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Life and land from the heart of the Yellowstone Region

Explore Big Sky

Big Sky LPHS hosts Veterans Day assembly

Nov. 1-14, 2013 Volume 4 // Issue #22

The nonprofit issue

Guide to giving Big Sky PBR wins Touring Pro Division event of the year

PowderBlast raises more than $25,000 for avalanche center

BACK 40:

bird hunting

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ON THE COVER: Big Sky Youth Empowerment students participated in a workshop on identity this October, making masks portraying how they present themselves to the world. Executive Director Pete MacFadyen said it opened discussions about how the different ‘masks’ may function and what it might be like to get rid of them, letting the world see us for who we are. PHOTO COURTESY BYEP

Nov. 1-14, 2013 Volume 4, Issue no. 22

BELOW: Among Eagle Mount’s many programs, the nonprofit organization helps disabled people go skiing.

PHOTO COURTESY EAGLE MOUNT

Learn more about Eagle Mount, BYEP and other regional nonprofits in section three.

Owned and published in Big Sky, Montana

LIVE WHERE THE RIVERS MEET THE BIG SKY.

PUBLISHER Eric Ladd

Here are the wide-open spaces of Montana you have been looking for. Gallatin River Ranch features a 6,000 acre playground of rolling hillsides along three miles of private access to the famous Gallatin River in the Horseshoe Hills. Spanning views of the entire Gallatin Valley pour out before you including several snow-capped mountain ranges, and the headwaters of the Missouri River.

editorial MANAGING EDITOR Emily Stifler Wolfe senior editor Joseph T. O’Connor

Build a home for future generations on large ranch parcels, only 20 minutes from Bozeman, and enjoy our world class equestrian center, blue ribbon trout fishing and miles of shared horseback riding trails.

staff writer/distribution director Tyler Allen associate editor Maria Wyllie

creative CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mike Martins GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kelsey Dzintars VIDEO director Brian Niles Video Producer Joe Paulet

SALES and operations COO Megan Paulson Operations director Katie Morrison Director of Business Development Yellowstone region EJ Daws

CONTRIBUTors Jamie Balke, Scott Bosse, Mike Coil, Stephen Halvorson, Soby Haarman, Kathy House, Jim Klug, Mona Lovely, Max Lowe, Dave McCune, Brandon Niles, Chloe Nostrant, Stephen Pruiett, Greg Ruff, Maria Munro-Schuster, Deborah Courson Smith, Natasha Wisniewska

Editorial Policy Outlaw Partners LLC is the sole owner of the Explore Big Sky. EBS reserves the right to edit all submitted material. Printed material reflects the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the opinion of Outlaw Partners or its editors. EBS will not publish anything discriminatory or in bad taste.

LetterS to the Editor

The season of giving begins The Yellowstone region has an abundance of nonprofit organizations that support environmental and community services. Often, one of the most difficult challenges these charities face is to educate the public on their mission.

As a way to give back to those who support us, Explore Big Sky asked our advertisers what nonprofits they believe in for this issue’s special section, “Nonprofits, a guide to giving.” The response was overwhelming.

Columbine Culberg, director of environmental and community affairs at Montana Import Group, noted how important it is for her business to support local organizations.

“Nonprofits that work to conserve and protect our region’s wildlife, ecosystem and communities are vital to sustaining our area’s growth,” Culberg said. Montana Import Group has been supporting the region’s overall economic health and well being since 2009, she added, through partnerships with nonprofits who work to protect the environment that in turn draws people here.

Various regional businesses nominated the groups featured in this special section in an effort to support the array of issues the nonprofits are involved with, that affect the people and environment around us.

– Katie Morrison

Letters to the editor allow EBS readers to express views and share how they would like to effect change. These are not Thank You notes. Letters should be 250 words or less, respectful, ethical, accurate, and proofread for grammar and content.

We reserve the right to edit letters. Include: full name, address, phone number and title. Submit to media@theoutlawpartners.com.

GALLATIN RIVER RANCH. It’s the fishing. It’s the riding. It’s your community - all under the Big Sky.

CORRECTIONS OUTLAW PARTNERS & Explore big sky P.O. Box 160250, Big Sky, MT 59716 (406) 995-2055 • media@theoutlawpartners.com © 2013 Explore Big Sky Unauthorized reproduction prohibited

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4 Nov.1-14, 2013

contents

table of contents Section 1: News Letters................................................5 Community..................................6 Local News........................................8 Regional.....................................9 Montana....................................11 Business.......................................14

Section 2: Life, Land & Culture Outlaw News...................................17 Entertainment..................................19 Calendar..........................................21 Sports................................................22 Classifieds.........................................26 Fun....................................................27 Column............................................29 Back 40............................................30 Bull Market.......................................32

Special Section: Nonprofits: Guide to giving...........33

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Explore Big Sky

Features:

back 40: bird hunting

7

PowderBlast raises more than $25,000 for avalanche center

17

Big Sky PBR wins Touring Pro Division event of the year

Big Sky Resort Tax Board election Three of five seats are up for election on Big Sky’s Resort Tax Board this November. Running for two of these seats are Ginna Hermann, Heather Budd, Robert “Bob” Shanks and Hans Williamson. Dr. Jeff Strickler is running for the final seat.

“Hoof Beats” Represented by

Paula Pearl

Capturing the Spirit of Life

Creighton Block Gallery 33 Lone Peak Drive Big Sky, MT 406.993.9400

406.586.6850 paulapearl.com

HEAR YE, HEAR YE!

RE: David Fowler’s letter

Re: David Fowler’s letter

We have enough condos in Big Sky

Preserving the last best place for locals

I was delighted to see Mr. Fowler’s letter in the latest issue of EBS, as affordable housing, or the lack thereof, is often a topic of conversation among people I speak with in Big Sky.

Mr. Fowler’s plan for affordable free standing homes would greatly benefit people in our community, whether you have a dog, a family or maybe you just need space to work. But the question here should not be “condo or free standing house?” Instead, it should be “home or second home?”

I believe his letter and goals act as a challenge to the ski town status quo of catering housing to the vacation/second home class while providing minimal accommodations for those who live, work and breathe there. This is something that has already happened to an extent in Big Sky, and it is up to us to see that it does not go further and get too out of hand.

More and more, you hear of a friend being pushed out of their lease because someone from Texas, or wherever, bought the condo they lived in. These condos are being turned into vacation homes that might not be used even half of the year. For what? So someone far away can make a buck?

There is a gap in housing in Big Sky, with one end being the many already-existing condos and townhomes that are often of poor quality, and on the other end, the high-end, luxury homes often designed for non-residents. In the middle are a number of homes built for working families, but that number is small and their turnover low.

The past few years have had too many stories floating around of young couples coming to Big Sky with the intent of moving here and settling down, only to leave before the season even starts because they don’t want to start a family in a Hill Condo studio or sharing rent with a stranger in a Firelight Condo.

There are plenty of condos in Big Sky already; we need more affordable housing for families to live in for longer than a 6- or 12-month lease.

- Mark Davidson, Big Sky

Preserving A W O R K O F art TA K E S A professional

The Big Sky Chamber of Commerce recently surveyed each of the five candidates running for seats on the Big Sky Resort Tax Board. Here are their responses to the last of 10 questions posed in the survey. For complete survey questions and answers, please visit explorebigsky.com.

Ballots will be sent out Oct. 11, and elections are Nov. 5. For more information, visit the Gallatin County Election Office at gallatin.mt.gov, or call (406) 5823060. – JTO

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Nov.1-14, 2013 5

Want to weigh in? Send letters to media@theoutlawpartners.com. Letters should be fewer than 200 words and must be in good taste. Explore Big Sky reserves the right to edit letters for brevity and content.

9 30

letters

Explore Big Sky

The following letters are in response to local architect David Fowler’s letter published in the Oct. 18 issue of EBS, calling for more affordable housing units, specifically in the form of single family homes, to be built in Big Sky. Find Mr. Fowler’s letter at explorebigsky.com/letterdavidfowler.

LPHS School hosts Veterans Day assembly

33

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FREE PICK UP & DELIVERY* *call for details

(406) 582-8016

Let us keep the money in Big Sky. If properties get sold locally, then the family living in that house can better support local businesses.

This town has become a realtor’s free-for-all. Greed for land and real estate has already done harm here. Is it not a social responsibility to give the right people a chance to buy a home they will actually live in? Most of us here can only afford a down payment on one home, at best. Our local buyers are losing faith. Mr. Fowler’s letter has given us some hope that our efforts are not lost.

We live in a rare place. Some call it The Last Best Place. But if we keep heading down the road of real estate greed, there might not be a Best Place at all.

- Michelle Clark-Conley, Big Sky

6 Nov.1-14, 2013

community

BSFD new hires

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From My Point of View Soby Haarman LPHS Sophomore

Soby Haarman’s column, “From my point of view,” alternates with BSSD Supt. Jerry House’s “School House News” for publication in EBS. Each column offers a unique point of view on education and the Big Sky School District.

Chief Bill Farhat (far right) swears in the Big Sky Fire Department’s five new hires on Oct. 23. From left to right: Mitch Hamel, Dennis Rush, Michael Bakke, Michael LeBlanc, John Foster. Photo by Stephen Pruiett

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O F F ER I N G A U TO, B U S INES S, FA R M A ND R AN CH , H O M E, W O RKERS CO M P

This year, Lone Peak High School celebrated its second annual homecoming. If you asked anybody who attended both, they would likely tell you this year far surpassed last year.

You could tell that the school, staff and even the community were happy to be a part of this growing tradition.

From the sports games and other celebrations, to finally the big dance, this homecoming will be one of my most vivid memories of high school.

I think this year was so successful was because it had a great build-up to the final dance. Homecoming week was filled with events that everybody could be involved in, including Spirit Week, when each day had a new theme.

The week’s excitement brought with it another tradition: the coronation

of the 2013 Royal Homecoming Court. Then came the parade. Community businesses and organizations created floats and decorated their windows in Big Horn blue and white. Everybody showed his or her LPHS Spirit.

On Friday, our Lady Big Horn volleyball team took on the Manhattan Christian Lady Eagles. After a wellfought match, the Eagles came out on top. We let them win this round, but we’ll crush them next time. In football news, the much-anticipated Battle of 191 took place on Saturday, when our Bighorns hosted the West Yellowstone Wolverines. The game was cold and wet, but the coveted Battle of 191 trophy remained in Big Sky, its rightful home.

Finally, Saturday night was the dance, themed The Great Gatsby.

Students were decked out in their best 1920s outfits and set out to Rainbow Ranch for a night of dancing, laughter and fun.

Soby Haarman, a sophomore at LPHS, was crowned Sophomore Homecoming Princess this year.

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community

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Nov.1-14, 2013 7

LPHS hosts second Veterans Day assembly

Themed ‘America, land of the free, home of the brave’

By Emily Wolfe

performances of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “The Armed Forces Medley” and “America” by the school band; a reading of the poem “Forget Me Not,” which honors POW’s, MIA’s and others who could not attend; and a presentation from Vice Admiral Rodney Rempt, who is retired from the U.S. Navy and lives in Big Sky.

Explore Big Sky Managing Editor

BIG SKY – Lone Peak High School students will experience history in person during the school’s Veterans Day assembly, set for Friday, Nov. 8.

Open to the public, this is the school’s second such assembly; the first was held last year and attended by around 20 veterans or active military.

Big Sky School District Jerry House is expecting at least 40 this year, representing each of the five military branches.

All retired military personnel, active duty personnel and their families are invited to attend the assembly. Members of the public are also welcome, including parents of students and visitors to Big Sky.

“We wanted to have an assembly where our students can look at the veterans that have protected our countries [and] given us the rights and freedoms we enjoy today. We owe it to the veterans that have fought these wars,” said House, who served as an Army sergeant from 1966-69.

The theme this year is, “America, land of the free, home of the brave.” In attendance will be veterans of World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, Bosnea, Afghanistan and Pakistan, House said.

“The idea is to give our students the opportunity to respect the people that have fought for our country… more than just reading [a] chapter out of a history book. You’re giving them a live history lesson.”

House is encouraging military guests to arrive at the Bough Dolan Sports Complex as early as 12:15 p.m., and public, parents and visitors to arrive as early as 12:30. There will be designated reserved seating areas for both.

A display table showcased local veterans at the LPHS 2012 Veterans Day Assembly.

PHOTO BY TYLER ALLEN

The Big Sky Chapel is hosting an assembly on Sunday in honor of Veterans Day, which is officially the following Monday, Nov. 11.

A committee including students from all of the high school grades organized the assembly, House said.

“It’s what the veterans and active military members can bring to show students why we do study history, why we do respect our military, and why our military is important,” House said. “It’s a display of service rendered by the older generations.”

The assembly will include student speeches; an armed forces slide show; a veteran roll call;

Questions? Contact Supt. Jerry House at (406) 995-4281.

We work with Allied (Nationwide), Chubb, CBIC, The Harford, Kemper, MetLife auto and home, Progressive, Safeco, State Fund, Travelers and more!

Big Sky Community Library news

By Kathy House FOL annual meeting

wear the “g o o d s t u f f ” every day.

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

At the Friends of the Library annual meeting on Oct. 2, the group presented a progress report for the library’s fiscal year, and elected the FOL board for 2013/2014 calendar year. The new board members are: Kay Reeves, chairperson; Nancy Oshier, treasurer; Sally Moskol, secretary; and Roberta Adair, membership.

October/November is the annual FOL membership drive and the group is always looking for new members to support the library.

Find more on becoming member at bigskylibrary.org.

The next FOL meeting will be Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 10 a.m. in the library.

Scholastic Book Fair and FOL biannual Used Book Sale The FOL biannual used book sale and Ophir School’s Scholastic Book Fair will be Nov. 6 and 7 in the gymnasium and will run 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 6, and 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Nov. 7. This is a great opportunity to get books for the winter season and holiday gifts for everyone. Come on down and support the library!

The setup for the fair is scheduled for Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. For information on helping with the fair, call the library at (406) 995-4281, ext.205.

New book releases and library hours Several new books are available in the library, including:

Unique, handmade jewelry Extensive selection of South Sea & Tahitian pearls Exotic stones, raw diamonds, fine silver and 18-22 karat gold

B I G S K Y, M T | P A C I F I C P A L I S A D E S , C A Private appointments and trunk shows available. shellybermont.com

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri Having left his family in Calcutta to pursue a career in science in the U.S., Subhash returns home to look into what happened to his brother, Udayan, and to try to rebuild his shattered family and help his brother’s wife.

The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin.

Fictional account of the relationship between famed pilot Charles Lindberg and his wife Anne The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks Presents the story of two couples whose parallel love stories intersect in profound and interesting ways The Big Sky Community Library is open Sundays from 1-5 p.m.; Mondays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4-8 p.m.

Turkey for a Ticket food drive expands Want access to all 5,750 acres of Big Sky Resort, and looking to give back to those in need? You’re in luck. Turkey for a Ticket is back.

Covered outdoor patio open

Now in its seventh year, this one-day food drive is set for Dec. 13 this year, and will benefit the Gallatin Valley Food Bank, the Madison Valley Food Bank and the Big Sky Community Food Bank.

How it works: Donate a frozen turkey or 20 cans of food at one of three drop points, and receive free skiing in return (see details below). Formerly a Moonlight Basin event, the drive last year collected just shy of 38,000 pounds of food, making it the largest one-day drive in the region. – E.W.

Turkey for a Ticket: the details Donation locations for Friday, Dec. 13: Mountain Village (8:30 a.m.-1p.m.)

Madison Base Area (8:30 a.m.-1p.m.)

Albertson’s Bozeman (7:30 a.m.-11a.m.)

Donation categories: 1. Individuals including Silver or Bronze Pass Holders – Donate 20 cans of food or one frozen turkey and receive one direct-to-lift ticket that day only.

2. Big Sky Resort Gold, Bronze, Moonlight Basin or BSIA season pass holders – Donate 20 cans of food or one frozen turkey and receive a voucher for a fullday adult lift ticket valid Dec 13- Jan 31, 2014 (blackout dates: Dec. 25 – Jan. 6, 2014 and Jan. 17-23, 2014) 3. Corporate/Business – Employees team up to make a donation on behalf of their business, with each 20 pounds of food (or each frozen turkey) worth a voucher for a full-day adult lift ticket (see #2 for dates valid). Minimum donation is 80 pounds (four tickets); maximum donation is 800 pounds (40 tickets).

Chicken Tender Tuesday- happy hour all night, 1/2 off chicken tenders wild wing and whiskey Wednesday- $3 well whiskey and 75 cent wings all night dj night 9/27: benefit for shane maloney M-F 4pm-2am Sat-Sun- 12pm-2am | 406.995.2750 located in the “Blue MaLL” in westfork meadow

8 Nov.1-14, 2013

local news

explorebigsky.com

Big Sky committee selects consulting firm for housing feasibility study

By Joseph T. O’Connor Explore Big Sky Senior Editor

BIG SKY – The Big Sky Chamber of Commerce announced on Oct. 18 that the volunteer-based Big Sky housing committee had selected a consultant to perform a feasibility study for a local housing development plan.

Economic and Planning Systems, based in Colorado and California, was one of three companies that submitted proposals to the committee, headed by the chamber, which was granted $80,000 in resort tax last June for this specific study.

“The big thing that gave EPS a leg up was that they had quite a bit of experience working in resort-based economies and they planned on coming [to Big Sky] three times,” said the chamber’s executive director Kitty Clemens, who has headed up the housing committee since it began meeting last February.

The organizations’ proposals were based on a scoring system, which included each company’s past experience with housing development plans, its approach to this particular project, and whether it could submit a proposal within the $80,000 budget.

Each proposal fell under the price cap, and EPS is charging $60,000 for the study, Clemens said. EPS’ plan combined with legal work and expenses for public engagement will allow for the project to stay on budget.

EPS has in the past worked with Teton County’s housing plan in Wyoming, in Telluride, Colo., and has ongoing projects in Aspen, Colo, she added.

According to its proposal, the land economics consulting firm has also worked in “Whitefish and Bozeman… on affordable housing issues, identifying market and affordable housing needs and gaps, structuring housing plans, strategies, and policies using a variety of best practices tailored to local and regional market forces and realities.”

Representatives from the company will be in Big Sky Nov. 12-13, during which time they will hold a project kickoff meeting, consult landowners, tour potential building sites and begin an economic analysis, Clemens said.

Daniel Guimond, Principal at EPS, says he’s looking forward to the opportunity to work in Big Sky. “We have a reputation of doing sound, objective research,” said Guimond, who opened an EPS office in Denver in 1999. “We’ll try to hone in on what segments of the housing market are in most need of assistance and will work with the Big Sky community and the Chamber of Commerce to identify the mechanisms or approaches that are needed to address these housing needs.”

Explore Big Sky

Rotary Club sponsors Christmas giving tree BIG SKY – The Rotary Club of Big Sky, with the help of the Big Sky community, is once again sponsoring the Christmas giving tree.

The program is confidential: All angels on the tree are numbered with no names, and a single Rotarian will know the names on the lists.

Santa letters and confidential envelopes are now available at American Bank, Big Sky Western Bank, First Security Bank, the Food Bank and the Country Market.

Please return the forms in the self-addressed stamped envelope no later than Nov. 15. Wrapped gifts and baskets will be delivered the evening of Dec. 18. The Rotary Club also provides each family with a Christmas dinner basket at the time of gift delivery.

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Avalanche center fundraiser raises serious cash for snow safety

By Emily Wolfe

Explore Big Sky Managing Editor

The Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center packed the Emerson ballroom once again this year, for its 15th annual PowderBlast, the center’s largest annual fundraiser.

“This year’s PowderBlast had great energy,” said GNFAC Director Doug Chabot in an email. “Having snow in the mountains always helps people get excited to celebrate the coming winter.”

The Bozeman-based Holler N’ Pine played rousing indie folk and bluegrass at the Emerson Cultural Center in Bozeman, while PowderBlast-goers sipped rocket-fueled beers from Lone Peak Brewery and threw down on raffle tickets and more than 100 silent auction items, including a pair of skis from Liberty, lift tickets, a steel fire pit with an MSU Bobcat theme, and outdoor gear galore.

Nearly half of the center’s funding – 45 percent – comes from sources outside the federal government, Chabot said, half from the Friends and half from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Nestled in the long shadow of Storm Castle, The Inn on the Gallatin serves as a base camp for fishers, hunters, hungry locals and travelers alike. Unwind in updated cabins, or fuel yourself on homemade breakfast pastries with recipes of local ingredients, and recharge with friends and family in our cozy, newly remodeled cafe.

GNFAC has new app and blog The avalanche center is launching an app this year, available for both Apple and Android operating systems, as well as a blog, and an education program for new beacon users at Bridger Bowl.

“Our main goal is for folks to get our advisory, and we want to make that as easy as possible,” said forecaster Mark Staples about the app. “We want to get that information out in as many forms as we can.”

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Nov.1-14, 2013 9

‘Friends’ indeed

The event this year raised in excess of $25,000, one of their best years.

BO U T I Q UE L O D GING IN GAL L AT IN G ATE WAY, MON TA N A

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The forecasters are also active on Twitter and Facebook, and this year the website, mtavalanche.com, will have a mobilespecific interface.

The blog will be a home for nonadvisory avalanche issues like discussion about new beacon technology, avalanche accident lessons from other states, and GNFAC avalanche articles.

In addition, the Friends will be running beacon workshops at Bridger Bowl with the help of ski patrol to teach new users how to use them, and also to educate them (and their parents) on the dangers of skiing the sidecountry.

The GNFAC Advisory App will be available in Google Play by mid-November and in iTunes this December.

Doug Chabot, Director of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center, grins as he bellies up to the bar at the PowderBlast, the center’s biggest annual fundraiser. This year’s event raised more than $25,000. PHOTO BY EMILY WOLFE

The GNFAC puts out daily avalanche advisories from late November through mid-April each year, its forecasts spanning from the Bridger Range to West Yellowstone and Cooke City.

It was closed during the recent government shutdown since it wasn’t putting out these daily forecasts yet. If a shutdown were to occur mid-winter, Chabot said, it would likely be deemed essential services and its three forecasters would continue putting out advisories.

The nonprofit Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center has supported the center for 22 years, providing financial backing and community partnerships for the PowderBlast and other fundraisers like the King of the Ridge; as well as for its 70 avalanche education classes the GNFAC hosts around the region, reaching more than 3,500 people.

The team at the avalanche center is ramping up as snow continues falling in the mountains of southwest Montana. And they still need your help.

With more than 6,000 square miles across five mountain ranges, the advisory area in the Gallatin National Forest is a lot to cover. Last season the forecasters put out 136 advisories, had 98 field days, dug 129 snowpits, made 58 YouTube videos and rode 1,200 miles on each of their snowmobiles.

Although they have regular observers in such far flung places at Cooke City, they still rely on observations from recreational backcountry users.

“We want as many obs in as many forms as we can get,” said forecaster Mark Stables, referring to weather, snow and avalanche observations that come in most often from backcountry skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers.

“Anything is great from anybody…

A few notes about weather and skiing quality can tell us a lot, and then anything avalanche-related is helpful. It can be as detailed or as simple as you like – just a two sentence email can be great sometimes.”

Despite all the data they collect, there are always gaps and these observations from the public help paint the forecasters the picture by layering it atop other information they already have.

“We can confirm an idea we have or confirm the way we think conditions are, or it can tip us off that something is changing,” Staples said.

But what if you want to keep your secret backcountry stash, well… a secret?

Say so. “You can be as vague or as specific as you want,” Staples said. “Just give a general area or a mountain range, and tell us not to say where [your obs or photo] are from, and we’ll honor that.”

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General hunting season opens with high harvest numbers in Madison and Park counties FISH, WILDLIFE AND PARKS

BOZEMAN – Sunny skies and mild temperatures marked the two days of the 2013 general deer and elk season opening weekend.

FWP biologists, staff and volunteers manned seven check stations to count hunter harvest rates in the southern Tobacco Roots and Upper Ruby (Alder), the Madison (Cameron), Pioneers and Upper Big Hole including Fleecer and Mount Haggin (Divide and Mill Creek), the Gallatin, Park County (Livingston), and the Helena area (Silver City).

Elk harvest numbers at the Cameron check station doubled that of 2012, and are the highest seen since 2006 when the check station was open for longer hours. Over 15 percent of hunters who stopped at the station had successfully taken an animal (not including the seven antelope harvested).

Hunter success was also relatively strong at the Livingston check station (open only on Saturday and seeing 97 hunters), checking in four whitetailed deer, three mule deer and eight elk. The same appeared to be the case at the new Alder check station, which saw 454 hunters pass through, checking in 10 white-tailed deer, two mule deer and 44 elk. Divide and Mill Creek also saw a slight uptick overall.

The season got off to a slower start at the Silver City check station north of Helena, which typically sees the highest numbers of hunters pass through. By closing time on Sunday, 685 hunters had passed through, and less than 5 percent had harvested an animal. The Gallatin also saw more hunters than last year, but success there dropped to 2.2 percent.

A hunter descending a ridge in the northern Bridger Mountains on opening weekend. PHOTO BY EMILY WOLFE

2013 FWP Region 3 check station summary – weekend 1, Oct. 26-27 Hunters with or without game are required to stop at game check stations in Montana. The information gathered at check stations helps FWP with statistics, and also in determining future season setting and augmenting species population data. Here’s a look at this weekend’s data, with comparisons from the last fire years:

Check Station

Alder Cameron Divide Gallatin Livingston*** Mill Creek*** Silver City Totals

Hunters

454 548 338 274 97 165 685 2561

White-tailed Deer M F Juv Tot. 4 6 0 10 0 1 2 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 4 0 0 0 0 10 1 1 12 16 11 3 30

*Cameron also checked in 7 antelope (3M, 4F). mountain goat, 1 black bear, and 2 out-of-area mule deer.

Mule Deer M F Juv 1 1 0 2 0 0 8 4 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 7 1 0 20 7 1

Tot. 2 2 13 0 3 0 8 28

Elk M 20 39 14 6 7 7 11 104

F 24 32 9 0 0 0 1 66

Juv 0 8 1 0 1 1 0 11

Tot. 44 79 24 6 8 8 12 181

Hunters w/ Game

12.3% 15.3%* 11.2% 2.2%** 15.50% 4.8% 4.7%

**Gallatin also checked in 1 ***Open Satuday only

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12 Oct. 18-31, 2013

regional

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Yellowstone Winter Rules Finalized: 15 Years in the Making

By Deborah Courson Smith Big Sky Connection

MAMMOTH, Wyo. – A plan has been put in place to manage snowmobile and snowcoach use in Yellowstone National Park. The National Park Service finalized the regulations on Oct. 22 – a process that took 15 years.

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Under the new rule, there will be more vehicle traffic overall than current levels, said Tim Stevens, Northern Rockies regional director for the National Parks Conservation Association, but requirements to cut noise and carbon monoxide emissions will be stricter.

“The Park Service has made the right decision and has struck the right balance between protecting park resources and allowing a reasonable level of visitor access to the park in wintertime,” Stevens said.

The regulations don’t count snow machines individually. Instead, the focus is on how many “transportation events” occur each day, and there’s flexibility to meet days of higher demand.

There was some grumbling along the way as the rules were crafted, Stevens said – but also an understanding that the explosion of unregulated snowmobile traffic in the late 1980s and early ‘90s had to be addressed.

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“Everyone, including the snowmobile industry, agreed that we had a problem on our hands,” he said. “When you have a haze of blue smoke encircling the park entrances, it’s pretty clear we’ve got a problem.”

The new regulations also set speed limits of 35 miles per hour for snowmobiles and 25 mph for snowcoaches.

Nov. 1-14, 2013 13

OPI and SAF award $50,000 in grants for college OFFICE OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

HELENA – Twelve Montana communities will receive $50,000 in grants from the Graduation Matters Montana Student Assistance Foundation College Readiness Fund this year, with grants ranging from $2,000 – $5,000.

They are Anaconda, Bozeman, Browning, Columbia Falls, Eureka, Great Falls, Hardin, Hot Springs, Libby, Livingston, Missoula and Thompson Falls.

“It is exciting to see Graduation Matters communities setting high goals to reach out to and engage students and families as they prepare for life after high school,” said Montana Supt. of Public Instruction Denise Juneau.

Schools are setting their sights on increasing the number of students in their schools who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by participating in programs such as College Goal Montana. If schools successfully meet their goals, Juneau estimates that students and their families will receive around $3.9 million in grant awards for college education.

The majority of grantee schools will also participate in College Application Week this November, an effort to increase the number of Montana students who apply for college.

Other activities that supported by the grant include promotion of dual credit courses, providing college and career exploration and mentoring opportunities for middle school and high school students, and outreach to families to increase awareness of financial aid and college and certificate options.

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Gallatin Valley Furniture continues long family tradition in Bozeman

by Tyler Allen

Explore Big Sky Staff Writer

BOZEMAN – Walking into Gallatin Valley Furniture on North Seventh Avenue in Bozeman, one is struck by the sheer expanse of the 36,000-squarefoot showroom floor. From buffalo hide couches to ornate dressers and modern, colorful Norwegian recliners, the showroom is a feast for the eyes.

than their competitors, according to the brothers, and sales are currently half furniture and half floor coverings. In addition to carpet, the store offers hardwood, laminate vinyl and luxury vinyl tile (LVT), as well as granite, limestone or marble slab.

PRG, which builds homes mainly in the Yellowstone Club.

“They’ve helped us with some complicated and time-sensitive projects,” Rao said. “Their performance is what brings me back to them.”

Brian and Greg Cattin began working for their family business when the handles of the lawnmowers they pushed around the yard for $10 a day were still over their heads. The brothers now own Gallatin Valley Furniture with their parents, continuing the tradition their grandfather Don DeCosse began on Main Street 67 years ago. In those days, the business used yardsticks to measure if a couch would fit a room and a customer only needed to dial ‘160’ to reach the store.

DeCosse moved the showroom to Seventh Avenue in 1976, to a space that was previously an indoor motorbike racetrack and repair garage. Shortly thereafter, he brought on his son Jim and son-in-law Dennis Cattin – Brian and Greg’s father – as partners.

The store now has 38 employees and an 18,000-square-foot warehouse north of the showroom building.

“We’ve been able to stay in business because we’ve found the right price point on products that don’t surpass people’s budget,” Brian says, noting that although they will customize any piece on the showroom floor, they’re more than just a high-end furniture store.

Brian, 34, has been working there for eight years and Greg, 29, came on board 2 ½ years ago – both officially became partners a year ago. The brothers graduated from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. – Brian with a degree in operations management and entrepreneurship, and Greg in entrepreneurship and marketing management.

A member of Carpet Once since 1992, Gallatin Valley Furniture, has access to more lines and resources

Brian and Greg Cattin of Gallatin Valley Furniture in their North Seventh Avenue showroom in Bozeman.

PHOTO BY TYLER ALLEN

“We’re a soup to nuts operation,” Brian said. “[We’re] practically a one-stop shop for someone looking to build, or rebuild, a home.”

“What makes them stand out is both their knowledge of their projects and attention to detail,” said Damon Rao, a partner in the Bozeman-based construction company, PRG Group. Gallatin Valley Furniture provides finishes and flooring – primarily carpet, tile and hardwood – as a subcontractor for

The other Yellowstone Ecosystem

Southwest Montana’s nature-enabled business ecosystem

By Greg Ruff

WHITE SPACE STRATEGY

Tourism is Montana’s second largest industry behind agriculture, and the southwest Montana businesses that have grown around the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are a major contributor. Although we seldom think of the GYE as a business enabler, it is the key to our continued economic success.

Just as we have to manage the precious Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to minimize negative impacts, we must also consciously and proactively maintain the

surrounding businesses as an ecosystem. Cooperative, proactive, thoughtful and deliberate management of both ecosystems has the potential to increase our natural and financial wealth by orders of magnitude.

Dr. James F. Moore was the first to publicize the idea that business ecosystems are “economic communities supported by a foundation of interacting organizations and individuals,” and just like biological ecosystems, they must inter-operate in mutually beneficial ways. Moore, who earned a doctorate in human development from Harvard, asserted that these business ecosystems also have food chains, hierarchies of leaders, hunters and gatherers, and even predators and prey to maintain a balance.

From 1998-2006, Gallatin Valley Furniture also had a store in the Big Sky Meadow Village, but shuttered it due to the cost of rent, Brian said. A month ago they hired an interior designer, Susie Tetta, who works in Big Sky full time.

“I really enjoy putting together someone’s dream home or putting a final touch on it,” Greg said.

“Whatever that dream home is to someone – $200,000 or $15 million.”

This column explores the idea that just as natural resource based bioecosystems operate in a complex natural balance, business ecosystems require deliberate, conscious management and shepherding of their resources to thrive.

When functioning in natural balance, the GYE’s bio-ecosystem provides us with an unequalled opportunity to maximize both the enjoyment and commercial opportunities it provides. Just like the bio-ecosystem, the business ecosystem can interoperate and provide mutual benefits for both the GYE and the Yellowstone-Big Sky-Bozeman Business Ecosystem, or YBBBE. As in a naturally occurring bioecosystem, a business ecosystem operates around core resources. In the case of YBBBE, these are the rich wildlife habitat and natural wonders of Yellowstone National Park and the GYE; the majestic rise of Lone Mountain peak and the phenomenal skiing on its flanks; the rugged, accessible expanse of the Bridger Range

above charming downtown Bozeman; and the resources and business climate that have grown around Montana State University.

We have world class parks; natural, educational and cultural resources; and a wealth of activities available in the GYE. We have a foundation for what can become the most thriving, responsibly growing, bio-ecosystembased tourism business model in the world. Our challenge is to take full advantage of the resources we’ve been given to become the natural ecosystem leaders we’re capable of being.

Greg Ruff has consulted Fortune 500 companies and startup businesses on management, market and growth strategies since 1987. He first visited Big Sky in 1983 and recently relocated here.

Above: MSU film student Sam Lowe-Anker builds a miniature 12-by-12 set for a stop motion TV commercial for Bridger Bowl. PHOTOs BY MAX LOWE Below: Paying attention to the little details is a big part of Lowe-Anker’s work. This clay figure’s pupils have holes in them, so the entire eye can be moved with a pin.

Bringing Stop Motion Back MSU film student revives lost art

By Maria Munro-Schuster Explore Big Sky Contributor

BOZEMAN – In the basement of Sam LoweAnker’s home is an operation unlike any other. In fact, this Montana State University film student is likely the only person in Bozeman in his business.

Known as stop motion or claymation, Lowe-Anker practices a lost art that exists somewhere between cartoons and Pixar. It isn’t completely obsolete –Tim Burton’s work (Corpse Bride, The Nightmare Before Christmas) is proof. Lowe-Anker’s most recent project brought recognition, and a bit of humor, to one of the area’s most beloved haunts, Bridger Bowl.

Lowe-Anker, 21, is one of those people who’s actually doing what he wanted to do at age 14.

And he has no apologies. His passion for telling stories with inanimate objects began with Legos, as it did for many in his generation; except this maverick wanted to film his Legos in action movies.

Today his models are far from the monoexpressive minifig heads. Lowe-Anker’s Plasticine (a clay that prevents melt-downs under the scorching film lights) models have a range of emotions as vast as, well, his own.

Pre-production work begins with acting out the scene in front of a mirror. He watches for the oft-overlooked intricacies of human emotion.

What happens to the bags under someone’s eyes when they have been sitting at a monitor too long? Where do the pupils wander during a question? There, Lowe-Anker is a scientist on a quest for deeper comprehension into the human experience; in his studio, he’s an artist.

Long before it’s time to begin the tedious process of filming the model’s movements, he works with a flow chart, which ticks out the motions a character must perform in a given amount of time.

The rule of thumb: The faster the action, the less movement a model has to make. A frustrated slap to the forehead takes fewer shots than a grandmother picking up her overweight feline.

The marketing team at Bridger Bowl approached Lowe-Anker two years ago after his successful avalanche education film, Stay Alive. The ski area had several radio ads that needed refreshing.

With only the pre-recorded voices from the radio spot to work with, he began a four-monthlong process to create a 30-second TV spot. Much of the time, he says, was spent on building the miniature 12-by-12 sets.

Even the finest craftsman would approve.

Lowe-Anker lays his own miniature hardwood flooring. If his character needs jeans, he takes measurements and then hops over to the sewing machine. Mouse-sized kitchen whisks, tiny appliance cords and mini cork bulletin boards are all part of the package.

As obsessive as he is about the details, Lowe-Anker has learned over time how to increase his efficiency.

He pops the jaw off of the ski lift operator and pulls out a tackle box full of jaws with different mouth positions. The eyeballs stay in the model’s head, but the pupils have holes in them so that the entire eye can be moved with a pin. Nothing is overlooked.

“I work to keep the characters from getting too creepy looking,” he says. “People don’t like something that looks too much like a marionette; I want characters that are a bit more cartoony and relatable for an audience.”

As with any good artist, his work is never finished.

He’ll spend four hours at the computer tweaking a onesecond shot to perfection.

Time is of no concern; this is where Sam Lowe-Anker wants to be. After film school he has his eyes on an internship at Laika, creators of Coraline, in Portland, Ore. Maria Munro-Schuster grew up on the Fort Peck Reservation in northeastern Montana. She currently teaches middle school at Headwaters Academy in Bozeman.

16 Nov.1-14, 2013

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Section 2:

life, land & culture

waypoints: fly fishing film p. 19

lphs volleyball p. 22

hunting birds in the midwest p. 30

Bull riders vote Big Sky best in the nation

Team Big Sky PBR: Flint Rasmussen, Eric Ladd, Jim Murphy, Jacey Watson and Andy Watson accepting the award for Touring Pro Division Event of the Year at the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas, Nev. Oct. 24. PHOTO COURTESY OF FREESTONE PRODUCTIONS

By Tyler Allen

Mountain, Ladd stood in the national spotlight.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Bull riding in Big Sky has hit the big stage.

“Eric was shaking and could hardly breathe, he was so excited,” said Jacey Watson of Freestone Productions. She and her husband Andy Watson, along with Jim Murphy of Continental Construction, were on hand to accept the award voted on by the world’s top 35 riders.

Explore Big Sky Staff Writer

A fledgling stop on the Professional Bull Riders circuit – in just its third year – Big Sky’s event was announced as the PBR Touring Pro Division Event of the Year at round two of the World Finals in Las Vegas, Nev., on Oct. 24.

The top 35 riders in the world compete every year at the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in the Thomas & Mack Center, where J.B. Mauney captured his first world title this year. The five-day event culminates a years’ worth of work by the riders, bulls and event producers.

D E B U T S E A S O N B E G I N S D E C E M B E R 2 013 SEE YOU ON STAGE. WARRENMILLERPAC.ORG

“My first PBR event was over 10 years ago in Las Vegas,” said Eric Ladd, CEO of Outlaw Partners (and publisher of this newspaper) who co-produced the Big Sky PBR with Freestone Productions and Continental Construction. “I was so inspired after seeing the show and thought, ‘wow, I’d really like to bring this to Big Sky.’” He did, and three years after the first bulls bucked under the shadow of Lone

PBR entertainer Flint Rasmussen and announcer Brandon Bates, both of whom work the World Finals and Big Sky show, were on the dusty floor of the Thomas & Mack Center pulling for the team.

Rasmussen, a Montana native, ran up on stage after the award ceremony, delivering hugs and congratulations.

“To have the riders vote the Big Sky PBR as the Touring Pro Event of the Year is a great honor,” said PBR CEO Jim Haworth, who was on stage for the award presentation and witnessed the Big Sky production first-hand this summer. “It means that out of the 120 events on the tour, this event is quickly becoming the TPD to attend on every riders’ list.”

Continued on p. 18

PBR CEO Jim Haworth at the 2013 Big Sky PBR Photo by Tyler Busby

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2570 OUSEL FALLS 2.18 acres, 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 2 powder rooms $2,995,000

The 2013 Big Sky PBR brought nearly 5,000 fans to Big Sky Town Center. Photos by Tyler Busby

Continued from p. 17 The two-day event on July 31 and Aug. 1 brought nearly 5,000 fans to Big Sky Town Center for bull riding, mutton busting, pulled pork, Pabst Blue Ribbon and free concerts each night. The allfemale AC/DC cover band Hell’s Belles tore the cover off the Cooper Tire stage on night one, and Bozeman-based outlaw country outfit The Dirty Shame treated revelers to a rocking show night two, complete with the natural pyrotechnics of a mid-summer Montana light“I think this is a ning storm.

proud moment for the town of Big Sky. Big Sky already has the best skiing in North America, now they also have the best PBR Touring Pro Event.”

The momentum for the Big Sky PBR to take top honors was building even before the first bulls crashed through the gates. A week -Jim Murphy before the event, PBR announced that Big Sky would be the first ever Touring Pro Division stop shown live on pay-per-view, streaming the competition in real time to households around the world.

Chase Outlaw, Sean Willingham, Stetson Lawrence, former world champion Mike Lee, and 11 other bull riders used Big Sky as a springboard to the World Finals this year. The $40,000 added purse and the Built Ford Tough Series’ new point system made it a particularly enticing destination, according to Watson.

Most TPD events only contribute 15-20 percent of the points to riders’ BFTS standings, but 50 percent of the points earned in Big Sky were available this year, putting it on par with only three or four other events in the country.

For the past 8-10 years, the Event of the Year honor has been dominated by the J.W. Hart PBR Chal-

lenge in Decatur, Texas, and the Ross Coleman Invitational in Molalla, Ore., so the win for Big Sky was nothing short of a coup.

and our amazing sponsors, we’re able to bring to Big Sky a show of the same quality as seen in Madison Square Garden in New York City.”

“It was a pretty humbling moment to stand in front of that crowd in Las Vegas, up against some of the most seasoned events in country,” Ladd said. “Jim [Murphy] and I didn’t have nearly the caliber of belt buckles our competition did.”

The free concerts associated with the PBR have also brought to town bigger names like Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real and Morgan Frazier, keeping the party going after the last bull has bucked, and drawing another set of fans.

The allure of prize money and points brought bull riders to Big Sky, but it was likely the mountain culture and welcome they received that sealed the deal.

“I think the recreation played a big part [for the riders],” Watson Hell's Belles kept the party going after the bull riding event in Big Sky this summer, drawing another set of fans. said. “Several of the guys rented Turns out, the PBR’s frenzied atmosphere is a a condo and mountain bikes to go back and treat for the artists, too. forth to the arena. It’s quite unheard of at any other event.”

“It’s very inspiring to be around all the cowboys,” said Adrian “Angus” Conner of Hell’s Belles, “I think this is a proud moment for the town after their performance this summer. “All that of Big Sky,” Murphy said. “Big Sky already testosterone is a huge turn on!” has the best skiing in North America, now they also have the best PBR Touring Pro Plans for next year’s event are already in the Event.” works, and the promoters won’t be resting on their laurels in the meantime, Ladd said.

Ladd was quick to point out all the individuals and businesses that make Big Sky’s big“We’re excited to make it even better and attract gest summer blow-out happen. “Thanks to a the very best riders in the world.” great partnership with Freestone Productions

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

Friday, Nov. 1 – Thursday, Nov. 14 *If your event falls between Nov. 15 and Nov. 28, please submit it by Friday, Nov. 8.

BIG SKY SUNDAY, NOV. 3 Ballet Class w/Jennifer Waters Santosha Wellness Center, 10 a.m.

Pastry Perfection w/Chef Liz Tantalizing Tarts Rainbow Ranch, 3-4:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6 Friends of the Library Used Book Sale Big Sky Community Library, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Fly fishing in St. Brandon's Atoll Photos by Jim Klug

Waypoints Confluence premieres fourth adventure fly fishing film

By Emily Wolfe

Known for great cinematography and music, cool stories and fun characters, Confluence in 2010 was awarded Trout Unlimited’s “National Conservation Communications Award” for its conservation-based fundraising efforts.

Explore Big Sky Managing Editor

The 100-foot boat lurched violently in the storm as Chris Patterson crawled from his bunk in the hull to the bridge, where the captain was at the wheelhouse.

As co-owner of Yellow Dog Fly Fishing, Klug, the producer, is also excellent at casting, Patterson says. That is, “casting the talented anglers we feature in the films, as well as researching the locations and finally, writing the narration.”

“I just had to get out of bed,” said Patterson, “so I started walking, but I got slammed into the wall.”

The boat spent almost three days crossing the Indian Ocean between Mauritius and St. Brandons Atoll, all of it in the storm.

Confluence’s films “try to showcase the soul of fly fishing,” Klug wrote in an email from Belize, where he was working.

This was the first of first of five stops in nine months for Patterson and his partner at Confluence Films, Jim Klug, co-owner of Yellow Dog Fly Fishing in Bozeman, all for the making of Waypoints, a fly fishing film focused on conservation and adventure.

“We really try to base our films on specific stories – the interesting species that can be caught on a fly, the exotic and beautiful places where those species live, and the amazing characters that seem to gravitate to the sport.”

“It was a pretty good-sized boat, but it felt like we were in a canoe. I was like ‘gosh, what the hell are we getting into here?’”

When they arrived in St. Brandons – a chain of uninhabited islands some 300 nautical miles from Mauritius – the crew headed for a sand flat off the coast where giant Trevally and Indo-Pacific Permit come to feed.

Patterson, also a cinematographer for Warren Miller Entertainment, pulled out the extendable ladder that he’d bought in a Bozeman paint store and set it up on the flats to get a high angle shot unaffected by the waves.

“I turned around to Jim, who’s in a skiff we use to get to the shore, and two 12-foot sharks swim underneath the ladder.”

Conflence’s fourth film, Waypoints takes the crew next to southeast Alaska to fish for steelhead; then to the Venezuelan jungle to fish for the Payara, a toothy beast that lives in muddy class 4 rapids and is nicknamed the ‘vampire fish’; on to Chilean Patagonia, where they helicopter from an expedition ship into remote valleys to raft and fish their back to the ocean; and finally to northern India, on the Nepal border, where

It’s possible no one else has made films quite like this – yet.

they float the Saryu and Mahakali rivers in search of the elusive Golden Mahseer.

The film will show at more than 30 locations across the country on Nov. 8, including at Lone Peak Cinema in Big Sky, the Ellen Theater in Bozeman, the Wilma Theater in Missoula and the Whitefish Moose Lodge, as well as theaters in South Africa, Sweden and Argentina.

memory, but it’s also a sort of waypoint, meaning you’ve come to this place and caught this fish that you’ve always wanted to catch, and then you set your course for the next challenge, the next fish.”

Waypoints

A fly fishing adventure film produced by Confluence Films Watch the trailer at confluencefilms.tv Bozeman – The Ellen Theatre Nov. 8: 8 p.m. (VIP show) Nov. 9: 5 and 7:30 p.m.

A percentage of ticket prices go to regional nonprofits, Patterson said, noting that past films have donated a total of more than $250,000 to conservation groups.

Tickets are available at The River’s Edge, The River’s Edge North, Fins & Feathers, Montana Troutfitters, Rockford Coffee, Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, or at the Ellen Theatre Box Office or theellentheatre.com.

The title, Waypoints, refers not only to GPS waypoints, Patterson said, but also to metaphorical waypoints in a person’s life.

“You spend two minutes with a fish that you’ve spent your whole life [learning and working] to catch, you take a photo and then let it go... It’s a

“The multi-segment, exotic “travelogue” style that we focus on seems to be a Confluence exclusive,” Klug said.

“We are definitely seeing a lot of people getting into the game, and a lot of projects that people are pumping out...

In my opinion [that] is great for the fly fishing industry and for the sport.”

Big Sky – Lone Peak Cinema Nov. 8: 8 p.m. featuring

OLIVER WHITE JEFF CURRIER GERHARD LAUBSCHER DAN “ROOSTER” LEAVENS GREG BRICKER BRET SENG WIL FLACK TRAVIS PETERSON TIM BABICH MISTY DHILLION music

by TODD HANNIGAN LARRY KEEL & NATURAL BRIDGE ALEXI MURDOCH and THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS cinematography directed and produced and

by CHRIS PATTERSON and DENVER MILLER edited by CHRIS PATTERSON written by JIM KLUG WWW.CONFLUENCEFILMS.COM

Tickets are available at Grizzly Outfitters and Lone Peak Cinema.

THURSDAY, NOV. 7 Friends of the Library Used Book Sale Big Sky Community Library, 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Chamber Educational Class on Health Care Reform First Security Bank Board Room, 8:30 a.m.

SUNDAY, NOV. 10 Veterans Service Big Sky Chapel, 9:30 a.m.

Ballet Class w/Jennifer Waters Santosha Wellness Center, 10 a.m.

Pastry Perfection w/Chef Liz Cupcake Creation Rainbow Ranch, 3-4:30 p.m.

MONDAY, NOV. 11 Veterans Day TUESDAY, NOV. 12 Bingo Night Gallatin Riverhouse, 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, NOV. 19 Manure Management Workshop for Horse Owners Lone Mountain Ranch, 5-7 p.m.

BOZEMAN FRIDAY, NOV. 1 Mummy Dearest Verge Theatre, 8 p.m.

Jazz Montana Festival Performance Alto Saxophonist Madaline Duran Ellen Theatre, 8 p.m.

Live From the Divide w/Sera Cahoone Peach Street Studios, 8 p.m.

Miller Creek ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ Party Filling Station, 9 p.m.

Whitewater Ramble & The Lil’ Smokies The Zebra, 9:30 p.m.

Snow Guardians MSU Procrastinator Theatre, 7 p.m.

Karaoke Bacchus, 9 p.m.

Wild West Wednesday Social Dance The MAC, 8-10:30 p.m.

Live From the Divide w/Jay Shogren Peach Street Studios, 8 p.m.

Casey Donahew Band Main Street Entertainment Complex, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY, NOV. 7 Intro to Lindy Hop The MAC, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

West African Dance The MAC, 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, NOV. 8 Handcrafts for the Holidays Gallatin Valley Mall, 10 a.m.

MONDAY, NOV. 11 Veterans Day

Nathan North Murray Bar, 9:30 p.m.

World Premiere of Confluence Films’ Waypoints VIP Screening Ellen Theatre, 8 p.m.

Live From the Divide w/Jim Averitt Peach Street Studios, 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOV. 9 Handcrafts for the Holidays Gallatin Valley Mall, 10 a.m.

World Premiere of Confluence Films’ Waypoints Ellen Theatre, 5 & 7:30 p.m.

Silly Moose Improv The Verge, 2 p.m.

Live From the Divide w/The Wench: John and Josh from the Clintons Peach Street Studios, 8 p.m.

SUNDAY, NOV. 10 Handcrafts for the Holidays Gallatin Valley Mall, 11 a.m.

Jonathan Richman Filling Station, 9 p.m.

MONDAY, NOV. 11 Veterans Day Bridger Creek Boys Colonel Blacks, 6-9 p.m.

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

Jazz Montana Festival Performance Tenor Saxophonist Chelsea Baratz MSU Reynolds Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, NOV. 12 9th Pecha Kucha Night Ellen Theatre, 7:20 p.m.

Mummy Dearest Verge Theatre, 8 p.m.

Bozeman Tango Practices The MAC, 8 p.m.

Latyrx The Zebra, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 13 9th Pecha Kucha Night Ellen Theatre, 7:20 p.m.

SUNDAY, NOV. 3 Young Frankenstein Ellen Theatre, 3 p.m.

Karaoke Bacchus, 9 p.m.

Foundations in Fermentation Fermenting Food Waste w/Bokashi Private Residence (near MSU), 7-9 p.m.

Sizzling Salsa The MAC, 8-10:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, NOV. 14 BFF Presents: Blue Jasmine Emerson Cultural Center, 7:30 p.m.

Thanks-4-Giving Clothing Giveaway Willson School Gymnasium Saturday, Nov. 23: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 24: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Donations of gently used clothing items, sorted and labeled according to size and gender, will be accepted at the Willson School Gym, Tuesday, Nov. 19-22 from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Bozeman Tango Practices The MAC, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6 Bokashi: A Fermenter’s Alternative to Traditional Composting MSU, 12 p.m.

Find registration details and a complete schedule at yellowstoneskifestival.com.

Lecture on Causes of Cancer Museum of the Rockies, 5:30 p.m.

Open Mic Haufbrau, 10 p.m.

TUESDAY, NOV. 5 Restorative Yoga The MAC, 5-6:30 p.m.

Participants can look forward to Nordic skiing clinics coached by former Olympic athletes, SuperTour and biathlon races, an on-snow gear demo, an indoor ski show, and various other presentations, clinics and classes.

Big Caboose All Stars Chico Saloon, 9 p.m.

Hamlet Ellen Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

Open Mic Haufbrau, 10 p.m.

Held at the Rendezvous Ski Trails in West Yellowstone during Thanksgiving week, this year’s event will be Nov. 26-30. The festival offers activities for a wide range of abilities, from novice to expert.

SATURDAY, NOV. 9 National Parks Free Fee Days (thru Mon.)

Triva Bacchus, 8 p.m.

Live Trivia Bacchus, 8 p.m.

WEST YELLOWSTONE – Each year, an estimated 3,500 skiers from around the U.S. and Canada travel to the Yellowstone Ski Festival to kick off the winter season.

2nd Annual Barn Dance Benefit Copper Spring Ranch (w. of Four Corners), 5:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOV. 2 Silly Moose Improv The Verge, 2 p.m.

MONDAY, NOV. 4 Bridger Creek Boys Colonel Blacks, 6-9 p.m.

Spend Thanksgiving skiing in West

WEST YELLOWSTONE MONDAY, NOV. 4 Yellowstone’s west entrance closed to motorized travel

LIVINGSTON & PARADISE VALLEY FRIDAY, NOV. 1 Mystery of Edwin Brood The Shane, 8 p.m.

Chico Halloween Party w/Big Caboose All Stars Chico Saloon, 9 p.m.

Qwenby & The West of Wayland Band Murray Bar, 9:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOV. 2 Big Timber Christmas Bazaar 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Mystery of Edwin Brood The Shane, 8 p.m.

SUNDAY, NOV. 3 Mystery of Edwin Brood Matinee The Shane, 3 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6 Travis Ward Murray Bar, 9 p.m.

THURSDAY, NOV. 7 Harmony Market Bozeman Holiday Inn, 4-8 p.m.

Chamber Awards Banquet 5:30 p.m.

StrangeWays Murray Bar, 9:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, NOV. 8 11th Annual Beer and Wine Festival Depot, 6-8 p.m.

Mystery of Edwin Brood The Shane, 8 p.m.

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LPHS varsity volleyball rolls to exciting win over West Yellowstone Junior varsity pulls off huge comeback Courtesy of Lone Peak High School

WEST YELLOWSTONE – The stands were packed in the West Yellowstone gymnasium Saturday, Oct. 26 as Lone Peak High School faced the Wolverines for their last match in District 8C regular season play.

It was senior night for the Wolverines and they came ready to play, but the Big Horns jumped out to an early lead paced by the great net work of junior Gabrielle Gasser. She had four kills and three blocks in the first set, leading the Big Horns to a 25-16 decision.

West played an inspired second set, keeping LPHS off balance and pulling out a 19-25 win. With the match tied up at one set apiece, both teams came out in the third hungry to win the pivotal set. LPHS captains Michelle Burger and Tehya Braun galvanized their team during the long, tense rallies that kept the crowd on the edge of their seats. With the lead switching back and forth, the Big Horns finally sealed the win, 25-23.

The noise in the gymnasium was deafening and encouraged by the raucous fans from both schools, play heated up in the fourth set. The Wolverines jumped out to a 3-point lead mid set, but the Big Horns fought to keep West from taking this match to

five sets. With great serving and play from setter Katie Reid, LPHS rallied back into the lead.

The crowd was on its feet with a 24-22 LPHS lead on the scoreboard.

West won the serve and the Big Horns moved into serve receive, ready to play for the win. After a long and animated rally, Lone Peak fought to score the final point, taking the set 25-23, winning their final regular season match and improving to a 4-9 overall record.

The Big Horns notched 11 aces, 28 team digs, and a season-high 17 kills on the night. Gasser picked up seven of the team kills – along with a season-high six blocks – and Reid had 10 assists.

“Wow, what a game!” said Coach Sarah Griffiths after the match. “It is so great to have such an intense rivalry that brings out the best play in both teams. Big Horn volleyball is really starting to peak at the right time as we head into district play next week.”

The Big Horns faced Lima in the district playoffs on Thursday, Oct. 31 at Manhattan Christian School. Explore Big Sky went to press Oct. 30.

The junior varsity match will go down as the biggest comeback of the

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CHALET 4

AT Y E L L OW S TO N E CLUB

Turn-key chalet with direct access to 2,200 acres of private skiing Maria Lovely digging the ball during the Big Horns’ win over the Wolverines of West Yellowstone, Oct. 26. PHOTO BY MONA LOVELY

season for LPHS JV volleyball. The Big Horns started off the first set neck and neck with the Wolverines, but West ultimately pulled it out, 23-25.

they won, 15-11. LPHS clinched the win in set five, rolling over the Wolverines, 15–5.

LPHS again played hard in the second, but dropped the set 17-25, and it looked like West was poised to win the match. But the Big Horns weren’t ready to be done with their season yet.

The Big Horns posted a season-high 16 kills and 17 aces, led by the stellar serving of Godoy who also had four kills. Every Big Horn player notched at least one kill in the match, and junior setter Janie Izzo had a great night with four aces, four kills and six assists.

Capitalizing on an early Wolverine error in the third, freshman Bianca Godoy rattled off 12 straight serves – she had 10 aces on the night – to pace LPHS during a decisive 15-1 win. In the fourth, the momentum was in the Big Horns’ favor and

“Our team played with tremendous heart and pulled off a fantastic win over West,” said Coach Erika Frounfelker after the match.

“I’m so proud of how they battled back from being down two sets, to end our season with a win.”

Big Sky, Montana is one of the most beautiful places to live, work and play.

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Is pride hurting Tim Tebow?

St. Louis isn’t the only team to run into quarterback trouble this season. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns have all had injury or performance issues at the position and are looking for a new signal caller.

Yet Tebow remains without a team.

By Brandon Niles

Explore Big Sky Sports Columnist

St. Louis Rams starting quarterback Sam Bradford suffered a season-ending ACL injury on Oct. 20, throwing the team’s season into disarray. The Rams were off to a 3-3 start behind Bradford and a promising young defense, and without Bradford the future looks dim for the Rams’ season.

After the injury, rumors immediately swirled about which quarterbacks Rams’ officials might look to in their time of need. The name mentioned the most was Tim Tebow. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner for the University of Florida Gators, and former Denver Broncos starter, hasn’t been on a roster since being cut from the New England Patriots in early September.

Despite the rampant Tebow rumors, St. Louis elected to sign veteran Brady Quinn and youngster Austin Davis. There has even been talk of the Rams reaching out to 44-year-old Brett Favre, who retired after the 2010 season. Rams officials didn’t even consider Tebow.

can be a great NFL quaterback, while others think his throwing technique will never allow him to be a viable starter.

Tebow has a large fan following, both in Gator country and around the nation. His persona as an earnest Christian and his success at the college level has helped him amass tremendous public support. As a result, many football fans question why he hasn’t been able to find a team nearly halfway through the season.

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After the Patriots cut him in September, rumors swirled about Canadian, Russian and arena football teams inquiring about his services.

Other reports suggest NFL teams have offered him a role if he’ll agree to a position change. If this is true, and Tebow turned down these offers, is it pride that’s hurting his career?

Staying off the field only means more time away from the game for Tebow, and that’s never a good way to get team officials to remember your name when they need a quarterback.

There’s something to be said for maintaining the competitive fire by playing in a professional sports environment.

Tebow’s career in the NFL has included both success and failure. While he has looked great in some games, he’s been horrible in others and has struggled to get on Tim Tebow “Tebowing” at Sports Authority Field the field since the Broncos at Mile High (Denver Colorado) in January I hope he reconsiders his 2012. Photo by Ed Clement Photography (CC) traded him to the New York quarterback-or-bust atJets after the 2011 season. titude, because no matter After being cut by both the what position he plays, or level of football he’s Jets and the Patriots since then, Tebow’s future in the competing in, he’s a fun player to watch. league has been shrouded in doubt. Many believe he

Nov. 1-14, 2013 25

Bozeman Deaconess recognized by Healthgrades for clinical experience National report identifies BDHS among the top in orthopedic, pulmonary, gastrointestinal care BOZEMAN DEACONESS HEALTH SERVICES

BOZEMAN – Bozeman Deaconess Health Services has received the Healthgrades Pulmonary Care Excellence Award for 2014, and was also recognized for clinical excellence in orthopedic, pulmonary and gastrointestinal care.

Deaconess is currently the only hospital in Montana to receive the 2013 Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award.

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BDHS was ranked among the top 15 percent in the nation for Outstanding Patient Experience in 2013 and ranked among the top 5 percent for Overall Pulmonary Services for 2014. BDHS was named a Five-Star recipient for Total Knee Replacement for three years in a row (2012-2014), and was recognized for the first time as a Five-Star recipient for treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Pneumonia and GI Bleed for 2014.

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Healthgrades, a leading online resource that helps consumers search, compare and connect with physicians and hospitals, announced these results in “American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2014: Healthgrades Report to the Nation,” which evaluates hospital performance at more than 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 31 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions.

BDHS was also honored for the second year in a row with an “A” Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits.

The Hospital Safety Score is calculated using publicly available data on patient injuries, medical and medication errors, and infections. Participating hospitals earn an A, B, C, D, or F. Announced Oct. 29, Deaconess was one of three hospitals in Montana to earn this highest grade.

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An independently owned and operated broker member of BRER Affiliates, Inc. Prudential, the Prudential logo and Rock symbol are service marks of Prudential Financial, Inc. and its related entities, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Used under license with no other affiliation of Prudential. Equal Housing Opportunity. All information contained herein is derived from sources deemed reliable; however, is not guaranteed by Prudential Montana Real Estate, Managing Broker, Agents or Sellers. Offering is subject to error, omissions, prior sales, price change or withdrawal without notice and approval of purchase by Seller. We urge independent verification of each and every item submitted, to the satisfaction of any prospective purchaser.

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Justin Mayse catches a touchdown pass

Big Horns finish season with win over Lima Photo and story

by Mike Coil

Explore Big Sky Contributor

On the most beautiful fall afternoon of the season, Oct. 26, the Lone Peak Big Horns routed the Lima Bears 46-20 to finish the regular season at 4-4.

The Bears (3-5) used a flea flicker option offense, which resulted in a steady air game with exciting pass and option plays.

The Big Horn defense proved up to the task and swatted away passes throughout the afternoon and intercepted the Bears late in the game to seal the win.

Freshman quarterback Eddie Starz again showed his athleticism as he mixed up passes and running plays to march his Big Horns up and down the field on several sustained drives. Lima was short handed with only eight players, and their fatigue was showing by the fourth quarter as most of their team played the entire game.

For the second year in a row the Big Horns have made the playoffs, which start on Nov. 2 (after press time), with a game in Hobson under the lights.

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Nov. 1-14, 2013 27

B I G S KY ’ S F U L L S E RV I C E G R O C E RY S T O R E

H a n d - c u t m ea ts • Fr es h b a ke d g o o d s

powder playlist

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By Maria Wyllie

Explore Big Sky Associate Editor

WHERE BIG SKY COMES TOGETHER

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

4 bedroom, 4.5 bath in Spanish Peaks Call 406-995-2174 or visit vrbo.com/393008 for more details

CULTURAL TREASURES:

“The Prince is Coming,” ARAABMUZIK (Teton Gravity Research’s Way of Life) “All The Days,” HAERTS (Chaoz Productions’ Head Straight) “Birth,” Thirty Seconds to Mars (Warren Miller’s Ticket to Ride)

“A Tribe Called Red,” Electric Pow Wow Drum (Sherpa Cinemas’ Into The Mind)

Creighton Block, Charsam Room, and Gallatin River Gallery host a variety of pieces by Local and Regional artists.

“Hurdy Gurdy Man,” Donovan (Sweetgrass Productions’Valhalla)

THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE

“Nearly Clearly,” Acefeh (4FRNT’s CRJ: The Chronicle of a Freeskiing Icon)

The list of tracks below are all featured in 2013 ski films and are a good start to an early season playlist. Listen to these songs while you’re training in the gym to convince yourself you should stay a little longer if you want to ride big lines like those in the movies.

Visit the Galleries of Town Center this summer for exhibits and events.

TAKE A RIDE WITH

“The Desert Won’t Save You,” U.S. Royalty (Red Bull Media House and Poor Boyz Productions’ Tracing Skylines)

Some call the teaser months of fall the shoulder season; others call it hunting season; and then there are those who .com Stocklast call it ski-movie season.

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This is how Big Sky gets into hot water.

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By Jamie Balke

Explore Big Sky Columnist

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Nov.1-14, 2013 29

Moving on: a follow-up I recently moved from my apartment into a house with two roommates.

Foolishly, I thought the move would be a jovial team effort, full of hijinks and humor. Instead, it was a two-week physical and emotional pit of despair full of cleaning and heavy lifting.

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The funniest thing that happened during this soul-crushing endeavor was my dad’s response to several flies that infiltrated the new house.

He was, shall we say, displeased to find the winged insects in the kitchen. He went flyswatter shopping and returned with a barbaric looking piece of metal – none of this new fangled plastic nonsense.

My dad was, in fact, instrumental in helping us move and clean. But whenever there was a lull in the work – like when the rest of us sat around the table at mealtime with eyes glazed and muscles fatigued – he went on the offensive. The flies didn’t stand a chance.

One insect, possibly trying to be clever, landed on my boyfriend Aaron’s arm. Perhaps it reasoned that the man with the swatter would not attack a fellow human. How wrong that fly

Also humorous were the attempts to shelve our massive book collection. The three of us are avid readers/book hoarders, ultimately forced to purchase three gigantic

However, while demonstrating the shelving installation technique, my brother John pulled the anchor from the wall with a gentle tug, and then declared he always knew it would all end for him in a cascade of books. We explored alternate anchoring tools.

Although painful, so far it’s been worth the effort. The house itself is well suited to our needs, and is in a beautiful Bozeman neighborhood near several parks with mountain views. Although there have been a few tense moments – such as when we discovered we’d have a threeweek gap in Internet at the same time the new season of The Walking Dead was released on Netflix – it’s been great spending time with my roommates.

Flyswatter in hand, Balke prepares to defend her dessert.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMIE BALKE

was. Undeterred, my dad instructed Aaron to stay very still, and went in for the kill with his unforgiving metal swatter. Aaron was slightly traumatized, but physically unscathed.

bookshelves – in addition to the four we already had.

The new shelves are so large we anchored them to the wall, for fear for being crushed should they topple.

I was anxious about losing total control of my home, but living with two of my favorite people has been worth the compromise. Except for the day my brother stealthily ate the dessert I was saving for later.

That day, I questioned my decision.

Jamie Balke would like her brother to know that she will defend her future desserts with the fly swatter, if needed.

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For Explore Big Sky, 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”

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back 40

There, behind a temporary snow fence, death silently waited. As the rabbits massed into the waiting nets, the clubs relented on the brush and turned their force on another target with swift and fierce efficiency. Rabbits, when mortally threatened, cry out. More like a small child than a cute little bunny, they wail.

As the other hunters devour their breakfasts, Dad and I walk back outside to the warming sunshine.

On our way, we shake hands and offer good luck. Dad has grown up with some of these men, and most have known me all my life. We don’t begrudge them, and secretly, we may even wish we had a few more birds in our bags. Not 96, but maybe my limit of four.

When the deed was done and the last rabbit was killed, the remains were gathered. Pelts were harvested, and the rest went to the mink farms to serve as feed for another type of slaughter. If this doesn’t sound much like a sporting field hunt… it wasn’t.

We ride back to the farmhouse to clean the roosters for dinner, soft country music playing on the radio and dust settling on winter wheat behind us. I’m already looking forward to my return to Big Sky and an upcoming trip to eastern Montana.

Neither was the other party’s morning pheasant hunt. The similarities are striking. Most of the party marches through a field, flushing all birds and shooting as many as possible. Those pheasants that do avoid the walking guns are left with no escape other than to fly directly into the waiting guns of the “blockers,” those who drove around to the end of the field to Vadasz displays a good morning’s work. PHOTO BY DAVE MCCUNE block any escape. No bird left behind. Well, no male bird anyway. in the Midwest today? Not much for my morning hunt was any more fair Clear a field, move on to the next one.

Dad. or pure; in fact, some would argue that my dog gave me an unfair advanWhat makes rabbit drives of the ‘50s I’m not condoning or condemning tage. This is just how it is done in the different from many pheasant hunts this style of hunting. I’m not saying heartland.

Driving birds Hunting pheasants in the Midwest

Nov.1-14, 2013 31

I glance at my dad. He seems content, and the front seat is peaceful.

Suddenly, a rooster stands up in the ditch and blusters. Dad antagonizes the bird with the car’s horn, and then smiles as he watches it take flight across the country through the rearview mirror.

I’m no great hunter. I learn more and more with each passing season.

But I do know this: I will never again ask Dad why he isn’t much for hunting pheasants.

TH E W E ST MAY BE W I LD,

but it’s not uncivilized

The author and Vadasz set for an evening hunt in eastern Montana. PHOTO BY NATASHA WISNIEWSKA

By Dave McCune

Explore Big Sky Contributor

My dad isn’t much for hunting pheasants. I’ve always been curious why.

For me, nothing beats stomping around southwest Montana with my pup, Vadasz. I find a specific kind of peace when looking for birds, exploring new ranges, and hoping for a chance or two at an upland dinner.

Still, my dad isn’t much for hunting pheasants.

See, for years my father has admired pheasants from an aesthetic standpoint. He loves watching roosters peck and posture around the young Kansas wheat fields of his home state, and though he doesn’t particularly dislike the taste of the game bird, he doesn’t especially like it either. Now in his early 60s, the cold early morning hunting weather hits his bones with callous disregard.

But I’ve always thought these were weak reasons, and that he was being a wuss. But none of that truly matters to Dad. To him, the hunt itself is, well, skewed. Sitting in Eva’s, the community café in small-town Montezuma, Kan., I’m starting to understand why.

dad, my dog, and my grandfather’s shotgun scared a few birds up and knocked a few down. Sitting in the café, having just ordered the county’s best chicken fried steak and egg breakfast, surrounded by the smell of coffee and country air, I felt content.

“How’d you fellas do?” from across the room.

“96 so far!”

“Gonna try to get the rest of the limit after the feed!”

“Shouldn’t take this group too long.”

Let me catch you up…

Over the next five minutes, Eva’s filled with throngs of new customers from another hunting party.

Like I said, the chicken fried plate is famous.

I looked at my father. Until now, our morning had been perfect, filled with hunting, but also about something more: time together, patience, stealth, the outdoors, challenge, camaraderie, nature, beauty. Faintly, I saw something reflected in his eyes.

During a recent opening weekend, my father and I spent the morning field-working my young pointer and chasing birds around the land my ancestors homesteaded in southwest Kansas in the mid-1800s. That land is in our blood, and so, in a way, are the birds we chased that morning across frosted CRP ground, into musty cedar shelter belts, out of harvested corn rows, and around collapsed buildings.

We often got points from Vadasz, sometimes getting shots, and always getting chided. Me, my

They surged through the door like the gravy flowing off my plate.

Chairs rattled across the wooden floor, silverware clanked onto tabletops, and coffee poured into mugs like a gurgling stream. Patrons who moments ago were quietly chatting on full bellies hastily headed for the door – but it was not a polite exit, it was an escape. More than 30 hunters made their way into Eva’s, discussing the morning hunt.

It wasn’t even noon.

In his youth, my dad went on several rabbit drives. Back then, rabbits were deemed a nuisance (some would say a plague) and they were shown no mercy. Large groups would walk slowly through a field beating the brush with poles and clubs, rakes or brooms, driving the critters toward the opposite end.

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On Sundays in October and November join us for a series of 90 minute baking demonstrations packed with valuable “how to” tips. Reservations required 24 hours in advance.

To learn more visit: rainbowranchbigsky.com/events.php rainbowranchbigsky.com • 1.800.937.4132 Five miles south of Big Sky entrance on Hwy 191

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Big Sky Search and Rescue Andy Dreisbach was coaching a youth soccer game after work in mid-October, when he got the call. A woman had fallen off her horse on Porcupine Creek trail and had shattered her shoulder.

A four-year member of Big Sky’s Search and Rescue team, Dreisbach met seven members of the SAR team at their building in the community park, gathered equipment and rode four-wheelers the 2 ½ miles to the scene. They gave the injured woman warm bullion, water and blankets to keep her comfortable, treated the injury and immobilized her for transport to the ambulance waiting at the trailhead.

Big Sky SAR is a nonprofit agency whose 33 volunteer members must be ready for rescues at a moment’s notice and in any conditions. Often, they’re searching for victims at night. When they aren’t at their day jobs or with their families, these highly trained community members are working scenarios or continuing their education at one of the many training courses they attend.

“It’s a way to keep the skills honed and give back to the community,” Dreisbach says.

The team of EMTs and Wilderness First Responders works closely with local law enforcement, fire departments, medevac helicopters and ski patrols on everything from high alpine rescue to snowmobile accidents, to climbing falls, lost hikers and whitewater rescue.

Big Sky SAR is notified through the Gallatin County 911 Dispatch Center and operates under an incident commander, usually a Gallatin County sheriff’s deputy. Their primary response area consists of the Gallatin and Madison ranges in southwest Montana, and they collaborate with 10 other specialty rescue groups in the region.

In the past 10 years, these groups have responded to an average of more than 90 incidents each year, according to the Gallatin County website.

Big Sky Search and Rescue is supported by L & K Real Estate. For volunteer opportunities, to donate or learn more, visit bssar.org.

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Michelle Horning, Associate 406.570.8901 michelleahorning@gmail.com

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Andy Dreisbach hangs with a rescue litter above Ousel Falls during a highline training exercise on Sept. 29.

Photo by Stephen Halvorson

Big Sky Youth Empowerment Program outerwear – provided by its corporate sponsors.

BYEP uses the outdoor opportunities of southwest Montana to make a difference in the lives of at-risk Gallatin Valley youth. Founded

by Pete MacFadyen in 2001, the group mentoring program provides kids with life skills, communication tools and professional development.

Megan Keenan began volunteering as a mentor with BYEP in winter 2011.

“The skiing was the initial draw, because I love it,” said Keenan, an adjunct art education instructor at Montana State University. “When I was younger, I couldn’t afford it…so I never had those opportunities.” She soon realized that the program offered participants much more.

MacFadyen ran a private mental health counseling practice in Bozeman after earning his graduate degree from Montana State University, but after two years, decided there was a better way.

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“I got really frustrated,” MacFadyen said. “It’s not a good modality to make change with teenagers by saying, ‘come sit with me once a week and talk about your problems.’”

The majority of teenagers working with counselors are there because parents or probation officers force them to, MacFadyen said; plus, he

Program manager Alyson Spery and a BYEP youth participant high five during a day hike atop Drinking Horse Mountain in Bozeman, as part of a weekend adventure.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BYEP

knew many of his clients would benefit from being outdoors.

He started the nonprofit with $750 in initial financial backing from his parents; in the 12 years since,

nearly 700 kids have come through the program. Youth apply to BYEP voluntarily, and those who successfully complete their first winter trimester get to keep the outdoor gear – like skis, snowboards and

“[BYEP] gives kids an opportunity to have a supportive relationship with adults and express themselves in different ways,” she said.

This winter 96 kids are enrolled; by winter 2016, BYEP expects 120.

Big Sky Youth Empowerment is supported by VIA/Studio AV and Santosha Wellness Center. Find more at byep.org.

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Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation where the elk population is over the FWP management objective.

A national conservation leader, RMEF’s core programs are permanent land protection, habitat stewardship, elk restoration and supporting hunting heritage programs.

Its mission: to ensure the future of elk and other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.

ED OR E NHANCE D

HELP US OPEN MORE LAND FOR YOU TO HUNT OR OTHERWISE ENJOY! JOIN THE RMEF TODAY! WWW.RMEF.ORG OR CALL 800-225-5355

At RMEF, hunting is conservation.

Hunters generate $1.6 billion annually for the conservation of America’s wildlife and landscapes.

Photo courtesy of RMEF

A 40-acre acquisition secures public access to 18,000 acres of National Forest land for hunters and others to enjoy. That, in a nutshell, sums up the work of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. It also sums up the nonprofit’s latest, greatest Montana project.

Acting on a tip from a RMEF member and hunter, the organization bought the small tract of land that has 30 feet in common with a corner piece of the Lewis and Clark National Forest, for $190,000. RMEF will sell the land – located about 20 miles south of Lewistown in central Montana – to

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Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks for $50,000, effectively donating the remaining $140,000 to the agency.

The RMEF membership is currently 200,000-strong, with 10,000plus volunteers.

The transaction allows hunters access to a portion of the Big Snowy Mountains that was extremely difficult to reach beforehand, and

RMEF is supported by ticketprinting. com. Join in the effort to conserve elk country at rmef.org.

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Founded by four Montana elk hunters in 1984, the organization has effectively conserved about one square mile of elk country every day since. That track record adds up to more than 6.3 million acres of habitat enhanced or protected, while also opening or securing access to more than 667,000 acres of land across elk country.

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CASA/GAL supports abused, neglected children

Photo courtesy of casa/gal

The Gallatin County Court Appointed Special Advocates/ Guardian as Litems (CASA/GAL) program is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to guiding abused and neglected children through the juvenile court system to safe, permanent homes. It’s one of over 950 programs under the umbrella of the National CASA Association in Seattle, Wash., which was formed in 1977.

The program serves children whose emotional and/or physical health has been jeopardized by someone who is supposed to nurture and protect them. For these children, the path to

healthy development often lays at the discretion of a court system, which may have little personal knowledge of them.

CASA/GAL volunteers advocate to ensure that no child’s individual story goes unheard, and that there is someone committed solely to their wellbeing. Nationally, the program has approximately 50,000 volunteers.

CASA/GAL is supported by Open Range restaurant in Bozeman, which will host the second annual CASA/GAL fundraiser on March 3, 2014. Find more information at gallatincountycasagal.org.

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Payden Memorial Foundation

Women in Action

The Payden Memorial Foundation is named for Payden Polsak, who died in November 2001 at age 6, as a result of a brain tumor (medulloblastoma).

His parents Max and Janette established the foundation after realizing the vast array of needs present for Montana children and their families living with cancer.

Women in Action was founded by a group of Big Sky women in 2005 on the basis of wanting to bring health and educational services to families in Big Sky who weren’t getting them due to the rural nature of the area.

Executive Director Rachel Thesing, former board president who founded the nonprofit, says the idea came to her after volunteering in the community and realizing that many children were missing out on health and educational opportunities.

Based in Livingston, the foundation is a continuation of Payden’s spirit, according to Janette, and raises much of its money through Blazing Photo courtesy of PMF Saddles, an annual expenses associated with caring for bike race held each a child with cancer. “We send them July. This year, the race raised apmoney to use for travel expenses, proximately $40,000, some of which food, clothing, mortgage – whatever PMF will donate around the holithey need it for,” Janette said. days to curesearch.org, in the names The Padyen Memorial Foundation of Montana families battling cancer. is supported by Ressler Motors. Find The foundation also sends these more information at payden.org. families money to help pay for

“WIA has worked to help bridge that gap through a broad scope of social programs in the past eight years,” she said.

One of the organization’s mainstays is its camp scholarship program.

Since its inception, 252 youth have received summer and winter camp scholarships with an annual average of 80 scholarships awarded to youth ages 3-15.

The nonprofit is currently accepting applications for ski school scholarships at Big Sky Resort, which is running the Moonlight Basin ski school as well. Applications are due Dec. 10 and are available at wiabigsky.org, the Ophir School, and Morningstar Learning Center.

Other programs offered include funding of the Parent Liaison position at the Ophir School, a community-counseling program through a partnership with Montana State University’s human development clinic, and a new drug and alcoholcounseling program in partnership with Gallatin County drug and alcohol services.

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This summer, Women in Action held its 8th annual croquet fundraiser, where they raised $20,000 to benefit health and education programs. The next community event is a “ladies ski and après” scheduled to take place at Lone Mountain Ranch in March. Instead of a fundraiser, Thesing calls the event a “friendraiser,” as the event was created to build awareness about WIA and to celebrate donors while building community.

Women in Action is sponsored by Pure West Properties in Big Sky. To learn more about programs offered

by WIA or how to get involved, visit wiabigsky.org.

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Yellowstone Park Foundation BOZEMAN – The Yellowstone Park Foundation recently launched Gateway Businesses for the Park, a program offering tools to help area companies grow, as well as an organized way to give back to the park.

YPF memberships help provide funding to protect and preserve Yellowstone in six areas of focus: visitor experience; wildlife, wonders and wilderness; cultural treasures; ranger heritage; tomorrow’s stewards; and greenest park.

Based in Bozeman, YPF has been the official fundraising partner of Yellowstone National Park since 1996. The foundation’s mission is to fund projects and programs that protect, preserve and enhance the natural and cultural resources and the visitor experience in the park.

To date, the foundation has raised more than $75 million for 250-plus projects.

To join or learn more about the Gateway Businesses program, visit forthepark.org. YPF is supported by Big Horn Radio. Find more at ypf.org.

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American Rivers: Watching over the nation’s rivers American Rivers’ original mission was to prevent new river damming by adding as many waterways as possible to the newly created National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Today, its mission has broadened and now includes restoring rivers by removing obsolete dams; helping communities meet their water supply needs through innovative, environmentally friendly solutions; and partnering with communities to enhance recreational opportunities and promote river stewardship through the establishment of Blue Trails – community waterways that help people discover their rivers and provide family-friendly recreation.

The organization is perhaps best known for its annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report, which for 27 years has shined a national spotlight on 10 rivers facing imminent threats from dams and other harmful projects.

To date, American Rivers has helped protect and restore 150,000 miles of rivers nationwide, from Washington’s Olympic Peninsula – where it played a key role in the world’s largest dam removal project – to blackwater rivers along the southeast coast.

American Rivers played a key role in the removal of two dams on the Elwha River that will restore 400,000 salmon to this western Washington river. Photo by Scott Bosse

A small cadre of river advocates in Denver founded American Rivers 40 years ago, based on their concern that the nation’s dam-building binge in the 1960s and ‘70s would leave no free-flowing rivers in

the West. The nonprofit organization has since become the nation’s largest conservation organization dedicated solely to protecting and restoring rivers.

The group’s Northern Rockies office in Bozeman is currently spearheading a campaign to bring new protections to dozens of rivers in western Montana, including the Gallatin.

American Rivers is sponsored by Sara Pfaff, who generously donated an ad for the nonprofit in this issue of Explore Big Sky. Find more information about American Rivers at americanrivers.org.

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Warren Miller Performing Arts Center John Zirkle wants to saturate the après-ski scene with performance arts this winter.

incredibly exciting. He enables us to speak with the actual composers in a new way.”

The Warren Miller Performing Arts Center artistic director has lined up nine major acts in collaboration with the Arts Council of Big Sky for the center’s debut season, including comedy, theater, live music and dance.

In another, Zirkle has commissioned a new composer to think through contemporary Montana themes, and ask what they look like in music. The resulting piece will premiere at the center with a performance by a violin, cello and piano trio.

“We’re hoping to diversify the notion and understanding of performance art, and what it means – specifically to show that it’s more than just music by focusing on a triptych of communicative media – movement, speech and play,” Zirkle said.

By bringing “cool, quirky acts” to town, and focusing on classical elements in new ways, he hopes to show the interconnection of performing arts throughout time and place. “We need to remind ourselves that there is no Hendrix without Bach, no Miley Cyrus without Pavarotti, and conversely no Shakespeare without Saturday Night Live,” Zirkle said.

In one example, WMPAC will host a young Ukrainian pianist who Zirkle says approaches the piano with “fire, enthusiasm and vigor that makes it

The Warren Miller Performing Arts Center is a collaborative initiative of the Big Sky School District, the Friends of Big Sky Education, and the Big Sky community. Its primary mission is to establish and maintain a clear and stable artistic infrastructure to grow a community of confident performers and inspired audiences. The debut season performances will be announced before Thanksgiving.

The Warren Miller Performing Arts Center is supported by Creighton Block Gallery. Find more at warrenmillerpac.org.

Right: Cory Goel of the James Sewell Ballet Photo courtesy of James Sewell Ballet

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Eagle Mount

The Craighead Institute In 49 years of conducting research for conservation efforts, the nonprofit Craighead Institute has helped direct wildlife policy and management, supported grassroots campaigns and scientific foundations, and been a leader for responsible development in the northern Rockies and parts of western Canada.

Photo courtesy of eagle mount

Eagle Mount is celebrating its 30th year providing therapeutic recreation opportunities for people with disabilities and young people with cancer. Through its many adventure programs, Eagle Mount focuses on people’s abilities, while volunteers attentively support their disabilities.

The program began with weekly alpine and Nordic skiing adventures to support people with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, visual and hearing impairments, developmental disabilities, amputations and spinal cord injuries. In addition to skiing, Eagle Mount has since expanded to challenge participants

Nov.1-14, 2013 43

with ice skating, horseback riding, swimming, camping, rock climbing, kayaking, cycling and fishing.

Eagle Mount accepts all participants, even if they cannot pay, and does not accept government funding. Last year’s programs enrolled 1,785 participants, assisted by 1,800 volunteers.

“We couldn’t do anything that we do without the support of this generous community,” said Executive Director Mary Peterson.

Eagle Mount is supported by the Inn on the Gallatin. Find more information at eaglemount.org.

Founded by pioneering grizzly bear researcher Dr. Frank C. Craighead in 1964, the organization is now focused on development of conservation plans at multiple scales, particularly as it relates to habitat for large carnivores like grizzly bears and wolverines, according to executive director Lance Craighead, Frank’s son.

The institute also works to develop wildlife habitat suitability and connectivity models, and has been involved in large-scale conservation area designs for regions in the U.S., Canada and Tibet.

Its work over the last five decades resulted in a book co-edited by Lance and published in 2013, by Esri Press, Conservation Planning – Shaping the Future. With 30 different contributors, it outlines the current best science for conservation planning for use by students, managers and planners.

The Craighead Institute is supported by The Montana Import Group. Find more at craigheadresearch.org.

In the last decade, it has also researched alpine ecosystems in Montana and pika populations, which are an indicator species for climate change.

A historic bear research photo. Photo couretsy of the Craighead Institute

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Additional Sponsored Nonprofits

Big Sky Skating and Hockey Association BSSHA is a nonprofit organization in Big Sky, Mont., dedicated to bringing hockey, ice skating and programs to the Big Sky community. The Big Sky ice rink is located outdoors in the Town Center. bssha.org

Big Sky Community Corporation BSCC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit entity created in 1998 to promote, acquire, preserve and maintain lands, parks, trails and easements for the use of the people of the Big Sky Community and the general public. bsccmt.org

Red Feather Development Group Founded in 1995, Red Feather Development Group is a nonprofit that partners with American Indian nations to develop and implement sustainable solutions to the housing needs within their communities. redfeather.org

Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter Our mission is to compassionately shelter the lost and surrendered pets of Gallatin and Madison Valleys, and to enhance the lives of people and companion animals through pet adoption and education. heartofthevalleyshelter.org

Gallant Chance Ranch GCR is a 501(c)(3) organization established to help youth become a success rather than a statistic. Our mission is to inspire teens to D.R.E.A.M. – Develop Responsible, Enthusiastic and Ambitious Mindsets. gallantchanceranch.org

Jack Creek Preserve Dedicated to giving people a deep appreciation for the importance of conserving wildlife and their habitat by providing a wide array of educational opportunities focused on the positive values of wildlife management, land stewardship, and hunter conservationists. jackcreekpreserve.org

HAVEN HAVEN is committed to reducing the incidence and minimizing the impact of domestic abuse on families and communities. The group provides emergency shelter, crisis intervention, on-going support, referrals, and education. HAVEN’s services include a 24-hour crisis line, legal advocacy, counseling, support group and emergency shelter. havenmt.org

Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center The Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center helps support the GNFAC through fundraising and education efforts. mtavalanche.com

Blue Water Task Force To promote public stewardship of aquatic resources in the Gallatin River watershed through community education, water quality monitoring and data collection. bluewatertaskforce.org

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