Shields “This project melds the interest of irrigated River Canal Company, which currently agriculture with fish conservation. The maintains the diversion and is working on a temporary fix to the damaged part canal fed by the diversion delivers water of the dam.
to 13 farms and ranches – it’s essentially the lifeblood of their ranching and farming operations.”
As a result, the Shields remains a basin level stronghold for Yellowstone cutthroat trout. “That means we’ve got an intact watershed where the fish can move freely, not just isolated populations,” said Carol Endicott, a fish biologist with the FWP. “We have 375 miles of interconnected stream that still support Yellowstone cutthroat trout. We don’t have that anywhere else in Montana,” she added. Rainbows, which are abundant in the river below the diversion, pose the biggest threat to cutthroat
While repairing the structure following the irrigation season in 2012, Endicott’s team will first make the barrier -Carol Endicott, a fish biologist with the FWP. impassable to fish swimming upstream. Then, they’d like to build a fish ladder received grant funding to repair and retrofit the with a “stock pen.” Chadbourne Diversion. The structure would cost $1 million to replace, Endicott said. During the trout spring migration season, FWP workers will sort the fish. If they’re cutthroat, “This project melds the interest of irrigated agthey can go above the dam. If they’re rainbows, riculture with fish conservation,” Endicott said. they’ll be returned to the river below. Other “The canal fed by the diversion delivers water native species will also be passed over the dam, to 13 farms and ranches – it’s essentially the lifewhich will restore their historic migratory acblood of their ranching and farming operations.” cess. As it stands now, during high water irrigators have to manually add headboards to back up the flow behind the structure to send water down the ditch.
While this isn’t the first time the FWP has built barriers to protect native fish, this project is unusual in that the barrier will have selective passage, Endicott said.
explorebigsky.com August 12, 2011 41
Big Sky Weekly
emerson
CENTER FOR THE ARTS & CULTURE
14th Annual
2011
GARDEN & HOME TOUR This year’s tour will feature 7 Gardens and 2 Homes
Late summer flowers, bountiful vegetables, and farm to table gardens.
NEW THIS YEAR - A BIRD HOUSE AUCTION!
Come bid on our wonderful birdhouses and add life to your yard.
AUGUST 19th & 20th FRI 4-8PM SAT 9AM-4PM
TICKETS $15 or $10 for Emerson Members Purchase in Big Sky at the Horse of a Different Color (Meadow Village), or in Bozeman at the Emerson and Cashman’s Nursery. Visit www.TheEmerson.org for more information. Become an Emerson Member (Household $60) and get a 1 year Zone 4 magazine subscription! Offer good until 9/30/2011.
Big Sky Firefighters Association Pancake Breakfast Sunday, September 4, 2011 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Fire Station #1 located at 650 Rainbow Trout Run in Westfork Meadows. The community of Big Sky as well as citizens and visitors from the surrounding areas are invited. This is an excellent opportunity for the entire family to have a great breakfast, meet their firefighters and see the fire trucks and equipment. If you would like additional information on the event please contact the Big Sky Fire Department at (406) 995-2100
fish tails
The promise of trout: learning the art of fly fishing By Marcie Hahn-Knoff Growing up on the Atlantic, my family spent weekends fiddling around in boats. Other than the curious incident when my folks used a boat hook to rescue a 20-inch zucchini floating mysteriously in our sailboat’s path, I cannot recollect them harvesting much from the salty waters. Our fishing equipment was a rusting spin rod left for dead in the gunwales, and a toolbox of various lures haphazardly collected from the local hardware store’s closeout table. My grandfather, however, loved to catch ‘snapper blues’ from his boat in the bay by their house in Cape Cod, bringing the fish home to fry for breakfast. I tagged along, collecting minnows from the trap and tossing my live offering from into the dark waters, thrilled when a blue took it. Though I enjoyed fishing, I dreaded the cleaning. Bloody gut buckets, rusty knives and scale-covered hands made me cringe. When I was 10 I asked for a fishing vest for Christmas. Tearing open the package, I found a vest of cream-colored canvas with heavy metal zippers and pockets with fuzzy wool patches. It was too big, but I wore it around the house for a couple of days, then left it folded in my closet. My grandparents soon moved away from the bay. The vest stayed folded up for another decade – until my mother mailed it west when I announced on a call home I was going to learn to fly fish.
Marcie catches a big one. photos courtesy of Marcie Hahn-Knoff
inspecting and fondling the flies. I spent hours in the front lawn with yarn tied to the end of my leader in place of a fly, practicing my cast while my roomPerhaps it was the hot, dry summer air of the mates played Frisbee Rockies sucking the drank beer. I was “The catch and release fly-fishing ethic and moisture from my mesmerized by the seemed more civilized than the fishing methodic casting and skin and the curls from my hair; maybe I’d done, and I was sure I’d master it. recasting involved it was the absence of What could be difficult about swinging with fly-fishing. a large body of water a rod, line and fly around?” nearby. But during I visited the local my first summer in river often. Up at the the West, something deep within me screamed to be crack of dawn after late-night parties, I arrived with near water. I knew I’d find salvation in cool rivers. weary eyes, finding an unoccupied bend or riffle with the promise of trout. I loved the weighted The catch and release fly fishing ethic seemed more caress of the river against my legs. civilized than the fishing I’d done, and I was sure I’d master it. What could be difficult about swinging a I watched other fishermen work the water, quesrod, line and fly around? tioning them on their luck. I lost flies to rock-cracking back casts, loose knots and snags, and quickly A college student on a budget, I bought the cheapest became a fan of the local fly shop’s dollar bin. Untysetup I could find. I browsed fishing shops, flipping ing wind knots was akin to addicting tavern puzzles. through books, pestering sales people, and carefully I learned about nymphs, dry flies and the animals
they imitate, and I observed the life stages of mayflies, damselflies, stoneflies and caddis, above, at and below the water surface. That summer I brought in only a handful of fish and several times considered throwing in the towel. I’ve since learned that kind of frustration is endemic to fly fishing. But as time passed, my patience grew. Before the season’s end I landed a couple of big rainbows; their acrobatic and powerful water dance made the entire effort worth it. That first season taught me that the journey associated with fishing could be as enjoyable as actually hooking a fish. I’ve had adventures just getting to the water – driving to new places, visiting small towns and floating new waterways. I learned it’s not imperative to spend a fortune on gear to enjoy fishing – a simple setup and a small kit were all I needed. And I gained a larger appreciation of nature, clean water and healthy ecosystems. Although the Christmas fishing vest, now tattered and sun-bleached, is retired, my love of fishing continues to grow. I still enjoy getting a line wet, and my heart still flutters when I hook a fish. I can’t help but I smile when I see a fat, healthy trout wriggle from my grasp and reenter its watery world. I’m still learning about fishing, trying new techniques, and standing in the weight of the current. Absorbed in the journey, I search for a subtle indicator bump or lightly sipped fly, entranced by the possibility of landing a beauty of a fish. Marcie Hahn-Knoff first cast a fly in the streams of north-central Utah and shortly thereafter in northwestern Montana. Through her love for the river and fly-fishing, she became professional whitewater and fishing guide on the Middle and North Forks of the Flathead River. She now lives and fishes in Gallatin Valley.
explorebigsky.com August 12, 2011 43
Big Sky Weekly
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fish tails
Grizzly encounter
A medical student studies the fight or flight response firsthand By David Schwartz Third and fourth year medical school students are displaced from the classroom and sent out to experience the practice of medicine firsthand. This is a time to learn how the human body reacts to external forces, and how to assist a person back to health when presented with a threat to his or her body. This July, while working at the Medical Clinic of Big Sky, I had an encounter that gave me a new respect for how humans interact with their surroundings. After work one night I set out with my friend and classmate, Matt, to catch the evening hatch on the Gallatin River. Maybe I should have brought my bear spray, I thought, stomping through a marshy meadow and eight-foot willows. But being within sight and earshot of Big Sky somehow gave me a false sense of security. As the sun descended below the ridge, we fished, and when I could no longer see my caddis fly I reeled in. I started up the bank to find my buddy,
who’d evidently walked the opposite direction upriver. Something caught my eye across the river. I stopped to investigate the strange shape through the low light and determined quickly it was neither a tree nor a rock. It turned sideways, revealing a large shoulder hump. I froze. I’ve learned about “fight or flight,” but now I understand the feeling beneath that famous phrase. The fight or flight response is triggered by fear, and is the human body’s natural defense mechanism. The nervous system can be divided into two main branches: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. The common term “adrenaline rush” is more specifically defined as a release of hormones called catecholamines from the center of the adrenal gland. It happens so quickly because the adrenal medulla is innervated by the sympathetic branch of the nervous system – a direct
“ I stopped to investigate the strange shape through the low light and determined quickly it was neither a tree nor a rock. It turned sideways, revealing a large shoulder hump. I froze.” connection from the brain to the adrenal medulla. Once the catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine are released into the bloodstream, physiologic responses take place: The heart rate and respiratory rates increase; the pupils dilate to let more light in; the central vasculature constricts; the muscular vasculature dilates, and the body readies itself for action. Theoretically, this prepares us to face a threat. The griz made its way up the opposite bank, and I walked downriver and into the willows, glancing constantly over my shoulder and feeling helpless without my bear spray. I stumbled through the marsh and back to the highway. When I met Matt at the car, I saw in his face he
hadn’t seen the bear. I shared the experience with him and felt calmed by his normal mental state. The opportunity to rotate at the Medical Clinic of Big Sky is a unique experience for medical students. We connect with the natural world and experience medicine in a beautiful setting not offered by mainstream educational institutions. We’ve learned many things here in Big Sky, and neither Matt nor I will be caught dead without bear spray the next time we wander to the river’s edge to wet a line. David Schwartz is a forth year medical student at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. He spent a month in Big Sky this summer doing a rotation at the Medical Clinic of Big Sky.
• See Us at the 320 Ranch • 12 miles south of Big Sky on Hwy 191
ART SHOW Complete Line of Western & English Tack
One Stop Shop For All Your Horse & Rider Gear
Western & English Boutique: Fine Tack, Gifts, Housewares & Apparel
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Monday Night AUGUST 15th ,
4 p.m. - 9 p.m.
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Four Corners Saddlery Located just south of Four Corners on the way to Big Sky
81720 Gallatin Road • Bozeman 406-587-7503
Ott Jones Sculpture wildlife & fly fishing bronzes Skyblade Knives by Todd Orr Pig Roast Dinner and Live Entertainment $10/person Art show is FREE and open to the public For more info contact Ott Jones at (406) 585-9495 explorebigsky.com August 12, 2011 45
Big Sky Weekly
some restaurants do italian food. some do chinese food.
WE DO BIG SKY FOOD
we deliver 4069952305
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serving breakfast lunch & dinner
B I G S K Y R E S O R T: B A S E C A M P T O Y E L L O W S T O N E
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OPEN UNTIL 10 P.M. FOR THE SUMMER
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Open Daily from 6:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Delivery available - Call us 406-995-4636 46 August 12, 2011 explorebigsky.com
Located in the Meadow Village Center next to Lone Peak Brewery
Recommended spots: Elk Lake, a five-acre lake in the
Beartooth Mountains, has stunning views and good fishing, and is an easy 3.5-mile walk. It is located along the East Rosebud trail in the Custer National Forest, south of Roscoe, Mont.
Blue Lake is a spectacular 18-
acre lake in the central Crazy Mountains with 10 inch Brook trout and Rainbows. The 4.5-mile hike starts at Half Moon Campground, at the end of Big Timber Canyon Road, north from I- 90 on highway 191. Blue Lake
Fishing the backcountry If fishing for trout in alpine lakes is on your to-do list, then Montana has something to offer. You can find golden, brook, cutthroat and rainbow trout in Montana’s mountain lakes. Fantastic fishing, snow-capped mountains, timbered valleys, clean air, and clear, cold lakes and streams can be yours for the day. Enjoy the tug of a fighting trout, and feel invigorated during a stunning hike into the heart of the wilderness. When was the last time you hiked all day with a light pack on your back and fly rod in hand? Did you have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and apple in your pack? Or did you carry a little stove and fry pan for a poached fish breakfast? Mountain lakes offer seclusion, fresh cool air, refreshing swims and great fishing.
Story and Photos by Felicia Ennis
Although most mountain lakes have been stocked with fish at some point, mountain lake fishing is more about where you are than what you’re catching, because generally better fishing is found on rivers, says Pat Vermillion, owner of the Montana based fly fishing company Sweetwater Travel. Fishing with streamers such as a black wholly bugger is most common in mountain lakes, Vermillion says. Dry flies are good for fish sipping and rising to the surface feeding on smaller bugs. Vermillion also recommends gulper fishing in lakes, and says these large fish go for terrestrial insects like grasshoppers or beetles. Felicia Ennis owns and operates the Livingston-based travel company, Bella Treks.
Elk Lake
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DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR FOOD COMES FROM?
Photo by Felicia ennis
Straight from the source to your table Learn more and order online at bigskylocalfood.com 406-579-7094
We provide expert travel consultation, custom itineraries, budget options, local guides, and bookings all over the world.
406.223.2595 • travel@bellatreks.com explorebigsky.com August 12, 2011 47
Select fish of Montana Select
Montana of
Native
Cutthroat Trout
mountain whitefish
The cutthroat trout, Montana’s state fish, lives in cold, clear mountain water. Although native to the state, it’s been outcompeted by invasive brown and brook trout, and interbred with rainbows, and its population is severely diminished from its historic range. Yellowstone cutthroat are native to the Yellowstone River watershed. The westslope cutthroat, a subspecies of the Yellowstone cutt, is native west of the Continental Divide and in some watersheds on the east side. 10 - 18.”
Although this bottomfeeder is not considered a desirable gamefish, they generally inhabit the same cold streams and rivers as trout in southern and western Montana do. They spawn in the fall, scattering their eggs in gravel beds. 10-18.”
Flathead lake monster Pallid Sturgeon
Arctic Grayling Rare in the lower 48, but found in the upper Big Hole River and in parts of northwestern Montana. It was originally a stream fish, but now lives mainly in mountain lakes where it was stocked, according to gofishn.com. 10-18.”
The pallid sturgeon is the larger of the two species of sturgeon east of the Continental Divide in Montana. It can grow to 60 pounds. Because biologists know so little about this rare species, it’s a Montana Fish of Special Concern, is on the Federal Endangered Species List and is the subject of ongoing FWP research. Pallid sturgeon inhabit the lower Yellowstone River during spring and summer, and during fall and winter migrate to the Missouri River below the confluence with the Yellowstone.
With relatives in Vermont, Scotland, New Brunswick and Patagonia, this prehistoric aquatic creature is native to Montana, and roams all parts of Flathead Lake. It was first seen in 1889 from the lake steamer U.S. Grant, skippered by Capt. James C. Kerr. Sightings of the large creature have been documented in every decade since.
N O N - N ATIVE
Brown trout
Rainbow Trout
These fish evolved in Europe and western Asia, and were introduced to Montana in 1889 in the Madison River. Browns live in most of Montana, generally in lower gradient, larger streams than cutthroat and rainbow, and also in reservoirs. They are “great competitors and generally are more tolerant of dewatering and other environmental disturbances than other trout species,” according to the Montana FWP. Brown trout spawn in gravel redds in the fall, which gives them an advantage since their spawning and incubation period is outside irrigation season. 12-20 inches is typical size, and the state record is 29 pounds.
The rainbow trout is Montana’s number one game fish – the state record is 33 pounds, and fish up to 10 pounds are common in some fisheries. Only the rainbow trout of the upper Kootenai River are native, and the rest were introduced in the late 19th century. The state has stocked hundreds of millions of rainbow in the last 100 years, according to the FWP Field Guide. Rainbow trout inhabit ponds, reservoirs, lakes and streams, and eat plankton, aquatic and terrestrial insects, and occasionally smaller fishes. They spawn in early spring in running water.
48 August 12, 2011 explorebigsky.com