130419_weekly_WEB

Big Sky

Exploring life and land from the heart of the Yellowstone Region

April 19-May 2, 2013 Volume 4 // Issue #8

FAQ: Ophir School Bond Issue

120+

public comments on North Fork proposal

Business: Winter Season Wrap-up

Local skiers succeed on world stage

New collaborative works on Gallatin Range conflicts

media@theoutlawpartners.com

Big Sky's locally owned and published newspaper

Publisher of the big sky weekly

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ON THE COVER: Ophir School kids at recess on April 3. PHOTO by Tyler BUsby

2011 big sky chamber of commerce

Business of the Year April 19-May 2, 2013 Volume 4, Issue no. 8 PUBLISHER Eric Ladd

editorial MANAGING EDITOR Emily Stifler EDITOR Joseph T. O'Connor

Skiers went for it all at the 2013 Pond Skim during Big Sky Resort's closing weekend ceremonies. Photo by Kene Sperry.

staff writer/distribution director Tyler Allen

First winter in Big Sky

Editorial assistant Maria Wyllie

I first visited Big Sky for an interview in late September 2012. As I turned off 191, I tried to imagine myself living in this little hidden community. Driving around to kill some time, I tried to get a sense for Big Sky but couldn’t quite figure it out.

creative CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mike Martins VIDEO director Brian Niles GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kelsey Dzintars videographer/photographer Chris Davis

SALES and operations COO & SENIOR EDITOR Megan Paulson Operations director Katie Morrison

CONTRIBUTors

Jamie Balke, Buscrat, Mike Coil, Maren Dunn, Irene Henninger, Philip Kedrowski, Brandon Niles, Patrick Straub, Katie Thomas, Kene Sperry

Editorial Policy

Now, almost six months later, I couldn’t be happier to have crossed the Montana border. Big Sky and Moonlight’s expansive terrain and typically non-existent lift lines have enabled me to sleep in and still find powder stashes – an impossible feat at most other resorts.

I walked into the Hungry Moose and asked the girl behind the deli counter if this so-called Town Center was “town.” She laughed and nodded, clearly understanding my confusion.

From Pray for Snow parties, to rail jams to Pond Skim, there’s always something going on – usually, there’s too much to choose from.

Although I was familiar with the nature of the offseason, having spent two of them in Jackson, Wyo., Big Sky seemed eerily empty. But a road biker, a guy working the bungee trampoline at Big Sky’s Basecamp, and a 22-year-old woman I met for coffee all convinced me moving here was a good idea.

As we head into another off-season, I’m looking forward to a break from the winter mayhem before the summer season picks up. And if I come across a wandering potential transplant, I’ll let them know that even though I haven’t spent a summer here, I know they won’t regret it.

So in November, I packed my car and drove north from Jackson. I arrived with few expectations, hoping the winter would be a learning experience if nothing else.

- Maria Wyllie

Big Sky Weekly concentrated regional distribution

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.

Est. 35,000 readers/edition

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 next issue, may 3 April 26, 2013 CORRECTIONS The Big Sky Weekly runs corrections to errors we’ve printed.

Please report them to media@theoutlawpartners.com

OUTLAW PARTNERS & THE BIG SKY WEEKLY P.O. Box 160250, Big Sky, MT 59716 explorebigsky.com (406) 995-2055 media@theoutlawpartners.com

© 2013 The Big Sky Weekly Unauthorized reproduction prohibited

Table of Contents Letters...4 Community...5 Local News...8 Regional...9 Montana...11 Yellowstone...14 Dining...17 Sports...19 Health...21

Business...22 Environment...28 Clissifieds...30 Outdoors...33 Fishing Column...34 Events...36 Buscrat's Fables...38 Review...40 Column...42

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Big Sky Weekly

April 19-May 2, 2013 3

MONTANA IMPORT GROUP Montana Import Group would like to thank our customers and community partners for your sustained support.

HAPPY EARTH DAY! We have received the highly prestigous, Exclusive designation by Subaru of America as an

Eco Friendly Certified Dealership for our energy consumption, sustainable recycling, community involvement and water management.

D R I V I N G

T O

C O N S E R V E

M O N T A N A

Montana Import Group is a proud partner of:

Montana Raptor Conservation Center

(406) 586-1771

Text 579-9966 for Service 31910 Frontage Road Same Day Service for Most Repairs SALES Mon-Fri 9-6 • Sat 9-5 montanaimportgroup.com SERVICE Mon-Fri 7:30-6 • Sat 9-5

4 April 19-May 2, 2013

header letters

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Big Sky Fire Dept. board asks community to support mill levy The Big Sky Fire Department does not have the staffing needed to adequately protect you at the minimal level dictated by good emergency response practice. We ask that your vote be FOR this mill levy request.

If approved, the levy will add five additional firefighters with EMT or paramedic credentials. This staffing is needed to ensure four firefighter/ medics are available to respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This number is required for the safety of the community and the firefighter/ medics.

Currently, we are staffed by three paid personnel per shift, supplemented by 18 volunteers, eight of these in training. We remain dedicated to a combination professional/volunteer department; however, volunteers respond to only 6 percent of emergency calls, and we cannot rely on them for emergency response.

Resort Area District board to gain additional support for operations, and on average, resort tax funding now makes up about a quarter of the department’s revenue. We have also increased ambulance rates, and those fees now contribute about a fifth of our revenue.

Big Sky Weekly

THANK YOU TO THE BIG SKY AREA RESORTS FOR AN AMAZING SEASON

Although we have worked diligently to manage costs internally and taken steps to maintain adequate response, the number of incidents with sub-standard staffing continues to increase.

Ballots will be mailed on April 22 and must be returned to the Gallatin County election office no later than Tuesday May 7. If you’re leaving town, you can pick up your ballot April 15-18 at the county courthouse in Bozeman or ask the Election Office to mail it to a temporary address. Call (406) 582-3060.

Thank you for your support.

Five years ago, two levy requests totaling $1.2 million were voted down. You asked us to seek additional revenue in the form of resort tax dollars. We worked with the Big Sky

-The Big Sky Fire Department Board of Trustees: Alan McClain, Carol Collins, Kay Reeves, Doug Gale and Steve Johnson

“Toyota has the longest lasting vehicles of any full-line automotive manufacturer.”

– R.L. Polk & Co.

new

2013 Toyota

Prius Liftback

$299 mo. for 36 mos.

lease for

Odown $Odue

$

payment

NEW 2013 TOYOTA TUNDRA lease for

$289 for

36 mos.

mo.

at signing

DOUBLE CAB

NEW 2013 TOYOTA COROLLA LE lease for

$169 for

36 mos.

Toyota of Bozeman DEALER LOGO AREA 866-623-5535

mo.

NEW 2013 TOYOTA CAMRY LE lease for

(gas)

$209

mo.

for

24 mos.

Longevity based on Polk U.S. Vehicles In Operation registration statistics MY 1987-2012 as of October 2012. Full-line manufacturer based on car, SUV, minivan, compact and full-size pickup. Lease a new 2013 Prius Liftback (Two) for $299 a month for 36 months with $0 down and $0 due at signing. The acquisition fee, tax, and license fees will be capitalized over the lease term. Example based on model #1223. Base Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price $24,200. Monthly payments of $299 total $10,764. Net Capitalized cost of $25,367 based on down payment and dealer participation, which may vary by dealer. Lease-end purchase option is $15,246.00. • Lease a New 2013 Camry LE (gas) for $209 a month for 24 months with $1,740 down and $2,599 due at signing. Due at signing costs include first month’s payment, $650 acquisition fee and $1,740 down payment. Example based on model #2532. Base Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price $22,680. Monthly payments of $209 total $5,016. Net capitalized cost of $21,210 based on down payment and dealer participation, which may vary by dealer. Lease-end purchase option is $16,202.80. • Lease a New 2013 Corolla LE for $169 a month for 36 months with $500 Subvention Cash, $1,520 down and $1,839 due at signing. Due at signing costs include first month’s payment, $650 acquisition fee, $1,520 down payment and $500 TFS Lease Subvention Cash. Example based on model #1838. Base Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price $18,180. Monthly payments of $169 total $6,084. Net capitalized cost of $16,982 based on down payment and dealer participation, which may vary by dealer. Lease-end purchase option is $10,908.00. • Lease a New 2013 Tundra Double Cab for $289 a month for 36 months with $1,000 Subvention Cash, $2,060 down and $1,999 due at signing. Due at signing costs include first month’s payment, $650 acquisition fee, $2,060 down payment and $1,000 TFS Lease Subvention Cash. Example based on model #8339. Base Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price $30,760. Monthly payments of $289 total $10,404. Net capitalized cost of $29,633 based on down payment and dealer participation, which may vary by dealer. Lease-end purchase option is $19,246.20. • Payment may vary depending on final transaction price. 2013 Corolla LE and 2013 Tundra Double Cab Lease Subvention Cash from manufacturer, not applicable for cash back offers and must qualify for cash through Toyota Financial Services (TFS), does not include College or Military Rebates. Offers cannot be combined with any other offers, vary by region and are subject to availability. Security deposit waived. Closed-end lease. $350 disposition fee due at lease end unless customer purchases vehicle or decides to re-finance through TFS. Customer responsible for maintenance, excess wear and tear and $0.15 per mile over 12,000 miles per year. To qualified Tier I+ customers through TFS. Offers good in WA, OR, ID, and MT. For ID and MT state dealerships, a documentary service fee in an amount up to $350 may be added to vehicle price. For Washington state dealerships, a negotiable documentary service fee in an amount up to $150 may be added to sale price or capitalized cost. For Oregon state dealerships, a negotiable documentary service fee in an amount up to $100 may be added to vehicle price. Oregon state dealerships not using an electronic vehicle registration system may only apply fees up to $75 to vehicle price. Does not include taxes, license, title, processing fees, insurance and dealer charges. Subject to availability. See your local participating Toyota dealer for details.

Must take retail delivery from dealer stock by 4/30/13.

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Big Sky Weekly

April 19-May 2, 2013 5

FAQ: Big Sky School District proposed bond BIG SKY SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Big Sky School District is proposing a $10.2 million bond to build a new pre-K – fourth grade elementary school. The 15-year bond would include the acquisition of seven acres of land next to the district’s track and football complex. For more questions, contact the district superintendent Jerry House at jhouse@bssd72.org.

of 300 students for the 2016-2017 school year. Additionally, the current building cannot be increased in size because the heating/ventilating systems are at maximum capacity.

What is a bond and how may the money be used?

The new school and current building will possibly share the well, septic system, kitchen facilities and the community library. The facility will house a new gym and a multi-purpose room used for art activities, cafeteria, after school programs and adult education. The district and the Facilities Planning Committee has considered all the options and do not want a “Taj Mahal,” but do want an efficient, effective building.

A school bond is solely for providing money for school district capital-outlay projects such as renovation, acquiring land or constructing new facilities.

It cannot be used for any other purpose. The school’s bonding capacity for its K-12 school system is $19 million. However, the district foresees no additional immediate construction needs for the elementary, middle or high school.

We just built a new high school, why a new elementary school?

Space. Student enrollment is one of the fastest growing enrollments in the state. To meet Montana’s class size requirements, it needs to split gradelevel classes, requiring additional space. The district’s last bonds, issued in 2008, built the secondary school wing. Since then, student enrollment has grown by 38 percent, to more than 250 students.

Some incoming preschool grades have more than 30 students, requiring, by law, multiple classrooms for each primary grade. The district projects enrollment

How many taxpayer dollars were used to pay for and construct WMPAC? No district bonds, district mill levy funds, federal or state tax funds were used to construct WMPAC. It was built with $494,000 in Big Sky Resort Tax funding combined with private donations.

How can the district build a school for $10.2 million?

How would increased costs be paid?

All increases would be paid from the district’s general fund. Costs would be heating the new facility, along with the increase of custodial services that would be shared with the existing facility. The elementary teachers are currently on staff. Office space will be occupied by counselors and specialists from Gallatin County including speech and language, as well as physical and occupational therapists. The goal is to make the new elementary an Energy Starrated building, thus saving district tax dollars.

Why does the district need to purchase land? Why didn’t it use the old gym space?

How will technology be used in the new building?

Buying land would allow for facility construction and protects current site use for Lone Peak High School sports programs, playground space for Health Enhancement classes, and after school programs. The old gym space that’s now home to the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center would’ve allowed for a small number of classrooms but wouldn’t have met space needs. By passing the bond now, the district is using taxpayer monies for maximum benefits.

The plans call for advanced safety features such as exterior and interior security cameras, and the building will feature wireless connectivity. Students will have access to desktop computers, laptops, tablets and personal devices for educational purposes.

Critical issue: Management of growth Grades k-5 Student enrollment, historical & projected 199

200

200

2020/2021

2021/2022

189

195

2019/2020

200 179 168

2014/2015

146

116

2006/2007

2007/2008

100

125

118 110

130

127

122

97 82

84

2002/2003

2003/2004

76

80

2001/2002

enrollment

160

2013/2014

150

159

50

0 2018/2019

2017/2018

2016/2017

2015/2016

2012/2013

2011/2012

2010/2011

2009/2010

2008/2009

2005/2006

2004/2005

2000/2001

year

Courtesy of Big Sky School District

6 April 19-May 2, 2013

community header

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Big Sky Weekly

Big Sky Community Food Bank now open

By Emily Stifler

Big Sky Weekly Managing Editor

BIG SKY – A group of nine volunteers spent Saturday, April 13 stocking the shelves at the new Big Sky Community Food Bank. On Monday evening, they were still at it, organizing half of the more than 11,000 pounds of food the community has donated to the organization since its inception in November.

The other 50 percent has already gone to residents in need, distributed via food boxes and holiday assistance sacks.

The cans and dry food now lining the shelves and the back storage room of the facility in the Big Horn Shopping Center were stored at the Gallatin Valley Food Bank until the BSCFB earned its certification in early March from the Gallatin County Health Department.

In the six weeks since obtaining that licensure, the food bank had a few more hurdles to cross including broken pipes and a major power outage in the area.

“It’s just good for everyone,” said Rachael Bartzick, who was lining up cans of soup on Monday as part of her

Lone Peak High School community service hours. “It helps out so many people.”

On the other side of the aisle, volunteer Cariline Davis-Dyer was stocking bags of curly pasta. “I’m thinking it’s going to look really good,” she said, smiling. “I’m thinking people are going to get excited.”

The BSCFB is a subsidiary of Gallatin Valley Food Bank, which falls under the nonprofit Human Resources Development Council.

Now that the doors are open, the BSCFB’s regular hours will be Tuesdays, 3-7 p.m., and Fridays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Once the group hires a staff member, it will also be open on Wednesdays. The facility will accept

donations during those hours, and also via drop barrels at the Lone Peak Brewery, the post office, the Country Market, Pretty Paws and at the food bank.

Establishments that would like a donation barrel can contact Diane Bartzick at (914) 382-9966. Interested volunteers can contact Vanessa Lucio at (210) 867-0377.

The food bank opened on Tuesday, April 16 using a “shopping model” like what the Gallatin Valley Food Bank uses, where clients receive a tally on each item they can take per month, depending on the number of people in their household – a certain amount of proteins, fruits, vegetables, meats and starches, for example.

“That way we’re not giving them something their family wouldn’t eat,” said advisory board member Lynne Anderson, owner of the Country Market, comparing to another method where shoppers receive a set box of food.

“Now we’re just finally getting to the point where we can… get operating the way we’ve wanted to the whole time,” said Anderson, who spearheaded the project last fall with Anne Marie Mistretta.

Lynne Anderson, owner of the Country Market, has been a leader in getting the Big Sky Food Bank off the ground. Here, she stocks shelves at the facility, located in the Big Horn Shopping Center at the intersection of US 191 and Lone Mountain Trail. Photo by Emily Stifler

BIG SKY ’S FULL SERVICE GROCERY STORE Hand- cut meats • Fresh baked goods • Gourmet items • Beer & wine

LOCAL FRESH Delivery available - have your rental unit stocked upon your arrival! 406-995-4636 Open 7 days a week, 6:30am to 8pm Extended hours 6:30am to 10pm December 15-April 15 and July 1- Labor Day

Located in the Meadow Village Center next to Lone Peak Brewery

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Big Sky Weekly

April 19-May 2, 2013 7

Mill Levy Community Meeting Dates: Monday, March 25 at 9am, 12pm, 6pm & Thursday, March 28 at 9am, 12pm, 6pm Meetings are held at Big Sky Fire Dept, Station #1

Important Impact of the Proposed 2013 Mill Levy area serviced

Mutual aid assistance

Minimum response needs

Minimal mutual aid assistance is available due to location

Emergency Medical Services

Low priority incidents

yellowstone club

20+

Big Sky & Hwy 191 from Lava Lake turnoff – Yellowstone National Park boundary

increasing call volume

2011 2012

2 people gone 3+ hrs

minutes away

High priority incidents

all others

45+

+7%/yr +13.6%/yr June & July +88% August +54.7% September +50%

EMS accounts for 70% of all responses

3 people gone 3+ hrs

minutes away

Fire incidents

automobile accidents

Structure: 4 people required by OSHA,

Min. 2-3 people to treat each patient, plus 4-6 for extrication, fire suppression & traffic direction

14+ per NFPA standards (if water is avail, more needed if no water) Wildland: 8+ people needed

Current BSFD capabilities 2-3 on duty 24 hrs/day, 18 volunteers (Currently available approximately 6% of time)

M i ll Levy

Goal

Cost

tax increase 10.362 mills on taxable value

$450k/

Increase available career personnel to minimally safe number =

4

the equation

amount paid

Taxable Value x 10.3632 / 1000 = Amount of New Tax

70% of property taxes paid by non-resident owners

V x 10.3632/1000 = tax

annually

What does this cost me? Even with proposed increase, Big Sky residents still pay far less than majority of the county for value of properties protected.

Estimated Monthly Tax

current mill levy comparison

(based on state market value of residential property)

40.79

40.08

39.17

38.88

38.29

22.82

14.97

8.89

Amsterdam

Willow Creek

Sourdough

Bridger

Big Sky

Three Forks

Sedan

Questions or more information?

Contact Big Sky Fire Department, 406-995-2100, www.bigskyfire.org, wfarhat@bigskyfire.org

Gallatin Gateway

Your vote matters on May 7th

49.25

$12.67/mo

Story Mill

$1,000,000

51.56

$10.14/mo

Hebgen Basin

$800,000

54.5

$7.60/mo

Central Valley Fire

$600,000

68.95

$5.07/mo

Manhattan

$400,000

120.79

$2.53/mo

Gallatin River Ranch

$200,000

Note - The Sourdough Fire District just added 23.71 mills for the next 15 years to build a $2.9 million fire station

8 April 19-May 2, 2013

headernews local

Big Sky Resort takes top prize from onthesnow.com in 2013

By Tyler Allen

Big Sky Weekly Staff Writer

BIG SKY – It isn’t just locals who love Lone Mountain. Big Sky Resort was awarded onthesnow.com’s “2013 Visitor’s Choice Award: Best Overall Resort” on April 10, at the Mountain Travel Symposium in Snowmass, Colo.

“The Visitors’ Choice Awards help to paint an accurate portrait of the resort experiences of our visitors at onthesnow.com,” Global Content Director Patrick Crawford said in a press release. “They allow North American skiers and snowboarders to have their voices heard amongst their peers regarding the sport they know and love.”

The resort also took home the top prize in 2009 from the world’s largest snow reporting website, giving both the resort and community great exposure, said Lyndsey Owens, Big Sky Resort Marketing Director. “When you get that kind of award it’s on their website all year,” she said.

“Anybody in this town who gets honored for anything – it just helps us all,” said Bob Foster, Lone Mountain Ranch General Manager. “It shows we’ve got some class here in Big Sky.” The website noted what most appealed to its readers: Big Sky Resort’s 3,812 acres of skiing and riding, the adventuresome “European-style” terrain accessed by the tram, the abundant intermediate cruisers on Andesite Mountain, and the interconnect to Moonlight Basin that creates “The Biggest Skiing in America.” These factors, along with consistent snowfall over the past few years, have more skiers and riders discovering Lone Mountain every season.

“Our visitation has increased every year,” Owens said. “The industry saw a 60 percent decline [from last year], while Big Sky had a 3 percent increase.” The resort set another record for skier visits this season, with more than 370,000.

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Big Sky Weekly

Forest Service to decide on North Fork trails proposal More than 120 public comments submitted

By Tyler Allen

Big Sky Weekly Staff Writer

BIG SKY – The hard work has begun for the Forest Service on the North Fork trails proposal.

After a second public meeting – this one held at Buck’s T-4 on April 4 and attended by 45-50 people – plus a two-week extension to the comment period prompted by public demand, the immediate future of proposed changes to the access in the drainage now rests with Mary Erickson, Forest Supervisor for Custer and Gallatin National Forests.

The Forest’s proposal entails an exchange of easements with private landowners to allow for construction of a new 6.8-mile trail adjacent to Forest Road 166B. The project would also include a relocation of 166B to bypass a private residence that was built next to the road in 2002, and has caused problems with public access since it was completed.

“The next step is to determine if there are [still] pieces that need to be addressed, or changes that need to be negotiated,” Erickson said.

Erickson plans to read the more than 120 public comments submitted in the coming weeks before making a decision, said Bozeman District Ranger Lisa Stoeffler.

Despite the two public meetings and extended comment period, Bob Schaap, former owner of Lone Mountain Ranch who now lives east of Bozeman, believes the public hasn’t had sufficient time to review the proposal, something he noted in his written comment to the agency.

“I think [the Forest Service is] making a mistake doing it in the winter time,” Schaap later told the Weekly. “People aren’t getting the opportunity to get up there and see the technical difficulties [in building this new trail].”

“We tried to be very clear to people it wasn’t a NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process,” Erickson said of the proposal. “There is no Environmental Impact Statement, and we’re going to spend the time we need to read through the comments and very thoughtfully determine whether there are any modifications to the proposal we need to make.”

Since the proposal would be an exchange of easements instead of a project like fuels reduction or construction of a campground on public land, an EIS – which has very specific time frames and appeals processes – is not required.

“Mary reads all the comments, to understand [them] in their entirety, which will take a few weeks at least,” Stoeffler said.

Regarding future action, Erickson said, “There is no time frame for a decision.”

The Big Sky Community Corp., which manages trails and parks in Big Sky, refrained from taking a stance on the proposal during the public comment period.

“We want to hear people weighing in on the issue,” said Herb Davis, chairman of the BSCC trails committee and former LMR trails manager.

He noted the topic would likely be discussed at the organization’s next board meeting on April 19, after the Weekly went to press.

“There’s a lot of private land in Big Sky that abuts public land,” Davis said. “This could be a good precedent for how the community can work with private landowners in securing access through their property to public lands. It’s going to take a lot of continuing negotiations… when it comes to a swap of easements and whether the Forest Service wants to continue this process.”

Big Sky Post Office bumps up outgoing mail deadlines Effective Friday, April 26, the Big Sky Post Office’s new deadline for outgoing mail and packages will be 3 p.m. Any mail processed after 3 p.m. will go out the next day. The Saturday 1 p.m. deadline remains the same.

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header regional

Big Sky Weekly

April 19-May 2, 2013 9

New group aims for solution on Hyalite-Porcupine-Buffalo Horn WSA Public meetings set for April 22 – May 13

By Emily Stifler

Big Sky Weekly Managing Editor

BOZEMAN – A new organization, the Gallatin Community Collaborative, is forming to bring together opposing user groups to find a solution for long-standing conflict over land use in the Gallatin Range.

Adjacent to Yellowstone National Park, these mountains are home to thriving wildlife populations and provide world-class recreation for the surrounding communities of Livingston, Big Sky, Gardiner, West Yellowstone and Bozeman.

Managed by the Gallatin National Forest, the 155,000-acre Hyalite-Porcupine-Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study Area sits in the heart of the range. Congress designated the WSA in 1977 to “preserve its existing wilderness character” until a decision about long-term management and protection could be made. It’s been the center point of conflicting user groups ever since.

Approximately 400 people attended a public meeting hosted by the Forest Service at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds in February 2012. The tone of the meeting, said facilitator Dan Clark, showed “interest in moving forward with [exploring more formal] collaboration.”

So Clark, Director of the Montana State University Local Government Center, established an Exploratory Committee for the Gallatin Community Collaborative, representing diverse interests including motorized and non-motorized recreation, outfitters, landowners, conservation, education and agency managers.

“It seemed like there weren’t a lot of other alternatives,” Clark said, referring to the contentious 2006 Gallatin National Forest Travel Plan and the ensuing litigation by environmental groups – none of which resolved the situation. “We’ve been dealing with this for 30 years. Having another Forest Plan isn’t going to solve the problem.”

With the Gallatin National Forest now considering revisions to its management plan, and no litigation pending, the Exploratory Committee laid what it hopes to be groundwork for future management. “[It’s] a time for communities to sit down and say, ‘how do we approach this differently?’” Clark said.

The committee’s discussions over the past year focused on building guidelines and operating protocols for a collaborative process.

“It’s been rewarding working with people that would have been on [the] opposite side during the litigation,” said Tom Owen, a committee member and owner of Gallatin Alpine Sports in Big Sky. “It’s truly been… a collaboration of us working together.”

With that in place, the committee plans to hand off the reins to the yet-to-be formed Gallatin Community Collaborative.

“It’s not something that’s been tried here before, but after years of frustration, we think people

might be willing to try something different,” said Jeremy Fatouros, committee member and owner of Lost Creek Outfitters.

The committee’s vision is that the process will be fair, transparent, inclusive, fact-based and civil, and that the collaborative group will work toward a “broad, adaptive and durable” resolution that it will ultimately present to the Gallatin National Forest and federal elected officials. This process is anticipated to take two years.

The Exploratory Committee has scheduled six informational sessions April 22 – May 13, in Big Sky, Bozeman, Livingston and Emigrant. These will be used to explain the history of the WSA and the group’s work so far, and also to further gather information on community interests and help define the management future of the landscape.

The sessions are free and open to the public, but a reservation is required to ensure adequate space.

All agendas and minutes will be available on the Gallatin Collaborative website, which is now under construction.

Going forward, the group is looking for citizens to serve on subcommittees and in leadership roles, attend meetings, and stay informed by following the work online.

An organizing meeting will likely happen before the end of June to form the collaborative group, Clark said, but the timeline depends on hiring a new facilitator to take over the process.

“It won’t be easy,” Owen said. “There are going to be a lot of emotions, passion. It’s going to be a long process.” But while the Forest Service and congressional delegates will set the policies, the decision on how to manage the land is currently in the hands of the surrounding communities, he said.

And there is plenty of interest: When the Exploratory Committee put out its press release on April 5, its website received 500 hits within the first couple hours.

In the long run, according to the release, this process could “help reinvent the way this community resolves questions about management and protection of its shared public lands, helping ensure these resources are managed well and sustainably for years to come.”

Gallatin Collaborative informational sessions All workshops will be from 6-8 p.m. For more information on specific location or to register for one of the informational sessions, which is required to attend, visit gallatincollaborative.org or call (406) 587-6701.

April 22 April 30 May 2 May 6 May 7 May 13

Big Sky Bozeman Bozeman Livingston Livingston Emigrant

NPS releases new Yellowstone Winter Use Plan proposal

60-day public review and comment period open YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

The National Park Service on April 16 released for public comment a proposed rule to more effectively manage access for snowmobiles and snow coaches in Yellowstone while minimizing impacts on visitors, air and sound quality, and wildlife. This opens a 60-day public review and comment period.

Under the proposal, the park would permit up to 110 “transportation events” daily, initially defined as one snowcoach or a group of up to 10 snowmobiles. Up to 50 events per day may be groups of snowmobiles, four of which would be designated for non-commercially guided snowmobiles. Sylvan Pass, near the East Entrance, would continue to operate under the status quo.

The winter of 2013/2014 will be a transition period, when the current regulations will remain, allowing up to 318 commercially guided Best Available Technology snowmobiles and 78 guided snowcoaches daily.

Comments may be submitted through the regulations.gov website, in person or by mail and must be received or postmarked by midnight, June 17. Comments will not be accepted by phone, fax, or email.

10 April 19-May 2, 2013

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Big Sky Weekly

L&K PREMIER LISTINGS

ON THE RIVER...

RIVER RUN AT YC - ESTATE 311 - $10,500,000 Unmatched at any ski mountain base, River Run Estate 311 within Yellowstone Club includes a finished guest home, room for main home construction, frontage on a fork of the Gallatin River, the ability to board and ride horses, and privacy and seclusion on this 7.11 acre site.

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LUXURY SUITE AT MOONLIGHT BASIN - $879,000 Premier location in Moonlight’s Cowboy Heaven with true ski-in/skiout access to both Big Sky Resort and Moonlight Basin. This 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath Luxury Suite has a private deck with hot tub, excellent rental history, great views and is offered fully furnished turn-key.

THE BIGGEST VIEWS...

LOT 192 AT YC - $1,800,000 Located in Yellowstone Club, this 2.74 acre lot has unbelievable views to all major surrounding peaks, access to the Biggest Skiing in America®, private club amenities, and Andesite ski lift just seconds away.

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SPANISH PEAKS CABIN - $1,380,000 Surrounded by open space and resting in an already built-out area, this 2585 sq. ft. cabin is defined by its location which could be called “the pick of the litter”. A thoughtfully-designed, upgraded floorplan and luxury furnishings in the home make it truly on-of-a kind in Spanish Peaks.

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MOUNTAIN MEADOWS - $3,495,000 A magnificent piece of Montana: 120+/- acres with spectacular mountain views, including Lone Mountain. This property is a delightful combination of alpine meadows and forest, bountiful with wildlife including elk, moose and deer. The largest acreage currently available near destination ski resorts in the Big Sky area. Located halfway between Bozeman and Yellowstone National Park.

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All information given is considered reliable, but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, and should not be relied upon as such. These offerings are subject to errors, omissions, and changes including price or withdrawal without notice. All rights reserved. Equal Housing Opportunity. ©2013 LK REAL ESTATE, llc. lkrealestate.com

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Big Sky Weekly

April 19-May 2, 2013 11

Spring migration means bison are on the road Buffalo Field Campaign

Be advised if you’re traveling to West Yellowstone, because the bison migration is underway and the animals are currently on or near the highways, day and night.

As the continent’s historical bison migration routes have become major and minor highways, this has resulted in some of the animals being killed by speeding motorists. Six have already been struck and killed by motorists in 2013; five occurring within 72 hours, and all of the collisions at night.

The bison’s dark color and eye placement make them difficult to see at night. This is as much about human safety as it is to safeguard America’s last wild bison.

Some suggestions for safe driving: • • •

• •

March through June, expect bison on the road, day or night.

Heed the warnings. If you see the hot pink signs marking the presence of bison, slow down.

A little patience goes a long way. An extra 2 – 5 minutes of your time could be the difference between your safe arrival or a totaled car, injuries or worse, and dead bison. Slow down, turn on your hazards, and let the animals move where they are headed. Speeding through them or causing them to scatter is very dangerous.

Don’t honk. It doesn’t keep bison from crossing roads and can cause chaos and delays.

Don’t pull over in their path or pull right up alongside of them. Blocking their path only keeps them on the road longer. Bison need to have a clear exit to get off the road.

bison in the road

This is how Big Sky gets into hot water.

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12 April 19-May 2, 2013

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March 22-April 12 explorebigsky.com Big 4, Sky2013 Weekly

33rd Annual Pie Auction Success

The roaring twenties theme was a roaring good time for attendees. The Ophir School Council/PTO held it’s largest fundraiser of the year April 6th at Buck’s T-4 and raised just over $50,000.00. This brings the OSC in on budget and allows them to fund such things as the Alpine and Nordic Ski programs, guest speakers, Washington DC visit, extra curriculum, art and music programs, Expedition Yellowstone, library assistance and much much more.

Thanks to our sponsors, donors and attendees.

-Lesli Colis OSC President A special thank you, to the Rapier Foundation, for their generous donation to the Ophir School Council.

Thanks to: American Bank*3 Rivers Communication*Adam Skaggs*Ana Ouruusoff Yoga*Anu Salon/Hair Ninja*Amy Jones*Bequet Confections*Big Sky Build*Big Sky Blooms*Big Sky Coffee and Tea*Big Sky Fusion Fitness*Big Sky Landscaping*Big Sky Resort* Big Sky Weekly*Big Sky Western Bank*Black Bull*Blue Moon Bakery*Blue Ribbon Bulders*Bob Olson*Bozeman Bowl*Buck’s T-4*By Word of Mouth*Carole Sisson Designs*China Café*Choppers*Colton Stiffler Photography*Conoco*Corral Bar and Steakhouse*Creighton Block Gallery*East Slopes Outdoors*ERA Landmark*Eye in the Sky Photography/Kene Sperry*Fly Low*Gallatin Alpine Sports*Gallatin River Lodge*Executive Auto Detail-Billion Auto*Geyser Whitewater*Go Pro*Gourmet Gals*Grizzly Outfitters*Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center*Hammond Poperty Management*Headwaters Irrigation*Heather Rapp*Hilda Padilla LLC*Holiday Inn West Yellowstone*Hungry Moose Market and Deli*Jakes Horses*Jim Anderson Enterprises*JP Woolies*Judy Katany and Dan Taft*Karen Roberts-Sonic Touch Massage*Marjorie Knaub*KBZM,KKQZ, The Eagle, KSCY-20*Bill Lerch*Little Bear Interiors*Lone Mountain Ranch*Lone Mountain Sports*Lone Peak Brewery*Lone Peak Cinema*Lone Peak Lookout*Lone Peak Playhouse*Madison River Crossing*Medical Clinic of Big Sky*Mike Haring Photography*Montana Living/Big Sky Real Estate*Warren Miller Co*Montana Whitewater*Moonlight Basin*Mountain Maids*Museum of the Rockies*Old West Furniture*Orion Telescopes and Binoculars*Ousel and Spur*Ozssage*Alpine Water-Pete Manka*Plonk*Prana*Pure West Realty*Rainbow Ranch*River Rock Lodge*Rock Creek Cattle Company*Ryan Turner Photography*Santosha Wellness Center*Security Title*Lone Peak Seniors*Sotherbys*Spirit of the North Dog Sledding* S and W Outfitters*The Cabin Bar and Grill*Colies Charters Bait and Tackle*Bryan Mohler Guide Service*David Reeves Photography*Cardinal Distributing* The Cave*Tori Pintar, Photographer*Town Center*Treasures Boutique*Twelve Moon Skin Care*Wolff Creek Massage*Contintental Construction*Yellowstone Big Gun Fun*Yellowstone Club*Charlie Callander*Sarah Phelps and Lee Griffiths*Scott Schmidt*OSC Board-Lesli Colis President, Jessica Spenser VP, Krisy Hammond Secretary, Deb McCabe Treasurer*Big Sky School District Administration-Teachers-Staff*Kimmi Warga*Jody Conophy*Heidi Sonen*Deb House*Kathy Tatum*Lori Swenson*Danielle McClain*Pam Flach*Erika Jennings*Suzanne Schreiner*Amy Wiezalis*Sarah Beers*Maria Locker*Marie Rapp*Jennifer Hoover*Sarah Lovold*Shana Seeley*The Merc-True Value*Chuck Schommer*Jill Zeidler*Endless list of volunteer parents that make our school what it is. Big Sky School District #72.

Photography by: Tori Pintar, Photographer

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Big Sky Weekly

April 19-May 2, 2013 13

Innovate Montana relaunches as resource for entrepreneurs

SB 209 would give Big Sky Resort Tax Board bonding authority

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

By Emily Stifler

HELENA – Gov. Steve Bullock and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development on April 11 relaunched Innovate Montana, a public-private partnership highlighting the advances taking place in Montana’s entrepreneurial community.

The partnership has two primary objectives: to connect Montana entrepreneurs and businesses across the state with economic development and networking resources, and to promote the state’s broad spectrum of thriving businesses. The Governor’s announcement came on the heels of a Montana Department of Labor and Industry report on the state’s 5.6 percent unemployment rate – an almost complete recovery to peak employment.

“I’ve been traveling across the state talking to the men and women who are starting sustainable, cutting-edge businesses with a global market, right here in Montana,” Gov. Bullock said. “Innovate Montana is telling that story – that you don’t have to live in New York or San Francisco to run a successful business or have a

meaningful career. You can build your dream here, surrounded by the places that millions of tourists make their vacation destinations every year.”

Innovate Montana’s cornerstone is its website, innovatemontana.com, an online portal for accessing resources for working, living and growing businesses in Big Sky Country. The website features profiles of Montana entrepreneurs and businesses, a newsfeed showcasing the state’s diversity of economic success and groundbreaking initiatives, and a jobs board.

Visitors can also connect to Innovate Montana’s active social media community through the website, and watch videos highlighting the benefits of living and working in Montana on YouTube.

Big Sky Weekly Managing Editor

HELENA – A bill that would give the Big Sky Resort Tax Area District bonding authority is in the governor’s office.

The House passed Senate Bill 209, sponsored by Sen. Ron Arthun, R-Wilsall, in the form that it came from the Senate, according to Big Sky Resort Tax Board chairman Les Loble. Gov. Steve Bullock has 10 days to either sign off or veto it.

If passed, SB 209 would allow the Big Sky Resort Tax Board to fund large, longterm projects. A majority vote of the board and voter approval would be required to pass a bond in excess of $500,000, and a 4 out of 5 majority board vote with no voter approval for bonds less than that amount.

Some of the ideas that have been discussed are a recreational center/concert venue and a more advanced health care facility. The amount pledged annually to repay bonds for such a project could not exceed 25 percent of the average of the previous five years’ resort tax collections.

The new law would apply to all four Montana resort area districts, Big Sky, St. Regis, Craig and Cooke City. Defined as unincorporated areas with a population less than 2,500 where the major portion of the community or area’s economic wellbeing is derived from businesses catering to non-business travelers, each of the four areas has a 3 percent resort tax.

“Montanans have an amazing ability to come together to get a job done,” Bullock added. “I’m looking forward to seeing the collaboration and opportunities for moving our state forward that Innovate Montana will generate.”

Snowpack below average in southwest Montana NRCS changes measurement strategy

By Emily Stifler

Big Sky Weekly Managing Editor

BOZEMAN – As of April 1, the snowpack in most Montana river basins was slightly below normal, but a weeklong weather system starting April 8 improved the average statewide, according to snow survey data from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The NRCS shifted its normals period this year, and is now excluding the wetter-than-average decade of 1971-1980 and including the drier 2001-2010 decade.

“That is going to make everything [this year] look wetter than it would have in previous years with the old averages,” said Brian Domonkos, NRCS water supply specialist. “So, 96 percent this year would have been 88 percent last year, with the old normals… The percents of average are markedly changed.”

That, he explained, is why the mountains may look much drier

than the snowpack numbers this year would indicate.

The snowpack in the mid- and upper elevations of the basins in southwest Montana is in fact below average, Domonkos said, even compared to last year, which was also a low year.

These elevations yield the bulk of the state’s water supply, so continued monitoring will determine the timing and volume of the upcoming runoff.

This was caused in part by nearly a month of high pressure in central and southern Montana, which led to above average temperatures and below average precipitation.

However, the Gallatin and Yellowstone river basins both saw significant increases during the early April storm, Domonkos said, with the Gallatin up 6 percent over the entire basin, to 96 percent of average as of April 15.

The upper Gallatin River Basin – which is everything above Gallatin Gateway – is at 100 percent of average, and the Hyalite watershed, which drains into the Gallatin in Belgrade, is now at 98 percent, Domonkos said.

The storm had a significant effect on the Yellowstone above Billings, which is up 5 percent to 89 percent. Above Livingston the Yellowstone is at 92 percent.

The Madison and Jefferson rivers, which didn’t see as much precipitation that week, are at 91 and 85 percent of average, respectively.

Given the current snowpack and near normal expected precipitation and temperatures in the coming weeks, the NRCS is predicting stream flows will be below average this year. However, snowpack typically reaches its maximum in April, and weather this month will impact their timing and volume.

100% Gallatin River Basin

98% Hyalite

watershed

92% yellowstone

above livingston

91% Madison river basin

89% Yellowstone

above billings

85% Jefferson river basin

header yellowstone

14 April 19-May 2, 2013

Yellowstone Park roads open

Free park entrance April 22-26 for National Park Week.

YELLOWSTONE – The roads from West Yellowstone and Mammoth Hot Springs to Old Faithful will open Friday, April 19.

Budget cuts due to the impacts of sequestration delayed the start of plowing from March 4 until March 18; however, favorable weather, low snow levels, and assistance from the Wyoming Department of Transportation and private funding allowed the park to clear these road segments earlier than anticipated.

Park entrance fees will be waived April 22-26 as part of National Park Week.

Weather permitting, the road from Norris Junction through Canyon and Fishing Bridge to the East Entrance will open on May 3, as originally scheduled. The road through the South Entrance is scheduled to open May 10, and the road from West Thumb Junction to Old Faithful will open after May 10. Travel between the park’s North Entrance at Gardiner, through Mammoth Hot Springs and to the Northeast Entrance is open year round.

Park officials remind visitors that spring weather can bring cold temperatures, high winds and snow in Yellowstone. Even cleared roads can be narrow and covered with snow, ice and debris. Temporary road closures are possible with little or no advance warning.

Information on current park conditions is available at nps.gov/yell/conditions.htm or (307) 344-2117. Follow plowing progress at nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/plowing.htm.

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April 19-May 2, 2013 15

YPF announces grants totaling $600,000 Funds going to 12 projects in Yellowstone YELLOWSTONE PARK FOUNDATION

BOZEMAN – Sequestration. Budget cuts. These are tough times for America’s national parks.

Scientists Symposium for Old Faithful $35,000

On April 11, the Yellowstone Park Foundation, the official fundraising partner for Yellowstone National Park, announced $600,000 in new project grants for 2013 park projects. More than 16,000 individuals, corporations and foundations donate to YPF each year.

A scientist’s review panel will advise the Park on existing knowledge of the hydrothermal system, impacts of past and existing development on the system, and best management options for the future at Old Faithful.

Like most park friends’ groups, YPF’s mission and agreement with the National Park Service is to provide funding for specific projects beyond the park’s daily operations.

Remote Sensors for Boundary Enforcement - $30,000

This spring’s grants were made in response to the foundation’s fall 2012 request for proposals, where the park submitted suggested projects to YPF’s board of directors. Grant decisions were made prior to sequestration, but now are timely.

“These grants from the Yellowstone Park Foundation will help us maximize our resources that are even more limited than before sequestration, so that these important projects can move forward,” - Yellowstone Supt. Dan Wenk

This is a pilot program that uses remote-sensing equipment in the backcountry to help deter boundary violations and wildlife poaching.

Development of a Distance Learning Studio - $30,000

Equipment and space for live webcast programs between park rangers and classrooms across the U.S. that want interactive programs for their students.

Scientific Research on Brown Bats - $30,000 Around 6.7 million bats have died as a result of White Nose Syndrome in the U.S. as of January 2012. This grant extends 2012 studies to keep bats healthy, and address climate change effects and other stressors. YPF funds will complete a two-year study to determine habitat, activity and their beneficial role in the ecosystem.

For more information, visit ypf.org.

YPF has raised more than $70 million since its inception in 1996, funding more than 250 projects and initiatives that include wildlife research, cutthroat trout restoration, trail maintenance and youth education.

The 12 projects funded for the spring 2013 grant cycle are: Slough Creek Native Trout Project - $100,000 Slough Creek, a stronghold for cutthroat trout, has recently been invaded by rainbow trout. This project will identify the invasion source, and design a solution for mitigation.

Yellowstone Raptor Initiative - $85,000 Funding for the third year of this five-year project will allow researchers to study inadequately monitored raptors that nest in or use Yellowstone.

Wildlife and Visitor Safety Program - $75,000 Supports additional seasonal rangers needed to maintain public safety and provide essential education.

Put on a few extra pounds this season?

Wildlife Health Program - $50,000 Will integrate disease surveillance and interventions that preserve wildlife health, and reduce disease risks to visitors and Park staff.

Solar Energy Upgrades at Buffalo Ranch in Lamar - $45,000 Upgrades will replace ineffective, aging equipment for this small development that does not have commercial power and has partially relied on the sun for electricity since 1996.

Prevent Aquatic Invasive Species Program - $40,000 Funding for inspection, education and purchase of cleaning equipment to keep AIS out of Yellowstone’s waterways.

Removal of Illegal Trails in the Bechler Region - $40,000 Two substantial illegal trails impacting the Bechler backcountry will be removed to discourage continued travel via these routes.

Join us at Big Sky’s only full-service workout facility

Snake River Archeology Project - $40,000

Open 5 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. 7 days a week

Research to be conducted of this largely unstudied corridor containing intact archeological strata used by native peoples for the past 12,000 years.

Day, week and year-long memberships available visit ozssage.com/gym.php for details 32 Market Place, Meadow Village, Big Sky (406) 995-4522

16 April 19-May 2, 2013

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Big Sky Weekly

biG sky ’ s M O sT e x T e n si v e fine aRT C O l l e C T iOn

every thUrSday at 4:30 PM

provided by

R. Tom Gilleon “Mother Moon” Oil on Canvas 50x50

ar twork also displayed at outlaw Par tners, Bozeman audi Big Sky Showroom and Lone Mountain ranch dining room

11:00 aM - 7:00 PM // tUeSday thrU SUnday MondayS By aPPointMent

Please visit the galler y to view our extensive collection of fine works of ar t in the Main galler y, the charsam room, and the new Private collection.

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(406) 993-9400

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Big Sky Weekly

April 19-May 2, 2013 17

Section 2:

business, health and environment

Volume 4 // Issue No. 8

Paying it forward Iron Chef’s Cat Cora comes to Big Sky

By Katie Thomas

Big Sky Weekly Contributor

BIG SKY – Iron Chef America has been to Montana.

Chef Cat Cora, the only female Iron Chef of The Food Network’s competitive culinary show, attracted a large turnout with a sold out event at Buck’s T-4 Lodge on April 11. Sponsored by the Rapier Family Foundation, Chef Cora served as one of the judges for Belgrade ProStart’s fundraiser in Big Sky that Thursday evening. The high school students were raising funds for their trip to the ProStart nationals in Baltimore, April 19-21.

ProStart is a two-year high school program for aspiring professional restaurateurs, developed by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. Having won the state-level contest, Belgrade students teamed up with local professional chefs at Buck’s for a competition in which three teams had one hour and limited equipment to prepare a starter, main dish and dessert, using a surprise secret ingredient. Judges then tasted, deliberated and selected a winner.

Before the competition, Chef Cora addressed the audience and took questions. A Greek American from Mississippi, she captivated the audience with her warm, welcoming presence. One by one, students tentatively asked for advice on pursuing cooking careers.

“Always go back to your food. That’s the reason you’re there,” said the mother of four, advising the students how to stay focused in the kitchen.

During the cocktail hour and silent auction, the student management team presented plans for their

Top left: Cora answers questions about her culinary success. Photo by Maria Wyllie TOP CENTER: "Duck Bacon" appetizers. Photo

by Kaela Schommer TOP RIGHT: Prepping for the competition.

Photo by Maria Wyllie RIGHT: Buck's owners Chuck Schommer and David O'Connor with the Iron Chef. Photo

by Kaela Schommer

future restaurant, complete with building materials and marketing plans.

The culinary contest commenced with an announcement of the surprise ingredient: “duck bacon,” something Buck’s owner and chef Chuck Schommer swears by.

The clock began, and the teams hit the cutting boards. Emcee and Ophir Elementary School teacher Jeremy Harder entertained the audience, the chefs working as fast as they could and the smell of sautéing garlic filling the room.

When the hour was up, chefs put down their utensils and auctioneer Emory Sanders picked up the mic for the live auction. Denver Bronco tickets, vacation packages and gourmet meals and wine sold while the panel of four judges tasted plates of delicacies.

The winning team, which created an adobe and blood orange-marinated poussin with basmati rice and buckwheat pilaf, was announced around 8:30 p.m. But none of the teams “lost” – all competing students traveled to Baltimore.

Q & A with Iron Chef Cat Cora

Questions posed by guests and students in ProStart competition

Chef Cat Cora April 11 visit to Big Sky was her first trip to Montana. While here, Cora went on her first fly fishing trip with Buck’s T-4 owner David O’Connor and said she hopes to come back with her four sons someday. – M.W. As a female in the kitchen, what’s the best way to be productive and fight the [stigma] often associated with women?

CC: Be present. My culinary class was six women and probably 150 men, and that was the largest class of women to date. It’s about bringing your A-game. I had to walk in and present myself as being fearless even when I was scared to death.

What is your comfort food?

Cora is the first woman inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame and her foundation, Chefs For Humanity, has helped with the aftermath of the 2012 Haiti earthquake and the 2004 Asian tsunami.

CC: I live in Santa Barbara, [Calif.] on the coast.

So, in the fall it’s often lamb shank... A lot of the time it’s fish tacos… It has to be great food quality, but it’s all about simplicity at home.

“Don’t give up,” she reminded the young audience as she talked about her work experience. “Perseverance. Invest your free time. Be present. Pay it forward.”

What’s your favorite part of [the cooking] industry? What makes you smile?

CC: Going fly-fishing and catching my dinner.

We did catch and release though [today]. One thing that makes me smile is getting back to where the food comes from.

18 April 19-May 2, 2013

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Big Sky Weekly

Reece Bell: British U12 National Champion Story and photos by Mike Coil Big Sky Weekly Sports Writer

MERIBEL, France – Big Sky resident and Ophir student, Reece Bell, 11, is now Britain’s National U-12 Champion.

In early April, Bell, who was born in the U.K., competed in three races in Meribel, France. She won two, including a giant slalom on the lower portion of the women’s Olympic downhill course. In the third race, a kombi, she placed second, only .02 seconds behind the first place finisher.

CENTER: REECE BELL ROUNDING THE GATES

Founded by a Brit, Colonel Peter Lindsay, Meribel is one part of the Three Valleys, the largest ski area in the world. The other two sections are Val Thorens and Courchevel. With more than 625,000 skiable acres, the five largest ski areas in North America could fit in the Three Valleys several times over. Not surprisingly, skiers flock from around the world to visit this resort.

There is never a lift line or a lack of terrain to explore.

INSET: HOLDING THE GOLD AT THE AWARDS CEREMONY

Bell, a Big Sky Ski Education Foundation racer who won 11 out of 14 races this past season in the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s Northern Division, enjoyed her first international race, although competition was intense with British and French racers competing for the top title.

“I was breathing heavy in the start gate,” Bell said.

“The GS was the iciest, scariest and steepest course I’ve ever done.”

In addition to winning her age group in the GS, she placed in the Top 10 overall, beating girls up to three years older.

Bell, who holds both British and U.S. passports, would like to follow in her father Martin Bell’s ski boots and compete on the World Cup circuit. However, she will not have to choose a country for several more years.

Reece Bell’s sponsors include Shelly Bermont Jewelry, Lone Peak Physical Therapy, Grizzly Outfitters, Harvey Hertz, Atomic U.K., POC U.K., Slick Willy’s Banana Wax and Angel, Coil and Bartlett.

Dingle wins Subaru Freeride Series final stop at Snowbird Local skier qualifies for next year's fwt

By Emily Stifler

Big Sky Weekly Managing Editor

SNOWBIRD, Utah – Sasha Dingle had her doubts early in this ski season, having spent the previous year in Vietnam, off the snow, and suffering from a pinched nerve in her back this January.

“I wondered if I might have set my expectations for this year too high,” she recalls.

the mountain called Fields of Glory, then continued through the Blonde Rocks with a creative line, setting herself up for the Flying Squirrel, where she threw a 15-foot exit air.

Dingle’s skiing – which the judges described as confident and smooth – earned her a score of 84.33 on finals day. Her total score came in at 175.33, placing her atop the podium – her first time winning one of these comps.

But the Bozeman-based skier has blown those all out of the water, qualifying for next year’s Freeride World Tour through podium finishes at the Moonlight Basin, Taos, N.M. and Crested Butte, Colo.

Subaru Freeride Series events, and a first place finish at the Snowbird event, April 13-14.

This was Dingle’s third year competing on the qualifying tour, and the first time she ranked high enough to join the FWT.

On the first day of the Snowbird competition, held at Silver Fox, new snow made conditions at the venue soft, and Dingle earned a score of 91.00 that day by becoming the second woman in Snowbird competition history to hit the large “smoke stack double,” landing in powder.

Dingle graduated in 2010 with an undergraduate degree in psychology from Montana State University, and spent last winter teaching business communication at Vinh University in Vietnam, on a Fulbright Fellowship.

“It was kind of a free game,” she said, explaining that while she’d been “playing it safe to be more strategic and finish” in the previous competitions, she skied a line in Silver Fox “that I was excited and a little bit nervous about.”

“A lot of this year was for me,” she said. “That mentally made me stronger in competition. When I was scared of the line in Snowbird, I was looking at the mountain range at the top and thinking, ‘This is exactly where I want to be right now.’” Competing on the Freeride World Tour next year is “going to be a huge learning curve,” she added.

On day two, a hard freeze left a crust layer over the North Baldy venue, and Dingle chose a line on the north-facing, skiers’ left side, which had better conditions. She started the run through a section of

“I am stunned,” said the Vermont native and former ski racer. “It’s been a crazy progression.”

Dingle’s sponsors are White Gold Design, VOKE Tab, and Skier Shop.

DROPPING A CLIFF ON THE FWT. Photo by mountain sports international

CELEBRATING ON THE PODIUM. Photo by mountain sports international

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308 +/- acres, timber, cottonwoods, native grass, ponds Willow Creek runs through, 2,313 +/- sf log cabin, ap. 12 miles to town

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20 April 19-May 2, 2013

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Big Sky Weekly

2013 NFL Mock Draft player in the league. From the top of the first round to the last pick in the seventh round, tomorrow’s stars can be found in today’s top college performers.

Last year, the Seattle Seahawks discovered one of the league’s most dynamic young quarterbacks, Russell Wilson, in the third round, while the Indianapolis Colts found starting running back Vick Ballard in the fifth. No matter where your favorite team picks, there is reason for hope.

By Brandon Niles

Big Sky Weekly Sports Columnist

Every April, football fans gain hope and excitement as the draft draws near. This is a unique time in the NFL offseason, when every team has a legitimate chance to find the next star

Here, I’ve put together a mock draft

of the top 10 picks to help identify some of the stars of the future. I imagine there will be many trades in the first round that completely blow up my mock draft, but this should serve as a good indication of where players could go and which teams might be looking at them.

This draft is interesting. It’s deep, loaded with talent, but isn’t topheavy. The players at the top of the draft are excellent prospects, but they’re not the kind of sure-fire talents we’ve seen in recent years, such as Andrew Luck and Ndamukong

Suh. The offensive and defensive line positions are deep in this draft, but there’s little strength at quarterback or linebacker.

The big subplot this year is at the quarterback position, as there are a number of possible starters in this draft, but not one that carries a true first round grade. With 32 total picks in the first round, I couldn’t find a single spot for a quarterback.

The draft begins at 8 p.m. EST on Thursday, April 25. The Kansas City Chiefs are officially on the clock.

Pick

Team

Player

Position

School

Comments

1

Kansas City

Luke Joekel

OT

Texas A&M

KC Needs to take the best player available; Joekel can start from Day 1 and will anchor the line for the next decade.

2

Jacksonville

Dee Milliner

CB

Alabama

Jags would love a pass rusher, but Milliner might be the best defensive player in the draft and a cornerback fills a need.

3

Oakland

Star Lotulelei

DT

Utah

Oakland needs stars to build around. Pairing Lotulelei with Lamarr Houston on the DL is a great start.

4

Philadelphia

Eric Fisher

OT

C. Michigan

My favorite OT in the draft will help keep Michael Vick on his feet, and create holes for Shady McCoy.

5

Detroit

Ezekiel Ansah

DE

BYU

Pure upside pick for the Lions. Ansah has the ability to be the strong pass rusher next to Detroit’s stud DT’s.

6

Cleveland

Dion Jordan

OLB

Oregon

Pairing an athletic freak like Jordan with Jabaal Sheard will give new defensive coordinator Ray Horton some nice toys to play with.

7

Arizona

Lane Johnson

OT

Oklahoma

Arizona just got their QB in Carson Palmer, now they need to protect him. Johnson is a rare athlete.

8

Buffalo

Chance Warmack

OG

Alabama

Buffalo needs to replace the departed Andy Levitre, and Warmack happens to be the best player available.

9

N.Y. Jets

Tavon Austin

WR

W. Virginia

The Jets need playmakers. I’m not ready to put Austin in Percy Harvin’s class yet, but he’s that type of player.

10

Tennessee

Sharrif Floyd

DT

Florida

Floyd is a top five talent and fills a need for the Titans, who will sprint to the podium if he falls to this spot.

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DAVE SCHWALBE PITCHING FOR THE BIG DOGS

Next Big Sky softball meeting May 7 The next softball meeting is on May 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the Outlaw Partners’ office in Town Center (upstairs – same location as the last meeting). Please bring a team registration check for $500 and have rosters turned in by June 30.

As a reminder, this is a co-ed adult league and signups are still available. Play starts the week of June 10 and games will be played Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. A tournament is currently scheduled for August 23-25.

For more information, visit the league web site at bigskysoftball.com.

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Big Sky Weekly

April 19-May 2, 2013 21

ASK DR. DUNN Travel abroad

Some vaccines require multiple doses to complete a series, like those for hepatitis A and B, so it’s important to get started on them.

Malaria medication is also commonly initiated 1-2 weeks prior to leaving for an endemic area and continued for a number of weeks after returning. The same is true for the oral typhoid vaccine: It takes a week to complete and another week to be fully effective.

istockphoto.com

By Maren Dunn, D.O. Big Sky Weekly Health Writer

If I’m traveling out of the country, do I need to see my doctor first?

-Allison, Big Sky

When planning a trip to another country, it can be helpful to visit your health care provider at least a month before your departure. The information you receive could mean the difference between a healthy, relaxing vacation and one interrupted by illness.

At a pre-travel visit you can expect to discuss your current medical conditions and medications, itinerary and activities planned. It’s also important to share travel specifics such as exposure to high altitude, rural areas, or plans for scuba diving. Bring your vaccination record if you have it.

The medical provider’s job is to offer advice regarding routine vaccinations, indicated immunizations for a specific location, other prevalent illnesses and required preventative medicine.

Depending on your destination, your doctor may make other recommendations. For example, a traveler headed to an area where malaria is prevalent will receive suggestions for proper mosquito repellant and other methods for preventing exposure such as bed netting. If planning to hike or climb to extreme elevations, discussions will focus on preventing and treating altitude sickness.

If you’re an experienced traveler, you may have a collection of items you always bring. Over-the-counter items might include Benadryl for allergic reactions or difficulty sleeping, Imodium for diarrhea, and ibuprofen or Tylenol for pain or fever; depending on your medical history, a medical provider can help make a complete list that’s appropriate for you.

Maren Dunn, D.O., is owner of Gallatin Family Medicine, a medical clinic in the Big Sky Meadow Village.

Gallatin Family Medical offers reduced cost and free mammogram screening. Have a question? Email Dr. Dunn at inquiries@gallatinfamilymedicine.com. gallatinfamilymedicine.com

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22 April 19-May 2, 2013

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Big Sky Weekly

Season wrap-up

The community looks back on winter, favorable numbers BIG SKY WEEKLY STAFF

BIG SKY – The winter of 2012-2013 was a season of high points – resorts set record skier numbers, local real estate brokers saw a dramatic upswing in the housing market and Big Sky businesses sold merchandise and food at record rates. It appears consumer confidence is on the mend in this small mountain community.

The Country Market finished “slightly better than last year,” said Lynn Anderson, owner of the grocery store in the Meadow. Anderson says she wasn’t surprised by the numbers, since people eat at restaurants more often when they have disposable income.

“As long as we’re seeing an increase like [we have] after that recession, it’s a good thing.”

RESTAURANTS Business was up for restaurant owners both in the meadow and on the hill this winter.

Scissorbills co-owner Keith Kuhns said his establishment was consistently busy instead of having unpredictable slow and busy periods like most winters.

“I’ve never seen anything like it up here before, not even before the recession hit,” Kuhns said. “The numbers were good and strong, and the resort did a great job of sending people our way—especially with college kids and ski groups.”

Although Scissorbills focuses on serving locals, the small restaurant benefited from increased skier numbers and 10-12 large ski and college groups that helped generate more sales for lunch and evenings mid-week.

SKI RESORTS By closing day April 14, Big Sky Resort recorded 370,000 skiers this winter, the most in the ski area’s history.

“The consistently good snow in Big Sky is key,” the resort’s general manager Taylor Middleton said in a press release. “We started off with a great base and continued to get powder throughout the season.”

On Saturday April 13, throngs of visitors turned out Saturday to watch the annual pond skim competition, followed by live music by Bottom of the Barrel. The successful season earned Big Sky the title of North America’s favorite ski resort in the onthesnow.com Visitors’ Choice Awards.

Moonlight Basin was on top of its game as well, during its 10-year anniversary season, breaking skier numbers and season pass sales records.

“About a week and a half before closing day, we beat our [2009] record of 104,000 [annual] skiers,” said Karen Lum, marketing director for Moonlight Basin. The resort reported 111,000 skier-visits this season, toppling last year’s 95,000 visitors, a 15 percent increase, according to Moonlight President and General Manager Greg Pack.

“It was our best year ever, even in an average to below-average snow year,” Pack said. “The

Olive B's. Photo by Chris Davis

early-season snow really set us up, and all season the Headwaters never looked so good.”

Moonlight ended its season on Sunday April 14, with the annual Huck-A-Berry Jam slopestyle competition in which 36 athletes competed for prize money while DJ Missy O’Malley spun tunes and spectators lined the fence.

The successful ski season reached beyond Lone Mountain this winter to Lone Mountain Ranch, as well. The cross-country resort doubled numbers for its famed sleigh ride to around 1,800.

“This is my first real winter in Big Sky,” said LMR general manager Bob Foster, who took over the resort with his wife Karen last July. “Any experience on a dude ranch is crazy, but we hit our high-water mark the first day we were open [this season].”

LMR marketing director P.J. Wirchansky attributes the high sales volume – which included an 8 percent increase in overnight/weeklong packages and a 20 percent increase in retail sales – partly to good snow, but also to the local community.

“Big Sky [residents are] always sending folks to our Ranch and the hard work of our employees provided an unforgettable experience,” he said.

For discounted 2013-2014 Big Sky and Moonlight season passes through April 30, visit bigskyresort. com and moonlightbasin.com. – JO’C

Warren “Bibber” Bibbins, who opened Olive B’s with his wife Jennie in February of 2012, also attributed more business to a rise in the area’s tourism. “Snow was better, so I think there were more people around,” Bibber said. “Last year, we had bare ground on the first of March.”

Bibber noted that influx of customers at Olive B’s consisted of both tourists and second homeowners. – M.W. Scissorbills will be open this summer for private events only, and Olive B’s reopens June 1. For more information, visit scissorbillssaloon.com or olivebsbigsky.com.

A daffy always grabs the judges attention. Here, a Huck-a-Berry Jam competitor goes big on closing day at Moonlight.

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Big Sky Weekly

April 19-May 2, 2013 23

Real estate in spanish peaks

REAL ESTATE In spite of the recent national budget cuts, consumer confidence seems alive in Big Sky, after first quarter sales reports.

“I’d almost call it a mini-surge,” said Ania Bulis, broker with Christie’s International Real Estate/ PureWest. “People are coming back into the market, but we don’t know how long it will last.”

According to Multiple Listing Service data, the greater Big Sky area saw 27 vacant land parcels sold in 2011 and 46 in 2012. So far in 2013, 28 parcels sold.

“We’re currently seeing a run on land,” Ryan Kulesza, broker with L & K Real Estate Brokerage said. “But everything across the board is up from last winter. You can’t find a segment [of the market] that was down.”

While Kulesza says transaction numbers are down, the average price per transaction is up, indicating buyers are pursuing higher-end purchases. “All the lower-end properties have been picked through.

We’ve sold it all and there’s no new construction,” he said.

Bulis’ numbers also support this trend. Christie’s contracted six lots in the Club at Spanish Peaks over the last six months, ranging from $350,000 to just under $2 million.

“You can feel the market turning,” she said.

“There were twice as many contracts this year versus last year.”

From Jan. 1 to April 15, 2012, 52 properties were sold in the Big Sky area for a total of $18,588,138,

A busy night at Scissorbills

according to Christie’s reports. From the same time period in 2013, 81 properties sold totaling $42,173,130. At press time, another 49 sales were pending.

Additionally, New York-based auction house Concierge reported seven consecutive successful luxury property auctions in the Big Sky region, including three properties in the Yellowstone Club, three in Spanish Peaks and the 180-acre Ponderosa Ranch.

“Many buyers in our database are lifestyle-driven as opposed to dedicated to a particular town or geography,” said Laura Brady, president of Concierge Auctions in an email. “We have enjoyed introducing some new interest to Big Sky.” Bulis agrees. She says parties are interested in buying real estate in this area because of the premier location and the wellness benefits it provides.

“These people are driven not by price, but because they love Big Sky,” Bulis said. “That’s the kind of buyer you want. They’re good for the community.”

Shawna Winter, of Winter and Company Real Estate, says it’s a long time coming.

“We used to have people fist-fighting over properties. Then we saw the cutting of the elevator shaft,” said Winter, who was flying high with Montana Real Estate Company from 2003 until 2007, when the bottom fell out.

Now, Winter is also noticing the upward trend.

According to her numbers, land sales have increased by 55 percent compared to last season, while singlefamily homes sales have are up 45 percent. – JO’C

Moonlight Sunset

“You can feel the market turning.

There were twice as many contracts this year versus last year.”

24 April 19-May 2, 2013

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Big Sky Weekly

D E V E L O P M E N T O P P O RT U N I T I E S N OW AVA I L A B L E

Residential & Commercial

COTTONWOOD CROSSING $736,000 CONTRACT PENDING

TOWN CENTER AVENUE WEST PHASE

Residential development opportunity – multi-family • 23 residential entitlements • 2 triplex foundations installed • Site plan for finishing development • Utilities installed into site (as-built utility plans included) • All SFE’s included

Finished condo • 3 bedroom/2.5 bath • 1,854 sq.ft.

• Custom interior finishes • Located in Town Center and within walking distance to shops, restaurants and parks

CONTRACT PENDING

Completed commercial space for sale with established tenants

9,757 sq. ft •

Block 5 Lot D1

$292,500

OFFER PENDING

Commercial Development Opportunity

• • • •

Cottonwood Crossing Unit 9

$350,000

Block 5 Lot B1

MARKET PLACE BUILDING

• • • •

Adjacent to movie-theater and restaurant 0.14 acres - 5,913sq.ft.

84.47’ (street front) by 70’ (depth) Including 4,500 sq.ft. of commercial entitlements SFE’s included Parking lot paved, illuminated Utilities to lot Town Center Avenue location

• •

Within the amazing Big Sky Town Center core Two story commercial building with established tenants Frontage on Hwy 64 (Lone Mountain Trail)

Unit/Pricing 102: $537,662 – 1,595 sq/ft 103: $394,410 – 1,170 sq/ft 104: $405,924 – 1,204 sq/ft 201: $489,465 – 1,452 sq/ft 202: $325,596 - 966sq/ft 203: $365,760 - 1,085sq/ft (Last unit available for lease) 205: $369,509 - 1,096sq/ft

Block 5 Lot E1

$405,000

OFFER PENDING

Commercial Development Opportunity

• • • • • • • •

0.14 acres - 5,913 sq. ft.

84.47’ (street front) by 70’ (depth) Including 5,000 sq. ft. of commercial entitlements Including 4 residential entitlements for 2nd level units SFE’s included Parking lot paved, illuminated Utilities to lot Town Center Avenue location

Ladd, Kulesza & Company

For more information or private showings contact:

Real Estate Brokerage, Consulting & Development

406-995-2404

4 0 6 - 9 9 5 - 2 4 0 4 • L K R E A L E S TAT E . C O M

Ryan Kulesza – 406-539-4666

All information given is considered reliable, but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, and should not be relied upon as such. These offerings are subject to errors, omissions, and changes including price or withdrawal without notice. All rights reserved. Equal Housing Opportunity. ©2013 LK REAL ESTATE, llc. lkrealestate.com

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April 19-May 2, 2013 25

Jackson sets new record with 502,000 skier visits

pick your pearls.

By Emily Stifler

Big Sky Weekly Managing Editor

TETON VILLAGE, Wyo. – Jackson Hole Mountain Resort hit 502,222 skier visits this winter, the highest in the resort’s history and up 5 percent over last season’s 479,000.

This is the first time JHMR has reached 500,000 skier visits; only 17 to 20 resorts hit that mark annually, according to an annual study from the National Ski Area Association.

The previous record of 482,000 visits was set in 2008, a year with 605 inches of snow, versus the 385 that fell in 2012/2013. The resort had record visitation in December, February and March this year.

Without record snowfall, Chip Carey, JHMR Director of Marketing, credited increased cooperation in the Jackson business community for the success.

“A lot of things play into it,” Carey said. “We are working much [more closely] with the state. There are new lodging tax dollars being spent through the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board, increased spending by Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, and much higher cooperation with the key entities in town – Snow King, Grand Targhee [Resort], the Chamber of Commerce, JH Air, Central Reservations and the business community. [We’re] working together, as opposed to independently, which is what was happening in the past.”

“Put all that together in a hat and shake it up, and we come out much stronger than trying to work independently,” Carey said.

Jeff Golightly, Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce CEO/President, called JHMR “one of the key assets to the community of Jackson.”

“We’re confident that collaborative marketing efforts, led in large part by the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Joint Powers Board, have made an impact on drawing business in the winter,” Golightly wrote in an email. “Great snow and improved intermediate terrain [at the resort] also caught the attention of winter travelers.”

A new focus on “bluing the mountain” has drawn a new skier population to the resort, Carey said. “If you have followed any of our advertising, you know Jackson’s brand is very ‘extreme mountain’, tough guy. We’ve really been working [to] appeal to more intermediate skiers over the past three years.”

That effort was capped last year by a nearly $6 million improvement to the Casper area, which included installation of a new high-speed detachable lift voted “Best Thing to Happen to Jackson Hole in 2012” by locals in the JH Weekly, and re-working of trails resulting in “Best Ski Run” in the same contest.

The Kemmerers, owners of JHMR, have invested an average of $8 million per year into improvements to the resort since purchasing it in 1992. A notable investment was the new, $31 million tram installed in 2008; another significant portion has been spent on improved grooming and snowmaking.

S H E L LY B E R M O N T

And it showed: Guests gave snow conditions this year a 7.7 on a scale of 10 this year – a number that hasn’t been as high since 2007- 2008, which had nearly twice as much snow. “To achieve a record in a year like this is quite an accomplishment,” said JHMR President Jerry Blann.

Unique, handmade jewelry

JH Air, a nonprofit that works to increase air service to the community, added two non-stop flights from Newark, N.J. and San Francisco, Calif., and re-instated non-stops from Minneapolis this season.

Exotic stones, raw diamonds, fine silver

Starting this summer, the ski resort is cutting new trails above the Après Vous area in anticipation of a new high-speed lift accessing the Crags area on the north end of the resort, which will have a mix of intermediate and expert terrain there. “It’ll be awesome,” Carey said.

JHMR will open the tram for the summer season on May 25, a new mountain bike park accessed by the Teewinot Chairlift on June 15, the Bridger Gondola and Couloir Restaurant on June 18, and the Deck atop the Bridger Gondola on June 23.

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26 April 19-May 2, 2013

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Big Sky Weekly

Ski fast, Flylow

By Joseph T. O’Connor Big Sky Weekly Editor

In 2002, Abrams blew a knee and moved home to Denver. He couldn’t work, but hit the road with Tough Guy Productions, a telemark-ski film company out of Colorado, going to every possible premier and equipment demo. During that time, he began conceptualizing a grassroots marketing campaign for Flylow.

He noticed the high-quality ski gear he sought wasn’t being represented, and learned that telemark gear sales had been increasing by 20 percent every year for three years.

So in 2005, Abrams and Steen sent a concept of their Carhartt-inspired ski pants in late 2005 to David Resource, a Taiwanese company that makes fishing waders and other three-layer outdoor garments. Flylow gear was on shelves by 2006.

That’s right Iceman, I am dangerous. Outlaw CEO Eric Ladd, publisher of the Weekly, taking the Flylow Iceman for a high-altitude cruise at Baldface, B.C. Photo by Chris Davis.

TAHOE CITY, Calif. – Flylow is made for hardcore skiers who need gear that performs in battering ridgetop winds and driving snow, standing up to years of abuse. So when co-owners Dan Abrams and Greg Steen were coming up with initial designs, they referenced some of the toughest gear around: Carhartt.

A Boston-born shredder whose mother clicked him into skis at age 2, Abrams bought a pair of 36x32 Carhartt workpants to mimic the fit. He wanted to build ski pants with the lightness and moisture protection of mountaineering clothing that were durable enough to spend 80 days a year on the hill.

And he didn’t want a race-tight fit.

“I wanted something that would fit over my Langes,” said Abrams, 35, who moved to Denver when he was 7 and now calls Tahoe City home.

“Carhartts are made a little looser [than were traditional ski pants].”

The Iceman Down Jacket

The Flylow concept was born out of Abrams’ and Steen’s mountain escapades while attending the University of Puget Sound in Washington.

When Abrams graduated in 2000, backcountry skiing was gaining popularity. Modern alpine touring bindings were still in the development stage and their core crew of college friends, made up of skiers and climbers, was using clothing made for both disciplines.

“We wound up beating up our gear and would warranty it every season,” Abrams said. “Every year it would come back lighter and better.”

Climbing companies were constructing triple-layered, seamtaped outerwear, but it didn’t fit right, he said. Ski outerwear had a looser fit, but those companies weren’t yet using tri-coat technology, which wicks moisture away from your body while blocking out the elements.

Abrams and Steen, who now lives in Truckee, Calif., saw the need for hybrid backcountry ski gear in an area of the country that averages more than 100 inches of precipitation a year.

“We realized real quick that we couldn’t wear cotton long johns in Washington,” said Abrams. “You need a whole [synthetic] package if you’re skiing all day in the Pacific Northwest.”

In 2000, Abrams and 13 friends moved from Tacoma, Wash. to Jackson, Wyo. That winter, a friend visited from Washington with his French girlfriend. The posse was skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort one day, and the woman skied up to Abrams in the lift line.

“You don’t ski fast, you fly low,” she said. He kept “fly low” in the back of his mind, recalling from his days playing music that coming up with a name was the hardest part of playing in a band.

During a Flylow gear test earlier this winter at Baldface, B.C., I discovered just how essential the Iceman is to comfort, warmth and durability with 700-fill goose down, 10,000 g/m breathability and a fully taped, twolayer 10,000 mm waterproof shell. We had epic ski conditions but some cold days in the Selkirk Mountains northwest of Nelson. The Iceman didn’t flinch.

Flylow’s website claims the jacket is as tough as Val Kilmer in Top Gun. I agree. It can be my wingman anytime. Color options: black, navy, tarmac. – JO’C flylowgear.com $400

Building a successful outdoor clothing company in the shadows of industry giants such as Patagonia and The North Face isn’t easy, Abrams said, explaining that it came down to building relationships with retailers.

“What they want is [to feel] a sense of ownership of Flylow,” he said. “I could go to the owner of a store and say ‘I’m the owner and designer of this new, unique brand’ and they’d buy it because of a firm handshake and good conversation.”

These days, Flylow is growing into a premier freeride ski clothing company. In spite of poor snowfall the last two seasons, it’s posted more than 30 percent growth in sales each year and is now available in more than 200 U.S. retail stores.

“We didn’t think we’d get this far,” said Abrams, who runs the company with a philosophy of providing a dependable workplace in an ecofriendly organization.

“We want to be a responsible, sustainable company from a business and an environmental standpoint. And we’ll keep drawing up the best gear.”

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Big Sky Weekly

April 19-May 2, 2013 27

Montana Import Group awarded Subaru Eco-Friendly Dealer Award BOZEMAN – Montana Import Group on April 18 received the Subaru Eco-Friendly Dealer Award.

The dealership first greened its operations and developed conservation partnerships in 2010, and has since worked to meet the requirements for the award. To do so, all of its departments worked together to meet a points-based inspection in five areas of conservation: energy efficiency, water conservation, recycling, waste management and community involvement.

increased its aluminum recycling by 181 percent, newspaper recycling by 256 percent, and plastic recycling by 165 percent.

Energy efficiency

In January 2011, the dealership reduced its energy consumption by implementing a lighting retrofit and in 2012 installed occupancy sensors. The points received for energy efficiency were for the sensors, compact florescent light bulbs and programmable thermostats.

Water conservation

Local, state and federal law requires proper storage and disposal of materials that can be environmentally harmful, many of which are involved with vehicle operations. Beyond the legal requirements, these substances can cause significant impact. Montana Import Group ensures proper disposal of waste material such as oil, coolant, batteries and tires.

Community involvement

Since the Montana Import Group began a partnership program with community-based conservation and stewardship nonprofits in 2010, it has evolved to include dedicating three full-time loaner vehicles to conservation partners and running partner ads in local newspapers. Additionally, the dealership donates more than 10 percent of profits to partners and other conservation and stewardship groups. It has also established a volunteer program allowing employees to participate in partner events, and invites guest speakers to present conservation topics. The company maintains a sustainable purchasing policy.

Montana Import Group reduced water consumption by installing low-flow faucets, step-pedal faucets in the garage, low-flow toilets and water-efficient landscaping. These actions averaged 96 percent savings in 2011 and 33 percent savings in 2012.

Recycling

The dealership began recycling in 2010, collecting cans, paper and plastic internally; in 2011 it became a community recycling center.

From 2011 to 2012, it

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Associate 406.600.8081 reallyBIGsky.com

28 April 19-May 2, 2013

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Big Sky Weekly

The Landscape of Imagination Q&A: Rick Bass on oil and writing

By Joseph T. O’Connor | Photos by Tyler Allen Big Sky Weekly editor

“

“

...we need truer accounting of what we burn – not equating energy merely and simply with BTUs but with the fuller cost of the damage it does.

- Rick Bass

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Big Sky Weekly

BOZEMAN – Since moving to northwest Montana in 1987, author Rick Bass has garnered critical acclaim for his more than 25 books of fiction and nonfiction, many of which are centered around his home in the Yaak Valley.

On April 10, the Texas native flew home from South America, where he’d been traveling with his daughters Mary Katherine and Lowry, for two weeks. Two days later Bass drove from Missoula to the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman to give the 2013 Wallace Stegner Lecture, called “The Landscape of Imagination.”

Taking the stage in lace-up cowboy boots, crisp black slacks and a new white shirt with only a tiny wine spot, he got down to business. “I live in a place that amazes me,” said Bass, 55, opening the lecture. “I’m deaf as a result. I’ve shot a lot of shotguns.”

As he read two essays and answered questions from the capacity audience, Bass was accessible and funny, with a comedian’s timing. It became clear that Montana is part of the author’s

the views when you can get them. No lines. Of course there’s backcountry too, dinking around the Yaak.

BSW: Do you fish or hunt?

RB: I don’t fish, but I hunt a lot – birds, deer and elk.

BSW: What else do you do in your free time?

RB: My daughters are almost grown up. [Mary Katherine] is 21 and off to college, and the 18-year-old [Lowry] is about to go. I do a lot of environmental advocacy, [which] takes up a huge amount of time.

BSW: When did you start writing?

RB: It was in Mississippi. I read Jim Harrison’s novella Legends of the Fall, and it made me want to write fiction.

I’d write on my lunch breaks, in the evenings after work, and on location at a well. I taught myself to write – I didn’t study it in college.

BSW: How do you see oil development in the Bakken formation affecting Montana?

The audience waits before the 2013 Wallace Stegner lecture at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman.

core: It pulsates through his writing and the environmental activism to which he’s dedicated his life.

-----

RB: It’s going to be significant.

[Drilling] changes the character of a landscape, the character of a state. It will make Montana not be Montana.

The [associated] water issues are going to have huge negative effects on agriculture and traffic. You don’t just go in, set up a 3-acre drill pad, drill an 8 5/8-inch hole down, set casing and leave. Things break, leak [and] need maintenance... You’ll wear the state out servicing that big play. I wouldn’t wish an oil field economy on anybody.

The Big Sky Weekly: Why did you move to Montana?

BSW: Do you see any positives to this development?

Rick Bass: I wasn’t seeking Montana. After school in Utah, I got a job in Mississippi as an oil and gas geologist. I missed the landscape of the West, so I packed my maps and electrical logs and drove looking for a place to move… I kept going north and west, and it wasn’t until I got [to] Montana that I started feeling the spaciousness I remembered.

RB: No. It takes our eye off alternative energy, off everything we should be moving toward – water conservation, community development … It’s one more chapter in a familiar Montana story – colonial outposts yielding resources to the global market.

In a pre-lecture interview however, he was thoughtful, deliberate, even humble. Sitting down with the Weekly at Wild Joe’s Coffee shop over a strawberry smoothie, Bass discussed his inspirations, his writing process and getting arrested with Daryl Hannah.

BSW: Where do you like to ski?

RB: I love Whitefish [Mountain Resort]. It can be foggy, but I love the feel of the mountain, the people and

BSW: Will it help the U.S. depend less on foreign oil?

RB: We’ll sell to anybody as the price goes up. We’ll sell it to China before we’ll sell it to ourselves, and we’ve proved that by our debt … There is no

environment header domestic oil; there is no foreign oil.

It’s one big market.

BSW: You were in Washington D.C. on Feb. 13 protesting the Keystone XL pipeline. Tell me about getting arrested with Daryl Hannah.

RB: (Laughs) She’s a pretty lady. It was a wonderful experience. There were a lot of heroes there. [Climate change] is not an environmental issue, it’s a social justice issue, [and] Montana is ground zero for so many world-changing decisions. Do we fight the tar sands [in Canada] or welcome them into Montana, the first state to accept the Keystone pipeline?

We can stop it from going to the Gulf and getting on ships to Asia, where it’s bound.

The Otter Creek sale [in south central Montana also] has huge implications… They’re subsidizing a billion and a half metric tons of coal too dirty to burn in the U.S. and sending it to China. It’ll [create] another 50 years of coal-based world economy. And it’s coming from Montana.

April 19-May 2, 2013 29 ness in the West, our communities, our economy. It’s frustrating for me to have been on the inside and know what’s happening.

BSW: Do you see Montana moving toward a similar model that the Williston, N.D. area has adopted, regarding extraction?

RB: The density of development is going to wash west to the Rocky Mountain Front. The state budget and schools will get a boost, but it won’t leave a heritage of integrity – it’s fast money, and it changes people’s relationship to time. Things move faster and become cheaper. It’s the density of temporal workers, who aren’t there for the community or the landscape but are chasing the resource. That’s not what Montana is about.

BSW: Tell me about your writing process.

RB: Environmental activism has affected my literary voice. You need to know your audience. You need to know when you say a certain buzz-

Rick Bass delivered "The Landscape of Imagination"

BSW: What’s clean coal?

RB: There’s not any clean coal – it’s a nice sound bite. It’s lithified coal carbon [that] comes from swamps … low oxygen, high sulfur environments, high anaerobic activity. There’s a lot of heavy metals in those swamps, [so] you’re producing higher amounts of carbon dioxide than anything else…

Natural gas is our cleanest fossil fuel.

BSW: How do we solve our energy problems?

RB: It’s not a popular answer, but we need truer accounting of what we burn – not equating energy merely and simply with BTUs but with the fuller cost of the damage it does. If we’re going to poison the water and air and make the sea level rise faster, we should factor that into the equation and pay for it.

BSW: What about hydraulic fracturing?

RB: It’s effective, but we’re paying the same for a barrel of oil from fracturing as one from west Texas [that] had no sulfur, 18 percent porosity with 300 millidarcies permeability.

The economic system is artificial.

It’s primitive and it’s killing wilder-

word, how each [person] is going to respond – it’s a hyper-awareness to be cautious in my persuasive efforts, and accurate, yet not compromise my passion, which is the root of any art.

BSW: What’s the most challenging aspect of writing for you?

RB: Focus. It’s so easy to be distracted.

Setting time aside is mechanical, [and] technical challenges can be learned or fixed with editors, but focus is hard to control and to achieve once you’re into the story. It’s discipline.

BSW: What do you want the audience at the Wallace Steger Lecture to leave with?

RB: Gratitude toward the work of Wallace Stegner and other artists/ activists of the West. [Also], the commitment to be arrested on this Keystone deal – it’s an issue of massive moral implications and social justice, something I don’t think we as a people – as a state, as a country – want our fingerprints on... I’m not advocating violence, but this is a civil rights issue of our era. When bad things happen in history, people look back and say, “What were they thinking?

Why did they just let it happen?”

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30 April 19-May 2, 2013

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2010 Toyota Sequoia Platinum Like new, excellent shape Blizzard Pearl/ Loaded One Owner $37,900 OBO 406-646-9661 Variety of Guns: 30-06, 7mm mag, 270, 243, 25-06, Daly over and under 20 ga., 12 ga., several .22s (most vintage); also .22 mag and .22 hornet. Private individual. Call 406-577-6588 (cell) or 406- 587-6281.

(cell) or 406-587-6281.

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

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Big Sky Weekly

April 19-May 2, 2013 31

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32 April 19-May 2, 2013

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Big Sky Weekly

BIG SKY SCHOOL DISTRICT SEEKS BOND TO BUILD NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

STUDENT ENROLLMENT INCREASE SINCE LAST BOND ISSUED IN 2008

EXPAND & ENHANCE

K-12 LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

The purpose of the $10.2 million bond will be to build a new PreK – 4th grade elementary school for the Big Sky School District. The 15 year bond includes the acquisition of 7 acres of land next to the district’s track and football complex.

The new school will possibly share the following with the current building...water well, septic system, kitchen facilities, and the community library. The facility will house a new gym and a multi-purpose room used for art activities, cafeteria, after school programs, adult education.

APRIL 7TH

LAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE

APRIL 22ND

MAIL IN BALLOTS ARE MAILED TO VOTERS

MAY 7TH

ACTUAL COUNT OF BALLOTS

Additional information is available at the district office or by calling Superintendent Jerry House at 995-4281 or by email at jhouse@bssd72.org

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OUTDOORS header

Big Sky Weekly

April 19-May 2, 2013 33

Section 3:

life, land and culture

Volume 4 // Issue No. 8

Snowfall in the Misty Mountains

By Irene Henninger

Big Sky Weekly Contributor

Porters Ski Area, on New Zealand’s South Island, had been closed for two full days.

We’d gotten three feet of snow, and there were eight-foot drifts on the highway. The road was closed and the nine staff remaining, myself included, were completely isolated in the staff housing halfway down the access road.

Our plow driver was unable to reach us, so the snow cat operator started working on clearing the road with the groomer, making his way from the staff housing down to the highway.

By the afternoon, two patrollers had reached us from where they lived in Castle Hill Village, six miles away. We rode the snow cat up to do preliminary avalanche control with explosives on the chutes above the access road. One slide path ran farther than it ever had before, according to records.

At Porters, the base area sits beneath several large avalanche paths. When a big storm comes in, it’s unsafe to access the base area due to the avalanche hazard. The road is only safe to just above the staff housing. Though the storm was beginning to die down, we could only continue clearing the lower road, still unable to reach the base area.

My partner, Doug, manager of Broken River Ski Area a little to the north, had other concerns. Broken River’s avalanche terrain is more easily accessible, so patrol was able to do control work and keep the rope tows spinning for guests already there, but the road was not passable with three feet of snow on it. One of the lodges didn’t have heat for three days. Doug’s solution was to keep the guests ski-

Photos courtesy of Irene henninger

ing hard all day, have dinner at the day lodge, and they’d be ready to crawl into bed upon return.

Although no one could drive on the highway, a Broken River club member who was staying in Castle Hill Village with his toddler-aged daughter got bored, being stuck in the village, and ski toured 10 miles up the road to Broken River with his daughter on his back, arriving there at 10 p.m., completely unannounced.

By Thursday, weather was improving and the roads were opening. With clear skies forecast for Friday, we were hoping for a good window to conduct avalanche control on the main mountain and open up for the weekend.

Waking up the next day to clear, calm weather, we were excited to get the ski area ready to open. We bombed all morning, and then shoveled the base area out all afternoon.

Porters finally opened on Saturday, just in time for a beautiful weekend powder day, the locals anxiously waiting to get up to the ski fields.

Auckland

Irene Henninger is a ski patroller at the Yellowstone Club and is Assistant Snow Safety Director at Porters Ski Area in New Zealand. She is a Friend of Kingswood Skis, made by a local skier in New Zealand, and usually isn’t seen skiing without them on her feet. Since being in New Zealand is the closest thing to summer she’s got, you’ll oftentimes see her patrolling in a bikini at Porters.

Wellington

Above: The author looking good at work Below Left: Avalanche control morning at Porters Ski Area, New Zealand Below Right: A snow cat clearing the base area at Porters Ski Area on Friday after the storm Photos courtesy of Irene Henninger

Christchurch

Porter's Ski Area New Zealand

34 April 19-May 2, 2013

FISHING header COLUMN: THE EDDY LINE

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Big Sky Weekly

Road Trip! Hit the road for great fishing* *or just stay here

story and photos By Patrick Straub Big Sky Weekly Fishing Columnist

An April Missouri River brown trout caught on the dry fly. Photo courtesy of Montana Fishing Outfitters.

Overheard the other night at one of our local watering holes: “Man, there just ain’t nothing to do around here once the mountain closes and everyone leaves.”

I had just returned from catching several nice trout on the Gallatin and was three IPAs into the night, so I was riding a classic Montana high. Meanwhile, these guys had convinced themselves of their forthcoming mundane existence for the foreseeable future. Rather than join their misery, I ordered another IPA and replayed the scene from the large cutthroat trout I’d hooked that day in my foggy brain – naturally the fish had grown a few inches.

gnarly Wooly Buggers and streamers. My favorite streamer for the Mo’ is a Sculpzilla.

The Land of Giants is the water below Hauser Dam. Anglers on foot can access this water by hiking downstream from the dam or by boating up from the Gates of the Mountains. The name says it all, so be prepared to fish weighted nymphs deep in the water column or hire a guide to help you get it done.

For guides, I recommend Montana Fishing Outfitters in Helena and Craig at (406) 431-5089.

My fellow bar patrons, however, were correct about Big Sky’s sleepiness for the next few weeks. Our mountain hamlet becomes a high altitude snoozefest when the chairs stop spinning. For some, this break is a well-earned respite between seasons – the ideal time to get away on a legitimate tour de force of Montana trout fishing.

Here are two solid “trout trips” for a little R and R with your C and R (that’s catch and release).

Bighorn River: Fort Smith to St. Xaiver This is a 13-mile stretch of cottonwood-lined, trout nirvana. The month of April was a well-kept secret on this southeastern Montana tailwater, but, since the Bighorn is also Colorado’s favorite local river, April here is getting busy – and for good reason. The river is floatable, wadeable and serviced by several quality lodges and fly shops. Anglers searching for dry fly sight-fishing opportunities will find plenty.

For numbers-hungry folks, two-fly nymph rigs rack up trout with ease. Arm yourself with Parachute Adams in size 18, CDC Adams in 16 or 18, and plenty of beadhead nymphs in sizes 18 and 20.

For lodging and guides, I recommend the Bighorn Trout Shop in Fort Smith at (406) 666-2375 or the Bighorn Kingfisher Lodge at (406) 666-2326. For a local independent guide, call Ryan Kitts at (406) 666-2205.

Missouri River: Craig and Land of the Giants Recent fish counts on the Missouri 40 miles below Holter Dam hover around 8,000 trout per mile. The past few years of high water sparked fish growth and increased insect life, and for the next several weeks, anglers can expect to see Blue Winged Olives, skwala stoneflies and a few early caddis here.

The streamer fishing in spring is consistent, but bring the proper selection of sink-tip fly lines and

For lodging in Craig, contact CrossCurrents Fish Inn at (406) 235-3433, Headhunters Fly Shop’s Cabins at (406) 235-3447, or the Missouri River Trout Shop’s Lodging at (406) 235-4474.

And, if you don’t want to travel at all, Big Sky is home to several quality fly shops – also for good reason…

Fish on! Walk-wading the Bighorn River.

Photo by Pat Straub

Pat Straub is the author of six books, including The Frugal Fly Fisher, Montana On The Fly, and the forthcoming Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Fly Fishing* *but were afraid to ask. He and his wife own Gallatin River Guides in Big Sky.

“Man, there just ain’t nothing to do around here once the mountain closes and everyone leaves.”

header

April 19-May 2, 2013 35

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36 April 19-May 2, 2013

header EVENTS

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West Yellowstone celebrates Earth Day Free family fun and activities April 26-28 WEST YELLOWSTONE – Yellowstone National Park’s west entrance opens to vehicles on Friday, April 26. As part of the National Parks Week celebration, there will be no admission charge that day.

April 26 also marks the start of the fourth annual Earth Day Celebration in West Yellowstone, featuring family-friendly activities all weekend.

The Earth Day Celebration is from 6 – 9 p.m. on Friday at the Holiday Inn and includes the West Yellowstone school science fair exhibits, vendor booths and free snacks, as well as presentations on the 30th Anniversary of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness Area by the Forest Service and on a Bear Safe Community Project by the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery.

The Earth Day Fair will be Saturday from 9 a.m – 1 p.m., also at the Holiday Inn. Activities will include learning about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem’s birds of prey and bear-safe garbage containers; making crafts from recycled materials; face painting; and movie shorts and cartoons.

A Campfire Ranger Talk from 5 – 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Rendezvous Ski Trailhead will include hot chocolate, s’mores and a sing-along. A grill will be

available for those wanting to cook dinner; ketchup, mustard, and chips will also be provided.

The Three Bear Lodge, 2009 winner of the Eco Star Award, is offering tours on Saturday, demonstrating its award-winning sustainable building practices used to construct the new lodge.

Get outdoors on Sunday with either a ranger snowshoe hike or walk, depending on the amount of snow on the Boundary Trail. Call the Hebgen Lake Ranger District at (406) 823-6961 or Earth Day Committee at (406) 640-0069 for more information.

Earth Day films will be shown all weekend, including two kid-friendly movies on Saturday. The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center will also feature its “Keeper Kids” program throughout the weekend, giving kids a chance to learn more about grizzly bears from a naturalist, and then hide food for the bears in the enclosure while the bears take a break inside. For more information contact Trent at the GWDC at (406) 646-7001.

For a complete schedule of events, visit kidsnsnow.org/earthday.html

Big Sky Weekly

PBR returns to Big Sky Tickets on sale June 10, music acts announced Big Sky Weekly Staff Writer

BIG SKY – Dust off your duster. The highly anticipated, third annual Professional Bull Riders series is set for July 31 – Aug. 1, and ticket sale dates have been released alongside the names of two stagesplintering bands that will light up both nights.

Expanded to two days, the main event will showcase cowboys testing their mettle on some of the toughest bulls around, while the Big Sky evenings will rock with the sounds of Hell’s Belles and The Dirty Shame.

On Wednesday, July 31, the all-female AC/DC cover band Hell’s Belles will tear the roof off the Town Center stage during the first night of free shows. The group covers one of the hardest-rocking, highest-grossing bands of all time “with a furious passion,” its website boasts. Most who’ve seen them perform live agree.

Jean Palmer, manager of the Big Sky Post Office remembers when Hell’s Belles last played in Big Sky, at the 2002 Dirtbag Ball at Buck’s T-4.

“They put on a great show, and I do believe they remember us,” said Palmer, Big Sky’s Dirtbag Queen in 1999. “You want to stay up all night and watch them. I’ll be in the mosh pit, for sure.”

Photos couresy of West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce

38th Annual Indian Pow-Wow at MSU

PBR tickets

Tickets for the Big Sky PBR go on sale June 10.

General admission tickets are $40; tickets for kids 6 and under are $10; and Golden Buckle tickets, which include VIP seating, access to the VIP tent and participation in the Calcutta, are $150.

By Maria Wyllie

The 38th Annual American Indian Council PowWow took place at MSU’s Brick Breeden Fieldhouse April 12-13. Native Americans from various tribes celebrated their culture and heritage by competing in dancing and singing/drumming contests.

Thursday evening, Bozeman-based The Dirty Shame will bring its outlaw-country sound to Big Sky. In the tradition of Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and David Allan Coe, the band will transport you to a time when Harleys, Washburn guitars and bandannas were all you needed to get by – with a bit of metal sprinkled in for good measure.

For more information or to buy tickets, visit explorebigsky.com Dancer dressed in a traditional ensemble

Big Sky PBR Sponsors

Sponsors include Continental Construction, Yellowstone Club and Outlaw Partners, publisher of this newspaper. Other sponsorship opportunities are still available. Sponsorship opportunities available. To learn more, contact the Outlaw Partners 406-995-2055.

Hill Kicks singing group provide music for dancers pictured on left.

MSU royalty waiting to be presented to the crowd.

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EVENTS header

Big Sky Weekly

April 19-May 2, 2013 37

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

If your event falls between May 3 and May 17, please submit your event by April 26.

big sky

FRIDAY, APRIL 19

Advanced Yoga Practice Santosha, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 20

2 Year Anniversary Party w/Electric Sunday Broken Spoke, 9 p.m.

TUESDAY, APRIL 23

Bond Issue Information Forum Lone Peak High School, 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24

Volleyball Open Gym Lone Peak High School, 7-9 p.m.

Spring Detox & The Basics of Ayurvedic Cleansing Santosha, 7:30 p.m.

MONDAY, APRIL 29

Visit Big Sky Board Meeting Chamber of Commerce, 8:30-10:30 a.m.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1

Volleyball Open Gym Lone Peak High School, 7-9 p.m.

Bozeman FRIDAY, APRIL 19

Art Happy Hour Rocking R Bar, 5 p.m.

The Rocky Horror Show The Verge Theatre, 8 p.m.

Martha Scanlan Peach Street Studio, 8 p.m.

Pert’ Near Sandstone Filling Station, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 20

11th Annual Women’s Expo Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, 10 a.m.

Escape Plan 406 Brewing Co., 5:30 p.m.

The Rocky Horror Show The Verge Theatre, 8 p.m.

Ten Foot Tall & 80 Proof, Peach Street Studio, 8 p.m.

Hillstomp w/Black Mountain Moan Filling Station, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY, APRIL 21

Free Children’s Carnival Baxter Hotel Ballroom Jason Wickens & Collin Rocker Peach Street Studio, 8 p.m.

MONDAY, APRIL 22

Bridger Creek Boys Colonel Blacks, 6 p.m.

Improv on the Verge The Verge Theatre, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, APRIL 23

Pecha Kucha Nights Ellen Theatre, 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24 Pecha Kucha Nights Ellen Theatre, 6:30 p.m.

Sizzling Salsa The MAC, 8 p.m.

Stephanie Nilles Wild Joe’s, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

Karaoke Bacchus Pub, 8 p.m.

Fossils Pine Creek Café, 7 p.m.

Mighty High w/ In Walks Bud Filling Station, 9 p.m.

Wild West Country Dance The MAC, 8 p.m.

FRIDAY, APRIL 26

THURSDAY, MAY 2

Mediterranean Cooking Class Bridger Kulinary Centre, 6:30 p.m.

Kitchen Dwellers Murray Bar, 10 p.m.

2013 Pizza Eating Contest Tarantino’s Pizzeria, 6:15 p.m.

LIVINGSTON & PARADISE VALLEY

www.Twang Chico Hot Springs Saloon, 7 p.m.

Hawk Debate Team Fundraiser Willson Auditorium, 7 p.m.

MONDAY, APRIL 22

SUNDAY, APRIL 28

FRIDAY, APRIL 26

TUESDAY, APRIL 30

Big Ol’ Haufbrau, 8 p.m.

Earth Day Opening Reception Holiday Inn, 6-9 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1

Kitchen Dwellers, Lil Smokies & Flatt Cheddar Filling Station, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

Bobcat Fest Downtown Bozeman, 5-8 p.m. (and Sat.)

Katie Boeck Wild Joe’s, 7 p.m.

Holler N’ Pine Peach Street Studios, 8 p.m.

Pulse-Keishe, Chris Sage & Jason Root Zebra Cocktail Lounge, 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

Mountaineers 4x4 Bog Gallatin County Fairgrounds, 1 p.m.

Celtic Jam Eagles Bar, 3 p.m.

Stage Whisper Wild Joe’s, 7 p.m.

Boozehounds Sacajawea Bar, 9 p.m.

West yellowstone

National Park Week: Fee Free Days Yellowstone National Park (thru April 26) West Yellowstone entrance opens to motorized travel

Earth Day Celebration Holiday Inn, 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.

ongoing at norris

SUNDAY, APRIL 28

Earth Day Celebration Holiday Inn, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Music every Fri., Sat., & Sun Music starts at 7 p.m.

livingston & paradise valley

LIVINGSTON & PARADISE VALLEY

FRIDAY, APRIL 19

Little Jane Acoustic Pine Creek Café, 7 p.m.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile Blue Slipper Theatre, 8 p.m. (and Sat.)

SUNDAY, APRIL 28

Jamelution Chico Hot Springs Saloon, 9 p.m.

Charity Poker Tournament Mixers Saloon, 3 p.m.

Haitian Benefit Kountry Korner Café, 5:30 p.m.

Irish Jam Pub 317, 7:30 p.m.

MONDAY, APRIL 29

Tracy Award Films Procrastinator Theatre, 5 p.m. (thru Wed.) Bridger Creek Boys Colonel Black’s, 6 p.m.

Jaden Carlson Band Wild Joe’s, 6:30 p.m.

Todd Snider Filling Station, 9 p.m.

Live Trivia Bacchus Pub, 9 p.m.

Montana Roadhouse Band Sacajawea Bar, 9 p.m.

Scott Holt Murray Bar, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 20

Free Drum Classes Livingston Library, 10 a.m.

Jawbone Railroad Pine Creek Café, 7 p.m.

Jamelution Chico Hot Springs Saloon, 9 p.m.

Milton Menasco & the Big Fiasco Murray Bar, 9 p.m.

Frank Keyes Sacajawea Bar, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY, APRIL 21

The Elves and the Shoemaker Shane Lalani Center, 4 p.m.

TUESDAY, APRIL 30

THURSDAY, APRIL 25

Open Bluegrass Jam Pub 317, 7:30 p.m.

Strangeways Murray Bar, 9 p.m.

Jeremy Morton Bacchus Pub, 8 p.m.

FRIDAY, APRIL 26

Iqra Fund presents “Girl Rising” Emerson Cultural Center, 4:30 & 7:30 p.m.

That 1 Guy and Captain Ahabs Motorcycle Club Zebra Cocktail Lounge, 10 p.m.

THURSDAY, APRIL 25

Potcheen Murray Bar, 9 p.m.

Hump Day Trivia Murray Bar, 7 p.m.

Cello Festival Concert, Reynolds Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m.

Scottish Jam 406 Brewing Co., 3 p.m.

Halden Wofford & The Hi-Beams Chico Hot Springs Saloon, 8 p.m.

The Beach Boys are coming to Big Sky!

Tickets on sale May 1st at TicketRiver.com Rapier Charitable Trust Presents THE BEACH BOYS UNDER THE BIG SKY, a benefit concert for Morningstar Learning Center

Bluegrass Jam Pine Creek Café, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013 Doors open 5pm / Show Time 6pm

Two Grass Crew Pine Creek Café, 7 p.m.

Tickets $50 Children 12 & under free with paid adult

www.Twang Chico Hot Springs Saloon, 7 p.m.

Halden Wofford & The Hi-Beams Murray Bar, 9 p.m.

Greek Cooking Class Bridger Kulinary Centre, 6:30 p.m.

SWEET CORN FEST, COOKE CITY

Friday, April 19 – Saturday April 20 FRIDAY, April 19

Eldrich Miners Saloon, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY, April 20

Practice w/beacons Transceiver Park, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Pray for Snow Party w/Jespy, Surebert & David Dalla G Miners Saloon, 9:30 p.m.

Photo by Ryan Dorn

38 April 19-May 2, 2013

Buscrat's fables header

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Big Sky Weekly

The Creature There’s a man what lived on the north side of the river in these parts all by hisself. His nose was plastered clear across his face and was fulla warts, and his forehead was huge. He was 12 feet tall but had short little arms, like a T-Rex. Two of the teeth on his lower jaw stuck out an inch over his upper lip, like a warthog. He was a homely creature.

others,” I said. “If we tell ‘em they’re rotten, they’ll live up to it and act rotten. If we tell ‘em we admire ‘em, they’ll live up to our expectations and act that way too.”

Teija decided to try it out and walked over to the riverbank. The creature seen her and got ready to spit some slime at her.

One day I was fishin’ nearby and noticed two young fellers walking along the south side of the river, skimmin’ rocks across the water. When the creature seen ‘em, he spit gobs of gooey slime across the river that landed on their faces.

“Hey you ugly creature!” they yelled. Then they threw rocks at him.

He squealed and tried to stop the rocks from hitting his head with his short arms.

Them fellers laughed as they watched him, and then continued on their way flailing their arms and mimicking him.

Later a few young girls came running along the riverbank.

“There he is,” said one girl as she pointed to the creature.

“Eeew!” shrieked another. “He’s hideous, like they said.”

“Hey ugly!” they yelled.

“I like your voice,” she yelled across the river. “I’ll bet you can sing beautifully.”

He looked at Teija and acted bashful fer a second.

Then he started singing.

The creature vomited on the ground, and then sat in the greenish brown puddle. Then he stuck his fingers in his mouth and pulled his cheeks apart, stuck his foot-long yellow tongue out, kicked the vomit toward the girls and let out a high pitched shriek.

The girls screamed and backed up. “You’re disgusting!” they yelled, “You’re the ugliest thing we’ve ever seen.”

They went back to town to tell everyone about the horrible creature.

I seen one girl named Teija who didn’t join the other girls to tease the creature. She seen me watching the event and came over and asked me why the creature was so hideous and vile and mean.

“Well, folks usually live up to the expectation of

“I noticed when you sing like that and extend your arms, you look graceful and elegant,” she said. “It actually makes you look quite handsome.”

Then an astonishin’ thing happened. As the creature sang to Teija, the warts slid off his nose. The muscles in his long legs moved up into his arms til he shrunk down to six feet and had proportional legs and arms. His two huge teeth shrunk into his mouth. He looked quite handsome. He put out his arms and sang a beautiful song.

Now folks come to the river just to hear the handsome creature sing from across the river.

Buscrat’s Fables are simple stories that each a moral.

Buscrat welcomes you to visit buscratsfables.com for more fables, and welcomes your comments, suggestions and requests.

Find out what tunes we’re bumping! In “Powder Playlist,” Big Sky Weekly staff and guests suggest a soundtrack for a day in the mountains, and guests have a chance to share what they listen to when they’re out.

Guest picks

By Joe Madden

Staff picks enStock.comWyllie orOpMaria By www.Vect

Joe Madden celebrated Big Sky Resort’s final weekend in gold, synthetic pants, showing off his well-defined ski legs. A weekend warrior living in Bozeman, Madden’s typical playlist is full of punk rock songs – songs that make him want to rip down the hill at full speed, sometimes screaming along the way. Although the resort’s closed, we hope Madden will continue rocking out in his golden splendor, turning heads everywhere he goes.

BIG SKY WEEKLY EDITORIAL ASSISTANT This is the season’s final powder playlist before we transition into music for summer activities.

The songs listed below are great for cruising down low angle slopes, for a hike up a long skin track, or when you want to just sit back and enjoy what might be the final turns of the season.

1.

“Don’t Forget to Breathe,” Bitter:Sweet

2.

“Glory Box,” Portishead

1.

“Face Down,” The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

3.

“Sweater Weather,” The Neighbourhood

2.

“I Wanna Be Sedated,” The Ramones

4.

“Forever,” Haim

5.

“Here We Are,” Spiral System & Lottie Child

6.

“Brother John,” The Wild Tchoupitoulas

7.

“E Jelly,” One Leaf Clover

8.

“Nothing Arrived,” Villagers

9.

“Stay With Me,” Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark

3.

“99 Red Balloons,” Goldfinger

4.

“Holiday in Cambodia,” Dead Kennedys

5.

“Beer,” Reel Big Fish

6.

“Master Exploder,” Tenacious D

7.

“Wrong Way,” Sublime

8.

“Rose Tattoo,” Dropkick Murphys

9.

“Ruby Soho,” Rancid

10. “Come Out and Play,” The Offspring

10. “I Know You Rider,” Slightly Stoopid

In Acting Shakespeare is a splendid,

“

delightfully personal comedic concoction.

~ Backstage Review

“

PRES ENTS

It’s hard to imagine any theatre lover

“

“

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Big Sky Weekly

wouldn’t be touched and delighted by In Acting Shakespeare

April 19-May 2, 2013 39

“

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A good one-man show leaves the audience wanting more ~ Jennifer Farrar, AP

~ David Barbour, Lighting and Sound America

JAMES DEVITA PERFORMANCE:

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Honey Stinger energy snacks: Sting or be stung At this time of year in Montana, the ski resorts have loaded their last rider but the mountain bike trails have yet to melt.

This is prime time for certain athletic past times – namely backcountry skiing, fishing, road biking, basketball and lower-elevation climbing.

The Outlaws have a firm hold on finding ways to burn off steam, and that post-work energy has to come from somewhere. Most recently, Honey Stinger organic energy bars, waffles, gels and chews have been packing the energy in without weighing us down.

We plan on them carrying us through the Montana shoulder season, keeping us outside, energized and active. Here are a few of our favorites:

Lemon Waffle

Organic Energy Chews

Based on the traditional Dutch ‘stroopwafel’, the Lemon Waffle is exactly the kind of snack I like when backcountry skiing or doing a big rock climb: yummy, and easy to digest. Because it’s light and sweet, it goes down easy, unlike some of those heavy bars that sit in my stomach like a brick.

Pink Lemonade flavor – Made from 100 percent tapioca pudding and honey, these keep me on top of my game during pick-up basketball and awake at the April Resort Tax Board meetings. With true lemonade flavor, Vitamin C and electrolytes, they may replace the neighborhood lemonade stand this summer.

Emily –

Maria –

The Lemon Waffle tastes like a lemon shortbread cookie, but healthier. At 130 calories, it’s easy on the stomach and has enough substance to hold you over until your next meal. Whether you need to refuel mid-workout or you’re just waiting for your lunch break, this tasty snack will help you focus on the task before you.

Joe –

Acai-Pomegranate Organic energy gel Chris –

I’ve been relying on the energy gel to help me alleviate lactic acid buildup. These gel shots are my go-to because I’m confident they’ll load me up with only the necessary ingredients – what my body needs to keep climbing, and what my mind needs to think clearly.

Megan –

Pomegranate Passion flavor – The tastiest energy gel chews out there! Best part is they don’t stick to your teeth. The pomegranate flavor is sweet, but refreshing. Yum! I’d take these anywhere: hikes, rafting, office, skiing… you can’t go wrong.

Dark Chocolate Mocha Cherry Pro Tyler –

This bar is in exclusive company as one of few energy bars on the market that actually tastes good and doesn’t threaten to pull out a tooth with every bite. The 10 g of protein combat the bonk and 30 mg of caffeine offer a little jolt, whether you’ve got miles to go on the trail or hours left at your desk.

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PLAY VIDEOS TO LEARN MORE AT FLATHEADLAKETIMBER.COM

April 19-May 2, 2013 41

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42 April 19-May 2, 2013

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Wanderer at Rest story and Photo By Jamie Balke Big Sky Weekly Columnist

Ah, failure: My old friend

Dancing with widow makers

As summer approaches, I’m desperate to start hiking. But recently, my brother reminded me of some of my past misadventures that began with similar frenzied excitement.

I returned West several years later, this time to work at Grand Teton National Park wearing a Smokey the Bear hat. Striving once again to recreate a childhood memory, a friend and I met my brother at a trail that had, with my family, felt long and arduous. It’s actually an easy day hike. Taking a detour for a better vantage, we looked up from the steep path and noticed storm clouds rolling in. The temperature dropped, and the sky darkened.

The beginning of the end After middle school, my parents planned a family vacation in Yellowstone Park. One of my most distinct memories involves picking a trail in the Canyon area, grabbing our “bear bells” (of the small, tinkling variety – sort of like a fairy desperately trying to get your attention) and embarking into the unknown. I now know this walk as a short path on the way to more challenging trails, but at the time we felt exposed and on the verge of something wild. My dad assigned us positions in a line based on skill and strength.

This was when we took stock of the burned hillside surrounding us, covered in tall, dead pine. The trees creaked and moaned in the strong wind while we debated the merits of running down the hill versus finding a safe spot from which to swivel our heads around and monitor the area.

Moose Whisperer I returned to Yellowstone over college summer break to work for the concessionaire. Before I learned my way around the park, my roommate and I decided to go on an adventure. Missing family, and perhaps wanting to relive our vacation, I suggested a stop at Lost Lake trail.

On our return hike , we noticed an ungulate skeleton and witnessed a coyote stalking a pronghorn.

I was hopped on up on nature-in-action when we turned a bend and were confronted by a moose at an uncomfortably close distance. There is no mistaking the size and power of a moose. The animal was to our left, a steep hillside to the right, and the trailhead parking lot up a hill in front of us.

The 2.5 mile hike to 197-foot Fairy Falls, in Yellowstone, passes Grand Prismatic Spring

Having grown up in the Chicago suburbs, I didn’t know much about moose other than what I learned in Hatchet – that they can stomp you with their gangly legs. Feeling trapped, I began talking to the moose in a soothing voice. Simultaneously, my roommate whispered at me to shut up, lest I anger the wildlife.

People were gathering in the parking lot to watch our plight. When the moose finished terrifying us and we made it to the car, we were greeted with applause. I managed not to cry.

The rain began, and although thunder and lightning was not imminent, it was implied in my mind at the time.

After a few minutes, however, the storm passed, and we picked up the remains of our tattered dignity and we continued on with the hike to Fairy Falls.

I’m sure hiking this summer will provide more humbling fodder for future columns.

Jamie Balke has been dreaming of sunlight filtered through pine trees, wildflowers and the smell of sage.

Sage, incidentally, is one of her top three favorite smells.

GET YOUR

GRUB ON

CLOSED FOR OFF-SEASON OPEN TUES-SAT BEGINNING MAY 7 LOCATED IN THE BIG SKY TOWN CENTER Big Sky, Montana 406-995-3830

explorebigsky.com 43 April 5-18, 2013

Big Sky Weekly word

header from the resorts

April 19-May 2, 2013 43

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.

Noun: wild or rough terrain adjacent to a developed area Origin: shortened form of “back 40 acres”

Insulation - How much is enough?

By Philip Kedrowski Redleaf Consulting

A contractor walked into my office the other day and asked, "What do you think about the Mooney wall system?"

Insulation R-Value Assembly 1 13 Assembly 2 19

Overall R-Value 10.4 15.4

assembly 3

27

19.8

Assembly 4 37

32.7

Comment rarely used in cold climates common in cold climates common in big sky with new construction least common, due to cost of construction

"What's a Mooney wall system? " I asked.

He explained that it's a technique for furring out a standard wall to add room for additional insulation. This led into a broader conversation about numerous wall assemblies, and we finally got to the heart of the question: How do we compare these different walls on an apples-to-apples basis so he could make the best choice on what to recommend to his clients?

Here, I will show you a heat transfer comparison of four common exterior wall assemblies. Illustrations of these assemblies are shown in Figure 1. The first step in comparing these four wall assemblies is to calculate the overall resistance to heat transfer (R-value) for each.

Notice that Assembly 4 has an overall R-Value three times the overall R-value of Assembly 1. Does that mean it's three times as good?

In order to answer that question, we need to look at the conductive heat transfer equation.

Figure 1

Using this equation we can calculate the conduction heat transfer (Q) across a wall area. Heat transfer, quantified in British Thermal Units per Hour (BTU/ Hr), is directly tied to how much energy your house consumes. Your home’s furnace or boiler is sized to deliver a specific number of BTU's/Hr. The larger this number, the more money it will cost to heat your home. Therefore, in order to compare wall assemblies, it’s more important to look at reduction in heat transfer than to simply compare R-values.

In Figure 2, I’ve used the conduction heat transfer equation to create a curve showing the percent reduction in heat loss as a function of R-value. Here’s a simple way to think of it: If you have 0 percent reduction in heat loss, you'd be sitting outside and would need a lot of energy to stay warm. On the other hand, if you have 100 percent reduction in heat loss, you could maintain the temperature in your home with no input energy at all.

Figure 2 100 MOST COMMON IN BIG SKY FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION.

90

80 WALL WITH NO THERMAL BRIDGING AT WOOD STUDS.

40

30

ASSEMBLY 4 - 97% Reduction of Heat Loss

50

ASSEMBLY 3 - 95% Reduction of Heat Loss

60

ASSEMBLY 2 - 93.5% Reduction of Heat Loss

ASSEMBLY 1 - 91% Reduction of Heat Loss

Percent Reductino of Heat Loss

70

Wall Parameters Wall Area = 200 Sq ft(10ft tall, 20ft long) Outdoor Temp. = -20F Indoor Temp. = 70F

20

10

0 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

R-Value

Since all four assemblies have interior gypsum and exterior wood sheathing, I’ll exclude them to simplify the example. Each of these assemblies has components with an R-value stacked atop each other (in series) and side-by-side (in parallel).

The following two equations can be used for determining the total R-value for each condition: In series:

In parallel:

Don't worry, this isn't a lecture on heat transfer mathematics. I'm just showing you the equations so you know I'm not pulling this out of thin air. Using these equations, I've calculated the following R-values for each assembly.

Notice how the curve rises quickly and then flattens out. This means you get a lot of bang for your buck at the lower R-values. Assembly 1 already achieves a 91 percent reduction in heat loss, but that's not good enough. As we move to assemblies 2, 3 and 4, we successively get more reduction in heat loss. However, each new percentage of heat loss reduction is harder to achieve.

As mentioned above, Assembly 4 has three times the R-value of Assembly 1, but the plot shows we only get 6 percent more reduction in heat loss. Unfortunately, it's not three times as good: If we invented an assembly with an R-100, we would only achieve another 2 percent reduction in heat loss over Assembly 4.

Philip Kedrowski, PE, LEED-AP, is owner/engineer of Redleaf Consulting, PLLC. Redleaf is the only engineering company based in Big Sky. Kedrowski's column Engineer's Corner appears regularly in the Business section of the Weekly.

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