Big Sky
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skier: Lindsey Dahl photo by Kene SPerry
February 24, 2012 Volume 3 // Issue #4
skier visits hit new single day record
madison river recreation plan Chamberlin
Rail Jam Coming to Big Sky March 2-3
New REstaurant:
Olive B's
How to use the avalanche advisory
Road sanding affects waterways
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Big Sky Weekly explorebigsky
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Business of the Year February 24 2012 Volume 3, Issue 4 PUBLISHER Eric Ladd COO & SENIOR EDITOR Megan Paulson CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mike Martins MANAGING EDITOR Emily Stifler GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kelsey Dzintars EDITOR Abbie Digel Assistant Editor Taylor Anderson Distribution Director Danielle Chamberlain VIDEO director Brian Niles videographer Chris Davis
Micah Robin skiing at Big Sky Resort
Account relations coordinator Kacey Brown
EXPLORING LIFE & LAND IN SOUTHWEST MONTANA
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WINTER 2012
PATAGONIA SUR
CHANGING THE FACE OF LAND CONSERVATION
Mountain Outlaw magazine is continuing to achieve great success, and recently expanded distribution to Jackson Hole and Cody, in Wyoming, Bend, Ore., and into southern British Columbia.
SCOT SCHMIDT COMES HOME
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This magazine, which is published and produced out of Big Sky, will be expanding again this summer and is currently seeking contributing writers, photographers and business people interested in advertising. Contact media@theoutlawpartners.com
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THE SEARCH FOR BRAD GARDNER
Jens Anderson, Julia Barton, Erin A. Bills, Audrae Coury, Alicia DeGroot, Ryan Dorn, William Farhat, Kristin Gardner, Pat Gannon, Andy Heimberg, KP Hoffman, Kathy House, Chris Kamman, Jessica Kilroy, Brian Ladd, Jimmy Lewis, Greg Lind, Max Lowe, Craig Mathews, Mike Mannelin, Anna Middleton, Brandon Niles, Eric Ossorio, Ersin Ozer, Mark Parlett, Elizabeth Quackenbush, Margie Reck, Chris Rennau, Jackie Robin, Helena Sacchi, Scotty Savage, Kaela Schommer, Deb Courson Smith, Kene Sperry
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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.
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ADVERTISING DEADLINE For Mar. 9 issuE: Mar. 2, 2012 CORRECTIONS The Big Sky Weekly runs corrections to errors we’ve printed. Please report them to emily@theoutlawpartners.com
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Table of Contents Community...4 Obituaries...7 Local News...8 Op-ed...9 Regional..10 Montana...14 Business...17 Public Health Column...20 Real Estate...23 Business Profile...24 Ophir School Newspaper...26 Environmental Column...29 Classifieds...30
Sports...33 Outdoors...38 Gear...41 Gallery...43 Events...44 Food & Dining...45 Column...46 Entertainment...47 Back 40 ...48 Ski Area News..49 Word from the Resorts...52 Alternative Route...55
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Eighth annual Howlin’ at the Big Sky Fire Department happenings CPR is the most important treatment By william farhat Moon Snowshoe Shuffle that can be provided to a victim of Big sky fire department
By emily stifler
big sky weekly managing editor
BIG SKY—The Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter is trying to raise $20,000 this year at its March 3 event in Big Sky, the Snowshoe Shuffle. The animal shelter invites dog owners to bring their best friends (canine or human) to Moonlight Basin for an evening of snowshoeing, chili dinner and live music from the Bridger Creek Boys. Nearly 200 people and 50 dogs attended last year, raising approximately $17,000 for the shelter, said Kathryn Hohmann, the shelter’s development director. It’s one of the shelter’s three annual fundraisers. “It’s wonderful for us to do something in Big Sky because it’s an important community for us,” Hohmann said. “We know there are so many people there that have an outdoor lifestyle.” In addition to fundraising, the Snowshoe Shuffle helps edu-
cate people about the shelter and increase adoptions. Hohmann said the people in Big Sky are a good fit for many of the dogs at Heart of the Valley. “There are dogs in our shelter that really do best in homes that value recreation. Knowing that Big Sky supports the shelter is very encouraging to us here.” Snowshoe rentals are free, and an auction and raffle brings in the big bucks for Heart of the Valley. Prizes include a pair of skis, spa packages and restaurant gift certificates. The evening also includes a cameo appearance from several shelter dogs. Heart of the Valley offers adoption counseling, lost and found services, micro-chipping, Pet Pals Summer Day Camp, a volunteer program, and loving care for all its furry friends from Madison and Gallatin counties. It currently has 100-plus cats and about 45 dogs. heartofthevalleyshelter.org
An important aspect of the Big Sky Fire Department’s services is providing fire safety and emergency medical education to the community. We do annual fire education presentations at Ophir School, advise homeowners on how to create defensible spaces and minimize wildland fire risks, and perform fire safety inspections in commercial properties as a means to share best practices with business owners. We’re always looking for new ways to deliver quality training, so BSFD is excited to be part of Gallatin Heart Rescue, a new countywide initiative that’s sure to save many lives. Gallatin Heart Rescue is a mass CPR education effort being spearheaded by AMR and Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. The goal is to teach “compression only” CPR to 5,000 people in Gallatin County.
sudden cardiac arrest. This simple yet valuable skill can be easily learned and applied, even by children as young as 10-years-old. By eliminating the need for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, the hope is that more bystanders be more willing to push on the chest of a victim “hard and fast.”
Recent research has shown that victim survival depends on early CPR more than anything else. By teaching large portions of the community, we have a good chance of making a difference during life and death emergencies. Please help us achieve this important goal. Join BSFD on Friday, Feb. 24 at 3 p.m. in the Talus Room of the Summit Hotel for the first local training event. To learn more or find another CPR training opportunity, visit gallatinheartrescue.com or contact BSFD at 995-2100. Chief Farhat became fire chief of Big Sky in September 2011. He can be reached at 995-2100 or wfarhat@bigskyfire.org.
Softball is back in Big Sky For the 2012 summer, softball is coming back to Big Sky, after taking a year off for the construction of new fields last year. An information meeting on the new league, season and fields will be held on Tuesday, March 27 at 5:30 p.m. at the Outlaw Partners office in Meadow Village. Any questions on the upcoming season can be directed to Eric Ladd at 995-2055.
February is Library Lovers’ Month By Kathy House
big sky weekly contributor
Library Lovers’ Month is a time for people to recognize the important role libraries play in the cultural and economic success of local communities, and in the nation as a whole. The Big Sky Community Library is encouraging residents to show how much they love the community library this month, whether they depend on it for bestselling books, children’s story-times, special programs, DVDs, audios, or access to computers and the internet. The library is funded by resort tax, memorial funds, used book sales, and memberships to the Friends of the Big Sky Community Library.
You can support the BSCL by volunteering or becoming a member of the FOL, by honoring a friend or relative by donating a book or a shelf, or by donating slightly used books for the Friends Used Book Sale or the Books for Soldiers Program. We’re using one of our recent donations to upgrade all of our young reader cassette tapes into CD format. If you’re interested in purchasing any of the old cassettes, please let us know, otherwise they will be going into the FOL used book sale this summer. Titles include A-Z Mysteries, Stargirl, Touching Spirit Bear, Hatchet, The Tale of Despereaux and The BFG. The Friends of the Library meet the first and third Wednesday of each month at 10 a.m. in the library. The next meeting is March 7.
Library hours: Sunday 1 - 5 p.m., Monday 10 - 6 p.m., Tues. and Wed. 4 - 8 p.m. Preschool Story Time is every Monday at 10:30 a.m. for ages 0-5. bigskylibrary.org
4 February 24, 2012
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Big Sky residents are in luck, Gold Prospectors Roadshow is coming to town and buying up anything and everything gold and silver. Don’t mail your gold, take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity to meet face to face with a Gold Prospectors Roadshow professional. They will test your gold for free and pay you top dollar on the spot. Helen Hannity had this to say: “Well as a child I collected these gold coins, they weren’t in the best condition but the gentleman from Gold Prospectors Roadshow said it didn’t matter. I was amazed when they told me that my gold coins were worth $2,152.34. That’s incredible; tell us what do you plan on doing with all that money? “I have 4 grandchildren that live in Alabama I have not seen in over three years. I’m flying them all to
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Big Sky Weekly
Snowmobilers turned snow geeks By emily stifler
big sky weekly managing editor
BIG SKY—A group of snowmobile guides in Southwest Montana this winter raised the bar for their profession. In January, 18 of them took the firstever level 2 avalanche class in the U.S. that was designed specifically for snowmobilers. The course, based in Big Sky, was taught by the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center. The participants were all from Canyon Adventures, Big Sky Search and Rescue and Ace Powder Guides. Montana leads the nation in snowmobiler fatalities in the last decade, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Nationwide, more snowmobilers have been killed in avalanches during that same time period than any other user group. “Snowmobilers look at avalanche conditions differently than backcountry skiers or snowboarders, because they don’t stay on one slope or aspect for their tour,” said Doug Chabot, director of the GNFAC and one of three instructors for the class. Because of this, the class focused on digging quick snow pits where the guides could glean the information
needed to move to another spot. The instructors, led by former GNFAC forecaster Scott Schmidt, taught how to best dig and understand these pits, and how to record the results. “It’s been a great year for it,” said Jeff Watt, owner of Ace Powder Guides. “With all the natural and human triggered avalanches happening, it’s an awesome year to dig a bunch of pits and learn all the snow science behind it.” With these skills, the guides can then track changes in the snow, and communicate with other professionals around the region to better understand what’s going on in the backcountry snowpack. The group also learned more about leadership in avalanche terrain, specifically, how to move groups of people around safely, and how to respond to a rescue scenario.
The class gave Watt and his guides more confidence in their guiding, and allowed them to bring clients onto more terrain.
“It’s always worth your time to go out and practice, study and learn more about pits,” Hake said. “Some of the things Scott taught in the classroom helped us make more sense of what we already knew.”
“In the past we didn’t guide hills. Now we feel more confident explaining why we’re not allowed to climb hills, or saying, ‘OK, that hill is looking really good,’ and we know why.”
The avalanche center got something out of it, too. After the course, many guides have started submitting snowpack and avalanche observations that are “head and shoulders above what they were before,” Chabot said. “They’re able to communicate and talk about avalanches at a much more professional level.”
Ed Hake from Canyon Adventures and Big Sky Search and Rescue said much of the information was review for him and his guides, but he still valued the class.
U.S. Avalanche Fatalaties by Activity 2001-2011 Snowmobilers
114
Skiers/Snowboarders
“Snowmobilers approach a slope from the bottom, versus from the top, like a skier or snowboarder,” Chabot said, which tends to make rescues different. Skiers will descend to the last seen point and start a beacon search there while snowmobilers will start a search at the toe of the debris.
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Misc. Recreation
18
Climbers
27
Residents
8 5
Others at Work
7
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0
20
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U.S. AVALANCHE FATALITY STATISTICS COURTESY OF GNFAC.
Snow and sunny skies over Presidents’ weekend By abbie digel
big sky weekly editor
Presidents’ weekend brought many visitors to Big Sky. People swarmed the mountain, the restaurants, ski shops and other businesses, making for it a great economic and morale boost for locals.
International Evening
Every resort, from the Yellowstone Club to Moonlight Basin, saw large skier numbers. “It was the busiest Presidents’ weekend in our history. We were up 5 percent in skier visits over last year, “ said Greg Pack, General Manager of Moonlight Basin. Pack credited the Biggest Skiing in America campaign for helping set the record visits. “Our team was excited to see lift lines and did an incredible job handling the crowds,” Pack said. “Someday these volumes will just be a standard weekend for us, as we continue to get discovered for how special of a place this is.” Big Sky Big Grass also brought crowds for three nights of banjo strummin’ music and packed venues. On Sunday Feb. 19, Big Sky recorded its highest number of skiers in one day, with a 6 percent increase over the last record day during the April 2011 Pond Skim. In the Meadow, non-skiers and the après crowd strolled through businesses that stayed open on Saturday for the Meadow Village Artwalk. From noon to 7 p.m., Montana artists displayed their work while participants mingled and enjoyed refreshments and live music. It was the biggest Artwalk yet, boasting the largest crowd and seven new artists. In the eve-
6 February 24, 2012
Hiking A-Z's/Headwaters Ridge on Presidents' Day weekend Photo by eric ladd
ning, restaurants were packed to capacity, with patrons waiting for tables at the Brewery and Olive B’s. Local businesses also saw large numbers, especially ski shops offering rentals. “It seemed like everybody was busy,” said Andrew Schreiner, co-owner of Grizzly Outfitters. But Schreiner still fit in a tram lap. “What I like about Big Sky is I can still roll up and get on the last tram at 3 ‘o clock with only four people on it.” The overall feeling in town was the crowd was at least as good as last year, considering it’s not a huge year for snow. “To be flat is the new up,” Schreiner said.
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The International Evening on Feb. 21 at the Big Sky Chapel featured presentations by student workers from Peru, Chile, Brazil, Thailand and Argentina. Many of the students’ friends attended to support them, and about 25-30 locals attended and brought baked goods. Anna Johnson, from the Council on International Educational Exchange (and Big Sky) gave introductory information about the recruitment process and J1 seasonal worker visa program, which is sponsored by the State Department. All Saints of Big Sky sponsored the event. - Audrae Coury
obitiuaries Adrian Eggen Adrian Eggen, 90, passed away peacefully at his residence in Big Sky, on Feb. 9. Adrian was born Jan. 22, 1922, in Bern, Switzerland to Jakob and Rosali Eggen-Gertsch. He was the youngest of six sons. His father died when Adrian was two years old, and his mother and brothers worked hard to keep the farm and family together. Growing up, Eggen helped his brother Jakob on the farm, mostly tending the cows during the summer months on the alp. He joined the Swiss Army during WWII, and was a proud member of the rifle club and a very sharp shooter. After WWII, Adrian continued to help his brother on the farm during the summers. The rest of the year, he worked logging or helped his brother, Fritz, with the family bakery. Adrian completed a specialized logging training in Switzerland before making his big voyage west to America. In spring of 1953, Adrian and fellow Swiss loggers arrived in New York on the ship “Queen Elizabeth.” He worked for several years for Wyssen Logging Co. in Idaho. A few years later, he returned proudly to Switzerland with two chainsaws in his backpack. As there weren’t any chainsaws like his around the mountain valley at that time, it impressed his colleagues. Adrian stayed for the winter in Switzerland before returning to the U.S. permanently in the early 1960s. Initially making his home in Idaho, he purchased logging equipment and started a career as an entrepreneur. As the logging industry declined, Adrian used his skills splicing cables on ski lifts around the country. Through work-related connections, Adrian landed a job in Big Sky in the early 1980s. He became a legend there for his dedicated hard work installing
Located in the Big Horn Center, north of signal light, at corner of Hwy 191 & Lone Mtn Trail, across from Bugaboo Café - Big Sky
The only Consignment Store in Big Sky! most of the ski lifts at Big Sky Resort. Adrian was very happy working and living in Big Sky, and he made many life-long friendships. He enjoyed photographing wildlife and filming his job sites. He was a bachelor all his life and was a very outgoing person who loved socializing. He also liked to travel, and had a passion for Volkswagon Diesel Rabbits. He was known as “Grandpa” among many Big Sky employees. He lived on his own all the way up to his 90th birthday. Adrian was preceded in death by his mother and father, and his brothers, Christian, Fritz, Hans, Arnold and Jakob. He is survived by several nieces and nephews in Switzerland, and his great nephew Andreas (Aimee) Heimberg and their two children of Boulder, Mont. Adrian leaves behind his very close friends from Big Sky, Ambrose Locker, Meghan Coppola, Albi Birches, Tom Stetzner, Jerry Crans, Kris and Curtis Sundeen, and a very special friend, Monita Yep (Alhambra, Calif.). The exceptional care Adrian received from his friends, family, and wonderful hospice nurses, who all made it possible for him to stay at his home through his last days, is greatly appreciated. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, Feb. 26 at the Big Sky Chapel at 2 p.m. A reception will follow at the Huntley Lodge Dining Room at Big Sky Resort at 4 p.m. An additional memorial service is planned to take place in Switzerland later this spring. - Andy Heimberg
Ashley Blake Ashley Percival Blake (AshB), 36, of Big Sky, Montana died tragically on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012. He was born Dec. 1, 1975 in Mazama, Wash. to Jason Blake and Kathie Holden. He was preceded by his brother, Russ Skattum. Ashley is survived and beloved by his wife, Amanda (Meler) Blake; his mother, Kathie (Steve) Holden; father, Jason Blake; brother, Timothy Skattum; sister, Anna (Bill) Crocker; sister-in-law, Amber (Chris) Meler; and father-in-law, Jeffrey Laumann. He is also survived by many grandparents, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and other family and friends. A memorial to celebrate Ashley’s life was held Feb. 12 at Big Sky Resort, with a reception at By Word of Mouth restaurant.
Memorials may be sent to Ashley’s wife, Amanda Blake, at P.O. Box 161810, Big Sky, MT 59716. There will be a fundraiser for Amanda Blake on Sunday, March 4 at the Corral restaurant. Buffet, live music, raffle. All proceeds go to Amanda. Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service.
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local news Moonlight Basin scores top honors in environmental stewardship from ski area citizens’ coalition BIG SKY—The Ski Area Citizens' Coalition named Moonlight Basin Ski Resort as Montana’s most environmentally friendly ski resort for the 2011/2012 season. Moonlight Basin earned an 'A' grade from the SACC, a top honor that is awarded to ski resorts that excel in the area of environmental practices and policies. Ranked No. 1 in Montana for the third year in a row, Moonlight was recognized for its efforts in habitat protection, watershed protection and addressing global climate change, among other areas. "We're incredibly honored to earn the SACC's distinction once again this season," said Moonlight Basin Resort’s planning director Kevin Germain. "Environmental stewardship remains a top priority for the resort as we continually strive towards
achieving the highest standards in this arena. We realize we can always improve our stewardship efforts, so any good ideas are welcomed." The Ski Area Environmental Scorecard is a service of the SACC to encourage ski resorts to operate in a more eco-sensitive nature. The SACC grades each western U.S. ski resort according to ongoing eco-friendly practices and procedures. The criterion is grouped together into four categories: Habitat Protection, Protecting Watersheds, Addressing Global Climate Change, and Environmental Practices and Polices, which then form an overall grade. A detailed Moonlight Basin 2011/2012 report card is available at skiareacitizens.com/index. php?nav=report_card
Discuss Proposed Culvert Replacement on U.S. 89 at Cedar Creek Wednesday, March 14, 2012 6 p.m. Yellowstone Association Headquarters 308 Park St. (across from Roosevelt Arch) Gardiner, MT The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) will discuss a proposal to replace the existing two culverts with a reinforced concrete box culvert on U.S. 89 at the Cedar Creek crossing north of Gardiner The project is located approximately ten miles north of Gardiner in Park County at milepost 10. The purpose of the meeting is to inform the public of the project status and design changes.
The meeting is open to the public and will be recorded. MDT attempts to provide accommodations for any known disability that may interfere with a person’s participation in any department service, program or activity. For reasonable accommodations to participate in this meeting, please contact Paul Grant at (406) 444-9415 at least two days before the meeting. For the hearing impaired, the TTY number is (406) 4447696 or (800) 335-7592, or Montana Relay at 711. Alternative accessible formats of this information will be provided upon request. Comments may be submitted in writing at the meeting, by mail to Dustin Rouse, MDT Preconstruction Engineer, Butte District Office at PO Box 3068, Butte, MT or online at www.mdt.mt.gov/mdt/comment_form.shtml Please indicate comments are for project CN 4577 and submit comments by April 6, 2012. 8 February 24, 2012
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House presents broad changes to Big Sky school board Proposes name, curriculum changes By Taylor Anderson
big sky weekly assistant editor
Jerry House, as part of a threeperson committee, presented his recommendations for changes to the Ophir schools and Lone Peak High School curriculum during a February school board meeting. The changes include increasing the minimum credit requirement to earn a diploma from LPHS from 22 to 27 credits, and offering an honors diploma for students that earn 30–32 credits. The group also would like to change the name of the school district from Ophir to Big Sky. The schools have operated as part of the Ophir School District for 99 years. House said the name change is a branding move, and would capitalize on recognition of Big Sky. The changes will be an action item during the next board meeting in March, meaning the board will vote on a formal proposal brought forth by House during that meeting. “It’s only realistic that we look at the 22 for juniors and seniors but also for freshmen and sophomores next year” to increase to 27–32 credits, he said. One member of the public questioned the value in having an honors diploma, to which Loren Bough said it was another way ambitious students could separate themselves during college applications.
House, along with school board member Barbara Rowley and athletic director Tony Beardsley, presented the information after months of preparation and public feedback. The changes will affect current eighth and ninth graders starting next school year. Current juniors and sophomores will graduate based on the current graduation requirements. In order to adapt to the changes, House has recommended increasing the current math teacher from part time to full time. The school would also consider creating a position for a Capstone Project liaison to bridge the school with the community. That position would likely be part time. The group hosted three public forums for input on the proposed changes. House is in the middle of his first of two years as the school superintendent. He said despite the longterm changes he’s putting in place, he will leave after next year. “The bottom line is it’s a systemic approach,” he said. “It’s not the person, it’s the system that survives. People come and go.” The board also delivered for the first time House’s annual evaluation during his first year as superintendent. House scored above average in every category.
Moonlight Basin to host Special Olympics BIG SKY—Moonlight Basin Resort will host the Special Olympics Big Sky Area Winter Games on Monday, Feb. 27. This is Montana’s third Special Olympics Winter Games. “In our continuous effort to support community-wide programs, we are proud to be part of the winter games for our region for the third season in a row,” said Ersin Ozer, Moonlight’s Event Coordinator. More than 45 athletes from the Big Sky area will compete in alpine skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing. All activities and events will be hosted in Moonlight’s Madison Village Base Area. Advanced and intermediate races will be held on Wagon Train, and novice races on Cup-a-Jo. A 50-meter snowshoe course will be set up on Madison Avenue at the Madison Village Base Area. After the races are finished there will be a “Parade of Athletes,” in which participants ski and ride in a celebration procession. The Big Sky Area Winter Games will include athletes from Gallatin, Park and Sweetgrass counties in Southwest Montana, as well as part of Madison County. For more information about the Special Olympics Montana, visit somt.org.
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Clean Air Act key to a healthy future By Greg Lind, M.D. and Craig Mathews Do you want to leave your children a Montana where the air is safe to breathe and the fish are safe to eat? Most of us would likely say ‘yes.’ Yet in today’s industrial age, we cannot take such things for granted. Indeed, parts of our state suffer from bad air pollution. And more than 50 bodies of water, including popular fisheries such as Flathead Lake and Fort Peck Reservoir, have warnings urging children and women of childbearing age to avoid eating too much fish due to mercury contamination.
wheels of government, industry has had two decades to prepare for these rules. In 2001, Sen. Baucus cited the need for these long-delayed anti-pollution safeguards: “The American Lung Association, the American Public Health Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics all testified that we are facing a public health crisis due to air pollution,” he said. He added: “All the studies on the Clean Air Act generally have reached the conclusion by a huge factor that the benefits of the Clean Air Act outweigh the cost of the Clean Air Act.”
Mercury, arsenic and other toxic pollutants emitted from power plants pose a risk for neurological damage, birth defects, cancer, and premature death. Other types of air pollutants pose a risk for asthma and cardiovascular diseases.
Thanks to Sen. Baucus, we will soon see the cleanup of toxic pollutants from Montana’s largest industrial sources as well as cleanup of asthma and respiratory-impairing pollutants from sources like Colstrip.
Fortunately, some or our leaders understand these risks and the need for protections that reduce dangerous pollution.
Each year across America, the newly adopted mercury and air toxics standard alone will help prevent 11,000 premature deaths, 4,700 heart attacks and 130,000 asthma attacks.
In 1990, Sen. Max Baucus led an overwhelmingly popular, bipartisan effort to modernize the Clean Air Act. The bill, signed into law by the first President Bush, required polluters to install technologies that capture toxics such as mercury and hydrochloric acid before they are released into our air. But politics and industry pressure being what they are, implementation of this law has been delayed for more than 20 years. Only now has the Environmental Protection Agency finally released rules for industry that will put them in line with this law. While we may grumble about the slow
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While these standards should have been implemented a long time ago, they will help make Montana’s air and water safer for present and future generations. We thank Sen. Baucus for his past and continued support of the Clean Air Act. Thanks to his leadership, perhaps we will leave our children a Montana where air is safe to breathe and fish are safe to eat. Greg Lind is a former Montana state senator from Missoula. Craig Mathews is owner of the Blue Ribbon Fly Shop in West Yellowstone.
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Meeting Schedule
Aimee Gerharter
406-599-4448 aimeegerharter@msn.com
Senior Center-Masonic Hall - Pony; March 4th, 2pm Madison Valley Fire Hall - Ennis; March 6th, 6pm Twin Bridges High School-Montana Room - Twin Bridges; March 4th, 2pm TBA - Big Sky; March 11th, 6pm (Tentative) Tobacco Root Mountain Care Center-Activity Room - Sheridan; March 11th, 2pm Meetings will end within 2 hours. Bring your pen, your ideas, and your neighbors. For more information call 406-843-5250 or visit http://www.madison.mt.gov/departments/plan/publications/GrowthPolicy.asp
Your Community, Your Opinion, Your Outcome
Aimee Gerharter | Lynn Milligan | Lara Hobby | William Feher
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Big Sky Weekly
FWP gathering input for recreation management on the Madison Some fishing outfitters apprehensive about possible changes, others look toward the future By emily stifler
big sky weekly managing editor
The Madison River is one of the most heavily fished in the state. With world-famous trout fishing, it’s an economic driver for the region, benefiting fishing outfitters and shops, motels, restaurants and other businesses. Kayakers, rafters, inner tubers and hikers all use the river corridor, as well. To prevent it from being loved to death—and the potential social conflicts that come with overuse— Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is developing a draft management plan, with the goal of preserving quality recreation on the Madison and protecting natural resources. FWP held public meetings in Ennis and Bozeman in mid-February, aimed at gathering public input on recreational use on the Madison River. The meetings followed a survey from 2008 and 2009 that FWP completed at the request of private landowners along the Madison. The survey considered social issues among different user groups along the 180-mile waterway that runs from Yellowstone National Park to its confluence with the Jefferson River near Three Forks. On the lower Madison, angler use has been fairly static in the last decade, but recreational rafting and inner tubing have increased. Concerns there include trash, impact on the quality of the fishing, and drinking and driving. On the upper Madison, the main issues are social conflict and congestion at fishing access sites, littering along the river, and trespassing, according to FWP river recreation manager Cheryl Morris. Sixty-two members of the public attended the meeting in Ennis, including private landowners, fishing guides and local business owners. Representatives from the Bureau of Land Management, and FWP were also in attendance. “We got a lot of really good input,” Morris said. Some outfitters and guides worried about the possibility of new regulations, which could limit their freedom to guide the stretch between Lyons Bridge and Palisades. Ninety percent of guided float trips use that area, Morris said. “People are understandably upset,” Morris said. “Any time they are seeing that something might be
10 February 24, 2012
The Madison River below Beartrap Canyon
changed and it’s their livelihood [they] might be nervous. Those folks there, they love their river.” Ennis, also a ranching town, depends on the four months a year of fishing tourism, said John Way, owner of The Tackle Shop in Ennis. “All of the business owners are pretty keyed into that. The river runs right through this town, and it really is the life blood.” However, as an outfitter on the Blackfoot River, Way saw this same process happen in 2009, and says it’s important for FWP to understand who is really using the Madison. The meeting in Bozeman also had a good showing, with 74 members of the public packing the conference room at the Comfort Inn. Representatives from FWP, BLM and the Trust for Public Land were also there. Dave Kumlien, past owner of Montana Troutfitters and an outfitter in Bozeman for 35 years, said the discussions were civilized, and that outfitters and guides far outnumbered other user groups. Kumlien thinks going through the planning process is worthwhile, but pointed out the issues on the upper Madison, south of Ennis, are different than those on the river north of Ennis Lake in the Beartrap Canyon and below. In his eyes, there aren’t any resource problems on the upper stretch related to crowding or fishing pressure.
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Photo by Emily Stifler
“It’s still a gorgeous river with great fishing. The problem [there] is conflicts between user groups,” he said. “I think that’s a tricky thing for the government to get involved in—regulating social issues.” Craig Mathews, from Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone, has been guiding on the river for 33 years, and runs about 500 trips a year there. He is also general manager of the Sun Ranch, south of Ennis. “The Madison is responsible for about $30 million a year in the regional economy, and that’s where I think we all want to protect it,” he said. “We have to protect the goose that lays that proverbial golden egg every year.” Mathews says it’s too early to predict the results of the meetings and the new plan, but it’s going to be an interesting process. “Once we sit down and agree to work together, I’m totally optimistic about the outcome.” “A lot of people are just looking at the immediate economy, the recession,” Mathews said. “But [we need to] look toward the future, and toward our kids and grandkids being able to make a living from that river.” FWP anticipates the planning process will take place throughout 2012 with a final plan adopted in 2013. The next step is to create a citizen advisory committee that will develop recommendations for managing recreation on the river.
“We place a lot of stock in what our citizenry is telling us,” said FWP’s state recreation management specialist Charlie Sperry. “We’ve been quite candid with folks, telling them there is no foregone conclusion. We’re going to use the public to develop this thing.” Kumlien also wants people to get involved. “We might as well make sure what happens is good for the river and doesn't impact our ability to make a living,” he said. “It’s going to be tough though, because there are a lot of people that use the river, and a lot of different user groups and interests.” The issues facing the river aren’t severe now, which makes it a good time for planning, he added. “Before we get polarization in the groups, and people start arguing and not talking.” “Time is on our side, and we owe it to everybody to sit back and do it right,” Mathews said. “Not only current users, but future users.”
Additional meetings will be held in West Yellowstone (Feb. 28, 6-8 p.m. at the Holiday Inn) and in Whitehall (March 1, 6-8 p.m. at Whitehall High School). FWP is also accepting comments online at fwp.mt.gov/recreation/ management/madison/ default.html or by email at mrrp@mt.gov.
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Big Sky Weekly
Five US House candidates speak conservation at Bozeman forum Democrats support a responsible Keystone XL pipeline By Taylor Anderson
big sky weekly assistant editor
BOZEMAN—Five Democratic candidates for the U.S. House piled into the Beall Park Recreation Center in Bozeman Feb. 12 for a forum hosted by the Montana Conservation Voters. The Montana candidates—from Billings, Helena, Whitefish, Missoula and Bozeman—spoke to a group of mostly members of the 13-year-old political watchdog group. The membership-supported group of 35,000 mixed basic candidacy questions with more pressing issues, like the Keystone XL pipeline proposed by TransCanada to span from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico. Some candidates shared support for the pipeline. Most said the only way they’d favor the Keystone was if the proper caution and evaluation of ecological risks was made. Franke Wilmer, a member of the
Montana House, said unless the pipeline would assure more jobs and economic benefit she wouldn’t support it. “If this would guarantee more jobs, cleaner environment and lower dependence on foreign oil I would support, but they haven’t done that yet,” she said. Candidate Rob Stutz, the former Montana Legislature chief legal counsel, said in an interview after the forum that he supports a recent proposal to drill oil out of the Bakken formation in eastern Montana. “That would decouple the economic benefit and the jobs that we’ll have here in Montana with the environmental problems with the Alberta Tar Sands,” said Stutz, who’s running for public office for the first time. Alongside this open-minded approach to the pipeline, the candidates expressed similar support of reforming the tax breaks and subsidies to oil companies, and shifting to
help the green jobs industry.
sheets for their respective campaigns.
Though estimates vary, oil companies receive billions— perhaps as much as $280 billion annually, estimated by the Progressive Farmer—in tax loopholes and direct subsidies.
One member of the race not present was Republican Steve Daines, formerly uncontested for his party’s seat until author and engineer Eric Brosten joined the race in early February.
“We need to end these tax holidays… and invest dollars in expanding and encouraging renewable resources,” said Kim Gillan, a member of the Montana Senate.
At press time, Daines’s campaign hadn't responded to the Big Sky Weekly’s request for comment on conservation issues. Jason Ward, a Democrat from Missoula, didn’t attend the forum.
Stutz called for an end to special interest groups influencing lawmakers to create policies that help oil companies increase profits. Candidates also lined up handily behind Sen. Tester’s Forest Jobs and Recreation Act creating 660,000 new acres of wilderness in three Montana national forests. The bill has seen opposition from Rep. Denny Rehberg, who is giving up his seat in the House to challenge Tester, a Democrat. Audience members that night also included many campaign workers sporting pins, banners and sign-up
The MCV holds its annual meeting March 9 and 10 in Helena, but Dave Tyler, chairman of the Gallatin-Park County chapter said the group decided it won’t endorse a candidate for the congressional race until after the primary election. “We typically don’t endorse unless it’s a race we want to act in and frankly if we think we can influence it,” Tyler said. The primary election for the congressional race is June 5.
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regional Renowned indigenous educator and author to speak at MSU, March 2 BOZEMAN—Dr. Gregory Cajete, a nationally renowned speaker, educator and author, will be the keynote speaker for Hopa Mountain’s annual Native Science Fellows meeting.
richness and complexity of Native Science from the perspective of an indigenous scholar,” said Native Science Fellow and Land Resources and Environmental Science Graduate student, Lisa Lone Fight.
From the Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico, Dr. Cajete is Director of Native American Studies and an Associate Professor in the Division of Language, Literacy and Socio cultural Studies at the University of New Mexico. He will present on Native science and education on Friday, March 2, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Strand Union Building Procrastinator Theater on the MSU campus. The event is free and open to the public.
Hopa Mountain organizes the Native Science Fellows program with support from the National Science Foundation.
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Open burning season starts March 1 BOZEMAN—Starting March 1, residents of Gallatin County will be able to activate the required $15 Gallatin County Burn Permit to conduct burning. Permits can be purchased online at burnpermits.mt.gov, or at: •
Gallatin County Treasurer’s Office, 311 West Main-Room 103, Bozeman
•
Bozeman Fire Station 1, 34 North Rouse, Bozeman
•
Central Valley Fire District Station 1, 205 East Main, Belgrade
•
Manhattan Fire Department, 222 Main, Manhattan
•
Three Forks Public Library, 607 North Main, Three Forks
•
Hebgen Basin Fire District Station 1, 400 Yellowstone, West Yellowstone
MONTANA STATE LIQUOR STORE
Permits are good until Nov. 30, when the season closes. They need to be activated each day a burn is held, either online or by automated telephone at (877) 3062876.
Hunters, mark your calendars for March 15, May 1 and June 1 March 15 is the new deadline to apply for 2012 deer and elk hunting permits. The new streamlined eight-page application packet that contains all the information residents need to apply is available at all license providers, FWP offices and at fwp.mt.gov. •
The application deadline for moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat and bison licenses remains May 1.
•
Montana no longer offers “cow permits” for elk or “doe permits” for deer. Cow elk hunting licenses are available as “Elk B”; and doe hunting licenses are now called “Deer B.” The deadline to apply for Elk B, Deer B and Antelope licenses is June 1.
New deadline allows hunters more time to plan
The new March 15 deadline to apply for general elk and deer permits was approved by the Montana FWP Commission in response to hunters’ requests for more time to plan their fall hunts, according to Ron Aasheim, a FWP spokesman in Helena. A 2012 elk license is still needed to apply for a special elk permit, but to accommodate the new application deadline, resident elk licenses went on sale earlier. Successful applicants will now receive permits in April. Nonresidents who wish to apply for big game combination, elk combination or deer combination licenses and deer and elk permits for the 2012 fall season can also do so at fwp.mt.gov.
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February 24, 2012 13
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Big Sky Weekly
Calling all artists
Madison Valley Arts Festival is looking for submissions By Margie Reck
Ennis Arts Association
ENNIS—The Ennis Arts Association will hold its 17th Annual Madison Valley Arts Festival Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012. Artists working in all media are invited to submit entries for this juried show. The festival will take place in Peter T.’s Park, in Ennis. In addition to the
artist booths, there will be live entertainment, delicious food, an art raffle, “Meet the Author” book signing, and children’s face painting. For additional information and an application contact Jury Committee Chairman Margie Reck at (406) 6824416, email redmtnranch@yahoo. com, or visit ennisartsassociation. org. Deadline is April 20.
Hooks named new Chief Public Defender big sky weekly wire services
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HELENA —William F. Hooks of Helena was selected by the Public Defender Commission on Feb. 11 to be the next Chief Public Defender of the Office of the State Public Defender. Hooks grew up in Townsend, Mont., graduated from Montana State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1981 and earned his Juris Doctorate from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1984. For several years he practiced law with his father in Townsend. In 1992, Hooks became the chief attorney in the Montana Appellate Defender Office, the first statewide public defender office. For the next eight
years, he represented indigents in appeals and post-conviction proceedings. Notable cases include obtaining a reversal of a death sentence handed down for Ronald Allen Smith and successfully litigating a challenge to a conviction is a sex case that represents Montana’s first exoneration based on the use of DNA evidence. Since 2000, Hooks has been in private practice in Helena with a heavy emphasis on criminal defense in state and federal courts. During that time he worked with The Innocence Project in litigation, which led to the exoneration of Jimmy Bromgard by the use of DNA evidence. During his career he has been the recipient of several awards.
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explorebigsky.com This is part of the Big Sky Weekly’s series of interviews with candidates for the US House of Representatives seat from Montana.
Big Sky Weekly
Interview with Congressional Candidate Rob Stutz By Taylor Anderson
big sky weekly assistant editor
Rob Stutz, a Democrat, was the chief legal counsel for the 2011 Montana Legislature. He was the first Montanan to file to be on the ballot for Rep. Denny Rehberg’s open at-large seat in the U.S. House. Stutz’s interests range from reforming current tax loopholes, engaging students in the civic process and cleaning up politics-as-usual practices in government. He campaigns on a strong constitutional value, and emphasizes a positive campaign message. He refuses to accept campaign contributions from political action committees (PACs) and won’t sign pledges without interest groups. You are adamant about not collecting any PAC funding. What are your thoughts on that sort of funding in political races? State level? Federal? [I’m] not collecting, not soliciting any money from PACs in state or out of state. Not signing any pledges for PACs. Montanans want to limit corporate influence on our elections, that’s clear. Every other candidate Democrat and Republican who’s filed with FEC has collected PAC money. Steve Daines has collected the most, over $100,000 of PAC money. I’m not just telling people I’ll work for them. I’m showing them who my boss will be. I don't see it as disarming my campaign. I see it as strengthening my campaign I saw you at the Montana Conservation Voters forum in Bozeman. One thing that stuck out to me was that you were one of two candidates that didn’t speak out strongly against Keystone XL. My view on Keystone is that we should build the pipeline from the Bakken oil fields south, because that would decouple the economic benefit and the jobs that we’ll have here in Montana from the environmental problems with the Alberta Tar Sands. The fracking that’s being done in the Bakken oil field should be done in an environmentally safe way that doesn't pollute our groundwater. Whatever is built should reach the highest levels of environmental security with automatic shutoffs, high quality pipeline and not routing it through sensitive areas. How quickly could we become the alternative energy leader you and other candidates have talked about? We have the electrical production online now and growing with wind based production. We have water resources and we have means to transport it. It requires investment in infrastructure and education but those are the two factors that drive economic growth. Another interesting note from that forum was that, as you mentioned, you were traveling from across the state, and Steve Daines wouldn’t travel across town to speak. What does this say about this race? The last time a Democrat was elected was in 1994 when Pat Williams was elected for his last term.
The folks who were born in ‘94 are voting for the first time 18 years later. We’ve lost a generation of voters by taking our eye off the ball. Daines has been a political insider for decades—since the early ‘80s. He’s got this simple message, ‘I’m a Montanan, I’m a businessman, I’m not a career politician.’ He’s a political insider masquerading as an outsider. The only reason he’s not a career politician is because he hasn’t won the office he’s sought. He’s not interested in a particular position. He’s run for state and federal office. He’s run for executive and legislative position. This is just political sport for him. Aside from the fact you want troops home from Afghanistan, there’s a great deal being made about Iran today. You say we should maintain a well-equipped force for today’s threats. Is Iran one of those threats? How do you see the U.S. dealing with a nuclear Iran? I think we need to be careful about engaging ourselves in military adventures overseas. If there’s one lesson people wish Bush learned in his administration, it was to consider lots of voices and change his mind if he’s made a mistake. I don't know what the best course is in Iran. But I guess my view is that we should be careful about trying to police the world. If Iran poses a clear and present danger to the interest of the United States then we should consider military options. Military is important but it needs to be used wisely. Not all military use is hard military power. Providing military aid, training on the ground, training here in the United States. Some of the benefits are you improve personal relationships with leaders of countries through training and use of aid. I think there’s a perfect role for the military softer powers. You are running for a spot in perhaps the least liked Congress in the U.S. ever. Why? How are your compromising skills? I’ve got a quote for you. Thomas Jefferson: “On matters of style, swim with the current. On matters of principle, stand like a rock.” I stand firm on our constitutional values, some of which have been undermined by our state legislators and Congress. The constitution is a social contract that requires elected officials to work for the people. When we go to Congress, our oath is to defend the Constitution, there’s not an oath to the president, there’s not an oath to our state, there’s not an oath to other members of congress.
Those are matters of principle. You can’t compromise for standing up to the Constitution. On individual policy matters, I’ve got a background that demonstrates I can work in a nonpartisan manner. I work for the people. I don't just talk the talk, I walk the walk. Your campaign issues include educating from a young age about the civic process and getting involved. Elaborate on that. In order for an elected official to be successful working for the people, the people need to step up and say this is what we want out of our elected official. It’s a different message you hear from candidates. That’s because I’ve never run for office before, but this is what I’d want out of my officials. There are lots of free and low cost ways they can participate. Civics is a lifelong process. It needs to start at an early age. Teaching kids how our system works and encouraging them to do that.
District 01 Candidates Republican: Steve Daines - $720,000 Eric Brosten – N/A Democratic: Kim Gillan - $176,160 Franke Wilmer - $162,378 Diane Smith - $100,033 Dave Strohmaier - $72,163 Rob Stutz - $13,315 Jason Ward - $0
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February 24, 2012 15
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Big Sky Weekly
Contact Jessie Neal for more information 993.2112 jessie@bsccmt.org
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Section 2:
Health & business // ophir school news
Big Sky Weekly
February 24, 2012 Volume 3 // Issue #4
business
Eric carves a hard turn across a groomer off Bridger showing off the top sheets of the Bloody Mary’s.
Looking down at the “Bloody Mary’s” Eric and Max were riding produced by Eric and Seneca.
Seneca Boards brings custom quality to local ski scene story and photos By Max Lowe
nique with his repertoire of tricks in big mountain competitions.
BOZEMAN—In Iroquois, Seneca means "people of the big mountain."
During the winter of 2008, Newman entered several big mountain competitions and scored well. He took first place in the Bridger Gully Free Ride, then first place in the qualifiers for the U.S. Nationals of the World Freeskiing Tour. The following year, in the qualifiers for the World Championships of the World Freeskiing Tour, he took second in the first run, fourth in the finals and crashed on his last run.
big sky weekly contributor
Seneca Boards, a Bozeman-based company specializing in high quality, fully customizable skis, sells skis to the people most intimately connected to the sport, says owner and founder Eric Newman. In the last few years, Seneca has become a player in the local and national ski communities. If you’re a Bridger local or a passionate powder shredder in the Bozeman area, chances are you’ve heard of Seneca skis. This winter I got out for a day of skiing with Newman and tried out a pair of his skis. Clicking into the Bloody Marys, Seneca’s mid-sized all mountain ski, we headed up the quad at Bridger on a sunny Thursday, and he told me his story. Newman began skiing at age 2, traveling with his dad, then a ski instructor, from their home in Massachusetts to the closest hill in Vermont every weekend. He started racing when he was 5, and by 13 had been accepted to Okemo Mountain School, a ski-racing academy in Vermont. He trained hard and traveled around the country with his team. After graduating high school in 2004, Newman followed his brother to Montana State University. Because he started school later in the year, he was cut from the MSU ski team, where he would’ve been a top ranked athlete. Newman stopped racing entirely and instead dedicated his focus to big mountain and backcountry skiing, a newfound passion. His first winter, he had season passes to Bridger Bowl, Big Sky and Jackson Hole. “Out of these experiences my first year in Montana, I learned that I liked nearly every aspect of the sport, from racing to park, to the backcountry,” Newman says. Freeskiing in particular interested him, because it allowed him to combine his racing tech-
Somewhere between skiing and school, Newman gained a knack for taking calculated risks. The result: the idea to start one of the first-ever custom ski manufacturing companies. But he was trying to finish school, and broke his back and neck skiing, so the company was slow to take off. He did, however, make almost 100 prototypes during that time. The skis were sold all over the country, and they taught Newman “how to build a good product, and more importantly, what people wanted.” Newman graduated from MSU in 2010, and officially formed Seneca in January 2011. Over the last year, he’s fine-tuned the company’s direction, processes, skis and goals. “The ultimate goal of Seneca Boards is to stand for something bigger than building skis. It’s an idea, a passion,” he says. “Putting that passion into skis is easy. Convincing people to believe in what Seneca does is harder.” It means teaching people how Seneca skis are built, and how they work. Most often, Newman will meet with a customer over lunch, a beer or coffee to discuss personalized ski design, from camber to top sheet. After our day of cliff hucks, speedy groomer laps and more than a couple worm turns, we sat down at the Grizzly Ridge for a beer and to recap the day. Newman explained why his production process is
Seneca founder Eric Newman mid interview and beer at the Grizz after skiing.
unique. With his custom press, he can create any size or shaped ski. Plus, he uses Kevlar fibers in the sidewalls to protect the skis during an impact. He described his careful production process and dedicated approach to connecting with customers. Skiing on the Bloody Marys I could feel this passion. The skis held par with any other big mountain ski in my quiver, equally apt for powder shredding or blasting through crud and bumps. With an increasing demand in the local and international markets for custom ski manufacturing, Seneca has room to grow. And while Newman may not become a rich man all too soon, he’s doing what he loves and through that passion, he has found success. Max Lowe writes from Bozeman. See more of his work at maxlowemedia.com.
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February 24, 2012 17
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New Big Sky restaurant mixes contemporary and classic
Finding food in Montana farm country Not as easy as you'd think By Deb Courson Smith big sky connection
GREAT FALLS—"Finding food in farm country" was the focus of a Montana Farmers Union workshop Feb. 23 in Great Falls. Although the state is well known for wheat and cattle-calf operations, ready-to-use local products for the dinner table are tougher to find, and MFU is committed to changing that. Ken Meter, president of the Crossroads Resource Center in Minneapolis, led the discussion to dig into the details of local food development, which includes crop diversity, processing, storage, distribution and recycling. "Rural regions can be much stronger because they'll have a better ability to trap the money they make and
By abbie digel
big sky weekly editor
BIG SKY—The holiday crowd filled every seat at Big Sky’s newest bistro, Olive B’s, over Presidents’ weekend. The new dining establishment, located on the corner across from the Big Sky Chapel in the Meadow Village Center, has been packed every night following its Valentine’s Day opening. Customers haven’t seemed to mind waiting for tables; the sparkling bar was packed with patrons, from families to couples and groups of friends, patiently sipping on cocktails, and clearly having a great time. The idea for Olive B’s was conceived alongside the birth of the owners Jennie and Warren Bibbins’ child, baby Olive, about eight months ago. They said when the lease for the space became available, they jumped at the chance to own their own restaurant. Warren, also known as ‘Bibber’, has been a presence in the Big Sky dining scene for over 25 years. Jennie moved to Big Sky from New York City about two years ago, fresh out of culinary school. The couple met while working in the kitchen at the Yellowstone Club. The menu is full of favorites like pasta, burgers, steak, and local game, but with an emphasis on fresh seafood and New England style-fare, a product of Warren’s east coast roots. They also have nightly specials, including homemade desserts.
Big Sky Weekly
create wealth from it,” Meter said. “They'll have a better ability to negotiate their own terms, instead of just following what someone else says the price should be, or the product they should raise is." At the MFU convention in October, Meter presented research into the local food-market potential of the Golden Triangle region of eastern/ southeastern Montana, where most of the wheat in the state is produced. He said there's a $362 million market for food in the area, and almost all of it is shipped in from other states and other countries. "It's a pretty substantial market, but there's no infrastructure that makes it efficient to trade food from local farms to local customers."
“We are shooting for quality service,” Warren said. They hired Mike Buck, also from the Yellowstone Club, to be their “right hand man” at the front of the house, and also hired 25 full time bartenders and experienced wait and kitchen staff.
Put your home in good hands.
“We’re taking off pretty well. Our honeymoon period is going to last quite a long time,” Warren said. “A lot of people I’ve catered for, and people up at the [Yellowstone] Club, are very excited. I think people are thankful there is another dining choice in Big Sky.” The space, which has been home to several other restaurants in the past, was completely gutted and redesigned. It now has an intimate feel, with contemporary details like modern brick, metal accents and an open kitchen. The Bibbins hope Olive B’s will be a place for people to visit once a week when they don't feel like cooking dinner. “We wanted something that was elegant for dressy nights out, but casual enough so people feel comfortable coming in after cross country skiing,” Jennie said. “We wanted a look and feel that wouldn't go out of style.” Olive B’s is open Monday through Saturday for lunch 11 – 3 p.m., dinner 5 – 9:30 p.m., and Sunday brunch from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Call (406) 995-3355 for reservations.
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February 24, 2012 19
Public health column
Diabetes isn’t worth the weight by Erin A. Bills, MPH
Big Sky Weekly Public Health Columnist
Worldwide, the prevalence of both adult and childhood obesity has dramatically increased in the last 20 years. In the U.S. it’s become an epidemic. This is caused by an improvement in socioeconomic conditions and the growth of the modern world. With it comes an increase in high fructose corn syrup, dietary fat, alcohol consumption, and a decline in physical activity. The global and national statistics are mirrored in Montana. The prevalence of overweight and obese adults here is slightly lower than the national average but is increasing at the same rate. This has resulted in an increase in obesity-related diseases like type 2 diabetes. In Montana, diabetes affects 53,600 adults, or 7 percent of the adult population. According to the Montana Diabetes Project, type 2 contributes to 90-95 percent of the diabetes disease burden. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower-extremity amputations, and blindness among adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The incidence of type 2 diabetes varies slightly between
Gallatin, Madison, and Park counties ranging from 4-7%, which is consistent with national trends. Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that affects how the body uses glucose (sugar), which is the body’s main energy source. In a healthy, non-diabetic individual, glucose from food enters the bloodstream, the pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin, and the insulin helps guide the glucose out of the bloodstream and into your body’s cells providing needed energy. For diabetics, the disrupted production of insulin or resistance to the effect of insulin results in high blood sugar levels. There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Both disrupt blood sugar regulation. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease that inhibits production of insulin; this form is not preventable. Type 2 diabetes is a result of the body developing resistance to insulin; type 2 diabetes is preventable and is directly linked to being overweight or obese. There are many health complications that are associated with diabetes. These include renal disease that can lead to kidney failure, peripheral neuropathy (a disturbance in skin sensation of the hands and feet) that can cause pain or lead to ulceration, eye disease that can
blindness, and depression of the immune system that can increase the risk of infection. These are just a few of the health complications that are linked to diabetes. Simple and small changes can significantly help manage type 2 diabetes and may also help prevent the disease for persons who do not have diabetes. These include losing weight, becoming more active and eating a healthy diet. To reduce the burden of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, many health policy decisions need to be addressed and implemented. Our schools could reduce the number of unhealthy snack choices in vending machines. Helping teens to establish healthy lifestyle choices at a young age has potential to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Policy intended to improve access to health care in our rural communities can help prevent people with diabetes from developing complications of the disease such as kidney or heart disease. Preventing complications can significantly reduce the overall health care costs in all of Montana’s communities, and this is especially true for the rural regions of our state. Implementation of a new patient based health promotion system focused on
disease treatment would be equally valuable. Health promotion systems are more socially comprehensive than our current healthcare model. They work to address underlying causes of poor health, promote healthy lifestyle and reduce risk factors. The Montana Diabetes Project, part of the Dept. of Public Health and Human Services, is a health promotion program that educates Montanans about diabetes. Based on creating patient centered care rather than disease centered care, the project focuses on patient interactions, organization of healthcare, community and policy. With 145,552 square miles of land, Montana is one of the largest states in the nation. It’s also one of the most rural, with a population density of four to 12 people per square mile. Considering these factors, it’s easy to see why access to healthcare is difficult, and chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes is trending upwardly in our state. Directing educational resources to our rural populations is of essence in this battle of the bulge. Erin A. Bills, MPH, works at MSU. She lives in Big Sky and is dedicated to improving the health of Montana’s rural populations. Follow her blog at projectbagbalm.wordpress.com
Family Wellness Month • Pediatrics • Chronic Conditions • Women’s Health • Pregnancy Care • Osteopathic Manipulation
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real estate
This is Big Sky Real Estate 101 By eric ossorio
big sky weekly contributor
Everyone’s an expert. When a conversation kicks off, around here at least, real estate is one of the first topics to pop up. It’s up there with sports, politics, weather and the economy. Of course, ski and snow conditions still hold the No. 1 and 2 spots in Big Sky this time of year, but discussion of real estate doesn’t take very long to surface. And everyone has an opinion. But markets have become complex. Good data is difficult to come by, increasingly difficult to interpret and subject to arbitrary fluctuations. In a well-functioning and efficient market, buyers and sellers have equal influence on the price of the goods being sold and equal access to information. In a distorted market, either the buyer or the seller has an undue influence on price. Properties remain on the market for too long when they’re mispriced and improperly valued. Buyer expectation can also be unrealistic, fueled by inaccurate information. When external pressures, expectations or information influence a market, then it’s not an efficient market. I moved here in 1993, and for several years after that the Big Sky market was both unspectacular and stable. There was a balance between supply and demand, pricing and price expectation. Then in the aftermath of the dotcom bubble, circa 2000, interest rates plunged and investors of all stripes began casting about for ways to make more money. The seeds were sown for what became the sub prime mortgage crisis, which dragged everything down with it. Markets became excessively distorted, which made it difficult to rely on any old models for efficient transfer or exchange of goods, services or information. Some thrive in distorted markets, as opportunities are presented precisely because the market has ceased to function and values are mispriced… resulting in wild fluctuations in price and availability. Markets made up of “commodities” tend to have sufficient volume to revert back to a mean, or stabilize in a shorter time, but real estate is not a commodity, and the transaction cycle is much longer and complex.
A closer look at the role of the appraisal will help illustrate how distorted a particular real estate market is. Appraisal combines both the art and science of determining value. Yet, like any data set, information can be used as a tool or a weapon, and inaccurate appraisals damage the market.
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Appraisals are conceived as a way to establish market value in markets with infrequent and unique characteristics. Real property possesses some distinct characteristics, which must be accounted for: location, amenities, size, age and access, restrictions or, as they say “encumbrances.” In an effort to even out and standardize information and appraisals, and in order to make the appraiser seem more like a scientist and less like an artist or fortune-teller (and, in many markets, to reduce fraud), lenders are being forced to use appraisal services from a centralized service provider, thereby reducing local knowledge and expertise as if they were immaterial to the proper evaluation of value. While all this sounds good and objective, the information gathering can be inaccurate and the market knowledge so poor in many cases, that the inefficiencies in the Big Sky market become disproportionate and stymie effective trade. Not every property can be reduced to a price per square foot number. Not every transaction can only be keyed off of the last sales price. Yet that’s where our lenders and appraisers have been forced to go. In a market that continues to adjust from lofty speculative levels, those adjustments are difficult. But there’s good news: Due to sale and transaction volume increasing again, there’s more information and a broader base of data available. And despite the market inefficiencies and distortions, over time the market has endured and continues to adjust, and there’s some great stuff out there to consider. Just find someone who knows what they’re doing to help. Eric Ossorio is a Managing Broker for Prudential Montana Real Estate in Big Sky, where he works with this wife and partner Stacy. He’s lived in Big Sky for 20 years, and been a broker for 35. Having almost seen it all, he sees no reason to live anywere else. (406) 5399553 ossoriorealestategroup.com
A collection of lots within Yellowstone Club, on the saddle bordering Big Sky Resort. loneviewridge.com
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business profile
Big Sky Weekly
In good company By Katie Morrison
big sky weekly contributor
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Shawna Winter lives by the quotation, "whether or not it is clear to you, there is no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” That belief kept her moving forward as she started her boutique real estate company, Winter & Co., on “less than a shoestring” in 2009. Winter had a strong background selling real estate in Big Sky, dating back to 1995. Even with this experience, she still had no idea what to expect, starting a firm during the worst time in real estate in her history as a broker.
Shawna Winter
William Feher came to the team next, bringing with him a creative idea of focusing on one development. Feher works closely with the development and management teams at Cascade Ridge, while also selling the properties.
Shawna Winter
But Winter took a different approach, and her business thrived. Her strategy, she says, was to do something “interesting and creative that would speak to everyone—regardless of if they were interested in buying or selling at that time.”
In 2010, she sold 13 of her own exclusive listings out of a total of 18, each in an average of three to four months. With this success, Winter attracted several other agents, all with a similar business philosophy.
Winter never advertised or looked for new agents. Instead, they all came out of an idea or conversation where she sensed they were the right fit. This continued when a mentor from her past, Lynn Milligan, joined the team. Milligan trained Winter in 1995, and has over 21 years of experience.
www.MTwinter.com Shawna@MTwinter.com
406.587.3114 Mon-Sat / 8am-3pm
4 blks S. of 4corners on Hwy 191 between Big Sky & the airport
The newest member of the group, Lara Hobby, joined this season, drawn to the boutique real estate model. Although new to real estate, Hobby has a similar Winter & Co. Welcomes business sense through her background Aimee Gerharter was the first to in advertising and public relations, as join. She was a real estate investor well as owning Intermountain Landand an entrepreneur herself, having scaping. started multiple businesses includ406-599-4448 aimeegerharter@msn.com ing the popular Bozeman coffee Winter and Co. is moving to a new ofshop Wild Joes. After selling her fice next to the Lone Peak Cinema this first listing in two days, the team’s winter, and next, Winter says, they’ll confidence grew. focus on “a new way of operating in the real estate world.” mtwinter.com
Aimee Gerharter
Aimee Gerharter, Lynn Milligan, Lara Hobby and William Feher
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Big Sky Weekly
Ophir School Newspaper The Ophir School Newspaper is a joint production of Outlaw Partners and the aspiring MiddleSchool Journalists of Ophir School, who are self-assigning the content and reporting and photographing the stories you see here. The Ophir School Newspaper will appear on two pages of the Big Sky Weekly throughout the school year. - Barbara Rowley, Ophir School Newspaper advisor
Trouble with the economy Fifth grade teacher says there is always room for improvement By Julia Barton Mr. Neal, the fifth grade teacher at Ophir School, has had an economic system in his classroom for several years. Recently, he sent out a survey about how his ‘classroom economy’ was working. If you were a parent or a teacher in one of his past classes, you probably got this survey. Mr. Neal says the results have taught him a lot. Ninety-eight percent of parents and 97 percent of students’ parents said they wanted it to continue, and nearly 80 percent of students and teachers said they were extremely satisfied. “Overall, things are going great,” Mr. Neal said. “But some people were unhappy with the program.” Mr. Neal believes some unhappiness appears to come from a lack of understanding about how the economy—in which kids have jobs, pay rent and conduct other transactions in Neal Bucks—works.
Kids can be fined for various things such as dishonesty, lack of participation or struggling to turn in homework, Mr. Neal explained. But they can also be rewarded for other things like clean desks, good deeds, good grades, coming in to get extra help and participating in extracurricular activities. “I pay kids every time that they come in for extra help before or after school or during recess,” Mr. Neal says. “So, even a student who never earns a single A can theoretically earn more in one week than an A student can earn acing tests. This promotes hard work." Others were concerned that students who were police officers were giving other children fines that weren’t fair. Mr. Neal says these respondents might not have been aware of a strict policy that all fines will be run by him before Neal Bucks are taken from the child. If the actions of the kid are questionable for a fine, Mr. Neal requests
One Neal Buck multiple witnesses, and if the case is questionable, the fine will be revoked. Mr. Neal has already started to make changes in the economy, and he says the survey has helped him improve its operation. “In the past, I have allowed each property owner to decide if they want to sell the desk back to the tenant or not. I have made the decision that if a student earns enough money to buy their desks back, the property owner must sell the desk back to the tenant."
Mr. Neal thinks this will help because then kids will not complain about not being able to ever buy their desks. However, in keeping with Mr. Neal’s philosophy of having his classroom economy mimic the real one, property owners hoping to buy back their desks will encounter another real life factor. "There will now be ‘inflation’ introduced to the fifth grade economy. Each quarter, the price of desks will increase by $100 Neal Bucks."
Big Sky Dummy Jump
Sixth Grader Tina Barton and her dad Kevin huddle pre-launch with their Dummy Jump Entry, Sweet Thing, built with OMS students Sam Johnson and Harry, Maisie and Andrew Schriener. Sweet Thing took a sweet fall this year before she jumped.
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LPHS students Nick McTaggart, Dan Bartzick, Tommy Tosic and Jace Morgan huddle pre-launch with their Dummy Jump Entry, Lone Peak Scholar. Other Ophir School student entries were "Dougie" by the Schumacher family and Sweet Thing, an annual entry from the Johnson, Schriener, Barton families.
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The First Place:
Big Sky Weekly
Art attack
A pub you’re going to love
Pie auction art preview
By Helena Sacchi
By Elizabeth Quackenbush winter surround the image.
It is 6:15 p.m. and every table is full at the new First Place Pub. There are only three empty seats at the bar, out of eight. More locals are going to the First Place, for a pub where the service, food and décor are 5 stars. “We are not a bar with food, we are a restaurant with drinks,” manager David McCune said. McCune grew up in Denver, went to high school in Texas, and attended the University of Albany in New York. He has worked in Big Sky for the last eight years. “We are very supported by locals," McCune said. He loves the restaurant’s location in the Meadow Village Center, he says, because with all the nearby activities, many people stop in. The food is well seasoned, flavorful and very sophisticated for a pub. The only downside for me was the French fries, until I learned to dip them in their firecracker sauce. Appetizers are a favorite, though all of the food is amazing, and the plates are big. If
there are only two of you, two appetizers, one main dish and one dessert is plenty. McCune says they try to use fish and game from local suppliers, and also try to stay along the lines of traditional Big Sky food, with dishes like bison. The First Place used to be a more formal restaurant, now it’s just a place to go for a quick bite. Some food favorites are the Panko encrusted fish and chips and the house made gyro. They currently have only one main chef named Ben Sadler. If they can hire more, they’ll start doing a Sunday brunch, and lunch and dinner in the summer. The restaurant was closed nine years ago when the owners Curly and Kelly Shea moved their operation up the mountain to create The Cabin. It reopened on Jan. 12 this year. They are now closed Tuesdays and Wednesday. The First Place name has an interesting history. First it was called the Yellow Mule, then Vince Furst came and named it The Furst Place, and when Curly Shea took over he renamed it The First Place.
This year, like many in the past, the Ophir School and Lone Peak High students will be working with their teachers to make magic with art in the name of fundraising for the school at Pie Auction 2012. Ophir and LPHS teachers are thrilled to be making art. Ms. Swanke, the art teacher, has led her students in making wonderful and creative pieces. Here’s a preview of what parents and other bidders have to look forward to at the March 10 event: The sixth and eighth grade classes both made a brightly colored flower on a black piece of paper using different pictures of a flower and putting them together to make one. The mixed media picture of the seventh grade looked amazing. It was a picture of a skier in mid-jump on a canvas painted baby blue. Cut outs of the names of the seventh graders, as well as creative words about
Ceramics II, a high school class, is making a vase with Ms. Swanke. The ceramic vase is well crafted and finely smoothed. In Art I, the class made a great drawing of a Nez-Perce chief Raven Blanket. Using watercolors, the class painted the entire canvas. The watercolor soaks down the canvas. Mr. Neal has put together a pie auction art that is undercover. When I asked him about his class’s work, he said simply: “Our class’s pie auction art is a secret. All I can tell you is that they used old skis and made a functioning piece.” Curious? You’ll have to wait and see what it turns out to be at the Pie Auction 2012. Ms. Frouny’s class took on an extra creative project this year. Each student drew a picture of Big Sky in the winter, transferred it onto a piece of clay, and framed the clay. Look for all of these pieces and more, at Pie Auction 2012 at Buck's T-4 on March 10.
OMS students play serious tag
Photos by KP Hoffman
By Elizabeth Quackenbush Have you ever wanted to shoot someone? There is now an opportunity for you to shoot your friends and not go to jail. Big Sky Resort’s new Laser Tag course offers an experience to challenge your friends, shoot mini lasers of Co2 across a field of snow, and hide behind snow-covered furniture to avoid being shot. The six girls in the Ophir School Newspaper Club got to experience this exciting new game and all loved
crouching down in the snow, waiting for the perfect moment to fire at friends. “I have always wanted to shoot a gun, now I live minutes away from an awesome time,” Helena Sacchi said. Katie Hoffman said she would come back every day if she could. “It was fun learning how to shoot ammo and creating alliances. Also breaking them," said Katie Middleton, laughing.
“I had fun, but always remember to bring warmer clothes. But even my freezing legs couldn’t bring me away from this fun course,” advised Abigail Hogan. Laser tag begins at 4:30 p.m. every day at the resort on the tennis courts. Make reservations at least 48 hours in advance at Basecamp. It starts with a tutorial on how to use a gun, what is in the gun, and how it all works. You would think that lasers would hurt if they came near your face or in your eyes. But the lasers are com-
pletely invisible to the naked eye and can’t hurt you. When the laser contacts with your gun, a remote beeps, letting you know you’ve been hit. Our instructor Sam Isham helped us with all we know. He showed us the basics of gun handling and even played a few rounds. Be careful not to use all of your Co2, or else you’ll be out. Laser tag is a fun base camp activity for all ages, but be warned…everyone might turn on you.
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Big Sky Weekly
environmental column
Balancing winter safety with Gallatin River health Protecting our water resources from excess sediment and salt By Alicia DeGroot and Kristin Gardner Blue Water Task Force
GALLATIN CANYON—The drive on Highway 191 from Big Sky to Bozeman along the Gallatin River is awe-inspiring. It’s also one of the most dangerous highways in Montana. Thankfully, the Montana Department of Transportation is committed to providing winter maintenance there and on Highway 64, the Spur Road up to Big Sky Resort. MDT uses four strategies for winter maintenance: 1. Anti-icing – adding salt to the roadway before a storm to prevent ice and snow from sticking 2. Deicing – adding salt to melt ice and snow already on the roadway
The salts and sands used for winter maintenance can kill roadside vegetation, degrade soil and leach into groundwater and streams.
3. Plowing
Furthermore, most species can tolerate exposure at high concentrations if it occurs in less than three to four days. For these reasons, we are more concerned about the potential impacts of traction sand than salt on the health of the Gallatin River watershed.
4. Traction sand application The mix and match of these different strategies varies and depends on air temperature, road surface temperature, snowstorm intensity, humidity, exposure to sun and weather predictions. MDT uses two different salts for winter maintenance: magnesium chloride and sodium chloride. Magnesium chloride is a liquid, and sodium chloride is mixed with traction sand. The traction sand provides better grip on the road surface until the salt can melt the snow and ice. A few years ago, MDT changed the ratio of this mixture by increasing the amount of sodium chloride from 5 to 20 percent, thus reducing the amount of sand applied to roads. Because of the close proximity of these highways to the Gallatin River and its tributaries, there is a high likelihood for road salt and sand to end up in rivers, streams and aquifers. We know there is a fine line between public safety and the health of the Gallatin River, its tributaries, and near stream vegetation, but we firmly believe that efforts can be made to better protect our water resources from excess sediment and salt. The salts and sand used for winter maintenance can kill roadside vegetation, degrade soil and leach into groundwater and eventually streams and rivers, where they can kill fish and other aquatic organisms. Excessive salt in the soil reduces the ability of a plant to absorb water and can eventually kill it. Salts are easily transferred through soils to groundwater and streams, where they can also be lethal to fish and aquatic plant life. However, since most salt loading to our stream occurs during spring run-off, it can be diluted and quickly transported downstream.
Small particles of traction sand can sink and clog the spaces between gravels in streambeds. Such gravel beds are vital for the fish spawning, including trout, and for a diverse population of aquatic insects. Sand that remains suspended in water can clog fish gills. In addition, excess sand and salt in the river affects the density of the water, which can change the water temperature, a serious problem for a cold-water fishery. Although to date MDT takes no extra precautions near waterways, it has made several efforts to reduce the environmental impact of winter maintenance. A few years ago, MDT began picking up sand after spring runoff; much of the 2011 clean up was sporadic however, and didn’t occur until the fall. MDT has also been replacing its trucks with those that can apply magnesium chloride directly, instead of first being mixed with traction sand. Snowplow drivers receive 40 hours of environmental training each year.
Wondering how you can make a difference? Reduce your speed if you notice fresh sand, salt or liquid being applied to the roads. Vehicles cause sand and salt to be kicked-up into the air and fly off the road. This is especially important on hills and turns, where deicing is most important.
To get involved with the water quality monitoring program on the Upper Gallatin River, contact Kristin at the Blue Water Task Force at kristin@bluewatertaskforce.org, (406) 993-2519, or stop by the office at 50 Meadow Village Dr., Suite 201, in Big Sky.
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Recent water quality assessments have showed excess sediment in our local rivers and streams, and now, the Blue Water Task Force and MDT are making efforts to more accurately define and address the problem. BWTF is restructuring its volunteer water quality monitoring program to include indicators of winter maintenance substances, and MDT is conducting a water quality survey on the Gallatin to look for excess chloride and sediment. In addition, over the next year, we’ll work together developing strategies to reduce traction sand and salt loading to our local rivers, streams, and aquifers.
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February 24, 2012 29
Big Sky Weekly
Classifieds for rent RENTALS Snowmobiles, Side by Side/Trax, Snowshoes, Baby Gear bigboystoysrentals.com 406.587.4747 -------------------------------------------------
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
legal notices BOARD VACANCIES •
Big Sky Meadow Trails, Recreation and Parks Special District
•
CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) Revolving Loan Program (Attorney Rep)
•
CIP (Capital Improvement Program Committee)
•
DUI Task Force
•
Mental Health Local Advisory Committee
•
West Yellowstone TV District
For information regarding current boards or to receive an application, please contact us: 582-3000, or drop by the office at the Courthouse on 311 W. Main, Room 306 Bozeman, or visit our website at gallatin.mt.gov, or e-mail at commission@gallatin. mt.gov ------------------------------------------------NOTICE OF BOARD VACANCIES IN BIG SKY The Madison County Board of Commissioners has vacancies on the Big Sky Mountains, Trails, Recreation, and Parks District Board, and the Big Sky Transportation District Board. If you are interested in serving on either of these boards please contact the Commissioners’ Office at 406-843-4277, by email at madco@ madison.mt.gov , or visit our website at madison.mt.gov.
services Victoria Bentley is the Owner and Director of Bentley Bodies, a premiere mind-body-wellness boutique committed to healthy lifestyle choices. Locations are in Big Sky and Bozeman. bentleybodies.net
Certified and Insured Mobile Dog Massage Service in Big Sky. montanadogmassage.com.
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Classifieds! Email classifieds and/or advertising requests to: Email classifieds and/or advertising requests to media@theoutlawpartners.com media@theoutlawpartners.com
(406) 995-2055
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Stay connected • Get involved • Never miss a story
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Creighton Block
Rob Akey Greg Alexander Jim Barrett Diana Brady Lynn Cain
Todd Connor Jerral Derr yberr y Flavia Eckholm Edd Enders Thomas English
Mark Gibson Don Grant Mimi Grant Ott Jones David Lemon
Asha MacDonald Mike Patterson Paula Pearl Jacqueline Rieder Hud Daniel San Souci
Deb Schmit Laurie Stevens Dave Swanson Shirle Wempner
ARTI ST PR O FI LE Shirle Wempner born and raised in Billings, Montana, has lived on a horse ranch most of her life and now lives on a ranch outside of Big Timber, Montana. Working predominately in oils and utilizing broad-brush strokes and palette knife techniques, she creates a feeling of realistic abstraction, concentrating on the ar tistic passion of the subject matter. Studying with Jack Hines and Jessica Zemsky who have greatly encouraged the spirit of her work, Shirle has challenged her imagination with her ar t, and continues to rediscover the creative process with each new piece. Shirle’s desired subjects are figurative and wildlife representations, with a mix of the spiritual relationships between the two.
Shirle Wempner “Summer Breeze”
B IG S K Y TOWN C E N T E R
1 1 : 3 0 A M - 6 : 3 0 P M TU ES DAY TH RU S U NDAY M O N DAY S BY APPOI NTM ENT
4 0 6- 9 9 3 - 9 4 0 0
C REI G H TO NBL O C KG A L L E RY. C O M
Ar twork also displayed at Outlaw Par tners and Lone Mountain Ranch Dining Room
Section 3:
life // land //culture
February 24, 2012 Volume 3 // Issue #4
sports Moonlight Basin Freeride team has strong showing at Great Divide By Pat Gannon
big sky weekly contributor
The Moonlight Freeride team traveled to Great Divide Ski Area to compete in the annual H-Town Shootout Slopestyle on Feb. 11. Traveling with 20 athletes, Moonlight Freeriders were quite a presence on the mountain, filling the competition with hoots, hollers, hi fives and huge hucks. With competitors in almost every division ranging in age from 6 to 17 years old, Moonlight Freeride took home a bunch of prizes and even bigger smiles. Look for the team competing in the upcoming Huck-a-Berry Jam Slopestyle March 10 and the Spring Runoff March 31 at Moonlight Basin.
Women's Ski 2nd Maida Knapton 3rd Ana Schnell Elina Dilscheider - Most Creative line Men's Snowboard 12 and under Ethan Russell 2nd Kelton Johnson 3rd Carston Johnson 4th
Moonlight Freeride coach Pat Gannon is stoked by his team's success.
Just riding for Gannon, no big deal.
Men's Ski 12 and under Max Trapp 2nd Toby Johnson 3rd Sammy Lathrop 4th Jacob Lathrop 5th Wyatt Raich - (Up and Comer award) Chris Funston - (strongest finish) Maddy Cone - (sweetest turns through the terrain park) Sammy Lathrop - (most hits for most chicks)
BSSEF freeride team on the podium at Jackson Hole By Jackie Robin
On Thursday, Feb. 9, a vanload of competitors, led by coaches Devan Backstrom and Tim Bak headed to Jackson Hole, Wyo. for their first freeski competition of the season. Nine BSSEF athletes competed at this International Freeskiers Association sanctioned event.
Other first-time competitors Ruby Speth, Nic Manship, Jack Amsden and Cash Munro all had impressive runs on both days. Veteran competitor Solomon Amsden had a spectacular wipeout in his first run, taking him out of the running for a top spot. Dawson-Case Raden, too young to compete this year, foreran the course both days.
“It was a regional competition not far from home with a real opportunity for our athletes to score well,” said head coach Backstrom. At the award presentation, BSSEF had four athletes on the podium.
Athletes Micah Robin, Solomon Amsden and Joey Manship head to Crystal Mountain in Washington to represent the BSSEF Freeride Team in a national IFSA event on March 2-4. bssef.com.
Big Sky Weekly Contributor
In the girls 12-14, first-time competitors Lucy Amsden and Gracely Speth took 2nd and 3rd. In 12-14 boys, Jackson Raden had an impressive combined score of 30.58 and came in 2nd. In boys 15-18, Micah Robin improved his run on the second day by over 4 points and was able to finish in 3rd place.
Competition schedule: Targhee: March 16 – 18 Winter Park: March 23 – 25 Headwaters Run-Off (Moonlight Basin): March 31
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February 24, 2012 33
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sports
Big Sky Weekly
Great Divide weekend alpine ski racing 6 9 12 15
Youth Ski League racers from Bridger and Big Sky had three races over Presidents’ Weekend, on slalom and two separate kombis. The following are top 15 results by class.
Saturday slalom
Photo by Tina Coyle
Boys
Girls 1 MATELICH, Julia 2 COYLE, Alexa 4 PETITT, Erin 5 PETITT, Megan 6 BELL, Reece 8 O'DONNELL, Libby 10 DELGER, Ella 11 BECKER, Riley 12 ST CYR, Maci 13 ASBELL, Riley 15 WINTERS, Madiso
BSF/99 1:19.51 BSSEF/99 1:19.66 BSF/99 1:21.75 BSF/99 1:23.78 BSSEF/01 1:25.33 BSF/00 1:28.52 BSF/00 1:30.35 BSSEF/01 1:31.06 BSSEF/00 1:31.33 BSF/01 1:32.16 BSSEF/00 1:33.59
3 WILLS, Kyle 8 OLSON, Joe 14 KLATT, Tanner 15 SAAREL, Sam
BSSEF/99 1:31.18 BSSEF/00 1:34.47 BSF/00 1:38.25 BSF/00 1:38.82
Sunday kombi Girls – Race 1 1 COYLE, Alexa 2 PETITT, Megan 3 PETITT, Erin 4 DELGER, Ella 5 O'DONNELL, Libby
J-4BSSEF/99 42.46 J-4 BSF/99 44.63 J-4 BSF/99 45.84 J-4 BSF/00 46.67 J-4 BSF/00 47.23
BOERSMA, Kodi HETHERINGTON, Valerie ASBELL, Riley SMITH, Natalie
J-5BSSEF/01 47.47 J-4BSSEF/99 47.84 J-5 BSF/01 49.72 J-4 BSF/00 50.74
Girls – Race 2 1 COYLE, Alexa 2 BELL, Reece 3 PETITT, Megan 4 PETITT, Erin 7 O'DONNELL, Libby 9 ASBELL, Riley 10 BOERSMA, Kodi 11 WINTERS, Madison 12 SWOBODA, Alexandra 13 WINTERS, Mackenzie
J-4BSSEF/99 56.52 J-5BSSEF/01 57.60 J-4 BSF/99 57.99 J-4 BSF/99 1:00.27 J-4 BSF/00 1:02.63 J-5 BSF/01 1:05.59 J-5BSSEF/01 1:06.47 J-4BSSEF/00 1:07.36 J-4 BSF/99 1:07.54 J-4BSSEF/00 1:07.84
Boys – Race 1 4 OLSON, Joe 8 WILLS, Kyle 11 SAAREL, Sam 13 GREGORY, Peter
J-4BSSEF/00 1:04.02 J-4BSSEF/99 1:06.17 J-4 BSF/00 1:07.54 J-4 BSF/00 1:07.80
Boys – Race 2 8 KLATT, Tanner 9 SAAREL, Sam 11 WILLS, Kyle
J-4 BSF/00 50.95 J-4 BSF/00 52.00 J-4BSSEF/99 53.01
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Any Thursday through the end of the season, buy 1 college lift ticket & get 1 college ticket FREE Valid for college students under age 24. Each student must show proof of age & a valid college ID. Tickets valid on Thursday of purchase only. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discount.
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NORTH FORK ROAD
$3,500,000 • #157326 • Call Don
• • • •
216 +/- acres, old growth forest, meadows ap. 3/4 mile of North Fork flows through borders public lands, private road outstanding Spanish Peak views
Big Sky Weekly
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$1,400,000• #180623 • Call Stacy
20 acres Triple Triangle Ranch extraordinary views and ski trail access desirable, private enclave contiguous to North Fork Tract 8
$1,100,000 • #180527 • Call Stacy
20 acres Triple Triangle Ranch hiking and ski trails to lot desirable, private enclave contiguous to tract 2 to create 40 acres
$1,075,000 • #175582 • Call George
3 bd, 5 ba, 4,500 +/- sf home 8 +/- acres (2 contiguous lots), pond beautiful natural landscaping, mature trees fabulous mountain views
UNDER CONTRACT
COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR $995,000 • #175374 • Call Erin
• 20 +/- acres (16 +/- acres zoned community commerical, 4 +/- acres zoned residential • Big Sky water and sewer accessible • West Fork of the Gallatin borders parcel
CRAIL RANCH TOWNHOME • • • •
LOST TRAILS LOT #8 $780,000 • # 178440 • Call Don
• • • •
20 +/- acres sunny, south-facing building sites between Mountain and Meadow Villages views of Yellowstone Mtn and Spanish Peaks community water system with fire flow
$990,000 • #180839 • Call George
4 bd, 4 ba, 3,500 +/- sf furnished with over $124,000 furniture next to flowing creek with outstanding views heated 2 car attached garage
COWBOY HEAVEN
• • • •
355 LOW DOG ROAD • • • •
$759,000 • #180986 • Call Marc
4 bd, 3.5 ba, 3136 +/- sf, 1+ acre lot hot tub, wood flooring, fresh paint at the base of Wardance ski run nestled in the trees at Mountain Village
$945,000 • #180696 • Call Lincoln
3 bd, 5 ba, 3,003 +/- sf, 1 car garage hardwoods, granite, tile slate, fireplaces Big Sky Resort & Moonlight Basin ski access excellent condition, great views, deck
POWDER RIDGE CABIN • • • •
ARROWHEAD CONDO
BEAVER CREEK W, LOT 13 • • • •
$695,000 • #176399 • Call Don
20 +/- acres, spectacular views located on gentle slope, private driveway ideal for a new home, well is drilled convenient to all of Big Sky
$795,000 • #176798 • Call Stacy
4 bd, 3 ba, 2,577 +/- sf, furnished ski-in/ski-out to White Otter lift numerous upgrades, river rock fireplace entertaining deck off of kitchen, hot tub
• • • •
$614,000 • #181216 • Call Tim
condo unit #1659, 3 bd, 4 ba, 1,950 +/- sf ski/in, ski/out, upgraded free standing condo great furniture package, indoor hot tub Spanish Peak views, agent owned
PRICE REDUCTION
GALLATIN HIGHLANDS • • • •
$575,000 • #180951 • Call Stacy
20 +/- acres, meadows, old growth fir trees fabulous Gallatin Range views south facing, includes Locati house plans minutes from Big Sky Town Center
RAINBOW TROUT RUN • • • •
LOOKING GLASS RD LOT 63 • • • •
$225,000 • #181151 • Call Stacy
.25 +/- acre level building lot overlooks golf course great views of the surrounding mountains municipal water, sewer, utilities are adjacent
$439,000 • #176526 • Call Stacy
3 bd, 2.5 ba, 2365+/- sf, custom finishes bonus room above 2 car attached garage massive wood burning stone fireplace hot tub, flagstone patio with fire pit
• • • •
• • • •
2 bd, 2 ba, 1,207 +/- sf furnished condo corner unit, spacious kitchen 1 car attached garage close to Big Sky Town Center
$368,000 • #174888 • Call Eric or Stacy 3 bd, 3 ba, 2,054 +/- sf gourmet kitchen, knotty alder cabinets gas rock fireplace, furnishings negotiable deck, 1 car attached garage
RAMSHORN, LOT 4
MADISON COURT # 17 $199,000 • #165108 • Call Eric
CASCADE LOT 71A
ALPENGLOW CONDO 18C
• • • •
$189,500 • #180395 • Call Don
nice level building lot all season easy access great views of Porcupine Creek electricity and phone to lot
• • • •
$299,000 • #173281 • Call Stacy or Eric 1.3 +/- acre Knob lot, ski-in/ski-out adjacent to Thunderwolf lift breathtaking Lone Mountain views agent owned
ANTLER RIDGE LOTS
$105,000 • #156549/#156551 • Call George
• • • •
.46 +/- acres lots wonderful building sites, gorgeous views water & sewer (septic) metered purchase 1 lot or make an offer on both
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sports
Big Sky Weekly
LPHS Basketball
By Brandon Niles
Linsanity Only a few weeks ago the Knicks were slumping, losing to lesser teams and quickly falling out of the playoff race. Then something odd happened. Amidst poor play and injury-setbacks, head coach Mike D’Antoni inserted unknown thirdstring point guard Jeremy Lin into the lineup. This 23-year-old, Harvard educated, undrafted, Asian-American player that no one had ever heard of has proceeded to amaze fans with each game. Lin has taken the league by storm, having one of the best starts to his career in league history. In only a short while, he’s been given the moniker “Linsanity” and Madison Square Garden has erupted in raucous cheering for this brilliant Ivy League ball handler. Standing only 6-foot-3, Lin has an uncanny ability to drive to the basket and is a master at executing the pick-and-roll offense that D’Antoni has implemented in New York. While this system has always been well suited for point guards, Lin’s success is one of the most intriguing stories in the league right now. This story is so intriguing that it seems the entire sports world has taken notice. Commentators all over the nation have been eagerly watching every Knicks basketball game and commenting on Lin’s impressive feats. Everyone wants to know why this is the first we’ve heard of Lin, how long he’ll be able to produce at such a high level, and if the Knicks are back in contention with him at the helm. However, as is so often the case, there are those in the media who have dramatically overreacted to the emergence of Lin. Some have said Lin should’ve made the all-star team (despite other notable point guards such as Rajon Rondo clearly deserving it more). Some have said
Lin is now one of the top 10 point guards in the league. One famous commentator even compared him to Chris Paul, arguably the best point guard in the league. Settle down everyone. The story of Jeremy Lin is a great one, and like everyone else, I’m enjoying watching his fast ascension. He seems to be a likable guy, he’s been tremendously entertaining to watch, and his hard fought climb up the depth chart from obscurity is highly compelling. Additionally, he’s proven already that he has the talent to maintain his early success. He’s hit game-winning shots, made breathtaking passes, and shown the kind of ball skills that have terrorized opposing point guards. However, his sample size is still entirely too small to begin the discussion of how good he really is.
The Lone Peak Bighorns Boys' won in a game against Lima 51-46 at the District Tournament debut game in Butte. The Big Horns pulled out a win in the last minutes of the game. The boys advanced to round one of the District Tournament, where they lost to #1 rated Twin Bridges at noon on Thursday, Feb, 16. 10-58. Photos by Kaela Schommer
He clearly hasn’t been great for long enough to warrant all-star consideration, and to be mentioned among the top point guards in the league after only a handful of starts is pre-mature. Perhaps he’ll make the all-star game next year, and perhaps he’ll continue his success. It certainly seems as though he’s found the right system and he’s flashed the talent to maintain his level of play. At the moment however, the story of Linsanity is just another shining example of reactionary hyperbole that goes along with modern sports media. Until he maintains this for the entire season and shows up in the playoffs, I’ll resist the urge to place him in the upper echelon of point guard rankings. Instead, I’ll enjoy watching him for as long as this success continues, and I’ll worry about his evaluation at the end of the season. For now, let’s not worry about where he ranks after only a handful of starts. Instead, let’s just kick back and enjoy the show.
Complete Line of Western & English Tack, Gifts, Housewares & Apparel
Gersemi Winter Apparel Boulet Boots Serretelli Hats Rebecca Ray Designs Rock N Roll Cowgirl Jeans Miller Ranch Wear for Men & more Four Corners Saddlery Located just south of Four Corners on the way to Big Sky
81720 Gallatin Road • Bozeman 406-587-7503
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February 24, 2012 37
outdoors
Ice Creek Lodge By Brian Ladd
big sky weekly Contributor
Everyone has their own ideal ski lodge. Perhaps it’s a custom timber-frame with picture windows silhouetting Lone Peak, or granite slab countertops from Italy and a wine cellar full of obscure vintages. It turns out mine comes with a butt-freezing outhouse that features a broken lock on the door while exposing you to the surrounding peaks. Perfect. Situated in a high mountain cirque in the Devil's Range, on the precipice of Valhalla Park, lies the manifestation of a ski bum’s dream. Like its founder, Ice Creek Lodge is raw, quirky, with every resource focused on the inspired adventure that is big-mountain backcountry skiing. In January of this year, a friend and I reconvened with a group from Big Sky in the snow-buried town of Nakusp, British Columbia. A promise of a helicopter flight charged up the group the first morning, despite my driving hangover that involved hitting a deer with my truck, a three-hour tow truck ride and the ensuing 23-hour drive through a Washington ice storm in a rented Kia. I almost had convinced myself that the trip wasn’t worth the effort, but the icy wind blast from the helicopter rotors invigorated my senses. In moments we were, only as helicopter can do, transported up a constricted mountain drainage. We floated up the valley, and the pine tree forest was increasingly pushed back with granite walls and peaks, ending in a pristine mountain cirque striated with snowy couloirs. We were delivered to the only building in sight, situated midmountain in the heart of spectacular ski terrain.
Photo by Eric Ladd
As the thump of the heli faded in the distance, we were left in the quiet, perfectly cold world of Ice Creek. The
silence rung in my earns and the cold nipped at my cheeks as I took in the toothy peaks that surrounded me. A rocky outcropping surrounded the lodge. A main building had sleeping for eight skiers, a central wood stove, a propane-fired kitchen and water tank fed with 50-pound jugs of creek-fresh water. Our bones were warmed in the evening with the “hippy killer”
GEAR
backcountry with the threat of an avalanche, a nonrelease tele binding is a deal killer for me. The two times these Dynafits released on this trip were proper and possibly saved knee injury as well. dynafit.com/en
Voile Charger Skis
Despite coming from two countries and three different states, four of our six skiers rode the Chargers. And for very good reason. Simply put, this is the best big mountain touring ski when powder is in the forecast. The skis are feather-light, Photo by megan paulson wide, intelligently designed and charged through wind slab, mixed conditions, tight trees and open powder. After this trip I cannot find reason to go back to the several other skis now sitting in my garage. voile-usa.com
Dynafit TLT Vertical FT Binding
This was my first trip on AT gear after 15+ years on tele. This transition came from my jealousy of the dramatic advances in the safety and weight saving design in AT gear such as these light and strong bindings. In the deep
38 February 24, 2012
Photo by megan paulson
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BCA Float 36 Pack
Two kids at home convinced me to pony up and buy an airbag pack. Research led me to this new design by Boulderbased BCA. This is a large step forward in airbag pack design and answers many of the prior complaints of size, weight and usability. While you feel the extra weight of the airbag system, this pack carries plenty well for long tours. A bit too small for an overnight bag, this is a great daypack with plenty of room, great shoulder straps, intelligent accessories like belt pockets, helmet storage, and a goggle pocket. The only quips are the interior pockets don't hold the bladder system well and my large blade shovel never found a great home. I believe airbags will be standard gear in a few years, but don't wait to catch on. They save lives. backcountryaccess.com
Black Diamond Quadrant AT Boot
My go-to tele boots are also made by BD and I quickly took to these AT boots. While I fought the sizing a bit, I dialed them in and enjoyed these boots. More than enough power to drive any ski in the backcountry, and after dropping a knee for so long, I can't imagine needing a stiffer alpine boot at ski areas either. Great weight saving design, plenty of room in the toes for my bear-wide feet, huge range of motion while touring, and neat liners with the boa lacing system. blackdiamondequipment.com
outdoors
Photo by Eric Ladd
Photo by megan paulson
wood sauna and the generator provided enough power for a few hours of tunes and dimly lit camaraderie—just enough improvements to keep everyone warm, dry and happy. Continued on p. 39 Our group was led by backcountry guiding legend Joel McBurney. His experience and analytical nature blanketed the group in calm confidence, despite an active avalanche cycle throughout our trip. Activities fell into a rhythm of cooking, sleeping, long skin approaches followed by speedy descents, and requisite storytelling and jovial lodge behavior.
Fresh, cold snow filtered from the sky every day, and our ski lines were varied, full of soft drops, and always untouched. While we were able to occasionally poke into the higher and more exposed slopes, our ability to explore the epic lines was constrained by the avalanche activity in the high peaks.
Ice Creek Lodge icecreeklodge.com Located just outside Nakusp, BC, six hours north of Spokane, Wash. Guide Extraordinaire: Joel McBurney Low-key, high-talent guide, trip organizer, cook, musician and comedian. bigcountryguiding.com
While our skiing experience was phenomenal, the lines-of-a-lifetime would tease from above, ensuring our return trip next year.
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February 24, 2012 39
Big Sky Weekly
outdoors
What is “MODERATE”?
Understanding the avalanche advisory By Scotty Savage
Big Sky Weekly Avalanche Expert
“For today, it’s still possible to trigger an avalanche and the danger is rated MODERATE.” – Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center advisory, Valentine’s Day 2012 When you’re peering over the tips of your skis getting ready to drop into your favorite powder shot or idling your sled in the flats looking up at the pristine bowl you’re about to highmark, you’ve already made your avalanche hazard evaluation. You probably started by checking out the GNFAC website (mtavalanche.com) at home and read that the avalanche danger was rated MODERATE for the day. But what does that mean? And how do they come up with those danger ratings? Is the danger rating all you need to know, or just a piece of the puzzle?
The avalanche danger rating is a snapshot of the avalanche hazard for a given area, usually a mountain range or specific part of a range. Snow stability tends to vary considerably from slope to slope. So,
while the danger for a mountain range may be MODERATE, some individual slopes will be very stable and a few others may be highly unstable. Simply checking the danger rating before you head out to play and assuming that all slopes will behave similarly is a common mistake. The avalanche danger rating is a great starting point, but you must determine the hazard on the specific slope you choose to ride. Avalanche centers and forecasters act as information clearinghouses, collecting weather, snowpack, and avalanche data to produce a danger rating each day. The one-word description of the avalanche hazard (LOW, MODERATE, HIGH…) gets you thinking about the expected avalanche conditions, but it’s just scratching the surface as far as the information that the advisory provides. Here are some other things included in the advisories: •
•
40 February 24, 2012
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A great local mountain weather forecast. These guys usually blow away the TV weathermen and the National Weather Service forecasters because avalanche forecasters are focused on predicting the weather in the mountains, where the goods are, instead of in town. Bullseye data. Recent avalanche activity, collapsing and cracking in the snowpack, and whoomphing noises are red flags in the avalanche world and make stability evaluation simple—this is bullseye data. Look at the pictures and videos of recent avalanche activity. A picture of an avalanche can be worth more than 1,000 words, especially if
it’s next to a slope you planned on riding. Read the narratives and stories in the advisory that detail firsthand accounts from recent visits to specific areas—more great info that you don’t need an Avalanche PhD to interpret. •
Pearls of wisdom. The narrative style of GNFAC advisories allows the forecasters to introduce snow science and stability evaluation concepts. Take advantage of these free mini-avalanche classes. While it’s not the same as experiencing things in the field, taking 10 minutes to read and thoroughly understand the advisory every day is a great introduction to avalanche education.
Winters like this one—calling it winter seems like a stretch—challenge sledders, boarders, skiers and avalanche forecasters alike. Many slopes are stable and lull us into a false sense of security, but the facets and other persistent weak layers buried deep in the snowpack occasionally rear their ugly heads, causing MODERATE danger to linger… and linger. Remember that advisories are merely advice. You and your partners should use them as a valuable piece of the avalanche puzzle, but only you can decide exactly when and where to play in the mountains. Scotty Savage has spent thousands of days in the field evaluating avalanche conditions while at work and at play. Currently a Friends of the GNFAC avalanche educator, he plans on spending less time with knee surgeons and more time on skis in the coming months.
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Gear
Big Sky Weekly
FlyLow Gear Chemical Pants These have been my standby ski pants for the last couple seasons. I have hiked, skied, après-ed, and wrenched on my car in them. They have massive vents on the outside and insides of the legs. The waist was designed with an adjustable Velcro tab so that I never have to use a belt. They have articulated knees, with extra material on the knees and the cuffs for better wear. If you want comfortable ski pants that will move with your body and withstand any beating you can dish out, try the Chemical from FlyLow. You won’t be disappointed. - Mike Mannelin You can find FlyLow at Gallatin Alpine Sports and Big Sky Sports, or at flylowgear.com.
The Patriot Swiss Army Knife Knives, knives everywhere! When I worked on Search and Rescue in Tuolumne Meadows, Calif., that was my boss’s motto. The Wenger Swiss Army Patriot is so light and slim (it weighs less than an ounce) it’s a perfect extra to slip in the bottom of your bag. You’ll never know it’s there until you need it. Like all Wenger products, it’s precision engineered in Switzerland and is guaranteed for life. It would have made my boss happy. E.S. $24.95 wengerna.com
D YOUR • N I F •
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Eric & Stacy Ossorio With 19 years of local expertise, Eric and Stacy Ossorio are committed real estate professionals. They have an exceptional insight into the Big Sky market and are informed and savvy about every development in the area. While working with them they will share with you their expertise to help you make the best real estate choice for your family and lifestyle.
Eric Ossorio, Broker - 406.539.9553 Stacy Ossorio, Broker - 406.539.8553 eric.ossorio@prumt.com stacy.ossorio@prumt.com ossoriorealestategroup.com
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NON-PROFITS: BIG SKY COMMUNITY LIBRARY, BIG SKY SKI EDUCATION FOUNDATION, WOMEN IN ACTION, BIG SKY COMMUNITY CORPORATION, MORNINGSTAR LEARNING CENTER - REGISTER YOUR NON-PROFIT TODAY AT LONE PEAK BREWERY 42 February 24, 2012
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Big Sky Weekly
Austin Trayser Austin Trayser has been photographing since he was 11 years old. His style today reflects his life on the road. The University of Montana photojournalism graduate doesn’t feel comfortable calling any one place home, because he’s at home everywhere he travels. From documenting cock fighting rings in rural Mexico to shark fishing off coastal California, Trayser goes. Trayser recently started his own photography company, Trayser Media Group, based out of Bozeman, and says he hopes it can keep him crisscrossing the world with his Nikon D300s at his side. Since recently donating his piece “Gally Vertical” to the Running Free From Cancer Fundraiser, Trayser has begun working with local galleries and print shops displaying his work for the artistic community. -T.A. “Gallatin River Horizontal, April 2011”
Process is my favorite part about photography--whether it’s a shoot planned out for months, or a simple frame snapped that somehow captured the feeling better than I could have ever described it. And I’m left with a photograph that becomes my reference of memory for the rest of my life. I printed this out at three feet by one and a half, and have it hanging on my wall to remind me of where I’m blessed to be living.
“Spawning Rainbows on the Missouri River, June 2011”
A buddy and I were out looking for catchable fish, which is a daily routine year round for me. We headed over to the Missouri River below Toston to try and escape the runoff for a minute. After a dozen casts in the mud, we gave up. On the walk back we found a cold spring, hundreds of Rainbows were spawning. We only bugged these ‘bows for a few images, and then left them to do their thing. Sometimes I call this one the Map of North America.
“Beau’s House, August 2011”
Ask anyone, summertime in Montana is incomparable to anywhere else in the world. There’s a lot of reasons, but here’s one more—a strong music community. I took this photo at a house near Rocky Creek Farms in Bozeman. My friend called to invite my band to play a festival they were putting together. Although my band was dispersed across the country, and I had to be up in Big Sky to guide fisherman the next morning, I grabbed my guitar and camera and headed to Rocky Creek. What a night. Walking up to the house and seeing the scene for the first time put a grin on my face that lasted until early morning. I had to snap a few frames. This image is the perfect record for the month of August. “Gooch Hill Road, April 2009”
This hat has been everywhere with me. I bought it from a woman with a glass eye in Nassau, Bahamas many years ago. I think it looks best on my dashboard. I’m always on the road heading to see friends and family, so this is the view I see more than my own face in the mirror. I love the composition of this image because it shows my point of view perfectly. There is a lot to be grateful for.
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February 24, 2012 43
EVENTS big sky
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Planning an event? Let us know! Email abbie@theoutlawpartners.com and we’ll spread the word.
Live Music at Choppers ft. DJ Bones Feb. 24, 9 p.m.
Trail side lunch buffet Lone Mountain Ranch Fridays thru March 16 Vinyasa Flow Yoga Yellow Mountain Center for the Arts Tuesdays 6:30 – 8 p.m. Contemplative Prayer Group practice Studio in Ozzsage/Lone Peak Physical Therapy building Sundays thru April 15 5 – 6 p.m. First Sunday of Lent worship With All Saints guest preacher Reverend Steve Delzer Big Sky Chapel Feb. 26, 9:30 a.m. Sunday brunch Lone Mountain Ranch Sundays thru March 31
Ophir Middle School Science Fair Feb. 24, 12:30 p.m. Live music at Choppers ft. Jeff Bellino Feb. 25, 5 – 7 p.m. Peggy Dicken Schwer Memorial Concert Series Ft. Dos Mayos Talus Room at Big Sky Resort Bigskyarts.org Feb. 26 SOMT Big Sky Area Winter Games Moonlight Basin Feb. 27 Whipper Snapper and Disaster Race For the Big Sky Skate Park Black Bear Bar and Grill March 2, 8 p.m.
Sunday brunch Olive B’s 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Chamberlain Rail Jam Ft. Atmosphere Big Sky Resort March 2 -3
Yoga with Anna Mondays 6:30 – 8 p.m. Tuesdays 8:30 – 10 a.m. Fridays 6 – 7 a.m. Call 600-7565 to register
Howlin’ at the Moon Snowshoe Shuffle Raise funds for Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter Moonlight Basin March 3
Prime Rib Monday 320 Ranch Steakhouse and Saloon Mondays thru March 31 Choppers open Mic Night Tuesdays thru April 15 Shuffleboard night Lone Peak Brewery Wednesdays thru April 15
All Saints Winter Community Forum on Five Wishes ® Hosted by Bozeman Deaconess Hospital Big Sky Chapel March 7, 11, 7 – 8:15 p.m.
Yoga with Callie Yellow Mountain Center for the Arts Wednesdays thru April 30 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Huck a Berry Jam Moonlight Basin Zero Gravity Terrain Park March 10, 8 – 9 a.m. registration
Thursday evening music Lone Mountain Ranch Saloon Thursdays thru March 22 8- 9 :30 p.m.
32nd Annual Ophir School Pie Auction Buck’s T-4 March 10, 7 p.m.
On mountain Sunday Service Big Sky Resort Chapel area cross by the Triple Chair Sundays 1:30 p.m.
Second annual Gransberg Cup Big Sky Resort March 11, 8 – 9:45 a.m.
Mountain tours Moonlight Basin Every day 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m Apres Ski Music Moonlight Basin Every Saturday except. March 3 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Bozeman MSU College of Arts and Architecture's Presidents' Fine Arts Series Celebration of Women's History Month Month of March Montana.edu for full schedule
YMCA SnowBall The Gallatin Valley YMCA’s annual SnowBall will be held at the Gallatin Gateway Inn on Saturday, March 3, beginning at 5 p.m. The event is geared toward families, and will include appetizers, dinner, dessert, dancing, and live and silent auctions. The Gallatin Valley YMCA has invested over $45,000 in the community through direct financial assistance and program subsidies in 2011. No one is ever turned away from the YMCA due to inability to pay. All money raised helps subsidize youth programs like flag football, basketball, summer day camps and teen camps, and a new aquatics program. Tickets are available by calling the YMCA at 994-9622.
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Big Sky Broadway talent show is March 25 at Lone Peak Cinema If you’ve ever had a secret yearning to sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in front of a crowd or love to blast the soundtrack of “Wicked” in your car, you won’t want to miss The Big Sky Broadway Talent Show and Costume Party. Up to 15 local acts (all ages welcome) will showcase Broadway songs, dance and acting before super-secret celebrity judges crown the winners on Sunday, March 25 from 3:30 – 5 p.m. in the big theater of Lone Peak Cinema. Spectacular prizes will also be awarded to contestants and the audience, who are all encouraged to participate by walking the red carpet in their best Broadway Character costume.
An Adventure in the Arts Family Day Museum of the Rockies Feb. 25, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Exploring the Arts: Basement Jazz Bozeman Public Library Feb. 27, 7 p.m. Concert: Guitar Republic The Ellen Theatre Feb. 29, 6:30 p.m. beer and wine in the lobby, 7:30 p.m.concert
At the show’s conclusion, Big Sky Broadway will announce the name of its forthcoming show, to be performed on June 22-24 at Big Sky Resort. The party will then move to By Word of Mouth, with drink specials and more Broadway music. A film version of the selected Broadway show will also be shown that evening at Lone Peak Cinema. All proceeds from the event go directly to Big Sky Broadway, the up and coming local youth musical theater division of Camp Big Sky. To reserve tickets or sign up for a performance spot, email Barbara Rowley at browley@3rivers.net.
Winter Snowshoe Program U.S. Forest Service Hebgen Lake Ranger Station Feb. 29, 1 p.m. Rendezvous Ski Race West Yellowstone March 3, Rendezvousrace.com Kids n Snow Event Kidsnsnow.org March 3 - 4
Learn InDesign CS4 Basic MSU Extended University Feb 28-Mar 08
West Yellowstone Youth Ski Festival March 4
A Dangerous Method Bozeman Film Festival Emerson’s Crawford Theater Feb. 29, 7:30 p.m.
Winter Snowshoe Program U.S. Forest Service Hebgen Lake Ranger Station March 6, 1 p.m.
Nordic Ski Waxing with Leif Zimmerman Bozeman REI Feb. 29, 6:30 – 8 p.m. Memoir writing workshop Writing studio near Bogart Park March 4, 1 – 4 p.m. Call (406) 581-9405 for availability G Love and Special Sauce Emerson Crawford Theater March 6, 7 p.m. Waxing and Tuning Basics Bozeman REI March 8, 6:30 p.m. Pinky and the Floyd Emerson Crawford Theater March 8-9
west yellowstone
paradise valley The Saddle Tramps Band Chico Hot Springs Feb. 24-25, 7 p.m. Mathias – acoustic rock Norris Hot Springs Feb. 25, 7 p.m. Denny Earnest & the Resonators Pine Creek Café Feb. 25, 7 p.m. Big Timber’s Toot, Snoot, & Hoot Comedy Show & Chili Cookoff Civic Center Feb. 25 Holler N Pine Norris Hot Springs Feb. 26, 7 p.m.
Questions? Call the West Yellowstone Chamber at (406) 646-7701
A reading by local author Alston Chase Pine Creek Café Feb. 29, 7 p.m.
Yellowstone Ranger Led Snowshoe Walk West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center Feb. 25, 2 p.m.
Shea Stewart-Hill country blues Norris Hot Springs March 2, 7 p.m. Tommy Georges- Americana Norris Hot Springs March 3, 7 p.m.x
food & dining
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Big Sky Weekly
Montrail Bison Chili and Jerky By Taylor Anderson
big sky weekly assistant editor
Something’s stewing in St. Ignatius, near the Flathead Valley in western Montana. The folks at Montrail Bison are packing bison and kidney beans with loads of other goods into what they call Chunky Buffalo Chili. Perhaps the best feature of the chili is that it doesn't take website sleuthing to understand the ingredients in the soup. Steve Killorn and family have been in the bison business for more than 30 years. The 60-year-old Livingston native recently moved the operation from eastern Montana to the Flathead Valley for what he calls “conveniences”, and what others call paved roads and running water. Rest assured there’s a spoonful of meat, beans and tomatoes in each chunky bite. The group is also packaging up jerky that makes the slabs sitting on display in gas stations throughout Montana look like chump food. The natural bison meat is flavored with soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, brown sugar and liquid smoke to create the most tender jerky you’ll find. Your jaw won’t endure a workout eating a package of this stuff, and the only
thing you’re chewing on an hour after munching is the jerky’s powerful flavor. Killorn says the tenderness comes from “our process, our recipe, ya know.” The meat is sweet but not overly so, and it’s not so salty that it cuts up the roof of your mouth eating it. Killorn bought the original tangy recipe from a bison dealer in Hawaii 11 years ago and sat on it for eight years before starting the jerky operation three years ago. “We just use buffalo as they come off the pasture, they’re in good shape and happy so, you know, I’m just glad we have that recipe,” Killorn said. Pick up a package of this Montanamade meat (or pepperoni sticks) at the Hungry Moose, Cabelas outdoor stores, all Town Pumps, across North Dakota and eastern Montana, or go online at montrailbison.com.
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further fetchins
If everyone skied, there would be no more wars
LOT L OT 48 8 | 1488 . 7 7 ACR ES TH E U LT I MATE
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WIT HIN YEL L OWSTO NE CLU B
Only seconds to 8,000 acres of powder, glades and chutes. L et the memories b egin . Muncho Lake, apporximately 5.525 miles from riots in Athens.
By mike mannelin
big sky weekly columnist
Panoramic View from Lot 488
My back was glued to the worn out driver’s seat as we bounced north along the gravel covered, frost heaved Alaska Highway. The last town we passed was Fort Nelson, B.C., about a hundred miles ago. I hit the seek button on the radio one more time to see if we could find a station. After several laps on the digital dial, and a few more corners around a few more hills, the AM dial landed on a news program. CBC radio is Canada’s public radio, and on the trip from Big Sky to Haines, we counted on it, as it was usually the only airwave entertainment we could find. The newsman told us about riots in Athens, Greece. He said there were over 100 thousand Greeks protesting the new austerity measures being voted on by parliament. Protesters were rioting, throwing gas bombs, burning and destroying buildings. He also noted that Greece’s unemployment rate was at around 20 percent, and was expected to rise with the new bailout agreement about to be passed.
ycsales@yellowstoneclub.com
The radio faded in and out as we rounded corners and climbed hills, taking in beautiful views of lakes, rivers, and mountains. We drove along Muncho Lake and pulled into the Lodge to check their gas price. The price on the pump said ‘$1.84/L’. Plugging that into the calculator we found it to be over cdn $7 a gallon, by far the most expensive gas on the route. We drove off, thankful that we had 10 spare gallons in the back. The sign for Liard Hot Springs is a welcome sight for road weary travelers. We stopped to soak, and watched the sun sink in the sky. It backlit the
46 February 24, 2012
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trees surrounding the pools, casting shadows into the rising steam. After a couple hours, we were back on the road, heading toward Watson Lake, hoping to hit Whitehorse before we stopped for the night. The next day, on the road between Whitehorse and Haines, the mountains kept getting bigger and whiter. The snow banks grew from one to 15 feet. The dry pavement became snowdrifted ice. All I could think about was standing on top of one of those peaks and skiing powder all the way to the bottom. When I thought again about the news stories on the radio, I wondered about my indifference toward the problems of the world. As skiers and snowboarders, we live in ski towns so we can escape from that sort of craziness. Now that we are back in Alaska, all the news hype seems a bit surreal. On the way into Haines, drivers waved at us, even though we probably didn’t know any of them. There was a crew of shovelers teaming up to dig out vehicles in a parking lot. It was Austrian ski pioneer Hannes Schneider who said after World War I, “If everyone skied, there would be no more wars.” For those of us lucky enough to call ski areas home, it is sometimes easy to take our place on this planet for granted. The outside world can keep all those predicaments, and we will always have our mountains. Mike Mannelin has been skiing Big Sky with friends for 15 winters. He is a guide for Alaska Heliskiing, and spends his summers in a remote cabin with his wife, dog and some friendly brown bears.
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entertainment
Big Sky Weekly
Big music in Big Sky By abbie digel
big sky weekly editor
Following a huge Presidents’ Weekend at Big Sky, which had a record number of visitors, live music, and fresh snow daily, there are some big music acts lined up in the region in the upcoming month; a perfect way to compliment a powder week. Big Sky Big Grass came through town over the holiday weekend and struck a chord with locals, band groupies, bluegrass lovers and the bands themselves. With sold out performances every night, the resort was bustling with people getting down to the banjo pickin’ and twangy bluegrass sounds. March 2 – 3 will be an entire weekend of a different kind of sound, when Chamberlin Productions hosts its annual Rail Jam. Usually held in Bozeman, this year the event will be at Big Sky Resort—great news for the ski mountain. Chamberlin will host rail competitions and live music acts on the outdoor stage in the Mountain Village. Crystal Method, an electronic music duo, will headline the event on March 2, and the Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere will play the main stage on March 3. “Big Sky Resort and our terrain park crew have always been involved with the Chamberlin Rail Jam,” said Big Sky Public Relations Manager Chad Jones. He said the resort has the resources for terrain park features and perfect indoor and outdoor music venues.
On Saturday night the Weekly staff jammed to the Emmitt –Nershi Band’s rendition of “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and danced the night away to Flatt Cheddar at Whiskey Jack’s. PHOTO BY CHRIS Kamman
The rail competitions will begin at 4:30 p.m. both days, followed by the music acts, and more music at the after-parties, featuring various DJ music, Skye Big Nation, Jawbone Railroad and Mountain Grip. Pray for more snow to accompany this crazy fun weekend.
Another big act coming to the region is Rusted Root, the Pittsburgh group most famous for their hit song “Send Me on My Way.” They’ll be playing at the Wild West Pizzeria and Saloon in West Yellowstone on March 31 at 6:30 p.m. Check wildwestpizza.com for a full events schedule. Local venues Choppers Grub and Pub and Scissorbills Saloon, both consistently have live music, as well.
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February 24, 2012 47
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Noun: wild or rough terrain adjacent to a developed area Origin: shortened form of “back 40 acres”
story and photo By Jessica Kilroy
big sky weekly contributor
I’m sitting in the Salt Lake City airport after 11 hours in the air. Eight more to go on the ground, three more in the air to Kalispell, and then one hour by car to my small hometown of Rexford. I’m glad to be on my way home to Montana. After two months touring western Europe as an independent musician, I'm having a hard time figuring out if a plane landing outside is to blame for the ground moving beneath my feet, or if it’s just their confusion with the long forgotten sensation of still, solid ground. Pavement, metro, escalator, trains, planes, stairs, cars, cobblestone, noise, sail boat, taxi, ship, sidewalk…elevator music, flat conveyor belt passing Pier 1 type wall art competing with alpine glow on the snow capped Wasatch Mountains through the window, disappearing in the distance, again. Constant motion to an uncomfortable chair. Man, I miss the mountains. The sensation of movement beneath my feet isn't unfamiliar, and has me reminiscing about Big Sky, Bridger Bowl, Fernie, Jackson Hole,
48 February 24, 2012
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.
Grand Targhee and many winters dedicated to nothing else but the pure pleasure of powder. With no other agenda but to ski as much as humanly possible (while sometimes half assedly holding down a threeday-a-week laundry girl job), I frequently found the earth moving beneath my feet. I loved moments when walking after a good day of telemarking seemed more foreign then sailing down the mountain on my skis.
"Hell yeah!" I said. My heart raced with exhilaration and nerves.
Strangely, I’ve found similarities between skiing and touring. They both take determination, patience, and preparation. The terrain is constantly changing and packed with unknowns. With no guarantees, if you end up in a tough spot, you're bound to catch mandatory air. I guess that's what I get for wandering off the beaten path.
My turn. It was huck or hike up a steep, deep, treacherous slope alone. Mandatory air. So this is what all the hype was about.
The first time I experienced air was on the backside of Grand Targhee. It was a beautiful, bluebird day, virgin snow all around. I headed out early with three of my fellow slacker janitor friends and started hiking. Halfway through the day, skiing fast and happy, we came to a 30-foot cliff. "Wanna learn how to huck, Kilroy?" John asked, grinning.
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Big Sky Weekly
"Here ya go" he said, then disappeared fluidly into the air, landing in the fluff below. Next, Joey slipped off the edge, fearless and skillful. He threw a front flip into a smooth landing, arms out in a victory V. "Come on!" they shouted from below.
It took some coaxing, but I did it, holding my breath the whole way down, forcing myself not to close my eyes, hearing John yell, "Stick it!" then a split second thought, "Oh shit, how do I land?!" It was a rough landing, and I almost killed myself with my tele tips, but I survived to tell the tale, humbled but eager to do it again. Eventually, I was able to launch into the air with grace, but it took a lot of work, humility and recovery from stupid injuries and lessons learned the hard way. The past four years surviving the recession as a touring musician have been a trial and error extravaganza
of reckoning, resourcefulness, disappointment and blessing. The journey has been both the fun filled challenge I expected it would be and also an avalanche of surprise, knowledge and inspiration. Much like the life of a dedicated ski bum, the shaky career path as an independent musician has required a healthy respect for adventure and a strong determination to go on no matter how discouraging the terrain. I've learned not to bite off more than I can chew, beware of hidden obstacles, and most importantly, look where I want to land—not where I'm afraid of landing. I believe that no matter what walk of life you come from, skis or shoes, mountain or pavement, it's good to get off the beaten path every now and then, or altogether, and catch a little air with grace and gratitude. Stick it! Jessica Kilroy is a songwriter from Rexford, Montana. She resides wherever a couch happens to be free. Listen to her music at jessicakilroy. com or pterodactylplains.com.
Big Sky Weekly
Section 4:
ski area news
February 24, 2012 Volume 3 // Issue #4
Teenage pride on the Bridger Ridge By Ryan Dorn
big sky weekly contributor
Blue skies turned to fog, and we realized we were lost. Did we go down too far, or had we not gone far enough? How high were the cliffs in front of us? I shifted my skis up and down in the powder beneath me. I looked left, then right, then nervously at my friend Nate. Neither of us said a word. We knew we could be in big trouble. I didn’t start skiing until I was in eighth grade, later than many of my peers. From my first time up to Bridger, I knew someday I would venture onto the Ridge. Three seasons later my dad bought me a small yellow Pieps 457 and a black Life Link Shovel. I sat on my bed for hours staring at the transceiver and reading Powder magazine, imagining the amazing mountain ranges I would someday visit. The hike to the top of the Ridge was quick, and we decided to venture beyond our usual Bridger Gully and Apron runs and try something new. Nate and I were juniors at Bozeman High. For years now, I’d admired the Super Couloir, a striking chute that stood out while riding the Bridger Chair. Today was the day to ski it. Neither of us had been that far south on the Ridge, but we figured it was so large it would be easy to find. But then the fog rolled in, making the entrance impossible to see. Now we were standing above cliffs, most likely halfway down the side of the couloir. We’d jumped cliffs before, but without being able to tell how high the drop was we were hesitant to huck ourselves in. “I don’t think we can go down from here. These cliffs look too big,” I finally said. “I can’t see a thing. They could be 10 feet or 40,” Nate said. “I don’t want to hike back up.” I said, pleading. We stood silent again, straining to see through the fog. Then I had a brilliant idea: I’d drop my backpack into the couloir to gauge the height of the cliffs we were standing above. I unbuckled my pack and flung it over the cliff. It hit the snow, gained momentum quickly, then tumbled all the way down the couloir, back into the lower mountain terrain.
It finally came to rest below the High Traverse, out of our sight. Nice move genius. A skier quickly found my pack and alerted patrol. Negative consequences of my plan hadn’t occurred to me. Thirty minutes later we saw a ski patroller above us, scanning the terrain. As he approached, my embarrassment soared. Someone must have found my pack. The patroller was there to rescue us. When he arrived we explained our story, and he graciously led us through a series of traverses and uphill side steps to avoid danger. Then we skied down to the old Deer Park lift where my backpack was waiting for me. Feeling humiliated, we thanked everyone profusely and apologized for any inconveniences we’d caused. But my embarrassment didn’t stop there. We were more than an hour late to be picked up by a friend’s mom. The red GMC was the only remaining car in the pick up area.
Scott Larson skiing the Bridger Ridge
Photo by Jens Anderson
Years later, my friend Mark reminded me I lied to his mom when I saw how upset she was. “We were skiing to the bottom when a little girl cut me off and I ran into her,” I’d said. “She lost both skis and poles and lay crying in the snow. After a couple minutes a patroller arrived on the scene. When he realized she was fine, he let us go with a stern warning to slow down and be careful.” I’m not sure if Mark’s mom bought the lie or was just really tired of waiting for us, but she never questioned it. Nate and I sat in silence, hoping no one would interrogate us and learn of our last run down the Ridge. They never did. Looking back, I feel bad for lying about hitting the little girl. Someday I hope to have honest children who spend their days dreaming of skiing steep, challenging terrain. Maybe they’ll have more sense than I did. Or the cojones to just jump in. Freelance writer Ryan Dorn grew up in Bozeman and currently lives in Seattle. He apologizes to the teachers in the Bozeman School District for not paying more attention in school because he was dreaming of skiing the Bridgers. More of his work can be found at ryan-dorn.com
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February 24, 2012 49
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Big Sky Weekly
Will snow history repeat itself? By emily stifler
big sky weekly managing editor
Almost every day during the early February drought, someone asked Lucas Zukiewicz when it was going to start snowing. “But I’m a snow physics geek, not a weather forecaster,” the NRCS hydrologist told them. So he put together a graph comparing this year to other low snowfall years. His data came from two remote weather stations in the Bridger Range, the Brackett Creek and Sacagawea Snotel sites. This is a worthy comparison, says Mark Staples, a forecaster with the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center, because “past weather is often a better predictor of future weather than long-range models.” So, if past trends are right, Zukiewicz says, “we could either have a banner March where it doubles the snow, or it could be not so awesome.” After the storms later in the month, we're on track. For more information about snow levels, check out the Montana Snotel sites at wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snotel/Montana/ montana.html.
This image shows snow water equivalent for the current year (black), the 30-year average (dashed line) and previous years. According to the green line for 2007, the snowpack nearly doubled from early Feb to early March. According to the brown line for 2001, the snowpack increased by 50 percent starting in late March. Source: L. Zukiewicz, NRCS
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ToyotaDealer of Bozeman Insert Info Here aD877-221-8432 expIres 03/5/2012 explorebigsky.com
February 24, 2012 51
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word from the resorts Big Sky Resort Big Sky
Lost Trail Powder Mountain Darby The skiing has been crazy good at Lost Trail. This awesome little place on the continental divide between Montana and Idaho has something for everyone: trees, chutes, pillows, cliffs and gentle rolling groomers. “The conditions have just continued to get better and better,” said marketing and media director Chris Johnson. “People are just digging being up there, getting into the mystery of Lost Trail.” Feb. 25 is the Steezin’ for no Reason slopestyle, a park event with two big kickers sculpted by the park crew. Skiers and snowboarders will compete in a style throw down. March is lined out with lots of fun events, every weekend. The steak fry is coming up on March 3; a ski patrol fundraiser, it’s always a big event. On March 9 and 10, the Chamberlin Rail Jam is happening in Missoula at Big Sky Brewery, and Lost Trail is part of that, too.
Snow: Powder! Presidents’ week has been full of fresh snow and comfortable temperatures, bringing in record skier numbers over the holiday weekend. With a 6 percent increase over the previous record day in April 2011, Sunday, Feb. 19 brought in more skiers in one day than any other day in resort history. Check the snow report at bigskyresort. com and follow Big Sky Resort on Facebook and Twitter for condition updates throughout the ski day.
Lone Mountain Ranch Big Sky
Photo by Anna middleton
Events: The Chamberlin Rail Jam is coming up March 2 - 3, featuring Crystal Method and Atmosphere. Then get ready for an awesome spring with tons of live music, Sunset Saturdays when Ramcharger spins for an extra hour on Saturdays, and finish off with Pond Skim on April 14. Visit bigskyresort.com/ events for more information.
The weekend of Feb. 25 is the Skin to Win randonee rally, a race up and down the Ridge for fit hikers. The next event is the Sluice Box Slalom on March 3, a snowboard GS race that you can see from the Bridger Chair.
Bridger got 27 inches of snow over Presidents’ weekend. Not bad.
The week of Feb. 20 drew approximately 100 collegiate alpine racers to Bridger Bowl from around the region. Hosted by MSU, the series of Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association races were qualifiers for the NCAA championships. Just up the road, Bohart Ranch held the RMISA Nordic regionals, which also brought about 100 athletes from around the region. MSU will the host RMISA championships March 8 and 10, where athletes from the entire country will compete. bridgerbowl.com - E.S.
“I think it’s pretty dang good out there right now,” said Michael Gill, assistant director of marketing and sales. More snow is on the way. In fact, that Sunday was one of the biggest days Bridger has had in the last decade, ticket manager Jeff Abelin said.
That’s what we were all asking for… With all the new snow that has fallen recently, the cross-country ski trails at Lone Mountain Ranch are skiing really well.
Rendezvous Ski Trails West Yellowstone
The snow density of these mid-season dumps is ideal for solidifying our base for the later part of the season, and it also provides excellent classic ski conditions in the short term. With continuing snowfall and fresh snow on groomed tracks, remember to keep your center of gravity low on the downhills, stay light on your feet and enjoy the ride!
The Rendezvous ski trails are in phenomenal shape because of all the recent snow, says Dan Cantrell, director of West Yellowstone Ski Education Foundation.
Whether you cross-country ski to stay in shape, to explore this winter wonderland we live in, or you’re training for the Gallatin Glissade (Saturday, Feb. 25) or the Rendezvous Race (Saturday, March 3), put those skinny skis on and get out on the trails! We’re one of the few communities in the lower 48 with such easy access to an amazing trail system.
The 33nd annual Rendezvous Race is coming up March 3, which brings as many as 1,000 skiers to town. The event is considered a marathon, Cantrell said. The main event is a 50 km skate race, but there is also a 25 km classic race, 25 km skate race, a 10k, 5k, and a 2k for the kids. Register before Feb. 26 for the discount. Final registration deadline is March 1. Register online at rendezvousrace. com.
Reward yourself after a great ski by joining us every Friday at the lunch buffet, served trailside, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in front of the lodge, or every Sunday at brunch, from 9 a.m. -1:30 p.m. Don’t forget the sale in the LMR Outdoor Shop beginning this weekend Feb. 23. Top brands, rental equipment and gifts 20-50 percent off. Enjoy the trails. lomemountainranch.com - Mark Parlettt
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What’s New: Get the skinny on all things snow with the weekly Ski Skinny on The Way I Ski It, Big Sky Resort’s blog. It’s a special conditions report with intel on snow quality, where to head on the hill, and expert advice on what to pull from your quiver to get the most out of your day on the slopes. Fatty pow skis or groomer go-tos? Get the skinny at bigskyresort.com/ blog. - Greer Schott
Bridger Bowl Bozeman
March 24 is the big one: the Northshore Extreme Freeride contest. The first of its kind, it will take place on the North Face, Rendek Ridge and Femur Ridge, heavily cliffed areas right above the lodge. “It’s going to be heavy duty skiers and riders throwing down big scary stuff,” Johnson said. “The most gnarly lines they can take, throwing in as much air and style as possible. It’s an event for the hardcore rider. Bring binoculars for that one.” losttrail.com - E.S.
Big Sky Weekly
"It's been snowing in Big Sky, but even more falls in West Yellowstone," Cantrell said.
"This race attracts everyone from top marathoners and master skiers over
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age 30, to people who just what to have fun and finish," Cantrell said. Join other families for WSSEF's Youth Ski Festival Sunday, March 4. This fun event offers ski games, relay races, an obstacle course, musical chairs, and other games for kid skiers ages 13 and under. Parents and families are welcome to come cheer. Sign up the day of the event, at 9 a.m. at the Rendezvous trailhead building. Rendezvous ski trails are open daylight hours, and moonlight skiers are not discouraged. Tickets are required at all times, and are available at the trailhead kiosk. rendezvousskitrails.com - A.D.
word from the resorts
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Big Sky Weekly
Featured ski area: Maverick Mountain Polaris
Maverick Mountain has been getting the goods, just like the rest of Southwest Montana. “It’s enough to keep us going, and keep us skiing. It’s phenomenal,” owner Randy Schilling said. Schilling came to Montana 22 years ago. The Maryland native learned to ski in Germany, then published a ski magazine called First Tracks. He sold it to Warren Miller in the late ‘80s and went on tour. After attending the 1988 Olympics in Alberta, where he watched friends compete, Schilling came to Montana to ski. “We were here for a month going around to all the ski hills. We stopped here, and the owner put his arm around me and said, ‘son, if you like it so much, you oughta buy it’. Here I am 22 years later.” Maverick has not changed much since that day. There’s only one chairlift, there are no crowds, and there’s still (well kept) carpeting on the walls of the base lodge. The bar is badass, the skiing is pure, and the views are out of this world. Schilling has preserved the mountain’s down-to-earth nature out of necessity, and because he sees value in it. If kids forget their mittens, they can borrow a pair. Lift ticket prices are low, and the vibe is decidedly low key. Don’t despair if you missed the Polynesian dancers at the base lodge over Presidents' weekend—Mav still has several events coming up.
Moonlight Basin Big Sky Recent reports from the hill include both “epic” and “blower.” Riders are sending it, and this is a big training month for athletes competing in upcoming Freeskiing World Tour Qualifier and Headwaters Spring Runoff competitions. On top of big-mountain freeride events—we’re versatile—next month at Moonlight Basin renders opportunities to compete in slopestyle, snowshoe at night, eat s’mores and then sword fight with balloon animals, or even ride in a bi-ski: Eagle Mount Demo, Feb. 26: Free rides in adaptive-skiing equipment Special Olympics Big Sky Area Winter Games, Feb. 27: Moonlight is proud to host 45 athletes and volunteers for a day of ski races and smiling faces! Howlin’ at the Moon Snowshoe Shuffle, March 3: Benefits the Heart of the Valley animal shelter. Bring your K-9s for a night of snowshoeing on torch-lit trails, followed with a chili-feed and live music by the Bridger Creek Boys. Huck-A-Berry Jam, March 10: Moonlight’s own slopestyle competition offers prizes from World Boards, Aiblaster, Banshee Bungee, Rossignol, RAMP Sports, and more. Family Night with Moonlight, March 15 and 22: All you can eat s’mores, face painting by Disney characters, games, take-away crafts, night sledding, and build-your-own pizzas Subaru Freeskiing World Tour Qualifier, March 22-25: Ambitious athletes get after it in the Headwaters terrain and compete to pre-qualify for 2013 tour stops. Headwaters Spring Runoff, March 31: What’s your line going to be this year? For the seventh annual event, this freeride-showdown offers prizes from Liberty, Whitedot Freeride, World Boards, Rossignol, RAMP Sports and Great Northern Powder Guides, and more. Registration opens March 1. moonlightbasin.com -Ersin Ozer
The Outlaw Partners at Maverick Mountain
March 11 is a slalom race, March 18 is the community downhill, and March 25 is the infamous Bartenders’ Cup. In its 21st year, the Bartenders’ Cup draws skiers from around the region. How it works: a team of three is sponsored by a local bar to compete in a slalom race, a downhill and bikini skiing contest. This year the slalom is a snowboard race with four drinking stations and a couple of jumps. Schilling has a radar gun to clock the speed skiing race (no drinking in that one). The bikini competitors can be skiers or snowboarders, male or female, and are judged on style. Cash prizes go to the bikini girls, and theme prizes for the winning team. Plus, there’s a golden trophy that the winning bar keeps for the year. Last year it sat in the Crystal Bar in Bozeman all summer, Schilling said. The locals are kind of upset about that, and plan to compete extra hard this year. “They say we have to keep the trophy here.” skimaverick.com -Emily Stifler
Discovery Ski Area Phillipsburg Ciche Pitcher, vice president of resort operations, was skiing the back side of the mountain at press time, and gave a good report. "It's been snowing since 7 a.m. this morning, and there is supposed to be eight inches by tomorrow morning." Coming off the heels of an "awesome Presidents' Day weekend, with lots of people, good snow and smiles, it feels great, and feels like we're right in the middle of winter," Pitcher said. "It's fantastic here on back side." The holiday weekend brought strong ticket sales with about 4,000 visits for the three days, and plenty of snow. Discovery's one-hour season pass sale is coming up on March 1 from 12 a.m. to 1 a.m. The passes are $249 for adult, $119 for kids 12 and under. The passes are good for the rest of this season and all of next. "It looks like we’re going to have an awesome spring, so it would be nice to get some new faces here," Pitcher said. Upcoming events include College Day on March 11, which is scheduled to coincide with MSU 's spring break and offers student discounts. On March 18, Discovery is sponsoring a promotion with the Clark Fork Coalition, a non-partisan group based out of Missoula that focuses on the environment, water sustainability and agriculture. Lift tickets will be discounted, and Discovery will donate $10 from each sale to the coalition. Remember, first chair is at 9:30 a.m., and the lifts stop spinning at 4 p.m. Discovery is open seven days a week, and offers rentals, private and group lessons, and scrumptious baked goods at their on-mountain dining establishment. "I feel spoiled because the conditions are staying fresh every day, and now we’re going to get dumped on, which is fantastic," Pitcher said. skidiscovery. com - Abbie Digel
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February 24, 2012 53
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Big Sky Weekly
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Big Sky Weekly
Sojourn to Showdown story and photo By Jimmy lewis
big sky weekly contributor
On a Thursday morning this January, I eagerly began calling the local snow phones. The National Weather Service had forecasted a major winter storm for Southwest Montana, including the Bozeman and Big Sky area. First, Big Sky: “…We received an inch of new snow…” Next, Bridger Bowl: “…with two inches of new snow…” Are you kidding me? Not again! We were supposed to get over 20 inches. Like so many times before, I woke with the hope of a raging snowstorm, several inches of snow on the ground, and glowing snow phone reports, only to be disappointed. As my disappointment grew into palpable frustration, my wife, not a skier, sat nearby and watched with a mixture of concern and amusement. “Maybe the storm hit up north,” she offered. “What’s that place called? The one up past White Sulphur Springs?” …Showdown, I thought. “Showdown!” Not knowing whether Showdown even had a snow phone or not, I dialed the first number I found in my frantic web search. “Hello” came a voice, in a not-quite-upand-awake tone. Awkwardly I responded, “Yes, hello. Is this the Showdown Ski…,” I thought for a moment. Resort? Mountain? “Yeah. What do you want? It’s early,” came the craggy response. “Well, I’m a skier from Bozeman trying to get a snow report,” I responded timidly. The person on the other end ignited like he’d been hit with an epi-pen. “Oh, man! You’ve got to call in sick today and get up here! It’s epic! You Bridger guys have no idea! (Bridger guys?) We’ve had over 18 inches and it’s supposed to keep dumping all day and into tonight! –That’s fair, accurate, and to the point!—Nobody’s here!” An image of lonely powdery slopes somewhere in the boondocks of Montana came to mind. “Get on Facebook, or whatever you guys use…Twitter? And tell all your friends to call in sick and get up here,” he said.
What? A potential 20-inches-plus storm? Nobody there? “Fair-accurateand-to-the-point?” A trip to a funky little ski mountain with an insane amount of powder in the Little Belt Mountains of Central Montana was sounding better by the second. A quick text to my ski partner and a plan was made for a first-chairstyle six-o’clock departure on Friday morning. After passing by a nearly snowless Bridger Bowl in the breaking dawn, we drove Highway 86 up toward White Sulphur Springs, the depth of the snow increasing with each passing mile. The landscape began to take on the look of winter. In White Sulphur, a plowed column of snow towered in the middle of main street. Cars and buildings were adorned with the white stuff, and people walked around in winter gear. But this was the town where I come to fly fish and bird hunt in the summer and fall. It started to become evident that I was opening up a new dimension in my Montana ski life. My partner grinned and we exchanged a fist-pump as we headed north out of town into The Little Belts, and into deeper snow. Our anxiety of making first chair and beating the crowds proved asinine. Aside from a bus of high school kids from a couple of small Hi-Line towns, the patrons adjacent to us in the parking lot included a handful of ski bums, some snowmobilers set on riding the trail network around King’s Hill, and a few other locals. I suddenly felt good about sending my ski jacket in for repair and wearing my camouflaged hunting shell instead.
On the road headed to Showdown
arrived home in time for dinner. Where had we gone? What had we pulled off? It was a coup for a couple of skiers desperately seeking snow. My disappointment and frustration had turned to inspiration, then excitement, joy, satisfaction and contentment. I’d finally realized that there is more to Montana skiing than our local worldclass resorts. Showdown, you might say, is “Montana-Class” and sometimes, that’s just right.
Jimmy Lewis is a freelance writer, English teacher, and self-described omniventurer, meaning he enjoys participating in a wide variety of all things outdoors, taking special pleasure in mixing his passions into a sporting soul cocktail. He lives outside of Bozeman with his family and a passel of bird dogs, cats, horses and other sundry critters.
This is how Big Sky gets into hot water.
A $38.00 lift ticket, some friendly conversation with unhurried resort employees, and we were off to find first chair. At the lift, there were four skiers waiting to ascend. I felt guilty thinking about my desperate ski friends back in Bozeman. Then, after making our first descent through over 20 inches of fresh, I braced myself for the crowded lift line I thought was sure to come. But all day my partner and I made turns through untracked powder without waiting in a lift line. By the third run, the spirited lifty recognized us and made conversation, and other skiers shared their powder day strategies with us. At the end of our best day of powder skiing so far this year, and after a cold beer on the tailgate, we began our journey back across the prairie. To stay awake, we picked up a hot latte in White Sulphur Springs. To our surprise, we
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February 24, 2012 55
4 ProPerties. Your BiD Price.
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1 weeK untIl auctIon! Welcome to the Best of Big Sky, Montana. Four Premier Mountain Residences Selling at Auction March 2nd. A seamless blend of proximity, views and outdoor activities. Live an active Mountain lifestyle among two of the most exclusive retreats — The Yellowstone Club and Spanish Peaks.
YELLOWSTONE CLUB | The Enclave at Miller Point Residence Originally $4.995M. Open for Preview by Appointment. SPANISH PEAKS | 3 Luxury Cabins Originally $2.48-2.77M. Open for Preview Daily 1-4 and by Appointment. Brokers Fully Protected.
866.640.7725 BigSkyauction.com These properties are listed for sale by Rivers To Peaks Real Estate (P.O. Box 160730, Big Sky, Montana 59716, T: 406- 995-2022) and YC Realty (One Yellowstone Club Trail, P.O. Box 161097, Big Sky, Montana 59716, T: 888-700-7748). Concierge Auctions, LLC is the provider of auction marketing services, is not a brokerage, and is not directly involved in selling real property. The services referred to herein are not available to residents of any state where prohibited by applicable state law. Concierge Auctions, LLC, its agents and affiliates, broker partners, Auctioneer, and the Sellers do not warrant or guaranty the accuracy or completeness of any information and shall have no liability for errors or omissions or inaccuracies under any circumstances in this or any other property listings or advertising, promotional or publicity statements and materials. This is not meant as a solicitation for listings. Brokers are protected and encouraged to participate. All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Buyer recommended to perform an independent investigation. All dimensions, square footages and acreages are approximate. Rivers To Peaks ~ Big Sky Real Estate, Martha Johnson, listing broker. Bankruptcy proceedings are currently pending against The Club at Spanish Peaks. Any amenities provided by The Club at Spanish Peaks are not currently available and Concierge, Seller, and Seller’s Agents make no commitment as to when any such amenities might be made available. The property owner’s association dues, condominium association dues, and all other obligations set forth in recorded covenants and declarations remain as obligations. In the future, membership to The Club at Spanish Peaks may be required for all homeowners. See Auction Terms & Conditions for full details.
56 February 24, 2012
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