Explore Big Sky - December 15 to 28, 2022

December 16 - 28, 2022 Volume 13, Issue No. 25 Owned and published in Big Sky, Montana

Eric Ladd | eric@theoutlawpartners.com

EDITORIAL

MANAGING EDITOR

Jason Bacaj | jason@theoutlawpartners.com

DIGITAL PRODUCER

Julia Barton | julia@theoutlawpartners.com

STAFF WRITER

Jack Reaney | jack@theoutlawpartners.com

EDITORIAL CONSULTANT

Leslie Kilgore | leslie@theoutlawpartners.com

CREATIVE

LEAD 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

EVENTS AND MARKETING COORDINATOR

Tucker Harris | tucker@theoutlawpartners.com

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT

Sara Sipe | sara@theoutlawpartners.com

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LEAD

Patrick Mahoney | patrick@theoutlawpartners.com

OPENING SHOT

Rich Addicks, Badger, Jill Bough, Scott Brown, Kevin Fosse, Marne Hayes, Rich Addicks, Badger, Jill Bough, Scott Brown, Kevin Fosse, Marne Hayes, Rachel Hergett, Erik Laaksonen, Sarah May, Holly Pippel, Brian Sexton, Ryan Strother, Tom Stuber, Paul Swenson, Cy Whitling

Rachel Hergett, Erik Laaksonen, Sarah May, Holly Pippel, Brian Sexton, Ryan Strother, Tom Stuber, Paul Swenson, Cy Whitling

LOCAL SPORTS A&E BUSINESS OPINION FUN 4 19 25 28 30 36

HELICOPTER SHORT-HAUL RESCUE GAMBLE

8 6

Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue faces a critical challenge: when helicopter “short-haul” rescue is needed, it’s no guarantee they’ll have access to a pilot or a helicopter. When a GCSSAR volunteer was saved from near-certain death in Beehive Basin by an unlikely helicopter rescue in August, the issue hit even closer to home.

FRAMING CONFLICT: ELK VS. VEHICLES

Increasing vehicle traffic on U.S. Highway 191 in Gallatin Gateway is responsible for a growing count of dangerous collisions with elk. Activism is on the rise to protect the elk herd as they cross the road, and to protect drivers and first responders on the high-speed highway. EBS contributor Ryan Strother spoke with experts and officials to help frame the issue as activists seek a possible solution.

Q+A WITH MONTAGE HOTEL

Victorio Gonzales, general manager of Montage Big Sky, sat down with Explore Big Sky’s managing editor, Jason Bacaj, for a discussion about the role Montage hopes to play in the Big Sky community. In its second winter season, Gonzales says their primary goal is to make the Montage available for the entire community.

SKYLINE UPGRADE: BIG SKY CONNECT

Just in time for the holiday season, Skyline Bus has unveiled “Big Sky Connect,” a new micro transit system designed to pick up passengers wherever they request a ride and drop them wherever they need within Big Sky’s Meadow Village. It’s part of a long-term plan to improve bus service in Big Sky, led by Darren Brugmann, the recently hired Executive Director of the Big Sky Transportation District.

BOBCATS BACK TO FCS FINAL FOUR

With their 55-7 quarterfinal victory over William & Mary, the Montana State football powerhouse will return to the FCS semifinal against a familiar foe: the No. 1 seed South Dakota State Jackrabbits. MSU beat them in the semifinals last year in Bozeman to advance to the FCS championship game. The ‘Cats would earn another championship berth with a win on Saturday, Dec. 17.

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.

LETTERS

TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor allow EBS readers to express views and share how they would like

SCAN

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

LOCAL NEWS IN BRIEF

LEGENDARY MONTANA STATE FOOTBALL COACH SONNY HOLLAND DIES AT 84

MSU NEWS SERVICE

BOZEMAN—Allyn “Sonny” Holland, dubbed the Greatest Bobcat of All Time by fans and the Bozeman community, died on Dec. 3. He was 84 years old.

Born in Butte on March 22, 1938, Holland is remembered for having embodied a characteristic Montana toughness and work ethic through his football career. But there was also a humility to his leadership as both player and coach.

Montana State’s first ever three-time All-American football player made an impact on the football field from his first game, playing center and linebacker and joining the starting lineup in 1956 and rolling with that team straight to MSU’s first national title.

In 1970, Holland returned to his beloved Montana State. After a year as defensive line coach, he ascended to head coach when another Bobcat legend, Tom Parac, became athletic director. In 1976, MSU beat Akron in the title game, clinching MSU’s second-ever national championship.

JUDGE REJECTS VACCINE CHOICE LAW IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS

ASSOCIATED PRESS

HELENA—A person’s choice to decline vaccinations does not outweigh public health and safety requirements in medical settings, a federal judge ruled in a Montana case.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy permanently blocked a section of law the state said was meant to prevent employers—including many health care facilities—from discriminating against workers by requiring them to be vaccinated against communicable diseases, including COVID-19.

The Montana Legislature passed the first-in-the-nation law in 2021, about a year into the pandemic as some people were pushing back on health care measures enacted to prevent the spread of the virus. Just over 3,600 Montana residents have died from COVID-19, state officials say.

MONTANA’S MINIMUM WAGE RISING 75 CENTS TO $9.95 IN JANUARY

ASSOCIATED PRESS

HELENA—Montana’s minimum wage is increasing 75 cents an hour to $9.95 starting on Jan. 1, the Department of Labor and Industry announced. It’s the largest inflationary increase since voters passed a ballot initiative to increase the minimum wage by $1 an hour to $6.15 in January 2007 and then make inflationary changes each year.

An estimated 23,500 Montana workers, or 5% of the workforce, received hourly wages less than $9.95 in 2022 and are likely to receive higher wages due to the 2023 minimum wage increase, state labor officials said.

AMERICAN PRAIRIE TRANSFERS BISON TO TRIBAL NATIONS

EBS STAFF

American Prairie, a Montana-based conservation nonprofit, relocated 45 bison from its conservation herd in north-central Montana to Native Nations in Montana and Washington State as part of its mission to return bison to their native lands. The organization has now distributed over 500 bison to tribal and conservation herds across the country.

Ten bison were relocated to the Chippewa Cree Tribe in Rocky Boy, Montana; 35 to the Kalispel Tribe in Cusick, Washington. The Chippewa Cree Indigenous community established their bison herd in 2021, welcoming 11 bison to Rocky Boy land for the first time in more than 30 years.

American Prairie distributes bison annually to improve the genetic health of conservation and tribal herds.

WILDLIFE WATCH: GRIZZLY BEAR MANAGEMENT

In anticipation of eventual delisting, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has produced a proposal to guide grizzly bear management in Montana, which is home to more than half of the Lower 48’s grizzlies.

In an introduction to an Environmental Impact Statement accompanying the plan, FWP Director Henry “Hank” Worsech said the proposal forwarded by FWP will support a more coordinated approach, increase clarity surrounding state management of grizzlies, and strengthen the regulatory mechanisms required for grizzlies to be delisted.

On Dec. 13, FWP announced the release of three versions of the plan: a 217-page draft proposal, a 202-page environmental impact statement analyzing potential outcomes if the state adopts the plan, and a 15-page FAQ that highlights some of the plan’s key directives.

FWP is accepting comments on the plan and environmental impact statement through Jan. 5.

Wastewater infrastructure is vital piece of protecting our environment and our economy. To support the growing population, in May 2020, Big Sky voted to increase the rate of Resort Tax by 1% to specifically fund:

• Much-needed upgrades to the Big Sky County Water & Sewer District No. 363 (BSCWSD) WRRF

• Construction of a wastewater lift station and pipelines for the newly formed Gallatin Canyon County Water and Sewer District to benefit from the WRRF expansion

IMPACT

• Increase the average day rated treatment capacity from 600,000 gallons to 910,000 gallons

• Reduce effluent nitrogen and phosphorous which in turn reduces the risk for algal blooms in area streams and the mainstem of the Gallatin River

• Increase available single family equivalents (SFEs) to support community demand (both traditional and work force housing and decrease the risk of a building moratorium

• Protect the Canyon Area’s groundwater (drinking water source) quality

UPDATE

Construction began on the WRRF in June of 2021 and is scheduled to be completed in May-June 2024. You can find more information and view the construction livestream on the BSCWSD’s website: bigskywatersewer.com/upgrades

LOCAL

BY JACK REANEY

On the morning of Aug. 16, 2022, Big Sky’s own Jeremy Blyth found himself caught in the midst of an unexpected rockfall.

He was climbing in Beehive Basin with Sam Felch, a trusted friend, ski patroller and fellow volunteer for Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue. At the top of a three-pitch ascent between Middle and Bear basins, Blyth leaned against a massive rock flake; he estimates it weighed more than 500 pounds.

“It made a weird sound,” Blyth told EBS in a December phone interview. “I moved out of the way, and it slid—almost like an avalanche. [It was] a geological event which I happened to be around for.”

Unfortunately, Blyth also happened to be roped into that flake. He fell face forward behind the tumbling rock, managing to tuck and roll a few times as he bounced down the pitch, falling between 80 and 100 feet. The last couple bounces, he said, are where he really got messed up.

“I had two major breaks in my spinal cord, and a punctured lung—the other collapsed in surgery a day later,” he said. “I had two broken [shoulder blades], crushed T8 and crushed T12, severely separated ribs on both sides—they never me gave me a count—and I have a thoracic nerve issue. Oh, and I broke my elbow.”

Luckily, Blyth, who was wearing a helmet, sustained almost no head injuries. And he survived thanks to Felch’s initial, highly technical response, and a subsequent helicopter rescue from Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue.

“I think they got to me in a little over an hour and performed a pretty crazy short-haul rescue. I was probably still 200 feet off the ground on a large cliff face. They quickly assessed that I needed to get the heck out of there pretty quick,” Blyth said.

He was attached to a rope hanging from a helicopter, short-hauled to the nearby Big Sky Fire Station and transferred to a medical helicopter which airlifted him to Bozeman.

There’s no such thing as a typical helicopter rescue, but Blyth’s was an example of what it looks like when the volunteers of Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue are called on a life-ordeath mission.

While it sounds like a textbook case study of a successful short-haul rescue, it was mere coincidence that Gallatin County SAR had the capacity to rescue Blyth that day.

‘Varsity level in the world of helicopter flying’

“Any other day that week, [Jeremy] would have been sitting up there forever,” said Jason Revisky, training coordinator for Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue. “It would have been a day—12-

15 hours to get him out. In the condition he was in, he wasn’t gonna make it 12-15 hours.”

Revisky recalled that Mark Duffy, the helicopter pilot, had been gone for weeks on a fire in Idaho. But when Revisky called Duffy’s cell phone, he learned that Duffy had arrived in Bozeman the night before, for just one day. The pilot responded and short-hauled Blyth to safety.

Revisky and Mark Bradford, Big Sky section manager of GCSSAR, sat down with Explore Big Sky to discuss the challenges of short-haul rescue. SAR programs don’t usually have helicopter rescue. Of those that do, there’s only one team in the entire United States that operates without an exclusive use contract—guaranteed access to a helicopter and a qualified pilot.

That would be Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue, which serves backcountry enthusiasts around Bozeman, Big Sky, West Yellowstone and sometimes even the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.

Gallatin County short-haul volunteers Ladean McKittrick and Julian Gerardi practice their skills in early December 2022. PHOTO BY ERIC LAAKSONEN

Short-haul rescue can safely extract victims from remote locations, improving medical response time and protecting SAR volunteers from hazardous missions. This was a Gallatin County SAR shorthaul from near Emigrant Peak in July 2022. PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIN METZGER

“We’ve been really fortunate—just kinda lucky— there’s nothing else to say,” Revisky said. “We’ve kind of survived up until this point. It’s only a matter of time until we’re going to have a rescue that’s screaming for short-haul—we’ve got to get this person out, it’s life and death—and we’re either not going to have a helicopter or not going to have a pilot. And that’s going to be that.”

When a wildfire catches or a remote medical emergency warrants a helicopter short-haul rescue, it’s no guarantee for Gallatin County SAR that either of two pilots, Duffy and Will Jacobs, will be available—or their helicopter. They are often away for extended periods, fighting wildfires beyond Montana and working construction and keeping sharp the skills they use to rescue hikers, hunters and climbers in the far reaches of Gallatin County.

In a short-haul maneuver, the rescuer attaches themselves and a packaged victim to a “long-line” cable dangling from a helicopter. The pilot then transports the rescuer and victim up to 8-9 miles to a safer location, often saving hours of critical rescue time.

“You’re looking at somebody [in a situation that’s] life or death, and they’re getting picked out of [a remote location] and in three minutes they’re in a life-flight helicopter,” Bradford said, describing one rescue on Granite Peak in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, where a hiker had broken his femur. “Otherwise, they’d be waiting hours and hours sitting and waiting to get carried down there to get into a helicopter.”

“There’s such a giant problem that we have with our helicopter short-haul program,” Revisky explained. “The amount of challenges that we have with that program… I almost hate to talk about it because it gets depressing after a while. It’s such highly specialized work that requires an intense amount of training. To find pilots that can do it is nearly impossible.”

Revisky said a pilot with thousands upon thousands of hours flying a helicopter is not qualified for short-haul rescue.

“That’s the varsity level in the world of helicopter flying: Human external cargo,” Revisky said.

A pilot qualified for SAR needs flawless vertical reference, which only comes with thousands upon thousands of hours of long-line experience, Revisky said. He estimates that SAR pilot Mark Duffy has over 20,000 hours of long-line time.

“Mark Duffy did a lot of helicopter logging,” Bradford said. “Repetitively doing that, dropping that line and letting crews hook trees up.”

The typical long-line pilot might gain experience in Alaska, flying gear into remote locations for two years, Revisky said. Will Jacobs, the other qualified pilot, has been flying commercially for at least 15 years.

“It’s work. You don’t go to school to learn that,” he said. Furthermore, desirable pilots practice constantly, doing long-line work on construction projects, lumber work, firefighting, etc. You wouldn’t want to hire a pilot to be on-call for weeks without a rescue, according to Revisky.

“It’s like hiring a racecar driver that drives his car 12 times a year,” he said. “He’s not going to be a good racecar driver. It’s perishable skills.” In the best form of an exclusive-use contract, Revisky and Bradford argue, there’s always a helicopter and a pilot on call for rescue work.

Ideally, the team has more than two qualified pilots. When one pilot is on call for SAR, the other

pilots are either taking time off or doing commercial long-line work, staying sharp and operating their business.

Without exclusive use, Gallatin County pays $3,300 per hour to Central Copters, a Belgrade company with other priorities that sometimes intervene with rescue work.

Pilot and president of Central Copters, Duffy does everything from firefighting to ski lift and power line construction.

In a phone call, Duffy declined to comment on Central Copters’ involvement in SAR planning for an exclusive-use contract. He said that fundraising is a long process from start to finish.

On hiring more long-line pilots if needed, Duffy said, “that’s what we do. We’re in this business. It’s what we do for a living.”

Revisky said Gallatin County SAR is the only short-haul team in Montana. There isn’t one in Idaho or the Dakotas, and there’s only a small list of qualified pilots in the United States; Gallatin County SAR works with Duffy and Jacobs, down from four qualified pilots in the past.

A source of community insurance

Merely 200 miles south of Bozeman, however, a similar recreation destination’s SAR team has an exclusive-use contract throughout the winter, plus shared access with Grand Teton National Park and the U.S. Forest Service during the summer.

In Jackson, Wyoming, the short-haul system isn’t perfect; the Teton County Search and Rescue Foundation is raising money to purchase a helicopter and avoid wildfire conflicts during months of shared helicopter access. Still, Revisky and Bradford believe that the Gallatin County community could help SAR emulate the exclusiveuse contract in Jackson, Wyoming.

The Teton County Search and Rescue Foundation depends on fundraising to pay for their exclusiveuse contract. With seven full-time employees focused on fundraising, education and advocacy, TCSAR raises about $1.2 million per year.

“It would just be fabulous for [the Gallatin County] community if we could do something like that,” Revisky said.

Bradford believes that in Big Sky, the community would benefit from some balance between wildland firefighting and short-haul rescue capability. He pointed out the expensive homes around Big Sky, including private communities in close proximity to wildfire risk. Consistent helicopter access could decrease insurance rates.

“They [could] have a helicopter on call, that in 15 minutes, can come dump a bucket of water on a lightning strike, or any type of fire that happens to be in the woods around here.”

Home protection is one key need for Big Sky. Even more unique is the disaster possibility created by Big Sky’s traffic bottleneck; with only one road from Big Sky to Bozeman, it’s not hard to imagine the advantage of a helicopter. Revisky gave an example:

“If [Big Sky Resort] ever has a big derailment of one of their ski lifts where lots of people get hurt, you’re going to want every helicopter resource you can get to get people out of here,” he said. “There’s only so much capability [in Big Sky] for medical care. They might need to go to Bozeman, or Billings, or Missoula. They need to get out of here.” Flooding, people trapped on islands—any emergency when we would need it. There’s so much that could be done.”

In 2022, Gallatin County SAR has a budget of about $60,000 for short-haul missions. Revisky estimated that an exclusive-use contract would cost $1.2 million per year. That’s a substantial budget increase, so helicopter access is not going to be funded by tax dollars, he said.

“It could come from multiple sources,” Bradford said. “It is not going to be a tax levy we’re going after to get this money. We want the community to see the need, and to step up and fund this need.”

‘Not a broken system’

Revisky emphasized that Gallatin County Sheriff SAR is not a broken system.

He described the volunteers as incredible, dedicated and skilled—sometimes working from dusk to dawn on dangerous rescue missions and sacrificing hours of free time they might rather spend with family or adventuring in the backcountry themselves.

“Exclusive short-haul would just be another tool in our toolbox,” Revisky said.

After he clipped onto a rope and dangled beneath a helicopter to save a critically injured Jeremy Blyth, a Big Sky resident and fellow SAR volunteer, it’s not hard to imagine why Revisky is fighting for a consistent toolbox.

Blyth has 14 screws in his back, and bars holding them together. He hopes to have those removed in about a year. Doctors told him he can be physically active as long as he doesn’t fall. Less than four months after a fall that should have killed him, Blyth said he might go cross country skiing.

“The fact that I can walk is pretty astounding at this point,” he said. “I credit the availability of the helicopter with my life, and the skills of the pilot— which are astounding.”

Lying injured on a cliff face, still 200 feet above the ground, Blyth believes a rescue by hand would not have gotten him out of Beehive Basin before nightfall.

“It was just a difference of an hour or two between me having a pilot and living, and me dying,” he said. “It’s pretty important to my life, having a helicopter.”

On Dec. 4, 2022, Jeremy Blyth got back on his nordic skis for the first time. PHOTO COURTESY OF JEREMY BLYTH

LOCAL

ELK CROSSING: SPIKE IN ELK-VEHICLE COLLISIONS SPARKS SAFETY CONVERSATION

BY RYAN STROTHER EBS CONTRIBUTOR

Elk carcasses have become an increasingly regular sight for commuters between Bozeman and Big Sky. During the first week of November, four elk were killed in one location in less than 24 hours. From mid-October to the end of November, drivers on U.S. Highway 191 killed 18 elk in the 70-mph zone between the mouth of the Gallatin Canyon and South Cottonwood Road.

Since then, the Montana Department of Transportation has placed two variable message signs along that stretch of highway after local activists pressured elected officials to address the ongoing issue. While that move has slowed the rate of elk-vehicle collisions, activists say it doesn’t represent a long-term solution to this public safety problem that can put drivers, elk and first responders in danger.

Daniel Haydon, sergeant for the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office in Big Sky and West Yellowstone, is one of six deputies based in Big Sky called to respond when a vehicle hits an elk on the highway. First responders to the scene of the accident must first consider how to position their vehicles on a tricky stretch of road to avoid further accidents.

The scene of an accident is a treacherous place for drivers and passengers involved in the accident, traffic moving through the area, as well as the first responders on the scene—usually the highway patrol or sheriff.

“That’s one of the more dangerous parts of our job. There are not great sight lines, and we can have bad road conditions that make it difficult for people to stop,” Haydon said.

Once parked, first responders assess the safety of drivers and passengers involved in the crash, and a tow truck is called for damaged vehicles to clear the road and reduce hazards for other drivers. After human safety is accounted for, there’s animal suffering to consider. Any animals with nonsurvivable injuries still at the scene are shot by law enforcement to put an end to the animal’s suffering.

“A lot of times it’s the sheriff’s office that arrives on scene first. We’ll take care of that so that we can try to do it quickly and humanely. But if Highway Patrol arrives first, or Fish, Wildlife and Parks, or a

game warden arrives on scene, they’ll do the same thing,” Haydon said.

It’s an unfortunate reality of the job, but thanks to a 2013 law, harvesting roadkill in Montana is legal with a permit.

“Most animals killed by a collision end up getting harvested. At least the meat doesn’t fully go to waste in the same way it had to before we had that roadkill harvest law,” Haydon said.

Bozeman resident Avery Berg is an avid hunter and occasional scavenger of meat and hide from road-killed animals. She says elk can be difficult to obtain because of the quick responses of other scavengers with the know-how to harvest an animal.

Scavenging, Berg says, “is all about honoring the animal after its life. It’s a remarkable way to reflect on modern transport and how devastating it can be. You may not be hunting it or tracking its movements … but you are still able to think of all the things that were required for this animal to thrive in this area.”

Though scavenging may be a silver lining, no one wants to see traffic accidents or wildlife fatalities continue along the Gallatin Canyon corridor. Photographer Holly Pippel has spent seven years watching the Gallatin Gateway elk from her viewfinder. In mid-October, Pippel observed elk collisions rapidly increasing and appealed to the Montana Department of Transportation for better signage.

Efforts from Pippel with Gallatin County Commissioner Zach Brown expedited the MDT to bring variable-messaging signage to areas with the highest rates of collisions with elk. Since then, Pippel says she’s observed relatively fewer elk deaths in the area between Wilson Creek and Williams Road. Pippel credits the signs as well as fewer elk concentrating at the immediate mouth of the canyon.

Signage might be a start, but there’s a long way to go before bigger improvements are implemented, according to experts on all sides of the elk-vehicle collisions. Conservation easements, a wildlife crossing overpass, and reduced speed limits have been proposed as potential improvements to human-wildlife interactions in the Gallatin Valley.

In the meantime? Elk advocates like Pippel say to drive carefully and pay attention, especially when animals are present by the roadway.

Elk dodge vehicles near Gallatin Gateway.

PHOTO BY HOLLY PIPPEL

A person with a salvage tag claims an elk killed after it was struck by a vehicle. PHOTO BY HOLLY PIPPEL

The aftermath of an elk-vehicle collision on Highway 191. PHOTO BY HOLLY PIPPEL

Making smarter decisions about renewable energy requires knowledge. NorthWestern 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.

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—Dave O’Connor, executive director of the Big Sky Community Housing Trust, was unsure they’d find a single Big Sky homeowner interested in collaborating with the Good Deeds program in its first year. Instead, Good Deeds found seven. Now halfway through the annual budget cycle, Big Sky’s new workforce housing machine has already exhausted its $855,000 budget.

Good Deeds is a program that allows BSCHT to participate in the real estate market, rather than manipulate or fight it—those tactics are also employed by BSCHT as they build workforce housing and charge rent below market value, and sell units with stringent deed restrictions that prevent significant value appreciation.

Good Deeds is designed to complement those housing efforts. A property owner can cash in on the actual market value of their home in exchange for placing a permanent deed restriction that ensures two conditions: short-term rentals are permanently prohibited, and qualified buyers must include at least one resident who works full-time in Big Sky for 10 months of the year. If the early success of Good Deeds continues, the result will be a network of workforce housing woven organically into the Big Sky community.

“That’s really the two goals of Good Deeds,” O’Connor said. “To protect from losing more [housing] inventory to the short-term rental market, and to specifically earmark a significant amount of housing stock in the community for resident workforce.”

O’Connor said that by January 2022, the housing trust knew Good Deeds would be funded by June. However, they didn’t know if landowners would want to participate, and it was unclear whether the

monetary and intangible incentives—the intention to positively impact the culture and community of Big Sky—offered by Good Deeds would trigger any transactions.

“And now approaching the end of the year, we know so many answers to those questions—now we’re ready,” O’Connor said. “We really feel that all the program needs now to keep moving forward is just replenishment. We’ve got the documents created and we feel very confident that there is plenty of demand from within the community. And [confident] that we would be continuing to make awards—a couple per month—as we were all summer, if we had funding.

“We’ve just got to refill the tank, and the motor’s ready to run.”

Now, BSCHT is raising money so they can keep the momentum of Good Deeds rolling until they receive a second round of funding in June—of this year’s $855,000, $750,000 came from Resort Tax, $100,000 came from the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, and $5,000 came from the Knight Foundation.

O’Connor hopes that individuals and corporations will “see the permanent benefit to this community that this program [creates] and allow us to get back in the game as soon as possible.”

The housing trust is pursuing philanthropy and individual donations in time for end-of-year giving. Its online giving portal shows a current total of roughly $4,000 raised toward a year-end goal of $150,000.

For those who do give, O’Connor said “we’ll sing them from the rooftops.”

The housing trust will give public recognition to community members and organizations who help

seize this opportunity to protect resident workforce housing.

“So many people have expressed a desire to help [with housing]. They want to try to do something to chip away at this problem. And this is a great way to do that,” O’Connor said.

“It’s not like a building where smaller donations can get diluted. This can really be something that we can collectively say as a community, [looking back] 20 years from now. And know that we have several hundred units in this community that are permanently protected for resident workforce… because it took all of us together. We need to tap into that generosity that’s out there among the community to keep this going.”

What makes a “Good Deed”

Big Sky is one of the first communities in Montana to implement this type of program, and O’Connor said a few other communities are interested. Participants receive cash awards, worth between 1016% of the property’s value. When a homeowner indicates interest, Good Deeds will conduct a property valuation and offer to pay a percentage in cash—drawing from its (currently exhausted) budget. If the homeowner disagrees on overall value, they can get an independent appraisal at their own expense. If that appraisal suggests a higher property value, Good Deeds will honor their original percentage if the new appraisal still fits certain guidelines.

The housing trust originally targeted properties worth less than $1 million. Given recent Big Sky housing market trends, O’Connor said that limit has been bumped up to $1.5 million on a couple occasions. The home must also be located inside the boundaries of the resort area district.

If an agreement is reached and the housing trust’s board approves, the homeowner will then receive that cash and a deed restriction will be permanently placed on their property. And unlike some deed restrictions which place an annual cap on property value growth, a “Good Deed” will not. If the homeowner wishes to sell their deed-restricted property in a favorable market, the only restriction is a narrower range of prospective buyers, as real estate investors and prospective Airbnb and shortterm rental hosts are excluded.

“I can’t say with certainty this won’t affect your property values,” O’Connor said with regards to selling in a restricted market. “But what I can say with certainty is I have not yet found a lot of examples of communities using deed restrictions where it has had a negative impact substantially on property.”

He believes that if there’s a home listed for less than $1 million—like the properties that Good Deeds intends to deal with—it usually gets sold quickly, regardless of any restrictions.

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF BECKY BROCKIE

Another key element of the Good Deeds program is that it allows homeowners to participate in the real estate market without having to leave Big Sky. The program can apply to a homeowner who wants to sell their property, or one who plans to continue living there.

“Of the seven that we’ve recorded, it’s been a pretty even split… Transactions that were involved with a sale, and then some [homeowners] that are staying in place and not moving. But we’ve deed restricted their property—and they’re currently a member of the resident workforce so they satisfied their deed restriction right off the bat—so that when they sell, it will stay that way.”

In the meantime, a homeowner earns between 10% and 16% of their home’s value in cash.

“It allows property owners to cash in on the appreciation that the market has experienced without them having to move,” O’Connor said. “[That] benefits the community as a whole. Now we keep those people, and they might be board members and leaders and business owners.”

He also expressed excitement about the ability of Good Deeds to camouflage workforce housing among the community.

“It spreads throughout the community in a way that building projects can’t. It lets workforce housing become woven in the nature and the character of the community as a whole, instead of being just one neighborhood at the corner of it. Because that’s the nature of our community; we are a community that is largely composed of resident workforce.”

Goal for 2023: buy-down

Looking ahead of fundraising efforts to “refill the bucket” this year, O’Connor said 2023 could include a buy-down program, which he explained:

If the housing trust had, for example, $2 million available for homes on the open market, they could move quickly to purchase a property at face value and place it under deed-restriction. Then, the housing trust could turn around and sell it to a qualified buyer at a below-market price.

That discount in sale price, according to O’Connor, would be “the exact same” as the cash amount the housing trust would have offered to the seller (or

homeowner) if they participated directly in Good Deeds.

In the same way that the housing trust uses its Good Deeds budget to pay that cash to participants, it could replenish that $2 million pool with money earned from the sale combined with a typical slice of their annual budget.

“At the end of the day, you have the same thing. You have a permanent deed-restricted property in the ground. But what this approach would let us do is, again, participate in the market instead of trying to fight against it.”

Early summary of the program’s impact. GRAPHIC COURTESY OF BECKY BRODIE

Q&A WITH MONTAGE BIG SKY GM VICTORIO GONZALEZ

BY JASON BACAJ

Montage Big Sky is the newest hotel in town and celebrates its one-year anniversary this month. To mark the occasion, Explore Big Sky sat down for an interview with Victorio Gonzalez, the hotel’s general manager, to learn more about what the Montage is all about and his vision for how the area’s newest luxury hotel fits in with the local community.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. To see a longer version, go to the EBS website.

Explore Big Sky: How did you end up in the hospitality industry and with Montage?

Victorio Gonzalez: Certainly. So, you know, I was blessed to be a consumer of luxury hospitality all my life. As a guest growing up, my father, growing up in Mexico, Mexico City to be exact was in—funny enough— development and construction and did a lot of work for the government and private industry, everything from commercial development to residential development to infrastructure work.

And because of the nature of his work, he was always entertaining people in golf courses or restaurants, or we traveled quite a bit around the world. So for me, hospitality was a very endearing part of my life.

Alan Fuerstman—the Montage founder, CEO and chairman— invited me to work with him in the mid90s when he was general manager of the Venetian in Scottsdale, Arizona because the restaurants that I ran were some of the best in the country. And he wanted to have the best in the country.

My first project was Montage in Laguna Beach. I joined the company from the very beginning, and opened every one of our hotels, almost each one—missed a couple, depending on the timing, here and there. But I've had the pleasure of participating in one shape or another and in the growth of our company, both on the Pendry Hotels & Resorts and the Montage side.

Now I have the great opportunity to be here in beautiful Big Sky. December 15 will be our first year anniversary.

EBS: Have you been able to get out and experience the Big Sky area in the time you’ve had here?

VG: I came to Big Sky in May and my first focus was to make sure that this brand new hotel of ours was operationally ready. We had a lot of slower time so we could close and address some of the things that need to be done including landscaping and finishing some construction work. We got it ready. We had a fabulous summer, all the way through about the middle of October. So, a great summer and fall.

My secondary focus has been to spread the word. And we've done a lot of traveling, talking about Big Sky as an extraordinary location. It's been kept nicely secret for a long time. We are now here to spread the word that for the first time people can come in and enjoy the type of luxury experienced at the private clubs in a public environment.

I've had the opportunity to go on a couple occasions to Yellowstone National Park, which has been lifetransforming. And I had the opportunity to do some river rafting this summer before the floods, it was amazing. I've done horseback riding.

It reminds me very quickly, when you look at beautiful skies and beautiful mountains and the pine forest and the wildlife. We operate in places only that have unique elements to them. And we want to be a good neighbor and a good member of those communities. That's very important to us.

EBS: What sort of resource do you see Montage providing for locals beyond the experiences like Cortina, Backcast and bowling?

VG: We have the facilities to accommodate a number of different activations. We're bringing additional restaurants, bars, a spa and meeting space for conventions, events, social gatherings, to the community. They're all public, they're all available for all of us.

The message from the mountain clubs for a long time has been don’t come here. It's private. And we've changed that.

And we hope that in time everyone comes in and visits. We intend to be open year-round, we want to make sure that one of our contributions to the community will be bringing in additional business to the community, so that businesses, if they wish, can remain open because there are enough people coming in to satisfy the economic reality of being operational.

Montage is open to the public. We need and want the public to come here, please. Because the only way we're going to be able to be here is if we become a center of activity and community for all of our communities, not just one of the clubs or two of the clubs. Everybody's welcome. Everybody's needed.

EBS: How does your team help Montage guests experience Big Sky as a whole?

VG: When there is a Montage, people know that there's a level of quality, a level of experience. The typical hotel visit to us will last anywhere between four to five nights. They're going to want to explore the town, buy a memento of where they are. They want to go to the local restaurants, the bars, they want to engage and be a part of the local activities. Because immersive travel is a lot of why they're here.

Part of our work is to become great partners with the local community and make sure that everybody in Town Center benefits from our guests being here. Our philosophy is that of abundance and collaboration.

EBS: Could you just kind of describe what someone might expect to experience during après at Backcast?

VG: We have a little tubing hill. We have a small skating rink that by no means is a match to what's in Town Center—that's the real thing. But our rink anchors the après experience along with Backcast, our poolside bar and grill. We are debuting it for ski season; it's the perfect location, right on Ski Beach off the lift. You can come in, have a great glass of champagne and have a bite, just relax your muscles.

We're doing a great collaboration with La Grande Dame, we are going to be the only featured activation they have in North America. The space is meant to be a comfortable lounge for you to come in and enjoy a beverage and meal, warm up a little bit. That'll be open seven days a week. In the summer, that will be the anchor restaurant for our pool experience.

EBS: What are you grateful for?

VG: I really don't mean to be cliche, but, of course, life, health, being here as a representative of our hotel, fully open part of a magnificent community. A beautiful snow season, the best that we've had in years. I'm grateful for the opportunity to tell the world that Montage is here, and ready with open arms to welcome all of our communities, everyone, for whatever reason. Just come in and have some s'mores and tour around the hotel, go bowling, play golf on our simulators; it can be minus 10 degrees, and you can come down and practice your swing.

I'm just thankful for the abundance and the opportunity, we have to create a beautiful relationship with the local community with this beautiful space that we are pushing to operate. And it's an honor, it's a pleasure.

The living room area of Montage Big Sky. COURTESY OF MONTAGE BIG SKY

Montana Big Sky General Manager Victorio Gonzalez. COURTESY OF MONTAGE BIG SKY

BIG

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—Darren Brugmann, new executive director of the Big Sky Transportation District, believes in three reasons to ride the bus: better use of time, smaller environmental impact and saving money. He hopes those reasons will get people on board with Big Sky’s revamped public transit system.

In July, Brugmann became the first fulltime director in Skyline’s 17 years of service, bringing with him three decades of experience as a transit official, including 20 years in Seattle and the past seven in Jackson, Wyoming.

For this winter season, Skyline removed a few stops to speed up the circuit between the Mountain Village and Meadow Village, which now allows the orange/yellow line to circulate twice as frequently as in previous years. To help get commuters, locals and guests to the bus stops, Skyline will also launch an on-demand micro transit service in time for the holidays.

“We don’t have a miracle cure [to keep buses] on schedule, because we’re sitting in the same traffic that other cars are,” Brugmann told EBS. “That’s our point—if we can get more people on the bus and get some cars off the road, then we can provide better service.”

With “significant help” from the Lone Mountain Land Company, Brugmann hired a consulting group from the central Rockies to help define Skyline’s current operational challenges, identify commuter and traffic patterns, and define the vision and goals of Skyline. To convert those insights into a

more trustworthy network of public transportation, Brugmann rebuilt the Skyline website and launched Big Sky Connect, Skyline’s new on-demand ride service.

Although on-demand micro transit is easily described as ‘similar to Uber and Lyft,’ Brugmann is hesitant to use that comparison.

After a fast-moving process of requestfor-proposals and interviews with micro transit providers, Skyline hired Downtowner for its experience in similar resort towns including Park City, Lake Tahoe and Vail.

Riders will hail vehicles using a smartphone app, Brugmann explained, and Big Sky Connect will use shared rides to consolidate requests during peak times. Riders should not have to wait more than 15 minutes.

“We have smaller vehicles that can more efficiently service not just [bus] stops, but a whole service area. We’ll go door to door, [to] a condo or a person’s home, or anywhere.”

Unlike Uber and Lyft, rides with Big Sky Connect are free. The drivers are not independent contractors working their own schedules, but Downtowner employees, scheduled and paid with regularity.

Big Sky Connect will have a fleet of mid-sized vehicles and minivans, providing free rides around the Meadow Village more efficiently than “fixed-route buses trying to drive in circles and hit as many stops as they can,” Brugmann said, describing Skyline’s typical service. Fewer stops will allow the bus to run more routes

along the “core corridor” between the mountain and meadow.

Whether riders are going from the office to the grocery store or between their home and the bus stop in Town Center, Brugmann hopes Big Sky Connect will reduce the personal vehicles driven by residents, workers and guests. He said micro transit “is the new ‘it’ thing in the transit world” and it’s being evaluated by transit agencies across the country.

“Our goal for this first winter season is to bring [Downtowner] on board for the Town Center and Meadow Village area. We want to focus on that area to introduce the public to this type of service, but we look to expand that hopefully next year, [adding] vans in Mountain Village.”

In the long term, if Big Sky Connect is successful in the Meadow Village and Mountain Village, Brugmann hopes to include the Big Sky portion of the Gallatin Canyon along U.S. Highway 191.

This fall, the Big Sky Transportation Board elected to decrease canyon service, ending the route at Buck’s T4 Lodge and removing stops including the Riverhouse, the Corral and Rainbow Ranch.

“It solely had to do with ridership in previous years. It just didn’t make fiscal sense to be sending buses hourly to those locations, when the ridership just didn’t warrant that service,” Brugmann said. “When we removed the service, we heard [community] concerns and we’ve worked to see what we can do within our limited amount of resources— particularly [limited] drivers and vehicles.”

Skyline will try to “squeeze in” about five trips per day to some of those locations further south, but a longerterm solution could look like Big Sky Connect bringing people to and from the bus stop at Buck’s T4—although that could be years away.

Ennion Williams, board chair of the Big Sky Transportation District since 2008, said his main goal is to create three distinct micro transit areas: The canyon, the meadow and the mountain.

“It’s a work in progress, we’ll see how it works and hopefully continue to grow that service in the coming years. If we could have more micro-transit service feeding the main bus routes, it just makes for a more efficient [bus] service,” Williams said. “In areas where we’ve had to cut [bus] service, we’re hoping to accommodate them the best we can.”

Williams also works for Outlaw Partners, the publisher of Explore Big Sky.

Big-picture needs for Big Sky Brugmann and Williams believe that Big Sky needs a central transit center, not only to serve employees, but also guests.

“How do we get guests to get out of their cars, and just ride the transit?” Brugmann asked. “Not only getting [to Big Sky], but also while they’re here.”

For now, the Town Center bus stop is the closest thing to a central bus stop for those looking for a ride up to the Mountain Village, or to Bozeman. But with more employees commuting from Bozeman to growing employers like the Yellowstone Club, Montage and One&Only, Willliams said a transit hub will be crucial to cut down on personal vehicles.

“Envision it as a place in Town Center that can accommodate multiple large buses [from around Big Sky and Bozeman],” Williams said. “People can transfer [to buses and shuttles] and disperse to where they need to go around the greater Big Sky area. It’s also a place where a [visitor] can get dropped off and picked up to go to the mountain or go out to dinner. [We face] the challenge of creating a system that would accommodate employees and also work for tourists coming to Big Sky without a rental car. Those are the overarching goals of what we’re working on now.”

In its first season, Big Sky Connect will

Meadow village as depicted in this map. PHOTO COURTESY OF DARREN BRUGMANN

For this first season, Brugmann said the primary goal of Big Sky Connect is to help people access Skyline’s Meadow Village bus stops, getting more people on the bus to decrease vehicle traffic for everyone’s benefit. LOGO COURTESY OF DARREN BRUGMANN

- 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.

Bobcat // Lynx rufus

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—The Big Horn boys basketball team is off to a hot start.

Entering regular season competition on Friday, Dec. 2, head coach Al Malinowski was hopeful that the Lone Peak High School boys could play on par with Bridger High School, a recent state contender. The Big Horns foresaw a winnable game against Absarokee High School, but little was known of these two non-conference opponents. Ahead of Tuesday’s home and conference-opener against Twin Bridges, the Big Horns saw a team they’d never beaten.

On that first Friday of December, the Big Horns began their season with a win over Bridger by a wide margin of 57-23. Senior captains Gus Hammond and Max Romney each dropped 15 points, and freshman Ebe Grabow added 12 in his high school debut.

“We played well on defense and on our fast break,” Malinowski said. “They were bigger [than us], and will be a good team once they gel, but we were already connecting.”

On Dec. 3, the Big Horns scored 79 points, nearly doubling Absarokee’s 40. Romney scored 24 and Hammond 19, with most of the remaining buckets scored by five more contributors: Grabow, junior Juliusz Shipman, sophomore Isaac Bedway, senior Colter Marino, and senior Ben Saad.

The Big Horns furthered their balanced approach on offense on Tuesday night against the Twin Bridges Falcons in front of a home crowd.

Grabow made his first high school start and didn’t waste a second. He began the game with a defensive takeaway and scored a layup. He scored the first seven points of the game on his way to a team-leading 20-point effort, one of four players in the double digits.

“It speaks to the unselfish approach on offense,” Malinowski said in a phone call with EBS. He said Grabow’s performance gave the Big Horns a spark. The Big Horns advanced to 3-0 on the season after taking down Twin Bridges, 74-41. Last year, the Lone Peak boys won three games total.

“The boys have worked pretty hard to get where we are, and we’ve had some success,” Malinowski said. “To be honest, that’s the first time our boys program has ever beaten Twin Bridges. Pretty big milestone for us and I think the boys are proud of the effort.”

He added that with their talent and size, Twin Bridges will likely improve once they start to click. But on Tuesday, Lone Peak took control early and set the tempo of the game with their aggressive brand of fast, full-court basketball.

Sophomore Isaac Bedway hit a few three pointers on his way to a 17-point showing.

On defense, coach Malinowski sees room for growth. The Big Horns primarily run a man-toman scheme and there have been moments over the first few games when the team loses their unity and look more like five individual players than a cohesive defense.

“We need to be aware of the entire court defensively,” Malinowski said. “At times we’re solid, and at times that breaks down.”

Even with their 3-0 start, the Big Horns are not playing at full strength. A few players were ineligible to play due to missed practices over Thanksgiving week—per league requirements.

When the Big Horns play on Tuesday, Dec. 13, they’ll have a full roster which Malinowski said

is an opportunity to further improve the team’s already strong depth.

“I’m impressed by how this team has gelled together, the way we’re playing so unselfishly,” Malinowski said about the 3-0 start. “It seems to me that they’re having fun in the process. There’s a lot of energy within the team and it’s fun to see as a coach.”

They’ll face Harrison High School on Tuesday, a team coming off a top-four finish in the divisional tournament last year.

The next Big Horns basketball home game for both boys and girls will be Dec. 17 against White Sulphur Springs.

Girls fall to a physical, highly ranked Falcons team

Despite jumping ahead 10-8 in the first quarter, the Big Horns lost control of the boards and dropped their season opener to Twin Bridges, 61-27 on Tuesday night. The Falcons are expected to be one of the top girls teams in Class C.

“[The Big Horns] accomplished our goal of playing fast but only stayed competitive with our opponent for the first half of the game,” head coach Loren Bough wrote to EBS. “The girls were outrebounded over the course of the rest of the game and gave up too many easy putbacks.”

Due to Harrison High School’s inability to field a girls team, the Big Horns will not play again until Dec. 17, hosting White Sulphur Springs.

Coach Bough said Tuesday’s loss to the Falcons was not the result they hoped to achieve, but they will look to improve against White Sulphur Springs. Both coach Bough and coach Malinowski expressed their support for the Lone Peak Thespians’ production of Elf, which shows at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center this weekend. The girls team has six performers, and the boys team has seven. Both teams accommodated the show in their schedules.

The boys team has the tallest and deepest roster in coach Malinowski’s memory. PHOTO BY KEVIN FOSSE

A pair from each team gets their hands on the ball in the paint at Lone Peak High School on Tuesday evening.

PHOTO BY RICH ADDICKS

MILESTONES GALORE: BOBCATS BREAK RECORDS, ROLL INTO FCS FINAL FOUR

BY TOM STUBER SKYLINE SPORTS

BOZEMAN—It was a night of milestones for Montana State in its demolition of William & Mary in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. The most important of all of them: it was the first game the Bobcats have played that wasn’t under the watchful eye of Sonny Holland—aka The Greatest Bobcat—who passed away last Saturday after MSU defeated Weber State 33-25.

“It’s incredible,” MSU linebacker Callahan O’Reilly said of his team’s performance after the passing of Holland as the ‘Cats rolled to a 55-7 win over William & Mary on Friday night. “Never got to meet the man but from everything I’ve heard it just speaks to what a great man he was. To be able to do that for his family, just to honor him, is pretty special.”

The Elite 8 win extended MSU’s home winning streak to 20 games. The Bobcats haven’t lost at home since 2019 when fellow Big Sky Conference member Sacramento State knocked them off.

Isaiah Ifanse—making his second appearance of the season—set the MSU record for career rushing yardage at 3,714 and had the longest touchdown run (68 yards) in a playoff game, which broke his own record (60) he set in 2019 against Austin Peay State. He now has the top three rushing games in MSU playoff history after gaining 162 yards on Friday. The former Washington Gatorade Player of the Year had 196 against Austin Peay in 2019 and 129 in 2018 against University of the Incarnate Word. He scored two rushing touchdowns against William & Mary and now is sixth all-time at MSU in that category.

“The [career rushing] record, you know, he was bound to break it as soon as he got back on the field,” MSU head coach Brent Vigen said of Ifanse.

“Good that he was able to get that done tonight. It speaks to how consistent he’s been over a long, long time. Speaks to his talent and speaks to the talent of the players around him, too.”

“You see out there again that he’s hard to deal with. He’s hard to bring down, obviously there’s good blocking out there in front of him to put him in those positions, getting out in the open, scoring from 68 yards. To be able to see him finish a long run like that was great.”

Ifanse had 153 yards at halftime and finished with 162, on just 11 carries, after taking his lone carry in the second half, trucking two William & Mary defenders and scoring. He could’ve easily become the fourth MSU ball carrier to go over 200 yards in a single game.

Blake Glessner also got into the act by kicking a 50-yard field goal near the end of the first half to break Mark Carter’s 38-year-old playoff record of 48 yards, which he set in the 1984 national championship game against Louisiana Tech—a 19-6 win by the Bobcats.

Glessner also broke the single season scoring record and now has 137 points moving past Troy Anderson who had 128 in 2018. He tied the record for field goals in a season with 22, matching Jason Cunningham’s effort in 2011. He’s made 13 of his last 14 FG attempts.

“Blake’s been a weapon both from a field goal perspective but also his kickoffs,” Vigen said. “He’s really getting the job done. In this weather kicking it from 50 is a little more complicated. He had confidence going out there. He’s been rock solid.”

Vigen and quarterback Tommy Mellott extended their existing records for playoff wins with their fifth each.

As a team the Bobcats have now scored the most rushing touchdowns in a season. They ran it in five times against William & Mary and now have 47 on the season, three more than the 2019 squad.

It was the eighth time that the Bobcats have rushed for over 300 yards in a game, which is also a record.

The game nearly ended up with one of largest margins of victory in FCS playoff history until the Tribe scored in the game's waning moments. The record is held by the University of Montana, which beat Troy State 70-7 in 1996.

The Bobcats, who are in the national semifinals for the third straight season—another program record—will take on South Dakota State in Brookings, South Dakota on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. on ESPN2. The Bobcats beat the Jackrabbits 31-17 last year in Bozeman to advance to the FCS national championship game.

Sophomore quarterback Tommy Mellot (4) leads the Montana State University Bobcats onto the field Friday night. PHOTO BY JASON BACAJ

Running back Isaiah Ifanse runs past tacklers in Montana State’s quarterfinal matchup against William & Mary. PHOTO BY JASON BACAJ

BY LESLIE KILGORE

Twenty-eight local Big Sky women performed to a sold-out crowd on Saturday, Dec. 2 at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center for the annual event "Her Gift, Her Creation."

Founder and director Klaudia Kosiak came up with the idea three years ago to organize, celebrate and empower the many talented women of Big Sky through artistic expression. Now, the event is one of the most anticipated of the year. With support from Kosiak’s friends Jill Bough and Liz McRae, she recruited female artists of all ages to participate.

“I’m very lucky to have amazing friends like Jill and Liz who helped recruit such a variety of artists,” Kosiak said. “This year we had the largest group of women because we were able to present such a variety of talents.”

The night featured seasoned musicians, mothers and daughters, sisters, friends and some women who had never performed on stage before. All with the intention to celebrate “connection,” this year’s theme for the event.

“I want to promote women in Big Sky who are just living everyday life but want to do something special with their talents,” Kosiak said. “Many are hesitant at first, but this evening is so special and once they perform for the first time, they often want to do it again.”

The evening began with a high-energy welcome reception that included a display of artwork from local female artists in a variety of mediums, a live paint-by-numbers collaboration for attendees to partake in, and a chance to connect with an impressive group of female community members. The performances on stage started with an endearing welcome from Kosiak followed by many moving and diverse expressions of connectivity, unity and female empowerment.

Highlights included choreographed dribbling by the Lone Peak High School girls’ varsity basketball team, set to the song “Lean On,” a piano duet performed by Sarah Mitchell and Kosiak; a children’s book reading by Big Sky Library Director Amy Hunter and the Alicia Keys song, “If I Ain’t Got You” sung by local musician, Hannah Powell.

“For me, the most rewarding part of this show is to see the tears and happiness on my friends’ faces, to see true emotions,” Kosiak said. “Everyone who performed or showed their art is so proud and happy at the end of the evening. All the women feel like stars for a while, because our event is so real, and because in our beautiful community we feel so loved. I’m very thankful for that.”

Sarah Mitchell and Klaudia Kosiak perform a piano duet. PHOTO BY

LESLIE KILGORE

BIG

THURSDAY, DEC. 15

Visit Big Sky Board of Directors Meeting

Big Sky Chamber of Commerce, 8:30 a.m.

Mosaic Art Class BASE, 10 a.m.

Community Acupuncture Santosha Wellness Center, 11 p.m.

After School ARTventure BASE, 4:30 p.m.

Best of Big Sky Awards Party The Independent, 4:30 p.m.

Holiday Cookie Decorating Party BASE, 5:30 p.m.

Open Pottery Studio BASE, 6 p.m.

Screening: Thursday Night Football The Independent, 6 p.m.

Live Music

Montage Big Sky Alpenglow Lounge, 7 p.m.

Screening: “White Christmas” The Independent, 7 p.m.

Drop-In Hockey Marty Pavelich Ice Rink, 8 p.m.

AA Meeting Big Sky Chapel, 8 p.m.

FRIDAY, DEC. 16 Storytime for Toddlers BASE, 10:30 a.m.

Alpine Christmas Market Montage Big Sky, 2 p.m.

Ugly Sweater Party and “Christmas Vacation” screening The Independent, 7 p.m.

Live Music

Montage Big Sky Alpenglow Lounge, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, DEC. 17

AA Meeting

Big Sky Chapel, 7:30 a.m.

Annual Big Sky Winter Market Wilson Hotel, 5 p.m.

St. Joseph’s Mass Big Sky Chapel, 5 p.m.

Screening: “Die Hard” The Independent, 7 p.m., Complimentary

Live Music

Montage Big Sky Alpenglow Lounge, 7 p.m.

Live Music: Wes Urbiniak

The Independent, 8:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, DEC. 18

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

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

Big Sky Christian Fellowship Service

Big Sky Chapel, 4:30 p.m.

Twelve Nights of Christmas Movies“Miracle on 34th Street” The Independent, 7 p.m., Complimentary

Live Music

Montage Big Sky Alpenglow Lounge, 7 p.m.

“Roots in the Sky”

Chamber Choir Concert Big Sky Chapel, 7:30 p.m.

MONDAY, DEC. 19

Storytime BASE, 10:30 a.m.

Board Game Club BASE, 4:30 p.m.

Service Industry Night Drunken Monk, 5 p.m.

Screening: Monday Night Football The Independent, 6 p.m.

Screening: “Bad Santa” The Independent, 7 p.m.

Live Music

Montage Big Sky Alpenglow Lounge, 7 p.m.

Trivia Night Tips Up, 9 p.m.

TUESDAY, DEC. 20

Big Sky County Water & Sewer Board Meeting Big Sky Water & Sewer District, 8 a.m.

Toddler Tuesdays BASE, 10 a.m.

Après Special & Live Music Drunken Monk, 5 p.m.

Screening: “Home Alone” The Independent, 7 p.m.

Live Music

Montage Big Sky Alpenglow Lounge, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 21 St. Joseph’s Mass Big Sky Chapel, 12 p.m.

AA Meeting Big Sky Chapel, 12 p.m.

All Saints Carol Sing Big Sky Chapel, 5 p.m.

Ladies’ Night

Drunken Monk, 5 p.m.

Learn to Skate (Ages 4-5) Marty Pavelich Ice Rink, 5:30 p.m.

Learn to Skate (Ages 6-8) Marty Pavelich Ice Rink, 6:15 p.m.

Screening: “A Charlie Brown Christmas” The Independent, 7 p.m.

Live Music

Montage Big Sky Alpenglow Lounge, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, DEC. 22 Al-Anon Meeting Big Sky Chapel, 4 p.m.

Family Board Game Night BASE, 5;30 p.m.

Screening: Thursday Night Football The Independent, 6 p.m.

Screening: “Polar Express” The Independent, 7 p.m.

Live Music

Montage Big Sky Alpenglow Lounge, 7 p.m.

Drop-In Hockey Marty Pavelich Ice Rink, 8 p.m.

AA Meeting Big Sky Chapel, 8 p.m.

FRIDAY, DEC. 23

Screening: “A Christmas Story” The Independent, 7 p.m.

Live Music Montage Big Sky Alpenglow Lounge, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, DEC. 24 AA Meeting Big Sky Chapel, 7:30 a.m.

Big Sky Christian Fellowship’s Christmas Eve Service Big Sky Chapel, 3:30 p.m.

St. Joseph’s Christmas Eve Mass Big Sky Resort, 4:30 p.m.

Big Sky Christian Fellowship’s Christmas Eve Service Big Sky Chapel, 5 p.m.

All Saints’ Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Big Sky Chapel, 7 p.m.

Screening: “It’s a Wonderful Life” The Independent, 7 p.m.

Live Music Montage Big Sky Alpenglow Lounge, 7 p.m.

Christmas Fireworks Big Sky Resort, 8:15 p.m.

All Saints Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Big Sky Chapel, 8:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, DEC. 25 Christmas Day

MONDAY, DEC. 26 Storytime for Toddlers BASE, 10:30 a.m.

Board Game Club BASE 4:30 p.m.

Screening: Monday Night Football The Independent, 6 p.m.

Live Music Montage Big Sky Alpenglow Lounge, 7 p.m.

Trivia Night Tips Up, 9 p.m.

Service Industry Night Drunken Monk, 5 p.m.

TUESDAY, DEC. 27 Toddler Tuesdays BASE, 10 a.m.

Après Special & Live Music

Drunken Monk, 5 p.m.

Live Music Montage Big Sky Alpenglow Lounge, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 28

Big Sky Fire District Board of Trustees Meeting Big Sky Water & Sewer District, 8:30 a.m.

St. Joseph’s Mass Big Sky Chapel, 12 p.m.

Ladies’ Night Drunken Monk, 5 p.m.

Live Music Montage Big Sky Alpenglow Lounge, 7 p.m.

Sierra Hull

Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, 7 p.m.

A more detailed version of this calendar is updated weekly on explorebigsky.com

FEATURED EVENT: THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MOVIES

To get your fix of classic holiday films this season, The Twelve Days of Christmas at The Independent features twelve days of some of the best Christmas movies of all time on the

BUSINESS

MAKING IT IN BIG SKY: PUREWEST CHRISTIE’S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE

BY MIRA BRODY

BIG SKY—One of 18 locations in the U.S., PureWest Christie’s International Real Estate landed in Big Sky in 2009 with the goal of producing a boutique real estate brokerage that served both buyers and sellers with pride. Today, the PureWest team is the leading real estate agency in Montana. To celebrate their longevity of premium services in the area, Explore Big Sky sat down with the team and talked about staying nimble in a changing market, the decades of experience behind their team and the festive gingerbread houses they have on display in their office.

Answers were provided by Sandy Revisky and Lynn Milligan.

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: Tell me a little bit about PureWest Christie’s International Real Estate and how it made its way to the Big Sky area.

PureWest Big Sky: PureWest Big Sky, Christie’s International Real Estate, was formed in 2009 by five of Big Sky’s top producing brokers. The goal was to create a boutique company of highly educated Big Sky experts that excelled in customer service and highend, multi-media marketing. In the summer of 2015, PureWest was purchased as the result of an ambitious three-company merger. The goal of this merger was to create a statewide brokerage with connections to every corner of the state, which benefited both our buyers and sellers in Big Sky. PureWest is now the leading real estate agency in Montana.

EBS: How big is the Big Sky team?

PWBS: Our Big Sky office is one of 18 locations statewide. We have seven full-time Big Sky experts in our local office, and over 240 agents in Montana. Christie’s International Real Estate has over 32,000 agents around the world.

EBS: Tell me about the different services you offer.

PWBS: We specialize in sales and listings of residential and commercial real estate in Big Sky. Our agents are Big Sky specialists that live and breathe

EBS: With so many choices in real estate, what sets your firm apart from others?

PWBS: Without exception, all our agents have been in Big Sky for decades. The majority of our Brokers have over 20 years of experience as Big Sky real estate agents. Several of our dedicated agents even grew up and went to school in the area. Our team has seen Big Sky move from its infancy to what it is today, and that level of knowledge and experience just can’t be taught.

EBS: What is your favorite thing about selling property in Big Sky?

PWBS: Without a doubt, the relationships with our clients that we have all gotten to know and seen grow over the years. Sharing our love of Big Sky with clients is something that we never want to stop doing. It is incredible to sell a home to a family and then see their children grow up, get married, and have children of their own. Many of our agents have been selling property in Big Sky long enough to attend the weddings of children that were just infants when their parents first purchased their first Big Sky home! Whatever someone’s life in Big Sky looks like, at the end of the day our community is all about families.

Sharing our love of Big Sky with clients is something that we never want to stop doing. It is incredible to sell a home to a family and then see their children grow up, get married, and have children of their own.

“

”

–The PureWest Christie’s International Real Estate team

Big Sky real estate. Our extensive networking capabilities allow us to maximize marketing for our listing clients as well as having a broad outreach to and for potential purchasers.

EBS: With the real estate market witnessing some extremes over the last couple of years, how has PureWest stayed nimble in best serving its clients?

PWBS: Excellent communication is key to ensuring we stay nimble in this environment and any cycle the real estate market goes through. Timely communication and honest conversations ensure a client’s real estate transaction runs smoothly.

EBS: What is the best part of being a part of the PureWest team?

PWBS: The incredible feeling of knowing your coworkers are not only experts who will help each other however they can in business, but also support each other personally. We are lucky to have such a wonderful support system of ethical, supportive agents and brokers.

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

PWBS: Do what you love and everything else will fall into line. Kindness and compassion have a place in everything you do in life.

EBS: Is there anything else that you’d like to tell the Big Sky Community?

PWBS: Our office is very excited to spread a bit of Holiday Cheer with our very special gingerbread house tour. From now until Jan. 6 our office will have a variety of gingerbread creations on display. Folks are invited to stop by between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to enjoy the displays and sample some gingerbread. The community can also enjoy our display, plus letter writing to Santa, holiday crafts and some great nosh during the Big Sky Christmas Stroll.

The PureWest Big Sky, Christie’s International Real Estate team, from Left to right starting at the top: Brenna Kelleher, Jackie Miller, Mary Wheeler, Miranda Wheeler, Sandy Revisky, Kirsten King, Michael Thomas, Lynn Milligan.v

BY SARAH MAY AND SCOTT BROWN

Hopefully, you and your loved ones are enjoying a Happy Holiday season filled with food, fun, laughter, and a time of thanks and reflection. Here in Bozeman, Montana, we were privileged to enjoy a visit by ESPN College GameDay for the historic, but cold, Brawl of the Wild*. Many of us have been enjoying snow sports of all kinds, as we are blessed by an early start to winter! If your family is like mine: topics like the economy, jobs, politics, and even personal finances may creep into the conversation over the holidays.

While it may not be wise to bring up politics and money during the holidays, don’t be alarmed if the under-forty crowd mentions the topic of finances. Having entered the career world during the recession of 2007-2012 and witnessing the housing crash as they began saving for a down payment, millennials are making sure they are financially stable for years to come.

Our younger clientele actively seeks to get out of debt and pay cash for larger purchases such as cars and vacations. According to research done by Experian, “As of 2022, the average credit score of millennials in all 25 of the largest U.S. cities is

at least 670 or more, which is considered a good FICO® Score.” Millennials are wise spenders where it matters.

Younger generations are becoming more financially literate at an earlier age with a variety of resources at their fingertips. Our schools are beginning to implement financial literacy curriculum, and young adults are open with peers when on a budget and will adjust social plans to more budget-friendly activities. They aren’t afraid of a side hustle with companies like UberEATS and Lyft to meet financial goals sooner and pad their savings accounts. With internet resources at their disposal, young adults are researching more on investing, savings accounts, and credit cards with rewards before making a decision. Other factors, such as marrying later in life, contribute to individuals paying off debt and building a savings account before the financial burden of starting a family begins. In 1920, the average woman was married at 21.2 years old, and men married at 24.6 years of age. In 2021 women were married at an average age of 28.6 and men at 30.4. **

Asking questions is a sign of higher learning and young adults are eager to learn. While it is never wise to ask your brother for a loan during the holidays, the extra family time is a great time to organize finances, establish legacy plans, and educate the next generation so you can all enjoy the ride for years to come.

Sarah May is the marketing director and Scott Brown is the managing principal for Shore to Summit Wealth Management.

*Brawl of the Wild is the annual football game between Montana State University and the University of Montana

**United States Census Bureau. “Historical Marital Status Tables. Table MS-2. Estimated Median Age at First Marriage, by Sex: 1890 to the Present.” November 22, 2021

The opinions expressed here reflect the judgment of the author as of the date of the report and are subject to change without notice. The material has been prepared or is distributed solely for information purposes and is not a solicitation or an offer to buy any security or instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. Additional information is available upon request.

All investing involves some degree of risk, whether it is associated with market volatility, purchasing power or a specific security, including the possible loss of principal. Stocks offer long-term growth potential but may fluctuate more and provide less current income than other investments.

Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (WFAFN), Member SIPC. Shore to Summit Wealth Management LLC is a separate entity from WFAFN

OPINION

Dear Badger,

This town is small and I see my friends in all sorts of different settings. My problem is I’m not sure when it’s appropriate to hug them and when it’s not. What do you recommend?

Thanks, The Hug Doctor

Dear Hugs,

Badgers are solitary creatures who look but are NOT particularly huggable, so I cannot relate. But I can give advice on the matter because badgers are wise in all areas because we observe everything and we’re smart, so here we are at hugs.

It might seem like a trivial question, but this is something I see ailing many humans. I will watch one warm and fuzzy (not like me fuzzy, but human fuzzy) human walk up to another seemingly nice human and greet them with a “hello” and a hug. The other human will hug right back and say nice things but I have also seem them bristle on occasion. Listen, I do not necessarily love this word bristle because companies use badger bristles to

make shaving brushes and I don’t like seeing bits of an old buddy’s carcass used to slather shaving cream on some hairless man’s face. Anyway, it doesn’t always hit, the hug. The person being hugged might not like being touched, like me. But they’re not going to get mad at you for hugging them because even if you show a badger affection, they see it as a kindness right before they hiss and threaten to claw your eyes out. My friends, the grizzlies, are notorious huggers. Particularly the young ones. Hugs for days, those big old softies. I don’t think you, Doc, should hug a bear though. I think that might go south.

What if there were hugless greetings? Up top, where fewer badgers dwell, I’ve heard of creatures giving multiple kisses to the air when greeting one another. I don’t like that as much as a hug. Why kiss

the air? Why kiss the air on both cheeks? Please let me know if you hear anything different.

Doctor Hug, I think you should hug when the mood strikes. If you are happy to see someone and want to hug them, hug them. Otherwise a bubbly hello will suffice. Greeting someone with a hug is a gift, in my opinion. I have seen many solitary humans that go without hugs for weeks, sometimes months. What if the hug you give someone is just the thing they needed to make it through the day? Hug all the humans. You may have the occasional bristle. Again, do not hug the woodland creatures. We will bite, scratch, or maul you.

Sincerely, Badger

May 28 – December 31, 2022

Sponsor: Sheehy Family Foundation Contributing Sponsors: In Memory of Ruth Sommerfeld The Michael G. Nast Foundation

Presenting Sponsor: Stephanie Dickson & Chris McCloud

The Apsáalooke people of the Northern Plains are known for their bravery, artistry, and extravagance Celebrate the prominence of women, daring feats in battle, unparalleled horsemanship, and innovative beadwork. Alongside historical war shields and regalia, contemporary Native American art highlights how this bravery and artistry is alive today in the world to host Apsáalooke Women and Warriors outside of the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois

Women and Warriors was jointly organized by the Field Museum and the Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society at the University of Chicago.

Photo

Photo

HEALTH BUZZ HOLIDAY HEALTH PLANNING

BY DR. KALEY BURNS EBS COLUMNIST

The snow is epic, the lights are twinkling and families are gathering! However, amidst the joy and smiles of the holidays, your body’s working overtime to cope with circumstances that are outside your daily routine. This includes hydration and dietary changes, accompanied by reduced sleep and altered stress levels. Consequently, this often results in catching a cold and being more susceptible to germs. To stay healthy and fend off illness this season, see what our holistic specialists recommend having available for your holistic holiday kit.

With less sunlight, more time indoors, more alcohol and added sugars, we put our immune systems to the test each winter. It’s also easy to make poor nutrition choices when we’re out of the normal routine. The convenience of grabbing processed foods on the run or over-indulging in foods you are not typically used to consuming can compromise your gastrointestinal health and deny your immune system the nutrients that help keep you well.

If you are traveling on planes, the recirculated air in plane cabins often has lower oxygen and humidity concentrations leading to the “perfect storm” for germs to take hold. It can also dehydrate you quicker, which can compromise your ability to flush pathogens.

Aside from the routine Vitamins C and D, here are some other ideas for added immune support this winter!

Zinc lozenges: A powerful nutrient that works best when taken at the very first sign of a cold or scratchy throat.

Elderberry: Sambucus is a powerful antiviral herb which stimulates the immune system to get into action and increases the production of pathogenfighting lymphocytes and natural killer cells.

Probiotics: Probiotics are a valuable support for the immune system, aiding proper digestive function, optimizing bacterial balance and reducing gut inflammation. A good probiotic formula to look for is one that contains a number of different strains (at least 5) of gut-friendly bacterias.

Digestive enzymes: These can greatly alleviate bloating, gas, and other digestive complaints associated with poor digestion while traveling and indulging in new foods.

Healthy snacks: Easy-grab fruits (bananas, oranges, and apples), veggies with hummus, high quality jerky or a DIY trail mix with healthy nuts and seeds are great items to keep nearby.

Magnesium: Many people have trouble with constipation and sleep whether traveling or hosting guests. Make sure you are drinking enough water to avoid making the constipation worse, and utilize the calming effects of magnesium for more optimal rest and digestion!

Herbal Tea: Herbal and green teas are good choices to get more hydration and health-supportive benefits. Sleep and digestive blends can be especially useful this time of year.

As with any supplements or remedies, consult with a medical practitioner before making drastic changes to your regular routine. When you plan ahead and have the right tools in your kit, winter doesn’t have to result in illness.

PHOTO BY EVERST/Adobe Stock

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE SPRINGS AND ANCHORS, OH MY

BY PAUL SWENSON EBS COLUMNIST

While driving the canyon between here and Bozeman, have ever noticed that, on a really cold day, there is very little ice on the river by the stoplight on U.S. Highway 191, but as you drive down the canyon ice begins to form along the banks, and on the surface of the river, and gets thicker and thicker as you continue your drive? Or if you drive South from the stop light the river is frozen completely across above the junction all the way up to the 320 Ranch? Then from the 320 to the Yellowstone National Park boundary the river becomes free of ice again, only to be completely frozen over again in the park. What’s the deal?

First, let’s talk about water and some of its unique properties. Water is one of very few liquids that become less dense as it cools, from 39F to 32F degrees, and expand upon freezing. This property is very important and is due to the bond angles between the hydrogens and oxygen, and from the polarity of the molecule. These properties lead to expansion during the freezing process which is lucky for us.

Imagine the ocean’s ice during winter were to sink rather than float. The ice would just accumulate at the bottom of the water column to the point where there would be no liquid water left on the Earth. That would be bad for life.

We all learn that ice floats on water. Easy to grasp, just watch ice cubes in a glass of water, or ice flows on a lake, ocean or river. But if you are observant driving along the Gallatin during very cold mornings, you see ice forming on the riverbed, under inches to feet of water. This ice is called “anchor ice” and can be problematic to our basic understanding of the world, and to the insect, fish, and plant life that depend on a free flow of water. Anchor ice formation is a fascinating process. It starts with really cold water. So cold in fact that the scientific term is “supercooled.” That means the temperature of the liquid is actually below its

But where the frazil ice encounters objects like the stones in the riverbed, they freeze to them. Then the crystals start to accumulate making thicker and thicker layers of ice on the bottom of the river: anchor ice.

Sometimes this layer of anchor ice gets thick enough to raise the river level and create floods. Other times it breaks free of the bed and starts a mass of ice flowing down the river which in turn forces more ice to break free, turning the river into an icefloe that can grow to very large sizes. Above Red Cliff campground for example, you can observe trees next to the river where, last winter, an icefloe stripped the bark off up to 10 feet above river level.

Another formation of frazil ice you see is the “slush” floating on the river after a cold night. If you stop and look at the Gallatin where it passes the pulloff across 191 from the new Wellness In Action location, there is a lot of slush ice floating in the river. But by the time the river gets down to the highway bridge over the river, all the slush is gone. The reason? The river warms up dramatically over a half mile stretch due to relatively warm water from a large spring system.

a porous and permeable conduit for ground water. This water enters the rock layers in recharge areas along Levenski Ridge, Tick Ridge, Cinnamon Mountain, Buck Ridge, and a few other places along the Spanish Peak-Gardner fault line.

As the Gallatin River eroded down to its present level it became the lowest point along this aquifer. The flows from these springs keep the river ice-free during the winter and add a little cool water to the summer river flows due to its near constant 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit temperature.

So, the next really cold morning, look for the thick vapor clouds around the springs, the frosty trees, and the differences in the effects of frazil ice that can be observed in the river.

Paul Swenson has been living in and around the Big Sky area since 1966. He is a retired science teacher, fishing guide, Yellowstone guide and naturalist. Also an artist and photographer, Swenson focuses on the intricacies found in nature.

freezing temperature. When that happens in the river a special type of ice crystal is formed: frazil ice. Frazil ice crystals are small (1-4mm), plate shaped, and suspended throughout the entire water column of the moving river. It is the movement that keeps the crystals from coalescing into a solid sheet of ice.

The rocks that contain the water for these springs were deformed during the formation of the Rocky Mountains. Originally deposited in horizontal layers, here they are tilted to 65 degrees or more. This amount of stress fractures the rock creating

Anchor ice forming in the Gallatin River. PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

A frosty tree. PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

Spring water leaving the Madison limestone where it intersects the surface in Big Sky (left) and at Snowflake Springs (right) just south of Taylor Fork. PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

BY MARNE HAYES EBS COLUMNIST

Roughly a half decade ago, Big Sky community stakeholders and Gallatin River enthusiasts came together to identify what “sustainability” looks like for the Upper Gallatin River and the surrounding watershed tributaries. This 18-month long collaborative process lead to the creation of the Gallatin River Task Force’s Big Sky Sustainable Watershed Stewardship Plan (BSSWSP): a blueprint to protect our Gallatin River fishery, maintain the river’s ecological integrity, and establish a resilient water supply in the face of climate change, high river use, and population growth.

This plan is not the first of its kind. Many communities have endeavored to evaluate a watershed, identify solutions and proactively execute a plan that creates a healthier river system by encouraging good stewardship practices, mindful water conservation, and environmental considerations. The one key element that makes the plan different is in its vision, and execution.

“I’ve seen fancier plans with similar visions of ‘sustainability,” says WGM’s Mace Mangold, who has been involved in the canyon district planning, “but Big Sky’s ability to build and support and then fund and implement projects is extremely rare.”

As a community-based, collaborative approach to building a unified vision for future Big Sky water resource management, the plan aims to maintain and

enhance a healthy river system in the community while also identifying sustainable solutions for the community water supply and wastewater treatment challenges.

One key result from the plan is the creation of the Gallatin Canyon Water and Sewer District,(Canyon District), a notable example of the Big Sky community executing the vision for a healthier river watershed. Groundwater pollution from failing septic systems is not unique to just the Gallatin Canyon. There are hundreds of these current and potential polluting pockets of concentrated septics throughout our state. Thousands throughout our nation. Big Sky, however, is one of the only communities that proactively took this step to protect watershed health.

The motivation, and the intent, is to swiftly and accurately put into place nearly five miles of sewer main along Highway 191 and throughout the canyon corridor, effectively retiring old septic systems that present notable human and health risks. A central sewer system introduces several significant benefits, not the least of which is better treatment and management of community wastewater, and the added benefit of that having a positive long-term impact on recurring algae blooms in the Gallatin.

This project still has hurdles to clear, and true success ultimately relies on the community. If the goal is to measurably improve and protect the Gallatin River water quality, the Canyon District will need to expand its boundary. If only a fraction of the Gallatin Canyon area is committed to central collection and treatment, then only a fraction of the problem is addressed.

Continued community support and commitment through initiatives like 1% for Infrastructure (the initiative approved by Big Sky Resort Tax district voters,

which commits 1% of collected resort tax to be dedicated to public infrastructure projects) is ultimately critical to maintaining project momentum and affordability. The Canyon District is committed to addressing additional community needs, including the Big Sky Housing Trust’s goal to increase housing opportunities, the Big Sky Chamber’s focus on local business needs, and the School District’s ability to solidify their water and wastewater needs for the foreseeable future. It truly takes a village, or in this case, community buy-in that looks at fundamental needs, solutions, and collaboration on how to execute.

Building off the momentum of the years of monitoring and understanding the needs of the river, the Gallatin River Task Force is asking for community buy-in. The potential benefits of an expanded sewer district are exponential, and finalizing steps to increase the Canyon Sewer District Boundary is an essential step in driving a healthier Gallatin River corridor now, and in the future. For more information visit www.gallatincanyonwsd.com

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

Spring sunshine spotlights the Gallatin in all its glory. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GALLATIN RIVER TASK FORCE

BY BRIAN SEXTON

When Colorado passed its Red Flag law, called “Extreme Risk Protection Orders,” in 2019, El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder announced his opposition: “I am exploring all legal options and am vigorously challenging the constitutionality of this law.”

He wasn’t alone. Many county sheriffs in Colorado said they believed the law didn’t allow enough due process or was unconstitutional.

But since then, some 20 of these so-called “sanctuary” counties have seen the light, implementing this sensible law so that weapons have been taken away from violent people. But it was not used in El Paso County’s Colorado Springs, where a man recently killed five people and wounded many others at Club Q, an LGBTQ bar.

The shooter, who survived, never had to go to court to defend himself against the Red Flag law — even after law enforcement was called in a year ago to stop him from threatening his family with a bomb.

If anyone needed to be parted from weapons, it was the Club Q shooter. But sadly, in the wake of massacres like this, we frequently learn that no action was taken earlier by either law enforcement or family.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s office, in a statement to the Colorado Sun, admitted that it has never initiated an

extreme risk protection order, the first step in removing a firearm from someone under Colorado law.

The Red Flag law builds in due process, as only a judge can begin the process of removing someone’s guns. A second court appearance is necessary to extend a temporary protection order beyond two weeks. While a Red Flag law is now used in 19 other states, the Associated Press found that Colorado residents invoke the law less often than residents of other states.

Why not? A major reason is the anti-democratic ideology of county sheriffs who choose what laws to enforce. Sheriffs have bought into the peculiar notion that a county has ultimate legal authority to uphold the Constitution of the United States.

One result of this old “Posse Comitatus” approach is that local sheriffs feel free to ignore state laws they don’t like. All they have to do is label them “unconstitutional.” This attitude was on full display in several states when they issued emergency orders to curb the spread of Covid 19. Rural sheriffs in Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and California resisted. They defied the orders of their state government and refused to enforce public health measures.

The backbone of this county approach is best represented by the Constitutional Sheriff and Peace Officer Association, a group based in Arizona and founded by Richard Mack, described by the AntiDefamation League as an “anti-government extremist.” Mack is also credited as a founding member of the Oath Keepers, infamous for their involvement in the January 6th Capitol riot.

In my home state of Oregon, this rhetoric has made inroads. Though a contentious ballot measure restricting magazine capacity and implementing a new firearm permitting system recently passed, several county sheriffs have joined lawsuits to prevent the reforms from going into effect. Many more of Oregon’s 36 county sheriffs have stated they will not enforce all or parts of the law.

While not all of these sheriffs may view themselves as members of the Constitutional Sheriff and Peace Officer Association, the influence of its ideology is undeniable.   You would think it goes without saying, but the job of a county sheriff has never been to interpret laws as they see fit. Sheriffs are elected officials entrusted by their community to apply laws fairly. Allowing sheriffs to act as supreme legal arbiters is wrongheaded and dangerous.

If the El Paso County sheriff or the shooter’s family had implemented the Red Flag law, a massacre might have been prevented.

So called “Constitutional Sheriffs” couch their rhetoric and ideology as a fight to preserve liberty and justice. It is almost as if they were living in a fictionalized version of the Wild West, where a lone sheriff with a gun upholds civilization.

That is not the world we live in. Guns are not sacrosanct possessions, unstable and dangerous people should not be allowed to stockpile weapons, and activating the Red Flag law can save lives.

If our sheriffs won’t uphold the laws, maybe it’s time to vote for someone who will.

Brian Sexton is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring conversation about Western issues. He writes about wildlife and hunting in Oregon.

A LA CARTE A QUICK WARM UP

BY RACHEL HERGETT EBS COLUMNIST

It was a rainy May weekend in northern Idaho and an extra facefull of cold water was certainly not on my wish list for a run down the raging Lochsa River. But my decision to forgo a seat at the front of the raft meant I found myself perched on the tail end as we backed up to a giant wave called Pipeline, intent on surfing it—paddling upriver to suspend the raft on top. If you’re on the back of the raft, like I was, you can look over the apex of the wave and down into a hole of raging water.

This is exactly what I was doing when the wave overtook us, flinging the butt of the raft into that hole where it swallowed me face first and pulled me under the wave. I could regale you with a tall tale, but the swim itself was pretty uneventful: I held onto my paddle until the wave spit me out, and was almost immediately pulled back into the raft. I’m clear-headed in high-stress situations and love water to the point I may be part fish.

The problem came after the swim. I was a shivering ball curled on the floor of the raft, willing my body to heat the river water soaking my wet suit.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and was offered a steaming cup from the top of a thermos.

Inside: manna.

Any warm beverage would have heated me from the inside, but hot chocolate does it best. And this one—laced with peppermint schnapps to make it, technically, an alpine—warmed body and soul.

Maybe it’s the connection to the holiday season. Hot chocolate makes me think of Christmas tree hunting and gathering around a winter bonfire. Or of Bozeman’s Christmas Stroll, when I usually start at La Chatelaine, the chocolate shop in the Baxter that serves an impeccable version, and then sometimes cross the street to the Cannery to top it off. Cocoa makes me think of the Tim Allen move “The Santa Clause” and Judy the elf who perfected her recipe over 1,200 years. And of my longstanding December tradition to drive around with friends or family looking at Christmas lights—fancy dress and to-go hot chocolates required.

When I mentioned I wanted to write about hot chocolate to EBS's managing editor Jason Bacaj, he divulged that hot chocolate is also his goto hot beverage. As a lover of Type 2 fun in all manner of weather, he keeps half-and-half and a dark chocolate cocoa powder on hand for a winter warm-up.

There are many ways to make a cup. I tend to use the Mexican hot chocolate tablets that are flavored with vanilla and cinnamon melted into a saucepan of warm whole milk. But if I don’t have the tablets on hand, chocolate chips and chocolate syrup work too. Or baking cocoa, sweetened with sugar or honey or maple. Each brings a bit of a different flavor—which sounds like the perfect reason to do some hot chocolate taste testing of your own. You can also experiment with toppings like whip cream, marshmallows and candy canes, or flavors and spices.

Hot chocolate doesn’t have to be fancy to be effective as the perfect warm-up after a romp in the snow or dunk in a river. Sometimes all you have is Swiss Miss and hot water. I’ve been there (and recommend doubling up on the chocolate). It’s not great, but still soothes.

Whatever adventures find you, stay warm out there… and pack hot chocolate.

Rachel Hergett is a foodie and cook from Montana. She is arts editor emeritus at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle and has written for publications such as Food Network Magazine and Montana Quarterly. Rachel is also the host of the Magic Monday Show on KGLT-FM and teaches at Montana State University.

BIGSKY BITES EBS’S FAVORITE (AND EASY) HOLIDAY TREATS

EBS STAFF

The end of the year brings with it the magical feeling of holiday wonder. Snow blankets the ground, string lights illuminate houses and trees, and we gather with loved ones to eat, drink and be merry. The holiday season also brings parties, shopping for everyone you’ve ever met, end-of-year work stress, a fully

Jason Bacaj’s “reality check”

I have to come clean: By no means do I have any culinary talent. I am an enthusiastic and adventurous eater but have a ways to go in developing any recipes worth sharing with friends and family. Three months ago I owned one pot and one pan, so my quick and easy holiday contribution is simply to buy a pie from a local bakery.

I highly recommend leaning on the expertise of others. If such moves are frowned upon in your circles, though, I recommend the classic holiday drink, the alpine—hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps.

packed schedule and an overall lack of daylight. Let’s face it: the holidays are wonderful but also exhausting.

To help you brave the craziness that is December, EBS staff members have each provided a festive treat that can be thrown together in the event you need a quick treat to bring to any holiday get-together. (Or to eat by yourself, we don’t judge.)

Julia Barton’s “fancy popcorn”

Popcorn is a great snack any time of the year. It’s easy to make, tastes good and, most importantly, very customizable. My “fancy popcorn” transforms a pretty average snack into something that looks thoughtful and tastes amazing. All you need is your plain microwave popcorn of choice, some chocolate and a candy cane or two.

To make it, spread your popped popcorn on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, making sure to pause and stir frequently, and drizzle over the popcorn. Before the chocolate dries, sprinkle a crushed candy cane on top. Voilà, fancy popcorn. If you’re feeling extra festive, you can add in some colorful sprinkles or M&M’s, even colored chocolate—have fun with it and enjoy the holidays!

Leslie Kilgore’s

chocolate covered strawberries

I love making chocolate covered strawberries around the holidays. It’s a great gift for friends too, wrapped in festive paper. Just melt some of your favorite chocolate in a double boiler on low, stirring constantly, add a bit of milk, then dip your strawberries (preferably with good stems) in the chocolate and let them set on a baking sheet with parchment paper for about an hour.

Wrap the dipped strawberries in paper with some ribbon once the chocolate is hard and they are ready to go!

“Katie was absolutely wonderful! She is professional, smart, insightful and easy going in the best way possible. We feel so lucky to have connected with her!”

ILLUSTRATION BY CY WHITLING

BY JULIA BARTON

Perfectly situated to take in breathtaking views of Lone Peak, Fan Mountain, Spanish Peaks and the Madison Valley, this luxury, mountain modern retreat strikes the perfect balance of sophistication and ski-style chic. The home features stone, steel and reclaimed wood with walls of windows to capture every possible view. Located on a quiet cul-de-sac, the spacious floor plan design is timeless, with 5 Bedrooms, 5 baths and 2 powder rooms provide a sanctuary where you can work, live, play, and entertain. On the main level, you will find a wood burning fireplace, living area, primary and secondary bedroom, as well as gourmet kitchen, dining room and large outdoor deck. Downstairs includes a second living area, 2 bedrooms, bunk room, bar, ski room complete with ski lockers and boot dryers and just steps from the ski trail and Big Sky’s slopes. Set for completion in late spring of 2023. Co-listed with Ania Bulis

With views of all six surrounding mountain ranges, Six Range is a modern housing community that brings a Scandinavian design aesthetic to Bozeman.

Own your own home within Montana’s newest design-forward, outdoors-oriented neighborhood.

BEST BUSINESS Ace Hardware - Big Sky

While the typical visit to the hardware store is usually an in-and-out forgettable affair, anyone who frequents Ace Hardware in Big Sky knows it can be more than that. Upon each visit, customers are greeted without fail by a friendly red-vested hardware helper. You’ll never leave empty-handed because the attentive staff will also help you find what you need, and you’ll likely enjoy some pleasant banter along with your shopping. Kevin Barton has run the store since 1993. It grew from a Mom & Pop operation—no employees beside Kevin and his wife, Tina, for the first six months—into a thriving business that fills out a 14,000-square-foot building. Ace has been a community anchor in the face of rough waters throughout the pandemic. It’s no surprise that the Big Sky voted Ace Hardware for the best store. acebigskytools.com

2nd Place

The Riverhouse BBQ & Events

Riverhouse BBQ & Events is known for its delicious BBQ, spectacular view of the Gallatin River and reliable atmosphere. The Riverhouse has stood as a sanctuary for recreationists and locals since owners Greg "Carnie" Lisk and Kyle Wisniewski opened the doors in 2013 with a fiery passion for dry-rubbed meats, craft beer and a good time. riverhousebbq.com

3rd Place Stay Montana

Editors Pick

Best New Business: Peak Ski Company

Peak Skis is new to the ski game as a brand, but the engineering minds behind the company are some of the most experienced in the industry. Founded by U.S. Alpine

Olympian Bode Miller and resort mogul Andy Wirth, Peak Skis are a direct-to-consumer company with a showroom here in Bozeman, Montana. With innovation at the forefront of their ethos, Peak Skis are not just for achieving the pinnacle of performance in the mountains, but also to embrace why we all ski in the first place: to have fun. peakskis.com

Ennion Williams is rounding out his third decade of calling Big Sky home this year. He began his summers at Lone Mountain Ranch, fulfilling several roles ranging from chef and fly-fishing guide before rising to general manager. He then moved on to general manager of Big Sky Vacation Rentals. Most recently, he entered the worlds of rodeo and live music as Vice President of Events for Outlaw Partners.

Williams is invested in this community. He’s held a seat on the Big Sky Transportation District Board for more than 20 years and has been with Gallatin River Task Force since the nonprofit’s inception, serving as the board chair since 2020.

He’s most at home on the Gallatin River. His passion for sharing his knowledge of fly fishing, and his love for healthy rivers is what brought him here and has kept him as a recognizable face in our community for so long.

COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF THE YEAR Teachers of Big Sky

For any Big Sky parents who had school-aged children during the pandemic, they know the level of commitment that teachers showed to the kids of Ophir School, Lone Peak High School, Big Sky Discovery Academy and Morning Star Learning Center. That commitment continues every day of the school year in good times and during challenging ones. There isn’t a teacher in this community who doesn’t go above and beyond to enhance their students’ lives in and out of school on a daily basis.

In today’s world, the work of a teacher is rooted in the classroom and academics, but also in the emotional well-being of every child. The teachers of Big Sky excel in making a true difference for the future of Big Sky and its next generation of leaders.

2nd Place

Firefighters, Big Sky Fire Department

The Big Sky Fire Department came in a close second during voting, which is no surprise because of their continued efforts to keep Big Sky safe and prepared. Their work is 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and they often face the unimaginable when responding to emergencies. We’re proud the community is recognizing these often unsung heroes.

“No more trips to BOZEMAN,” reads the First Tracks Tire Services website. Any local knows the value in that statement for automobile service, but the owners go beyond their convenient location here in Big Sky. They have one simple goal: to be a trusted tire and routine auto-service provider for the residents and visitors of Big Sky with safety, trust and community in mind. Chris and Tanner have extensive backgrounds as auto technicians and are looking forward to being the go-to spot for all who reside in Big Sky. firsttrackstire.com

Wellness in Action (formerly Women in Action) was founded in 2005 to address the concerns of community members in Big Sky who were missing out on opportunities for quality education and health and human services. Over the years, WIA has provided a broad range of social programs that include counseling services, education programs and scholarship opportunities for summer and winter camps.

Currently, WIA provides cost-free and sliding-scale priced counseling, education and support groups focused on substance abuse and suicide prevention, and wellness opportunities. WIA offers camp scholarships so that people may participate in educational, recreational and cultural events in and around Big Sky. WIA collaborates with local schools, health care providers, law enforcement, local businesses, as well as other foundations and nonprofits to enhance the lives of all Big Sky residents. bigskywia.org

Ophir School, Lone Peak High School, Big Sky Discovery Academy, Morning Star Learning Center

TRAILBLAZER AWARD 406 Agave

When it was first inspired by the surrounding mountains, the idea for 406 Agave was simple: to bring high-quality agave home to Big Sky country to complement this wild and beautiful landscape. Their tequila is crafted at a fourth-generation distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, earning its authentic brand, and 406 Agave is the first American company to partner with that unique distillery. They boast two pure spirits, tequila blanco and tequila reposado, that both contain zero additives. The company is building toward making its tequila an ideal companion to the mountain holiday experience, and is a partner with Big Sky Bravery. 406agave.com

BEST RESTAURANT The Riverhouse BBQ & Events

If you know the Riverhouse owners Greg Lisk and Kyle Wisniewski, you’ll know that seeing them working hard amongst their staff on crazy-busy nights that happen almost every day of the year isn’t out of the ordinary. The duo has been at the helm since 2013 providing a place for locals and tourists to mingle together, listen to live music, dance at community events, and cozy up to a firepit during the summer. It’s where you’ll hear regulars and firsttimers alike admiring the incredible views from the deck, kids running around, or folks singing along to classic country. riverhousebbq.com

2nd Place

Blue Buddha Sushi Lounge

Troy “Twist” Thompson, founder and owner, learned sushi rolling under the legendary Andy Matsuda in Los Angeles before opening Blue Buddha restaurants in Page, Arizona, and then Big Sky in 2019. The Drunken Monk—Blue Buddha’s late-night bar and eatery—is open seven days a week now. bigskybluebuddha.com

3rd Place Olive B’s Big Sky Bistro

Editors Pick

Cortina at Montage Big Sky

One of the newest and best restaurants in Big Sky is Cortina at Montage Big Sky. The menu is a blend of traditional Italian and the best of Montana’s wild game and ranching products, centered around handmade pasta and a wood-fired grill and hearth. montagehotels.com/bigsky

BEST ANNUAL EVENT Music in the Mountains

The Big Sky community celebrated a rowdy lineup of local talent on the Len Hill Park lawn this summer as it has every year since 2010 (aside from the first pandemic year). Produced by the Arts Council of Big Sky for the last decade, the event brings the community out every single time because of the welcoming feel, the beautiful setting and the consistently great acts that perform each week.

With all that said, it likely comes as no surprise that the community voted the free outdoor concert series Music in the Mountains as the best annual event. bigskyarts.org

2nd Place

PBR

It isn’t quite a summer in Big Sky without the annual Big Sky PBR. The event gathers some of the world’s top bull riders for three nights of bull-bucking adrenaline, Calcutta auction, mutton bustin’ and live music. bigskypbr.com

Editors

Pick Farmers Market

When the evenings get long and the weather warm, there’s nothing quite like strolling through Town Center browsing your favorite local artists and producers at the Big Sky Farmers Market. The market is held each Wednesday evening between June and August. bigskytowncenter.com/farmers-market/

MOST SUSTAINABLE/GREEN BUSINESS Gallatin River Task Force

In 2000, a group of passionate community members, concerned about the release of treated wastewater into their beloved Gallatin River, formed the Gallatin River Task Force. The nonprofit has since been advocating for one of Big Sky’s crown jewels by monitoring the Upper Gallatin River Watershed, employing water conservation efforts and a water management forum that plans for the area’s growth and development. Task Force members do the work because they believe that friends, neighbors, wildlife and future generations all deserve to enjoy a healthy river corridor.

The group’s work focuses on solving problems across three areas: the ecological health of river systems, water conservation and wastewater management. It is the only nonprofit focused solely on protecting the upper watershed as various factors continue to threaten the river’s health. gallatinrivertaskforce.org

2nd Place

Big Sky SNO

If you’ve used the water fountains or new recycling and compost bins around Big Sky, you’re aware of the work that the Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization does for the community. The nonprofit works to identify ways to reduce reuse and recycle in everyday life so we can remain sustainable even while we grow. bigskysno.org

BEST NONPROFIT Big Sky Community Food Bank

Big Sky is home to many seasonal employees, and that, coupled with a high cost of living, causes food insecurity. Over the past year, overall need grew by 60% in 2022, according to data from the Big Sky Community Food Bank. People might’ve used the food bank a few times a year in the past, but in the pandemic era customers have visited the nonprofit up to once a week. A program of the Human Resource Development Council, the food bank works tirelessly to provide those in need with a reliable food source, vouchers for local grocery stores and more. bigskyfoodbank.org

2nd Place

Big Sky Community Organization

Big Sky loves its trails and recreation. Whether you’re biking Hummocks Trail, on one of the area’s many groomed cross-country ski trails, playing softball or heading up to Beehive Basin for an after-work hike, you are enjoying services provided by Big Sky Community Organization. BSCO also operates the BASE Community Center in Town Center. bscomt.org

3rd Place Gallatin River Task Force

Editors Pick

Big Sky Chamber of Commerce

The Big Sky Chamber of Commerce plays something of an unheralded role in the unincorporated community of Big Sky. It supports the community through efforts like helping to organize Big Sky Community Week alongside the Big Sky Resort Area District, and providing health insurance options for small businesses. bigskychamber.com

3rd Place Steele Pressed Juice + Java

BEST BAR Beehive Basin Brewery

On your way out of Big Sky after an epic powder day at the resort, no day is finished without a stop at Beehive Basin Brewery. It isn’t by accident the brewery snagged a “best beer” win at the 2016 Big Sky Brewfest, all of one year after they opened— when it comes to beer, owners Casey Folley and Andy Liedberg (who’s also the head brewer) aim high.

The brewery operates a seven-barrel brewing system custom-built for them by a company in Oregon. The system allows Liedberg to constantly change up the beers on tap. And with more than a decade’s worth of experience brewing up tasty beers, you’d be remiss to skip out on a visit to Beehive Basin’s location in Town Center or tracking down a pint around town. beehivebasinbrewery.com

2nd Place

The Independent

From movies to trivia, with themed cocktails and house-made infusions it’s no wonder the Independent is a community favorite. Co-owners John Romney and Dan Henry reopened the venue on Jan. 7 this year after with help from General Manager Ruth White, who joined the team in May 2021, to help transition from Lone Peak Cinema to its current setup with a theater, bar and upstairs restaurant. theindependentmt.com

3rd Place The Rocks Tasting Room and Liquor Store

Michaelangelo’s is an authentic Italian restaurant with a menu consisting of dishes from northern Italy. It’s run by siblings Emily and Michael Annadono. Michael—who trained in the Piedmont region of Italy and was named one of America’s best chefs by bestchefsamerica.com—is the owner and head chef, and Emily is the general manager. Emily has said that it’s been really special to develop and grow the restaurant with her brother, and that the restaurant has a tight-knit staff that has grown to become great friends over time.

The restaurant opened in March 2016, and is the second Michaelangelo’s the pair has run. The pair co-owned a restaurant in Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood before Michael ventured out West and fell in love with Big Sky. michaelangelosbigsky.com

2nd Place

Olive B’s Big Sky Bistro

Olive B’s menu is so memorable, they’ve made the Best of Big Sky multiple times. Among their already popular menu, the burger reigns supreme, it seems, making your decision the next time you visit an easy one. Although you really can't make a wrong choice if you want to impress a date by picking a somewhat more refined entree. olivebsbigsky.com

3rd Place Lone Mountain Ranch

BEST BARTENDER

Zach Lowenstein at The Independent

The handsome native of northern California is one of the head bartenders at The Independent—and currently leading an internal competition to pop the most bottle caps without a tool specifically made for the job. Lowenstein is a talker and believes that perhaps the core of bartending is the ability to show someone a good time. Among his goals with every customer is to get to know them, while they get to know him as well.

He harbors a deep love of tequila and can regale customers with tales of riding motorcycles through agave fields in Jalisco, and has worked in Big Sky for three years and recently moved from the Lone Mountain Ranch over to the Independent, which Lowenstein says has the best team in town. theindependentmt.com

2nd Place

Joe Messreni at Drunken Monk

Joe Messreni has been slinging amazing handcrafted cocktails at Blue Buddha’s Drunken Monk since they opened in July 2021. Messreni’s unique and creative bartending style matches the vibrant Japanese-inspired atmosphere of the bar in which he serves. Be sure to try his Flaming Lotus cocktail if you’re in the mood for a delicious, spicy drink. bigskybluebuddha.com

BEST CHEF

Josh Morris at Lone Mountain Ranch

Josh Morris brings his southern charm and flare to the table at Lone Mountain Ranch. As an outdoor events chef, Morris works outside all day cooking a unique and locally sourced menu. His love for food began around his grandmother’s dinner table in Mississippi and has eventually brought him to Lone Mountain Ranch in 2018.

Morris spends his summers riding horseback roughly 80 miles through the backcountry of Yellowstone to prepare delicious, fresh meals for his guests. If he’s not in the backcountry, Morris is often serving Frito pies with a smile on his face at LMR’s summer rodeo events. In the winter, Morris helps prepare Horn & Cantle’s Montana-inspired meals as a morning sous chef. lonemountainranch.com

2nd Place

John Flach at By Word of Mouth

John and Pam Flach have been feeding the locals of Big Sky since 1995 when they purchased BYWOM from its original owner. John is loved for his culinary skills and has been a respected community member for 35 years. Don’t pass up their happy hour deals… the “Dirtbag Deal” is not to be missed, dirtbag or not. bywombbywordofmouth.com

3rd Place Josh Sauers at Blue Buddha Sushi Lounge

BEST COFFEE Caliber Coffee Roasters

Big Sky’s love for fresh coffee and fresh snow go hand in hand. With house-roasted whole bean coffee, a variety of espresso drinks, pour-overs and drip coffee, along with breakfast burritos, breakfast sandwiches and fresh baked goods, Caliber serves skiers on their way to slaying a powder day. Caliber owner Stephanie Alexander has been a barista since 1999 and attended Idaho’s Diedrich Roasters roasting school. She worked at the Mud Hut in Bozeman before starting Big Sky Coffee & Tea.

In 2017, she bought and took over Caliber and has provided the community with a cozy space to work, listen to music or stop in for a quick bite, seven days of the week. Caliber is located in the Westfork Meadows Shopping Center where locals can grab a fresh brew and a tasty treat.

2nd Place

Steele Pressed Juice + Java With origins stemming from their days at the Big Sky farmers market, owner Jen Steele has turned her dream into a reality. Now with a shop in Town Center, Steele and her staff are serving up delicious coffee along with healthy smoothies, snacks and quick meals in a cozy and welcoming spot to settle in for a healthy food and beverage break. steelepressedjuice.com

3rd Place Hungry Moose Market and Deli

BEST SANDWICH Hungry Moose Market and Deli

A trip to the Hungry Moose Market & Deli every so often takes longer than expected, but that’s because there’s always a friendly face behind the counter to stop and chat with. Or because visitors run into their friends. After all, as the welcome mat says, Hungry Moose has been "in the belly of Big Sky since 1994."

The Hungry Moose is known for their ready-to-go sandwiches among other lunch goods like curried chicken salad, housemade tuna salad, healthy wraps and Boar’s Head meats. It's no wonder many locals head to the Hungry Moose multiple days per week. Also, their beer and wine selection is not to be slept on. hungrymoose.com

2nd Place

Roxy’s Market and Café Roxy’s is known for their sandwiches. As Big Sky’s largest grocery store, the deli serves equally large portions. The 17,000-square-foot building houses that deli in addition to groceries, produce and an expansive beer and wine selection. The store opened in the fall of 2014. Co-owners Roxy and Michael Lawler also have grocery stores in Aspen and Montecito, California roxysmarket.com

3rd Place Riverhouse BBQ & Events

BEST BREAKFAST Cafe 191

No matter the time of year, Cafe 191 is always a lively restaurant filled with locals and tourists alike. That’s because their breakfasts are hearty, healthy, fresh, and affordable, with portions that are meant for leftovers. Customers never leave hungry, and often leave relaxed after a stellar mimosa or bloody mary. The breakfast stir-fry and the quinoa and eggs will satisfy healthy appetites, but their whiskey bourbon bison steak and eggs and the buttermilk biscuits and gravy won’t disappoint either. The staff is always smiling and happy to pour a fresh cup of coffee in the morning.

It’s one the best spots in town to start an adventurous day, and it’s been that way ever since opening its doors in 1986. cafe191bigsky.com

2nd Place

Blue Moon Bakery Blue Moon Bakery is owned and operated by the Johnsen family and has already been recognized for their pizza and brownies, and this latest milestone—they’ve won numerous “Best of” accolades over their 25-plus years—proves they can do it all. Plus, what goes better with fresh cinnamon rolls than a piping hot brew for the road? bigskybluemoonbakery.com

3rd Place

The Corral Steakhouse & Motel

BEST APRÈS Scissorbills Saloon

Scissorbills Saloon has been a mainstay at the mountain almost since the resort welcomed its first skiers in the 1970s. Aprés brews are located a short walk from the chairlifts and up the stairs on the third floor of the Arrowhead Mall in the Mountain Village. Operating partner Keith Kuhns has created and maintained a fun-loving atmosphere that keeps the locals coming back year after year, as evidenced by the community crowning Scissorbills Best Après.

The privately-owned saloon at the foot of Big Sky Resort has live music Thursday through Sunday evenings, you can put your ski boots up, talk about your best runs of the day, and listen to some great local musicians. scissorbills.com

2nd Place

Big Sky Base Area

After a day on the mountain, friends catch up and share snowy stories at Big Sky Resort’s base area. With live DJs, a new yurt bar and a deck that faces the sunset on the peak, locals and tourists can’t go wrong hanging out and relishing Big Sky after a day on the hill. bigskyresort.com

3rd Place Beehive Basin Brewery

BEST LODGING/HOTEL The Wilson Hotel

The Wilson Hotel not only provides quality lodging in Big Sky Town Center, but offers a gathering place for outdoor music, the Big Sky farmers market and a place to play in the park, drink coffee, eat ice cream and soak up the sun. At the helm is General Manager Mandy Hotovy, who moved out West to earn her turns and further her career in the hospitality industry. She’s been in Big Sky since 2018.

The Wilson maintains high occupancy numbers throughout the year and continues to be a hub for community gatherings in addition to offering visitors a high-end experience in the heart of Town Center, with a brewery, restaurant, cinema and equipment rentals all within walking distance of the hotel. thewilsonhotel.com

2nd Place

Lone Mountain Ranch

The service, the setting, the food, the outdoor activities and the staff define this Montana guest ranch. Whether it’s for the lodging, the easy access to Yellowstone National Park or world-class Nordic ski trails, the Lone Mountain Ranch has something for just about every guest. lonemountainranch.com

3rd Place Montage Big Sky

Fried cheese curds, sweet potato fries, fried chicken and smoked brisket that falls off the fork into macaroni and cheese… The Riverhouse exists to fulfill barbecue fantasies. For those on a budget, they're committed to serving affordable fried chicken.

The Riverhouse opened in 2013 because the founders, Kyle Wisniewski and Greg Lisk felt compelled to bring dry-rubbed, slow-smoked Hill Country Texas barbecue to Big Sky. Lo and behold, delicious food and a great atmosphere mixed well with the mountain community of Big Sky, as readers might notice in the Best of Big Sky listings—they’re in this list a few times. riverhousebbq.com

2nd Place

Mi Pueblito Taco Bus

If you pull into Ace Hardware’s parking lot to snag a quick beef side burrito for lunch, the Mi Pueblito Taco Bus provides hungry recreationists and workers of Big Sky with delicious, finely made and authentic Mexican food from the school bus window, come rain or shine. ordermipueblitotacobus.com

3rd Place Blue Moon Bakery

BYWOM has been Big Sky’s go-to for a burger packed with caramelized onions, pickles, lettuce and a secret sauce since its inception 26 years ago. The family-owned eatery has claimed the Best Burger title for many consecutive years, and there’s no secret why—owners John and Pam Flach are passionate about providing a high-quality menu. The two met while working at Buck’s T4 Lodge back in the day; John was a chef and Pam was a waitress.

Every local knows the craving for a BYWOM burger after a day on the ski hill. The restaurant has grown its offerings considerably since its humble beginnings as a deli and wine shop way back in 1993, earning them another Best Burger plaque. bywombywordofmouth.com

2nd Place

The Corral Bar, Steakhouse & Motel

Drinking, pool, swing dancing and good burgers are all part of the Corral Bar, Steakhouse & Motel’s storied past. Whether it’s the bourbon burger, the fire burger, or the black & bleu, the Corral serves a hearty meal and a good local vibe. corralbar.com

3rd Place

BEST BURGER By Word of Mouth BEST PIZZA

Riverhouse BBQ & Events

Ousel & Spur Pizza Company

This isn’t the first time Ousel and Spur has claimed the title of Big Sky’s best pizza. And with fresh sauces made in-house to go along with classic hand tossed crusts, it may not be much of a surprise. Owner Jennifer Kettleridge places an emphasis on high quality, locally sourced ingredients to craft her delicious pies and housemade sauce, which elevates the high quality of Ousel & Spur’s Italian cuisine to something beyond just your standard pizzeria. They also offer take-and-bake options for the busy Big Sky local or visitor on the go.

In addition to the ingredients and care she puts into her food, Kettleridge attributes a fair portion of her success to the outstanding Ousel & Spur employees. As their website reads, "Eat pizza. Drink wine. Enjoy life!" ouselandspurpizza.com

2nd Place

Blue Moon Bakery

Another frequent Best of Big Sky contender across multiple categories, Blue Moon Bakery has kept Big Sky residents well-fed since they opened more than 25 years ago. The family-owned bakery is known for sandwiches and baked goods too. Poke your head in next time you’re around Big Pine Drive—a member of the Johnsen family will likely be there. bigskybluemoonbakery.com

BEST ARCHITECT Centre Sky Architecture

Founder and Principal Architect

Jamie Daugaard has been crafting custom residential, ranch, resort and commercial architecture across the Rocky Mountain West since 1998. Centre Sky Architecture remembers a Big Sky before the various private clubs—those clubs were some of the firm’s first projects in the area. Today, they work on extensive projects across the region, in addition to ones in the Yellowstone Club, Spanish Peaks and Moonlight Basin. The company’s creative, open-minded and design-oriented team can handle just about any project.

Daugaard attributes the success of his company to the general contractors who execute his work as well as support from the Montana State University Architecture Department and the professors who guided him along his professional path as an architectural student at the university. centresky.com

2nd Place

Bechtle Architects

Bechtle Architects has deep roots in Big Sky. They have served as designers of many of the buildings throughout Town Center and Big Sky Resort. Owner Scott Bechtle runs an entrepreneurial team with a passion for the Montana way of life. They keep busy with a range of projects, from residential remodels to mixed-use buildings. bechtlearchitects.com 3rd Place 45 Architecture

2nd Place

L&K Real Estate

Staffed with real veterans of the Big Sky real estate market, Big Sky Real Estate Co. is one of the standout firms for home and land purchases in Big Sky. As many of their agents have stated in person and online, they are grateful for the Big Sky Community and the good fortune its residents all have to live, work and play in such a special part of the world. Founding broker Ania Bulis has called Montana home for more than two decades, and her counterpart and founding broker Martha Johnson first became a full-time Big Sky resident in 1988. Between those two and their civic-minded coworkers, Big Sky Real Estate Co. is an asset to the community. bigskyrealestate.com

L&K Real Estate is one of Big Sky’s top brokerages, boasting more than 70 years of combined experience and total sales that measure in the billions. Co-owners Eric Ladd and Ryan Kulesza have been expanding L&K Real Estate’s offerings to the Bozeman area in addition to the Big Sky area. The dedicated team, supported by an experienced staff, are devoted to helping people find their dream property. lkrealestate.com

3rd Place

Big Sky Sotheby’s International Realty

BEST PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Two Pines Property Management

Two Pines Properties, owned and operated by Wes and Alex Hoecker, like to keep it simple: they provide the best possible service to all of their owners and guests. While they began with a single condo over a decade ago, the Hoeckers have since grown into one of the most respected property management companies in the region.

Business success aside, the husband and wife team is hardworking and humbled simply to be living in Big Sky and supported by the community they love so much—a community that has stepped up for the couple during challenging times as they got the business off the ground. They share their Best of Big Sky title with all the people who make their work happen, from cleaners to owners to staff and everything in between. twopinesvacationrentals.com

2nd Place

Hammond Property Management

Hammond is a family-owned company that was founded in 1997 and wields the power of more than 100 years of combined experience in property management and maintenance. Among the company’s specialties are HOA management, snow removal, maintenance—they have a maintenance shop on U.S. Highway 191—and all aspects of condo complex services. hpmmontana.com

3rd Place Stay Montana

BEST WEDDING VENUE

Lone Mountain Ranch

Lone Mountain Ranch provides one of the most authentic experiences in Yellowstone Country, and has earned its stripes as a world-renowned establishment. On a single property, visitors can experience horseback riding, cross-country skiing, family-focused activities, luxury lodging and fine dining all surrounded by some of Big Sky’s most breathtaking vistas. As one might expect, LMR has been featured in Rocky Mountain Bride, Martha Stewart Weddings and—believe it or not—National Geographic.

They were voted the best spot to tie the knot, as friends and family will relish any event at such a memorable location. Lone Mountain Ranch has newlyweds covered with individual packages available for summer and winter honeymoons. lonemountainranch.com

2nd Place

The Riverhouse BBQ & Events

What’s a barbecue joint doing on a Best Wedding Venue list? It's to do with the "events" side of their name. Riverhouse has incredible views of the Gallatin Canyon, a large tent along the Gallatin River, delicious food and a fun vibe. riverhousebbq.com

3rd Place Rainbow Ranch Lodge

BEST WELLNESS BUSINESS Big Sky Natural Health

Big Sky Natural Health is operated by Dr. Kaley Burns, a licensed naturopathic physician who brings a passion to create a healthier body and mind in each person, using an individualized approach honed over years in practice. Big Sky Natural Health supports the community’s active residents and provides a refreshed focus on health.

Dr. Burns has a passion for endurance sports, having coached and completed in multiple Ironman events. Among the offerings she and her team provide are altitude IV therapy, NormaTec compression, nutritional counseling, acupuncture, cryotherapy, platelet rich plasma facial rejuvenation and herbal remedies. Also included are mobile IV services for group events, which include hydration IV therapies that take about 30 to 45 minutes. bigskynaturalhealthmt.com

2nd Place

Santosha Wellness Center

Owner Callie Stolz and her team at the Santosha Wellness Center offer a variety of practices and holistic healing services from around the world, including massages that aid in recovery and various styles of yoga. santoshabigsky.com

3rd Place

Lone Peak Physical Therapy & Performance

BASE is an acronym that stands for Big Adventure Safe Environment, and as Big Sky’s first community and recreation center, it provides locals with exactly that. BASE has become a community hub since opening its doors to the public in March, 2022. Offering more than 20 fitness and wellness classes each week, a workout area with cardio and strength equipment, pick-up sports in the full size gymnasium, a climbing wall and weekly youth programs, it’s no surprise that BASE is the community’s pick for best fitness center.

Pick-up pickleball and basketball games have become a popular weekly gathering for all ages, and it provides an after school place for Big Sky kids to stay active and fit together. bsco.org/base

2nd Place

Moving Mountains

Moving Mountains is a fitness center geared toward Big Sky residents looking to build their mountain-specific fitness or get their lifestyle aligned with where they’d like it to be. This fitness center aims to make the outdoor activities Big Sky is know for even more fun by physically preparing athletes to puch their goals in the mountains. movingmountainsmt.com

3rd Place

Lone Peak Physical Therapy & Performance

BEST CANNABIS DISPENSARY Lone Peak Cannabis Company

Lone Peak Cannabis Company got its start back in 2010 as a medical cannabis business and has grown over the years into Big Sky’s favorite dispensary. LPC has developed a reputation for quality in part because of strategic partnerships it has struck with organizations like Collective Elevation, one of Montana’s largest living-soil cannabis grow facilities. LPC owner Charlie Gaillard has said such partnerships align with his company’s mission to provide the best products available to customers, while growing cannabis in a way that’s better for both the environment and the consumer.

LPC specializes in organic, top-tier medicinal and recreational cannabis in addition to offering special deals and discounts to frequent members. lonepeakcannabiscompany.com

2nd Place

Herbaceous

Herbaceous is a family-owned business co-owned by Tanya Simonson here in Big Sky. The company serves both recreational customers and medical patients and has two locations: one near its farm in Butte and one just east of Four Corners on Bobcat Drive. herbaceousinc.com

3rd Place

Greener Pastures

BEST BUILDER Big Sky Build

Big Sky Build is the brainchild of John Seelye, who has lived in Big Sky since finishing college. Like many locals, he fell in love with the community and its surrounding mountains. What began in 1997 as Big Sky Woodwork & Design has evolved over decades into a company that specializes in all phases of the building process. As the 2021 winner for Best Business, Big Sky Build’s team continues to exemplify hard work, extensive expertise in their industry, and dedicated community involvement.

The team that Seelye has built not only excels in building beautiful homes but also serves as a true community leader. The community has voted Big Sky Build as Best Builder six times and Seelye, founder and president, was named business person of the year in 2016. bigskybuild.com

2nd Place

Porlier Custom Homes

Porlier Custom Homes is owned by Steve Porlier, a family-focused home builder. Porlier earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Oklahoma before gaining a reputation for excellent craftsmanship with high-end homes in Dallas. He moved to southwest Montana in recent years and has several active projects around Big Sky. porliercustomhomes.com 3rd Place Lone Pine Builders

BEST OUTDOOR RETAILER Grizzly Outfitters

Grizzly Outfitters has been providing Big Sky with outdoor gear, rentals, tune-ups, repairs and sound local advice since 1994. Owners Andrew Schreiner and Ken Lancey met in Big Sky Resort’s ski rental shop and together opened Grizzly Outfitters in the building that is now home to Big Sky Thrift and the Social Impact Hub. After a few more moves, Grizzly Outfitters settled into their space in Town Center, significantly expanding their inventory and offerings, becoming further entrenched as a community staple.

Schreiner and Lancey built up the business to such a high level that Colorado-based retailer Christy Sports purchased the company in December 2022, committing to keeping the staff and maintaining the high level of service Grizzly has offered to Big Sky over the years. grizzlyoutfitters.com

2nd Place

Gallatin Alpine Sports

With 25 years under their belt, Gallatin Alpine Sports has Big Sky covered for every nearly any adventure out there. Owner Tom Owen and his crew provide gear and rentals in-store and via delivery for everything from the rivers to the mountains, and are particularly knowledgeable about Nordic skiing and mountain biking. gallatinalpinesports.com

3rd Place

East Slope Outdoors

BOUTIQUE RETAILER Montana Supply

Mountain Supply, a mountain lifestyle shop located in the Town Center, offers a wide variety of clothing, accessories, books, decor and seasonal items. The inventory all exemplifies a modern Western style that is well-suited for locals and visitors to southwest Montana. The business is coowned by husband and wife Josh Tozier and Alaina Stinson and offers a wide selection of many shoppers’ favorite brands, expertly curated to fit the mountain aesthetic. montanasupplyco.com

2nd Place

Shelly Bermont Fine Jewelry

Shelly Bermont has worn a lot of hats and excelled in many careers during her lifetime. She found her artistic calling here in Big Sky at her jewelry store, Shelly Bermont Fine Jewelry located in the Meadow Village. Whether casual or sophisticated, Bermont and her team of Geologist Institute of America-certified employees work one-on-one with every customer to create pieces that emulate Big Sky’s beauty and unique setting. shellybermont.com

3rd Place Rhinestone Cowgirl

BEST ART GALLERY Courtney Collins Fine Art

Courtney Collins is not just a gallery owner, but a friend to many of the artists she represents. Her Town Center gallery features a collection of Western artists representing life in the Rocky Mountains through contemporary and traditional fine art. After working in Jackson Hole, Wyoming as an interior designer for 15 years, she grew her knowledge and relationships within the Western art world and decided to sell pieces to those who would cherish them for years to come. Collins opened her Big Sky gallery in 2020 and has since become a respected curator of museum-quality pieces in town and beyond. courtneycollinsfineart.com

2nd Place

Gallatin River Gallery

Owner and artist Julie Gustafson started Gallatin River Gallery 22 years ago in a small space near U.S. Highway 191 and thanks to a successful run, has since moved to a larger space in the Meadow Village. gallatinrivergallery.com

3rd Place Dave Pecunies Photography

BEST SPA/SALON Man of the Woods Barbershop

Man of the Woods opened in January 2021 as the brainchild of Kyle Pemberton. Pemberton graduated from a Boise, Idaho barber school and helped open Bozeman’s Sellsword Barber Company in 2018. Before starting Man of the Woods, Pemberton and his wife converted an old school bus into a mobile barber shop and traveled the U.S. to offer free haircuts to anyone in need. They made it to 23 states and gave roughly 300 free cuts before returning to Bozeman at the beginning of the pandemic. Soon, Pemberton realized his dream of opening his own barbershop and knew Big Sky would be a perfect location. Man of the Woods brings the feel of a classic big-city barber shop—a place to sit, relax and catch up on local news while getting a clean shave and cut—to the small town of Big Sky. motwbarber.com

2nd Place

Santosha Wellness Center

Santosha Wellness Center has been providing Big Sky with a variety of health, beauty and wellness services from around the globe for more than ten years. Santosha provides Big Sky with a place to indulge in a natural and holistic approach to healing and growth, with services including massage therapy, skin care and yoga classes. santoshabigsky.com

3rd Place Tribe Salon

BEST ARTIST Heather Rapp

Since moving to Big Sky in 2007, Heather Rapp has brought joy to those who come across her vibrant work at the farmers market and in shops all around town. Her colorful landscapes and wildlife paintings are now featured in the Big Sky Artists’ Collective in Town Center. Rapp is an avid outdoorswoman, hiking to inspire her bright paintings which often showcase Big Sky’s slice of the outdoors, with abstract juxtapositions between reality and imagination. She holds a BFA in graphic design from the Art Institute of Portland in Oregon, and writes, “murals and larger canvas pieces are what fuel my creative freedom and artistic fire.”

She’s grateful for all who continue to showcase and purchase her art, which allows her to live the dream of being an artist in Big Sky. heatherrapp.com

2nd Place

Anna Middleton

Watercolor landscape painter Anna Middleton paints the chutes and crags of Lone Mountain, as well as landscapes from her summer travels. She’s a ski patroller, outdoor educator, wildflower admirer, crazy creek lover and mountain lake enthusiast. Her stickers, postcards and prints are featured at shops including the Hungry Moose Market & Deli, and at Big Sky Resort. Her work is priced on a sliding scale to allow access for more consumers. skycolorart.com

3rd Place Cezia Costales

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER Ryan Turner

Photographer Ryan Turner captures the essence and spirit of Big Sky country. Turner originally discovered the Gallatin Valley when he visited during a ski trip in college. After graduating with a fine arts degree in 1996, Turner returned and followed his dream of opening a gallery in the mountains. Today, the talented photographer shares his art in Town Center. During his residency in Big Sky, his work has also been featured in 60 different publications including Powder Magazine. He finds himself drawn to the light, the way it ignites a situation, brings focus to a subject and impacts mood. Turner is passionate about using light and scenery to create art that can be appreciated in various presentations. ryanturnerphotography.com

2nd Place

Dave Pecunies

From landscapes and wildlife to real estate and sporting events, photographer and videographer Dave Pecunies has captured a multitude of subjects in Big Sky. Pecunies has a passion for skiing and the outdoors and came to Big Sky in 2015 from New England. Now, his gallery in Town Center features several other artists in the new Artists’ Collective gallery. davepecunies.com

3rd Place Jonathan Stone

BEST LOCAL MUSICIAN Dammit Lauren!

Dammit Lauren! is a local rock and roll trio with a unique sound which sits at the intersection of 90s alternative rock and “post-grunge.” Lead singer Lauren Jackson, guitarist Brian Stumpf and drummer Casey Folley focus on original music that blends a soulful alternative rock sound, rocking jams and pop hooks. In July 2022, Dammit Lauren! released their second album, “Electric Restlessness.” The local Big Sky band plays at many events in town and at Big Sky Resort, but their resume includes an impressive list of Montana festivals where they’ve opened for bands on national tour like Jamestown Revival, Kitchen Dwellers, The Lil' Smokies, and Black River Revue. dammitlauren.com

2nd Place

Brian Stumpf

Local musician and former Dirtbag King Brian Stumpf creates the soundtrack for après in restaurants and bars around town. Throughout the pandemic, Stumpf broadcasted popular live shows online to reconnect community members deprived of live music. Stumpf says that with all the change occurring in Big Sky, the people are what still make this a special community. His music remains part of the local culture.

3rd Place Hanna Powell

BEST OUTFITTER Gallatin River Guides

Gallatin River Guides say that “river life is better than real life.” They have been guiding flyfishing trips across the Big Sky and Bozeman area for more than 30 years, inviting visitors and locals alike to experience our coveted rivers. Gallatin River Guides hosts the Montana Fishing Guide School, teaching anyone how to guide a fishing trip. They also lead the Montana Women’s Fly-Fishing School. Throughout the year, they run half-day, full-day and multi-day fishing expeditions on the Gallatin River and beyond, “wherever fish eat flies,” according to their website. Owner Mike Donaldson grew up fishing in southwest Montana; he and his guides know the secret spots to open doors for beginners and passionate anglers. montanaflyfishing.com

2nd Place

East Slope Outdoors

Previously called East Slope Anglers and Mad Wolf Ski & Sports since its founding in 1984, East Slope Outdoors has been a staple in the Big Sky community for more than 35 years. Owned by “Super Dave” and Katie Alvin, East Slope offers guided half and full-day fly-fishing trips, floats on the Madison and Yellowstone Rivers and gear rentals. eastslopeoutdoors.com

3rd Place Geyser Whitewater