Explore Big Sky - April 7 to 20, 2022

April 7 - 20, 2022 Volume 13 // Issue #7

‘OKLAHOMA!’ TAKES WMPAC STAGE BODE MILLER LAUNCHES PEAK SKIS TIGER GRANT FULLY FUNDED ART OF THE CAST: PAINTER BEN MILLER LOCAL STUDENT HEADED TO NATIONAL SPEECH CONTEST PLUS: BIG SKY BEATS

OPENING SHOT

April 7 - 20, 2022 Volume 13, Issue No. 7

Owned and published in Big Sky, Montana

PUBLISHER Eric Ladd | eric@theoutlawpartners.com

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, VP MEDIA Joseph T. O’Connor | joe@theoutlawpartners.com MANAGING EDITOR Bella Butler | bella@theoutlawpartners.com

Another winter fades to spring on the Gallatin. PHOTO BY COLTON STIFFLER

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Gabrielle Gasser | gabrielle@theoutlawpartners.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DIGITAL PRODUCER Tucker Harris | tucker@theoutlawpartners.com

CREATIVE GRAPHIC DESIGNER ME Brown | maryelizabeth@theoutlawpartners.com

SALES AND OPERATIONS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Megan Paulson | megan@theoutlawpartners.com CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Treston Wold | treston@theoutlawpartners.com VP OF SALES EJ Daws | ej@theoutlawpartners.com MEDIA AND EVENTS DIRECTOR Ersin Ozer | ersin@theoutlawpartners.com MARKETING MANAGER Sophia Breyfogle | sophia@theoutlawpartners.com CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGIST Mira Brody | mira@theoutlawpartners.com SENIOR ACCOUNTANT Sara Sipe | sara@theoutlawpartners.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER, LOCAL SALES Patrick Mahoney | patrick@theoutlawpartners.com

4 6 18 21 23 26 31 33

LETTERS 9 LOCAL REGIONAL 17 SPORTS ENVIRONMENT A&E 26 BUSINESS OPINION 28

CONTRIBUTORS

ON THE COVER:

Jen Bennett, Dr. Kaley Burns, Davin Day, Eric Dietrich, Dan Egan, Marne Hayes, Scott Mechura, Dave Pecunies, Brandon Walker, Cy Whitling, Todd Wilkinson and Matt Witt

Junior Max Romney (Curly) dances with freshman Aubrey Farr (Laurey) during a dream sequence in the opening night of Lone Peak High School’s performance of “Oklahoma!”.

PHOTO BY GABRIELLE GASSER

31 41

TIGER GRANT FULLY FUNDED With a multi-million-dollar gap between costs and available funding, local partners put dollars on the table to put the longawaited TIGER grant roadwork in motion. Construction on the ambitious project is expected to begin this summer.

LOCAL STUDENT HEADED TO NATIONAL SPEECH CONTEST Later this month, LPHS junior Ella Henslee will travel to Indianapolis to put her award-winning speech on the U.S. Constitution to the test in the national American Legion Oratorical Contest.

‘OKLAHOMA!’ TAKES WMPAC STAGE In a stunning rendition of the Rogers and Hammerstein classic musical, the first in American history, LPHS actors depict the winding, tragic and hilarious path to love, and bring down the WMPAC house.

ART OF THE CAST: PAINTER BEN MILLER Bozeman-based fly cast painter Ben Miller put on a show last month as he painted an image of the Gallatin River along the edge of the … Gallatin River … with a fly rod. The final product was transported to the Windy City for sale at EXPO CHICAGO.

BODE MILLER LAUNCHES PEAK SKIS Bode Miller, the winningest Olympian skier in U.S. history, and cofounder Andy Wirth say they’ve revolutionized the ski industry with new skis bearing a technological marvel: the Keyhole.

PLUS: BIG SKY BEATS

Here’s a look ahead to warmer weather as EBS packs your playlist with a list of campfire songs that will keep you humming long after the sun goes down.

EDITORIAL POLICIES

SCAN FOR TOWN CRIER NEWSLETTER. DAILY NEWS, STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

EDITORIAL POLICY Outlaw Partners, LLC is the sole owner of 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.

EBS welcomes obituaries written by family members or from funeral homes. To place an obituary, please submit 500 words or less to media@theoutlawpartners.com.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 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 and will not publish individual grievances about specific businesses or letters that are abusive, malicious or potentially libelous. Include: full name, address, phone number and title. Submit to media@outlaw.partners.

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ADVERTISING DEADLINE For the April 21, 2022 issue: April 13, 2022 CORRECTIONS Please report errors to media@outlaw.partners.

OUTLAW PARTNERS & EXPLORE BIG SKY P.O. Box 160250, Big Sky, MT 59716 (406) 995-2055 • media@outlaw.partners © 2022 Explore Big Sky unauthorized reproduction prohibited

@explorebigsky

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4 April 7 - 20, 2022

LETTERS

Explore Big Sky

FROM THE EDITOR:

BIG SKY’S CHANGING. SO IS EBS. Dear reader, In one of my earlier memories from growing up in Big Sky, I’m sitting next to my friend circa 2004 in her father’s Chevy Suburban on the way to school.

We’re driving by a vast, empty field.

“When you girls are older, this won’t be a field,” my friend’s dad said. “This will be full of buildings.”

I remember exchanging looks of pure disbelief with my friend.

“No way,” we said, laughing.

Today, April 6, 2022, I’m sitting outside our newsroom looking at that same field, only it’s not a field anymore. It’s the Town Center.

For better or for worse, Big Sky is changing. More people are moving here to enjoy the mountains, the rivers, the small community. We have a movie theater. The single-hallway school I attended since

I was 5 now has two buildings. Big Sky Resort chairlifts have bubbles. Big Sky doesn’t look the same.

If you’ve been with us for a while now, reader, you may have also noticed that Explore Big Sky newspaper is changing. A growing community means more news. Our small reporting team works hard to be in as many places at once, all while becoming quick studies on local issues, events and breaking news. In order to continue serving you with the news we think you deserve, we’re hiring a new staff writer to augment our already dedicated team.

The amount of news we bring you isn’t the only thing that’s changed. So has the delivery. Both the pandemic and an evolving news industry have forced us to innovate over the last few years. We now not only serve you with news from this paper you’re holding, but with a daily newsletter, a website and social media, and we continue to seek out

avenues to provide you with quality, timely news from your community in fresh and exciting ways.

To improve your reader experience, we’ve collaborated with our fabulous designer, ME Brown, to give EBS a facelift. While this paper does and will continue to contain all the best news from the region, we hope you’ll enjoy fresh design and a new paper format as you flip through the pages over coffee, on a park bench (maybe even on the chairlift?), or wherever you dive into this next edition.

Beginning this issue, our paper will also be available a day earlier—Thursdays instead of Fridays—so we can get a copy in your hand that much sooner.

Through all the changes, thanks for sticking with us.

-Bella Butler Managing Editor

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BETTER TOGETHER A biweekly District bulletin

Project Spotlights Project: Middle Fork Restoration Projects Sponsor: Gallatin River Task Force The Middle Fork of the West Fork of the Gallatin River (Middle Fork) is one of six tributaries of the Gallatin River that does not meet state water quality standards. Resource concerns include erosion, vegetation loss, and pollutants (i.e. sediment, nutrients, and E. Coli) which impact aquatic life, wildlife habitat, and recreational uses. In order to address these resource concerns, the Task Force partnered with Trout Unlimited to develop five restoration projects aimed to improve water quality, habitat conditions, and build climate change resiliency. The first restoration project, Middle Fork Project 3, was completed in October 2021 with funding support from Resort Tax. The completion of this project improved 420 feet of stream, made 1 acre of wetland/riparian habitat more resilient, and created 9 in-channel habitat improvements (4 beaver dam analog structures and 5 post assisted log structures installed) through the work of 21 volunteer hours.

Learn more @ GallatinRiverTaskForce.org/middle-fork-project-3/

Project: Visit Big Sky Education - Market Research Sponsor: Visit Big Sky Market research is important to a community like Big Sky. Often our economy gets mixed in with Bozeman and Gallatin County. It’s important to really dig in and find out what’s happening here and how it compares to the rest of the state. Visitor research data is beneficial to our community and our tourism partners; it tells the story of our economy in Big Sky. This data also shows the seasonality of Big Sky shifting. Only a few years ago, occupancy during shoulder seasons was less than 20%. This year it more than doubled at 42% occupancy rate. This information is helpful to businesses which may be compelled to stay open longer.

New in 2022, marketing efforts are shifting from targeting new customers, to bringing back existing visitors using collected cell phone data. Targeted ads can be sent to phones encouraging visitors to come back to Big Sky. It is seven times less expensive to bring back a past visitor compared to encouraging a new one.

Big Sky now has some of the most cutting edge visitor research in the country.

Learn more @ VisitBigSky.com

Project: Operations & Maintenance Sponsor: Big Sky Community Organization (BSCO) BSCO works to keep the parks and trails open and maintained year-round for public use and enjoyment. Providing public parks and trail systems is an essential part of a healthy community and a high priority to residents. Funding the basic needs of maintaining and operating our existing parks and trails system ensures BSCO continues to provide these assets to our community while also working towards accomplishing future priority projects and initiatives. Operations & Maintenance funding from BSRAD has allowed BSCO to re-route the Crail Trail, repair Kircher Park from sloping, and maintain the high-quality trails that Big Sky is known for.

Learn more @ BSCO.org All Meetings are open to the public and public comment is highly encouraged. Share comments by: • Emailing Info@ResortTax.org prior to meetings.

• Attending Board meetings and making public comment in person or through Zoom.

• Comments on the Facebook WILL NOT be accepted as public comment.

Upcoming Board Meetings

20 APRIL

April 20th, 2022 @ 9:00 am

Visit ResortTax.org for more information.

May 11th, 2022 @ 9:00 am

11

MAY

Administered by the Big Sky Resort Area District, Resort Tax is a 4% tax on luxury goods & services.

OUR VISION: “Big Sky is BETTER TOGETHER as a result of wise investments, an engaged community, and the pursuit of excellence.”

Info@ResortTax.org | ResortTax.org | 406.995.3234 |

6 April 7 - 20, 2022

Explore Big Sky

LOCAL

NEWS IN BRIEF

GALLATIN COUNTY 911 RELEASES INAUGURAL ANNUAL REPORT

YELLOWSTONE PARK FUNDRAISER OFFERS ENTRY PASS GOOD FOR 2172

EBS STAFF

ASSOCIATED PRESS

GALLATIN COUNTY – Gallatin County 911 released its first annual report on March 30, revealing the rapidly growing county is experiencing a continually increasing number of calls to dispatchers.

BILLINGS – As Yellowstone National Park celebrates its 150th anniversary year, the park’s fundraising arm is seeking $1,500 donations in exchange for an annual entry pass that can be used by carloads of the donor’s descendants to visit the park in 150 years.

Gallatin County dispatchers processed 160,492 incoming calls in 2021, a 21.25 percent increase from 2018.

“These past twelve months have proven to be challenging as we faced staffing shortages, technological changes, operations upgrades and, like everyone else, a global pandemic,” said Tim Martindale, director of Gallatin County 911. “Without the support of the community and our partner agencies we would not have been able to successfully navigate this past year.”

The report also highlights staff accomplishments from this past year including texts to 911, merging with the Montana State University dispatch, lifesaver awards and numerous trainings.

“Over this past year not only did we complete major projects, implement new process and strategies to better serve our community, but lives were saved along the way,” Martindale said. “At the end of the day, that within itself is what we are here for.”

Yellowstone Forever will use the money raised through the sale of “Inheritance Passes” to support park projects like trail improvements, education, native fish conservation and scientific studies.

It is our way of celebrating 150 years of Yellowstone National Park and to help preserve the park for the next 150 years,’’ Lisa Diekmann, president and CEO of Yellowstone Forever, told The Billings Gazette.

The concept was created by the Havas Chicago design firm.

“To celebrate Yellowstone’s 150th anniversary, rather than look back, we thought it would be the perfect time to look ahead and think about how we can preserve the park for future generations,” said Bailey Doyle with Havas Chicago.

Visit gallatinmedia.org to read the full report.

The Inheritance Passes will be annual passes valid for entry into Yellowstone in 2172. Donors will also receive a pass to enter Yellowstone that is good for a period of a year after its first use, said Wendie Carr, chief marketing officer for Yellowstone Forever.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK ROADS OPEN FOR SPRING CYCLING

BIG SKY SHOOTOUT RETURNS TO CELEBRATE SKI COMMUNITY

EBS STAFF

EBS STAFF

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. – Bicyclists can take on the unpredictable elements of spring in Yellowstone National Park between the West Entrance and Mammoth Hot Springs from now until April 15.

BIG SKY – The Big Sky Shootout, a film festival tradition, returns to celebrate Big Sky’s ski community on Saturday, April 16 in the Wilson Hotel Ballroom.

The West Entrance to Madison Junction, Mammoth Hot Springs to Old Faithful and Norris to Canyon Village roads are planned to reopen to vehicle traffic weather permitting at 8 a.m. on April 15.

Cyclists should anticipate hazards on the roads such as snowplows and other motorized vehicles operated by park employees, quickly changing weather conditions, snow and ice, wildlife and limited restrooms and limited cellular service.

NPS advises bikers to ride during daylight hours only, keep distance from wildlife, carry bear spray, ride single-file and follow all other road rules, plan for self-rescue or repair and prepare for winter weather conditions in case an emergency happens in order to stay safe when cycling in the park.

Four showtime options are dispersed between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 and include admission, a free drink ticket, entry to win $4,000 in prizes from Grizzly Outfitters, music and entertainment by local DJ Missy O’Malley. Tickets also include admission into the after party and awards premiere at Tips Up starting at 9 p.m.

First place People’s Choice Awards for film and photo winners will go home with $500 cash and the GoPro Hero 10 Black. Other awards include Best Line, Big Air and Best Trick.

For more information on the Big Sky Shootout 2022 visit seconseasonco.com.

Visit nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm for spring 2022 road opening dates.

MORNINGSTAR LANDS $400,000 STABILIZATION GRANT

JOIN US THIS SUMMER FOR

Big Sky’s Biggest Week WED. JULY 13 – SUN. JULY 16 Big Sky Art Auction

FRIDAY, JULY 15

Big Sky Community Rodeo Street Dance, Town Center Avenue

TUESDAY, JULY 19 Big Sky Bingo Night

Big Sky Community Day / Mutton Bustin’

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20

Big Sky PBR Golf Tournament at Black Bull Golf Course

THURSDAY, JULY 21

Big Sky PBR Basecamp Vendor Village Open PBR Bull Riding Night 1

FRIDAY, JULY 22

Big Sky PBR Basecamp Vendor Village Open PBR Bull Riding Night 2 Live Music Following Bull Riding - TBD

SATURDAY, JULY 23

Big Sky PBR Basecamp Vendor Village Open PBR Bull Riding Night 3 Live Music Following Bull Riding, Hayes Carll

VISIT BIGSKYPBR.COM FOR TICKETS & INFORMATION BIG SKY EVENTS ARENA, BIG SKY, MONTANA

8 April 7 - 20, 2022

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PIE AUCTION RAISES $100,000 FOR STUDENTS EXCESS FUNDS TO SUPPORT COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS FOR DISTRICT STAFF

BY GABRIELLE GASSER BIG SKY – In an ‘80s themed evening filled with polyester, vivid neon, crazy hair and plenty of laughs, the Big Sky Parent Teacher Organization raked in more than $100,000 at the 42nd Annual Pie Auction.

Held at Montage Big Sky on April 2, more than 225 people attended the philanthropic event. By the time the event started, the PTO had already raised its goal of $100,000 for its operating budget, according to PTO president Jennie Bibbins.

Everything raised during the event will support district efforts to provide cost-of-living adjustments for staff.

“Our teachers and school staff are what makes our school district so special,” Bibbins said after the event. “As the cost of living rapidly increases in Big Sky, we need to find a way to make those costs achievable for our teachers. This COLA will help.”

Big Sky School District School Board Trustee Kara Edgar spoke at the event to emphasize the importance of the cost-of-living adjustments for the district.

“The biggest surprise to me was that the state of Montana views everyone the same way,” she said. “So Big Sky gets the same dollars as Big Timber as Livingston as Laurel, and we don’t view our community in the same way so there’s no consideration for cost-of-living adjustment.”

As of EBS press time, funds exceeding the $100,000 in sponsorships had not yet been tallied.

In its 42nd year, the time-honored pie auction is the PTO’s largest fundraiser which supports many school programs such as the fourth-grade trip to Yellowstone National Park, school ski days and the eighth grade Washington D.C. trip among other things. Fundraising is done through a combination of donations as well as a live auction, where bidders

A variety of homemade pies were available for bidding in the silent auction. PHOTO BY GABRIELLE GASSER

can take home everything from spa packages and vacations to the items that started it all—pies.

“It is apparent that this is a need the whole community recognizes and obviously is eager to support,” Bibbins said adding that attendees really got into the “giving spirit.”

As the live auction progressed, attendees ran up to the auctioneer and spontaneously offered items for bidding including a weeklong stay at a home in Hawaii, a bison burger party by Rancho Picante and Matt Dodd’s legal services, which helped rake in even more cash.

The biggest ticket item for the evening was the Hawaii trip which sold for $16,000, followed by a ski signed by football star Tom Brady which went for $10,000.

Another popular item with bidders was a ride to school with the Big Sky Fire Department on a fire truck.

Dressed as cherry and pumpkin pies, Michelle and Joe Borden, masters of ceremony for the evening and BSSD parents, set a jovial tone by cracking jokes throughout the raffle and live auction.

Ahead of the live auction, 6-12 Technology Teacher Jeremy Harder, or “JJ,” who has been with the district for 22 years, took the mic to thank the PTO for its support of the teachers and donation of funds to COLAs. “There is one thing I know of all those 62 people that I’ve worked with or I still work with,” he said at the event, “one thing that I truly do know that hasn’t changed and that is the fact that everyone I’ve worked with would do anything for any of our students.”

This statement was met with an outpouring of cheers and applause from everyone gathered.

The evening ended on a high note with attendees flooding the dance floor brandishing glow sticks to tunes spun by DJs “Jenn N Juice” and “Take a Chance.”

Masters of ceremony for the evening Joe and Michelle Borden crack jokes. PHOTO BY GABRIELLE GASSER

“I think it went really smoothly and it was a great to see the turnout,” Bibbins said after the event. “…

It was just a great outpouring of support from the entire community, not just the school community.”

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Explore Big Sky

COUNTIES, RESORT TAX, MDT PITCH IN FUNDS TO LAUNCH TIGER GRANT WORK the other hand, things have changed. We’re in a very different world now than we were three years ago.”

BY BELLA BUTLER GALLATIN COUNTY – Several local entities put dollars on the table when another hurdle in the yearslong process to get TIGER grant roadwork off the ground in Big Sky when the latest construction bids left a multimillion-dollar shortfall between costs and available funds.

The county announced its two most recent bids at a commission meeting March 22. The lower of the two bids was more than $3.1 million over available funding for construction. Now, approaching three years since the grant funding was awarded and eager to move it forward, the Big Sky Resort Area District, Madison and Gallatin counties and the Montana Department of Transportation are footing the remainder of the bill so construction can commence this summer.

The county chose to rebid the project after the first submission, received nearly a year ago, came in roughly $3 million over budget. The second round of bids, opened in February, yielded no offers. Since the first bid round, developer Lone Mountain Land Company as well as the Montana Department of Transportation undertook some of the projects originally within the TIGER grant work scope. Collectively, those projects cost approximately $1.5 million.

Still, the most recent bids, one submitted by Riverside Contracting, Inc., the other from Treasure State, Inc., came in at approximately $8.8 million and $11.2 million respectively. Of the nearly $10.5 million in available funding, roughly $6.1 million is budgeted for construction.

The resort tax board approved the use of funds on March 30. Gallatin County followed with a commitment on April 4 and Madison County committed to the remainder on April 5.

“The decision to commit was not a difficult one,” Heckler said on April 6. Everyone recognizes the importance of improving Montana Highway 64, he added, regardless of which county it’s in.

Cars cruise down Montana Highway 64 on March 30. PHOTO BY TUCKER HARRI

After some back and forth with Gallatin County, which is the official recipient of the grant, MDT agreed to pitch in more than $2 million, leaving a remaining deficit of $1 million. The two counties and the resort tax board each committed roughly $333,333, or a third of that remaining $1 million.

The roadwork, which includes seven new turn lanes, a new traffic signal, pedestrian infrastructure and new buses, among other components, has been regarded as a top priority for the Big Sky community. Commissioners from both Madison and Gallatin counties have acknowledged the importance of launching the project but said the crux was coming up with additional funds.

“When this all started, we made a very firm commitment saying ‘yeah, we’ll go out for this bid. We’ll go out for the grant. But we’re not putting a dime into the project,’” said Gallatin County Commissioner Joe Skinner.

“So, we’re kind of having that as a backdrop. But on

At their March 28 meeting, Gallatin County commissioners acknowledged that only 11 percent of the planned work is in Madison County. The commissioners, as well as Heckler, also noted that the entire MT 64, along which most of the work is planned, is used to access the Big Sky portion of Madison County, regardless of where the construction is taking place.

In Madison County’s commitment, it agreed to provide the $333,333 over two years.

“There’s a difference between commitment and cash flow,” Heckler said. In the commission’s upcoming fiscal year budgeting, Heckler said they’ll locate where the money will come from.

Similarly, when the resort tax board unanimously approved additional funding at its meeting, it did not identify from where it would draw the money. Sarah Blechta, chair of the resort tax board, said the board will evaluate its options when their funding is needed.

Next, Gallatin County will award a bid before moving forward with summer construction. The project is expected to take two years.

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10 April 7 - 20, 2022

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JOINT COUNTY COMMISSION SHARES STATE OF THE UNION ON BIG SKY ISSUES, SOLUTIONS

BY BELLA BUTLER BIG SKY – If there was a theme to the April 6 joint county commission meeting, it would be growth and collaboration. The two buzz words umbrella the topics of discussion shared with a packed community audience at the biannual event.

Gallatin and Madison county commissioners shared a literal decision-making table at the Wilson Hotel with trustees from the Big Sky Resort Area District following the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce’s Eggs and Issues event. The joint commission of 10 discussed before an estimated virtual and live audience of more than 90, issues mostly associated with growth, and solutions, largely attributed to collaboration, that are both prevailing in nature and fresh with updates.

An epitome of the challenge of growth and the power of collaboration, Big Sky Resort Area District Board trustee Kevin Germain shared that expansive roadwork on Montana Highway 64 will commence this summer after the resort tax district, the Montana Department of Transportation and both Madison and Gallatin counties pitched in additional funds to close the morethan $3 million gap between available grant funding and the current lowest construction bid. (Read more about this on page 10) In other transportation news, Big Sky Transportation District Coordinator David Kack provided an update on public transportation. Ridership is on the rise, Kack said, reporting a 13

percent increase this March compared to March last year.

Addressing child care cost and availability, Executive Director of Childcare Connections Tori Sproles shed light on the rising issue in both Madison and Gallatin counties.

While the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines affordable child care as costing no more than 7 percent of a family’s income, Sproles reported that a typical family in Gallatin and Madison county spends 25-35 percent of their annual income on child care respectively.

Sproles ended her presentation on a hopeful note, providing news of potential grant funding and local child care task forces that are seeking to address the community hurdle.

A topic discussed at length by the joint county commission, emergency egress was presented as an issue by a few speakers. Madison County Commissioner John Heckler provided updates on work the county is doing to improve the 3-mile county section of Jack Creek Road.

Still in the early stages of developing an emergency plan, Heckler said what Madison County can do is provide an estimate on if the road could handle a mass exodus of residents out of Big Sky. “I think the answer is no right now,” he said.

The road, one of only two ways out of Big Sky, has several bends Heckler referred to as “tight spots” that the

Ron Edwards, general manager of the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District, presents on the district's new facility. PHOTO BY BELLA BUTLER

county has already begun construction on to make more passable.

Big Sky Fire Chief Greg Megaard added to the safety discussion. Even though it’s still winter, he said, the fire department is preparing for wildland fire season. This summer will be the first full season the Pano AI camera on top of Lone Mountain is in use.

The smoke-detecting camera uses a 360-degree view to alert authorities of potential fires. Megaard said a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service could result in additional cameras being placed around the area to create a broader view.

Kristin Gardner, chief science and executive officer with the Gallatin River Task Force, shared updates on the water supply of Big Sky, an increasingly pressing concern as area growth and drought persist.

Gardner detailed several ongoing and forthcoming studies intended to understand Big Sky’s available water supply. The task force hopes to coordinate a public meeting at the end of May, Gardner said, to provide updates on those studies.

The resort tax board presented on both its upcoming allocation cycle as well as on collaborative work on the Our Big Sky community vision and strategy plan.

Other topics discussed at the meeting included upcoming Gallatin County ballot issues to add 3 percent localoption taxes to recreational and medical marijuana as well as an update on the Big Sky Post Office, which has been working to engage local and state leaders to get a foot in the door with the United States Postal Service to address how Big Sky is outgrowing the current facility.

Al Malinowski, the post office’s contract manager, provided a good news update on the post office, reporting that for the first time since the early 2000s, his funding request through USPS was met in full for the next fiscal year, meaning the entity won’t be pursuing resort tax funds to support its operations.

During the meeting, Big Sky Owners Association board member Grant Hilton raised local homeowner concerns, most of which were touched on by other presenters including traffic concerns, emergency egress and water supply.

“This is local government at work,” Germain said, “and your voice really does make a difference.”

Gallatin and Madison county commissioners sit at a table with the Big Sky Resort Area District Board at the April 6 joint county commission meeting.

PHOTO BY BELLA BUTLER

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NEW PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE FIRST INSTALLMENT IN ‘GATEWAY TO BIG SKY’ on the premises. The building, Chet Huntley’s old sales office, is currently home to Stillwater Architecture, Stay Montana, Peak Clean and a Grizzly Outfitters location.

BY TUCKER HARRIS BIG SKY – A pedestrian bridge installed Tuesday at the entrance to Big Sky marks the first phase of a new project that intends to further establish the “gateway to Big Sky,” according to its developers.

Located at the northwest corner of U.S. Highway 191 and Montana Highway 64, the bridge crosses the Middle Fork of the West Fork of the Gallatin River and connects a 5-acre property located across from the Big Sky Conoco to the Bighorn Complex retail and restaurant spaces.

The bridge is the first feature of what the property owners are calling The Corner Project.

The Corner Project is owned and is being developed by Western Mountain Investments. Western Mountain Investments has the same ownership as Middle Fork Properties LLC, which is developing the Flatiron development.

The Corner Project, according to owner representative Chris Leonard, will include a mix of commercial

“This is a historic property, and we feel some responsibility to that history,” Leonard said. “And that’s why we’re keeping these buildings that are here now is partly out of Michael’s sense that they belong here; They’ve been here forever that to tear them down would be taking away a piece of history.”

Located at the northwest corner of U.S. Highway 191 and Montana Highway 64, the bridge crosses the Middle Fork of the West Fork of the Gallatin River and connects a 5-acre property to the Bighorn Complex retail and restaurant spaces. PHOTO COURTESY OF WESTERN INVESTMENT PROPERTIES

facilities that support people coming into Big Sky. “Ideally, it’s a place where people can stop and pick up everything they need on their way to wherever they’re staying in Big Sky,” Leonard said.

Western Mountain Investments hopes to donate the pedestrian bridge to the Big Sky Community Organization to help facilitate BSCO’s greater Big Sky trail connection project with the Dudley Creek Trailhead.

One of Western Mountain Investments owners, Michael Schreiner, said he originally purchased the northwest corner property back in 2018 from Jim Dolan, co-founder of Spanish Peaks Mountain Club and an angel investor for Yellowstone Club.

The bridge was transferred from a property in the Gallatin Canyon.

Western Mountain Investments plans to use the 5 acres of land to build around a historical building already

Schreiner said he hopes visitors and community members will take advantage of the opportunity to park and go for a bike ride or access trails along Gallatin Gateway. The Skyline Bus also stops at the Corner Project, allowing bus riders to access the trails and the Bighorn Complex via the bridge.

“It’s for the community,” Schreiner said.

Schreiner said The Corner Project team hopes to have the bridge completed by the end of the month.

12 April 7 - 20, 2022

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DISCOVERY ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIP HONORS LOCAL ERIC BERTELSON

BY BELLA BUTLER BIG SKY – Like the human body, small communities live by heartbeats. In Big Sky, these heartbeats take the form of people, events, organizations and other contributing members that foster the community spirit. When one heartbeat stops, another forms in its place and, sometimes, in its memory.

Eric Bertelson, who became one of these community heartbeats soon after moving to Big Sky in 2017, passed away earlier this year after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, for three years.

To honor his memory, his family will offer a tuition scholarship to the Big Sky Discovery Academy.

The Discovery Academy, Lone Mountain Ranch, the local American Legion Post No. 99 and the Bertelsons will host a Bingo Night on April 13 to raise funds for the scholarship.

Survived by his wife Janie and their three young sons, Mac, Gus and Web, Eric is remembered for his love for and dedication to academics and athletics and the ability to balance both. These are a few of the qualities Janie hopes to honor through recipients of the scholarship, which will provide tuition funding for students to attend the Montessori-based private school in Big Sky, the same institute where her three sons are also enrolled.

“We’ll look for characteristics of kids who share Eric’s passion for sports and skiing,” Janie said.

“But also [those students who are] eager to learn and want to have kind of a balance between life, sports and school.”

Eric and Janie met at Cornell University where they graduated, and were both college athletes. For Eric, Janie said, education was paramount. Even toward the end of his life, Janie said Eric would satisfy his thirst for knowledge by watching documentaries. Not to mention that he was the best Jeopardy player she’d ever met.

Eric’s love for education was one consideration in establishing a memorial scholarship, Janie said, but it was also Discovery Academy itself. Since the school allows students to learn at an individualized rate, a possibility enhanced through small class sizes and

Eric Bertelson with his wife, Janie. PHOTO COURTESY OF JANIE BERTELSON

close learning opportunities with teachers, many students attend Discovery so they can create space for extracurriculars, like freeride skiing, which Mac competes in.

Scott Poloff, head of school at Discovery, agreed that much of what the Bertelsons want to honor in Eric is compatible with Discovery’s mission and familylike environment.

During the pandemic, the Bertelsons also had to take extra care to keep Eric safe. Janie said she always felt supported by the school, which allowed her to keep her boys home if there was ever an outbreak concern or if they just wanted to spend more time with their dad.

“What it does is it allows us every year, one, to celebrate Eric,” he said, “but two, to just go back and remind ourselves, as head of schools, as a board, as a community, what is Discovery about? It’s about discovering that potential.”

For her kids, Janie says Discovery has been a great fit that celebrates them for their uniqueness.

“We just love the kind of individualistic academic approach here because they all learn differently, and they all react differently, and so it’s just been a wonderful space for us.”

Poloff and Janie are still working out the logistics of the scholarship, including how many students will be awarded and which ages will be eligible, among other details.

The scholarship fundraising event will be a collaborative effort, bringing together the American Legion’s famous Bingo to Lone Mountain Ranch for an evening of good-spirited competition, food and music. Janie said it was a night her husband would have loved.

“Eric was kind of like a ‘yes’ person,” she said. “He just loved to have a good time. He actually did like Bingo,” she added, chuckling. LMR was also one of the couple’s favorite places in town to get a cocktail.

Between the space, food and staff, LMR General Manager Ryan Kunz said the ranch is donating approximately $30,000 in services to the event.

“I think Lone Mountain Ranch has been an integral part of the community since its inception and we love supporting great causes,” Kunz said. “Supporting children in our community is a great cause we should all get behind.”

Kunz added that the ranch’s Assistant General Manager Patrick McVey, Executive Chef Scott Mechura and Food and Beverage Manager Michael Jacquard have been integral in making the event come to life.

The Bertelson family poses together (left to right) Mac, Web, Eric, Janie and Gus. PHOTO COURTESY OF EMILY POTTS

At the April 13 event, Eric will be remembered and celebrated. Through the Eric Bertelson Scholarship, the values and qualities that made him a heartbeat of Big Sky will be honored, and perhaps a new heartbeat will emerge.

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14 April 7 - 20, 2022

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HISTORIAN DOCUMENTS INDIGENOUS NAMES OF BIG SKY RESORT

BY MIRA BRODY BIG SKY – Of its 5,800 skiable acres, possibly one of the longest runs at Big Sky Resort is the combined Upper and Lower Morning Star.

Accessed via the Powder Seeker lift in the spacious and awe-inspiring Bowl, the blue groomer cruises below the A-Z Chutes and into a wide, playful alpine paradise. From there, it transitions into a smooth green run with unreal views of the surrounding landscape, all the way down to the base area.

While Morning Star may be the ski run on which you warm up or cool down your day of powder seeking, its name has Indigenous roots. In fact, there are a handful of ski runs across the resort named for Indigenous people, and with the help of local historian Jeffery Strickler, we pay homage to a few notables.

“I am a historian with a fascination with names,” said Strickler, who is the author of three local historical publications, including Big Sky’s contribution to the national Images of America series, which he co-authored with the Crail Ranch Homestead Museum’s Anne Marie Mistretta.

“Names are more than just the lake that you’re fishing or the mountain that you climb. If you go into the basis of that name, where it came from, and put them all together, you end up with a little bit of history here and a little bit of history there, and you get a kaleidoscope of the country around us.”

Pieces of that kaleidoscope can be picked up on your next ski day, starting on Lone Mountain.

Morning Star (Dull Knife) Northern Cheyenne Morning Star, also known by his Lakota Sioux name, which translates to Dull Knife, was a chief of the band known as the Northern Eaters which resided on the northern Great Planes in the 19th century. Morning Star was known for his active resistance toward the U.S. Government and his determination is credited toward today’s continued existence of Northern Cheyenne homeland.

Chief Dull Knife College, located in Lame Deer, Montana, where he was also laid to rest in 1883, is named in his honor.

Spotted Elk Miniconjou Lakota Spotted Elk, also known as Big Foot, was a chief of the Miniconjou Lakota remembered for his diplomatic work with other tribes as well as with the U.S. Government. When the government placed the Miniconjou on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in South Dakota, Spotted Elk encouraged his people to build sustainable methods of agriculture and education for Lakota children.

Spotted Elk ski run is a playful glade run that branches off from the top of Andesite Mountain.

It was formally named Wounded Knee for the massacre at which Spotted Elk was killed, but was later renamed.

that other tribes tried to avoid conflict with him.

In the 17th century, the Blackfeet dominated a large swath of land that stretched from today’s Edmonton, Canada, to Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park and the Black Hills of South Dakota. Today, the Blackfeet Nation spans across the eastern border of Glacier to the Canadian province of Alberta.

Mad Wolf ski run shoots off from the top of Andesite alongside Thunder Wolf lift to the east side of the mountain. It’s also the namesake of the historic Mad Wolf Ski Team, founded in the 1980s

by Robert Kirchschlager, which eventually joined forces with the Big Sky Ski Education Foundation.

Sitting Bull & Turkey Leg Hunkpapa Lakota & Southern Cheyenne After your day of skiing, you’ll most likely flip your boots into walk mode and make your way back down to the free parking area to reconvene with friends for plans to après. At the corner before the turn back to the lot, you’ll see two notable names on the intersecting street signs: Sitting Bull Road and Turkey Leg Road.

Silver Knife Penateka Silver Knife (also translated to White Knife) was a Comanche chief of the Penateka, one of five prominent bands that resided near today’s Oklahoma. Although he was involved in raids in the southwest in the 1860s, he too was a powerful diplomat. He surrendered to the military at Fort Cobb, and his name inks notable treaties including the Treaty of Tehuacana Creek and the Medicine Lodge Treaty, which ultimately prevented further conflict to the Penateka people during the Red River War in 1873. Silver Knife ski run starts at the top of Andesite and leads to the base area by way of a wide, steep blue groomer with prominent views of the Spanish Peaks.

Sitting Bull was a prolific leader and spiritual visionary of the Hunkpapa Lakota during resistance against the U.S. Government. He was involved in the Red Cloud’s War, Great Sioux War of 1876 and the Battle of Little Bighorn, and performed with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. He was killed, alongside seven of his supporters, after agency police arrived at his home on Standing Rock Agency to arrest him. Originally buried on Fort Yates in North Dakota, in 1953 his family exhumed his remains and laid him to rest instead in Mobridge, South Dakota, near his birthplace.

Chief Turkey Leg was son of the elder Turkey Leg of the same name. While the elder was known for his participation in the Battle of Little Big Horn, young Turkey Leg was known for derailing a freight train in Nebraska and attacking all those on board as a part of the Plaines Wars. “If you look at the road, it kind of looks like a turkey leg,” Strickler joked. ~

Mad Wolf Pikuni Blackfeet Mad Wolf was a prominent Blackfeet leader and orator in the mid 1850s with a character that Strickler describes as “wild and fierce” to the point

The local historian has made researching the names of the area a heartfelt hobby of his, and many more are explored in his books, including the names of the streets, creeks, peaks and trails we explore in the area.

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LONE PEAK HIGH JUNIOR TO COMPETE IN NATIONAL SPEECH CONTEST

BY GABRIELLE GASSER BIG SKY – Later this month, Lone Peak High School junior Ella Henslee will travel to Indianapolis to put her award-winning speech on the U.S. Constitution to the test in the national American Legion Oratorical Contest. Henslee will be the first LPHS student to compete in the contest on a national stage.

Henslee, 16, will represent District 7 of the American Legion as well as American Legion Post 99, competing against 49 other students on April 23-24 for the national title. In her second year of competing, LPHS teacher Tony Coppola said Henslee has grown a lot as an orator and he looks forward to seeing her continue to succeed.

High school students who participate in the oratorical contest, established in 1938, each prepare an eight- to 10-minute-long speech about an aspect of the U.S. Constitution with emphasis on the duties and obligations of citizens to the government. Each student is also randomly given one of four predetermined topics, as part of the assigned topic portion of the event and asked to deliver an additional three- to five-minute speech on it.

Coppola requires all his students to write and deliver a speech about the U.S. Constitution which they can then use to participate in the American Legion Post 99 Oratorical Contest if they so choose.

Henslee’s speech this year is on the Electoral College; how it was intended to be used at the time of its establishment and how it functions in the modern world. Contestants use the same speech through each level of competition, so Henslee said she is focused right now on perfecting her delivery for nationals.

Henslee said she has learned a lot while participating in the competition. “I didn’t know before this year why the Electoral College was created in the first place, but it was so smart, it was so cool.”

Coppola said Henslee’s performance in the assigned topic portion of the state competition was what made her stand out, calling it “the icing on the cake” of her win.

MS/HS Social Studies teacher Coppola said he first encouraged Henslee to compete last year because she had a great speech but a fear of public speaking.

“I feel like some students and just in life in general need that nudge and I think that’s what I gave for her and she’s taken to it,” Coppola said. “It’s been a lot of fun to watch and be a part of and I’m just excited that she gets to go and gets to see it through.”

In her first year of competing, Henslee placed first in the post competition and fourth in the state competition. After the initial taste of victory, she was hooked.

“I wanted to be the best,” Henslee said.

This year, while she noticed other students around her abuzz with jitters, she was confident.

Henslee poses with the U.S. Constitution in Coppola’s classroom. PHOTO BY GABRIELLE GASSER

“It was good to know I wasn’t the most nervous,” Henslee said. “I was gonna be fine.”

This newfound confidence carried Henslee through the state competition and Coppola said it was very apparent that she was going to win.

“Thinking about where she started as a sophomore and where she is now as a junior, it’s basically a 180,” he said. “She’s very confident up there and competent and her speech has only gotten better.”

To prep for nationals, Henslee said she has been watching videos of past speeches and taking notes on what she likes and doesn’t like in the delivery.

Junior Ella Henslee stands with Bill Cummins, American Legion District 7 Commander after her first place finish at the state oratorical contest on March 12 in Great Falls, MT. PHOTO COURTESY OF TONY COPPOLA

“I think I’m an eloquent person,” she said. “…If I notice I don’t know where I’m going next, I can talk my way through it and eventually I’ll find where I’m supposed to be.”

In addition to watching past videos, Henslee said she also listens to a voice memo of herself delivering speeches on each of the potential topics as she falls asleep.

Henslee will travel to Indianapolis with her mom and Coppola for the contest and she said she plans on bringing her mock trial bag to “psych out the competition.”

Henslee accepts her first place award at the state contest. PHOTO COURTESY OF TONY COPPOLA

18 April 7 - 20, 2022

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REGIONAL

MONTANA’S FASTEST-GROWING CITY LAST YEAR? IT WASN’T BOZEMAN.

NEW CENSUS BUREAU ESTIMATES CHART MONTANA’S POPULATION SHIFTS DURING THE FIRST FULL YEAR OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. KALISPELL LED THE PACK.

BY ERIC DIETRICH MONTANA FREE PRESS

Bozeman may be Montana’s most expensive major city, with the median single-family home price in Gallatin County approaching $900,000 as of February, but population data released March 24 by the U.S. Census Bureau indicates it has forfeited another title: fastest-growing urban area.

Gallatin County, which spans Bozeman and many surrounding communities, has for years been Montana’s fastest-growing county, often adding enough people to rank the Bozeman micropolitan area (officially at “metropolitan” status as of 2020) one of the fastest-growing small cities in the nation.

Gallatin added 3,211 new residents over the July 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021 period covered by the new data,: for an annual increase of 2.7 percent. But, as the COVID-19 pandemic shifted migration patterns, the Kalispell region took Bozeman’s crown. As is the case across the state, new arrivals were the driving demographic force.

Flathead County, which also includes Whitefish and Columbia Falls, added 3,681 people between July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021, according to the Census Bureau. That’s a 3.5 percent growth rate.

Data: U.S. Census Bureau. Graphic: Eric Dietrich / MTFP

South of Missoula, Ravalli County grew even faster on a percentage basis, at 3.6 percent year over year.

With Ravalli’s population roughly half of Flathead’s, though, that meant fewer new people—about 1,600.

Montana as a whole, in comparison, posted 1.7 percent population growth overall, adding just more than 18,000 people between 2020 and 2021.

Several rural counties in western Montana also posted eye-catching growth figures, adding hundreds of residents and growing even faster in percentage terms than Flathead and Ravalli counties: Mineral (Superior) and Broadwater (Townsend) at 6.5 percent each, and Sanders (Thompson Falls) and Lincoln (Libby) at 4.1 percent and 4.0 percent, respectively.

Those growth trends generally align with state tax filing data presented by legislative fiscal analysts in March, which described high growth rates in the state’s urban areas and rural northwest counties.

The tax data, which estimated migration based on the number of tax filers in each county, indicated faster growth for Gallatin County (5.2 percent) than Flathead County (4.5 percent).

The new county-level figures published by the Census Bureau’s Population and Housing Unit Estimates program, represent interim figures intended to tide over the nation’s data-hungry demographers, public

officials and citizens between the bureau’s once-adecade counts, conducted most recently in 2020.

In contrast to the decennial census effort, which tries to count every American resident directly, the annual population estimates are produced by taking the most recent census count and adjusting it to account for births, deaths and migration. The birth and death counts used for those adjustments are tallied from birth and death certificates. Migration is estimated based on government records including federal tax returns and Medicare enrollment data.

The 2021 population estimates indicate that migration was by far the most significant population driver for Montana in the year following the 2020 census. Without it, Montana’s population would have shrunk, since the state saw just over 12,000 deaths and about 10,500 births, a net loss of about 1,500 residents. Accounting for people who moved in and people who left for other places, the state added nearly 20,000 new residents.

This story is published by Montana Free Press as part of the Long Streets Project, which explores Montana’s economy with in-depth reporting. This work is supported in part by a grant from the Greater Montana Foundation, which encourages communication on issues, trends, and values of importance to Montanans. Discuss MTFP’s Long Streets work with Lead Reporter Eric Dietrich at edietrich@montanafreepress.org.

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IFSA HOLDS NORTH AMERICAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP AT BIG SKY RESORT EIGHT BIG SKY ATHLETES TO COMPETE IN PRESTIGIOUS COMPETITION

BY GABRIELLE GASSER BIG SKY – After three years of cancelations due to COVID-19, eight Big Sky athletes will compete this week against the best young skiers and riders the continent has to offer in the International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association North American Junior Championship. This year, they have the home advantage.

Out of 2,200 IFSA junior athletes in the U.S. and Canada, only 175 will compete in this invite-only event for skiers and riders in the 12-14 and 1518 age categories. The North American Junior Championship, or NorAms, is being held at Big Sky Resort on April 6-10 with qualifier days on April 7 and 8 and finals scheduled for April 9.

“It’s super competitive to get into and they’re truly only letting in the best of the best,” said Big Sky Ski Education Foundation Freeride Head Coach Wallace Casper. “Most people who are getting in have had multiple podium finishes throughout the year.”

During the season, athletes in both age categories must accumulate points at each competition and earn a high overall ranking in the IFSA Junior Freeride Series to qualify. Athletes who perform well in NorAms may then qualify for the Freeride Junior World Championship held in Europe the following season.

“NorAms is probably the most competitive event in the world because the continent is the most established with freeride,” Casper said. “There’s the most teams, the most kids participating, the most coaches. But the world championship event is the hardest event to get into and the most diverse event in the world.”

According to Casper, 10 athletes from Big Sky qualified for NorAms this year and eight are competing. There were also two athletes who competed in the U12 Championship on April 3-5.

All athletes aged 8 and up who have participated in at least one IFSA event in 2022 are invited to register and compete in the less-competitive U-12 Championship.

“It’s a reflection that our team is getting stronger and stronger over the years,” Casper said. “It’s been pretty typical for us to only qualify a few athletes.

So the fact that we got 10 in this year is huge for sure. Our team is getting better and better.”

Casper added that the local freeride team has reached a point where athletes are standing on the podium every competition, further testament to the growth and improvement in the program.

To host the NorAms at Big Sky this year is also a rare occurrence, Casper said, noting that IFSA is selective about where the event is hosted. To have this huge competition on your home court as an

athlete happens about once every 10 years, Casper said.

The Big Sky athletes will have an advantage since they train at Big Sky and are familiar with all the venues, according to Casper. Tricky spring conditions, however, will warrant extra caution from all competitors, he added.

Two BSSEF athletes, siblings Kennedy and Cameron Cochenour, are competing this year.

Cameron, 11, competed in the U-12 championship on April 4 and, according to his mom Mary, “he went bigger than he’s ever gone before.”

“I was going down a chute,” Cameron said. “The run was [Don’t Tell Mama] and there’s a big cliff called Cadillac and I hit it fall line, there was a lip, and I was the only person to hit fall line. I backslapped a lot and fell out and crashed. It’s okay though.”

Cameron didn’t make the cut for finals on April 5, but he is already looking forward to his third freeride season next year.

Kennedy, 14, will compete in the 12-14 age category in NorAms. Kennedy is currently ranked 18 in the IFSA 12-14 ski female category in the Northern Region with 2,174 points.

“I guess I’m putting my nerves in the back of my head until I actually have to go up there and put a run down,” Kennedy said. “But I guess I’ve been preparing by just skiing around and working on my technique and big airs.”

Mary said she feels like she gets even more nervous than her children ahead of competitions but added that it’s fun to watch them progress as they get comfortable with new venues and tricks.

“Freeride, like any sport, there’s peaks and valleys so you have good days and bad days,” Mary said.

“This year, she had a lot of good days and some days where she felt like she could have skied better.”

If Kennedy does well on April 7, she’ll compete again on April 9 in the finals.

Casper offered thanks to the volunteers, parents and the resort for helping to make the event possible, calling it a “huge effort.”

Athletes with the Big Sky Ski Education Foundation Freeride Team pose with their coaches at the bottom of Six Shooter lift at Big Sky Resort.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WALLACE CASPER

Leading into the competition, Casper said he has been skiing with the athletes and each day focusing on one of the five criteria athletes are judged on: Line Choice, Control, Fluidity, Technique, and Style and Energy. He said that Big Sky is an amazing place to be training for competitions with world-class steeps, terrain parks and moguls. He added that all BSSEF staff is awesome, and they hope to not only make the kids better skiers but also make them better people all around.

22 April 7 - 20, 2022

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23 April 7 - 20, 2022

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ENVIRONMENT

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE VOTES NOT TO SUPPORT STRINGENT WATER INITIATIVE

BY BELLA BUTLER HELENA – A committee of Montana lawmakers voted April 5 not to support a ballot initiative that would grant the greatest protection afforded by the state to sections of the Gallatin and Madison rivers.

Passing Initiative 191 with an 8-2 vote, Montana Legislature’s Water Policy Interim Committee members echoed public comment concerns about the proposed measure’s potential impact on various area industries including development, agriculture and tourism, among others. Commenters also asked the committee to heed the undetermined consequences I-191 could have on current and planned conservation work.

The bipartisan committee’s vote not to support I-191’s placement on the ballot will appear on the initiative’s petition, the next stage in the process before being certified for the November ballot.

The ballot initiative would grant outstanding resource water designation to the section of the Madison River between Hebgen and Ennis lakes and the section of the Gallatin River between the Yellowstone National Park boundary and the Spanish Creek confluence.

If successful, the initiative, submitted

by Bozeman-based Cottonwood Environmental Law Center, Montana Rivers, and the Gallatin Wildlife Association, would bypass the legislative process for ORW designation, making these roughly 110 river miles the first ever ORW granted outside of Montana surface waters in national parks.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen found the proposed initiative, originally called I-24, “legally deficient” in his review early this year, but the Montana Supreme Court reversed Knudsen’s decision in March, allowing the initiative to advance toward the November ballot with slightly amended language.

I-191 was then sent to the Montana Legislature’s Water Policy Interim Committee, which held a public hearing on the initiative before casting its vote, the first of its kind following an addition to Montana Law passed by the Legislature in 2021.

“I think it’s a good day in Montana where the people that are actually going to be voting on initiatives have the ability to weigh in on that initiative and make it more of a public process than ever before,” said Sen. Jeff Welborn, chair of WPIC. Four proponents of I-191 spoke during the hearing, three of which

To the contrary, many of the 22 people who spoke in opposition to the initiative worry that the it will put a chokehold on nearly all further development in the area.

ORW designation precludes the state from issuing permits for new or increased point-source discharge that would result in permanent

to the water body,” said Yellowstone Club Environmental Manager Rich Chandler, who spoke on behalf of Big Sky developer Lone Mountain Land Company. “From the fisherman on the river who kicks up a rock to the field irrigator maintaining their ditches, to the stream restoration projects, they’re all in queue.”

The addition of the word “temporary,” commenters noted, was not defined by the initiative.

“If a cow walks in the water [and] it causes a temporary change in water quality, will that be allowed?” asked Krista Lee Evans, who spoke on behalf of the Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators, the Montana Farm Bureau Federation as well as the Senior Water Rights Coalition.

Conservationists have similar concerns.

Water flows through a section of the Madison River below the Hebgen Dam. This section of the Madison River, between Hebgen and Ennis lakes, as well as a section of the Gallatin River between the confluence with Spanish Creek and the Yellowstone National Park boundary, are the subjects of a ballot initiative that would designate them as outstanding resource waters. PHOTO BY BELLA BUTLER

were associated with I-191’s submitters: Cottonwood Executive Director John Meyer, GWA President Clint Nagel and GWA board member Nancy Ostlie.

“The secret of Montana is out and people are coming here from all over the world to buy up a piece of heaven,” Meyer said. “And as more and more people come here our rivers are being threatened with pollution.

And this is our last opportunity to permanently protect these stretches of the Madison and Gallatin rivers for future generations.”

Meyer argued I-191 is especially necessary following the Legislature’s recent repeal of numeric nutrient standards for certain discharge into state waterways.

Proponents also discussed the need for more protections as area development increases in the greater Big Sky area.

“The petition really asks that the citizens determine whether wealth will take precedence over the health of our environment, and the rapidity of the change and growth that’s occurring that makes this critical in this election cycle,” said Bill Bartlett, the fourth proponent who spoke at the hearing.

changes to water quality. By changing the language of the original ORW designation, I-191 expands this preclusion to include permits that would result not only in permanent changes to water quality but temporary changes as well.

At the time of his legal review, Knudsen also published a fiscal note estimating the ORW designation proposed by I-191 would cost the state more than $60,000 per year.

Montana Rep. Llew Jones during the hearing called the note “limited,” pointing to the considerable tax value, including lodging tax, of the Madison and Gallatin regions. Since some of these taxes are exported to other parts of the state, Jones argued that freezing development would impact not only the regional economies but that of the entire state.

Members of the public questioned how any construction could be completed without temporary changes to water quality. Other commenters added that this condition could impact recreational, agricultural, mining and timber activity as well.

“The far-reaching language of prohibiting all temporary waterquality impacts opens the door to endless arguments, essentially blocking any activity that has a nexus

“Some of the components of the statute would actually threaten some of the restoration work that we do and the projects that we do within both of these watersheds,” said Clayton Elliott speaking on behalf of fishery conservation group Trout Unlimited.

Sen. Pat Flowers, who represents Big Sky, added that the designation could create more potential for non-point source nutrient pollution stemming from increased reliance on individual septic systems. This was a concern also raised in a letter from the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District.

Sen. Jill Cohenour said the initiative may have unintended consequences because of its potential to increase non-point source discharge and by blocking current river restoration efforts.

“It drops us off a cliff that we can never recover from,” she said.

In addition, said Sen. Welborn, I-191 would tie the hands of the executive branch and its agencies, including the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

To the motion of not approving the placement of I-191 on the ballot, two committee members, Rep. Tom France and Rep. Rob Farris-Olson, voted no but did not offer explanation.

As of April 5, I-191 was approved for signature gathering.

ENVIRONMENT

24 April 7 - 20, 2022

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EGGS AND ISSUES ADDRESSES WILDLIFE, TRAFFIC AND RIVER RESTORATION

BY GABRIELLE GASSER BIG SKY – Five organizations gathered this morning at the Wilson Hotel to offer the Big Sky community updates on wildlife, traffic and potential impacts of recreation on the Gallatin Canyon.

The latest Eggs & Issues event, hosted by the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce on April 6, was well-attended with over 60 people in-person and more on Zoom. There were three featured presentations covering ongoing initiatives impacting Big Sky’s treasured Gallatin River corridor: an assessment of wildlife movement and habitat connectivity, Gallatin River restoration efforts, a Big Sky Climate Action Plan and carpooling incentives.

Elizabeth Fairbank and Abigail Breuer with the Center for Large Landscape Conservation shared their work with the Montana State University Western Transportation Institute on the US191 Wildlife and Transportation Assessment. The assessment aims to improve knowledge of wildlife and road safety along U.S. Highway 191, Montana Highway 64 and the surrounding area.

According to Fairbank and Breuer, roadways create barriers in the landscape

that hinder or prevent wildlife crossing and disrupt habitat connectivity. The hope is to use data on wildlife movement patterns gathered by the assessment as well as traffic data from a Montana Department of Transportation Corridor Study to pursue funding and solutions like wildlife overpasses, underpasses and fencing.

To aid in this effort, Fairbank and Breuer encouraged attendees to use an Interactive Webmap and the Roadkill Observation and Data System, or ROaDS, app which crowdsource wildlife data that will inform the ongoing assessment.

Up next to the podium, Emily O’Connor, conservation director with the Gallatin River Task Force, and Wendi Urie, Bozeman Ranger District recreation program manager with the U.S. Forest Service, talked about recreation and the Gallatin River.

The task force partnered with the Forest Service following a 2015 Gallatin Canyon River Access Site Assessment on different projects to help provide sustainable access to the Gallatin River and protect and restore the ecological integrity of the river.

One of these partnership projects is the Upper Deer Creek River-Access Restoration Project, which was

completed in May last year. The project created sustainable river access points for rafts, a kayak slab launch and an accessible fishing platform as well as planted 380 riparian trees and shrubs along the river.

To round out the morning, Lizzie Peyton, community engagement director of Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization, and Matthew Madsen, research associate with the Western Transportation Institute, discussed their efforts to reduce traffic and carbon emissions in the Gallatin Valley.

Since its establishment in 2020, Big Sky SNO has worked to make local events more sustainable through recycling and composting stations, completed a Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory, started a Climate Action Plan and partnered with the transportation institute on the Big Sky One Less Car Initiative.

In partnership with GoGallatin, Big Sky SNO’s One Less Car Initiative encourages commuters to Big Sky to carpool by providing incentives. Madsen detailed GoGallatin’s wider efforts to support sustainable commuting, which also includes the GoGallatin Challenge which runs through the month of May.

Elizabeth Fairbank answers an audience question following the three Eggs and Issues presentations. PHOTO BY GABRIELLE GASSER

Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions following the presentations sparking a discussion about how all these partners can unite behind a cohesive effort to make Big Sky more sustainable, reduce commuters and protect wildlife.

VP of Operations and Events with the chamber Caitlin Quisenberry said she thought the event was successful and it highlighted some important issues along the Gallatin River corridor and U.S. 191.

“There are great partners who are working on fixing [these issues],” Quisenberry said. “I think it’s really exciting to think about how those partnerships can get layered for the most impact.”

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A&E ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

LPHS PERFORMS 'OKLAHOMA!'

A CLASSIC TAKE ON THE FIRST MUSICAL PERFORMED IN THE US

BY TUCKER HARRIS PHOTOS BY GABRIELLE GASSER

BIG SKY – Whistles and laughter filled the crowd as Lone Peak High School’s rendition of Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” brought awkward kissing scenes, excellent 1900s midwestern accents, and dramatic dance scenes to the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center stage on opening night.

The performance spanned three days from April 5-7.

Curly, the character played by LPHS junior Max Romney all three nights, is a confident, often arrogant, cowboy who refuses to admit his love

for Laurey Williams, (played by sophomore Abby Meredith on night one) a young girl who lives on a ranch in the Oklahoma Indian territory with her wise and kind Aunt Eller (played by freshman Marley Schack on opening night.)

Curly has made big plans to take Laurey to the box social dance that evening, driving her there in a “surrey with the fringe:” a carriage replete with silk fringe, a genuine leather dashboard and pulled by snow-white horses. It’s a dream come true, but remember: Curly refuses to admit he likes Laurey, so when she teases him about it, Curly says the surrey with the fringe was fabricated and misses his chance to ask her to the dance.

Will Parker (senior Ace Beattie) shows off his lasso skills after returning from Kansas City where he won $50 at a cow-steering event.

Oklahoma!” was the first-ever musical performed in the U.S. This version, directed by WMPAC Executive and Artistic Director John Zirkle and produced by Big Sky Broadway Co-Founder and Executive Producer Barbara Rowley, also featured a few firsts. Triple-cast this year, the performance had a record 35 students participating, and as the longest play the group has ever put on (2 hours and 15 minutes), this was the first LPHS play to include an intermission, during which audience members flocked to a bake sale table in the lobby. “[As the first musical], it was really important for us to give a classic experience because we usually do contemporary shows [from] the past 20 years,” Zirkle said after the opening night performance.

Ado Annie (senior Annel Garcia) puts on a hilarious performance of “I can’t Say No.”

Will Parker (Beattie) peers through “the little wonder” at provocative photos of women as his fellow cowboys look on in awe on the newfound tool.

A&E

27 April 7 - 20, 2022 All the actors put on a show, but a few stood out; particularly in their dancing skills. Will Parker, played by senior Ace Beattie on night one, who returns from Kansas City enthralled by his peek into the “modern world” with its skyscrapers, the Bell telephone and “the little wonder,” a metal tube used to look at pictures of women with a hidden blade inside.

In a lively scene, Parker teaches his fellow cowboys and Aunt Eller the two-step. Parker and the cowboys launched into a stirring tap-dance scene, learning the folk saloon modern dance of the time.

Parker, who won $50 at a cow-steering competition at the fair in Kansas City, also showed off his lasso skills on stage, a fun twist added in for the LPHS performance, and one that captivated the audience.

The $50 that Parker wins in Kansas City is intended to gain the right to marry the woman of his dreams, Ado Annie, a flirty romantic played in a hilarious performance by senior Annel Garcia on night one. Ado’s protective rancher father, Carnes, played by junior Gus Hammond, doesn’t believe a cowboy is fit for his daughter and thus states Parker must prove he can maintain the $50. Parker

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chooses to spend the cash prize on gifts for Ado Annie instead.

for the smokehouse was impressive—complete with a vintage Fireball poster on the wall.

Much of the plotline revolves around both Parker’s and Curly’s quest to win over their lovers. The quest is no easy task, however. Ado Annie confesses to Laurey that while Parker was in Kansas City, she fell in love with Persian peddler Ali Hakim, played by senior Luke Kirchamyr. Garcia as Ado Annie had the audience in stitches during her musical performance of “I Can’t Say No.” In the scene, Ado Annie is in a “tumble fix,” loving both young men depending on who she’s with at the time and dancing around with a broom symbolizing both Parker and Hakim.

In another complicated, darker scene, the dream figure of Laurey, played by freshman Aubrey Farr, included a stunning extended ballet dance depicting Laurey’s dream after taking smelling salts (which she purchased from the peddler to help her decide which young man—Curly or Jud—she loves).

In a beautiful white dress, Farr dances alongside Curly before the scene turns dark and Jud enters the dream in pursuit of killing Curly at the dream wedding.

LPHS students maneuvered seamlessly within the intricate and entangled plot of “Oklahoma!” through creating scene changes and fully embracing the emotions of each character as they followed the winding path to find love.

Curly has his own obstacle: Laurey’s hired hand, Jud, played by senior John Chadwell portraying the dark, mysterious character. Jud is in love with and almost creepily obsessed with Laurey.

Romney’s performance shows a darker side to the play as Curly visits Jud in his smokehouse and meticulously plays out the scene of what it would be like for Jud to commit suicide by hanging himself and the ensuing funeral afterward. The set design

In the end, the performance proves just how far the characters will go for the one they love: selling all of their possessions, picking dangerous fights, taking what they believe to be an “elixir of Egypt” (smelling salts), and even murder.

Curly (junior Max Romney) tests Jud (senior John Chadwell) flaunting his shooting aim after suggesting Jud hang himself.

The dream figure of Jud (Chadwell) throws the dancing dream figure of Laurey (freshman Aubrey Farr) over his shoulder and carries her off stage after killing Curly at the alter in Laurey’s dream.

O K L A H O MA !

R OTAT IN G CA S T

Laurey (sophomore Abby Meredith) and Curly (Romney) refuse to admit they love each other, despite Curly’s persistence in wanting her to go to the box social dance with him.

TUESDAY NIGHT

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

THURSDAY NIGHT

LAUREY

LAUREY

LAUREY

Abby Meredith

Emily Graham

Carly Wilson

AUNT ELLER

AUNT ELLER

AUNT ELLER

Marley Schack

Madison Perdue

Ella Henslee

IKE SKIDMORE

IKE SKIDMORE

IKE SKIDMORE

Cyrus Coleman

Matt Jennings

Matt Jennings

ADO ANNIE

ADO ANNIE

ADO ANNIE

Annel Garcia

Libby Flach

Kassidy Boersma

28 April 7 - 20, 2022

A&E

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THE ART OF THE CAST

LOCAL PAINTER USES FLY CAST TECHNIQUE TO PAINT ENDANGERED RIVERS FOR ART EXPO IN CHICAGO

BY TUCKER HARRIS BIG SKY – Snow and ice begin to melt along the Gallatin River on a warm but overcast March day and the sound of a fly fishing line snaps in a steady rhythm.

Rather than hitting the water, though, the fly at the end of the line tethered to a paintbrush, flicks acrylic paint onto a canvas for upward of 3,000 strokes.

By the end of the day, Bozeman-based fly cast artist Ben Miller has completed a 48-by-96-inch painting of the Gallatin River. The final product will be part of his Endangered Rivers Series, an installment at EXPO CHICAGO on April 7-10. Miller is one of 16 international artists selected to participate.

Miller creates his homemade fly brushes by replicating the look of traditional flies with fabric and cord that work well for transferring paint from the rod without ruining the canvas. (He has tried using real fishing flies, and it went poorly, he admitted). He then attaches the brush to the end of a fly line and mimics casting into a river, but instead lands the fly brush on a canvas.

“One of my favorite things about fly fishing of course is just the casting part: that rhythm and that control,” Miller told EBS as he made the drive from Bozeman to Chicago. “And that perfect trip: that feeling of watching that fly be just bogged down the current and then having a fish come out from nowhere to grab it and suck it down… And thinking about how to see that trout too with a fly that you tie,” he continued.

The Endangered Rivers Series includes Miller’s fly casting works from his time spent alongside river banks stretching across the West, including the Gallatin, Yellowstone and Jefferson rivers in Montana. With this series, Miller hopes to tell the rivers’ stories and raise awareness for them.

“I think one of the reasons that [art] should be created is for a bigger purpose,” he said.

Priced at $22,500, half of the proceeds from the sale of the Gallatin River 3/25/22 piece will benefit the Gallatin River Task Force, a local river conservation nonprofit.

errors than trial,” he joked) and Miller found himself studying the water from an ice floe on the Gallatin River on March 25 behind the Riverhouse BBQ & Events, creating his final Montana river piece for EXPO CHICAGO. When he got to work at 10 a.m., he was able to walk out on the ice, set up his easel and study the details of his subject: the light refractions on the river’s surface, the rocks, the movement, the earthy tones. As the temperature rose, the ice began to melt. By adding more earthy tones as more sediment appeared in the river, Miller was able to capture the changing river conditions throughout the day.

Where Miller chooses to set up for a day of painting is important to him. He doesn’t want to only paint where a lot of action is, he said.

“I would like to speak to different parts of the river, rather than just one very select part in most circumstances,” Miller said.

Atop the ice that day on the Gallatin, Miller’s intimate study of the river went far beyond what the casual passerby would observe. “I saw an undertone with more of a greenish gray top to it,” he said. “… I couldn’t see the stones all the way to the other side, so you’re going to see at the top of [the painting] more current … and you’re dealing more with a kind of muted palette.”

Miller used three separate rods with varying lengths and weights and many different fly brushes to replicate the section of the Gallatin River. The heavier Winston Spey 8-weight rod splashes more paint on the canvas but has limitations in accuracy, whereas the smaller Winston Pure 4-weight rod creates smaller splashes with more finesse.

He paints on the back of the transparent polycarbonate plexiglass, but the final painting is actually on the other side of the canvas. His very first marks get covered up as he continues to add layers, yet they’re what viewers see first when he turns the painting around for the reveal.

Miller used three separate rods with varying lengths and weights and many different fly brushes to replicate the section of the Gallatin River. The heavier Winston Spey 8-weight rod splashes more paint on the canvas but has limitations in accuracy, whereas the smaller Winston Pure 4-weight rod creates smaller splashes with more finesse.

He paints on the back of the transparent polycarbonate plexiglass, but the final painting is actually on the other side of the canvas. His very first marks get covered up as he continues to add layers, yet they’re what viewers see first when he turns the painting around for the reveal.

Gary Snyder, an art collector and gallerist from New York, introduced Miller and the piece to the spectators on March 25 before the canvas was flipped around.

“When I first saw Ben, I thought this was like Jackson Pollock and abstract art,” Snyder said before the reveal on March 25. “And as I got to know Ben, I realized he was painting the river; he was a realist… These paintings are very representational.”

Miller hopes to raise awareness for the rivers he has painted throughout the West at the exhibition in Chicago.

“All these rivers have their own story,” he said, “You tell the story of what’s happening, or what has happened to make this place the way it is, I think there’s a lot to be said in the power of not only storytelling, but making the awareness of different places more available,” Miller said.

Miller’s Endangered Rivers Series will be on display April 7-10 at the ninth edition of EXPO CHICAGO, The International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art, at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall. On Sunday, April 3, Miller will be live fly cast painting the Chicago River as his final piece for the exposition.

Visit benmillerartist.com to see all of his works for the upcoming exhibition.

In 1986, Miller received his first fly rod from his grandfather at 8 years old. With feathers from his family’s chickens, thread from his mother’s sewing kit and some yarn, Miller began teaching himself how to tie his own makeshift flies with his fingers where he grew up in western Washington.

From then on, he was hooked.

Miller would grow up to study art at Washing State University and spent 12 years teaching art before moving to Bozeman in 2016. He was fascinated with figuring out how to capture a trout suspended in the river through oil painting.

In 2016, he decided to combine his two passions: fly fishing and painting rivers.

He tied a sock to the end of a fly line, dipped it in paint, set up an easel with a canvas and tried to cast the sock at it.

“I’m pretty sure I missed the first few times, but then all of a sudden, there was a connection and bam, paint went flying all over the place,” he said. “And then I knew I was onto something.”

Fly casting, for Miller, is very much in line with the fly fishing experience that gets anglers hooked spending long days on the river, he said. “It’s just now the experience that I am having, I get to share with other people as well.”

Fast-forward seven years of trial and error with techniques, canvases and homemade fly brushes (“more

Gary Snyder (L) and Ben Miller (R) pose with Miller's "Gallatin River 3/25/22" piece for the EXPO CHICAGO outside Riverhouse BBQ & Events on March 25. PHOTO BY TUCKER HARRIS

A&E

29 April 7 - 20, 2022

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BIG SKY EVENTS CALENDAR Thursday, April 7 – Wednesday, April 20

If your event falls between April 21-May 4, please submit it by April 13 by emailing media@outlaw.partners.

Thursday, April 7

Wednesday, April 13

Big Sky Serenity Seekers Al-Anon meeting All Saints Chapel, 4 p.m.

Film screening: “Drop” Online, 7 p.m., Register Here: citizensclimate.zoom.us/meeting/register/ tJMudeCorjwiGdIUZ0TwHvmlIvBsr7VZ10sk

Film: “International Fly Fishing Festival” The Independent, 6:30 p.m.

Live Music: The Damn Duo Tips Up, 9 p.m.

Trivia Night The Independent, 7 p.m.

Live Music: Kaylie Smith Tips Up, 9 p.m.

Friday, April 8 Childhood Hunger Awareness Week Big Sky Community Food Bank, April 4-9 Powder Seeker Spring Series Powder Seeker 6 Base, 11 a.m.

Thursday, April 14 Big Sky Serenity Seekers Al-Anon meeting All Saints Chapel, 4 p.m.

Film: “Caddyshack” The Independent, 7 p.m.

Craig Hall Trio Jazz Night The Independent, 8 p.m.

Live Music: Madeleine Hawthorne Tips Up, 9 p.m.

Saturday, April 9

Sunday, April 10 Montana Fishing Guide School Gallatin River Guides, April 10-16

Saturday, April 16 Free admission to national parks Yellowstone National Park, all day

Live Music: Cole Thorne The Standard: Cocktails and Desserts, 7 p.m.

The Masters Viewing Party The Independent, 10 a.m.

Live Music: The Damn Duo Montana Jack, 4 p.m.

Film: "The art of flight" The Independent, 7 p.m.

Open Mic Night Tips Up, 9 p.m.

Powder Seeker Spring Series Powder Seeker 6 Base, 11 a.m.

Live Music: Big Ska Country Tips Up, 9 p.m.

Montana Monday's with Bruce Anfinson & Tasting with Bozeman Spirits The Independent, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, April 12

2022 Rider Rally & National Academy Big Sky Resort, April 16-22

Music: The Damn Duo The Independent, 8 p.m.

Monday, April 11

Live Music: The Wilder Blue Riverhouse BBQ & Events, 1 p.m.

Live Music: Cole Thorne The Standard, 7 p.m.

Monday, April 18 Live Music: The Damn Duo Montana Jack, 4 p.m.

Live Music: Luke Dowler Tips Up, 9 p.m.

Powder Seeker Spring Series Powder Seeker 6 Base, 11 a.m.

Big Sky Christian Fellowship Big Sky Chapel, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, April 15

Craig Hall Trio Jazz Night The Independent, 8 p.m.

Live Music: One Leaf Tips Up, 9 p.m.

Easter Sunrise Service Ramcharger Base, 6:15 a.m.

Kickstart Summer Camp Roundup HIVE at BASE, 3:30 p.m.

Powder Seeker Spring Series Powder Seeker 6 Base, 11 a.m.

Live Music: Mike Beck The Independent, 8 p.m.

Powder Seeker Spring Series Powder Seeker 6 Base, 11 a.m.

Live Music: The Damn Duo Tips Up, 9 p.m.

Gallatin River Task Force Runoff Cleanoff Big Sky Community Park, April 15-16

Powder Seeker Spring Series Powder Seeker 6 Base, 11 a.m.

All Saints in Big Sky Big Sky Chapel, 10 a.m.

Sunday, April 17 (Easter Sunday)

Tuesday, April 19 Film: "Buried" The Independent, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, April 20 Trivia Night The Independent, 7 p.m.

Live Music: Jacob Rountrio Tips Up, 9 p.m.

Featured Event: Powder Seeker Spring Series Big Sky Resort is wrapping up the 2021-2022 ski season with a music series to celebrate the warm days on the mountain before closing day on April 24. The Powder Seeker Series will kick off April 6 and go through Sunday, April 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each afternoon. Skiers and riders of all ages will have the opportunity to enjoy an alpine lounge at the base of the Powder Seeker 6 lift featuring live music, bar service and a space to take in the views of Lone Mountain.

Fourth Annual Beehive Basin Banked Slalom Beehive Basin, 9 a.m.

St. Joseph’s Mass Big Sky Chapel, 8 a.m.

Mountain Easter Egg Hunt Big Sky Resort, 9 a.m.

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BUSINESS

TO REVOLUTIONIZE THE SKI INDUSTRY FORMER OLYMPIAN BODE MILLER AND SKI INDUSTRY GURU ANDY WIRTH BRING PEAK SKIS TO MARKET

BY GABRIELLE GASSER BOZEMAN –Bode Miller, the winningest male alpine skier in U.S. history, is carving a new path through the ski industry. After developing the shaped ski at age 17, Miller has returned to the drawing board to again revolutionize the ski world with a highperforming ski designed to meet the needs of consumers.

Miller and cofounder Andy Wirth today launched Bozeman-based Peak Ski Company LLC and say they’re bringing a better ski experience to the masses at a reasonable price point. The brand, Peak

by Bode Miller, includes six new allmountain and side-country alpine skis in widths ranging from 88 millimeters underfoot to 110 millimeters.

“Today we’re announcing a line of our truly unique and remarkable skis,” said Wirth, Peak’s CEO, “but what might be missed by some is that more importantly we’re actually launching a business and brand platform that will not only make exceptional skis, but with innovation as a driving force and core of the business, will bring about new materials, processes and integrate technology into skis—that is what will define our company and the brand.”

Wirth and Miller both bring decades of ski industry experience to the new venture. Miller is a two-time overall World Cup champion and six-time Olympic medalist and Wirth is an experienced executive in the mountain resort sector who was involved in the creation of the Alterra Mountain Company.

“We saw an opportunity to … make a much more agile, quicker-moving, smaller-scale company that could communicate with the customer and adapt much more quickly and innovate much more aggressively,” Miller said.

Wirth added that the 2022-23 line of skis is just the beginning of a larger plan as Miller’s ideas continue, “injecting innovation into the core DNA of our company.”

Peak is Miller’s response to what he describes as a “misalignment” in the industry between production goals and consumer goals by reinventing the way skis are sold. It’s in the customer’s best interest, he said, to purchase a one-quiver ski that can do everything, while ski companies often look to sell a consumer multiple pairs of skis that serve various purposes.

“When I build a ski, I build it for others,” Miller said. “I like to watch other people enjoy it.”

The new company is the ski racing allstar’s chance to design the skis that he’s always wanted to, according to Wirth, who said that he “let him run” with the designing process.

Miller, who grew up skiing and snowboarding in the mountains of New Hampshire, began learning about ski design at the age of 15. Taking the knowledge he gained from cutting a snowboard in half to better understand the concept of sidecut, he drafted the legendary K2 Four, the ski that helped him win the Junior Olympics and propelled him to the 1998 Winter Olympics team.

Those boards shocked the ski world and provided an opportunity for Miller to influence the revolution in shaped skis. The following year, every other ski company copied the K2 Four model and improved upon it sending Miller back to the drawing board and an ongoing learning process that carried him through his career.

“I was witness to how impactful equipment or innovation is to the sport,

Miller skis one of the new Peak Ski Company models. PHOTO COURTESY OF PEAK SKI COMPANY LLC.

and I saw how little of that made it to the consumer market,” he said.

A long-term goal of Miller’s has always been to bring to the consumer market the technical innovations he’s had access to as an elite racer. In the past, he even had it added to his contract that brands had to sell race skis on the open market.

“He’s got this Mensa-level intellect when it comes to design and engineering that many folks don’t have a view into,” said Wirth, adding that Miller might as well have a master’s degree in engineering.

“I just have a[n] engineering mind,” said Miller, pointing out that a traditional master’s degree takes just a few years to complete. “I was, more or less, 12 months out of the year fully committed to this process of understanding and learning.”

Now, after 20 years of working with ski design, Miller has a lifetime of learning under his belt.

One of the unique design elements that will set Peak Skis apart is a new “Keyhole Technology” built into each model, an innovative feature that Peak’s cofounders say unlocks the torsional performance of the ski. An oval cutaway in the top layer of aluminum-titanium alloy within the ski, the Keyhole helps deliver what Miller and Wirth call “accessible power;” as a skier takes the ski to a higher edge angle, the power ramps up. The Keyhole also allows for reduced sidecut in the wider ski models, creating more maneuverability.

Veteran ski tester and former Olympian David Currier took a prototype of the new skis for a spin in December of 2021 and was floored.

Bode Miller (left) and Andy Wirth (right) co-founded the new Peak Ski Company LLC. PHOTO COURTESY OF PEAK SKI COMPANY LLC

“I wholeheartedly think they’ve accomplished so much in two rounds of prototyping that they’re going to be

quite successful with what they’ve done,” said Currier, praising the versatility of the Keyhole design.

In a strategic move, Wirth and Miller will share their Keyhole Technology with the industry in the hopes that it will become more widely adopted.

Beyond just making sales, Wirth and Miller hope to improve the ski industry as a whole.

“It’s important to note that from the start of Peak to now, including many months of research, business modeling and brand and product development, we are coming at this business from a very unique point of attack,” Wirth said. “Bode and I both come at the hard goods—the ski manufacturing—side of the industry as contrarians. We have and continue to question almost every facet of the ski manufacturing sector in a very respectful but profound manner.”

Miller and Wirth intend to continue their contrarian approach by revolutionizing the process and machinery used to develop skis, and by exploring the use of advanced materials like thermoplastics and potentially integrating high-tech devices into the skis.

Wirth pointed out that ski presses have remained largely unchanged for decades and said he sees an opportunity to work with the industry to revise and change the approach to ski making.

Peak skis will be available exclusively online at peakskis.com. The company will have a physical presence in Bozeman at the Peak Development Group and Innovation Center, a 10,000-square-foot facility where the Peak DG ski line will be manufactured.

It will also serve as the company’s center of innovation where they plan to experiment with new materials and concepts.

BUSINESS

32 April 7 - 20, 2022

Explore Big Sky

MAKING IT IN BIG SKY: BIG SKY COUNTY WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT

BY MIRA BRODY BIG SKY – The next time you turn on the water in your home in Big Sky, think about the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District and the work of Ron Edwards, the district’s general manager. Created in 1993 to address the water and sewer problems in the budding mountain community, the district has since grown about 4.5 percent to meet need.

Explore Big Sky sat down with Edwards to talk about his time with the water and sewer district since his first day in 1995, the improvements he’s advocated for over the years and the organizations in the community that have made them possible.

This series is part of a paid partnership with the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce. The following answers have been edited for brevity.

Explore Big Sky: I’d like to start with a little background information on you. When did you come to Big Sky? Ron Edwards: My first day of work was Dec. 18, 1995.

EBS: How has the district grown and adapted to a growing community?

RE: Our district has grown from 1,900 singlefamily equivalents in 1993 to 6,675 in 2021, a 4.5 percent average. We have adapted by investing in our infrastructure. We have spent close to $30 million fixing problems and improving public water and sewer systems. The district lined the wastewater storage ponds in 1996 and built a new $11.5 million wastewater treatment plant in 2002. We are

“

As our community continues to develop at a higher pace, we must stay ahead of it in terms of wastewater treatment capacity and drinking water supplies.

–Ron Edwards, general manager, Big Sky County Water and Sewer District

”

EBS: What are some challenges you face in a growing and unincorporated community and how does your team handle them?

RE: As our community continues to develop at a higher pace, we must stay ahead of it in terms of wastewater treatment capacity and drinking water supplies. This will require treating our wastewater to higher standards as we expand summer irrigation and use reclaimed water for snowmaking. We have had progressive boards that make decisions to invest in new technology and improve our infrastructure to improve our systems as we grow. We also work cooperatively with our neighbors: the new Canyon District, Moonlight Basin and the Yellowstone Club.

Now, one of biggest challenges is finding our replacements. We have several “senior” staff members (myself included) that are close to retirement. Finding staff to replace us is [proving] to be more difficult than we thought. The cost of housing in Big Sky and Bozeman poses to maybe be our biggest challenge.

EBS: Could you tell me about the history of the water and sewer district? When and why was it established? How/ when did you become involved?

RE: The district was created after an election in November of 1993. I was hired as the general manager two years later. Our predecessor organization was the Rural Improvement District 305. The Big Sky County Water and Sewer District was created to deal with the sewer system problems, which led to a building moratorium in 1993.

EBS: When you’re not working, what is your favorite activity in Big Sky? RE: Meeting with people, preferably over a beer.

EBS: What is the best business advice you have ever received?

RE: As a utility manager I am not going to pretend that I can give a small business owner any real advice here, but the one thing that has been helpful to me has been learning how to read a balance sheet and profit and loss statement. We have a captive client base because they are physically connected to our pipes. If they don’t like our service they have no choice but to come back. We also have rate setting authority, which makes our bottom line much easier to manage. I have been amazed over the years watching many diverse small businesses that don’t have these advantages start up in Big Sky and succeed.

EBS: How big is your team?

RE: We have nine employees. Four live in Big Sky, one in Gallatin Gateway, three in the Bozeman area and one from Townsend who rents during the week in Big Sky. I have lived in the same house in Four Corners for the past 25 years.

EBS: What services does the water and sewer district provide the community?

RE: We provide essential water and sewer service for the Mountain and Meadow Villages, Aspen Groves, Cascade, Hidden Village, Lone Moose Meadows, South Fork, Town Center and Westfork. We also provide sewer-only service to Spanish Peaks and Lone Mountain Ranch. Our office conference room is also the unofficial Town Hall of Big Sky hosting all kinds of community meetings at no cost.

now upgrading that plant with a new $45 million plant that will have higher capacity and treatment capabilities. These improvements would not have been possible without the support of our Board of Directors, Big Sky Resort Tax, and the overwhelming support from our property owners and customers.

EBS: Anything else you would like to tell the Big Sky community?

RE: Thank you for your support for the past 26 years.

We can’t do this without you.

Ron Edwards ahs been at the helm of the Big Sky Water and Sewer District since 1995. PHOTO COURTESY OF RON EDWARDS

33 April 7 - 20, 2022

Explore Big Sky

OPINION

THE NEW WEST:

THEY DON’T MAKE REPUBLICAN CONSERVATIONISTS LIKE THEY USED TO

BY TODD WILKINSON EBS COLUMNIST

For two generations, we’ve been reading about the defection of moderate “Ronald Reagan Democrats” to the Republican Party. And, for a decade, we’ve also read about the flight of Republicans from what used to be the radical middle of American politics to Tea Party land and as far to the right as it’s possible to venture.

In today’s head-spinning world, former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot has been called a RINO— Republican In Name Only—after he endorsed Joe Biden over Donald Trump in the latter’s re-election bid for president. At one point, Racicot, who remains a good friend and confidant of former President George W. Bush, was characterized by the left as a Neo-con.

In Racicot’s home state of Montana, Trump loyalists claim Racicot is a liberal. South of Montana, in Wyoming, incumbent Congresswoman Liz Cheney is facing an interparty challenge from Harriet Hageman, who has Trump’s endorsement and who may be staging the nastiest campaign in Wyoming history involving a GOP challenger trying to unseat a former party standard bearer.

Yes, these are whacky times when a lot has been turned on its head.

Never could stalwarts of either party have imagined how radical the ideological shift in Western politics could be. In the mid-1990s, I had regular chats with a former Republican governor who proudly identified as an environmentalist. Russell W. Peterson had been a onetime colleague of Jackson Hole cattle rancher Cliff Hansen and Ronald Reagan in the club of former Republican governors.

Republican Governor-turned-Vice-President Nelson Rockefeller.

Nelson Rockefeller had a connection to Greater Yellowstone. He was the brother of Laurance and grandson of John D. Sr., founder of Standard Oil. Starting in the 1920s, John D.’s son, John D. Jr., secured much of the land for present-day Grand Teton National Park, ironically against the wishes of local valley folk, including Hansen, then a Teton County commissioner.

Yes, politics is a messy business.

In his book, “Rebel With A Conscience,” Peterson, by profession a PhD chemist and executive with the DuPont Chemical Company, wrote of how, in his eyes, the Republican Party became captive to radical right-wing Christian fundamentalists who were, and remain by and large anti-science and anti-regulation.

Peterson said one of the individuals trying to blockade his appointment to CEQ was George Herbert Walker Bush on behalf of oil companies angry that Peterson protected a stretch of the Delaware coast from oil drilling when he was governor.

During our chats when Peterson was in his 80s and early 90s, he pointed to a conversation captured in the Oval Office on tape between President Nixon and auto industry executives Lee Iacocca and Henry Ford, Jr. who were lobbying against regulations that would require new car fleets to have vehicles with better fuel economy.

“Environmentalists are a group of people that aren’t really one damn bit interested in safety or clean air,” Nixon said. “What they are interested in is destroying the system. They’re enemies of the system … the great life is to have it like when the Indians were here.”

Some 50 years ago, Peterson, who went on to become president of the National Audubon Society and became a friend of Montana bison rancher Ted Turner, put forth a plan for America to produce half of its energy through conservation and improved efficiency and the remaining through other conventional and nontraditional sources such as wind, solar and hydro.

The initiative was taken up by President Jimmy Carter but the Reagan and Bush administrations “essentially abandoned federal programs to stimulate the development of energy efficiency—a major disservice to America,” Peterson says.

“For too long the gospel according to Wall Street has decreed that environmental regulations cost jobs and hurt business,” he told me a few years before he passed in 2011. “But now many chief executives have learned from their own experience that environmental regulations can actually benefit the bottom line—that they create jobs and business opportunities.”

That’s a lesson writ large in Greater Yellowstone.

And 50 years ago, pushes for better fuel economy were designed not only to help keep gas prices down and save consumers money, but they were also a strategy for confronting climate change well before its time.

Today, we might ask: what does it mean to be a political conservative? Conservationist Peterson, from the grave, and former Gov. Racicot, speaking out now in disbelief, would surely reply: “not what it used to.”

Todd Wilkinson is the founder of Bozemanbased Mountain Journal and a correspondent for National Geographic. He authored the book “Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek,” featuring photography by famed wildlife photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen, about Grizzly Bear 399.

Peterson, who had served as governor of Delaware, told me he departed the GOP and went left after the party abandoned its conservative ideals that, he said, applied to both conservation and economics.

While later serving in the U.S. Senate, Hansen was called upon to confirm Peterson’s appointment as head of the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality during the Nixon and Ford administrations.

The CEQ, a hugely important but little-known entity, was created with passage of the National Environmental Policy Act in 1970, promoted by hawkish Democratic Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson of Washington state. NEPA, as its better known, requires thorough environmental study of major proposed developments on federal public lands.

Jackson, by the way, was reviled by the left wing of the Democratic Party. Back in the day, Peterson’s appointment to CEQ happened with support from Republicans like Hansen and behind the scenes from people like former New York

Former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot, left, was one of the most popular elected officials in state history. Now being disparaged as a RINO— Republican In Name Only—he like the late and former Delaware governor and conservationist Russ Peterson, right, believes America needs to return to its radical middle. PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA AND DELAWARE PUBLIC ARCHIVES

OPINION

34 April 7 - 20, 2022

Explore Big Sky

EVERY DROP COUNTS: TAKING CARE OF OUR WATERSHED

BY MARNE HAYES EBS COLUMNIST

In the simplest of terms, a watershed describes an area of land that drains into a single body of water. In our backyard, the Gallatin River watershed begins in Yellowstone National Park, and covers all the land and water that drains into the west and east Gallatin rivers—which merge as they reach Manhattan to form the mainstem Gallatin. Another few miles downstream, the Gallatin joins the Madison and Jefferson rivers at Three Forks to form the Missouri River. Think of this like our own ecological neighborhood.

Technical terms aside, to those of us who live on or near the Gallatin River and its tributaries, our watershed captures a love of recreation, an interest in healthy fish and waterfowl and a recognition of the critical role the river plays as backbone to the ecosystem that supports canyon and valley wildlife habitat.

Like other watersheds, the Gallatin River watershed is also the mainstay for what feeds our water supply—our groundwater aquifers. Of critical importance to watersheds is the connection between the land, the river and the groundwater and how collectively the watershed lays out the big picture of water health, water quality and critical water supply.

Sustainable watersheds and ecosystems mean different things to different people, and

defining a watershed is just one part of the equation. The other is understanding how to care for a watershed that spans public and private land, county jurisdictions, varied districts and political boundaries. It bears the responsibility of understanding how our daily habits affect our water supply and the health of rivers.

In Montana, there are over 60 watershed groups who, according to the Montana Watershed Coordination Council, are led by their respective efforts to “successfully define and pursue the conservation goals that best serve their geographic communities.” The Gallatin River Task Force is one of these; committed to the watershed approach of protecting the Gallatin River. With changing landscapes and increased pressures on our ecological health, Montana’s watershed groups are essentially the voice of the rivers we aim to protect.

Watershed groups work holistically, with principles that focus on credible science, convening stakeholders, coordinating conservation projects and sharing information with the community to promote good stewardship of our rivers and aquifers. Through on-the-ground initiatives like stream restoration and awareness around water conservation, watershed groups work to strengthen the understanding of how a healthy watershed equates to a healthy community.

The importance of coordination and engaging stakeholders cannot be overstated, and a critical piece of the work is in trying to move the needle on systemic changes—both in residents and visitors—for how we care for our watershed and our connected water supply.

An aerial view of the Gallatin River as it runs through Big Sky. PHOTO BY DAVE PECUNIES

A vision for coordination was the impetus of the Montana Watershed Coordination Council nearly 30 years ago, when a memorandum was issued by then Gov. Marc Racicot, which intended to “establish a process which develops new partnerships” so that we in Montana could “approach sustainability and solving problems within watersheds and ecosystems…which sustains a healthy environment together with a healthy economy, a sense of community and a quality of life.”

Without a doubt, there are challenges specific to our own Gallatin watershed. We are growing tremendously fast; people want to live here, and visitation is on a seemingly unsustainable trajectory. There is an abundant love of and demand for recreation along all the many miles of the Gallatin between Yellowstone National Park and Bozeman. The temperatures are warmer, the snowfall is lighter, and the supply and demand seem at inevitable odds. That only makes the work of our watershed group more important, and critical to the future health of the Gallatin River.

Part of the work in our own watershed relies on community awareness; that we can impact the health of the river; water quality, quantity, and the sustainable trajectory of all things connected to the Gallatin River watershed.

For ways to support and be involved with the Gallatin River Task Force, visit gallatinrivertaskforce.org.

Marne Hayes is the communications manager for the Gallatin River Task Force.

OPINION

35 April 7 - 20, 2022

Explore Big Sky

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Bobcat // Lynx rufus

NPS PHOTO

DID YOU KNOW?

- Bobcats are elusive and nocturnal, so they are rarely spotted by humans. Although they are seldom seen, they roam throughout much of North America.

- Fierce hunters, bobcats can kill prey much bigger than themselves, but usually eat rabbits, birds, mice, squirrels and other smaller game.

- In some areas, bobcats are still trapped for their soft, spotted fur.

North American populations are believed to be quite large, with perhaps as many as one million cats in the United States alone.

They face habitat destruction from agricultural and industrial development as well urban sprawl. The ever-expanding human population further limits their ranges.

Respect. Protect. Cherish.

Paid for by the animals in your backyard.

Information provided by www.defenders.org and www.nationalgeographic.com

OPINION

37 April 7 - 20, 2022

Explore Big Sky

SKI TIPS:

A TURNING SKI IS A STABLE SKI

BY DAN EGAN EBS COLUMNIST

There has been a big push in the last 10 years to wider skis. “Fat skis” or “Powder skis” have changed the perspective on what skis look like, because some have lost camber, some are flat with no camber, some have reverse camber, some have camber under the foot and tips and tails that turned up or so called “early rise.” All of this has allowed skiers of all abilities to explore more of the mountain because the ski floats and glides on and through the snow easier.

However, wide skis of more than 88 millimeters underfoot have significantly more surface area and don’t track well in a straight line. Rather, they wobble in deep and cut-up snow and chatter and vibrate on hard pack and groomed snow. If you have ever felt your ski wobble under your foot while traversing, or on the cat track, you know what I mean.

This has resulted in many skiers feeling like they are doing something wrong, but they aren't. I like to remind skiers that it’s an equipment issue, not a performance issue. Here is the dilemma: The increased surface area of the ski due to the width causes the ski to scoot forward.

This puts the feet of the skier in front of their hips and puts skiers out of balance.

The result is a lack of control, and it's exhausting on the legs.

Let’s talk about the length of the arc of a turn. The most stable part of skiing

SCAN HERE

TO WATCH DAN EGAN'S SKI TIPS VIDEO "ARCING A TURN." Dan Egan carves down Lone Mountain. PHOTO BY JEN BENNETT

is the turn. If you want more stability with your wide skis, lengthen the arc and shorten the length of the transition between turns. After I make this statement in my camps and clinics most skiers instantly think that a longer turn will mean going faster and result in acceleration that they don’t want.

In general, when skiers turn to slow down, they make short turns and a long transition. The issue with this method is that they are spending more time standing on an unstable ski and are spending a short period of time on a stable, turning ski. To gain stability, lengthen the arc of your turn and shorten the transition between turns. So, if you have purchased fat skis to float over the snow and then make a short turn you are not gaining all the stability the ski is designed to provide.

There will be a slight increase in speed however you will be more stable, be in balance and the result will be more confidence. A stable ski will be easier to control, and the speed will become less of an issue because of the stability.

Start on a slope you are comfortable on, ski down the fall line, tip the ski on edge and let it find it's designed arcing radius down the mountain. Be patient. Don’t twist your feet, let the ski turn on its own. Keep your hands just below shoulder height and push them forward to keep your shoulders over your feet as the skis come out of the turn. Roll your feet quickly over to the new edge and let the skis arc down the fall line in the new turn.

Please note that I'm talking about fall line skiing, not cross hill skiing. By keeping the ski in a long arcing turn in the fall line you should be making a series of “S” turns that are long and short transitions so the skis go from edge to edge. This will shorten the length of time the ski is flat and unstable.

When we ski, we want to be efficient and intentional with both our motion and our route down the mountain. Learning to stabilize these wider skis will result in more confidence, it will allow you to have a longer day and help you to master more of the mountain.

You’ll be amazed at how effortless it is to keep the skis turning under you in long, stable turns. When you add the slowing method of decelerating over a series of turns, allowing the skis to arc between your slowing turns, you will be gaining a level of mastery that will be extremely rewarding.

Extreme skiing pioneer Dan Egan coaches and teaches at Big Sky Resort during the winter.

His 2022 steeps camps at Big Sky Resort ran Feb. 24-26, March 10-12 and March 17-19. His newest book, “Thirty Years in a White Haze,” was released in March 2021 and is available at White-Haze. com. Visit Dan-Egan.com to preorder “All Terrain Vol. II.”

38 April 7 - 20, 2022

OPINION

Explore Big Sky

AMUSE-BOUCHE Amuse-bouche refers to an appetizer, and by French translation means, “to entertain the mouth.” It offers a glimpse into what you should expect from a meal. Also it’s free, compliments of the chef.

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MY FAVORITE CLASSIC BEERS AROUND THE WORLD

BY SCOTT MECHURA EBS COLUMNIST Gather a group of beer enthusiasts and scholars anywhere in the world and ask them to name 50 of the world’s greatest beers. I would bet money the lion’s share of that list would include a high number of Belgian brews—a country the size of Iowa mind you.

In reality, there are hundreds of beers around the world that are regarded as standards in their respective style or country. Since I’m often asked what my favorites are, I’ll share a handful that I believe are the best of the best.

Duvel. The devil in Dutch, this beer is sometimes evil in the way it will sneak up on you with its understated 8.5 percent alcohol content. Like many Belgian brews, the yeast strain is unique to this beer only. A testament to its impeccable brewing process, it’s one of the only beers in the world where after you’ve taken the last sip, there is still a creamy, white head at the bottom of the glass. This one ranks among my top five in the world.

Samichlaus Doppelbock. Brewed only one day each year on Dec. 6, this is one of the worlds most unique brews. At 14 percent, with a rich malt character and low natural carbonation, it packs a punch. This beer isn’t for everyone, but if you can get your hands on a bottle it’ll be a treat, I promise.

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Ayinger Celebrator: Another doppelbock, this German classic is rich with malt character and a bit higher alcohol by volume content. With a flavor profile boasting notes of coffee, maple and wood this beer has won numerous awards and is one of the world standards as far as doppelbock’s go.

Pilsner Urquell. Thanks to a new British malting technique, this was the worlds first pale brew and one of the earliest lagers. This beer is notoriously soft and smooth, despite its generous Saaz hops. The area around Pilsen has some of the softest water in the world and when it comes to brewing, water matters big time.

The Saaz variety of hops are known for their spicey, herbal notes. These two characteristics are what make this beer stand out and their name translates to “original source”. Since 1842, this is the beer all pale beers were patterned after.

Fullers ESB and London Pride. Historically, an Extra Special Bitter or ESB, was the draft version of a pale ale in old England. That’s mostly still true today in the United Kingdom. Americans continue to increasingly believe that more hops are better. But the malt-hop balance in this beer, while still showcasing classic English hops and flavor, make these two beers world classics.

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Liefmans Goudenband. I saved the best for last. This beer could be my all time favorite. Originating in the rolling hills of the Belgian countryside, this beer has perhaps more character than any other. It is first spontaneously fermented with wild yeast, then a second controlled strain is introduced when it undergoes a second fermentation as it bottle conditions. A sour, malty, subtle hop character, makes the flavor profile deeply complex and at 8 percent alcohol, this beer both drinks and ages as a wine might.

Honorable mention: Aecht Schlenkera. Made with smoked malt, this beer is truly unique. It’s not for everyone, and sometimes it’s not even for me, but it has been brewed the same way for the better part of 200 years.

Orval. A pale ale made by Trappist monks, this beer is nearly impossible to categorize, yet has a global cult following when you can get it.

© 2021 .. All rights reserved. Engel & Völkers and its independent franchisees are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act. Each property shop is independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. If your property is currently represented by a real estate broker, this is not an attempt to solicit your listing.

Rodenbach Grand Cru. The original sour beer, the grand cru undergoes lactic fermentation in two stages and is aged in oak barrels for two years.

This column was originally published in the Sept. 25 issue of Explore Big Sky.

Scott Mechura has spent a life in the hospitality industry. He is an executive chef, former certified beer judge and is currently the executive chef for Horn & Cantle at Lone Mountain Ranch.

OPINION

39 April 7 - 20, 2022

Explore Big Sky

HEALTH BUZZ:

HEALING AND ANTI-AGING AT A CELLULAR LEVEL

BY DR. KALEY BURNS EBS COLUMNIST

With all the products on today’s market that promise to make you look and feel younger, you may be wondering about the benefits of taking advantage of “anti-aging” treatments. You may be especially curious about these treatments if you have tried some of the over-the-counter options and have been disappointed with the results.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD+, therapy is a type of IV treatment that can stimulate regeneration in the body. This therapy has been around since the 1960s but recently gained more of a spotlight due to its vast healing potential.

NAD+ is present in every living cell in your body, crucial for a number of key physiological processes within the human body. A deficiency in NAD+, or a disruption in NAD+ homeostasis in the body,

may impair these physiologic processes, which may result in different illnesses or disease conditions.

NAD+ therapy supports healing at a cellular level.

It has the power to enhance neurological function, increase energy, support proper immune function, balance metabolism and boost overall well-being.

Unfortunately, aging, consuming alcohol and other noxious substances, adverse stress and illness all contribute to decreased levels of NAD+ in the body.

Over the counter, NAD+ supplements are broken down through digestion and are therefore not as well absorbed and utilized by the body compared to IV therapy.

NAD+ can help individuals who are: • Interested in anti-aging therapy • Interested in restoring neurological function • Experiencing cognitive decline • Seeking to restore muscle strength and function • Seeking to boost a weight-loss regimen • Seeking to reduce their fatigue and improve overall energy levels

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You don’t have to wait until you are experiencing a medical condition to experience the benefits of NAD+ IV therapy. This versatile treatment helps promote whole-body wellness and can help your body maintain optimal health and performance over time.

Since NAD+ IV therapy improves your body’s metabolic processes, this therapy can help you reach or maintain a healthy weight, particularly when combined with a healthy nutrition and exercise regimen.

The various benefits of NAD+ IV will continue to be explored with the advancement of modern medicine. If you’re looking to enhance wellbeing, NAD+ therapy may be right for you.

Dr. Kaley Burns is the founder, owner and Naturopathic Doctor at Big Sky Natural Health. She embraces a natural approach to health and aims to similarly inspire and guide others on their health journey. Dr. Burns has advanced training application of regenerative and intravenous injection therapy. She also serves as the Vice President and CE Liaison of the Montana Association of Naturopathic Physicians.

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Call Kerri and Kevin Fabozzi 406-993-9333 Open 6 days/week loCated in big Sky, MT in the big Horn ShOpping CenTer

Help preserve Montana’s open spaces.

Contact Jessie Wiese at jessie@mtlandreliance.org for more information Ad donated by supporters for open land | mtlandreliance.org | 406.594.1570

STACY OSSORIO Broker, Private Office Advisor 406-539-8553 stacyossorio.evrealestate.com stacy.ossorio@evrealestate.com

140 Upper Beehive Loop Road | Beehive Basin | Big Sky, MT 170 Owl Gray Lane | Big Sky, MT Views of Lone Peak, Sphinx, Pioneer, Cedar and Fan Mountains Multiple decks with stunning views of Spanish Peaks Mountain +/- 20 Acre | +/- 6,705 Sq. Ft. | 4 Bedrooms | 4.5 Bathrooms +/- 3 Acres | +/-4,832 Acres | 4 Bedrooms | 5.5 Bathrooms $6,250,000 | MLS# 366377 $4,850,000 | Furnished | MLS# 368621

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Providing exceptional service to buyers and sellers of Big Sky properties for 25 years.

Let me be your community connection. ©2021 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. If your property is currently represented by a real estate broker, this is not an attempt to solicit your listing. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.E&OE. Published by REAL Marketing (REM) | www.REALMarketing4You.com | 858.254.9619

OPINION

41 April 7 - 20, 2022

ILLUSTRATION BY CY WHITLING

BIG SKY

BEATS CAMPFIRE SONGS

BY TUCKER HARRIS As the snow continues to melt, we look forward to warmer evenings under the stars. Something I most look forward to are nights spent around a campfire telling stories and drinking a cold can of beer.

While you dream of roasting marshmallows with your favorite camping buds, we’re giving you a head start on your campfire playlist with Big Sky Beats: Campfire Songs.

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8.

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“Renegades” by X Ambassadors “2 Heads” by Coleman Hall “Caesar Knows” by Oliver Hazard “Californication” by Red Hot Chili Peppers “Shrike” by Hozier “Ohio” by Caamp “Caroline” by Animal Years “Sleeping on the Blacktop” by Colter Wall “Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show “Follow You to Virgie” by Tyler Childers

Explore Big Sky

42 April 7 - 20, 2022

BAC K 4 0

BACK 40

Explore Big Sky

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. Here, we highlight stories from our flagship sister publication Mountain Outlaw magazine.

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

THE CLIMATE’S CHANGE TO THE MAPLE SUGAR INDUSTRY

BY BRANDON WALKER What would pancakes, waffles and French toast be if not for maple syrup? Like a tux without the bowtie. Or Burt without Ernie. However you pour it, that sweet, sticky substance that adorns our breakfast plates may be under siege.

Dr. Selena Ahmed, Montana State University Associate Professor of Sustainable Food Systems, says maple syrup is being adversely affected by our warming planet. “The locations that will have the maximum amount of maple sap flow are expected to shift northward by 400 [kilometers] … by 2100,” she said.

In addition to the northern migration of sugar maple sap flow, Ahmed—who’s part of the collaborative research group Acer Climate and Socio-Ecological Research Network, aka ACERnet—and the group believe the halfway mark of “sugaring season” will be accelerated by a month and the sugar content within sugar maple sap will decline by roughly 1 Brix, a widely utilized sucrose measurement, in the next 80 years.

With reduced sugar content comes the need for greater quantities of sap to produce each gallon of maple syrup.

spanning from San Diego, into Canada, as far as Vancouver Island. Since little insight exists on harvesting sap from bigleaf maples, McCleod’s method has drawn interest from the world of academia—particularly the University of Oregon, Washington, and Washington State University.

“I’ve got universities getting grants to basically pick my brain to see how I do it,” he said.

In the four years that he has been operating commercially, McCleod has planted roughly 3,600 bigleaf maples to not only absorb carbon dioxide, but also to learn how the trees grow in varying environments as the climate continues to change.

McCleod hasn’t witnessed an economic impact due to the adverse effects of climate change and

is raking in between $250 and $400 per gallon of syrup—he attributes this to the limited quantity of his unique syrup.

“You know everybody is worried about what it’s going to look like,” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to shut me down.”

The industry may not disappear overnight, but without adaptation efforts, similar to McCleod’s, and awareness with regard to the warming of the planet, much like the sap runs dry each spring, profits and the maple sugaring livelihood may soon begin to recede.

An earlier version of this story first appeared in the winter 2021 edition of Mountain Outlaw magazine.

ACERnet reports that for every degree Celsius the average annual temperature increases in March, sap collection is accelerated by more than four days.

Ahmed and ACERnet say the sugaring season will vary in the future, but that maple production in Canada could be less affected. “The situation is not looking as good here in the United States,” Ahmed said. “We are expecting declines in syrup yield and higher frequencies of poor syrup production years across most of the U.S. range.”

The 10-year outlook for the maple syrup industry isn’t overly alarming, Ahmed noted, but as the planet’s temperature increases over a prolonged period of time, the effects become more profound.

Fortunately, this doesn’t mean the end of maple syrup—Ahmed and ACERnet believe the industry can combat negative trends.

Revised management practices, some derived from indigenous methods, such as diversified forests— including tapping different species of maple trees—varying sap harvesting tactics, adapting to the shifting sugaring season, and creating new maple-based products for alternative revenue methods are practices Ahmed believes maple sugar producers should start embracing in order to stem the warming tide.

Neil McCleod of Neil’s Bigleaf Maple is part of an early wave of modern-day syrup producers when it comes to adopting new methods, specifically by tapping a different species of maple tree. His Acme, Washington maple syrup operation utilizes the bigleaf maple tree.

McCleod says many in the region refer to bigleaf maples as weeds. The tree’s reach is widespread,

McCleod walks along bigleaf maple trees at his Acme, Washington-based maple sugaring operation. PHOTO BY DEVIN DAY.

BIG SKY • MOONLIGHT BASIN • SPANISH PEAKS • YELLOWSTONE CLUB

Shining a light on the future.

Making smarter decisions about renewable energy requires knowledge. NorthWestern

13 Saddle Ridge Road, Unit F-4 $3,099,000

7 Sitting Bull Road, Unit 1101A $2,750,000

· 2 bdrm | 2 bath | 1,632± SF · True ski-in/ski-out Saddle Ridge Townhome · The Moonlight Lodge is right down the street SANDY REVISKY | 406.539.6316

· 4 bdrm | 4 bath | 2,200± SF | 2-car garage · Lakefront living at The Lodges at Elkhorn Creek · Proximity to Big Sky Resort and its many amenities MICHAEL THOMAS | 406.581.2400

170 Timbercrest Drive, Unit J-4 $2,395,000

TBD Outlook Trail, Lot 1 $2,125,000

· 4 bdrm | 4 bath | 2,912± SF | 1-car garage · Gorgeous 3-level condo with mountain views · Central location for easy access to all Big Sky activities MARY WHEELER | 406.539.1745

· 2.96± acres | Geotech, well/septic included in sale · Privacy, creek, springs, and backs to open space · Minutes to all Meadow amenities; Broker Owned JACKIE MILLER | 406.539.5003

Summit Hotel Condominium 10708 $925,000

21 Sitting Bull Road, Unit 1360 $515,000

· 1 bdrm | 2 bath | 1,058± | underground parking · Recently renovated 7th-floor, ski-in/ski-out condo · Immediate proximity to all base area amenities JACKIE MILLER | 406.539.5003

· Studio | 1 bath | 440± SF · Located right outside the base area of Big Sky Resort · Top-floor unit with eastern views; offered furnished MARY WHEELER | 406.539.1745

Energy’s solar projects throughout the state of Montana provide clean energy to the power grid – and they’re shaping the future of renewable energy, too. We’re working with local universities to better understand where solar energy belongs alongside a balanced energy mix.

And that research is helping us build a brighter future for the next generation of Montanans.

Visit us at either of our locations

88 Ousel Falls Road, Suite B | The Exchange (formerly the Mountain Mall)

406.995.4009 | www.bigskypurewest.com View more of the story at NorthWesternEnergy.com/BrightFuture

All information contained herein is derived from sources deemed reliable, however, is not guaranteed by Pure West Real Estate, LLC., 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.

Build your Montana dream home on this beautiful, sunny, corner lot.

Lot 46 Looking Glass Road | $750,000 .5 ± ACRES You'll enjoy views of the Gallatin Range and close-proximity to Town Center for dining, shopping, events, entertainment and more. The purchase price includes house plans and lot is already staked for you to start construction. One of the nicest lots available in the Big Sky Meadow. Don't miss out on a rare opportunity.

LKRealEstate.com 406.995.2404

Ryan Kulesza ryan@lkrealestate.com (406) 539-4666

All information given is considered reliable, but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, and should not be relied upon as such.These offerings are subject to errors, omissions, and changes including price or withdrawal without notice. All rights reserved. Equal Housing Opportunity. If you currently have a listing agreement or buyer broker agreement with another agent, this is not a solicitation to change. ©2016 LK REAL ESTATE, llc. lkrealestate.com * Membership upon approval