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Big Sky

Big Sky Weekly

Big Sky’s Locally Owned & Published Newspaper

June 29, 2012 Volume 3 // Issue 13

dave schwalbe throwin’ the heat

Special Section:

Health + farmers markets

around the region Current Standings + game schedule

Skyline adds bus route to West Yellowstone PBR preserving cowboy culture

Photo by mike martins

The high road:

Beartooth Highway and Going to the Sun Road

Wildfire season has begun

Strings Under the Big Sky explorebigsky.com

Publisher of the big sky weekly

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2011 big sky chamber of commerce

Business of the Year June 29, 2012 Volume 3, Issue 13 PUBLISHER Eric Ladd COO & SENIOR EDITOR Megan Paulson CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mike Martins MANAGING EDITOR Emily Stifler GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kelsey Dzintars editorial assistants Taylor Anderson, Renae Counter Distribution Director Danielle Chamberlain

Photo by Ersin OZer

Up close with the Beartrap 2 Fire

VIDEO director Brian Niles

Contributor Ersin Ozer took this photo on June 26 from Madison Road, just north of Norris Road.

videographer Chris Davis Account relations coordinator Kacey Brown Operations director Katie Morrison

CONTRIBUTors

Tyler Allen, Eric Anderson, Jamie Balke, Robin BrowerMcbride, Buscrat, Deb Courson Smith, Heather J. Chontos, Abbie Digel, Maren Dunn, Max Lowe, Marcie Hahn-Knoff, Ryan Hamilton, Dave McEvoy, Anne Marie Mistretta, Brandon Niles, Jim Olsen, Ersin Ozer, Katie Thomas, Kene Sperry, Charles Wolf Drimal, John Zirkle

Editorial Policy

Outlaw Partners LLC is the sole owner of the Big Sky Weekly. No part of this publication may be reprinted without written permission from the publisher. The Big Sky Weekly reserves the right to edit all submitted material for content, corrections or length. Printed material reflects the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the opinion of Outlaw Partners or the editors of this publication. No advertisements, columns, letters to the editor or other information will be published that contain discrimination based on sex, age, race, religion, creed, nationality, sexual preference, or are in bad taste.

Letter to the Editor Parameters The Weekly accepts letters to the editor to give readers a platform to express their views and share ways they would like to effect change. These should not be Thank You notes. Letters should be 250 words or less, respectful, ethical, state accurate facts and figures, and proofread for grammar and content. We reserve the right to edit letters. Include: first and last name, address, phone number and title.

Submit to: media@theoutlawpartners.com

ADVERTISING DEADLINE For July 13 issuE: July 6, 2012 CORRECTIONS The Big Sky Weekly runs corrections to errors we’ve printed.

Please report them to emily@theoutlawpartners.com

2 June 29, 2012

He’d been planning to go fishing at the Ennis Dam, but was stopped at a road block for the Beartrap 2 Fire, near where the Norris Road meets the Madison River.

In the week preceding this issue of the Big Sky Weekly more than 30,000 acres caught fire in Montana. Strong winds and high temperatures caused the fires to grow quickly. Read details, and an experts view on what the upcoming fire season may look like on page 13.

“The air was clear until right where the road meets the river,” Ozer recalls. “You could see all this crazy orange and purple smoke, and the light from the smoke was reflecting off the river, so the river had this orange-purple color to it.”

WEB Developer/Designer Sean Weas

© 2012 The Big Sky Weekly Unauthorized reproduction prohibited

“Especially seeing it so close to all these homes and ranches that were right there across the river.

The Weekly staff would like to express our thanks to the firefighters for working so hard to keep our community safe and intact.

Ozer didn’t feel like he was in danger, but said it was a wild experience to be that close to the fire.

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Table of Contents Community...4 Letters...8 Local News...9 Regional..13 Montana...14 Yellowstone...15 Sports...17 Food & Dining...20 Business...22 Outlaw News...26 Classifieds...30

Business Profile...31 Environment...32 Galllery...33 Outdoors...34 Column...40 Entertainment...42 Arts...43 Fun...45 Events...46 Special Section: Health...49

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BSCC news

Big Sky Weekly

big sky weekly staff writer

Improvements continue on the Big Sky Community Park

Big Sky youth soccer league run drills with their coaches

BIG SKY – If you build it, they will come.

As improvements continue on the Big Sky Community Park increase so does the number of park visitors and recreationalists.

Thanks to generous private donors, businesses, volunteers and the Big Sky Resort Tax, improvements in the park have come a long way. The park improvements in the past two years have included construction of two softball fields, a multiuse field, connecting trails, basketball court, resurfaced tennis courts and a paved parking lot.

Operating and maintenance funding requested for park improvement has been funded by the Big Sky Resort

Area District. Maintaining trails and restrooms, mowing the fields and keeping the park clean and safe are some of the improvements made.

Work on the climbing boulders is to begin before the end of June. For that project, BSCC partnered with the Rotary Club of Big Sky, which funded $35,000 for the project.

Construction on the 6,800 sq. foot Skate Park has been set for July 16, after the project received $150,000 in combined funding from Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, Montana Tourism Infrastructure, Resort Tax and BSCC’s own funding pool.

Construction continues on the new softball dugouts

Softball is also in full swing this summer, with double headers three nights a week. The new dugouts, donated by Lone Peak Builders, should be completed by the end of June.

Tuesday night ultimate Frisbee league and a Wednesday night soccer league have kept things busy and active in the park throughout

Photos by Renae Counter

the week. There has also been an occasional game of lacrosse.

The nonprofit Big Sky Community Corp. was created in 1998 to promote, acquire, preserve and maintain land, parks, trails and easements for the enjoyment of the Big Sky community and the general public.

Parks and trails fundraising dinner and auction set for July 21 BIG SKY—The Big Sky Community Corp. will host its fundraising Gala Dinner and Auction on July 21 at 6 p.m. at the Community Park.

The event will include a live and silent auction, dinner and dancing, with a goal to raise $100,000. Proceeds will go toward expansion and completion of the Community Park, building new trails, and development of future parks and trails projects.

Auction items include a stay at Silver Tip Ranch in Yellowstone National Park, donated by Yellowstone Park Foundation; a weeklong visit to Casa San Marco Cortona, Italy and a weeklong visit to Villa Paradiso, Bali, both donated by Stacey and Rob Mattraw; a stay and golf package at Pronghorn Club and Resort in Bend, Ore, donated by Pronghorn Club; and a two-day bird hunting trip in north-central Montana, donated

by Jill and Loren Bough.

For more information, to get involved or buy tickets, visit bsccmt.rog or call (406) 993-2112.

Donations will be accepted anytime, but sponsorship contributions for the event should be made by July 15.

4 June 29, 2012

A weekend in Yellowstone paradise Silver Tip Ranch, Sept. 8-11, 2012 Golden light, shimmering aspen, abundant wildlife and quiet streams are all part of Yellowstone's magic in autumn. Few areas of the park are as spectacular in the fall as the serpentine Slough Creek and its fabled meadows. And just beyond the third meadow and the park boundary is a privately owned refuge—Silver Tip Ranch.

Fish Slough Creek, explore the trails on foot or horseback, or relax at the lodge. At day’s end, enjoy a hearty, home-cooked dinner served familystyle and presentations by Yellowstone experts.

Access to this classic western lodge is by horseSlough Creek at Silver Tip Ranch drawn wagon, or by hiking 11 miles through a rePhoto courtesy of YPF mote, pristine part of the park. Accommodations are elegant and rustic. Lunches are served on the screened in porch or provided as a picnic to go with guided rides or fishing trips.

The Yellowstone Park Foundation donated the trip to Silver Tip. “We want to give people who care about the region an opportunity to experience a special place,” said Nina Jaeger from YPF. Hopefully spending time there will inspire stewardship and involvement with protecting and preserving Yellowstone and the ecosystem as a whole.”

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Big Sky Weekly

community Big Sky Spur Road is now Lone Mountain Trail

By Ryan Hamilton big sky town center

BIG SKY – The Big Sky Spur Road is now, once and for all, Lone Mountain Trail.

The Big Sky Chamber of Commerce led an effort to choose this historic name for MT Highway 64, aiming to clean up maps, reduce confusion, unite the Big Sky and further its brand. On June 26 the Gallatin County Commission voted unanimously in favor of Lone Mountain Trail. The commission received 10 letters supporting the change.

Allen Armstrong, manager of the Gallatin County GIS Department, explained to the commission that the name Lone Mountain Trail dates back to maps from the Chet Huntley era, and that every road name sign along its length currently bears that moniker. Online mapping services such as Google and Bing, and consumer GPS units also show Lone Mountain Trail as the road name of the road, Armstrong pointed out.

Now the Chamber and others in Big Sky will update maps and other publications to show the new official road name, as directed by Gallatin County.

In February, a Chamber email poll of stakeholders and Big Sky business owners showed majority approval of the name Lone Mountain Trail. This information was presented at a Town Hall-type meeting in April, where Armstrong reviewed the process for changing the name of the road to Lone Mountain Trail and answered questions.

The state’s designation of Highway 64 will also remain in place.

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Big Sky Weekly

Kids fly fishing clinic at Crail Ranch BIG SKY – Is a “Royal Wulff” pattern just a fly in wolf’s clothing? Is it rude to be a “Royal Trude?”

Kids ages 6 – 14 can find out the answers to these important questions and compete for prizes on July 4 at the Crail Ranch Kids’ annual Fly Fishing and Casting Clinic.

Held in memory of Pat Allen, a long-time local resident and fly fishing enthusiast, the event is now in its fifth year. Each year, it spawns a new generation of fly fishers.

“Our local Gallatin River is known around the world as a blue ribbon trout stream,” says coordinator Jerry Mistretta. “So, fly fishing is a big sport here in Big Sky.” Fly fishing requires a gentle cast and an understanding of how to “match the hatch.” Spawning the next generation of fly fishermen and women, clinic instructors will focus on various types of flies, the fly life cycle and casting techniques.

Among the instructors will be Jim Lindley, Barbara Blesch, Anne Marie Mistretta, Michele Geppert, Mike Beltramo and Steve Johnson.

Local guide shops Wild Trout Outfitters, East Slope Outdoors and Gallatin Riverguides will contribute equipment and prizes.

Barbara Blesch helping a young fisherman at the 2011 clinic. Photo by Anne Marie Mistretta

Historic Crail Ranch, which is located on Spotted Elk Road west of the Community Park and just off Little Coyote Road. Call (406) 9932112 or email bscc@bsccmt.org to register for the clinic. Participants should arrive at ranch at 10 a.m.

Augustus Franklin Crail and his family originally homesteaded in Big Sky in 1902. Most other ranches in the area became dude ranches, capitalizing the tourist draw to Yellowstone National Park, but the Crails continued operating a stock ranch for 50 years. Now a museum, the Crail Ranch is open for free tours on weekends from noon – 3 p.m. The ranch also hosts many other summer activities. crailranch.org

The two-hour clinic is held at the

Enchanted evening Strings under the Big Sky BIG SKY – Imagine beautiful music, fine food and drink, with the Gallatin River as the backdrop. That sums up the eighth annual Strings Under the Big Sky concert to be held Friday, July 13 at Rainbow Ranch.

A wine reception will start the event at 5:30 p.m., followed by a buffet dinner at 6. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. and will feature members of the internationally acclaimed Muir String Quartet and guests. Attire is casual.

In addition to traditional chamber music fare, including Beethoven’s Serenade in D Major, the concert will include lively pieces from the great Klezmer literature featuring a clarinet, a double bass and an accordion. For those who attended last year’s concert, think “Orange Blossom Special” on steroids.

6 June 29, 2012

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Over the past four years, Strings Under the Big Sky has raised more than $60,000 to support arts programs in Big Sky’s public schools.

The concert is made possible by support from the Montana Chamber Music Society, which performs concerts throughout the state.

Society founder Mike Reynolds, is a Bozeman native and is also a co-founder of the Grammy winning Muir String Quartet. Reynolds’ other project, the nonprofit Classics for Kids, has supported music education at Ophir School.

This event sold out last year. Call (406) 995-7951 to reserve tickets. stringsunderthebigsky.org

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community

Big Sky Weekly

OBITUARY: Michael Charles Myer In the late ‘70s Mike found himself in Bozeman, where he became a professional ski patroller at Big Sky Resort. In 1980, Mike co-authored a snow safety plan that was approved by the U.S. Forest Service for helicopter skiing, the only permit ever issued for helicopter skiing in the region.

During the 1980-81 and 1981-82 ski seasons, he guided for Omni Flight Heli Ski on Lone Peak and surrounding areas before the Lone Peak Tram was in place.

Michael Charles Myer, 59, of Bozeman, passed away Saturday, June 16, 2012 from complications from PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy).

Mike was born Oct. 27, 1952 in Red Wing, Minn to Carl and Marjorie (Miller) Myer. His early years were on a farm in Ellsworth, Wis., then he and his family moved to Lake City, Minn. He went to parochial school until fifth grade. In high school Mike was active in the drama department, acting in many school plays including “Fiddler on the Roof.” He graduated from high school in 1971, and attended Rochester Community College. He worked for Dayton Hudson Department Stores for a short time. Mike began his lifelong love of skiing and outdoors by managing Mount Frontnac Ski Hill in Lake City, Minn.

In the 1970s Mike spent two years in Garmisch, Germany at the Armed Forces Recreation Center teaching skiing.

During the winter of 1978, when morale at Big Sky was low, Mike was tasked by then patrol director Terry Onslow to turn things around. Mike’s creative efforts resulted in the establishment of the Dirt Bag Ball, an “anything but normal formal” event. The Dirt Bag Ball became an annual institution that continues to this day as the highlight of the Big Sky winter season.

Mike met Sarah Jane Brobst at the Lake City VFW in May of 1983; they were married on Aug. 31, 1985 in Lake City, Minn. They made their home in Bozeman and raised their children, Mikaela and Matt.

In the early ‘80s Mike became a ski rep for Volkl skis and then later for Bianchi Bikes, which he did for another 24 years until his retirement in 2008.

This work gave Mike and his family opportunities to travel all over the world.

Mike was the president for Big Sky Ski Education Foundation and was involved with the organization for many years.

He loved hunting, fly fishing, horseback riding, biking and of course skiing. Mike was outgoing; he always remembered people’s faces and their stories. He was a devoted friend.

Mike was preceded in death by his sister-in-law Jean Myer. Survivors include: his wife Sarah of Bozeman; his children Mikaela and Matt both of Sheridan, Wyo.; his parents Carl and Marge, brother and sister-in-law Joe and Cathy all of Lake City, Minn.; nephew Andy Myer of Madison, Wis.; niece Melissa Myer and her husband Lyle Phillips of Edgerton, Wis.; and his brotherin-law Steve Brobst of East Troy, Wis. Mike is also survived by many in-laws, cousins and dear friends.

A vigil service was held on June 26 at Dahl Funeral Chapel. A funeral mass was held the following day at the Bozeman Catholic Community Center, with interment at Sunset Hills Cemetery.

Memorials may be made in his name to Cure PSP, Executive Plaza III, 11350 McCormick Rd. Suite 906, Hunt Valley, MD 21031 or Holy Rosary Building Fund, 220 W. Main, Bozeman, MT 59715. Condolences and memories may be shared with his family at dahlcares.com.

OBITUARY: Paul “Rusty” Heymann Paul (Rusty) Heymann of Toledo, Ohio and Bozeman died from Alzheimer’s on Saturday, April 14, 2012 in Bozeman.

He was born June 17, 1926 in Toledo, the son of Richard Charles and Kathryn (Eckhardt) Heymann.

Rusty is survived by his wife of 57 years, Nancy; son, Nicholas (Bibiana) of New York City, N.Y. and their daughters, Kiira and Erika; son, Peter (Nicole) of Seattle, Wash. and their sons, Nicholas, Benjamin, and Franklin; and daughter, Anne of Bozeman.

Rusty graduated from Hotchkiss School in 1944 and after two years in the Navy, attended Yale University, graduating in 1950. He was President

and CEO of Ohio Plate Glass Company, headquartered in Toledo, retiring in 1989. Along with his wife, Rusty was an avid bird hunter and fly fisherman.

A Memorial Service will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday, July 5 at the Big Sky Chapel.

Memorials in Rusty’s name may be made to Ducks Unlimited, 1 Waterfowl Way, Memphis, TN 38120 or to Eagle Mount, 6901 Goldenstein Lane, Bozeman, MT 59715.

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letters

Resort Tax Board

Bear Aware in Big Sky

The Resort Tax Board just completed its work for another year. We appropriated $2,582,262.02 among 28 applicants.

This tax is Big Sky’s principal source of funds. Without it, emergency services, parks, trails, tourism development and the arts would be but a fraction of what they are now.

We recognize the work that goes into each application. Hours and hours are spent in preparation. The question and answer session is the next hurdle. We recognize that most people presenting would rather walk barefoot over burning coals. Standing in the spotlight of questions from the board in front of 100-plus friends and neighbors is not fun. Many applicants have to spend more time preparing follow up answers, and some applicants are working on this right up to the appropriations meeting.

If it were not for all of you who care so deeply for Big Sky, our community wouldn’t have accomplished what we have. Without your continued support and efforts, our accomplish-

Big Sky Weekly

Dear Editor, I very much appreciated your Bear Aware article in the June 15 Weekly.

ments will stop. We are confident those accomplishments will continue to accumulate.

A few months ago the tax board commissioned a logo for the Big Sky Resort Area District. After much agonizing by two different boards the board adopted the logo you see here.

It’s distinctive and easily recognized, and projects funded by resort tax will use the logo. That way everyone will know that the project is a collaborative effort of all the folks in our great community.

From all of us at the Resort Tax Board: Les Loble, Chair; Jamey Kabisch, vice-chair; Ginna Herman, secretarytreasurer; Mike Scholz; Jeff Strickler; and Whitney Brunner, administrative officer.

Big Sky’s unique demographic increases our exposure to bear activity. Approximately 85 percent of our property owners don’t live here permanently. This poses potential problems with "bear-aware" education, procedures and enforcement.

There surely is enough information about our bear friends who were here first and who need our concentrated efforts to keep them from unnecessary risk; but sometimes we're too busy. In bear season we like to fish, raft and hike. We also like to see the birds visit, have BBQ picnics, and let our dogs eat outdoors.

Further, it’s seemingly easier to put trash out before Monday morning.

These things just don't work. Most folks have been told to pay attention, and most do. However, some people are still practicing inappropriate bear-aware behavior. They need to be educated before they

wreck it for the rest of us ... AND the bears. A bear habituated to human garbage is most likely a dead bear.

At BSOA, which has 2,400 owners and is the largest homeowners association in Big Sky, we feel a proactive approach is overdue.

Under consideration are education measures and help with procuring the Allied Waste bear-proof canisters for all members by October 2013. In addition, we intend to institute more strict enforcement measures for offenders within our juristiction.

These proactive measures will set an example for good behavior. If we start the ball rolling, then maybe Moonlight, Big Sky, Ramshorn, Westfork/Southfork/Firelight, YC and others will follow. Big Sky is an island in the middle of bears’ territory. Let's keep our role in perspective.

Rumsey Young, BSOA President

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Big Sky Weekly

Enjoy Life Here...

The Boss of the Plains PBR preserving cowboy culture

Club at Mountain Lake

here...

Gallatin Riverfront Log Residence

here...

Photo by Kene Sperry

BIG SKY – Wear a cowboy hat, win a cash prize.

Jan and Jim Cummings have spent four to five months a year in Big Sky since 1989. Back then, everybody wore cowboy hats, Jan recalls.

“They were more in the Western mode, but as years go on we lose that,” she said.

Clyde and Marge de Shields, who’ve also been in town since the ‘80s, owned the first equestrian center in Big Sky, down by Ramshorn.

But last year at the Professional Bullriding Tour event in Big Sky, Jan noticed that “not too many people were wearing cowboy hats.

Together, in an effort to promote and encourage cowboy tradition, the Cummings and the de Shields are putting up $500 to be split into three cash prizes and raffled off during this year’s PBR. Anyone wearing a cowboy hat at the entrance gate will get a free raffle ticket, and the Cummings 7-yearold granddaughter, who also loves cowboy hats, will pick the winners from—yes, a hat.

The Cummings got the idea from the Calgary Stampede, which is the largest rodeo in the world, Jan said.

During the parade at Calgary, vendors give out coupons to discounted items and giveaways—but only to attendees wearing cowboy hats.

“It’s a recognition of those who came before us,” Jan said. “The West was won by a certain type of person who was strong and courageous and participated in the outdoors. All of those things are people who love Big Sky.” Hatmaker John Stetson dubbed the original cowboy hat the “boss of the plains.” This lightweight allweather hat was built to be durable, waterproof and elegant. “He saw it as the embodiment of the spirit of the West,” Jan says.

“You come out here because you like the feel of the West, the openness, the wildness, the contact with nature. All those were reasons the cowboys, the 1800 Gold Rush people came out here. The cowboys were an integral part of that. I think Big Sky is part of that, and we should continue the tradition.”

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As of press time, approximately 100 PBR tickets were still available, although it’s expected they will sell out soon.

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“The initial turnout was unbelievable and the majority of the tickets sold in 48 hours,” said event coordinator Kacey Brown.

Event organizers said if they could locate additional bleachers they might be able to release more tickets closer to the event. Updated ticket information is available at explorebigsky/bigskypbr.

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local news A postcard from the wilderness

Big Sky Weekly

Local artist takes off for Alaskan fellowship

Big Sky Fire Department raises hope and funds for childhood cancer

By emily stifler

By renae counter

big sky weekly managing editor

BIG SKY – As Big Sky-based artist Corrie Francis Parks walks Alaska’s historic Chilcoot Trail this summer, she plans to connect with fellow backpackers, asking them to write or draw a postcard to themselves. The idea is to help them preserve a memory of their experience in the wilderness, Parks said.

A year later, she’ll send the postcards to the writers as a reminder of the mental and physical moments they experienced in the wilderness.

Tlingit people long before that, as a trade route. Parks’ residency is part of an international program developed to help connect people and national parks and national historic sites through art.

BIG SKY – The St. Baldrick’s event at the Big Sky Fire Station left more hair on the floor than atop heads, but it wasn’t without a good cause.

This is the fourth year the Big Sky Fire Department has hosted a fundraiser for St. Baldrick’s—an organization that raises money for kids with childhood cancer.

“This is a great fundraiser because it directly benefits children suffering from childhood cancer,” Chief Bill Farhat said. “The firefighters enjoy doing it, and it’s fun for the kids that get to come up to the fire station.”

Skagway, Alaska

Photo courtesy of Corrie Francis Parks

Also an animator and a photographer, Parks is doing this as part of a two-week residency in the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park this summer, outside of Skagway, Alaska.

Parks, 32, moved to Big Sky with her husband last November from Aspen, Colo. Through her work as a freelancer, she creates animated films that combine digital and traditional techniques.

The 33-mile trail was one of two main routes used by gold rush stampeders to access the Klondike from southeast Alaska, but was established by the

Parks will also document the adventure with photos and writing. Following the residency, she will return to Big Sky and use a few of the postcards to turn into animated mini-documentaries, which will be part of her ongoing blog, “The Klondike Letters Project,” and a future exhibition.

“It should be a lot of fun to see what people come up with!” Parks said.

Follow Parks’ journey on the Chilcoot Trail at klondikeletters.com.

32nd annual Big Sky Country Fair and Arts Festival, July 28 Themed ‘Wild Blue Yonder’

By Robin Brower-McBride big sky chamber of commerce

BIG SKY – The 32nd Annual Country Fair and Arts Festival will be Saturday, July 28 in the Big Sky Town Center. Its theme, ‘Wild Blue Yonder,’ is meant to capture the energy and the reputation Big Sky has for touching the curious and adventurous side in everyone.

Celebrating community, arts and entertainment, the festival will bring four different bands to the outdoor stage, along with local and regional artists and craftsmen, interactive exhibits, food and craft stations. Admission is free.

The day will start at 8:30 a.m. with a 5k race and a 1k fun run/walk. Next, the parade will leave from the Community Park at 10 a.m., and arrive at the Town Center Pavilion at around 10:30.

Parade participants will include live music from local band Bluebird Sky, a stagecoach from Cedar Mountain Corral, Gallatin Canyon Women’s Club, Big Sky Western Bank and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

10 June 29, 2012

big sky weekly editorial assistant

Exhibits at the Fair include live birds of prey from the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center; how to maximize your time outdoors, with Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation; fly casting and pie-eating contests; a petting zoo; face-painting; kid’s activities (bouncy house, rock-climbing wall, superslide); a dunk-tank with well-known community members going in the water; and a car-wash held by the Chamber of Commerce.

Additional musical acts include the Driftwood Grinners, the Mountain Breathers featuring Chase McBride, and The Deadlocks.

Interested in participating in the Growing Artists Gallery (age 3-18), volunteering or sponsoring the festival? Contact the Chamber at (406) 995-3000 or stop the office any time.

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Each year, the BSFD St. Baldrick event honors children from around the area.

This year the department chose to honor Bozeman resident Caden Shauger, as well as campers from Eagle Mount’s Big Sky Kids Camp. Caden, son of Bozeman Fire Chief Jason Shauger and his wife Pam, was diagnosed with High Risk Neuroblastoma at age 3. From Big Sky Kids Camp, 18 campers and six counselors came for the event.

“The support is the most powerful part of this event,” said Lisa Batzler, director at Eagle Mount. “There is a sense of family from the Big Sky Fire Department for doing this; I can’t thank them and St. Baldricks enough.”

Jaci Clark of Montana Haven Salon was the official event barber. Among the many male participants who raised money to go bald, a few tough women also stepped up to support the cause.

“I was sick when I was 18, so I know what it’s like,” said Megan Custer, a volunteer from Big Sky Kids Camp who raised $3,000 from the kids this year. “I shaved my head because it’s one way I can give back…It’s my second

Chief Bill Farhat with his daughters Megan (left) and Amy (right) Photo by Renae Counter

time shaving my head and I’ll do it again.”

After hearing Caden’s story, Darlene Lauer decided to go bald along with her husband, Kevin Lauer, assistant Chief at Gallatin Gateway Fire Department.

“I went door-to-door asking for donations,” Darlene said. “By the time I got to the end of the first street I couldn’t tell the story without crying. A few days ago, my two grandkids left after visiting, and I thought about them and how thankful I am they are healthy. I just wanted to help these kids out.”

Chief Farhat’s 12-year old daughter Amy also participated by allowing her long, brown hair to be shaved off. “She wanted to be a part of it and help out,” the fire chief said.

Along with head shaving, the fire department served a pancake breakfast and gave children rides on the fire trucks.

In total, 30 participants had their heads shaved, raising $12,095. Donations can still be made by searching for the Big Sky Fire Departments event page at stbaldricks.org.

HELMS

JEFF HELMS

JAMISON

KULESZA

96 properties sold in the last 6 months

“There has never been a more opportune time to purchase real estate in Big Sky” Sold Properties

List Price

Close Date

Sold Properties

List Price

Close Date

Sold Properties

List Price

Close Date

Fairways 2156

$539,000

Jan 3, 2012

Cowdrey Unit 9

$44,900

Mar 14, 2012

288 Firelight, Firelight Chalet

$153,500

May 3, 2012

199 Candlelight, Firelight Chalet

$184,900

Jan 7, 2012

Crail Creek Club 620

$395,900

Mar 14, 2012

Moonlight Mountain Home 57

$899,900

May 4, 2012

19 Meadow Village Unit 2B

$58,500

Jan 10, 2012

Cowboy Heaven Luxury Ste 2D

$1,695,000

Mar 14, 2012

Crail Creek 616

$350,000

May 6, 2012

Lot 25 Porcupine Park Sub

$99,000

Jan 17, 2012

Summit Hotel 10602

$460,000

Mar 15, 2012

32 Low Dog Rd.

$759,000

May 9, 2012

Fairways 2148

$539,000

Jan 18, 2012

Cowboy Heaven Lot 20

$555,000

Mar 15, 2012

Moonlight Mountain Home 4

$1,095,000

May 10, 2012

Lot 8 Little Coyote Rd.

$89,000

Jan 23, 2012

Deer Run H-1

$375,000

Mar 19, 2012

487 Grey Drake Road

$1,875,000

May 10, 2012

Big Horn 14

$325,000

Jan 27, 2012

Big Horn 10

$345,000

Mar 23, 2012

Cabin 18

$1,990,000

May 10, 2012

Big Horn 19

$469,000

Jan 27, 2012

Cowdrey Warehouse Units

$549,000

Mar 23, 2012

135 Lower Diamond Hitch Road

$4,199,000

May 10, 2012

1929 Chief Joseph Trail

$1,695,000

Jan 27, 2012

10 Candlelight, Firelight Chalet

$174,900

Mar 26, 2012

The Pines Condominium C1

$335,000

May 11, 2012

2620 Curley Bear Rd.

$479,000

Jan 30, 2012

Antler Ridge 105

$795,000

Mar 26, 2012

473 Firelight, Firelight Chalet

$180,000

May 14, 2012

Beaverhead 1433

$600,000

Feb 2, 2012

Strawberry Ridge Lot 3

$1,095,000

Mar 27, 2012

Moonlight Mountain Home 51

$995,000

May 14, 2012

Hill Condo 1296

$70,000

Feb 6, 2012

1955 Little Coyote

$569,000

Mar 29, 2012

Lot 13 Sawbuck Rd.

$675,000

May 15, 2012

Lot 6 Chief Joseph Trail

$240,000

Feb 7, 2012

Cedar Creek Condo 47

$145,000

Mar 30, 2012

Ranch 116, Crow Point

$150,000

May 16, 2012

Hill Condo 1314

$64,000

Feb 9, 2012

1003 Lone Mountain Trail

$1,585,000

Mar 30, 2012

456 Firelight, Firelight Chalet

$164,500

May 16, 2012

Summit Hotel 10306

$549,000

Feb 10, 2012

Hill Condo 1350

$36,000

Apr 3, 2012

350 Low Dog Road

$1,699,000

May 16, 2012

339 Low Dog Road

$999,000

Feb 14, 2012

87 Starlight, Firelight Chalet

$186,900

Apr 6, 2012

Cabin 15

$1,990,000

May 18, 2012

Moonlight Mountain Home 2

$995,000

Feb 15, 2012

Hill Condo 1319

$149,900

Apr 8, 2012

19 Meadow Village Drive 2G

$87,900

May 24, 2012

Glacier Condominium 149

$115,000

Feb 16, 2012

Cowboy Heaven Cabin 9

$679,000

Apr 10, 2012

3 Black Moon

$920,000

May 24, 2012

Alpine Meadows Suite 6D

$1,595,000

Feb 17, 2012

Firelight Condo A17

$105,000

Apr 11, 2012

15 Rising Bull Rd.

$1,799,000

May 25, 2012

Hill Condo 1247

$40,000

Feb 22, 2012

Lot 31 Porcupine Park Sub

$142,500

Apr 11, 2012

Meadow Village Ctr. Ln. Unit D

$58,000

May 31, 2012

Hill Condo 1288

$99,900

Feb 24, 2012

Firelight Condo D17

$69,900

Apr 13, 2012

472 Firelight, Firelight Chalet

$168,500

May 31, 2012

245 Karst Stage Loop

$214,500

Feb 24, 2012

Hill Condo 1221

$44,500

Apr 20, 2012

Cabin 14

$1,790,000

Jun 1, 2012

Firelight Condo C2

$100,000

Feb 28, 2012

Lot 70 Goshawk Trail

$497,000

Apr 20, 2012

Lot 74 Eagel View Trail

$289,000

Jun 5, 2012

Summit Hotel 10912

$199,000

Feb 29, 2012

Powder Ridge 2

$499,000

Apr 25, 2012

Cascade Lot 286

$179,000

Jun 8, 2012

Firelight Condo B11

$100,000

Mar 1, 2012

120 Cheyenne Road

$699,000

Apr 25, 2012

Hill Condo 1315

$62,500

Jun 15, 2012

Tamarack Court Condo 7

$245,000

Mar 2, 2012

Silverbow 39

$86,900

Apr 27, 2012

Alpenglow 18C

$368,000

Jun 15, 2012

Moose Ridge 20A

$649,000

Mar 5, 2012

Lot 92 Settlers Loop

$149,000

Apr 27, 2012

2115 Little Coyote

$455,000

Jun 15, 2012

Stillwater Condo 1002

$127,500

Mar 6, 2012

Gallatin Bldg Unit 8

$100,000

Apr 30, 2012

2160 Lone Walker Road

$419,000

Jun 18, 2012

Park Condo 288

$299,000

Mar 6, 2012

145 Karst Stage Loop

$336,000

Apr 30, 2012

Cowboy Heaven Cabin 24

$450,000

Jun 19, 2012

Summit View Ph 1, Lot 9

$140,000

Mar 9, 2012

The Pines Condominium L2

$399,000

Apr 30, 2012

Alpine Meadows Chalet 69

$1,195,000

Jun 20, 2012

Pine Ridge Condo 9

$142,500

Mar 12, 2012

35 Rainbow Trout Run

$439,000

Apr 30, 2012

86 Candlelight, Firelight Chalet

$169,900

Jun 21, 2012

Summit Hotel 10811

$199,900

Mar 13, 2012

394 Candlelight, Firelight Chalet

$195,000

May 2, 2012

Shoshone Hotel 1937

$199,900

Jun 27, 2012

Call me directly for up-to-date market information: 406-539-0121 Representing buyers and sellers in:

MOONLIGHT BASIN

YELLOWSTONE CLUB

THE CLUB AT SPANISH PEAKS

GREATER BIG SKY AREA

Jeff Helms

Big Sky Town Center Office M: 406.539.0121 E: jeff@sothebysrealty.com

All information is derived from MLS sources and deemed reliable, however, is not guaranteed. Data is subject to error, omissions, prior sales, price change or withdrawal without notice and approval of purchase

by Seller. We urge independent verification of each and every item submitted, to the satisfaction of any prospective purchaser.

local news

explorebigsky.com

Big Sky Weekly

Wayfinding signs and lighting on the docket for this year Entryway monument a ways out By emily stifler

big sky weekly managing editor

BIG SKY – The goal is to have 30 new wayfinding signs up around the Big Sky community by next ski season.

The project, led by the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce and Ryan Hamilton, also aims to install new lighting at the intersection of Lone Mountain Trail and Highway 191, and an entryway monument in the next two years.

The Chamber recently passed two milestones in this quest.

First, the Big Sky Resort Tax Board funded $225,000 toward the projects on June 13. $150,000 of that will go toward the wayfinding signage and $60,000 to the lighting project.

Another $15,000 will go toward preliminary work for the entryway monument.

And second, on June 21, the Gallatin County Commission voted in favor of a zone text amendment to the Big Sky Zoning Regulations that would allow for such signage to exist. Ham-

ilton and County staff had rewritten the proposed text amendment several times and were relieved to have overwhelming support for this iteration at the meeting.

and private right of ways.

Next up: “We still have to apply for final approval for the signs,” said Hamilton, who has already been working on the project for two years.

“If you want to talk about a zoning district like Big Sky, having a sign at This means Hamilton, with architects and the entrance is going to benefit "We spend so much time engineers the entire disCTA, and effort, collectively and from will apply trict,” Commisindividually, to bring peo- to Gallatin sion Chairman Madison Steve White ple to this community and and said. “It’s a very counties to tell the Big Sky story. We and to the unique amendment.” need to illustrate to people Montana Department that they’ve gotten here.” of TransAddressing the portation planning departfor approval of the proposed signs, ment’s questions, White made findings including size, design, content and that the project will promote scenic beauty and public safety, encourage location. growth, enhance the resort experience, The DOT has strict safety specificaand preserve and protect property tions for sign materials and convalues. struction.

The Chamber’s overall plan has been “When you put a sign in the DOT complicated by the fact that the right of way, there are certain signs will sit not only along county parameters that all parties involved roadways, but also on federal, state need to agree on,” Hamilton said.

The Chamber, he said, is leading this project and will thus be assuming responsibility for installing, insuring and maintaining the signs.

Currently, the Chamber is sticking with the plan to use the black diamond, blue square and green circle themes to denote destinations at the mountain, canyon and meadow, respectively. The plan to use steel and wood has changed to overlaying a graphic that looks like steel and wood atop the DOT’s regulation materials.

The signs will be a community asset, owned and maintained by the Chamber, Hamilton said. They’ll also be designed to minimize maintenance.

“We have substantial services and attractions to offer,” Chamber president David O’Connor said. “Many of those people are on a vacation, looking to do cool things. One of the most basic fundamental things [we can do is] tell them those things are here when they’re driving by.”

Hamilton has held a series of public meetings with individuals and businesses about all of these projects, taking comments about the design, placement, wording and other details.

12 June 29, 2012

explorebigsky.com

The project will be in line with the Chamber’s new branding campaign, O’Connor said. “This is not a billboard program, we’re not looking to alter the pristine experience.”

Hamilton is also working with CTA to get permits for the lighting. The lights, probably six of them in all, will line Lone Mountain Trail at the turnoff.

“We want that Spur Road to be a subtle path,” O’Connor said. “Because so many people come at night, it would identify that as a turning place into the community.”

Once the Chamber chooses a light pole and fixture style, Hamilton will put it out for public comment.

The light poles will serve a double purpose in branding the community by holding banners for event promotion and community branding messages.

The Chamber is still in preliminary planning for the entryway monument project.

“We spend so much time and effort, collectively and individually, to bring people to this community and to tell the Big Sky story,” O’Connor said. “We need to illustrate to people that they’ve gotten here.”

“I shudder to think of how many people pass by the intersection that have no clue there’s anything up there.”

The double-sided monument, which will be a maximum of 35 feet tall by 90 feet long, would sit perpendicular to Highway 191.

Hamilton has been talking to Conoco owner Renae Schumacher about putting it on the strip of lawn just west of the Conoco sign, which is also more than 30 feet tall. Some of the $15,000 in resort tax funding will pay an attorney to help draft an easement, and the rest would go to design.

“This project in particular needs to have buy-in by the community,” Hamilton said. He plans to hold additional public meetings during the design process.

As well, he says, it’s going to be a significant community effort. In addition to asking for resort tax funding, the Chamber will ask contractors, masons, landscapers, irrigators and others to help out as much as they can.

“It’s going to be one of those barn raising projects, as I see it,” Hamilton said. “Let’s show our community pride by coming together to build a community asset like this.”

regional

explorebigsky.com

Big Sky Weekly

Skyline Bus system adds new service to West Yellowstone Summer schedule began June 18 By emily stifler

big sky weekly managing editor

BIG SKY, BOZEMAN, WEST YELLOWSTONE – After several years of planning and collaboration, the Skyline Bus system is expanding to include a route from Bozeman to West Yellowstone. The new service is set to begin in July.

commission voted against in an initial budget vote in June. This decision was an “issue of budgetary priorities, said Commission Chairman Steve White. The commission, which votes on its final budget in August, has never supported Skyline fiscally.

“It was a gap in service to and around Yellowstone National Park,” said Skyline’s regional coordinator David Kack.

Regardless, Kack said, “we want to get the service [to West] out on the street. We don't want to wait until August when the county may or may not provide any support.”

The Montana Department of Transportation agreed to put $75,000 toward the service for fiscal year 2013, and Skyline is now finalizing the details on that contract.

Skyline also requested $5,000 from West Yellowstone, and also asked its town council to send a letter to Gallatin County asking it to support the service.

The Big Sky Resort Tax board in June agreed to fund $300,000, which will go primarily go to the ongoing services in Big Sky and between Big Sky and Bozeman.

Skyline is part of the Linx bus system, which is a transportation cooperative that works with 20 providers in the Greater Yellowstone region and also runs busses into the park itself.

Skyline also requested $30,000 from Gallatin County, which the county

“Our goal is to improve connectivity using existing systems already in

place,” said Linx Field Representative from West Yellowstone, Kimberly Brown. This new service allows just that.

Linx’s summer operation center is in West, and Brown says of the most popular requests is from people flying into Bozeman who want to get to West so they can see the park.

Riders could use this new service to connect to another carrier in West and ride into Yellowstone Park, to Jackson, Pocatello, Salt Lake City, or other spots around the region.

The service will also compliment an existing one provided by the West Yellowstone Foundation, which offers rides around West and up to Bozeman three days a week. While that service is geared mainly for residents of West to get to Bozeman for medical appointments or shopping, Kack says Skyline is meant more to get people to West. And he notes, it’s 365 days a year.

Skyline has been in service for five years. With more than 60,000 people using the Bozeman – Big Sky service in the last year, the number of people riding Skyline is up from its previous high of 47,449. Ridership on the service within Big Sky has also increased by about 8.5 percent over last year.

Skyline’s summer schedule began Monday, June 18 and will run through Sept.

9. The schedule offers two Canyon – Mountain Routes for rides around Big Sky, and three round trips per day on the Link Express for rides between Bozeman and Big Sky. Demand response service is also available in Big Sky. Busses operate seven days a week.

While the Skyline service within Big Sky is free, a small fare is charged on the service between Big Sky and Bozeman, and will be charged for the ride between Bozeman and West. skylinebus.com linx.coop

Wildfire Season: Spring somewhat similar to 1988 More than 30,000 acres burning By emily stifler

big sky weekly managing editor

BOZEMAN – Predictions for an average wildfire season may soon go up in smoke, as more than 30,000 acres were already burning in southwest and south-central Montana in late July. Gov. Brian Schweitzer on June 26 announced a state of emergency Lewis and Clark, Broadwater, Jefferson and Madison counties.

When the Weekly went to press on Wed June 27, three fires were burning in southwest Montana: the 14,770-acre Beartrap 2 Fire along the Madison River near Norris; the 6,400-acre Pony Fire

in the Tobacco Root Mountains west of Pony, and the 686-acre Antelope Lane Fire, in the Bull Mountains north of Whitehall.

The Corral Fire was also burning 1,200 acres in the Scratchgravel Hills, outside of Helena, and the Dahl Fire was burning 18,751 acres in Musselshell County.

More than 500 firefighters from volunteer, county, state and regional crews were already working on the Pony, Beartrap and Antelope fires, combined.

More were on the way, but were slow in arriving because many had been on assignment in other parts of the West.

The previous few days had seen winds sustained at 20 miles an hour with gusts up to 50. Combined with temperatures in the high 90s and dry fuels, it was “a recipe for very intense fire behavior,” said Terina Mullen a fire mitigation and education specialist from the Western Montana District BLM Office.

The winds also hampered firefighting efforts, grounded aircraft, and on June 25, caused the Beartrap 2 Fire to jump the Madison River and cross Highway 84.

As of press time, the Beartrap 2 and Pony fires were not contained at all, and the Antelope Lane Fire was 40 percent contained. Highway 84 was closed briefly, as were all BLM facilities on the Madison River.

The Bear Trap 2 Fire was caused by fireworks, the Antelope Lane by lighting, and the others all unknown.

Residents of the South Boulder River above the Indiana University Field Station in the Tobacco Roots were evacuated, and the Pony Fire had already burned two structures there. Evacuations were also in effect for Blacks Ford south to Norris, and two structures had also been burned by the Beartrap 2 Fire.

This level of fire activity isn’t typical for this time of year, Mullen said.

Record breaking March heat (from earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=77465)

Although the region had an average snowpack as of April 1, a warm spring caused the snowpack to melt faster. As forests dry out faster, fire risk increases earlier, said research ecologist Greg Pederson with the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center in Bozeman.

“Even though we did alright for spring moisture it doesn't seem to have been enough to decrease fire risks substantially into the early summer,” Pederson said. “As soon as you shut off the precipitation and get a wave train of days above 80 and 90 degrees with high winds, it can dry out really fast,” Pederson said.

“We have a setup right now, climatically… that is similar in some ways to 1988,” Pederson said, referring to the year that fires burned nearly 1.2 million acres in and around Yellowstone Park.

“Early high pressure systems that block precipitation, also lead to warm spring temperatures, and early snow melt out.

Preconditioning the region to a long hot summer with dry soils, raising fire risk because forests are dry and flammable.”

Across the Western U.S. this March, temperatures were between 12 and 15 degrees C above the 20th century monthly average for March, Pederson added. “Basically with the warm and early spring, we had a perfect setup for a big fire and low streamflow year across the West.”

explorebigsky.com

June 29, 2012 13

montana

Big Sky Weekly

$4 million grant to connect K-12 and higher education data HELENA – The Montana Office of Public Instruction has been awarded a three-year, $4 million grant to link post-secondary data with Montana's K-12 data system.

Thank you to all of the sponsors of the 2012 Big Sky PBR

SEE Y’ALL AT THE SHOW Outlaw Partners Continental Construction Yellowstone Club Big Sky Resort Big Sky Town Center Fay Ranches Haas Construction STOA Management Jack Daniels Centre Sky Architects Toyota of Bozeman Lone View Ridge Black Bull Fay Ranches Sotheby’s – Jeff Helms Moonlight Basin Lone Pine Builders Big Sky CVB Fulton Hertz Hoover Wealth Management Group Bill Earl’s Buck’s T-4 Olive B’s Mountain Home Electric Hammond Property Management Big Sky Western Bank Sotheby’s - Tim Cyr and Cathy Gorman Blue Ribbon Builders Big Sky Community Corporation Nordic Hot Tub Simkins Hallins Christie’s Realty Big Sky Council of the Arts Sotheby’s – Ryan and Tallie 320 Guest Ranch Geyser White Water Big Sky Taxi Natalie’s Estate Winery Delaware North Company Stone Legends Broken Spoke Choppers Half Moon Saloon Burger Bar Ousel and Spur Yellowstone Park Foundation Jan and Jim Cummings Sponsorship opportunities still available.

Call Kacey at 995-2055 14 June 29, 2012

explorebigsky.com

The idea is having education data easily available to educators, parents and communities will help improve student learning, said Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau, who has been working on this tack for several years already.

Improving transparency and using data to improve student achievement and set policy priorities has been a focus at OPI, Juneau said, adding that data allows improved focus on accountability, effectiveness and achievement.

Linking the K-12 education data with data from the Montana University System will allow high schools a greater understanding of whether their gradu-

ates are ready for college, Juneau said, and help them analyze which coursework led to successful transitions from high school to higher education.

“Our continued partnership with higher education is critical to meet the needs of the 21st century workforce and move our state forward," she said.

OPI has been working over the past 15 months to develop and roll out a new public website and warehouse for education data called "GEMS." This site, gems.opi.mt.gov, allows education data to be combined and searched in ways that are currently labor intensive and inaccessible to the public. The new system will by fully complete by December 2012. Student achievement data such as state and national test scores is currently available to the public on the GEMS website. OPI expects to have K-12 and MUS data up by June 2015.

First official U.S. Senate debate held in Big Sky By emily stifler

big sky weekly managing editor

BIG SKY – Drive Highway 191 through Gallatin Canyon north of Big Sky, and the number of political signs endorsing Rep. Denny Rehberg for Montana’s U.S. Senate seat is notable.

But when the Republican entered the Montana Room at Buck’s T-4 for the June 16 debate against Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont, no one seemed to notice. He shook a few hands and climbed quietly onto the stage for what would be the first official debate in the race.

When Tester walked into the room, on the other hand, a peal of cheers went up from what seemed to be a cohesive group of women’s rights supporters sitting in the center of the crowd.

Independent challenger Libertarian Dan Cox also took part in the debate, kicking off what promises to be a heated race.

A panel of four Montana journalists addressed the candidates, asking questions relating major national issues to every day people of Montana. The panelists included Big Sky Weekly reporter Taylor Anderson and Bozeman Daily Chronicle managing editor Nick Ehli.

Among the main topics addressed were: health care, the cost of college, the reach of government, corporations as people, Fannie May and Freddie Mac, small business, closure of rural post offices, energy policy and independence, and veterans.

Rehberg spoke quickly in defense of his beliefs, while Tester had a more metered pace, and Cox brought humor to the

room, pointing out when the other two danced around topics, answering indirectly, and instead falling back on rhetoric.

Both Tester and Rehberg painted themselves as having come from lowerclass agricultural backgrounds. But their similarities stopped there, and they later jabbed each other about these backgrounds—Tester at Rehberg's real estate history, and Rehberg at Tester for voting alongside President Obama. Even so, the debate itself was remarkably civil.

Although the candidates requested no applause or boos, members of the crowd shouted occasional comments, questions and even angry slurs.

Near the session’s end, the candidates fielded questions submitted from the audience. One was particularly indicative: "What do you specifically propose to do to get past gridlock, to reach across the aisle, and—even if it is a dirty word— compromise?"

Tester cited the importance of communicating in an honest and straightforward way, citing recently passed legislation as an example.

Rehberg brought up small business and said it’s necessary to remove the barriers— taxes—to keep money in these people's pockets.

The debate mediator asked the question again, saying he didn't hear much from either on the topic of compromise.

To watch a video of the candidates speaking at the debate, visit explorebigsky.com.

YELLOWSTONE

explorebigsky.com

Big Sky Weekly

Tower, Canyon area road projects scheduled for summer YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK – Road construction in Tower Junction and Canyon Village will begin the first week of July.

The NPS expects these projects will have little impact on visitors.

Gardiner Gateway, revitalized story and photo By emily stifler

big sky weekly managing editor

GARDINER – Gardiner is going get a facelift, endorsed by Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

Today, Schweitzer said, we’re at a crossroads again, and it’s similar to the one Roosevelt faced. “Do we protect our most special places?” the Governor asked, and then launched into a promotion of Montana tourism.

On Flag Day, June 14, a group of stakeholders including Schweitzer came together at the Roosevelt Arch to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, formalizing the start of a process to modernize facilities in Gardiner and at the north entrance to Yellowstone.

Last year, more than 700,000 people came through the north entrance to the Park. That brings money into the small, unincorporated community, but it also takes a toll on its limited facilities, and was more traffic than the entrance station and winding Park Street could handle.

More than 240 people attended the ceremony—a strong turnout for the town of 850. The speakers touched on themes of history, cooperation and tourism.

The National Park Service will move forward with its plans this summer, which include road safety improvements on Park Street.

“It’s really about Gardiner, and this special place,” said Greater Gardiner Community Council director Bill Berg.

“109 years ago, the greatest president in the history of the country came to this spot, Teddy Roosevelt,” Gov. Schweitzer said. That was a crossroads, he said: Roosevelt brought forth the idea that some places are so special we must save them for future generations.

Local and regional groups, led by the Greater Gardiner Community Council, are now seeking grant funding for projects on their side of the “Gardiner Gateway.” These include establishment of a downtown historic district, building a welcome center, installation of wayfinding signage, revitalization of Arch Park and rebuild the historic depot.

More at gardinergatewayproject.org

Man gored by bison in Yellowstone YELLOWSTONE – A bull bison gored a Yellowstone tourist near the Norris campground on Saturday, June 23, when the man let the bull approach to within a few feet of where he was sitting and refused to move.

The bison tossed the man nearly 10 feet in the air and then pinned him to the ground. The man, in his mid 50s, was visiting the park from Massachusetts.

He suffered a broken collarbone, shoulder blade, ribs and a groin injury. He was airlifted to a hospital in Idaho Falls, Idaho and is expected to recover.

Intentionally approaching or disturbing animals violates park regulations, which require visitors to stay 100 yards or more from bears and wolves, and at

least 25 yards from all other animals including elk and bison.

The projects include reconstructing and widening a 2.5-mile stretch of road between Tower Junction and Tower Fall, reconstructing the Canyon Village parking lot, and replacing the Obsidian Creek Bridge at the Indian Creek Campground.

HK Contractors, Inc., of Idaho Falls, Idaho will run the projects.

The Tower Road has not been reconstructed since 1939. This project will also include pullout improvements, retaining wall repairs, and addition of ADA-accessible routes to viewpoints at the Calcite Springs overlook. The current Canyon Village parking area is 55 years old. The historic Obsidian Creek Bridge was built in 1911. The redesign will retain the character of the original bridge.

The Obsidian Creek Bridge project should be completed by the end of this year. The Tower and Canyon projects are expected to be completed by October 2013.

M O O N L I G H T S PA

Updated Yellowstone National Park road information is available 24 hours a day at (307) 344-2117.

Expected closures/impacts: Tower Road: Early July – mid September, closed nightly 11 p.m. – 7 a.m.

Expect 30-minute delays during open hours. Mid September – early November, full closure. Closure points will be at Tower Junction next to the Roosevelt Corral and just north of Chittenden Road between Tower and Canyon Village. Overnight visitors in the Tower Fall campground will be allowed entry or exit during closure for emergencies only.

Trail access to Mount Washburn will remain available from the Chittenden Road and Dunraven Pass trailheads.

Canyon Village Main parking area: Construction will occur in four sections, one at a time, to keep day-use parking available for the Visitor Education Center, lodge and stores. The entire parking lot will be closed nightly from 11 p.m. – 6 a.m. All stores will remain open during normal operating hours.

Obsidian Creek Bridge (Indian Creek Campground): Construction will occur after the campground closes for the season Sept. 4.

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Park rangers enforce these regulations, which are designed to protect both people and animals. Officials recommend hikers stay on designated trails, hike in groups of three or more people, carry bear spray and to be alert for wildlife.

The best defense against attacks is to stay a safe distance from wildlife and use binoculars, a spotting scope or a telephoto lens to get a closer look, and never feed, approach, disturb or entice wildlife, including birds, in any way.

If an animal approaches you, it’s your responsibility to move a safe distance away, not the animal’s.

(406) 995-7700 | moonlightbasin.com June 29, 2012 15 explorebigsky.com

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Big Sky Weekly

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Section 2:

business, health and environment

Big Sky Weekly

June 29, 2012 Volume 3 // Issue No. 13

sports Portugal’s entrance into the knockout round.

Group A saw a catastrophic collapse of Russia, who opened the tournament by crushing Czech Republic 4-1, then could only manage a tie against Poland, and finally lost to a surprising Greek team 1-0. Greece took runner-up in the group with scrappy defense, and the Czechs rebounded after their first loss to win Group A.

Euro 2012 The best soccer teams in Europe square off this summer

Germany continued its dominant play in the quarterfinals, as they trounced Greece 4-2, and Spain had a methodical 2-0 win over a French team that could only muster a few inspired counter attacks. Portugal won a tight match over the Czech Republic 1-0 off the header from Ronaldo, and Italy beat England in penalty kicks after both teams failed to score in 90 minutes or extra time.

England's start striker Wayne Rooney was suspended for the first two games for an egregious foul in a qualifying match. Photo by Ian C. (cc)

By tyler allen

big sky weekly contributor

It looks like Americans are finally paying attention to the most popular sport in the world. Sure, every four years the FIFA World Cup inspires a spike of interest in the global game here at home, but that tournament can hardly be ignored since it usually includes our national team. Yet through the first six matches of Euro 2012, ESPN’s live coverage averaged 1.3 million viewers from the U.S., a three-fold increase over the network’s presentation in 2008.

The tournament is being held in Poland and Ukraine, and the storylines surrounding the contest are as compelling as the soccer matchups. Many European leaders have boycotted the matches played in Ukraine over the continued imprisonment of former President Yulia Tymoshenko. UEFA officials have denounced stories of price gouging for accommodations in Ukraine in the months prior to the start of the tournament; concern over racial targeting there has proven accurate; and the rancor of nationalism that often accompanies European soccer has made headlines.

Russia was fined after its first match when fans taunted a black player from the Czech Republic and beat up a security guard. Dutch players were also targeted with racial chants by a few of the 25,000 spectators at a practice pitch before their first game. Polish officials will likely rethink their decision to allow Russian fans to march through the streets of Warsaw on Russia Day, prior to the match between the two countries. Nearly 200 supporters from both sides were arrested for fighting and disorderly conduct as police used tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets to prevent an all-out riot.

As far as the soccer goes, 16 teams qualified—including automatic bids for the two host countries—to compete in four groups, with the top two teams in each group moving on to the knockout stages. The teams played each opponent in their group once, being awarded three points for a win and one for a tie.

Spain, the defending champion, was one of the favorites going into the tournament, having been winners of the last World Cup and looking for a third consecutive

England stormed into the knockout stage thanks to a header from returning star striker Wayne Rooney; he was suspended for the first two games for an egregious foul in a qualifying match. They beat host Ukraine on the last day of the group stage, silencing a stadium filled with yellow and blue. France was the other survivor of Group D, after they limped into the quarterfinals following a 2-0 loss to an already eliminated Swedish team.

major championship. However, that team had a lackluster performance in the group stage, including a 1-1 tie with Italy and a tense 1-0 win over Croatia that was in question until a goal in the 88th minute. While Spain won Group C, they created surprisingly few chances and had to rely on goalie Iker Casillas to bail them out a few times. Italy also survived that group, looking more dangerous this year than most expected.

Germany was another pre-tournament favorite, with a talented, youngbut-maturing team that won all 10 of its qualifying matches. They emerged victorious from the “Group of Death” by beating Portugal, the Netherlands and Denmark, each by one goal.

Runners-up in World Cup 2010, the disappointing Dutch failed to earn a single point in the group stage after losing a shocking opener to Denmark 1-0. They reached the knockout stages in the 11 previous major championships, but their porous defense and lack of cohesive offense proved fatal. Portugal was the runner-up in Group B, with Christiano Ronaldo, arguably the best player in the tournament, finally able to finish in the team’s last group match against the Dutch. After wasting easy chances against Denmark and early misses in the Netherlands match, he broke through with two goals and clinched

As this issue went to press, Spain had beaten Portugal in penalty kicks after a scoreless draw and will look to defend its crown against the winner of the other semifinal contest played Thursday between Germany and Italy.

The final match will be Sunday July 1 in Kiev, Ukraine (at 12:45 p.m. MST), and is sure to be a quality of soccer you won’t see again until World Cup 2014.

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sports

Lebron James Finally King By brandon niles

big sky weekly contributor

MIAMI – Lebron James finally earned his longtime nickname “King James” on June 21, when the Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, held in Miami.

With his first championship and Finals MVP award, James has silenced the many critics who’ve questioned his ability to close out games and win when it matters most.

James was dialed in from the opening score of the game, which was a dominating dunk early in the first quarter that gave the Heat a 2-0 lead over the young and talented Thunder. With a look of sheer determination on his face, James got back

on defense and proceeded to put together one of the most impressive first half performances of the series.

The Heat should continue to add role players each season, and James has at least seven more years of dominant play left.

By the second quarter he was scoring nearly at will against all who attempted to guard him, and it became clear he wasn’t going to let this opportunity go. And by the third, it was clear the Heat would be hoisting the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy at the night’s end.

This finals victory could be the beginning of a dynasty in the NBA. Now that James has that first title under his belt, the rest of the league will need to fight even harder to have a chance at a championship.

James finished the game with a triple double, scoring 26 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, to go with a pair of blocks and a steal, in a dominating performance from start to finish.

The Heat has endured tremendous criticism since losing in the finals last year to an aging Dallas Mavericks squad. None have drawn as much ire as James however, whose determination and killer instinct has been called into question repeatedly over the past several years. Critics and pundits have questioned whether he could take a team all the way to the championship.

Game 5 changed all that. With the Heat’s championship victory and the ensuing well-deserved Finals MVP award, James has proven he’s capable of becoming one of the greats.

For the league, the scary thing is that James likely isn’t done. He’s close to the same age Michael Jordan was when he won his first title, and he’s surrounded by a team with tremendous talent.

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Big Sky Weekly

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James was already arguably the league’s best player. Now that he has a title, it’s official, and there’s no reason to think he won’t win again. My advice to those who’ve criticized him over the past several years is to sit back, relax and appreciate the opportunity to watch one of the best players the game has ever seen enter his prime.

The rest of the league will likely be looking up at him for the next several years, and the road to the NBA Finals will likely go through Miami for at least the foreseeable future.

Congratulations Lebron!

Brandon Niles has done online freelance writing about the NFL since 2007. His articles range from NFL news to team-specific commentary. A communication studies graduate student at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Niles is also an avid Miami Dolphins fan, which has led to his becoming an avid Scotch whisky fan over the past decade.

Big Sky Softball League standings as of June 26 National League

Wins-Losses

Team 1 Team 2 Team 3 Team 4 Team 5 Team 6 Team 7

0-4 4-0 1-2 2-0 0-4 3-1 1-4

Big Sky Resort Country Market Scissorbills Big Sky Christian Fellowship Cab Lizards Black Bear First Place/Cabin

American League Team 8 Lone Pine Huckers Team 9 Eye in the Sky Team 10 Milkies Big Dogs Team 11 Beavers Team 12 Broken Spoke Team 13 Lone Peak Brewery Team 14 Connecticut Softball Club

4-0 4-0 3-1 1-2 1-3 1-1 0-1

Schedule Field 1 - 530pm Field 2 - 530pm

Field 1 - 645pm

Field 2 - 645pm

2-Jul

10v11

4v8

11v13

8v10

3-Jul

1v5

4v6

3v5

1v7

9-Jul

5v9

Make Up #2

6v9

Make up #3

10-Jul

11v14

1v10

12v14

8v11

11-Jul

2v7

16-Jul

4v7

5v10

4v8

6v10

17-Jul

9v13

3v12

1v9

2v13

18-Jul

7v8

2v14

6v13

7v14

3v7

Look for continued schedule in future issues of the Big Sky Weekly.

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Big Sky Weekly

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June 29, 2012 19

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food & dining

As we talked, water pitchers set on each table captured and reflected the evening sun. Outside, a young family of four bicyclists cruised past the windows, dismounted and added their bikes to the collection already lined up on the rack. The family walked inside, and the mother, Erica Jenny, complimented the new mirror adoring the wall behind our table. Jenny designed the restaurant’s interior.

“She’s a visionary,” Kettleridge said, describing Jenny’s design work. “She was able to capture exactly what we wanted the place to look and feel like.”

Ousel and Spur Pizza Co. Bringing Italy to the Big Sky story and photos By renae counter

big sky weekly editorial assistant

BIG SKY – Through tall windows with spectacular views of Lone Mountain, Montana’s evening sun drenched the newly opened Ousel and Spur Pizza Co.’s dining area. Cups of fresh espresso sat next to glasses of red, white and rose wine, and platters of fresh asparagus, antipasti, salad and pasta quickly filled the table.

This is Big Sky’s newest restaurant, Ousel and Spur Pizza Co. But don’t let the name fool you: This isn’t your average take-out joint.

The pizza crust is hand-tossed and made with wild yeast, the sauces are homemade, the vegetables come from Montana gardens, and the mozzarella is rolled fresh from curd in the kitchen.

Over wine, Italian dishes with a Big Sky flair, and espressos, owners Jennifer Kettleridge and Josh Kone told me about their longtime love of food, and about this new venture.

Kone and Kettleridge began planning Ousel and Spur back in February, they said. The idea was to rebrand the old Trailhead Pizza Co., which previously occupied the building. With the help of the building’s owner, John Rom-

ney, Kettleridge and Kone added a level of sophistication to the establishment.

“We want to be able to serve dishes that fill the gap of everyday food,” Kettleridge said. “This type of dining was lacking in Big Sky.”

Originally from Seattle, Kettleridge has lived in Big Sky for 11 years. Previously she worked as a wedding coordinator at Moonlight Basin and at the Big Sky bistro, By Word of Mouth. Her restaurant roots carry back to Seattle, where she worked at a nine-course, five-diamond restaurant, The Herbfarm.

To complete the light, hip feel of the restaurant, Kone and Kettleridge opted to serve Rockford Coffee, espressostyle. The Americano they brought to the table was dark and smooth, a perfect beige layer of crèma adorning the top.

“I’m from Seattle, we have to serve good coffee,” Kettleridge said.

The restaurant also offers a full selection of Italian wines, reasonably priced.

“You won’t find a $100 bottle of wine in here,” Kettleridge said. “Italian wines are fresh, made to be drunk young with food.”

Big Sky Weekly

In Italy, there’s a saying that if you eat good food with good friends, you’ll never grow old. While enjoying the delicate flavors of fresh basil ricotta on homemade flatbread, and truffled wild mushrooms in a bed of macaroni with prosciutto and dandelion greens, I couldn’t help but believe the Italian proverb.

“We want people to come here and enjoy themselves. Eat pizza. Drink wine,” Kone said.

Along with three salads and three pastas, Ousel and Spur has five house pizzas and an option to build your own. Pizzas can be made gluten free and all dishes have a vegetarian option.

Both the lunch and dinner menus will expand as the summer progresses.

A family establishment, children are welcome at Ousel and Spur. The “Bambinos” menu includes cheese or pepperoni pizza, mac and cheese, and spaghetti with meatballs. While waiting for dinner, children can stay entertained with Wikki Stix, a soft bendable wax that comes in an array of colors.

Ousel and Spur Pizza Co. is located on the corner of Lone Mountain Trail and Ousel Falls Road, next to Lone Peak

Kone’s Big Sky roots date back to the ‘70s, when his grandparents settled in the area. Kone was manager and bartender at By Word Of Mouth for several years, and has also worked at Peaks and Carabineer. His love for good pizza springs from time spent working at Rusted Son Pizza in Salt Lake City.

The two said they wanted to steer away from a take-out pizza parlor and instead create a welcoming atmosphere where costumers want to dine-in. The interior boasts a light, modern look with Montana accents. Dark chairs neatly contrast with light-colored walls, and rich, brown reclaimed timber from an old barn in Absarokee fences the room.

Unfamiliar with Italian wines, I found the extensive list perplexing. But our waiter Chaz suggested a red wine to match my entrée. Dynamic and flavorful, it was exactly what I would have ordered, if I’d known how.

Cinema. The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. for dinner.

For lunch and dinner menus, visit ouselandspurpizza.com.

“Here, the food is equal parts as good as the service,” Kone said.

The Restaurant at Rainbow Ranch Lodge featuring Rainier cherry dish By renae counter

big sky weekly editorial assistant

BIG SKY – July 11th is National Rainier Cherry Day. As part of a national campaign known as Tree-ToTable, Northwest Cherries of Seattle is providing Rainier cherries to one restaurant in each of the 50 states to be featured as a special menu item. This year, Montana’s restaurant is Big Sky’s own The Restaurant at Rainbow Ranch Lodge.

20 June 29, 2012

Rainier cherries are famous for their light, yellow colored flesh that bursts with sweetness.

The campaign looks to pair them with locally owned restaurants that are iconic within a certain region.

On July 1, Executive Chef Mattew Fritz will dish up the first of his cherry dishes: Duck Confit with Rainier Cherry Marmalade, Grilled Radicchio and Balsamic Glaze. Additional dishes are in the works to be featured throughout the rest of July.

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Chef Fritz, originally from Chicago, has more than 20 years of culinary experience. Prior to his position at Rainbow Ranch Lodge, Chef Fritz worked as a chef at Yellowstone Club’s Rainbow Lodge. His dishes capture flavors from around the world while implementing locally grown produce.

Dinner hours are 5:30 – 9:30 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Reservations are recommend and can be made at rainbowranchbigsky.com/restaurant.php, or by calling (800) 937-4132.

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food & dining

High Country Grill By abbie digel

fries, which Bales cuts daily from potatoes sourced from a farm in Manhattan.

BOZEMAN – If you live in Big Sky, deciding where to grab food when spending a day in Bozeman can sometimes feel overwhelming, with its wide variety of cafés, fast-food joints, and ample selection of grocery stores.

Recently, the section of Main Street rebuilt after the 2009 explosion has caught my eye.

The menu is also vegetarian friendly.

Bales and his line cook make homemade tomato–basil and black bean soups daily, as well prepare all of the sandwich meats, sauces, dressings, and spreads from scratch. And he hasn’t strayed far from his Southern heritage—don’t order a meal at High Country without trying the fried green tomatoes served with buttermilk ranch dressing.

big sky weekly contributor

After the R Bar was rebuilt, an empty, full-service kitchen sat in the space near the big, new beautiful bar. Chip Bales, a chef originally hailing from the South, saw the open kitchen that faces the bar area as a business and restaurant opportunity and signed a lease for the space in February 2012. Soon after, in March 2012, High Country Grill was open for business.

Bales has lived in Montana for 10 years, and has worked at such reputable kitchens as the Timbers at Moonlight Basin Resort (now closed), the Continental Divide in Ennis and the Mint in Belgrade. With a taste for gourmet and an eye for easy, fresh cuisine, he designed the menu at High Country around scratch bar food, showcasing his Southern roots, and using whatever’s fresh and in season.

The one-page menu is simple and basic, but the food is anything but.

For lunch, I ordered the blackened catfish po’ boy with a side of coleslaw and the High Country house salad with sweet garlic vinaigrette. It was a refreshing break from my usual brown bag lunches.

“I don’t just stand by the fryer and dump frozen food in,” Bales said.

“Everything is made fresh.” Along with my sandwich, I tried the fresh cut

Big Sky Weekly

photos by Heather J Chontos

Although Bales doesn’t have a liquor license, because he shares the space with the R Bar patrons can order from a full line of cocktails, beer and drink specials.

Check rockingrbar.com for a full menu, and visit High Country Grill’s Facebook page for updates, events and food specials.

All items on the menu are priced just under $12, so a stop there for lunch or dinner is as affordable as it is easy and delicious.

It was also fun dining in the R Bar, where the atmosphere is lively and a game is always on one of the 18 televisions. Choose a seat at the new wooden bar, a cozy side booth or a table. The front glass walls open, making for a lively open-air atmosphere inside, and fun patio dining outside on Main Street.

Bales likes being in an iconic Bozeman location.

“The community already cherishes this building, so it’s nice to have that camaraderie with R Bar regulars,” he said.

He’s been busy specializing his menu and making a name for the restaurant with help from his girlfriend and designer, the freelance prop stylist and artist Heather Chontos.

So far, Bales has been pleased with the crowd, many of whom visit to try the High Country burger, which has a hearty portion of hand-pattied beef, melted poblano cheese and local bacon on a brioche bun.

Chontos hails the Friday night fish fry special as “the absolute best.”

Hardscapes

Gardens

Design

Irrigation

Working exclusively in Big Sky since 2003 explorebigsky.com

Lighting

Maintenance

www.bslmt.com 406-995-2668 June 29, 2012 21

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business

Big Sky Chamber of Commerce News

Big Sky Weekly

By emily stifler

big sky weekly managing editor

Chamber moving to new building BIG SKY – Once upon a time, in 1999, the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce was at the corner where Lone Mountain Trail meets Highway 191.

Now, 14 years later, the Chamber will return to that spot, moving into the space previously occupied by Rivers to Peaks Realty.

With $45,000 for rent and improvements in funding from the Big Sky Resort Tax Board set to start July 1, Chamber board member Shawna Winter has been negotiating with a representative for the property, Brian Dolan, to iron out the details of the lease.

“This is big, big, big news,” said Chamber Chairman David O’Connor.

At 3,200 sq. feet, the building is much larger than the current 2,000 sq. foot office. Because it’s visible from the highway, it should draw more drive-by traffic.

“We’ve had huge community support,” O’Connor said. “It’s so important to everybody—being the welcoming committee and being able to roll out the red carpet.”

Since 2000, the Chamber has been tucked away in a hard to find office in the West Fork.

That’s why the resort tax board voted unanimously to fund the new building, resort tax chairman Les Loble said.

“I suspect [the chamber of commerce] is one of the first places tourists think of as a place to go for information,” Loble said. “Having it right there at the turnoff is the best possible place.”

With bay windows looking out at Lone Mountain and Gallatin Canyon, the new space is “perfect” for a visitors’ center, said chamber membership and program director Robin BrowerMcBride. “The best of Big Sky is within view, it’s really cool.”

The building also has offices, a great room, and a small boardroom.

O’Connor dreams that some day the other buildings on the corner property could house local nonprofits like the Arts Council of Big Sky and the Big Sky Community Corp.

“It could be a community center. All those things under one roof—parks, trails, arts—all able to work together. When we start thinking about all those possibilities it gets our minds reeling," he said.

Clemens is new executive director and business development for small communities.”

The tourism industry brings value to economies and communities, she said.

Clemens has worked in tourism development in several small Colorado towns, and most recently focused on a downtown revitalization project for Manitou Springs, an art, recreation and tourism community at the base of Pikes Peak.

BIG SKY – After several months with very slim staffing and an extensive candidate search, the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce has hired a new executive director.

Kitty Clemens comes from Colorado Springs, Colo., where she has worked up and down the Front Range in economic development, destination marketing, community relations, public affairs, advertising and the arts.

For Clemens, the position is “an opportunity to do what I’m really passionate about—destination marketing

There, as the town was installing new streetlights, Clemens led a creative effort to hang banners with artwork from the local school children. Working with the school superintendent, the art teachers, parents, and a local sign maker, Clemens’ side project saved the town money and raised funds for the local education foundation.

“It was a win-win for everyone,” she said. “It really did involve the whole community.”

Clemens started working on the revitalization project in Manitou in 2002

and followed it from the preliminary planning stages, all the way through the first half of the final phase eight years later. Not only was that fulfilling, she said it also gave her a much broader perspective of “what it really takes to provide for your residents and also for the visitors that actually pay the bills at the end of the day.”

and gardening.

“It’s being able to look at things from a 30,000-foot view. What you’re asking people to come experience can be just as important as the marketing numbers or the website hits," she said.

The Chamber of Commerce, which also has several new board members as of this year, went through a restructure this spring while looking to fill the executive director position.

Clemens also knows that in small communities, “you have to be the chief cook and the bottle washer.”

As an economic development officer, she doubled as a public information officer.

For years the Chamber operated with only two paid staff, an ED and a membership director. It’s added three other new positions this spring: accountant Wanda McCarthy, marketing specialist Wendy Swenson, and operations support Jessica Martin-Trulen.

Clemens also has also written a crisis communication plan for a multi county travel attraction association, done SWOT analysis, and written grants for state and federal funding.

Although retired from skiing, she says she loves hiking, biking, snowshoeing

“The mountains are for me. And definitely cooler weather is for me.”

She starts Aug. 1, but is still looking for a place to live, which, she notes, can be tough with a dog. Her dog, an Airedale, is named Albert.

The new positions are funded by a combination of Big Sky Resort Tax dollars, membership dues, and grants from Yellowstone Country (which functions as part of the Montana Office of Tourism).

Chamber starting orientation program for new members BIG SKY – The Big Sky Chamber of Commerce is offering a new monthly orientation to teach members how to best utilize their benefits.

Designed for new members and members with new employees, the orientation program will take place after the Chamber’s board meeting (which is open to the public) on the second Tuesday of each month.

22 June 29, 2012

The Chamber can help new businesses with licensure, and online marketing through the Chamber’s website or an individual one, among other things.

Also a networking opportunity, the meetings will be a chance to meet and work directly with other new Chamber members and Chamber staff, said the Chamber’s membership and program director Robin Brower-McBride.

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Other Chambers of Commerce are also creating similar programs, Brower-McBride said, naming Jackson, Wyo. and Seattle.

The first Big Sky Chamber of Commerce member orientation will be Tuesday, July 10, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. New members and members with new employees are especially encouraged to attend.

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Big Sky Weekly

Creighton Block

Rob Akey Greg Alexander Jim Barrett Diana Brady Lynn Cain Todd Connor

John DeMott Jerral Derr yberr y Flavia Eckholm Edd Enders Thomas English Mark Gibson

Don Grant Mimi Grant Frank Hagel Ott Jones David Lemon Asha MacDonald

Mike Patterson Paula Pearl Jacqueline Rieder Hud Gar y Lynn Rober ts Daniel San Souci Deb Schmit

Laurie Stevens Dave Swanson Ezra Tucker Shirle Wempner

ARTI ST PR O FI LE To experience a John DeMott painting is to experience a par t of the great American frontier. An outdoorsman and stor yteller of the American West, DeMott transcends the cliché of the western ar tist.

Born in 1954 and raised on Southern California horse ranches, he has worked and lived the life of his ar tistic subjects. His passion is to paint “the spirit of the Western frontier”. Whether his subject is Plains Indians, free trappers, cowboys, a grizzly or bison in landscape, DeMott’s gift is to make the viewer sense keenly time and place.

The ability to recreate a sense of place and time does not come easily. DeMott spends hours researching and studying tools, wardrobe, accoutrements and the histor y of his subjects. Recreating detail is a trademark of a DeMott painting. “As a stor yteller of the American frontier, western ar t has been an impor tant par t of my life, and I am proud to be involved in the preser vation of our great heritage!”

W I N E TA S T I N G S EV ERY THURSDAY AT 4 : 3 0 P M

B IG S K Y TOWN C E N T E R

1 1 :0 0 A M - 7 : 0 0 P M M O NDAY TH RU S ATU RDAY S U N DAY S BY APPOI NTM ENT

p r ovi de d by

John DeMott “Face of Wisdom”

the

cave

Spirits & Gifts

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

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business

Big Sky Weekly

Big Sky Convention and Visitors’ Bureau using funds to promote Montana By renae counter

big sky weekly editorial assistant

BIG SKY—The Big Sky Convention and Visitors’ Bureau is taking on big projects this year with recent funding from the lodging tax and money left over from last year, said Wendy Swenson, CVB’s marketing specialist.

“People already know that we are a ski destination,” Swenson said. “Through the marketing campaign we hope to get it out that we’re that and so much more. There is so much people can do here—ziplining, rafting, hiking, biking, ropes courses, fine lodging and dining…we have so much to offer in the summer.”

The CVB, along with Biggest Skiing in America, falls under the umbrella of the Chamber of Commerce and is responsible for promoting travel and tourism in Big Sky. Big Sky’s CVB is funded by a 10 percent revenue collected off the lodging tax, which reaches about $1 million a year, equaling approximately $100,000 for the CVB. With funds allocated in early June and rollover from last years’ unspent money, the CVB has approximately $170,000 in the budget this year.

One way in which CVB plans to get the word out is by utilizing traffic going into Yellowstone. In conjunction with Biggest Skiing in America and other CVBs around the region, Big Sky CVB hopes to capitalize on the 3.6 million visitors entering Yellowstone Park annually.

CVB can partner with anyone in the state, but funding is used strictly for visitor center staffing, publications, and marketing projects designed to promote tourism in Big Sky.

By increasing CVB staff at the visitors’ center, it will be able to maintain longer hours, and stay open on weekend, holidays as well as high-traffic times of the day.

The CVB is collaborating with the chamber on an ongoing effort to roll out a new Big Sky brand and advertising campaign that will sell Big Sky as a yearround travel destination.

“Pulling traffic in and bringing people into the community is our number one goal,” Swenson said.

“We are lucky to be so close to Yellowstone and recognize that people are coming here for the park,” Swenson said.

Finalizations have been made to move the visitors’ center and Chamber to the corner if Lone Mountain

Trail and Highway 191, which will make the center more accessible to both visitors in route to Big Sky and Yellowstone.

Another project in the plans for 2012 is a revamp of the current Chamber/CVB website to help it better serve visitors and businesses. Also, with a continuous increase in mobile web traffic, the CVB also hopes to make the site more accessible to the on-the-go user.

“Online and mobile web is a big component of tourism, and we want to hit the best online market,” Swenson said. “We recognize that people are booking things on their smart phones while on-the-go, so we want to be able to pull them in through that by letting them know what Big Sky has to offer.”

Already in progress is a joint effort with Big Sky Resort, Bozeman CVB and Tourism Business Improvement District, Yellowstone Country, and Yellowstone CVB and TBID on a marketing campaign in New York, which will take place in the fall.

“The community is investing their money through paying taxes, and we want to be able to provide them a return by investing it in a way that will bring the money back into the community and the state,” Swenson said.

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Located in the Meadow Village Center next to Lone Peak Brewery

24 June 29, 2012

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business

Big Sky Weekly

Loan program for Montana entrepreneurs to operate under new partnership BOZEMAN – A program that provides interest-free loans to entrepreneurs will operate this year under a new partnership between the Montana State University College of Business and the Gianforte Family Foundation.

Through this partnership, MSU business students will be involved in selecting entrepreneurs to receive loans from the Bootstrap Montana Loan Program. The program provides Montana entrepreneurs with loans for projects expected to provide a fast return on investment. Ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, the loans should be repaid within a year. Peter Rubicam, director of the Bootstrap Montana Loan Program and a finance instructor at MSU, will supervise the students.

"This will be a valuable real-world education opportunity for our students, because they will be exposed to the business analysis and loan evaluation process," Rubicam said.

"Clients of Bootstrap Montana will also have access to pro bono consulting and other resources offered through the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship."

The program embraces the business development philosophy of “bootstrapping,” or growing a company with the aid of outside investment or capital. It was funded in 2007 by Greg Gianforte, then-CEO of Bozeman-based Right Now Technologies and head of the Gianforte Family Charitable Trust. The program aims to create jobs, bring new revenue into the state, and increase competitiveness of Montana companies. It was previously administered by the Tech Ranch Foundation.

Since its inception, the Bootstrap Montana Loan Program has made 24 one-year, interest-free loans. Borrowers are Montana entrepreneurs who have used the funds to hire employees, attend trade shows or undertake other initiatives. bootstrapmontana.org

Tester to host small business opportunity workshop in Bozeman, July 13 Focus: high-growth companies U.S. SENATE – Sen. Jon Tester will host his 12th Small Business Opportunity Workshop in Bozeman on Friday, July 13. The event will connect Montana startup companies and entrepreneurs with nationally renowned experts in finance and capital markets, and other successful entrepreneurs.

According to the Kauffman Foundation, a nonprofit think tank focused on entrepreneurship, nearly all net jobs created since 1980 have come from firms five years or younger.

Many of these startups are new businesses in high-growth, innovation-oriented fields.

The workshop will be held in Gaines Hall at Montana State University and will feature panel presentations from investment and market experts. The panelists will discuss new opportunities for entrepreneurs as a result of the recently passed JOBS Act, which was signed into law in April and eases restrictions for small businesses to raise public capital.

More Results Selling more real estate than any other firm in Big Sky for the second year running.

It will also highlight experiences of successful Montana entrepreneurs and feature one-on-one collaboration and networking opportunities.

For a presentation called Made in Montana Advantage, three panelists will highlight the benefits of doing business in Montana. They are: •

Jennifer Shryock, director of Resume Manager at Submittable, a Missoula-based online platform to receive and review files such as resumes and manuscripts

•

Dr. Brett Baker, president and CEO of Microbion, a Bozemanbased pharmaceutical company that develops innovative drug treatments

•

Trevor Loy, a partner at Flywheel Ventures, a venture capital investment firm making investments in Montana

Jason Parks, Broker 406.580.4758

Branif Scott, Broker 406.579.9599

Ania Bulis, Broker 406.580.6852

Sandy Revisky, Broker 406.539.6316

Jackie Miller, Broker 406.539.5003

The event begins at 8 a.m. and is free and open to the public. RSVP at tester.senate.gov/workshop. *Based on 2011-2012 information from Gallatin Association of Realtors MLS Data

www.purewestproperties.com | 406.995.4009 June 29, 2012 25 explorebigsky.com

explorebigsky.com

outlaw news

Big Sky Weekly

The Outlaw Partners is a fully integrated marketing, consulting, web development, video production and creative media company based in Big Sky. As publisher of the Big Sky Weekly and Mountain Outlaw magazine, we’re using this space to share insight on industry trends and high level creative marketing.

Big Sky Weekly wins 12 Montana newspaper awards Placement in reporting and design Newspaper associations nationwide hold similar contests in an effort to push papers to continue improving.

“The whole concept is to cover as closely as possible the real things that newspapers do,” Barrows said, “And to let you see how other people do it, too—see what your compatriots are doing.”

Also at the convention, Weekly reporter Taylor Anderson sat on a panel of four Montana journalists asking questions at the first official debate for the U.S. Senate seat (see story in the Montana section on page 14).

Following are the awards the Big Sky Weekly won, with comments from the Maryland judges: The Weekly's MNA awards on display in the Outlaw Partners office.

The Big Sky Weekly won four first place awards in the Montana Newspaper Association’s 2011 Better Newspaper Contest, as well as seven second and third place awards. The awards were announced June 16 at the MNA’s annual convention, at Buck’s T-4 in Big Sky. The Weekly was judged against other papers with a circulation from 3,000 – 7,500. That division is “super competitive because it has dailies, free papers and weeklies,” MNA president John Barrows said. The Weekly’s success is “a big deal,” Barrows said.

The Maryland Newspaper Association, which judged the contest, was impressed with the quality of Montana’s newspapers, in particular with the outdoors and the government reporting—both sections in which the Weekly won awards.

Northfork PRESERVE NORTHFORK PRESERVE 216+/- acres with apx ¾ mile of both sides of the Northfork.

Incredible building site with views of Yellow Mountain.

Borders public land, great access to cross country ski trails and the Spanish Peaks.

Best Government Issues Reporting, 1st place – Emily Stifler (managing editor) “Turf War – Eminant domain law pits Montana landowners against growth and big business” Sept. 23, 2011 Stifler really did her research on the issue of eminent domain in Montana. The story uses a wealth of sources to explain the history; of the issue, the present situation and what could happen in the future.

Best Front Page, 1st place – Eric Ladd, Mike Martins (publisher, creative director) “Hockey debuts in Big Sky” Jan. 7, 2011 Excellent action photography and creative typography. Skills set these magazine-style fronts apart.

Resource Reporting, 1st place – Emily Stifler “Effluent snowmaking pilot project on track” Dec. 30, 2011 Quirky story about the odd idea of using wastewater to make snow. Fun read.

Best Single House Ad, 1st place – Mike Martins (creative director) “Explorebigsky.com” Awesome photo – cut-out of man, mountain grab you right by the mustache!

Best spot news, 2nd place – Taylor Anderson (assistant editor) “Brad Gardner’s Body Found” July 29, 2011 Small details – like melting snow, mismatched poles – are part of what makes this an enjoyable read.

Mark Henckel Outdoors Reporting Award, 2nd place – Terry Kennedy (contributor) “Climb on Jim Kanzler” June 17, 2011 Writer did a great job weaving the story of Jim Kanzler’s life with the outdoor activities he loved so much. From the highs and lows of Kanzler’s life, the reader is able to understand why he was so admired and feel the passion he possessed. Nice to-the-point story.

Offered at $3.5M

Best Color Ad, 2nd place – Mike Martins “PBR” Strong image, well organized, pleasing to the eye.

D O N P I L OT T E , GRI

RRS SFR

BROKER Ranch & Recreational Group Prudential Montana Real Estate Cell 406-580-0155 RanchMT.com

An independently owned and operated member of The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. Prudential is a registered service mark of The Prudential Insurance Company of America. Equal Housing Opportunity.

All information contained herein is derived from sources deemed reliable, however, is not guaranteed by Prudential Montana Real Estate, Managing Broker, Agents or Sellers. Offering is subject to error, ommissions, prior sales, price change or withdrawal without notice and approval of purchase by Seller. We urge independent verification of each and every item submitted, to the satisfaction of any prospective purchaser.

26 June 29, 2012

explorebigsky.com

Best short features story, 3rd place – Emily Stifler “Coffee Club – a Grasshopper Valley tradition” April 1, 2011 This feature was nice because it told of this group of men.

Best Lifestyle, 3rd place – Ethan Gaddy (contributor) “Girls Night” April 15, 2011 The vivid pictures along with quirky story give readers a great sneak peek behind the scenes [of Big Sky snow cat drivers.]

Best Color Ad, 3rd place – Mike Martins “Never Go Alone” Strong classic image; clean.

Best Outdoors Pages – 3rd place – Big Sky Weekly staff writers and contributors June 16 and Dec. 23 2011 Interesting ice festival information and water paddling.

explorebigsky.com

Big Sky Weekly

CHALET 4

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LOCATION IS EVERYTHING

Incredible, Direct Ski-in/Ski-out Access 6,000+ Livable Square Feet with 5 Bedrooms Tu r n k e y P r o p e r t y w i t h B a s e A r e a L o c a t i o n Steps from War ren Miller Lodge J u s t 3 0 m i n u t e s f r o m Ye l l o w s t o n e N P 2,200 Acres of Private Skiing

Enjoy the heart of Yellowstone Club’s Pioneer Mountain CHALET4.COM

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June 29, 2012 27

explorebigsky.com

outlaw news

Big Sky Weekly

Gutenberg tired after 573-year run ebooks gaining popularity Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenburg, the German inventor of mechanical movable type is slowly relinquishing print as the top way to consume the written word. The innovative new combinations of digital media and stories are creating a more interactive experience.

Outlaw Partners, no stranger to the ways of old or new media, has taken the transition in full stride by combining interactivity into the online versions of the Mountain Outlaw Magazine and the Big Sky Weekly. Check out the digital publications by visiting explorebigsky.com/publications. Once you click on the

publication, you’ll notice that links are active, videos can be played and multimedia content takes on new life, directly inside your browser window, tablet or mobile phone.

Growth Areas

Media Sold

(For U.S. Publishers)

- 10.5%

'11

Hardcover

'12

$25.0M

'12

$18.8M

+32.7%

'11

'12

audio

paperback

'11

$282.3M

$220.4M

$299.8M

$335.0M

$229.6M

$223.6M

+ 2.7%

'11

+28.1%

'12

ebooks

Print

eBooks

Continental Europe

14.7%

9.5%

332.6%

United Kingdom

22.9%

10.4%

1316.8%

Latin America

15.4%

9.7%

201.6%

Africa

21.9%

17.1%

636.8%

percent of americans who have read an ebook

eBook Sales

+ 303.3%

Overall

17

units sold

'11

'12

1.1M

3.4M

2011

AppleÂŽ iPad

Apple ipad

2012

Printed vs. Digital Others

Top eBook Devices

21

91.07%

Samsung galaxy tablet

1.77%

barnes and noble nook

0.85%

amazon kindle

0.71%

% of those who read ebooks and printed books in the last 1 2 months , giving insight to what format they prefer

Print

Digital

Reading with a child

81%

19%

Sharing books

69%

31%

Reading books in bed

43%

57%

Selection of books

35%

65%

Reading books while traveling

19%

81%

Getting a book quickly

13%

87%

* Data source from this infographic came from the Association of American Publishers; www.publishers.org and from the Pew Research Center; www.pewinternet.org

28 June 29, 2012

explorebigsky.com

explorebigsky.com

BSCC Board Barb Rooney Steve Johnson Lyndsey Owens Jim Jones Leslie Piercy Trever McSpadden Al Malinowski Tom Owen Sponsors STOA Management Outlaw Partners Lone Peak Brewery Nordic Hot Tubs Lohss Construction Stacy and Eric Ossorio

Big Sky Weekly

Executive Director Jessie Neal Events Committee Shelly Bermont Eric Ladd Krista Mach Kim Reeves Barb Rooney Kristen Kern Ennion Williams Jeanne Johnson Barbara Kaufman Connie Lunt Betsey McFadden

Contact Jessie Neal for more information 993.2112 jessie@bsccmt.org

explorebigsky.com

Classifieds for rent

services

Small one bedroom cabin in Gallatin Canyon. 1 person only.

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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

RENTALS RAFTS/TUBES, DRIFT BOATS, RV'S, TRAILERS, SKI BOAT, BABY GEAR BigBoysToysRentals.com 406-587-4747

Backhoe for hire - lic. experienced and insured. Kevin 539-4303

Big Sky Weekly

Home of tHe

help wanted Choppers is hiring experienced line cooks and servers. Call 995-3830 to schedule an interview.

Classifieds!

for sale Southfork home for sale in Big Sky Finished in 2009, 3 bedroom, 2.5/ bath, ~2000 sq ft, open floor plan, very efficient, low heating costs, hardwood floors, outdoor deck. $389,000. Call 406-595-6641

Email classifieds and/or advertising requests to: media@theoutlawpartners.com

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Outlaw

business Profile

Hammond Property Management By emily stifler

big sky weekly managing editor

explorebigsky.com

Big Sky Weekly

• Maintenance AsphaltAsphalt Paving Paving • Maintenance • Seal Coating Seal Coating • Lot Striping • Patchwork Crack Sealing Lot Striping Patchwork • Crack•Sealing

Owner Supervised - 30 years Experience Owner Supervised 30 years Experience

BIG SKY – The folks at Hammond Property Management are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If a homeowner has a power outage or a leak at 3 a.m., someone from Hammond responds.

Serving all of Southwest Montana Serving All of Southwest Montana

“We live here for the lifestyle and want each of our customers to come here to enjoy that lifestyle,” says owner Scott Hammond.

The company’s two areas of focus are home management and homeowner association management. “I’m proud of that, because I think we’re able to deliver better service because we specialize,” Hammond said.

Hammond opened the business in 1997 with one homeowner and a few longterm rentals. He credits long term relationships as the keystone to his success: That first client is still with him today, and his first employee, hired in 2001, is also still with the company.

“In a high turnover resort town with lots of opportunities for people to move around and change positions and jobs, and all the new property management companies that have popped up in the last 5-10 years, to keep those long term relationships with customers and employees is really what this business is all about.”

Hammond strives to do most maintenance work in-house, and has on staff a licensed plumber, a licensed pool operator, two licensed property managers, plus seasonal landscaping, gardening and snow removal crews.

“We tailor our services to your needs [and] treat your home as if it were our own,” Hammond says.

This kind of service has given the company a good reputation. Typically, it adds three to five new security check clients each year, but the past couple years have been particularly good for business. Since summer 2011, Hammond has added 10 new security check homes, and last fall it took on management of the 216 condos in the Firelight Association, its largest acquisition to date.

PLEASE sign, date, and return within five working days for complet comple

Your prompt attention is greatly appreciated in returning this proof even if t

TREE REMOVAL 995-7852

REMOVING Ad approved as is................................................ ❑DEAD AND INFESTED TREES Grants Available for Today, his company manages 20 conAd approved indicated changes ............... ❑ “It’s a great placewith to work because it’s Home Fire Suppression dominium associations and about 175 AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE homes.

Staff includes 11 full time, year round employees, plus several more seasonals. very family oriented,” said business

If either box is checked an additional proof will not be sent out to customer. manager Ali Gregory, who has been

The latter are mainly security check clients, which means Hammond checks on their homes once a week, and also does housekeeping, landscaping, snow removal and other contracted services.

Approved RC&D Hazardous Fuels If your proof is not returned before publication, Statewide Publishing will not be responsible for any inaccuracie Reduction Contractor

there more than three years.

“It’s all about relationships and trust,” Hammond said.

Ad size: QC

Designer: LDM

hpmmontana.com

� PILATES

Contact: Koy M. Hoover, CFP Vice President/Investment hooverk@stifel.com

� YOGA � MASSAGE � PERSONAL TRAINING � HEALTH COUNSELING

(It’s the bear market that can throw you off) We are please to support Professional Bull Riders Association

995-7852

BigSkyTrees@aol.com

Fulton/Hertz/Hoover Wealth Management Group 875 Harmon Stream Blvd., Suite 200 Bozeman, Montana 59718 (406) 556-4407 (800) 995-3443 www.fhhwealthmanagment.com

Riding a bull market is easy

Proofed by: _____

Tom Newberry:

Victoria Bentley, Certified Health & Lifestyle Coach Member SIPC and NYSE | stifel.com

Call for appointments in Bozeman or Big Sky

Appointments only [ 406.570.9154 ] bentleybodies.com explorebigsky.com

June 29, 2012 31

environment

Big Sky Weekly

Federal board: A do-over for the Tongue River Railroad By deb courson smith big sky connection

BILLINGS – Tongue River Railroad Co. will have to backtrack a bit on plans to build a new rail line to haul coal from Otter Creek.

The federal Surface Transportation Board has directed the company to reapply for a permit because the project has changed, and court rulings found the review of possible environmental impacts wasn't complete.

Tongue River rancher Mark Fix says it gives his family a reprieve, since their property was targeted for the project—without their consent.

"The way it sat before all of this happened is basically, they could have come out and condemned me at any time," he says.

The Tongue River Railroad was first proposed in 1980 when coal mining was expected in the Ashland area. The proposed route was changed to serve shipping of Wyoming coal—and, more recently, coal from Otter Creek—eventually reaching ports in Oregon and Washington for shipment to Asia.

The Otter Creek tracts are leased by the state, thus bringing in new revenue.

Fix, who chairs the Northern Plains Resource Council's Tongue River Task Force, says he hopes discussion of the project will broaden to include how it could negatively affect revenues in agriculture and tourism.

"Obviously, we hope that it will never get built. We think that it's more important to leave that coal where it is," he says.

some restaurants do italian food. some do chinese food.

WE DO BIG SKY FOOD 32 June 29, 2012

explorebigsky.com

we deliver 4069952305 serving breakfast lunch & dinner view menu at: explorebigsky.com/blue-moon-bakery

explorebigsky.com

Section 3:

June 29, 2012 Volume 3 // Issue No. 13

life, land and culture

gallery

Big Sky Weekly

This gallery is the last in a three-part series featuring artists showcasing their work at the fourth Big Sky Meadow Village ArtWalk, July 7-8. Stroll the ArtWalk on a self-guided tour while enjoying refreshments and summer weather. Be sure to stop by and meet the artists themselves.

Mitch Billis By abbie digel

big sky weekly contributor

Bronze sculptor and painter, Mitch Billis, has lived on and off in Bozeman since 1967. Billis’s shop and studio, Northwest Art Casting, is in Bear Canyon, outside of Bozeman. His work is displayed nationally, in Vail and Aspen Colo, and Charleston, S.C., and also locally in Bozeman at Planet Bronze, the Last Windup, at Bogert Park and in front of the public library, and in Big Sky at Charsam Gallery.

Billis in his own words I moved to Montana in 1967 when I was in kindergarten. My father taught at MSU in the math department. He loved to hunt and fish. We then moved to Maine, where I graduated from high school, and returned to Montana shortly after.

I went to Kalispell in 1980 and worked at the Powell bronze foundry for two years, lived in Colorado for four years where I worked for a sculptor, and in 1987 moved back to Bozeman and opened Northwest Art Casting. I owned it for 20 years, and then sold it

to my brother and coworkers who work with me. I still have my studio there.

I spend a lot of time in the mountains fishing, hunting, snow biking and dirt biking with my friends. I enjoy fishing the best, and tying flies.

I have five children and am greatly influenced by them. Now they are grown up so I’m branching into new territory, but I had to sculpt all of them at one time or another. I have three grandkids, who will be my next models. They say things like, ‘No really, when are you going to sculpt me grandpa?’

My father is also an oil painter, and I grew up with his influence. I’ve always been fascinated with three-dimensional forms and the movement that goes into it. I met [many] artists when I was in high school, and studied sculpture in Italy a few times.

I start with drawings of the models, do small studies of what I’m going to make, and use that to go by. I make a miniature with wax before I do a bigger one with clay, then make them bigger.

It takes three months to a year to finish

"Low Country Gator Boy"

a project.

I use the lost wax method, [where] the foundry takes the artist’s originals, makes rubber molds, and then the artist orders the bronze, pours a wax replica, and pours a molten bronze to take the place of the wax.

I try to bring the kid out in all of us.

I want to capture a moment, bring a smile to people’s faces. My work will [eventually] sit in a children’s hospital to bring happiness and joy into peoples lives.

Right now I’m doing plaques. I will have those at the ArtWalk, too. They are more Montana-oriented with wildlife scenes. I’m doing some wolves right now, bighorn sheep, elk, and a couple of different pieces with bison.

My art is a healthy way to express myself. It's a way of venting. If I don't sculpt for a while or do something artistic, I don't feel complete. I also want to share that with people and bring joy into their lives.

I like to be able to exaggerate the right things, create the forms that move. The human form is the most difficult to capture, because everybody knows people, and it’s hard to get that right—that's the challenge I enjoy.

My hands are beginning to get tired. I want to start dabbling with oil painting.

I paint a little bit, and take a few pointers from my father. When he comes to visit [from Maine] we paint and fish together. billisfineart.net

REGIONAL ARTISTS’ MARKET Sunday, July 8 • 11 am – 4 pm 20+ MONTANA ARTISTS Live Music Historic Crail Ranch Museum Free Admission

Big Sky Meadow Village 2110 Spotted Elk Road across from Community Park

crailranch.org

“Celebrating 110 years in the Meadow” A project of the Big Sky Community Corporation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit entity created in 1998 to promote, acquire, preserve and maintain land, parks, trails and easements.

"Tomorrow's Music Cello"

explorebigsky.com

June 29, 2012 33

outdoors

explorebigsky.com

Big Sky Weekly

Rideable terrain at the Red Lodge International Ski & Snowboard Camp

Summer time, and the shreddin's easy story and photos By ersin ozer

park, and the other goes straight up the headwall and accesses a buyer’s market of freeriding options.

“We’re going to shred until Yellowstone blows up!”

The diversity of the place really shines when you consider that back in the ‘80s it hosted Olympic ski-coaches and racers, and that in the ‘90s it was the hand-dug-halfpipe training grounds for the likes of Tanner Hall and Ross Powers. Now, it’s a Mecca for snowboarders and skiers looking to itch their summer shred without having to travel to Mount Hood or Whistler.

big sky weekly contributor

My ski partner was excited after a couple of fast laps on the Gardiner Headwall, off the Beartooth Pass.

We hiked that same line again the next morning before exploring other shred-able options along our driving route back home to Big Sky. The Beartooth Highway is also known as "the most scenic drive—and liftride—in Montana."

Yes, there is still snow for the adventurous soul-shredder, and it’s closer and more accessible than you may think. I’m not talking 18-mile hikes for a few turns; I’m talking about parking your car within five-minute walks to the tops of Alaskan-esque terrain, slushy in all its glory.

on top of a snow-filled couloir in the middle of June.

Nearby camping allows the local to DIY and seek out a few turns, without traveling to the southern hemisphere. Not to mention the attraction of riding sweet, lift-accessed ice-nuggets at the Red Lodge International Ski and Snowboard Camp.

Shred. Hike (or even ride in a car) between the road switchbacks. Repeat.

The Beartooth Highway, U.S. 212, is a 69-mile stretch of road between Red Lodge and Cooke City, Mont.

Only open in the summer, it’s a civil engineering feat that houses a playground for snow enthusiasts.

There, you can shred summer backcountry lines in the Beartooths, or spin cork 9s off cat-groomed jumps built on lift-accessed terrain at the Red Lodge International Ski and Snowboard Camp located near the top of the pass.

This gem of a ski hill operates from Memorial Day to 4th of July and offers 900 feet of vertical drop on 600 acres, rails and kickers, hero-hucking cornice drops, and GS race training.

“Historically this is a place where [racing and freeriding] teams from around the world would come and train,” said ski area co-owner Austin Hart.

Rope tows were first installed there

by Austrian race coaches in 1977, and have since been replaced by two Poma lifts. The lower lift accesses an intermediate to advanced terrain

34 June 29, 2012

Just keep in mind there are still risks, even in the summer.

Above right: Big Sky resident Chris Gandy getting after it on the Beartooth Pass Below: Clear sky sunset brings promise of tomorrow's goggle tan.

“The goal of this place is to be a public ski area for the summer months,” Hart said. “Whether you’re doing big-mountain, park, racing, this is a great place to develop steep-skiing skills. We’re all about keeping summer skiing alive.”

It’s a big-mountain venue with a terrain park—the perfect ingredients to hold summer-shred competitions.

And over the June 23 weekend, 38 athletes arrived in full force to compete in the second annual Beartooth Summer Sessions hosted

by ON3P Skis. A big-mountain and slope-style competition with a jamsession format, the event offered $6,000 in prizes to hungry skiers and snowboarders.

explorebigsky.com

“This contest really showcased allaround skiing—park, big-mountain, technical drops, feature hunting, and being safe,” said Kevin Miller, one of four judges for the event.

But being safe doesn’t always bring home the trophy. Ironically, being lucky does.

The guy who won the big mountain comp “jumped a pretty monster cornice and actually slapped his skis on some rocks and rode out,” said Kip Kirol from ON3P Skis, event director for the Beartooth Summer Sessions. “Probably a 45-foot drop.”

Well into the summer months, skiing and snowboarding is still alive in Montana. With a couple tanks of gas, a pair of sunglasses, avalanche gear and a heap of determination, you can be standing

“Most of the commonly traveled routes in the Beartooths are [now] reasonably safe,” Hart says, “but a lot of big cornices build up, and during late-afternoon skiing it gets warm [and] those things peel off. There’s always an inherent risk of being below a cornice or a wet-slide.”

The Beartooths are the real deal. Always wear a beacon, tour with adequate gear and clothing, check the weather, ski with a partner and know your limitations.

Chances are if you’re reading this story in daylight hours, someone’s making turns in the Beartooths right now. Go, get after it!

Ersin Ozer specializes in production of ski and snowboard competitions and currently is event coordinator at Moonlight Basin. He has worked with Snowboarder Magazine’s Superpass Tour, Volcom’s Peanut Butter and Rail Jam, and the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour. He recently went snowboarding in June, for the first time in three months after shoulder surgery.

Stoked!

explorebigsky.com

Big Sky Weekly

HELMS JAMISON KULESZA

Celebrating freedom in Big Sky Wide open spaces and plenty of elbow room

35 NORTH FORK ROAD : $699,000 • 2,164 SF home on 10 acres. 3 BD, 2.5 BA. • Near Lone Mountain Ranch & Forest Service Trailhead • Horses allowed, no covenants, no HOA • Attached Greenhouse & 80 sf of vegetable beds on south-facing slope MOUNTAIN MEADOWS : $3,495,000 • 120-acre parcel near Big EZ • Commanding views & Abundant wildlife corridor • Horse property, few covenants, no HOA • One of few remaining larger land parcels in Big Sky

North Fork Area

To Big Sky Resort & Moonlight Basin

N

64 Rd ote oy le C Litt

64 Lone Mountain Trail

spanish peaks club house

settlement trail spanish peaks gatehouse

yellowstone club gatehouse

To bozeman To yellowstone

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Mountain Meadows Area

We have access to opportunities at Yellowstone Club, The Club at Spanish Peaks, Meadow & Mountain Villages, Moonlight Basin and the Canyon

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Tallie Jamison 406.600.8081

Ryan Kulesza 406.539.4666

Peace of Mind explorebigsky.com

2 Years Complimentary Maintenance: • Oil & Filter Change • Tire Rotation • 19-point Inspection 24/7 Roadside Assistance: • Tire Change • Lockout Protection

• Towing

ToyotaCare covers normal factory scheduled service. Plan is 2 years or 25k miles, whichever comes first. The new Toyota vehicle cannot be part of a rental or commercial fleet or a livery or taxi vehicle. Other restrictions may apply. See local participating Toyota dealer for coverage and details.

Toyota of Bozeman 877-221-8432 INSERT DEALER INFO HERE

36 June 29, 2012

explorebigsky.com

Big Sky Weekly

explorebigsky.com

outdoors

Big Sky Weekly

Big Sky Hikers' summer 2012 schedule Date

Rating-Hike

Trailhead

Length

Climb

Leaders

Comment

July 5

A Alp Lake

Taylor Fork-Lightning Creek

12 miles

2,000 ft.

Lud Long (995-3931)

B Windy Pass to Sentinel

Portal Creek-Windy Pass

7.4 miles

1,905 ft.

Jack McGuire (995-7422)

Rough road to trailhead

C Hidden Lakes

Portal Creek-Windy Pass

6 miles

800 ft.

Sarah Peterson (993-9487)

Rough road to trailhead

July 10

Potluck Picnic

Community Park

N/A

N/A

Priscilla Young (995-2629)

July 12

A Lava Lake Overlook

Lava Lake

9 miles

2,000 ft.

Rebecca Shopay (995-2767)

B Kirkwood

Kirkwood

7.6 miles

2,050 ft.

Jim Schaeffer (995-3238)

C Deadhorse Creek

Taylor Fork-Cache Creek

5 miles

620 ft.

Karen Strickler (995-4768)

A Pika Point

Taylor Fork-Wapiti Creek

12 miles

2,400 ft.

Rich Piercy (993-2303)

B Deer Lake

Deer Creek

9.4 miles

2,720 ft.

Jeff and Karen Strickler (995-4768

C Gallatin Riverside Trail

35 MPH Bridge

4 miles

500 ft.

Gina Macdonald (995-7172)

A Monument Peak

Private Property

12 miles

3,000 ft.

Leslie Piercy (993-2303)

B Lava Lake

Lava Lake

6 miles

1,600 ft.

Hilda and Keener Hudson (995-7442)

C Windy Pass

Portal Creek-Windy Pass

4.6 miles

1,260 ft.

Henrietta and Doug Gale (995-7951)

July 19

July 26

Trailhead at Hebgen Lake

Long pants suggested - nettles on trail

Rough Road to trailhead

Look for continued schedule in upcoming issues of the Big Sky Weekly.

Fishing high mountain lakes By jim olsen

fish, wildlife and parks

Mountain lakes offer a special, highquality angling experience to those not put off by what it takes to get to these prized waters—a long hike through rugged country.

That hike becomes more than worth the effort when Montana's blue ribbon rivers are warm and crowded. Anglers find the cool high mountain breezes and often solitary fishing for eager fish a welcome change.

Many of Montana's high mountain lakes were fishless prior to the 1900s.

Natural fish barriers in streams prevented fish from colonizing these lakes.

When fish stocking began in earnest in the early 1900s, high-mountain lakes were among the favorite places to stock fish because within only a few years they produced quality fisheries.

Local sportsmen’s groups who received fish from federal and state hatcheries did much of the early stocking. Many of today’s high mountain lakes that support self-sustaining fisheries (i.e., do not require stocking because fish can successfully reproduce on their own) exist because of our grandfathers and their friends who strapped on packs who led pack strings of horses and mules packed with milk jugs full of fry up steep mountain trails to these secluded spots.

Today, of course, things are done a little differently. Most of the stocking is done by a helicopter fitted with special tanks that release fish directly into lakes with the flip of a switch as the pilot hovers just a few feet above the water.

While the techniques have changed through time, the goal of creating highquality fisheries in mountain lakes still remains.

High-altitude lakes in Montana offer a diversity of fishing opportunities that generally cannot be found in other waters such as trophy cutthroat fisheries, Arctic grayling and for golden trout.

Also, other than fishing a high mountain lake, there are few places where you can catch a trophy brook trout.

Because of the importance of these fisheries, mountain lakes management is an integral part of FWP's fisheries management.

FWP categorizes the lakes this way: •

Fishless lakes that are not managed because they do not support fish.

•

Self-sustaining lakes with the spawning habitat to maintain a population through natural reproduction.

•

Stocked lakes that lack spawning habitat and require periodic stocking.

In another example, Timberline Lake is stocked with cutthroat trout. In 2009, surveys indicated that the cutthroat in the lake were not as healthy as they should be due to a high-density population. The stocking frequency was changed from every four years to every six years, and the stocking density was also reduced. This should alleviate the overcrowding in the lake and lead to a higher-quality fishery down the road.

As more lakes are surveyed, FWP will be better able to manage these fisheries—and inform anglers of their status so they can confidently plan for some high-altitude angling.

Jim Olsen is a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Fisheries Biologist in Butte.

This is how Big Sky gets into hot water.

Since 2008, FWP has collected data from 10-20 lakes each summer to determine how fish are doing and how best to manage individual lakes. Biologists set a gillnet to catch and examine the fish, quantify how much spawning habitat is available, do an amphibian survey and measure the amount of recreation in the area.

Ovis Lake in the Big Hole region was stocked with cutthroat trout in the mid 1980s. In an example of this new effort, FWP surveyed the lake in 2009 and found it was fishless with little potential habitat to support spawning.

So, the lake was placed on the stocking schedule and was stocked with westslope cutthroat trout in 2010, it should be producing 12-inch long cutthroat trout this summer. The lake will be stocked every six years, so it can continue to provide angling opportunities.

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Big Sky Weekly

Photos courtesy of nps.gov

Digging for asphalt Unearthing Glacier’s Going to the Sun Road By marcie Hahn-knoff big sky weekly contributor

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK – Soft rain patters against the window. A glance outside reveals darkness, streaked by beads of water.

Cloaked in thermals and Gore-Tex, the avalanche forecasters walk to the office. There is a heavy, ancient feeling to the pre-dawn air. Thick coffee offers warmth and a tether of friendly comfort.

Once inside the computer is fired up and the data gathering commences. Rain continues to knock against the roof of the tiny cottage turned research facility. Weather at this low elevation rarely mimics what’s happening 4,000 feet higher, and the remote weather station gauges show temperatures cooling steadily in the peaks, but still hovering above freezing at 6,600 foot Logan Pass.

Rain on snow: This is Glacier National Park in the springtime.

Avalanche forecasting for the Going to the Sun Road plow crew is a unique seasonal Montana occupation. The GTSR roadway, a feat of early 20th century engineering, cuts across numerous avalanche paths and is closed during winter.

38 June 29, 2012

Each spring the crews start a pilgrimage toward Logan Pass, clearing a winter’s worth of snow from the narrow and winding roadbed.

The operation takes months to complete, with two plow crews, one from the east and one from the west, attacking snow drifts up to 70-feet thick. The avalanche forecasters are responsible for issuing a daily forecast for the crews and other park employees traveling along the road.

Compiling current weather data and observations from the previous day’s mission, the team assembles the forecast for the day. It’s looking like the snow should stay put as long as the sun stays at bay and the temperatures remain cool.

Ski gear, rain jacket and extra layers at the ready, fresh coffee brewed and dawn breaking, it’s time to meet the road crew and begin the trek up the roadway.

Lake MacDonald, already free of ice, mirrors the hanging clouds that continue to spit alternating soft and drenching rounds of rain. The team snakes through the gated closure at Avalanche Lake, which is as far as the public may drive until the whole road is open.

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Cedars line the road, rooted amid dense velvet carpets of moss. The rain turns to mist, lifting occasionally to reveal glimpses of the rock sentinels looming above. A moose wanders along the edge of MacDonald Creek, its large body and spindly legs somehow awkward and graceful all at once. A grizzly bear family was seen in this same area yesterday.

Past the creek the road begins to climb. Water streams down the cliff walls and along the sides of the road, through culverts and drainage channels. The plow crew was attacking this section only a few weeks ago, and already the snowline has receded 1,000 feet higher.

Ahead, the black asphalt disappears under a cocoon of white. The plow machinery is parked here, at the snow’s edge. The road crew climbs into their equipment and, avalanche spotter in place, begin attacking the layers of snow that encase the roadway.

Skis on, the forecast team climbs above the roadway, headed 3,000 vertical feet into the clouds. Tracks of rabbits, mountain goats and the lone wolverine that’s been frequenting the area scatter the skin track.

At higher elevations, the precipitation has manifested as a layer of

thick new snow that’s adhering nicely to the yesterday’s sun crust.

The forecasters radio the plow crew to let them know it looks like a good day to make headway.

Climbing higher, the clouds begin to break. Patchy views open up across the Garden Wall, showing that the glide avalanche cracks haven’t moved significantly since yesterday—another good sign.

Rays of light illuminate Heaven’s Peak, which dominates the views to the west. The 20-foot crown lines above glide avalanches that failed there during last week’s rain event bend the sunlight and garner respect.

Reaching a sub-ridge, the forecasters strip their skins from their skis and begin the descent. Light snow falls as the machinery comes into view—the yellow equipment scooping, pushing and digesting last winter’s snow one bite at a time.

Marcie Hahn-Knoff is married to a GTSR avalanche forecaster and has had a 20-year love affair with Glacier National Park. A real estate broker by trade, she has recently signed with Winter and Company Real Estate, based in Big Sky. Find her at mtwinter.com

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outdoors

Big Sky Weekly

The Going to the Sun Road opened June 19 this year. Here's what it took to plow it:

D7 Bulldozer: This is the first vehicle to pioneer across open snow slopes. It cuts a snow road so other equipment may venture across slopes—shaving the snowpack down to rotary depth.

Excavator (track hoe): widens roadway on its uphill side along cliff bands to rotary depth.

)Front end loader: The clean up guy, this machine widens the roadway after the rotary passes through.

Avalanche spotter: Constantly monitors slopes above the operation for signs of instability, and measures snow depth for equipment drivers.

Rotary: Spinning blades move 4,000 tons of snow an hour, clearing the remaining snowpack to asphalt road level.

Avalanche forecaster: Issues daily forecasts for park. Assesses snowpack stability and avalanche conditions at and above road level throughout the day for road crew.

• Earliest opening: May 16, 1987 • Latest opening: July 15, 1933 (second latest was July 13, 2011) • Maximum vehicle length allowed on highest portion of roadway: 21 Feet explorebigsky.com

June 29, 2012 39

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ARTS COUNCIL OF BIG SKY PRESENTS

JULY 4: FREDDY PINK FREE MUSIC CENTER STAGE IN

TOWN CENTER PARK PARK OPENS AT 6PM MUSIC STARTS AT 7PM

SUMMER SCHEDULE JULY 4:

FREDDY PINK

JULY 12:

THE B-SIDE PLAYERS

JULY 19:

THE BLACK LILLIES

JULY 26:

NICKI BLUHM AND THE GAMBLERS

40 June 29, 2012

JULY 31:

PBR PRE-PARTY WITH MORGAN FRAZIER

AUG 16:

JOHN REISCHMAN & THE JAYBIRDS

AUG 2:

THE CLUMSY LOVERS

AUG 23:

AUG 9:

THE ELDERS

MIKE BECK & THE BOHEMIAN SAINTS

AUG 10-12:

CLASSICAL MUSIC FESTIVAL

AUGUST 30:

COLD HARD CASH SHOW

SEPTEMBER 6:

PINKY AND THE FLOYD

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B I G S K YA R T S . O R G

wanderer at rest

Westward ho

By Jamie balke

big sky weekly contributor

Last week, I took a vacation to the Oregon coast. Specifically, I went to a small town called Neskowin, which I first visited as a kid. I convinced several friends to come along, hoping my childhood memory of a quaint ocean town adjacent to a hauntingly beautiful coastline with dramatic seaside cliffs was accurate.

My boyfriend and I packed the car and began the road trip to the Pacific. The plan was to stop in Walla Walla, Wash. to visit his dad and then continue on the next morning to pick up friends who’d flown into Portland.

We took the scenic route by way of Lolo Pass and spent the first part of the drive gawking at the wild beauty of the Lochsa River canyon. The river raged as it tumbled from the mountains, streams feeding into it from side drainages. I was impressed to see rafters and kayakers paddling this intimidating waterway, and we took turns exclaiming over the beauty of the river, and how terrifying we imagined it would be in a boat.

We spent a night out in charming downtown Walla Walla for dinner, wine tasting and live music. In the morning we stopped at the local Farmers market and purchased fresh produce to stock the house we reserved in Neskowin. I was excited to buy morels, but unfortunately didn’t know how to prepare them. (That didn’t stop me from trying, and the results were disappointingly mediocre—this was no fault of the fungus. I take full responsibility.)

After a brief stop in Portland to scoop up our friends, we drove to Neskowin and began the ascent to our rental. The road was very steep and narrow; in fact, it doubles as a tsunami evacuation route for the town.

I drove, alternately whimpering and treating my passengers to a colorful string of profanities. Soon I started to wonder if we hadn’t been taken in by some sort of Internet scam. However, as soon as we arrived at the beautiful rental home my fears dissipated.

Almost all of the windows had broad views of the ocean. A built-in intercom system resulted in many awkward and amusing situations during our stay.

We discovered too late that the door intercom is quite loud.

My friends, being avid home brewers, began the week with visits to a few local breweries. Next on the agenda was a trip to the awesome Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport. The exhibits were colorful and well kept, the animals seemed healthy and happy, and everywhere we turned friendly volunteers provided us with interesting information. We even got to pet starfish.

Our exploration also led us to the Tillamook Cheese Factory. There, we were happily and ironically herded like cattle past viewing areas of cheese assembly lines and sample buckets. People wearing foam upside-down melting cone hats sold us ice cream. It was great.

Despite the early season, chilly water temperatures, we swam in the ocean several times. We were alone in this endeavor, as none of the other beachgoers seemed willing to fling themselves into the water on a windy June day. It was cold, anything but dignified, and wonderful.

As my friends and I screamed incoherently, jumped about in the choppy waves, and lost feeling in our extremities, I kept a vigilant shark watch. In retrospect, it was probably not a great idea to watch an old episode of Shark Week before the trip. All I will say on the matter is that I saw seals in the area, even a dead one on the shore, so you never know. I’m not a seal expert, so I kept these thoughts to myself.

Neuroses aside, I was happy to discover my childhood memory had not led me astray. All in all, I enjoyed a great adventure and many new experiences with some of my favorite people.

Jamie Balke moved to Bozeman in the fall of 2009. She can generally be found behind the cover of a book, meandering down a trail or desperately trying not to kill houseplants.

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Big Sky Weekly

Q+A with Blitzen Trapper’s Eric Earley By max lowe

big sky weekly contributor

Eric Earley’s writing and performance on Blitzen Trapper’s most recent album American Goldwing staunchly stakes him as a storyteller, musician and songwriter. Stemming from close-to-home life allusions and warm reminiscence of past experiences both sorrowful and carefree, Eric writes songs to shape episodes in the minds of his audience.

I caught up with him for a short phone interview and gained some insight into the band and the album, which was released last September.

The band has performed in Bozeman more than a handful of times and played a show June 29 at the Filling Station.

Max Lowe: You recently played at Sasquatch. What do you like about that compared to playing a show like the one here at the Filling Station?

Eric Earley: I like the big stages, but there is a lot less interaction with the audience. The energy you get at those types of huge shows is somewhat overwhelming in a sense,

but super exciting. Playing smaller venues is definitely a warmer feeling, where you can have a little bit more intimate connection with the audience.

ML: You and the band have toured all over the country and the world. Has this had an influence on your creative process?

EE: It’s definitely affected the way we perform and the way we arrange our stage show. Playing so much gives you awareness to the way you play as a group.

ML: What literary, art or other inspirations have influenced the stories in your songs?

EE: A lot of my writing comes from literature. My lyrical writing comes from narrative and literary influence, in the sense that I try and tell a story. I like it to be very visual for the listener so even if the song isn’t literally telling a story, you can envision a scene as the music unfolds. I read a lot.

As far as music, I really like hiphop and folk music. Gangster rap

TH E W E S T MAY BE WILD,

but it’s not uncivilized

Blitzen Trapper's Eric Early performing in Salt Lake City last year. Photo by Max Lowe and hip-hop are both very lyrically powerful. The lyrics are all involved. I also listen to a lot of guitar rock from the ‘70s. Energetically, it’s way more driven by passion, and even though the lyrics are not quite as expressive you can feel the power of the music.

ML: A lot of your songs seem to have personal stories ingrained in the lyrics. Tell me about that.

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42 June 29, 2012

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EE: This last record was really all pulled from my own experiences.

It’s all in the details of each song and the story and life inspiration behind it.

ML: “Taking it easy too long” really struck a chord with me on being stuck waiting for things that are pulling you down. Did this song have a specific story behind it in your life?

EE: That one is just written off a majority of my life. I spent my 20s drinking and doing a lot of nothing around Portland, and that song is meant to reflect that period. The music video is shot right outside of Salem, Ore., on the Mollala River right around where we all grew up, so that has a real connection with that part of my and all our lives.

ML: Have you released any solo projects around this last album?

EE: I write all the music we do, so I really only write for the band. There are always songs I’m writing and recording on my own, but I haven’t recorded and released any solo projects.

ML: I recently got back from a travel abroad, and the music I saw in other countries seemed very single genre. The scene here in the U.S. has thousands of sects and off-sects. If you could, how would you describe American music?

EE: I think the only forms of music truly invented here in the U.S. are rap music and jazz. To me, American music is gangster rap and hip-hop mainly. Most everything else has roots in other types of music from all over the world. Many other musical movements have origins elsewhere, like grunge from England or folk from Ireland. Folk music for me really started with learning the banjo from my grandfather, who was from Ireland.

ML: Excited to be back in Bozeman playing at the Filling Station?

EE: Super exited to be back. I’ve had a great time at past shows in Bozeman and the Filling Station. The people in Bozeman feel like where we grew up in the Pacific Northwest. It’s a small town and northern town, and you can feel that.

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spotlight on the arts

Big Sky Weekly

Chamber music: Transfigure this Strings under the Big Sky is July 13

By John Zirkle

Warren miller performing arts center

When you think of intimate classical music, what comes to mind?

Marble floors, decadent food, champagne flutes and tuxedo-clad waiters? Think of the scene in Titanic, when the ship is going down, and the string quartet decides to keep playing until the very end. Cheesy, yes, but it’s difficult not to tear up.

Throughout Verklärte Nacht, the performers must endure extremely dissonant harmonic passages, faster-than-a-speeding-bullet melodic phrases, and the entire gamut of melodramatic expression.

It’s based on a poem of the same name by Richard Dehmel that explores the relationship between a man and a woman pregnant with another’s man’s

That’s exactly what chamber music is: a conversation.

Conceptually, it’s really not so different from a bluegrass jam session, a jazz trio or even a barbershop quartet.

It’s a small group of people, communicating nonverbally and having a good time on stage. I don’t see any need to make it any more complicated.

Aside from the gargantuan repertoire, the most interesting aspect of chamber music is that every performer plays her/his own part, unlike symphonic music. This is what makes it so hard, and also so volatile. Every performer is completely exposed, and there is serious potential for failure.

On July 13, down at Rainbow Ranch, Big Sky will have the opportunity to enjoy some fantastic chamber music (sans pomp) by members of the Muir String Quartet at the Strings Under the Big Sky Event. I can’t wait to hear what they have to say.

During college, I always struggled with chamber music. The idiom had a certain pomp to it that pushed me away. I didn’t get it.

Spotlight on the Arts is a reflection on the world of performing arts in both historic and contemporary contexts. To hear examples of Schoenberg and The Muir String Quartet, go to muirstringquartet.org. Verklärte Nacht has been recorded by countless chamber music ensembles, and can be found all over the Internet. The Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, scheduled to be completed by December 2012, will feature acts that challenge the way we see and think about performance.

Y FIFTH AN N

Truth & Beauty

SARY ER IV

TW

But then I started studying the early music of Arnold SchoenArnold Schoenberg berg, who competes with the likes of Wagner, Brahms and even Beethoven in the chamber music world. One spebaby. The woman is ashamed, but by the end of cific piece of his, Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured the poem, the man convinces her that love will Night), written for string sextet, changed my transfigure the child into their own. outlook on this perplexing medium.

T EN

When you listen to the music, it’s almost as though you’re eavesdropping on the lovers’ conversation, following along through the woman’s anguish and the man’s assuaging words of comfort. And because each musician is playing a separate part, it really sounds like the performers are speaking to each other.

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Photography: Gordon Gregory

June 29, 2012 43

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Big Sky Weekly

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A R T WA L K

JULY 7-8, 2012

SAT. JULY 7 12-7PM SUN. JULY 8 12-5PM

Free self guided tour of over 10 art galleries and exhibition spaces A dam Sc h w ank l A l an Snel l C l i f f R os sber g C hr i st i n a Per r y D ani el Par ker J er r y I n m an

“B rook ie Ba lle t ” B y Lor e n Ko vich

44 June 29, 2012

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Jim Dick Kat i e Lee Lor en Kov i c h M ar y A nn Che rry M ar c y B er g mann M ar y B l ai n

M itc h B illis Pat B ranting R on Low e ry A ND M O RE

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fun

Big Sky Weekly

Buscrat's Fables The mysterious mask

"That's because it gots magical qualities," I responded. "When you wear it, everybody will see you as a different person."

"But I can see right through it.

They'll still be able to see me, and they'll still hate me."

One day I was a fishin offa the deck of my cabin and seen an 11-year-old feller getting a lecture from his ma and pa. He was a sixth grader, and was always in trouble fer being the school bully.

I got to talking to the youngster about his woes, and he said, "I wish I had some friends. I always eat lunch alone at school. Everyone hates me."

So, I got a mysterious mask out of my cellar and handed it to the young lad.

"This mask gots sumpin’ very unique about it,” I said. “Wear it every day, and after six months everyone’ll be treating you the way you want ‘em too."

"That's ridiculous," he said. "Why would anybody change their opinion of me just because I wore this stupid mask?"

"When you wear it, they you won't see you for the person you’ve been,” I said. “They'll see the person you want to become—however, you want everyone to know you.”

Reluctantly, the boy went to school the next Monday wearing the mask.

Nobody said nothin’ about it. They didn't notice he was even wearing it. So far, so good, he thunk.

Then he saw a fifth grader walking with his books and lunch in one hand, and a poster for his science fair project in the other, trying not to drag it. The masked boy liked teasing younger kids and saw his opportunity to knock the poster out the fifth grader’s hand. As he approached, the masked sixth grader tried to knock the poster out of the younger boy’s hand but instead grabbed it and said, "Here, let me

help you. You've got your hands full."

you with your math during lunch if you'd like."

The fifth grader, seeing it was the bully everybody despised, was astonished.

The other kid looked at the masked boy suspiciously and gave him weird look. He always tells on everyone, so why is he being so nice now? he thought to himself.

The masked boy thought, "whatta heck am I doing?" He even surprised hisself!

Then the masked boy saw another sixth grade girl who he liked to tease about her about her ugly glasses. “Hey ugly, where'd you get the glasses," was what he meant to say, but the words that came out were, "Hey Rachel, I saw you playing tetherball at recess. You're pretty good."

She was astonished to hear the bully say something nice. He was also astonished. It wasn’t what he meant to say at all.

During class the teacher gave out a math test and then walked out of the classroom. The masked boy saw another kid cheating. Because he loved tattling, he leaned over to say, "I'm telling the teacher you were cheating," but instead the words that came out of his mouth were, "hey Tony, I can help

The masked sixth grader also gave a weird look. What is going on here?

Everything I want to say comes out different, he thought.

The other kid accepted the offer for help.

Six months later the sixth grader thanked me fer borrowing him my mask. He said every time he goes into the lunch room lots of kids come over and sit next to him. They even walk home with him to play after school.

Then he said thanky fer letting him use the mask and was amazed about its magical qualities that made everyone around him see him in a new light.

Buscrat's fables are simple stories that teach a moral. Buscrat welcomes you to visit buscratsfables.com and post your comments regarding the fable.

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EVENTS

Big Sky Weekly

Big Sky Meadow Village ArtWalk is July 7 – 8 BIG SKY— Mark your calendar for the fourth annual Big Sky Meadow Village ArtWalk, July 7 – 8.

Building on its previous successes, this showcase of Montana sculptors, painters and photographers is now two days instead of one. The event will feature artists whose work reflects the Montana

Participating Artists Marcy Bergmann Mitch Billis Mary Blain Pat Branting Kathryn Brown Mary Ann Cherry Jim Dick Kelsey Dzintars Rabbit Knows Gun Jerry Inman Marina Kessler

Loren Kovich Dick Lauritzen Katie Lee Ron Lowery Greg Mather Daniel Parker Christina Perry Peggy Ring Cliff Rossberg Adam Schwankl Alan Snell

Pint Size Picassos

Through a new program called Pint Size Picassos, Morningstar Learning Center staff members will host art activities for children during the Meadow Village ArtWalk. The Yellowstone Club Community Foundation is sponsoring the program, which will be held from 1 – 3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday on the lawn across from First Security Bank.

lifestyle, some of whom were born and raised in the state, and others who have visited and hold a special place in their hearts for Montana.

Held in the height of summer, the ArtWalk is hosted among the businesses of Big Sky’s Meadow Village Center, from noon – 7 p.m. on Saturday and noon – 5 p.m. on Sunday. Visitors and art lovers this year will have more time to interact with the artists and businesses, and browse the work that artists carefully transported to Big Sky to put on display.

“The ArtWalk is a combination of fun,” said JoDean Bing, a member of the planning committee. “You have the opportunity to meet Montana artists and see their work firsthand as well as socialize in the Meadow Village Center.”

Business hosting artists will also provide refreshments like wine, food and other beverages. These businesses include Big Sky Furniture, Big Sky Health and Fitness, Blue Ribbon Builders, ERA Landmark Real Estate, First Place Pub, Horse of a Different Color, Outlaw Partners, Redleaf Consulting and Big Sky Sotheby’s.

As with the winter ArtWalk, live bands will play during the event.

Cody Stampede, Cody, Wyo. July 1 8 p.m. – Cody Stampede Rodeo 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. Realtors 4 Kids street dance in front of Irma Hotel July 2 10 a.m. – Kiddie parade 12 – 5 p.m. – Wild West Extravaganza, City Park (arts, crafts, food) 1 – 4:30 p.m. Music and entertainment, City Park 8 p.m. Cody Stampede PRCA Rodeo July 3 9:30 a.m. – Stampede Parade 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wild West Extravaganza, City Park 11a.m. – 2 p.m. BBQ at the Eagles, Buffet at the Elks Club 1 – 4:30 p.m. – Music and entertainment, City Park 6 – 7 p.m. BBQ – Elks Club 8 p.m. – Cody Stampede Rodeo Wednesday, July 4 7 a.m. – Cody Runners' Stampede - 5K and 10K Runs - Cody Quad Center 9:30 a.m. – Stampede Parade 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Wild West Extravaganza, City Park (arts, crafts, food) 11a.m. - 2 p.m. – BBQ at the Eagles, Buffet at the Elks Club 1 – 4 p.m. – Music and entertainment, City Park 5 p.m. – Cody Stampede Rodeo 10 p.m. – Cody Skylighters Fireworks Show

The B-Side Players July 12 The B-Side Players are traveling from San Diego to kick off the Arts Council's free Thursday night concert series on July 12 at 7 p.m. The band's 10th album, Revolutionize, is an organic blend of Latin funk, reggae, cumbia and soul. As an eight-piece band, the B-Side Players are known for igniting crowds with fierce rhythms an uplifting message of unity and consciousness.

46 June 29, 2012

"Big Sky Bullrider" by Kelsey Dzintars. Dzintars will be showing her artwork at the Outlaw Partners office during the Big Sky ArtWalk.

Freddy Pink kicks off Big Sky free summer music series July 4 BIG SKY – One of the region’s hottest live rock and soul bands, Freddy Pink, will be back in town on Wednesday, July 4. Hosted at the Town Center Park, the free show will start at 7 p.m.

A nine-piece rhythm and blues/ funk band from Seattle. Freddy Pink performs standards and originals in an energetic, professional live show. This is the third year running the band has played in Big Sky.

The nonprofit Arts Council of Big Sky is hosting the show as a kick off to its summer music series. The free Thursday night concerts will run July 12 – Sept. 6 this year. For music samples, videos and a complete schedule, visit bigskyarts.org.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Celebrity Golf Tournament, July 15-16 BIG SKY – Celebrities from across the country have signed on to play in the 11th annual Big Brothers Big Sisters Celebrity Golf Tournament, July 15 16. Held at the Big Sky Golf Course, the event is also open to the public.

This year’s celebrity lineup includes MSU head basketball coach, Brad Huse, and Eric Dickerson, six-time probowl and five-time all pro running back for the Los Angeles Rams. New to the list this year is well-known Western artist Tom Gilleon, who also donated an original oil for auction.

The two-day event begins with a cocktail party and silent auction at 7 p.m. on Sunday evening, July 15, at

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Doors open at 6 p.m. Coolers are permitted into the venue, but no glass or pets. There will also be kids’ activities, including a climbing wall and inflatable bouncer from Airtime Inflatables from 6 – 9 p.m. The night will end with a fireworks show.

the Big Sky Resort Summit Hotel. The golf tournament follows the next day, with a 1 p.m. shotgun start at the Big Sky Golf Course. Individual player and team slots are still available.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a mentoring program that provides children facing adversity with strong, enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships. This event benefits the Big Sky satellite office of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Gallatin County, which currently serves five new school-based matches and six community-based matches.

To get involved contact (406) 587-1216 or bbbs-gc.org.

EVENTS big sky

Yoga with Anna

The Art Barn Tuesdays, 8:30 – 10 a.m.

Early Bird Yoga

annaourusoff@gmail.com (406) 600-7565 Fridays, 6-7 a.m.

Monday Night Pig Roast

320 Steak House Restaurant Mondays, 5 – 8 p.m.

Hayride and Riverside BBQ

320 Steak House Restaurant Wednesdays, 5:30 – 9 p.m.

Monday Night Bike Rides

Town Center Fire Pit June 4 – July 30, 6 p.m.

Shabbat in Big Sky

Big Sky Chapel June 29-30, 6 p.m.

Firecracker Open Golf Tournament

Big Sky Golf Course July 4 Contact Pro Shop: (406)995-5780 Live music: Freddy Pink

Big Sky Town Center July 4, 6 p.m.

Festival of the 4th: BBQ, fireworks & concert

Gallatin County Fairground Events Park July 4, 6:30 p.m.

Kabbalat Shabbat

July 6 at 7:00 pm Shabbat Morning Mystical Chanting Service, followed by Torah Study

July 7, 8:30 & 9:30 am Boyne University-Memory Power

with Scott Bornstein Mountain Mall July 9, 11 a.m.

B-Side Players

Big Sky Town Center July 12, 7 p.m.

Strings Under the Big Sky

Rainbow Ranch lodge July 13, 7 p.m.

Brewfest

Huntley Lawn July 14, 5 p.m.

Painting workshop:

Color theory and composition of landscape painting with Thomas English Creighton Block Galley July 14 – 15 Call to reserve a space: (406) 993-9400

Bozeman Montana Shakespeare in the Park 1st Annual Kid’s Day: Play On!

MSU Grove June 30, 1 – 3 p.m.

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Big Sky Weekly

Planning an event? Let us know! Email media@theoutlawpartners.com and we’ll spread the word.

Twelfth Night-Montana Shakespeare in the Park

Music on Main: Yogoman Burning Band

Duck Pond June 30, 8 p.m.

Downtown Bozeman July 12, 6:30 p.m.

A Double Dose of Bond

Beats Antique

4th of July Tournament “Red, White & Blue”

Ellen Theater June 30 6:30 p.m martini bar 7:30 p.m. – Dr. No 9:40 p.m. – Goldfinger

Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture July 12, 8 p.m.

Livingston Golf Course Information (406) 222-1100

Live music: Spur of the Moment

Pine Creek Open Bluegrass Jam

The Eagles July 12, 9 p.m.

Pine Creek Lodge & Cafe July 5, 7 p.m.

East Gallatin Rec Area @ Bozeman Beach Saturdays, July 7, 14, 21 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Muir String Quartet

Reining Horsehow – Anderson’s Horse Arena

The Kelly Ash Band

11th Annual Museum Wine Classic

Free boat demos and clinics

Ellen Theater July 1 6:30 p.m.

Day on the Green: Montana Skies

Bozeman Public Library July 1, 4 – 7 p.m.

Jazz and more with Kelly Roberti

Reynolds Hall at MSU July 12, 7:30 p.m.

Museum of the Rockies July 14, 6 – 10:30 p.m.

norris & ennis Mountain Grip

Farmers Market

1st Annual Cowabunga

Rockin’ TJ Ranch July 2, 12 a.m.

Ice cream social

Living History Farm, Museum of the Rockies July 4, 2 – 4 p.m.

Wild West Wednesdays

Living History Farm, Museum of the Rockies Wednesdays, July 4 – Aug. 15, 1-3 p.m.

Music on Main: Andy Frasco

Downtown Bozeman July 5, 6:30 p.m.

The Dirty Shame

The Eagles Lodge July 5, 9 p.m.

Ennis Rodeo Grounds July 7, 4 p.m.

Joe Schwen

15th Annual Wildflower Tour of Gravelly Range

Ennis Forest Service Office July 10, 9 a.m.

livingston & paradise valley Motocross Race

Cokedale Race Track – Livingston July 1, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Fundraiser for Relay for Life-BBQ

Depot Park – Livingston July 1 – 4 Livingston Roundup Parade

Livingston Roundup Rodeo

Dulcie Theater July 6 – 7, 8 p.m.

Bike races: Tour de Bozeman

July 7-8 Bike Maintenance Basics for Women

Bozeman REI July 11, 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Pine Creek Open Bluegrass Jam

Blazing Saddles X1-Bike the Bridgers

Livingston July 14 Information- 406-222-0099 Chico Hot Springs July 15, 9 p.m.

west yellowstone Wild West Yellowstone Rodeo

Bozeman Public Library July 6, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Chorus Line

Buckhorn Theatre – Livingston July 7, 6 p.m.

Ashley Buchart

July 7, 7 p.m.

Art Opening Reception, Southwest Montana Arts

Museum of the Rockies Fridays, July 6 – Aug. 17, 1 – 3 p.m.

“Memories Floating”

Chico Hot Springs Saloon July 13, 9:30 p.m.

July 6, 7 p.m.

Norris Hot Springs

2nd St. and Main July 2, 3 p.m.

Dinosaur Discovery

4 mi N. Clyde Park July 5 – 7 Information (406) 578-2122

Big Caboose & The Soul Penetrators

Chad Okrusch

Farmers Market

Peter T Park July 4, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Pine Creek Lodge & Cafe July 12, 7 p.m.

July 1, 5 p.m.

Norris Hot Springs

Bozeman Public Library Mondays, July 2 – Aug. 27 7 – 8:30 p.m.

Rocking TJ Ranch July 2, 5 p.m.

Ennis Lions Club Annual BBQ

Park County Fairgrounds July 1 – 4, 8 p.m.

Depot Festival of the Arts

Livingston Depot Center July 2, 9 a.m.

Ennis Rodeo

Ennis Rodeo Grounds July 3, 8 p.m.

July 4, 2 p.m.

4th of July Car Show

Sportsman Lodge July 4, 9 a.m – 12:30 p.m.

Rodeo Arena June 30, July 3 – 7, 10 – 14, 8 p.m.

Free Fly-Casting Clinic

Jacklin’s Fly Shop Sundays, July – Aug, 7:30 p.m.

Wildlife Safety

West Yellowstone Visitors Center Daily, 9 a.m., 3:30 p.m.

Celebrating America

Parade 6 p.m.

Fireworks 10 p.m.

Island Park 11th Annual Arts and Crafts Fair

Buffalo Run RV Park July 5 – 7, 2 – 6 p.m.

virginia city Cowboy Poetry with Harry Yeomans

Elling House Theater June 30, 7 p.m. fourth of July Fireworks

July 4, Show starts at dusk The Brewery Follies

H.S. Gilbert Brewery 4 p.m., 8 p.m.

4th of July Parade

Main Street, Ennis July 4, 10 a.m.

explorebigsky.com

June 29, 2012 47

s s e l e ti m e u q i n u c i r o t s hi

FLATHEAD LAKE HISTORIC TIMBER was harvested from pristine wildlands surrounding Flathead Lake at

PLAY VIDEOS TO LEARN MORE AT FLATHEADLAKETIMBER.COM

the turn of the 20th Century. Millions of feet of this lumber sank to the bottom of the Flathead, where the cool water preserved and enhanced the beauty of the wood over the last 100 years. Northwest Management Inc. is salvaging the submerged logs with the aid of scuba divers, giving new life to this uniquely beautiful, brilliant colored timber.

Every aspect of these “historic timbers” is hand manufactured piece by piece by our well trained staff who sort and select materials designed to meet your specific needs.

FLOORING • FURNITURE • CABINETS • TIMBER ACCENTS FLATHEADLAKETIMBER.COM

|

(406)465-4346

big sky weekly • june 29, 2012 • vol. III, iss. # 13

Health & Wellness Health News

50

Local Food: Farmers Markets and CSAs

52

Fitness: Pure Barre

54

wilderness medicine: Dehydration

55

Mental Health: Meditation

56

Recipe: Olive B's mango BBQ chicken

57

OLd World: The good waters of Bad Homburg

57

Back 40: Gel Sense

58

Clockwise from top left: Bogert Farmers market by Renae Counter, Pure Barre, Bad Homburg by Tyler Allen, Meditation courtesy of Charles Wolf Drimal

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health news

Big Sky Weekly

WIA has new community counselor Growing connection with local school By emily stifler

big sky weekly managing editor

BIG SKY—In a health survey conducted this year, Big Sky residents indicated that having a community counseling program is a top health priority.

Women In Action, a Big Sky nonprofit focused on access to affordable health, family and educational services, has provided a counseling program for the past four “If you have a years, most mental health recently in partnership need, it can be with the Huaddressed in Big man DevelopSky and you don’t ment Clinic at Montana State have to drive to University.

Bozeman"

The first community counselor to come to WIA from MSU was Big Sky resident Stasia Owens, who has since completed her graduate program and taken a job with Gallatin Mental Health.

WIA’s new community counselor Megan Obert took the reins in June. Originally from a small town in Montana, Obert has worked in crisis management through the Hope House in Bozeman. She was drawn to Big Sky because she wanted to work in rural mental health.

“She really stood out as a candidate with a strong skill set to work in an isolated community like Big Sky,” said WIA Executive Director Lisa Beczkiewicz. “It’s good to have a professional that’s both a self starter and is self motivated.”

The Community Counseling program provides affordable mental healthcare for individuals,

couples and families for a range of issues including depression, substance abuse, stress, grief, interpersonal relationship, life transitions and family issues. The services are accessible to everyone in the community.

“If you have a mental health need, it can be addressed in Big Sky, and you don’t have to drive to Bozeman,” Beczkiewicz said. The program served 25 people in the past year.

“It’s small, but it’s impactful,” Beczkiewicz said, quoting Big Sky Resort Tax board member Les Loble. The tax board this year agreed to fund 100 percent of WIA’s $18,500 request.

Mental health illness has a stigma, particularly in a small rural community like Big Sky, Beczkiewicz said. “Confidentiality is very important to our program, and it’s done very well.”

In other news, WIA again awarded scholarships to more than 40 Big Sky youth to attend summer camps. Kids ages 3 – 17 will attend a range of camps—everything from ballet class and horseback riding, to early childhood education programs and sports camps. The program last year gave 83 total scholarships.

Building on a connection to Ophir School, WIA and THRIVE are partnering to launch a new parent liaison program this fall. For the past two years WIA has helped fund Ophir’s school counseling program, but now the school is hiring a full-time guidance counselor.

“Having another skilled, positive adult to help with the success of students and families is a valuable asset to have in our school,” Beczkiewicz said. The new position will bring a social worker to provide support for parents and teachers, parent education classes, and provide community resources to the school.

Bipartisan bill addresses drug shortages, speeds up research By emily stifler

big sky weekly managing editor

WASHINGTON D.C. —A bill that passed both Congressional houses nearly unanimously this June would make affordable prescription drugs more accessible and help Montana businesses producing new drugs.

The Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act includes a provision co-sponsored

by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., to encourage development of new drugs that treat rare and highly resistant infectious diseases.

Known as the GAIN Act, the provision streamlines the approval process by extending patents for drug makers and allowing them to work with non-accredited investors.

Short for ‘Generating antibiotic incentives now,’ it will benefit companies such as the Bozeman-based pharmaceutical company Microbion, which specializes in developing innovative drug treatments, particularly for antibiotic resistant infections.

50 June 29, 2012

Its passage will change the playing field in the antibiotic industry, said Microbion President and CEO Dr. Brett Baker. If allowed to work with non-accredited partners, Microbion could access big international companies that “can really move something,” Baker said.

Bicycle safety Helmets every time

By Deb Courson Smith Big Sky Connection

HELENA—Wear a helmet every time. No exceptions.

That's the message from the American Academy of Pediatrics this summer. The group confirms that riding without a bike helmet significantly increases the risk of head injuries if a bicyclist crashes, and crashes can be serious even when just riding around the neighborhood.

Emergency room doctor Mike Gittleman says wearing a helmet can reduce head-injury chances by 85 percent—injuries that can run the gamut.

"Sometimes you just see some abrasions, but they can also be more serious, where you can have skull fractures, you can have intracranial bleeding, and it can even cause death."

Just as you get your bicycle checked on a yearly basis, he says, it's important to make sure your helmet still fits correctly, which is particularly important with children as they grow. He notes there is also an economic rationale for bike-helmet use.

"The usage alone will not only save lives and prevents injury, but it also saves health care dollars.

The expense of these injuries is great, and if we can prevent them on the forefront, it would be saving health care dollars as well."

With the exception of vehicles, Gittleman says, bikes are linked to more childhood injuries than any other consumer product. That includes trampolines, ladders and swimming pools.

More than 600 people on bicycles were killed in collisions with motor vehicles across the nation in 2010, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and at least 70 percent were not wearing helmets.

Twenty-one states have bicycle helmet laws. Montana isn't one of them.

The bill also extends existing agreements between pharmaceutical companies and the FDA to speed up drug approvals and improve the safety of medicine and medical devices.

Because it will allow new drugs into the marketplace faster and reduce the costs of generic drugs, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will save taxpayers $360 million over the next decade.

It also encourages government and private companies to work together to quickly develop and approve treatments for chronic illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease.

The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 96-1 and House unanimously.

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of the 600 people killed on bicycles in 2010 were not wearing helmets.

explorebigsky.com

health news

Big Sky Weekly

Head injuries From concussions to traumatic brain injuries By maren dunn

big sky weekly contributor

There has been a buzz recently about head injuries, especially among athletes—think Muhammad Ali and Junior Seau—and veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. But anyone can suffer a traumatic brain injury.

Almost 2 million Americans report TBI’s in each year. Of these, 45 percent were caused by motor vehicle accidents, 30 percent by a fall, 10 percent from a work accident, another 10 percent from recreational accidents, and 5 percent were caused by assaults.

Luckily, the majority of these are concussions, or mild traumatic brain injuries.

What happens to cause the injury?

Imagine you had a hollow rock into which you placed a ripe peach then bounced that rock on the ground.

The brain after a TBI looks just like the peach: bruised and damaged. The brain tissue swells, and the axons (long tentacles of nerves) are stretched, torn and bumped when bounced against the inside of the skull.

This damage can happen with a blow to the head, or with rapid acceleration forces without actual impact, like whiplash. In severe cases, blood vessels rupture inside the skull, causing a life-threatening situation.

With concussions, which are really mild TBI’s, symptoms of headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, loss of balance, and even amnesia are common. As hours to days pass, mood changes, sensitivity to light or sound, sleep problems and difficulty concentrating can also be expected.

In severe cases with damage to the blood vessels, concussion symptoms escalate dramatically and can include lethargy, stroke-like neurologic problems, intense headaches and loss of consciousness. These symptoms can intensify at such a rate as to cause death rapidly. That’s why doctors recommend closely monitoring head injury patients for changes in mental status or other symptoms for at least 24 hours after the incident.

Bozeman Deaconess news Family Medicine and Pediatrics Clinic receives immunization award, Cancer Center chosen as clinical research site BOZEMAN—Bozeman Deaconess Family Medicine and Pediatrics was awarded a 2011 Lighthouse Award for Innovation and Excellence in Immunization from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. It was one of only two clinics in the state to receive the award.

The award, presented to a medical clinic for an outstanding immunization project, recognizes strategies that are evidence-based, evaluated for success, and possible for other clinics to replicate.

The Deaconess Family Medicine and Pediatrics clinic's goal was to have a better vaccine coverage level than the National Committee on Quality Assurance goal of 85 percent.

“In 2011, we exceeded that goal with a 92 percent completed vaccine status for our 2-year-old patients,” said Dr. James Feist, a pediatrician.

It took a team effort, Feist said, with support from hospital administration to finance the services, and a joint effort by physicians and nurses to commit the time necessary to educate patients, ensure accuracy of records, and administer vaccines.

Bozeman Deaconess Cancer Center recently joined a select group of six communitybased research affiliates that can now offer nearly 75 new clinical cancer research trials to patients.

Part of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Oncology Research Program, the overarching goals are to improve patient outcomes and advance medical science through quality clinical research and collaboration, and to give community researchers access to innovative therapies.

When is it appropriate to seek medical attention?

ward preventing repeated head injuries, or “second impact syndrome,” no matter what age you are. Sustaining another head injury before healing the first can cause symptoms that may become permanent, as evidenced by professional football players and Muhammad Ali.

Children under age 2 are at high risk of skull fracture or severe brain injury with only minor trauma. This age group should be seen by a doctor ASAP. Everyone else should see a doctor when any of the following are present: loss of consciousness, significant headache, confusion, seizure, vomiting, or when the mechanism of injury is unknown or high-risk such as motor vehicle accident or a fall from a considerable height.

Symptoms of most properly treated concussions will likely fade over a few weeks to months with no residual effects.

It’s the physician’s job to determine whether the injured person requires further testing, admission to the hospital or just close monitoring.

Treatment

Maren Dunn, D.O., is owner of Gallatin Family Medicine, a medical clinic in the Big Sky Meadow Village. Have a question? Email her at inquiries@gallatinfamilymedicine.com.

Treatment for mild head injuries involves time and rest.

Current guidelines support keeping anyone who sustained a loss of consciousness or has symptoms of head injury for longer than 15 minutes from participating in sports for at least 1 week.

The person can only resume play when the symptoms are completely gone.

Ultimately, medical evidence points to-

gallatinfamilymedicine.com

Got Noxious Weeds?

We can help!

Now is a great time to manage the noxious weeds on your property, and the Gallatin/Big Sky Noxious Weed Committee can help!

We provide free onsite assistance, including identifying weeds on your property & recommending treatment methods.

For assistance, contact Jennifer Mohler at 406‐209‐0905 or bigskyweeds@gmail.com, and visit www.bigskyweeds.org.

Noxious Weed Spotlight: Oxeye Daisy

Oxeye daisy is a perennial, resembling Shasta daisy, that’s common in meadows, roadsides and along trails in Big Sky and the Gallatin Canyon. This aggressive invader can form dense stands that displaces native plants. Because of the plant’s beauty and showiness, conscientious management is often neglected. Unfortunately, some of Montana’s state listed noxious weeds are still offered for sale in wildflower seed mixes. Be on the lookout when purchasing seeds for your garden or landscaping. More photos & information @ www.bigskyweeds.org.

Visit us at our booth at the Big Sky Farmers Market!

Help protect wildlife habitat, water resources, & native plants by controlling noxious weeds!

“This offers our patients another opportunity to receive cutting edge treatment without requiring them to travel to a large city, where many of these trials originate,” said Spencer Green, business operations manager for Bozeman Deaconess Cancer Center.

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June 29, 2012 51

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local food

Big Sky Weekly

Farmers markets, all about the community By renae counter

big sky weekly editorial assistant

Bogert Farmers Market Along with Crazy View, you can also find Three Fiddles Farm, Organic Valley Farms, Gallatin Valley Botanical Tristan Garden, M&M Farm, High Ground Farm and Three Hearts Farm.

If it’s a cooked meal you’re looking for, Bogert also has that covered. From fresh made crepes, gyros, tacos and more, the market has something for everyone in the family to enjoy.

The Hungry Mexican is known for its famous salsa and fish tacos, said owner Ken Reynolds. He and wife Sharon have been “bringing it” with their homemade salsa for the past three years.

“Sharon has been making salsa for years,” Reynolds said. “After I got laid off, I came on board. It has allowed us to chase our dreams.”

The Reynolds started out at the Big Sky Farmers Market, where their tasty Mexican salsa quickly became a hit. They have since moved to Bozeman but will return to Big Sky’s market this year.

Photos by renae counter

BOZEMAN – Now that summer has finally made it to Gallatin County, so has the staple summer Farmers markets, and there is no shortage this year. Across Montana it’s possible to find a market almost any day of the week, and you can be sure they’ll have just what you’re looking for. Local, fresh produce, baked goods, jewelry, crafts, and activities for the kids—Montana famers’ markets have it covered.

If it’s produce and vegetables you’re looking for, Bogert has a wide selection from local farms. Crazy View Farm from Wilsall offers a selection of fresh greens for salads and cooking. Laurie Sargent, owner operator of Crazy View, has been a vendor at Bogert for four years. “I love seeing the people we’re grow-

If you happen to be passing through Bozeman on a Tuesday evening, don’t miss the chance to stop at the Bogert Farmers Market in Bogert Park. This 100-plus vendor market is tucked conveniently under a large pavilion so it can withstand Montana summer rain (and snow) storms—just be prepared to walk a few blocks after parking, because the market fills up fast.

The funding helps improve the playgrounds, the tennis and basketball courts, the band shell and the pavilion, and helps with creek restoration, according to Huber-McGee. The big project on tap for this year: a new water fountain that will be “a big fish you can drink out of.”

As you stroll through the market you may recognize some vendors from their local storefronts and find that others are completely new. The market offers a platform for new businesses to start and grow, and for developed businesses to return and share with the community.

“I like this market because of the local feel,” Fletcher said. "You see a lot of the same faces every Tuesday.”

52 June 29, 2012

Along with a park full of swings, jungle gyms, basketball courts and plenty of lush, green grass, there’s also the much-loved rock climbing wall and power jump bungee trampoline for kids.

The market also supports maintenance and improvements for Bogert Park. All revenue from vendor fees go to “Friends of Bogert Park,” a nonprofit run by community volunteers.

That mission is simple, yet effective: Promote, Preserve and Play.

Kristin Fletcher, a Bozeman jewelry maker, has had a booth at Bogert every year. Along with beaded jewelry, Fletcher also makes an arrangement of metalsmith jewelry like rings and bracelets.

Bogert strives to be a gathering place. It’s an “easy way for people to hang with their families and friends in a good location,” Huber-McGee said.

“The power jump is always a big hit with the kids,” said Dale Mandeville, owner of the Bozeman Straw Bale Maze. “We’ll be here two to three times a month setting up the jump for the kids.”

Salal Huber-McGee, Bogert’s market director, started the market 10 years ago. She said she’s loved watching it evolve. “We have a lot of really great things going for us. We’re in a great location, we have a ton of community support and a good mission statement.”

“The market is a really good platform for local business to try out,” Huber-McGee said. “The booths are very affordable, and it’s a good way to promote local interest.”

“Our fish tacos are famous up there,” Reynolds said.

The fountain is being supported by a local grant and designed by local artists. With the help of the organization SLAM, Support Local Artists and Musicians, local artists Mitch Billis and Sarah Anderson have been hired to design the fountain. ing food for,” Sargent said.

Crazy View Farm is an organic farm that operates through the volunteer program World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, which places eight volunteers on the farm each season.

One WWOFF volunteer from Minnesota has been in Montana for two weeks, volunteering at Crazy View. She said she’s loved Montana for the people, mountains and “seeing how a farm acts within a community.”

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With summer nights lasting well into the 9 o’clock hour, there’s always local music to enjoy after the market closes. The Bozeman City Band has performances in the music pavilion for eight weeks of out the summer. The Equinox Theater also brings in camp programs to perform plays.

The Bogert Farmers Market is every Tuesday evening from 5 – 8 p.m. through Sept. 25. More information at bogertfarmersmarket.org.

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local food Big Sky Farmers Market

Big Sky Weekly

Farmers markets around the region Big Sky Big Sky Farmers Market Ousel Falls Rd. & Lone Peak Drive - Fire Pit Park Wednesdays, 5 – 8 p.m.

July 11 – Sept. 5 Bozeman Bogert Farmers Market Bogert Park, S. Church Ave. Tuesdays, 5 – 8 p.m.

June 5 – Sept. 25 Gallatin Valley Farmers Market 901 N. Black, Corner of Tamarack & N Black Saturdays, 9 a.m. – noon June 16 – Sept. 8

Photos by Wendy Swenson

BIG SKY— With July quickly approaching, Big Sky’s own famers’ market will soon be taking over the Town Center on Wednesday evenings.

Since the market started four years ago it has seen tremendous support from the community, according to Wendy Swenson, events coordinator at the Town Center.

“The vendors at Farmers markets are one big traveling family,” Swenson said. “It’s been wonderful to be a part of that and get such good feedback from the community.”

The Big Sky Farmers Market runs every Wednesday, 5 – 8 p.m., from July 11 – Sept. 5 in Fire Pit Park.

“The Farmers market has been a great place for people from the community to come out, gather together, get dinner and listen to music,” Swenson said.

Monday Night Farmers Market Rockin’ TJ Ranch, 651 Lynx Lane 5 – 8 p.m.

June 18 – Sept. 24 Ennis Madison Farm to Fork Farmers Market Valley Bank parking lot, E. Main St. Saturdays, 9 a.m. – noon June 2 to Sept. 15 Livingston Livingston Farmers Market Miles Bandshell park, next to Civic Center, 229 River Drive Wednesdays, 4:30 – 7:30 p.m., music until 9 p.m.

June 6 – Sept. 26 Big Timber Big Timber Farmers Market Lions Club Park, corner of McLeod Street & E. 8th Ave. Thursdays, 4 – 7 p.m.

June 28 – Sept. 20

Though the Big Sky Farmers Market draws a few vendors from as far away as Idaho and Billings, many are local and regional. This year, past favorites like Big Sky Antlers and the Bozeman Alpacas will be in attendance, along with many others. The vendor list was close to 80 at press time, with the market still a couple weeks away.

Whitehall Whitehall Farmers Market Legion Street Park, east end Saturday, 9 a.m. – noon Wednesdays, 3 – 6 p.m.

June 2 – Oct. 6 June 6 – Oct. 10

“We have a great mix of local and regional artisans, which gives a great feel of shopping for an evening and going home with things you don’t see everywhere else,” Swenson said.

The live music during the market will feature many of the same Montana musicians as last season.

Community Supported Agriculture

Virginia City Second Saturday Farmers Market Virginia City Artisans & Growers Guild, across from the Opera House 2nd Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

March – Aug.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is the easiest and best way to get locally grown and organic food straight from the farm to your table. With CSA’s, farmers and costumers work together to grow and share produce.

grown. This is not only a great opportunity for farmers to share their knowledge and lifestyle, but also a great way for consumers to become more active and involved in food choices and local farms.

Butte Butte Farmers Market West Park Street between Gamer's Cafe and the Phoenix Building Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

May 26 – Oct. 6

Each season, farmers offer a “share” of their produce to the public. These shares, which consist of a box or bag of produce, are bought by consumers. Each week, the buyer receives a basket of produce from that week’s harvest.

Along with vegetables, some farmers add other goods to their baskets such as meats, farm eggs, homemade bread, cheese, fruit and flowers.

Shares can also be customizable depending on the farm, allowing the consumer a choice in which products fill their basket each week.

Manhattan Manhattan Farmers Market Park on West Main in downtown Manhattan Wednesdays, 4 – 7 p.m.

June 20 – Sept. 26

Simple, healthy and sustainable, CSA’s benefit both parties. Along with receiving their shares, costumers may also be offered the chance to meet “their” farmer and see where food is

There are many CSA farms in southwest Montana. To learn more about CSA or find a farm that fits you, visit localharvest.org.

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Big Sky Weekly

fitness

Lift. Tone. Burn.

Pure Barre is a hip new workout technique

W H E R E B I G G E ST S KIING

IN

A M E R I C A ® AND T H E WO R L D ’ S O NLY PRIVATE S K I A N D G O L F C OMMUNIT Y

Unite.

By katie thomas

big sky weekly contributor

BOZEMAN – “Hold onto it…only 20 more to go! Working that Pure Barre leg!”

This encouragement inflicts both fear and pride as one pushes through a set of toning tracks known as the Pure Barre technique. Think yoga meets ballet meets weights meets pilates… and then allow the beautiful space at 34 E. Mendenhall in Bozeman distract you from that satisfying but possibly painful burn you feel.

A toning workout based largely on ballet, Pure Barre was founded in 2001 by professional dancer and choreographer Carrie Rezabek Dorr. Its focus is building long, lean muscles using small isometric movements, and the workouts are set to upbeat music.

Build your dream and let the memories begin.

loneviewridge.com

It’s a little like mellow dancing and stretching and is different than any other workout in the Gallatin Valley. Among Pure Barre’s claims to fame are the absence of jumping or bouncing, which ensures the joints are protected, as well as focusing on abs, hips, glutes and arms.

Upon entrance to one of the hourlong classes, the shoes come off and the muscles turn on. It’s a rich, intimate space that sees patrons of all ages, shapes and sizes. The local studio has customers of both genders from ages of 18 to 78. Each of the six instructors is certified in Pure Barre.

Although Pure Barre started out as an uncertain endeavor in a Michigan studio without so much as a bathroom, franchised studios can now be found nationwide. The workout found its way to Bozeman about a month ago, when Kaitlyn Kurn opened a studio on May 22 after deciding to move from San Diego.

The Pure Barre storefront and studio in Bozeman 54 June 29, 2012

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Kurn grew up dancing competitively and discovered Pure Barre in San Diego in 2010. She was smitten.

Having spent the past 10 years visiting her parents and the mountains

around Bozeman after studying international business at the Munich Business School in Germany, Kurn knew this was the place.

“You have to have danced at a competitive level to own a studio,” Kurn says. Her time working in the fashion industry is evidenced by the

Photo courtesy of kaitlyn kurn

items for sale in the studio entryway, including clothing, jewelry, gifts, and Pure Barre equipment and DVDs. Kurn’s father is an entrepreneur and small business owner, and after growing up watching him run his companies, she decided that she wanted the same for herself.

“A lot of people don’t realize that a franchise is not some huge corporate entity,” she said. “It’s not. By taking classes here, you are supporting a local business.”

Next time you find yourself driving down Mendenhall and that caterpillar green of Mint* Dental catches your eye, be sure to check out Pure Barre. Don’t let all those elegant ballerina-looking figures in the window scare you away—Pure Barre is for everyone who is open to trying a new workout.

“If you can hold onto a bar, you can take Pure Barre,” Kurn says.

Classes are held seven days a week, and signup is online. Choose from single or recurring reservations, and a range of class times.

Katie Thomas writes from Bozeman.

wilderness medicine

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Big Sky Weekly

Dehydration is a numbers game Facebook relationship: “it’s complicated”

By Dave McEvoy

Aerie Backcountry Medicine

To understand dehydration, read about the financial turmoil in the world. Being in massive debt hurts.

It makes you irritable, weak and crampy. It gives you a headache and makes you susceptible to infections.

Worst of all, it causes you to make bad decisions, jeopardizing yourself and those with you.

Dehydration from sweat is a numbers game. Sweat is 99 percent water.

This water comes directly from your blood, where you have roughly five liters in circulation. Yet only half of your blood is water, meaning you only have 2 – 3 liters of water to sweat.

For obvious reasons, like death, having no water in your blood would be very bad. To avoid this, your body begins running a tab on water, borrowing it from the tissues, where you have over 30 liters in reserve.

This is a normal part of a healthy body process. Rest, drink and eat, and your body replenishes the loss.

Trouble comes when you ignore the deficit and continue running the tab.

If dehydration were in a relationship on Facebook, it would have the descriptor “it’s complicated.”

Because we borrow water from all body tissues, dehydration can be felt in isolated muscles or lead to a bodywide crisis. You might feel like you have anything from a pulled muscle to the flu, and not know what part dehydration is playing in any of it.

To keep it simple, focus more attention on avoiding water debt than on treating it.

PREVENTION DO’S Acclimatize It takes your body 6-10 days to acclimatize to a warm environment, after which time you sweat more efficiently, radiate heat more readily, and feel a lot better exercising in the heat. To best acclimatize, you need to break a sweat every day for about an hour during this process.

Moderate activity Short, frequent breaks in the shade are essential to prolonged activities, particularly with high temperatures and humidity. Don’t mistake this as wimpy advice for pampered people.

Everyone, from soldiers in combat to extreme athletes, needs to periodically reduce activity when working hard in a hot environment.

Drink enough to pee clear and often This usually means 2 – 6 liters of water over the course of each day of strenuous outdoor activity. That’s more than we’re accustomed to drinking but is critical to avoid going into water debt with your tissues. It is possible to drink too much water.

This condition, called hyponatremia, typically happens during endurance events with participants pushing themselves at high levels for many hours and significantly exceeding the above fluid recommendations.

Wear proper clothing The key is wearing materials with little or no insulating value that allow airflow over the skin.

Consider adding electrolytes to your water Endless debate surrounds the efficacy and need to supplement drinking water with electrolytes. While electrolyte solutions with less than 8 percent carbohydrates can help prevent and treat some forms of heat illness (particularly when a well-balanced diet isn’t possible) they aren’t a substitute for eating well and resting. By the way, recent evidence refutes an old theory that electrolytes help prevent hyponatremia.

TREATMENT DO’S

TREATMENT DON’TS

Stop activity and slowly hydrate If a dehydrated person is conscious but weak, tired, nauseated, has a headache and/or muscle cramps, stop the activity for at least a few hours, take off restrictive clothing, move him into the shade, lay him down, get some cool water onto him, and slowly hydrate him. Nausea will seriously limit the amount he can drink, which is usually about a quarter to a half-liter per hour. Adding electrolytes and massaging cramping muscles can be beneficial.

Don’t think recovery will be fast Remember, it can take hours to fully replenish water and electrolyte losses.

Cool off aggressively and plan for immediate evacuation If a dehydrated person is hot, hallucinating, unresponsive and unable to walk, cool him as quickly as possible; the fastest means of cooling him often includes spraying with water and fanning air. He also needs an immediate trip to a hospital. Until proven otherwise with tests in that hospital, this is heat stroke, which is a life-threatening emergency with a very high mortality rate. It can come on quickly, without much warning.

Don’t underestimate how many ways dehydration can affect you Dehydration affects all body systems, making a person feel tired, crampy, nauseated and irritable.

As such, it’s a contributing factor to many of the most common and serious backcountry illnesses and injuries. Preventing it is fairly simple. Treating it can be long and challenging. It’s an easy choice!

David McEvoy is a paramedic and the director of Aerie, a wilderness medicine training organization based in Missoula. Aerie teaches Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness EMT courses at MSU in Bozeman. aeriemedicine.com

PREVENTION DON’TS Don’t rely on pounding water It doesn’t work. You won’t absorb most of it and instead will feel sick or vomit. Instead, drink about a halfliter per hour of activity, as well as a liter before and after activity.

Don’t rely on adding electrolytes to water Electrolytes are essential for basic function, and adding electrolytes to water can be very helpful, but we get most of what we need from food. Don’t believe the hype about expensive drinks at the expense of thinking about drinking water and eating well.

Have a pain-free summer

Try Osteopathic Manipulation For Back Pain, Headaches, Joint Injuries, Digestion Problems & More

Don’t rely only on thirst to guide fluid consumption Thirst is triggered only when you’re significantly dehydrated, meaning by the time you feel crappy and thirsty, you’re already well behind and hours from recovery.

Don’t think your body will get accustomed to dehydration It won’t, and it will punish you for treating it that way.

Pediatrics • Chronic Conditions • Women’s Health Pregnancy Care • Osteopathic Manipulation

Maren Dunn D.O. Board Certified in Family Medicine

18 Meadow Village Drive, Big Sky, MT (across from the post office) Phone: 406-995-3111 | gallatinfamilymedicine.com Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays

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June 29, 2012 55

MENTAL HEALTH

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Big Sky Weekly

A wilderness meditation pilgrimage PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHARLES WOLF DRIMAL

By CHARLES WOLF DRIMAL big sky weekly CONTRIBUTOR

SAN RAFAEL SWELL, Utah—A cascade of clear, piercing whistles invites the first sign of dawn. The sun’s rays have yet to touch the depths of Dirty Devil Canyon, but to a canyon wren—the melodic harbinger of morning—there is no reason not to sing.

Each ensuing note falls in tone, slowly settling across a sand desert floor held cold through the dark by clear spring starlight.

More than 600 miles from my home in the Northern Rockies and five days deep into a wilderness meditation expedition with Absaroka Institute in south-central Utah, my perspective has shifted. From the comfort of a sleeping bag, I feel a slight air current brush across my face. The canyon wren’s early morning inspiration to rise has habitually become my own.

Unlike past backcountry trips, which have brought me immediately to a stove for breakfast, tea and conversation, my first movements of the day lead to a meditation cushion, the lighting of incense and the sounding of a bell.

As I take the cross-legged position, the encompassing shrine of ancient sun-scorched Navajo sandstone, cottonwood leaf chatter and distant creek babble all arise and fade in my perception. An unceasing effort for the next 40 minutes directs my awareness to my own breath. Thoughts of last night’s dreams come and go. A changing light warms my skin. I straighten my posture and sink my knees into the substratum of stone, grounding myself. A raven’s call overhead reminds me to return to my breath.

The natural world of mountains, rivers, deserts and forests has been a place of healing and a source of insight for the human psyche since time immemorial.

Removed from society, spiritual seekers, priests, shamans and saints trace moments of awakening to prolonged sojourns in wild country. Reclusive hermits of Asian peaks and plateaus, Native Americans seeking visions on hilltops, Australian Aborigines on walkabouts, the Buddha’s enlightenment under a Bodhi tree, and Jesus fasting in the Judean desert all exemplify a common orientation of the soul.

People from all walks of life have recognized the power of an untrammeled landscape. The renaissance of the modern day urbanite’s magnetic pull toward remote wilderness areas throughout this continent and beyond is no aberration to human behavior. Likewise, there are explanations beyond deep powder turns, cold beer and a paucity of romantic partners for bucolic, pennypinching ski bums to eke out a living near Western wild lands.

The natural world holds the power to mirror our struggles and ignite our inherent potential. Influenced by both wilderness travel and meditation practice, the human condition may be catalyzed to realize that the world around and the world within are not separate from one another. Through close study of the mind, we develop the capacity to know our own freedom and self-induced suffering.

Often associated with Buddhism and Hinduism, meditation can be found in faiths as diverse as Taoism, Sufism, Judaism and Christianity, as well as in contemporary psychotherapy practices.

Today, in the U.S. alone, more than 10 million people practice some form of meditation. Worldwide, the number of practitioners enters the hundreds of millions.

The practice is just as extraordinary in simplicity as it is challenging in execution. An effort must be made to bring full awareness to the breath. As thoughts arise, one must acknowledge them, let them go, and return awareness to the breath. This practice can be repeated for 10 minutes, 20 minutes, an hour, or throughout a long walk in the mountains or desert. The cultivation of this skill leads to stress reduction,

56 June 29, 2012

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expanded awareness, clarity, momentto-moment presence, recognition of shared commonality, and many masters would add, the realization of life as intimate flow.

There is no better place to explore this practice than on a wilderness pilgrimage. A week of walking sandy creek bottoms and watching the sun and moon track across the sky becomes a flowing movement that meshes the boundaries of earth and mind. Time told by shades of red sandstone and nomadic blue firmament offers a welcome inheritance to any agenda.

Through extensive meditation under swaying cottonwood trees planted by the weathering of remote canyon corridors, I’m reminded that human existence is a process itself. We are more verb than noun. The ever-changing nature of the physical body, of thoughts, feelings, perceptions, responses—all is in flux. With each passing backcountry day my mind grows sharper, more observant of the nuances of inhalation and exhalation. With time and practice, assumes its own lead.

Like a canyon creek carried forward without hindrance, there is a time in meditation to simply let go. When the mind as we know it is no longer in charge, the breath experiences this world of canyon and sky with an intimacy previously unknown.

Charles Wolf Drimal is an ecopsychologist, wilderness guide, conservationist, Zen Buddhist practitioner and a poet. He leads wilderness meditation expeditions for the Absaroka Institute and advocates for public lands conservation with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition.

old world The good waters of Bad Homburg

Big Sky Weekly

RECIPE Olive B's Mango Barbeque Chicken:

Olive B’s, one of Big Sky’s newest and hippest restaurants, is run by husband and wife team Jennie and Warren “Bibber” Bibbins. Based in the Meadow Village, the restaurant's food and atmosphere both are a refreshing mix of refined and relaxed.

Here, they share a recipe for Mango Barbeque Chicken from Olive B’s upcoming summer menu.

Olive B's Mango Barbeque Chicken: Barbeque sauce: 1 1/2 c catsup 1 c cider vinegar 1/4 c worchestershire sauce 1/4 c soy sauce 1 c packed brown sugar 2 T dry mustard 1/8 c chili powder 1 T grated fresh ginger 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 T vegetable oil 2 c pureed mango For barbeque sauce: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat stirring often. Simmer five minutes.

story and photo

By TYLER ALLEN

which opened in 2002 after a lavish restoration.

At the restaurant we use boneless breast and thigh pieces, but you can use any part of chicken you prefer. Baste chicken with sauce and grill.

But the town is not just a vacation for the elites, as showcased by Kurpark— or “spa” park—in the center of town.

Here, fountains cap numerous wells, and anyone can imbibe the healing waters lying beneath Bad Homburg.

Serve with corn on the cob and ancho cole slaw.

big sky weekly CONTRIBUTOR

BAD HOMBERG, Germany— Just north of Frankfurt, Germany is a town renowned for the healing powers of its mineral waters.

Bad Homburg—bad meaning “bath” in German—has attracted people from around the world since remains of the old Roman baths were discovered 170 years ago. Its 14 therapeutic springs are used internally and externally to treat rheumatism, digestive and intestinal issues, circulatory problems, liver and gall bladder diseases and dermatological complaints.

The town itself is a very prosperous neighbor of Frankfurt, which is the economic capital of the eurozone and is where many of the bank executives commute from in Porsches and BMWs. The town has long been a destination for nobility from around the world. King Chulalongkorn, who ruled the Thai kingdom for 42 years, was so pleased by a successful cure here that he donated a Thai garden pavilion to the town in 1914. Czar Nicholas II, one of many Russian elites to vacation here, built a Russian church nearby to serve his summer residence. King Edward II was a frequent guest of Kaiser Wilhelm II, who in 1888 made Bad Homburg his summer home.

Today five spa clinics offer holistic aqua therapies including Indian Ayurvedic treatments. The Taunus Therme at one end of the Kurpark has a 15,000-square-foot water facility with mineral baths, Jacuzzis and a solarium. Across the park is the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Bad, built in 1890. This neo-Renaissance building houses the Kur-Royal Day Spa,

The most important of these is the Elizabethenbrunnen—brunnen is German for well—which is renowned for treating gastroenterological disorders. Its rich mineral water has perhaps the most active ingredients of any source in Germany. During World War I, Wilhelm II himself designed the ornate temple capping the spring.

Each of the springs in the 109-acre Kurpark has a placard denoting the well’s depth and mineral content, and the maximum quantity a person should consume daily.

Doctors here will prescribe patients a regimen of the different waters, depending on their malady or particular recovery needs after an operation.

Strolling through the park tasting water from the different fountains— some salty, some metallic and one with an overpowering sulfur scent— it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to recover from an illness here.

Instead of a prescription for synthetic pills from the pharmacist, a patient would be armed with a measuring cup and a list of the healing fountains to visit each day. A walk through the leafy, well-manicured Kurpark on a sunny day is therapeutic in its own right.

Montana resident Tyler Allen visited Bad Homberg this past year.

BIG SKY’S ONLY FULL-SERVICE WORKOUT FACILITY OPEN 5 A.M.-10 P.M. 7 DAYS A WEEK DAY, WEEK AND YEAR-LONG MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE VISIT OZSSAGE.COM/GYM.PHP FOR DETAILS 32 MARKET PLACE, MEADOW VILLAGE, BIG SKY (406) 995 4522

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June 29, 2012 57

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Noun: wild or rough terrain adjacent to a developed area Origin: shortened form of “back 40 acres”

Big Sky Weekly

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.

A review of the most popular carbohydrate and caffeine gels for endurance athletes By eric anderson, M.D. big sky weekly contributor

Electrolyte (salt), carbohydrate (sugar) and water replacement during aerobic exercise lasting greater than one hour can improve athletic performance and decrease the risk of dehydration or hyponatremia (low sodium concentration).

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that in general, athletes should consume about 500 – 700mg of sodium for every liter of fluid and 30 – 60mg of carbohydrates per hour during sustained aerobic activity. Water replacement during exercise depends on a variety of factors but most athletes should consume about .4 – .8 liters per hour during sustained exercise, with higher rates for warmer environments and lower rates for cooler environments. A variety of products are available to help an athlete obtain the recommended balance of salt, sugar and water during exercise.

Here, I’ve reviewed one type of carbohydrate and electrolyte replacement product that’s popular among triathletes, cyclists and runners: the carbohydrate gel.

Carbohydrate gels are an excellent way to fuel your body and replace lost electrolytes during aerobic exercise. Most come in single serving packages and contain a carbohydrate source and electrolytes (mainly sodium and potassium). These gels are also available with varying levels of caffeine. In addition, some brands also contain a protein source, calcium or antioxidants. The data is not as convincing for other products often included in carbohydrate gels, with the exception of caffeine.

Caffeine is known as the most commonly used drug in the world and has been used by athletes to improve athletic performance for many years. Specifically, caffeine improves performance during prolonged moderate-to-high intensity exercise lasting greater than 30 minutes. Most studies have shown that the optimal dose of caffeine for improving performance during exercise is 3 – 6mg per kilogram of body weight. However, more recent data has shown a performance benefit with caffeine doses as low as 1mg per kilogram of body weight. So, a 175-pound individual (about 80 kgs) would have to consume about 80 – 480mg of caffeine during exercise to obtain a performance-enhancing effect.

"Carbohydrate gels are an excellent way to fuel your body and replace lost electrolytes during aerobic exercise."

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If you choose to use caffeine during exercise, begin with the lowest dose for your weight to minimize the chance of side effects. Levels of caffeine in the blood usually stay high for about three to four hours after ingestion and are mostly gone within six to seven hours. Intake should be about 30 – 60 minutes prior to exercise to ensure levels are high when the exercise begins.

During longer events, consumption of caffeine during regular intervals has a similar performance enhancing effect to taking the entire dose prior to exercise. Contrary to popular belief, caffeine consumption during exercise has not been shown to have a negative effect on hydration status or heat tolerance.

All gels are not the same, so read nutrition labels to make sure the product is in line with your nutrition and electrolyte replacement plan.

Eric Anderson is a sports medicine physician with Rockwood Clinic in Spokane, Wash. A competitive Category 1 cyclist and avid alpine and nordic skier, he lives in Spokane with his wife and two daughters.

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REVIEWS

I chose four brands to review based on a non-scientific survey called “what gels my friends use.” I asked this group of mostly competitive triathletes and cyclists about their preferred carbohydrate gels.

The top four picks were Hammer Gels, Clif Shots, Gu and Power Bar gels.

1

1

3

Clif Shots

Clif Shots have 100 – 110 calories per package and contain about 22 – 24 grams of carbohydrate.

Made with up to 90 percent organic ingredients, their main carbohydrate source is organic maltodextrin and dried cane syrup.

The cool thing about these gels is they vary from 0 – 100mg of caffeine, depending on the flavor.

So, you can decide how much caffeine you want according to where you are in a workout and how you like to fuel. The different flavors also vary in sodium levels, from 60 – 90 mg.

Two flavors, chocolate cherry and double espresso, are available with 100mg of caffeine.

2

In general, Clif Shots have a very thick consistency and wouldn’t work well in a flask container. Vanilla is my flavor of choice. clifbar.com

2

GU

GU energy gels have been around since 1991. They have 100 calories per package and contain 20 – 25 grams of carbohydrate. The carbohydrate source is a combination of maltodextrin and fructose. Like Hammer Gels, GU contains a blend of amino acids.

The sodium content ranges from 40 – 55mg per gel, depending on the flavor. These gels are a similar consistency to Hammer Gels and work well in a flask. There are 12 flavors with up to 40mg of caffeine. My favorite is vanilla bean.

3

4

Product Clifshot GU GU-Roctane Hammer Gel Power Bar Gel

Calories 100-110 100 100 80-90 110

Big Sky Weekly

Carbohydrate 22-24 grams 20-25 grams 20-25 grams 21-22 grams 27 grams

Sodium 60-90 mg 40-55 mg 90-125 mg 20-35 mg 200 mg

In 2008, GU produced the GU Roctane energy gels designed for ultra endurance events lasting greater than four hours. The carbohydrate source is still the same, and it still has 100 calories per package. The main differences are that Roctane gels have more branched chain amino acids, more histadine, caffeine and electrolytes. Roctane also contains Ornithine Alpha-Ketaglutarate, which reduces muscle trauma during prolonged exercise. These have a similar consistency to the regular GU energy gels and are available in six flavors.

They’re about twice as expensive as any gel mentioned in this article (about $2.50 per gel versus about $1.25 for other gels). guenergy.com

Caffeine 0, 25, 50 or 100 mg 0, 20 or 40 mg 35 mg 0, 25 or 50 mg 0, 25 or 50 mg

Hammer Gel

Hammer Gels have 80 – 90 calories per package, 21 – 22 grams of carbohydrate and four amino acids (alanine, isoleucine, leucine and valine). These gels are also available in a 26-serving jug to be used in a flask container that can hold up to five gels. The carbohydrate source is a combination of dextrose, also a simple sugar, maltodextrin and fruit juice. They contain only 20 – 35mg of sodium per package and are designed to be used with electrolyte replacement capsules called endurolytes (each capsule contains 40mg of sodium along with 25mg of potassium, 50mg of calcium, 25mg of magnesium, 1.6 mg of manganese, 6.6 mg og vitamin B6 and 50mg of L-tyrosine).

They are also available with or without 25 or 50mg of caffeine per gel. There are a total of 10 flavors available. My favorite is raspberry.

Hammer Gels are very popular among racers due to the large size they come in. Racers also like the ability to adjust electrolyte intake using the endurolyte product. Their consistency is slightly thicker, but still thin enough to work well in a flask.

They tend to be on the sweeter side due to their fruit juice and low sodium contents.

The company is based in Whitefish, and all the products are made in the U.S. hammernutrition.com

4

Power Bar gel

Power Bar gels have 110 calories per package and contain 27 grams of carbohydrate; they’re made from a combination of fructose, a simple sugar, and the complex carb maltodextrin. This gel is unique in that it contains 200mg of sodium. It’s also available with or without 25 or 50mg of caffeine per gel. The nine flavors include raspberry cream and vanilla The Power Bar gels have a relatively thin consistency that works well in a flask type container for longer events.

They have a salty aftertaste that takes some getting used to; however, I find that you don’t have to worry about additional electrolyte supplementation when using these, as compared to the Hammer gels. powerbar.com

Other none Amino acids Amino acids, Ornithine Alpha-Ketaglutarate Amino acids none

References: Campbell C, Prince D, Braun M, Applegate E, Casazza GA. Carbohydrate-supplement form and exercise performance. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 2008; 18(2): 179-190.

Paluska SA. Caffeine and Exercise. Current Sports Medicine Reports 2003;2:213-219.

Sokmen B, Armstrong LE, Kraemer WJ, Casa DJ, Dias JC, Judelson, DA, Maresh CM. Caffeine use in sports: considerations for the athlete. J Strength Conditioning Res 2008; 22: 978-986.

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TRACT 3 & 2 SECTION 5

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20 acres Triple Triangle Ranch extraordinary views and ski trail access desirable, private enclave contiguous to North Fork Tract 8

20 +/- acres, spectacular views located on gentle slope, private driveway ideal for a new home, well is drilled convenient to all of Big Sky

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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

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Big Sky Weekly

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MADISON COURT # 17

$199,900 • #183893 • Call Don

2.3 +/- acre estate lot adjacent to Bear Creek Spanish Peak Views, trees beautiful home site, well is in

• • • •

$199,000 • #180293 • Call Eric

2 bd, 2 ba, 1,207 +/- sf furnished condo corner unit, spacious kitchen 1 car attached garage close to Big Sky Town Center

NEW PRICE

GALLATIN CANYON CABIN $190,000 • #183761 • Call Lynn 581-4268

• • • •

406 +/- sf 1 +/- acre, picnic area, fire pit 150’ Gallatin River frontage boarders USFS, great access

CEDAR CREEK #50

RAMSHORN, LOT 4 • • • •

$189,500 • #180395 • Call Don

nice level building lot all season easy access great views of Porcupine Creek electricity and phone to lot

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$149,900 • #183116 • Call Stacy or Eric 2 bd, 2 ba, 868 +/- sf sold furnished w/ hot tub on deck gas fireplace, lots of storage well cared for unit, view of ski slopes

ANTLER RIDGE LOTS

$99,000 • #156549/#156551 • Call George

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46 & .5 +/- acres lots wonderful building sites, gorgeous views water and sewer (septic) metered purchase 1 lot or make an offer on both

Stuart Koch, Sales Associate, 406.581.1225

60 June 29, 2012

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