Explore Big Sky - February 23 to March 8, 2023

February 23 - March 8, 2023

Volume 14 // Issue

BIG SKY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN UNVEILED

BASKETBALL: VARSITY SQUADS REACH DIVISIONALS

POST OFFICE CONTRACT EXTENDED THREE MONTHS

SCHOOL BOARD VOTES TO ARM SCHOOL MARSHAL

February 23 - March 8, 2023

Volume 14, Issue No. 4

Owned and published in Big Sky, Montana

PUBLISHER

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 MARKETING OFFICER

Megan Paulson | megan@theoutlawpartners.com

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Treston Wold | treston@theoutlawpartners.com

VP DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Hiller Higman | hiller@theoutlawpartners.com

MEDIA AND EVENTS DIRECTOR

Ersin Ozer | ersin@theoutlawpartners.com

MARKETING MANAGER

Sophia Breyfogle | sophia@theoutlawpartners.com

CONTENT PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Mira Brody | mira@theoutlawpartners.com

MARKETING COORDINATOR

Tucker Harris | tucker@theoutlawpartners.com

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT

Sara Sipe | sara@theoutlawpartners.com

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LEAD

Patrick Mahoney | patrick@theoutlawpartners.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Rich Addicks, Kaley Burns, Dan Egan, Ian Hoyer, Rachel Hergett, Colter Nuanez, Tori Pintar, Benjamin Spiker, Paul Swenson, Cy Whitling

Senior Montana State forward Kola Bad Bear posts up Carmen Gfeller of the rival Montana Lady Grizzlies on Feb. 18. Bad Bear scored 23 points against Montana—including two gameicing free throws—in a 75-73 Bobcats victory. The MSU women’s basketball team has not lost at home against the Grizzlies since 2013.

PHOTO BY JASON BACAJ

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BIG SKY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN UNVEILED

Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization released its new CAP and held a launch event at the Independent on Feb. 16. Mountaineer Conrad Anker gave a speech, and sat on a panel with a scientist, a rancher and a ski resort executive. Each panelist answered questions about climate change from their unique point of view.

SCHOOL BOARD VOTES TO ARM SCHOOL MARSHAL

As part of the Big Sky School District’s ongoing effort to increase safety and security at Lone Peak High School and the Ophir Elementary and middle schools, the school board hired a trusted community member to serve as School Marshal. Three weeks after the marshal began the job, the board voted unanimously to arm him as an added precaution.

POST OFFICE CONTRACT EXTENDED THREE MONTHS

Gallatin Partners agreed to extend their contract to operate the Big Sky Post Office until May 31, 2022. The original contract was set to expire on Feb. 28, at which point the Big Sky community may have lost its postal service until another provider stepped in. Gallatin Partners remains focused on settling on a long-term solution with USPS.

BASKETBALL: VARSITY SQUADS REACH DIVISIONALS

Big Sky SNO to reveal climate action plan

ON THE COVER:

Big Horns senior captain Jessie Bough elevates for a layup in a district tournament game against West Yellowstone. Both rivals advanced to the divisional tournament in Butte. Before the season, Bough and her fellow team leaders expressed their goal to reach the state tournament. With a top four finish, they will accomplish that goal. PHOTO BY RICH ADDICKS

EDITORIAL POLICIES

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

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

Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization has finalized its climate action plan after months of locally-based design. The plan’s aim is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 while purchasing as few carbon offsets as possible and will be announced at the Independent with keynote speaker Conrad Anker.

LOCAL RIDER QUALIFIES FOR FREERIDE WORLD TOUR

Holden Samuels grew up in Big Sky and was the first ever snowboarder on the Big Sky Ski Education Freeride Team. As a young adult, he suffered a recurring knee injury which threatened his career. Samuels battled back and now ranks fifth in the Freeride World Tour.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters to the editor allow EBS readers to express views and share how they would like to effect change. These are not Thank You notes. Letters should be 250 words or less, respectful, ethical, accurate, and proofread for grammar and content. We reserve the right to edit letters and will not publish individual grievances about specific businesses or letters that are abusive, malicious or potentially libelous. Include: full name, address, phone number and title. Submit to media@outlaw.partners.

ADVERTISING DEADLINE

For the March 9, 2023 issue: March 1, 2023

CORRECTIONS

Please report errors to media@outlaw.partners.

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

© 2023 Explore Big Sky unauthorized reproduction prohibited

LOCAL NEWS IN BRIEF

STATE LAWMAKERS MOVE TO PROTECT E-BIKES ON TRAILS

EBS STAFF

The Montana House of Representatives voted 54-26 to advance House Bill 261, which holds that e-bikes are not motorized vehicles and are thus permitted on bicycle trails in the state.

According to reporting by the Montana Free Press, HB 261 sponsor Rep. Steve Gunderson, R-Libby, during a Feb. 16 floor session said the bill would help Montana catch up with the protections other states offer e-bikes. The bill also gives land managers the authority to close some roads and trails to e-bikes where there are no comprehensive state laws governing their use. Opponents argue that HB 261 may fuel existing conflicts between humanpowered bikers and e-bike users that lead to blanket closures in some areas for all bikes, among other arguments.

Members of the House will vote on HB 261 a third time before the bill may advance to the Senate.

STATE SENATE VOTES AGAINST INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY

EBS STAFF

The Montana state Senate voted 33-17 on Feb. 14 against discussing Senate Bill 141, which would establish Indigenous Peoples Day as a state holiday, after heated debate over how the new holiday would replace Columbus Day.

“Everyone is Indigenous to somewhere,” said the bill’s sponsor Sen. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula, in a press release. “It’s a shame SB 141 was tabled without giving it the conversation it deserved.”

All Republicans—with the exception of Native caucus chair Sen. Jason Small, R-Busby—voted in opposition to discussing the bill. Opponents argued that colorful accusations of Christopher Columbus’ character provided by Morigeau during the committee hearing made them uncomfortable, according to reporting by Montana Free Press and ICT News.

Sen. Susan Webber, D-Browning, a Montana American Indian Caucus member plans to introduce a bill that would move Montana’s existing American Indian Heritage Day to Oct. 12, the same month as Columbus Day

US SEN. JON TESTER ANNOUNCED 2024 RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN

EBS STAFF

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester announced on Feb. 22 that he will seek re-election in 2024. The lone Democratic representative from Montana is currently serving his third term in office.

“Montanans need a fighter that will hold our government accountable and demand Washington stand up for veterans and lower costs for families,” Tester said on Twitter. “I will always fight to defend our Montana values.”

Experts predict that Tester’s seat will be a competitive race in 2024 as Democrats try to hold their 51-49 Senate majority. A spokesperson from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is led by Montana’s Republican Senator Steve Daines, called for Montanans to unseat “Joe Biden’s favorite Senator” in 2024.

Montana’s U.S. Reps. Matt Rosendale and Ryan Zinke are expected to be among the Republicans vying to win the primary election to challenge Tester in 2024.

MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY SETS SPRING ENROLLMENT RECORD

EBS STAFF

Montana State University set a new spring enrollment record this semester with 15,717 students attending classes. The university also reported that 90% of first-year students remained enrolled through the fall and spring semesters, a 2% increase from last year and MSU’s highest fall-to-spring student retention in a decade.

The enrollment count includes 1,954 graduate students, 12,622 undergraduate students and 1,141 students attending MSU’s one- and two-year programs through Gallatin College.

“For years, we have been working hard not only to attract students to MSU but also to have them persist in their studies so that they can graduate on time,” said MSU President Waded Cruzado.

MSU also reported that it enrolls more Montana residents than any other college or university in the state with 7,991 in the spring headcount.

GIANFORTE EXPANDS STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING AMID MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

EBS STAFF

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte on Feb. 15 announced a $2.1 million grant to the Rural Behavioral Health Institute to fund free optional mental health and substance abuse screening for Montana schools and same-day care for students who may be at high risk of suicide.

The grant comes after state lawmakers rejected House Bill 252, which would have provided similar mental health resources.

Montana has had one of the highest suicide rates in the country for decades and has a youth suicide rate that is twice the national average, according to a study by Montana’s Department of Public Health and Human Services. Data from the Center for Disease Control shows suicide as the second-leading cause of death for Montanans ages 10 to 44. Experts say the COVID-19 pandemic increased existing suicide risk.

PUBLIC NOTICE CLASSIFIED

Pursuant to section 7(j) of Ordinance 2008-1, notice is hereby given that as of February 17, Bailey’s Ventures, LLC, dba The Standard Big Sky, has failed to remit Resort Tax to the Big Sky Resort Area District for 323 days.

THE PATH AHEAD

Since its inception, Resort Tax has awarded nearly $94 million to fund programs and projects throughout the Big Sky Resort Area District. To ensure the success of these investments, the District operates under a strategic plan that is aligned with the community vision.

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

We have just updated the District's strategic plan. This will guide our priorities for the next three years. We are heading into our annual budgeting process and the current funding cycle. These strategic pillars will help us navigate the decisions that will be made with public funds.

Strategic Investments

•Create a Long-Term Capital Investment Roadmap

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•Advocate Increased Investment of Property & Lodging Taxes within Big Sky

•Proactively Solicit Projects that Target Specific Priorities

Engage our Community

•Facilitate Community Dialogue on Current Priorities

•Foster Business Advocacy of Resort Tax

•Strengthen Public Understanding of Local Governance & Public Funds

Culture of Unity

•Align Resort Tax with Other Public Funds & Philanthropy

•Establish Baseline Indicators of a Healthy Community

•Incentivize Partnership & Collaboration

BIG SKY SNO RELEASES CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

DIVERSE PANEL DISCUSSES REGIONAL ISSUES AT CAP LAUNCH EVENT

BY JACK REANEY

This story was shortened from its original version, which can be found on explorebigsky.com

BIG SKY—On Feb. 16, Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization held a launch event for its Climate Action Plan, including a keynote speech from mountaineer Conrad Anker and an expert panel discussion.

The discussion panel included Big Sky Resort’s president and COO Taylor Middleton, Montana State University ecology professor and author Cathy Whitlock, rancher and Western Sustainability Exchange board member Malou Anderson-Ramirez, and North Face and Protect Our Winters athlete Conrad Anker. The event was held at the Independent, and while the CAP was not discussed directly, Big Sky SNO director of community sustainability Lizzie Peyton encouraged citizens to check it out online.

“We didn’t want to get into the weeds of the project tonight, because we would have really bored everybody,” Peyton told EBS. “There’s 96 pages of dense information in there—which we tried to make look fun, and which our graphic designer did an exceptional job of. You can find it [online] and it’s available to everybody.”

Peyton pointed out that the subtitle is “collaborating on our future,” as collaboration is the most important part of the plan’s implementation. At the launch event, she said it was awesome to see the diversity of folks in the room, from community leaders to longtime locals and engaged citizens.

“Hope is a verb with its sleeves rolled up,” Peyton told the audience on Thursday, quoting environmentalist David Orr. Every day, she feels “hopeful that we’re making a difference, and daunted that we’re not doing enough.

“If you have ideas, we are all ears. If you have expertise to lend, we would love to engage with you.”

CAP at a glance

“This is a comprehensive Big Sky community plan,” the report states. As such, the report says no individual nonprofit, business or district is responsible for putting the plan into action. That will only happen with a collective, communitywide effort.

Community action items defined in the CAP are divided into four “Targeted Improvement Priorities”: energy and buildings, transportation, consumption and waste, and natural environment. The report gives suggestions for each category, such as obtaining a cost-free home energy audit from NorthWestern Energy and adjusting water faucets and fixtures to reduce water use.

The report states that Big Sky SNO and community partners will take immediate action, and plan to “achieve significant progress by the end of 2035.”

To improve energy and buildings, one strategy identified (pg. 51) is to create a “green build

toolkit” for local architects, engineers, contractors and homeowners associations. A tiered standard “green leaf” would be awarded to those who adhere best to the toolkit. The plan aims to create a strategy to reduce the amount of time and resources spent building onsite and commuting, including local batch plants and modular or panelized construction.

Natural environment plans revolve around carbon sequestration and supporting regenerative ranching, as well as water education and conservation, and wildfire mitigation and planning. The plan also encourages homeowner associations to adopt “no sod” policies.

The CAP suggests increasing renewable energy by applying for grants to implement solar energy and other projects. The plan includes strengthening relationships with the communities of Missoula, Helena and Bozeman in order to more effectively lobby NorthWestern Energy to develop sustainable energy sources.

Based on a community inventory of greenhouse gas emissions using 2018 as a baseline year, data shows that 33.1% of emissions come from residential energy, 32.7% from transportation, 16.1% from

commercial energy and 14.1% from industrial energy. Page 31 of the report describes “business as usual,” or taking no mitigation action—greenhouse gas emissions would increase by 92% by 2050, based on a compounding annual increase of 3.3% until 2035 and 2.1% thereafter.

The CAP also included a study for the Missouri Headwaters—spanning southwest Montana to Three Forks—which saw a 2.6-degree temperature increase between 1950 and 2018, with another 5.3 degrees forecasted by 2100. Annual precipitation is projected to increase by 9% on top of the 4% increase since 1950, but more will fall in the form of rain. That will decrease snowpack by 43% and early summer runoff by 36%, ultimately hurting snowpack-dependent water supply.

The combination of warmer, drier weather and decreased water access will increase the hazard of wildfire, the report states. The change will also affect local tourism and ski industry.

Community members interested in joining a working group—each of which focuses on a specific targeted improvement priority—are encouraged to email Big Sky SNO.

Expert voices

“All of us in this room, just by dint of living in Montana in a cold climate enjoying the sports we do, we are climate gluttons,” Anker said. “We use a lot of carbon. So how do we address our own individual use?”

Anker’s speech and the panel discussion from the Feb. 16 launch event are posted on YouTube.

The panel discussion was moderated by Joe O’Connor, Big Sky resident and managing editor of Mountain Journal.

Peyton said the panel was successful in representing the variety of roles that community members need to play in the local climate solution.

Panelists Conrad Anker, Cathy Whitlock, Taylor Middleton and Malou Anderson Ramirez, and moderator Joe O’Connor.

PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

The event was hosted at the Independent. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

“You know, somebody who’s a rancher versus somebody who’s running Big Sky Resort. Someone who’s an athlete and someone who’s a scientist,” she said. “My goal with the panel to have a mix of perspectives.”

O’Connor asked Middleton—a 42-year employee and leader of Big Sky Resort—how the climate has changed since the 1980s. Middleton said it was a lot colder back then.

“You felt it,” he said. “Although we’ve had cold weather this winter—we’ve had two 30 or 40 below days and nights—we used to have 30 and 40 below weeks… That kind of helps our resort business model, for now. But the long term, that’s not sustainable.”

O’Connor followed up with a question on the resort’s Forever Project, which commits to net-zero emissions by 2030. Middleton called it a “big, hairy, audacious goal” which the resort is working hard to reach.

In 1971, O’Connor said, Chet Huntley called Big Sky the greatest thing to ever happen to Montana.

“[Tourists] come and spend their money, leave a few tracks in the snow and go back home,”

O’Connor quoted from Huntley. “What’s so wrong with that? Big Sky will demonstrate that you can install a first-rate recreational development in a pristine area without any damage to the environment.”

O’Connor asked Whitlock about the correlation between a warming climate and growing human presence in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

“I think we all know what’s going on, right?” Whitlock said. “People are moving here because they want to take advantage of the amenities… What worries me, and probably worries all of you, is that [increasing population and usage] is having a huge impact on the environment. And the environment is already under stress from climate change.”

'That sounds a lot like Paradise, California to me' Later in the discussion, O’Connor prompted Whitlock on the increasing significance of wildfire in the West.

Whitlock said a variety of changing factors point to more fires, mostly out of human control. But humans can control wildland-urban interface, seen all over Big Sky, by building and landscaping mindfully, and preparing for wildfire.

“What are the evacuation plans for a place like Big Sky, where there’s really one major road up the hill?” she said. “That sounds a lot like Paradise, California to me. But I’m sure people in Big Sky are thinking about that. We have to be ready for [wildfires], because they’re coming.”

O’Connor asked Ramirez about the importance of language and terminology.

“It’s extremely important,” she responded. “It’s amazing how divisive we can be without realizing

it and how language can make almost anything political, which shouldn’t be political. In the working groups I’m in with ranchers, it’s really important to not talk about the target words, as they say the 'trigger words'. We don’t even say 'sustainability,' we don’t talk about ‘climate change,’ we certainly don’t say ‘global warming.’”

Ramirez, a lifelong family rancher in Tom Miner Basin, prefers specific terms such as “drought resilience,” practical discussions of “biodiversity” and mimicking successful ecosystems. She focuses on regenerative agriculture in working groups of ranchers.

“It’s all in the language in a lot of ways, especially with ranchers and farmers,” she said. Ranchers and farmers are acknowledging changes in the land, especially around water, she added.

O’Connor asked Anker, a resident of Bozeman for more than 20 years, what concerns him most about southwest Montana’s changing climate.

Anker said it’s easy to take the accessibility of public lands in the West for granted. He added that he avoids viewing crowded outdoor recreation as negative, instead focusing on the positive and uplifting experience of people he meets. When outdoorspeople connect through experiencing nature, they are more likely to advocate for a healthier planet, Anker said.

“Any way we try to work through climate and the challenges we’re facing is going to be a lot of work. There’s not an easy solution,” he said. “Everything has a little bit of a compromise. But if we work together, that’s where the optimism comes in.”

BIG SKY SCHOOL BOARD VOTES TO ARM NEW SCHOOL MARSHAL

SCHOOL BOARD UNANIMOUSLY IN FAVOR BASED ON INSIGHTS FROM LOCAL SAFETY STUDY AND VIOLENCE NATIONWIDE

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—The Big Sky School Board decided unanimously that the new school marshal position will be armed in accordance with concealed carry and peace officer law.

Whether to arm the marshal was an action item discussed during Tuesday afternoon’s board meeting. Board Chair Loren Bough told EBS that while some trustees expressed disappointment in the state of American school security, all board members agreed that the district should take a proactive approach with regards to the safety of students, teachers and staff. The new hire comes as the latest stage in a five-year progression to increase Big Sky’s school safety which included a strict door-locking procedure, upgrading camera and monitor infrastructure, and replacing keys with pin-codes on doors which can be controlled from a central location.

“We haven’t had any specific incidents at the school,” Bough said. “This is just to reflect what’s going on in the rest of the country and reflect what our community wants… We absolutely feel it’s the right thing to do.”

Last March, the school district commissioned a Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment (page 29) to evaluate the safety needs of Big Sky’s campus, which identified a “high risk of weapons on campus” and a “low risk of threats related to terrorist activities.” Bough also estimated that 75% of similar-size schools in Montana have an armed marshal or school resource officer on campus, which the district’s report identified as “high priority.”

The district began interviewing candidates one year ago and hired Matthew Daugherty in late 2022, although the board had not yet determined whether the marshal would carry a firearm on duty. Since Daugherty started three weeks ago, BSSD Superintendent Dustin Shipman told EBS he’s been doing paper and policy work. Bough added that no public funds are being used for the additional position, as it is being funded by charitable donations from the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation.

Daugherty has served in the military, worked as a sheriff’s deputy for 15 years, and is a longtime Big Sky community member “[who] came highly competent and highly, highly recommended,” according to Shipman. Bough said Daugherty “is well-known and well-trusted in the community and has all the proper training… probably a candidate unparalleled in his experience and local involvement.”

The school marshal role will include identifying possible security faults and improving school safety protocols, while operating as a liaison with the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Department.

“This is a five-year progression of improving security on campus,” Bough said. “We’re not done. His job is to find other ways to improve our security.”

“Just knowing that we have somebody on campus whose main responsibility is the safety of our students really is a significant thing in schools today,” Shipman said. “It gives me, as

superintendent of the school district, a lot of peace of mind.”

Bough explained that in the past year, BSSD formed an agreement with the sheriff’s department to station a deputy at the school. However, the deputy also responds to local calls and often must leave the school—where he is stationed only on Mondays, Tuesdays and alternate Wednesdays.

“We don’t necessarily live in a community that has a threat of violence,” Bough said. “But we’re accounting for two risks: the randomness of gun violence, and timeliness of a response. It can take more than an hour for a deputy to arrive at the school. It’s proven around the country that that’s a very dangerous amount of time.”

In an incorporated community, he added, a school marshal is often a member of the police department assigned to the campus and typically called a “school resource officer.”

The Bozeman School District has more than 10 school resource officers, Bough said.

Firearm policy discussion

The following was stated in the board meeting minutes:

“As part of the District safety and emergency plan and protocols adopted in accordance with Policy 8301, the Board has set forth procedures specifying the types of firearms, ammunition, and other related equipment that a school marshal is authorized to possess, carry, and store on public school property.”

Specific policy and procedures will be reviewed and adjusted as needed at the school board’s annual meeting in June.

The board described the “School Marshal” position in writing as “a person who is appointed by the board of trustees and employed or retained by a school district to protect the health and safety of persons and to maintain order on public school property… [acting] only as necessary to prevent or stop the commission of an offense that threatens serious bodily injury or death of persons on public school property.”

Bough pointed out that according to Montana law, the board could arm anyone at the school regardless

of their public safety experience and could also keep that information confidential.

“Montana allows [the board] to conduct all of these security procedures in a closed meeting,” he said. “We chose the opposite approach. We chose to keep everything public. All of our decisions have been made in the public domain.”

Tuesday’s board meeting focused on whether the marshal would be armed and included public comment; Bough said about 80% of community members present supported the plan to arm the marshal, while 20% opposed.

In a letter to the board, one opposed community member wrote, “statistically it is much more likely as a school community that we will need to deal with an emergency such as an earthquake, wildfire, or tractor trailer emergency on Highway 191 that prevents us from being able safely evacuate our children than an active shooter situation. While I agree with the idea of preparedness and having an Emergency Operations Plan, trainings that help staff to know how to act in the case of an emergency, and reasonable school building safety physical upgrades, I am not in favor of having an armed full time staff member at the school. I believe this sends the message to young people that we need to deal with the proliferation of guns by having more guns.”

Another community member’s email supported the new role.

“I was always taught and always experienced that our police force is a force for good in our schools, with our businesses, of course our family residences, and in the broader community. [We] fully support having a Resource Officer on campus to protect our children, teachers, families, and visitors,” they wrote.

The third and final email recorded in the meeting minutes stated: “It is reassuring knowing that a qualified, well trained, prepared individual will be present at the school in the unlikely event that we should need him. While we would like to hope that nothing would ever happen at our school, we would be naive to think our school is immune from tragedy. My husband and I have had many conversations with you over the past 7 years about the safety measures (or lack thereof) in place. This is a long overdue step in creating a safer environment for our students and staff.”

Ophir Elementary and Middle Schools, and Lone Peak High School form the Big Sky School District #72. OUTLAW PARTNERS PHOTO

POWDER LIGHT REACHES THE FINISH LINE

NEW DEED-RESTRICTED WORKFORCE HOUSING COMPLEX ADDS 448 BEDS FOR MOSTLY SEASONAL WORKERS

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—More than five years since Lone Mountain Land Company planned to acquire the parcel and three years after its original projected completion, the Powder Light apartment complex has been built.

On Thursday, Feb. 16, more than 100 tenants moved into the westernmost quarter of Powder Light, bringing the 48-unit complex to full occupancy. The modular-unit apartments were constructed and furnished offsite as modular units by BuildingWorks Nashua in Boise, and assembled onsite in 2021 by Langlas and Associates. The project adds 448 beds of local workforce housing, generally focused on seasonal workers employed by Lone Mountain Land Company and its subsidiaries.

Of 48 units, 36 were designed with five doubleoccupancy bedrooms (10 tenants per unit), and 12 units have four double bedrooms. Each apartment has a stacking washer and dryer, shared kitchen space and living room, and lockable cabinets to store personal belongings and food. Each of the two buildings have a 71-kilowatt solar PV system, expected to produce 182,224 kilowatt-hours of energy each year, according to a LMLC press release. The east building became occupied in November.

Bayard Dominick, vice president of planning and development with LMLC, told EBS that beyond typical delays of modern construction, work was kept on hold until turn-lanes were built using TIGER grant funding awarded in 2018. After months without action, Dominick said LMLC decided to pay for the turn lane construction last year which allowed them to close on the land in 2019 and build.

“We had a really a challenging employment situation coming out of COVID,” Dominick said, referring to the local shortage of long-term rentals. “Being able to provide beds for seasonal workers has really helped [LMLC-owned] clubs and restaurants and whatnot [to] actually staff up to the level of services, getting back to where it was before.”

He said that although Powder Light will not fit everybody’s needs, tenants are excited for the opportunity to live and work in Big Sky.

“I mean, this is dorm style housing,” he said. “People are sharing bedrooms, these are four and five bedroom units, and each bedroom has two beds in it. So it’s obviously not the perfect housing for

every solution. But this was a really efficient way to deliver a lot of beds when the community was really desperate for beds.”

Dominick said LMLC will continue to build diversified workforce housing in Big Sky, adding single occupancy dorms, apartments and singlefamily homes. Efforts will prioritize the “critical [housing] need” of LMLC-affiliated businesses including the Yellowstone Club, Moonlight Basin, Montage, Spanish Peaks and operating businesses within Town Center, he said.

Project Manager CJ Myrick said that staffing and contractor resources were the biggest challenge in constructing Powder Light. He added that off-site construction helped reduce traffic load, debris, and resources needed in Big Sky.

As Powder Light is highly visible from Lone Mountain Trail, Dominick described the exterior as “mountain modern feel so that it blends in with the level of architecture [LMLC is] doing elsewhere.”

He added that LMLC dedicated “a lot of resources” to landscaping and amenities including a small fitness center attached to the east building, picnic pavilions, bike storage and recreational access to the West Fork Gallatin River and trails behind the buildings; this summer, Dominick hopes LMLC can build a footbridge allowing residents to cross the river and connect with Community Park trails.

A few hundred out of a thousand

Of Powder Light’s 48 units, 38 are owned by LMLC, and will be “master-leased” to LMLCowned businesses. The master-leasing structure allows those businesses to charge rent at rates discounted—or possibly raised—at their own discretion based on individual needs of employers and employees.

Dave O’Connor, executive director of the Big Sky Community Housing Trust, pointed out that master leasing gives a competitive advantage to larger employers who can afford a deficit in rent earnings. He also gave credit to LMLC for typically “stepping up to the plate” with regards to local workforce housing needs.

If Big Sky’s unmet housing needs were represented simply as “one thousand,” O’Connor said, LMLC’s efforts between Powder Light and RiverView would drain the pressure by “a few hundred.”

Across the street from Powder Light, LMLC will operate 75 units in the RiverView apartments, now in the early stages of construction.

In 2019, a resort-tax-funded agreement with the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District gave leverage to the nonprofit Housing Trust—600 single-family equivalents of water reserved for workforce housing. Having contributed 12 SFEs to Powder Light, BSCHT now manages 10 units and can rent to any business it deems eligible. BSCHT’s partnership increased the scope of the project by 21%.

“I think [that’s] a great thing, because local businesses have been struggling with housing as well [but] weren’t in a position to build housing,” Dominick said.

The housing trust also used its “liquid assets” to enable RiverView construction, adding 25 units under the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.

The actual 'Powder Light'

Local developer group Big Sky Rock, LLC originally laid the groundwork for an employee housing project on the same parcel of land.

“We did a bunch of work, added a bunch of water and sewer [capacity] to the property,” said Scott Altman of Big Sky Rock. “We took a raw piece of land with a lot of easements, not a lot of water and sewer, and worked with the district to make it work for employee housing.”

Altman said Big Sky Rock was finishing their work as Lone Mountain Land began investing in employee housing, so they sold the land in 2019 after turn-lanes were complete.

“Our goal was always to have a tower out front that would light up when we had a powder day up at Big Sky,” Altman said, an idea based on Bozeman’s powder light atop the Hotel Baxter. “That was my fancy to put it on there.”

While it might not be a tower, Dominick suggested that soon, Powder Light might include some sort of powder light.

“I’ve always told him, ‘please put that up,’” Altman said, laughing. “But hey, all I really cared about is we got employee housing in town. We’re pretty excited about that.”

In the space between the Powder Light buildings, LMLC is considering another apartment building featuring single-bedrooms and studio-style living, according to Dominick.

Visible to residents and visitors entering Big Sky, the Powder Light apartments were designed to combine local "mountain modern" architecture with a significant share of workforce housing stock.

PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

Shared by eight to 10, each unit’s kitchen includes lockable cabinet space. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

A typical Powder Light room. Each tenant has a small closet and lockable chests beneath their bed. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

BSRAD HONORS PAST, PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—Since 1992, Big Sky Resort Area District has collected more than $110 million in resort tax and allocated nearly $94 million to government services and community organizations.

As BSRAD celebrates 30 years, they will soon distribute printed booklets of their annual report which commemorates their history with news clippings and historic photos.

The anniversary was among the topics discussed at the Feb. 8 monthly board meeting, as well as a post office update, discussion of the canyon water and sewer district as a state-leading effort, and capital requests by the Big Sky Fire Department.

BSFD: New truck, training facility and call volume growth

In fiscal year 2023, the fire department was awarded $1.795 million according to Fire Chief Greg Megaard. He told BSRAD that the fire board plans to submit a capital request for their planned fire training facility once they receive an invoice from the facility manufacturer in the next three to five weeks.

“We’re right on progress this year, we’ve already done our geo-test on the properties,” Megaard said. “We’re really excited to break ground, and hoping to get a foundation in as soon as the ground thaws.”

Megaard also spoke on “one of the bigger pieces of equipment Big Sky is going to come to the resort

tax board for,” which is a replacement for their ladder truck. He said the fire board learned last week that the truck’s projected cost had risen from $1.5 to $2 million.

Citing supply chain difficulty, Megaard added that the truck would probably arrive 28-36 months after the order is placed.

“We’re trying to be very proactive getting in front of that,” he said.

Drawing on BSRAD’s celebration of 30 years, Megaard brought data to show Big Sky’s vast growth in demand for services. From a volunteer fire department in 1993, BSFD now has 31 fulltime staff.

“We updated our master plan in 2019 and the projected [annual] call volume for 2040 was 1223 calls. In 2022 we [had] 1288 calls,” Megaard said, adding that the demand is indicative of the fire department’s other needs.

Canyon Water and Sewer District coming together

Scott Altman, who leads the three-person board working to create the Canyon Water and Sewer District and bring Big Sky’s portion of the Gallatin Canyon online with Big Sky’s new water resource recovery facility, provided an update to the board.

“In the next two months, we plan to really go out and try to bring everyone in the canyon area into our district,” Altman said. “It won’t be a service agreement yet, it’s just getting everybody on board

which allows us to have a broader board of directors and get a lot more people involved with our plan.”

“We have a lot of buy-in from [the state Department of Environmental Quality] right now. They really want to see this project work as well.”

WGM Group provided a quote for engineering design, which Altman described as “really great” and expects to move forward in the upcoming weeks.

“If you talk to DEQ, they think this is the greatest project in the state. And it probably is,” Steve Johnson commented during brief discussion of a recent lawsuit from Upper Missouri Waterkeeper— an environmental nonprofit—targeting DEQ’s process with regards to Altman’s Quarry subdivision in the canyon.

Sheriff increases Big Sky staffing

Gallatin County Sheriff’s Sergeant Daniel Haydon provided an update to the board, saying that the Big Sky section of Sheriff’s Search and Rescue will no longer apply for individual budget but will be included in the Sheriff’s request for government services funding.

Haydon also announced increasing staffing coverage in Big Sky from Gallatin County Sheriff’s office.

In the next joint county commission meeting, both Madison and Gallatin counties will need to renew their agreement with BSRAD to continue splitting the cost of the Sheriff’s coverage in Big Sky.

CONTRACT EXTENSION AND HOPE FOR THE BIG SKY POST OFFICE

GALLATIN PARTNERS EXTENDS CONTRACT TO MAY 31

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—As the Big Sky Post Office neared its Feb. 28 termination after two decades of contract postal service provided by Gallatin Partners, President Al Malinowski shared encouraging news.

Since Oct. 5, the future of the Big Sky Post Office has been unclear as Gallatin Partners took an extreme measure—terminating their contract with five-month notice—to gain attention from the United States Postal Service and ultimately increase the postal resources available to the Big Sky community. In November, USPS representatives visited Big Sky. In the final weeks before Gallatin Partners planned to discontinue service, encouraging communication with USPS prompted Gallatin Partners to extend their current contract by three months, pushing a potential end date to May 31, 2023.

“Do you really want me to talk about the post office, or would you rather me talk about basketball?” Malinowski said at the February Big Sky Resort Area District board meeting.

After the ice-breaking diversion, Malinowski said discussions with the USPS are progressing in a positive direction.

“What we hoped would have been done a couple years ago when we were urging for it, is now taking place,” Malinowski said. “[USPS] recognized— through the homework we’ve helped them with— that a long-term solution is necessary.”

The extension is intended to allow for continued communication with USPS as they work toward a long-term solution. Whether USPS is willing to operate the new post office—which could provide certain benefits and resources—remains unclear.

Malinowski said he’s aware that USPS has started dialogue with the Kircher family about moving into their newly constructed building on Little Coyote Road, and USPS is researching other options in the community as well.

Efforts to reach local developer Andrew Kircher by press time were unsuccessful.

Malinowski said that if USPS commits to occupying a new space in a defined time frame, Gallatin Partners would “work with [USPS] to fill that gap” if a second contract extension is needed.

“I’m very optimistic that we’re moving in the right direction,” he said. “It’s taken a while; our patience and maybe our persistence has paid off. Unfortunately, the conclusion is that the steps that were taken probably needed to be taken in order

to get where we are today, but we’re headed in a positive direction.”

Malinowski added he’s been glad to share the news with his employees at the post office, as the service deadline threatened job security.

“The team at the post office has been outstanding because, let’s face it, it’s been stressful for them as well,” he said. “And I recognize that, so I’m glad that most of them have trusted this process that we’re working through, understood why this is so important to the community and are staying involved with us.”

Being unofficially called the “Kircher building,” the development was built by the late John Kircher and his son Andrew with the intention of accommodating a post office if made possible by USPS. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

SHEDHORN SKIMO RETURNS TO BIG SKY SPORTS

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—Every gram will count as ski mountaineers skin, boot pack and scramble up Lone Mountain terrain during the eighth annual Shedhorn Skimo Race. Open to the public but featuring some Olympic hopefuls, COSMIC Series—Colorado Ski Mountaineering Cup—and Big Sky Cup will host three events in Big Sky on March 3-4 for the Shedhorn Skimo. Friday afternoon’s sprint race will bring a spectator-friendly taste of the new Olympic ski mountaineering event. On Saturday morning, the Shedhorn race is one of few sanctioned USA National Cup events, and the Pronghorn event will trim some mileage in an unforgiving introduction to ski mountaineering. The Shedling race offers a small course for kids under 14 years old. All events and race routes are dependent on conditions.

COSMIC event coordinator Joe Risi from Carbondale, Colo. spoke with Explore Big Sky about the upcoming event.

“We have people from Vermont, New Hampshire, Washington, Colorado, Utah. There’s a lot of patrollers from both Big Sky and YC that are racing too,” Risi said. “There’s a lot of under 23-year-old racers… they’re in that prime age group for the 2026 Olympics, they’re hopefully up there with some of the best in the world.”

Risi said the Shedhorn Skimo is “higher end for sure” in terms of North American ski mountaineering racing.

The sprint race begins on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. on the Ambush trail at Big Sky Resort. The “super short, super spectator friendly” race lasts just four minutes as it combines skinning, booting and skiing in view of the Big Sky base area. A similar sprint race format will be seen in the 2026 Olympics as the first ever ski mountaineering event.

Other high caliber athletes will be competing in the individual events, which begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

Both Shedhorn and Pronghorn courses descend the Big Couloir, with starting intervals spaced 60 seconds apart.

“It’s definitely the only time you’ll race someone down the Big Couloir,” Risi said.

The Shedhorn course is more than 13 miles long with 7,500 feet of elevation gain. It runs from the Big Sky Resort base area to the top of Lone Mountain—Risi said the fastest racers will “run” to the summit in roughly 55 minutes—before racing down the Big Couloir, climbing the A-Z ridge, descending the headwaters to Moonlight Basin, skinning and hiking back up the A-Z ridge, descending the A-Z chutes, skinning to the Shedhorn Grill, up the Dakota Ridge, up to Lone Peak again and down Liberty Bowl to the base.

Generally more amateur athletes will enter the Pronghorn event—now in its seventh year—stretching more than seven miles long with 4,600 feet of elevation gain, Risi said. The pronghorn course cuts off the Moonlight Basin and Dakota territory; when racers first climb the A-Z ridge, they descend the Headwaters down to the base. Risi said it’s an awesome morning to say the least, open to anyone with touring gear. He also said Big Sky’s course is relatively challenging as an introduction to skimo racing.

“Some [introduction-level events] are more resortbased,” he added. “This one you’ll actually be climbing up a ridgeline to Lone Peak.”

About 10-20% of registrants are first-time racers, Risi said.

In a follow-up email to EBS, Risi wrote, “The original concept for the Shedhorn Ski Mountaineering race was and still is fueled by monumental efforts from Big

Sky Ski Patrol; specifically patrol veterans [and] race founders Noah Ronczkowski, summit director, Rachael Efta, and Casey Heerdt.”

The Shedling event costs $5 to register and begins at 8:05 on Saturday morning. Racers will climb 1 mile in distance and 720 vertical feet.

Risi shared spots for spectators to get the best view of Shedhorn racers. Anyone with binoculars will be able to see racers climbing to the peak around 8:30 a.m., and although the fastest racers will summit by first chair, most can be seen descending the Big Couloir from the cue ball atop Powder Seeker.

“Shedhorn Grill is a great spot to cheer people on, and Dakota Bowl ridge gate—top racers come through there around 11,” he said.

Skimo racers bolt uphill from the start of a past Shedhorn Skimo event. PHOTO BY ANTHONY PAVKOVISH

EIGHT SENIORS HONORED, NOW COMPETING FOR CLASS C WESTERN DIVISION

BY JACK REANEY

This story was modified to combine reporting on the senior night ceremony and district playoff results. Full individual stories can be found on explorebigsky.com. Both Lone Peak High School varsity squads will return to Butte on Thursday and begin their campaign for the western division of Montana Class C.

The boys and girls teams both finished in fourth place in the district 12C tournament after losing consolation matchups on Saturday, Feb. 18. The boys will face St. Regis High School from district 14C on Feb. 23 at 3:30 p.m., before the girls face Superior/Alberton at 6:30.

In the entire district 12C tournament, the Big Horn boys were the only team to play five games. They advanced from their play-in win against Lima High School all the way to the consolation game—five contests in 75 hours, according to head coach Al Malinowski.

“The boys deserved it,” Malinowski told EBS in a phone call. “They worked hard and it wasn’t an easy road.”

After losing to Harrison High School in their first-round matchup on Thursday, Feb. 16, the Big Horns beat Sheridan High School 66-50 on Friday morning. On Saturday morning, they faced Ennis High School. The winner would reach divisionals and end the losing team’s season.

Senior captains Max Romney and Gus Hammond combined for 34 points in the Big Horns’ 5239 win over the Mustangs, which earned them a spot in the consolation game hours later. They rematched with Harrison, a strong opponent who handled the exhausted Big Horns squad for the third time this season.

“We gave them a battle for a little while and we were pretty beat at that point,” Malinowski said, adding that all 12 players gained experience in a big district game. “The heckling, the noise, the loud crowds and the bands… one through 12, a learning experience.”

They are the first ever Lone Peak High School boys team to reach divisonals.

Malinowski expects even bigger crowds as more teams stay overnight in Butte. West Yellowstone, Harrison and Manhattan Christian high schools also moved on from 12C.

“We’ve played in one of the toughest districts in the state, in my personal opinion,” Malinowski said.

“We recognize that we’ve been battle-tested by the kind of competition we’ve seen.’’

Girls back for third divisional tournament

On Feb. 17, the Big Horn ladies faced Twin Bridges High School for a chance to reach the district 12C championship.

Ranked No. 2 in Montana, the Falcons ran away with the game in the third quarter and defeated the Big Horns.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” head coach Loren Bough told EBS in a phone call. “They are bigger, stronger, faster at every position.”

Every Big Horn got some playing time in the loss, in front of a roughly 1,000-person crowd, Bough said. “Classic Montana Friday night, Saturday night late-game experience.”

On Saturday morning, the Big Horns faced Gardiner for a chance to reach divisionals. Behind strong 3-point shooting and effective full court press, the Big Horns ended Gardiner’s season and

punched their divisionals ticket for the third time in program history.

“It’s an accomplishment we’re super excited about,” Bough said. He noted clutch 3-pointers from senior captain Jessie Bough and tremendous rebounding from senior Maddie Cone and junior Vera Grabow.

Saturday afternoon, the Big Horns faced Ennis in the consolation game. They owned a 19-9 halftime lead, but coach Bough said mental errors and poor free throw shooting allowed a Mustang comeback. The Big Horns lost by three points.

“We need to learn how to finish a team,” Bough said. “We had the game under control.”

Bough said the team’s biggest strength is their level of fitness, which allows them to use a full-court press. They proved that as they played four games in three days, he said.

Superior/Alberton holds the No. 1 seed, and should be a strong opponent on Thursday night.

“They are undefeated in their conference [and] won their conference championship by 20 points,” Bough said. “On the other hand, our district is the second toughest in the state. I think we’ve had trial by fire during the season and should work to our advantage tournament time.”

Seniors honored at home

On Friday, Feb. 10, four seniors from each team played their final home game. All eight seniors scored against Sheridan High School.

In the boys game, all four seniors left the game in the final minute. They were greeted by a standing ovation from the home crowd.

“It’s very emotional,” said senior Ben Saad. “I’ve been playing here for eight years, and I’ve been with the same people for my entire life. There’s kind of that lifelong connection. It makes you feel good.”

“It’s cool to be recognized by your classmates and the school,” said senior Colter Marino. “You’re part of something bigger than yourself.”

“I’m never gonna get that ever again, which was pretty cool,” said senior captain Max Romney. During his senior night game, he slammed the

first ever dunk at home for the Big Horns, just one week after he executed the first dunk in Lone Peak history at Townsend. Romney also earned the title of all-time leading rebounder, with 368 for the Big Horns. He sits at sixth all-time scoring with 679 points.

“It was sad,” said senior captain Gus Hammond, now 10th in all-time scoring. “But it’s also exciting to see what happens next in life. But it was sad— what are you gonna do?”

The girls team dominated Sheridan, and seniors left the game during the third quarter.

“I would say it’s pretty nice to end your career with a win, especially surrounded by your family and friends, and all your teammates,” said senior Maddie Cone. “End of an era, yeah.”

“Yeah, it’s special,” added senior Kate King. “All of us have been able to play in this gym since we were in fourth or fifth grade. So being able to finish in this gym is special for sure.”

“Being able to play, like, us four together and finish strong was so fun,” said senior Josie Wilcynski. Senior captain Jessie Bough said, “It’s a nice end to our careers here. It’s a good end, probably pretty representative. And I’m excited for the postseason… Going into districts, playing without distractions is what I’m excited for.”

Between the senior night games, all eight Lone Peak High School senior basketball players were honored with their families on center court.

The Big Horn girls celebrate a district tournament win against rival West Yellowstone.

PHOTO BY RICH ADDICKS

The eight seniors from the Lone Peak High School Big Horns boys and girls teams were honored on Friday. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

LOCAL SNOWBOARDER QUALIFIES FOR FREERIDE WORLD TOUR FINALS

HOLDEN SAMUELS GREW UP SNOWBOARDING THE STEEPS OF BIG SKY RESORT. NOW HE COMPETES ON THE WORLD’S STAGE.

BY JULIA BARTON

PHOTOS BY DOM DAHER AND JEREMY BERNARD COURTESY OF THE FREERIDE WORLD TOUR

In 2022, snowboarder Holden Samuels notched a pair of first-place finishes on the Freeride World Tour Qualifier circuit landing him a spot on the 2023 Freeride World Tour.

At the tour’s first stop this year, Samuels, 23, put down an impressive run at the Baqueira Beret Ski Resort in Spain. He finished second to Michael Mawn, another young Montana-based boarder. In early February, he bobbled a landing in Ordino Arcalís, Andorra and finished in sixth place. Samuels finished fourth at a Feb. 17 competition in Kicking Horse, BC, securing him a spot in the FWT Finals and an invitation back on the tour for the 2024 season.

Samuels grew up in Big Sky in a family of skiers. He skateboarded and had an interest in surfing, so naturally he wanted to snowboard. Once he convinced his parents to let him ditch the skis, he never looked back.

His first snowboard competitions were in the terrain park, but he soon followed his older brother to the Big Sky Ski Education Foundation’s Freeride Team where he became the team’s first snowboarder.

Freeride competitions provide athletes with a venue packed to the brim with chutes, cliffs and natural obstacles, challenging riders to find a unique and technical way down the slope. Samuels traveled around the region competing with the Big Sky Freeride team, and by the time he was 16, he was winning most of the competitions he entered.

In 2018, he was invited to the Freeride Junior World Championship in Kappl, Austria where he took silver.

“I just started really enjoying the fact that [Freeride competition] allows me to travel, see new places and ski new places,” Samuels told EBS. “And I really liked competing as well.”

Samuels injured his ACL at 17, resulting in surgery, physical therapy and a break from snowboarding. He put in the work to heal and get back to his sport, but injured the same ACL again two years later. By this time he was a student at the University of Colorado in Boulder and was having a rough go balancing school and competing in qualifying competitions for the FWT. The second knee injury took him out for an entire season.

“I had a conversation myself and I was like, ‘alright, well I’ve torn my ACL twice. It’s gonna be a long road to recovery. If I want to do this, I really have to commit to it and go head-on in training to qualify,’” Samuels said. “[In

2020 and 2021] I took the winter off of school and did a lot of training in the offseason to try to get strong enough for winter … so after coming back from my second ACL injury is really when I got serious about it.”

With a recovered knee, Samuels entered the qualifying pool in 2022 and made it to the FWQ finals (now called the Freeride World Tour Challenger) which included a stop at Big Sky Resort. He won the competition on his home turf, effectively securing his spot on the 2023 FWT.

Samuels explained that the terrain at Big Sky Resort—particularly the Headwaters—made him comfortable on steep, technical, rocky slopes, a benefit for competing. The conditions at Baqueira Beret reminded him of Big Sky, and in talking about it with other athletes on the FWT, Samuels realized that many riders aren’t used to those conditions.

Holden Samuels scopes out a steep slope in Andorra.

Holden Samuels catches big air in Europe’s Pyrenees Mountain Range while competing on the Freeride World Tour.

“I kind of got the sense that, for a lot of people, Big Sky is a terrifying place to ski,” Samuels explained. “There’s rocks everywhere and a lot of the cliffs you’re hitting are over exposure. So growing up in Big Sky and having to deal with riding over exposure and getting close to exposure, you really get comfortable in some pretty gnarly and intense terrain.”

Looking back at his first FWT competition in Spain, he said it felt “surreal.” Many of the athletes have spent at least a season on the tour already, so Samuels hung with the other rookies while they learned the program together. The biggest shock: media coverage. According to Samuels, there’s cameras and reporters around all the time, something atypical of junior competitions and the qualifier circuit.

Beyond the extra media attention, there are a few key differences between the pro competition and the competitions Samuels has competed in in the past. Perhaps the biggest barrier is inspection rules. In junior and qualifying competitions in the U.S., riders get to ski the venue prior to the competition to check out features and plan their line. On the FWT, athletes don’t even get to touch the snow prior to competition. Samuels said it’s been a hard transition, but he believes it is an acquired skill and ultimately benefits all competitors by keeping the snow pristine.

“One of my personal goals is definitely to take everything in and appreciate what I am getting to do,” Samuels said, acknowledging his gratitude toward realizing a dream he’s had since he was 16. “It’s a really special way to experience different locations and cultures. I also get to meet a lot of people from different backgrounds that I never would’ve met if not for this opportunity.”

When he spoke with EBS, Samuels was back on North American soil on his way to Kicking Horse for the next FWT competition on Feb. 17.

“My objective is to win the tour,” he said. “A big part of my ultimate goal is also to push the level of the sport forward. The skiing category is definitely more competitive and more entertaining than snowboarding, and I want to draw more attention to the snowboard side of the sport and increase the level [of] riding.”

Samuels needed to uphold a top-five ranking after Kicking Horse to qualify for the FWT finals. He misread the entry to a cliff at the top of the Canadian

venue which resulted in a minor fall and a point deduction. To save his run, Samuels sent a massive air near the end of the venue land the No. 5 overall spot, qualifying him for the finals and getting him one step closer to his goal. The athletes cut after the first three events of the tour are invited to the Challenger series, where they will compete against the top athletes from the FWQ circuit for a spot on the 2024 FWT.

“This is the first time in my career that my friends are able to watch me compete,” Samuels said. “Before this, many of my friends didn’t quite understand what I did and had a hard time following. But for the first time, I actually have people who are able to cheer me on from back home, so there is definitely some motivation to put on a show for them.”

The next stop on the tour—the first finals event—has been given a weather window for March 11-17 and is in Fieberbrunn, Austria.

For information about the upcoming FWT Finals or to find video coverage of Samuels’ runs, head to freerideworldtour.com. Samuels also shares information about when he is competing and how to watch on his Instagram @_holden_it_together.

BIG SKY FREERIDE SKIERS, RIDERS TAKE EIGHT PODIUM SPOTS

IN HOME COMPETITION

SKIERS AND SNOWBOARDERS FROM ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES SHOWED THEIR BEST IN THE BIG SKY IFSA JUNIOR 2* REGIONAL COMPETITION FEB. 10-12

BY JULIA BARTON AND JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—Junior freeride skiers and snowboarders from the International Free Skiers Association’s Northern Region took to the slopes of Big Sky Resort this weekend for three heated days of competition.

Athletes from the Big Sky Ski Education Foundation Freeride Team clinched eight podium spots, including five first-place finishes.

“The Big Sky athletes are definitely crushing it,” said Wallace Casper, head coach and director of the Big Sky Freeride Team. “The [Northern] Region has so many top-level athletes, so we saw a high level of skiing across the field.”

There were nine divisions of athletes competing at this weekend’s competitions: U12 boys and girls skiing, 12–14-year-old boys and girls skiing and snowboarding, 15-18 girls and boys skiing, and 15-18 boys snowboarding. Friday and Saturday were qualification days and the finals for all categories took place on Sunday.

As far as snowsports go, freeride is pretty unique. All athletes ski the same venue and try to rack up as many points as possible while skiing down however they’d like. Scores are broken down into five criteria: line (the difficulty and creativity of the route), fluidity (speed and lack of hesitation), control, style (number of airs hit, tricks and airtime) and technique. Scores from both days of competition are combined to determine an athlete’s final score.

The competition took place on Obsidian, a run north of the Headwaters ridge off the Lone Tree chairlift that includes a variety of challenging terrain from narrow chutes to rocky cliffs. Warm temperatures and blue skies made for pleasant viewing for the competition, and the venue’s aspect protected the run from harsh afternoon sun, leaving the snow relatively soft compared to other areas on the mountain.

“It’s a huge advantage,” Casper explained, referring to competing on Big Sky terrain. “We spend a lot of time training [on Obsidian] and getting dialed in,

L-R: Holden Samuels, Michael Mawn and Ludovic Guillot-Diat celebrate on the podium at the 2023 Freeride World Tour’s first stop in Baqueira Beret Ski Resort in Spain.

Family, friends and teammates gathered at the bottom of Obsidian to cheer on athletes for the final day of the competition on Feb. 12.

PHOTO BY JULIA BARTON

so it’s no surprise that they crushed it.”

BSSEF athletes came out strong on their home turf. Wyatt Cohen took first place in the U12 boys skiing category; Kira Livernois and Kennedy Cochenour, first and second for the 12-14 ski girls.

Livernois, 13, won her category by getting “a lot of air.” She told EBS she’s won all three of her competitions this year and won six last season. She placed second in the North American championship last winter, which also took place at Big Sky.

“Everyone I know gets to watch me, and at the bottom there’s a big crowd that gives me a hug,” she added.

Skiers and riders were welcomed at the bottom of the venue with cheers and celebrations from family and teammates, and the audience of roughly 200 enjoyed music and hot dogs in between runs.

Livernois said the conditions were the best for a Big Sky comp that she’s ever skied, with fresh snow in the landings.

“I hit two cliffs and went over some rocks,” she said. “Did a grab off another cliff and skied down and did a 360, which added a lot to [my] style and energy [score].”

Livernois is looking forward to this year’s North American championship at Kicking Horse, BC. Before then, she’ll compete in the Bogus Basin regional and national events at Snowbird and Big Sky.

Mac Bertelson had the second-place run for 12-14 ski boys. And, although she was the only athlete in the 12-14 female snowboarding category, local Marley Chapin put down an impressive run.

Big Sky snowboarders Oliver Liedberg and Elijah Singer took the top spots in the 12-14 and 15-18 boys snowboarding categories, respectively.

Singer moved up to the 15-18 age division this year and this weekend’s win is his second top-step finish in as many competitions this season—he also won at Whitefish in early January.

“First day I had an unfortunate crash just due to the conditions,” said Singer, who described the snow as variable between blue ice in the shade and choppy moguls in the sun. “Second day, [I] had to keep it really solid and fast, and ended up taking home the win.”

Despite the unforgiving snow conditions, Singer said some of the skiers threw “the craziest stuff [he’s] ever seen on that venue.” That included big 360s and 50-foot airs.

“It was a fun weekend, and at least it was sunny,” Singer said. He’ll try to keep his momentum against deeper competition in upcoming national events at Snowbird, Breckenridge, and back again at Big Sky.

With 48 athletes registered, the 15-18 boys skiing category had the steepest

competition. Kira Livernois’ brother Hayes, 15, landed three 360s in his finals run to secure the silver.

“[I wanted] to show my ability to put my style into big mountain skiing,” he said. “I stomped all my tricks and I was really stoked on how my run went down.”

Hayes had never done a 360 off “Shipwreck” in a competition before—the cliff has a downward takeoff and a flat, bumpy landing, he said—but he landed it in his qualifying and final runs.

Jackson Hole’s Owen Smith ended up winning the category, skiing a line with similar style but different arrangement of 360s and straight air. Hayes said it was fun to ski with friends from different mountains, including Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee.

“I’m just planning on trying to stay dialed for that [Big Sky national] comp, and train with my cliffs and tricks until then,” Hayes said. “And try to stay at the top.”

Big Sky athletes will have the opportunity to compete on their home terrain again for the Big Sky IFSA Junior 3* National competition March 9-12, which will bring skiers and snowboarders from across the country.

Kira Livernois sported a retro blue snowsuit for the final day of competition while she caught big air off of a cliff called “Shipwreck.” PHOTO BY JULIA BARTON

Elijah Singer airs over a band of rocks in his second run. PHOTO BY JULIA BARTON

Although she didn’t make the podium, BSSEF skier Olive Wolfe’s run was a crowd pleaser as she sported a retro pink snowsuit for the finals. PHOTO BY JULIA BARTON

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OUTLAW PARTNERS

BIG SKY PBR IS PRODUCED BY OUTLAW PARTNERS, PUBLISHER OF EXPLORE BIG SKY.

BIG SKY – Outlaw Partners is bringing back the most iconic wild west experience with the eighttime “Event of the Year” for the 12th annual Big Sky PBR and Big Sky’s Biggest Week. This year’s PBR event will be a one-of-a-kind immersive western experience, starting the second attendees walk through the gates.

“I have been around the world three times and Big Sky is my favorite PBR stop,” says Cord McCoy, bull stock contractor, former professional rodeo cowboy and three-time The Amazing Race contestant. “The bulls always seem to love the cool mountain air and perform at their best there. Big Sky is going to be an even bigger event for us this year as we will showcase our next generation of bulls. We are not holding back; the power meets in Big Sky. We plan to bring the best athletes because we know the best fans will be there.”

Three nights of Big Sky PBR bull riding will take place Thursday, July 20 through Saturday, July 22 featuring 40 of the world’s best cowboys going head-to-head with world-class bulls for the sport’s Challenger Series circuit.

Tickets for the famed Big Sky PBR will go on sale March 1 at 10 a.m. MST, online only at bigskypbr.com.

Big Sky’s Biggest Week, July 14-22, will include the Community Street Dance, Community Day with family-friendly activities, the 3rd Annual

Dick Allgood Bingo Night and the PBR Golf Tournament, all punctuated by three nights of bull riding and live music.

Jamie McLean will hit the SAV Stage on Friday, July 21 followed by Grammy Award-winning local favorite and friend of Outlaw, Lukas Nelson to close out the week with an exhilarating show after the final round of bull riding on Saturday, July 22.

Admission to the music after parties are included with PBR tickets, and music-only tickets will also be available for purchase.

“We are excited to take the Big Sky PBR experience to the next level this year,” said Ennion Williams, VP of Events at Outlaw Partners. “The energy and excitement that this carries in Big Sky is electric, and we look forward to bringing the community together again to celebrate the Biggest Week in Big Sky.”

Big Sky’s Biggest Week kicks off Friday, July 14 with the Big Sky Community Rodeo at the Big Sky Events Arena in Town Center. Rodeo fans and revelers will then dance the night away to the tunes of the Tony Marques Band at the Community Street Dance, which is free for all to attend.

Community Day will take place on Tuesday, July 18 and will feature carnival games, pony rides and additional activities for children. And back by popular demand, the Community Mutton Bustin’ is in the Big Sky Events Arena pitting young cowboys and cowgirls against their furry steeds.

Returning for its third year, the annual Dick Allgood Bingo Night will take place on Tuesday,

July 18 under the big tent adjacent to the Big Sky Events Arena. A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to local Big Sky nonprofits. For those who want to hit the links to support Western Sports Foundation, which gives funds and resources to rodeo athletes, the annual PBR Golf Tournament will take place at Black Bull golf course in Bozeman on Wednesday, July 19.

The late evening sun begins to set behind Lone Mountain as seen from the packed stands at the Big Sky PBR. OUTLAW PARTNERS PHOTO

A rider leans back to retain balance on a bull during the 2022 Big Sky PBR. PHOTO BY JULIA BARTON

A&E ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

BOZEMAN SYMPHONY THREADS MUSIC INTO COMMUNITY

MUSIC DIRECTOR NORMAN HUYNH AIMS TO MAKE THE SYMPHONY A

BY JULIA BARTON

BOZEMAN—The conductor for the Bozeman Symphony is most often seen with his back to the audience guiding a 75-person orchestra with precise movements of his baton. Behind the scenes, Norman Huynh not only provides rehearsal feedback to musicians, but assembles unique programming that appeals to audiences beyond seasoned classical music lovers.

The Bozeman Symphony first shared orchestral music with the Gallatin Valley in 1910, although the present-day nonprofit iteration wasn’t founded until 1968. Now, the symphony aims to weave music into the daily lives of Montanans through providing accessible and engaging music.

“Every piece of music has some sort of story to tell,” Huynh told EBS. “The symphony is a place that people can come to and step away from their phones, from everyday life, to sit in a dark room and hear people play music … On a deeper level, the role that the symphony can play in the community can go beyond the stage.”

Huynh, a graduate of the University of Alabama with a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from the Peabody Institute, believes that music is for everyone. He joined the Bozeman Symphony in 2020 as music director and crafts unique programming that blends classics like Ludwig van Beethoven with modern melodies that listeners are likely to recognize from film scores.

Firebird and Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, a performance coming up on Feb. 25 and 26, will begin with a 6-minute piece written in Montana by composer-in-residence Scott Lee to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Yellowstone National Park. The program will then jump 250 years into the past to a piece by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with violin from Carrie Krause before moving into “The Firebird Suite” by Igor Stravinsky, which Huynh noted may be recognized from the score of Disney’s “Fantasia.”

Huynh recognized that not everyone will know the music ahead of a show, but believes his programming is entertaining both to welltuned and novice ears.

“If you come and you have no idea what's being played, it's still going to be an entertaining night,” Huynh said. Part of his philosophy with programming is breaking some of the typical symphony formality by explaining context to audience members mid-show, not upholding a strict dress code and allowing listeners to clap between movements. “What we've been doing—basically breaking down the barrier between the audience and the orchestra and the conductor—people are latching on to and loving it.”

Another accessibility aspect that the Bozeman Symphony is working toward is bringing music to an audience, rather than always requiring the audience to come listen in the concert hall. The orchestra holds concerts outdoors in parks, has specific free programming geared toward young children, collaborates with the Bozeman Public Library for storytelling with musical accompaniment and brings song to rural communities outside of Bozeman.

This programming requires increased funding, explained Vanessa Skelton with the Bannack Group, an organization that works with nonprofits to develop strategy and resources to achieve their community-based goals. Skelton works with the Bozeman Symphony on fundraising.

“We have just launched our Ode to Joy campaign,” Skelton said. “The fundraising campaign is about raising money to really help execute the vision that Norman has … Norman is just the guy to do it. He's got some incredible energy and he's done some great work.”

According to Skelton, the 2022 Holiday Special symphony show, a program funded by recent efforts, engaged 5% of the entire Bozeman community, suggesting that Huynh’s goals resonate with the people in the Gallatin Valley.

“I want the Bozeman Symphony to eventually be a household name in this area, so that everyone has had access to or a touch point with the symphony, whether it's through performances with the full orchestra or a family bringing their kids to the library,” Huynh said. “[I want] more outreach out into the rural communities, going to people outside of Bozeman and providing access to this incredible music, and basically to create a unique experience for my community.”

Firebird & Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 will take place at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 and 26 at the Willson Auditorium in Bozeman. For more information about the concert, check out bozemansymphony.org

‘HOUSEHOLD NAME’ IN BOZEMAN, PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE AND DIVERSE PROGRAMMING TO GALLATIN VALLEY

Music Director Norman Huynh hails from Alabama and came to Bozeman in 2019. PHOTO COURTESY OF BOZEMAN SYMPHONY

The Bozeman Symphony plays a free family concert on Feb. 11. PHOTO COURTESY OF BOZEMAN SYMPHONY

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BIG SKY EVENTS CALENDAR

Thursday, Feb. 23 – March 8

If your next event falls between March 9-22, please submit it to media@theoutlawpartners.com by March 1.

THURSDAY, FEB. 23

Arts Council of Big Sky’s Sound and Color Soirée

The Independent, 4 p.m.

ARTventure Afterschool Program

BASE, 4:30 p.m.

Science of Skiing with Peak Ski Company

Montana Science Center, 6:30 p.m.

Drop-In Hockey

Marty Pavelich Ice Rink, 8 p.m.

Live Music: Scott Pemberton Tips Up, 9:45 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEB. 24

Open Pottery Studio

BASE, 5 p.m.

Big Sky Winter Ball

The Independent, 8 p.m.

Live Music: Scott Pemberton Tips Up, 9:45 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB. 25

Montana Day: Free Admission Museum of the Rockies, 9 a.m.

Performance: Firebird and Mozart’s Violin

Concerto No. 5

Willson Auditorium, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Live Music: Amanda Stewart featuring Annie Clements Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

Performance: Memphis Jookin Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, 7:30 p.m.

Live Music: Mathias

The Independent, 8 p.m.

Live Music: DJ Moe Jazz Tips Up, 10 p.m.

SUNDAY, FEB. 26

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

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

Performance: Firebird and Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 Willson Auditorium, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Open Pottery Studio BASE, 4 p.m.

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

MONDAY, FEB. 27

Special Olympics of Montana Big Sky Resort Madison Base, 9 a.m.

Competitive Video Games

The Independent, 7 p.m.

Live Music: Amanda Stewart Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, FEB. 28

Live Music: Kylie Spence Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

Screening: “Few Words” The Independent, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1

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

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

Trivia

The Independent, 7 p.m.

Live Music: Pinky and The Floyd The Elm, 8 p.m.

Live Music: Hanna Powell & Robbie Hutto Duo Tips Up, 9:30 p.m

THURSDAY, MARCH 2

Community Acupuncture Santosha Wellness Center, 10 a.m.

ARTventure Afterschool Program BASE, 4:30 p.m.

Arts Council of Big Sky’s Annual Auction for the Arts Montage Big Sky, 5 p.m.

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

Live Music: Scavenger Tips Up, 9:45 p.m.

FRIDAY, MARCH 3

Palette Knife Painting with David Mensing BASE, 9 a.m.

Shedhorn Ski Mountaineering Sprint Race Big Sky Resort, 3 p.m.

Open Pottery Studio BASE, 5 p.m.

Live Music: Damnit Lauren! Tips Up, 9:45 p.m.

SATURDAY, MARCH 4

Shedhorn Ski Mountaineering Individual Races Big Sky Resort, 8 a.m.

Palette Knife Painting with David Mensing BASE, 9 a.m.

Live Music: Amanda Stewart featuring Annie Clements

Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

Live Music: DJ Take A Chance Tips Up, 10 p.m.

SUNDAY, MARCH 5

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

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

Open Pottery Studio BASE, 4 p.m.

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

MONDAY, MARCH 6

Haven’s Domestic Violence Speaker Series Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, 6 p.m.

Competitive Video Games

The Independent, 7 p.m.

Live Music: Amanda Stewart

Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, MARCH 7

American Legion Post 99 monthly meeting Buck’s T-4, 6 p.m.

Live Music: Kylie Spence Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8

Big Sky Resort Area District Board Meeting Big Sky Resort Area District, 9 a.m.

Learn to Skate (4-5)

Marty Pavelich Ice Rink, 5:30 p.m.

Community Art Class: Woodburnt Cutting Boards BASE, 6 p.m.

Learn to Skate (6-8)

Marty Pavelich Ice Rink, 6:15 p.m.

Trivia

The Independent, 7 p.m.

FEATURED EVENT: SPECIAL OLYMPICS OF MONTANA

On Monday, Feb. 27, the Big Sky Area Winter Games return to Big Sky Resort for the 14th year. Athletes from the Gallatin Valley and across Montana will compete in giant slalom, snowshoe and nordic competitions throughout the day beginning at 9 a.m. at the Madison Base Area with an award ceremony at 3 p.m. on the Headwaters

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BUSINESS

MAKING IT IN BIG SKY: WARREN MILLER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

BIG SKY—Since 2013, families across Big Sky, as well as area visitors, have benefited from the presence of the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center and the culture it brings to the community. It was founded not only to provide entertainment and supplement the Big Sky School District’s services, but also to fulfill one of the dreams of its namesake; Warren Miller himself believed that just because you live in a remote ski town, doesn’t mean you should be deprived of access to the arts.

To celebrate a decade in the community, Explore Big Sky sat down with Executive Director, John Zirkle, and Director of Operations and Marketing, Cara Wilder, for this issue’s Making it in Big Sky.

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: What brought you to Big Sky?

John Zirkle: I came with friends to ski for a season while we were in the great “in between” during the Great Recession.

Cara Wilder: Growing up in Bozeman, I would come to Big Sky occasionally to ski. Big Sky has grown and changed dramatically since the 80s, and I’m finding there’s a real vitality and sense of community engagement, and a true appreciation for the arts, which is certainly gratifying for us at WMPAC! I’m grateful to John and the WMPAC board for the opportunity to get to know what Big Sky has become.

EBS: How did the Warren Miller Performing Art Center come to be?

JZ: The Warren Miller Performing Arts Center was dreamed up by Friends of Big Sky Education and the community when the idea for a new high school in Big Sky came up in 2004. After two legislative sessions and a recession, we opened our doors in March of 2013 after retrofitting the old middle school gymnasium at the school. The vision for WMPAC was always to be a dual-use facility; for the school during the daytime and for the community at night.

CW: WMPAC opened its doors on March 12, 2013, which means we’re celebrating a decade this spring! And, it fulfilled a dream of our namesake, Warren Miller, to have a world-class entertainment venue a stone’s throw from a world-class ski resort. He believed living in a ski town shouldn’t mean you have to sacrifice access to the arts, that the two needn’t be mutually exclusive.

EBS: Warren Miller was known for a lot of things, but one that comes to mind is making skiing accessible to everyone, right from their living room, or theater chair. He turned it into a form of entertainment by celebrating his love for the sport in film. How does his impact carry onto the performing arts center that holds is his namesake?

JZ: A lot of our 2013 debut season was about trying out new things, asking what a performing arts center should be in a mountain town, and honoring Warren Miller’s legacy. We still ask that question, especially after the ongoing challenges of the last couple years with COVID, but we

have a much better sense of what types of shows work well in the community, which types of shows press buttons (for better or worse) and who is most likely to come to a show.

If anything though, I would say the humbling experience of these last couple years has made us hungrier than ever for adventurous thinkers and an authentic commitment to creative presentation. Big Sky is bigger than it was when we opened our doors, and so we have been creating more opportunities for students and adults to access the theater, while we also bend and fit to the growth of more cultural opportunities being available throughout the greater Big Sky community.

EBS: How has WMPAC's season been so far?

CW: I think one reason audiences gravitate to WMPAC is that they know they’re going to be a part of an adventurous, singular performance; something they won’t see anywhere else. For our 10th anniversary so far we’ve welcomed bluegrass fans for a wonderfully intimate season opener with Sierra Hull, then pivoted to a raucous evening of comedy with Chad Daniels. We followed that up with a multicultural evening featuring genre-bending string quartet Brooklyn Rider along with Mexican singing sensation Magos Herrera, and just last weekend we hosted the world premiere of NPR’s Planet Money Live! created right here on our stage. It’s been a wild ride so far, and we’re only halfway through the season!

EBS: Do you have any exciting performances coming up that are worth sharing?

CW: On Saturday, Feb. 25, we’re looking forward to an exuberant, exhilarating street dance troupe called Memphis

Jookin, featuring Lil Buck, the creator and choreographer. And as an actor myself, I’m excited for The Acting Company, a professional touring company out of New York, bringing their version of the classic, The Three Musketeers, on Sunday, March 5.

JZ: I’m personally thrilled to be welcoming back the James Sewell Ballet, who performed in our inaugural season ten 10 years ago. They’ll be performing a gorgeous music and movement collaboration developed last summer with The Ahn Trio, on Saturday, March 11. It will be wonderful to come full circle with the JSB to celebrate our first decade.

EBS: Why are the performing arts an important part of a community? What does it provide?

JZ: Ultimately, our mission is tied to cultural infrastructure, so what we’ve really focused on is creating and establishing clear and stable pathways for the community to have consistent access to creativity throughout the year. Those paths are more worn than they once were, and we are shifting to our first glimpses of having institutional knowledge within the community, as opposed to being the shiny new thing that we were in our first season. This is evidenced by a more robust performing arts program embedded into the school curriculum here in Big Sky, increased participation in local community productions, and the concept of “regulars” at the shows. Also, people lovingly refer to us by our acronym “WOM-pack,” which I view as a big win for us.

We know our audiences have come to expect and love innovative thinking and creativity at WMPAC, and our primary goal is to continue to provide a space where this kind of thinking is respected, nourished and celebrated. Ultimately, I think the little decisions and commitment to innovative, divergent thinking are what bring an artist and audience into a sacred communion of winks, smirks, sighs and giggles. I often watch our audiences as much as our stage, looking for the moment when the artist does something that makes the audience feel present in the space and think, “Oh, that’s clever.” That’s usually the moment when both the artists and the audience have a collective realization that, “Yes, I am glad I’m here tonight.”

EBS: Is there anything else you'd like the Big Sky community to know?

JZ: If our first decade has taught us anything, it’s that we will continue to grow alongside the community of Big Sky and southwest Montana. Big Sky will have grown in population again by then, so my great hope is that we have more locals on stage throughout more seasons of the year, and that we have an opportunity to build out more programming that continues to inspire and bring people together. As long as I’m here, I’m going to keep pushing to surprise. We strive to be different because we believe that is how we can best help contribute to a thriving and vibrant arts ecosystem in southwest Montana.

EBS: What’s the best business advice you've ever received?

JZ: From Warren Miller: “If you don’t do it this year, you’ll only be a year older when you do.” Also, Warren gave me some really practical advice on the decision to do one or two performances for a show. He said, “If you think you can fill half the house on the second show, go for it.” That has been very useful for us as we continue to grow.

John Zirkle giving an opening speech before the premiere of the original play Levity. PHOTO BY TORI PINTAR

As long as I’m here, I’m going to keep pushing to surprise. We strive to be different because we believe that is how we can best help contribute to a thriving and vibrant arts ecosystem in southwest Montana.

– John Zirkle, Executive Director, WMPAC

OPINION

A LA CARTE

SUKIYAKI SUPER BOWL

BY RACHEL HERGETT EBS COLUMNIST

On Feb. 12, many of us were crowded around televisions, lounging on couches or in bars to watch the Super Bowl — or Rihanna slay the halftime show — while snacking on nachos and wings.

As a kid, our house held what I believed to be the best of these parties for the big game. It was rowdy, drunken, and often included halftime sledding (or snow canoeing) down our steep driveway — the premier sledding hill in our neighborhood in the foothills of the Bridger Mountains. But my mom and stepfather grew up, and I guess so did I. The parties ended and they started a Super Bowl weekend tradition that involves cross country skiing in Yellowstone with their closest friends and a few nights at Chico Hot Springs or, lately, a short-term rental. My cousin John or I stay at their house with our grandmother. Out of that, our own tradition has emerged.

We call it the Sukiyaki Super Bowl and it started as a reason to cook the food of her youth for our now 92-year-old grandma Keiko. Sukiyaki is a Japanese hot pot. It’s not fancy. It’s a jumble of ingredients in a soupy broth served over rice (but everything in Japanese cooking is served with rice). To me, it feels like a hug.

The most difficult part of feeding sukiyaki to a crowd is the prep. Especially because John and I like to go big. We cut up firm tofu, shirataki (yam) noodles, udon noodles, mushrooms like maitake, enoki or shiitake, Chinese (napa) cabbage, bok choi and green onions — bunches and bunches. My mom likes to joke that you know an Asian household because a jar of little blue rubber bands lives somewhere in the kitchen. The rubber bands

hold together green onions at the grocery store. There are always some in my kitchen.

To make sukiyaki, start with a broth. It contains equal parts soy sauce, sake and mirin and about double that of stock — usually a dashi made with kelp or fish. Add a bit of sugar to taste.

In a hot wok or cast iron pan, fry up some thin slices of a well-marbled piece of beef. Once it’s browned, move it to the side and start adding your prepped ingredients to the pan. It’s a habit to keep the ingredients grouped, so the dish takes on a choose-your-own-adventure style. Some families keep the noodles out until the end, using them in the remaining broth. People in our family like noodles too much for that and add them right in.

The beauty of sukiyaki is in the customization. One of our guests couldn’t eat carrots, so carrots were off the prep list. Bean sprouts and snow peas looked

good at the market, so they were added. It can be vegetarian without the beef, or gluten free if you replace soy sauce with tamari.

John and I bill the Sukiyaki Super Bowl to our friends as a meal with the game on in the background, and they often choose a more standard game day spread and we end up eating leftovers for a week. We don’t mind. Whether it is attended by me, John and grandma Keiko or a whole host of friends, Sukiyaki Super Bowl is a tradition we savor.

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.

The author’s 92-year-old grandma readies ingredients. PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT

Ingredients are grouped together and prepped ahead of time for a choose-your-own-adventure element.

PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT

Putting together your bowl is always a fun time when friends are involved. PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

DACITE REBAR

BY PAUL SWENSON EBS COLUMNIST

Welcome back. If you have been following the last three columns you have read about the three major classifications of rocks: Sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous. These three rock types make up the rock cycle that you should have learned in middle school or early high school.

To recap this cycle, rocks are eroded to produce sediment. The sediment gets deposited somewhere down stream, probably the ocean. The sediment accumulates, becoming sedimentary rock through a slow process called lithification. With continued burial, added pressure and/or heat changes the mineralogy, creating metamorphic rocks. Continued heating causes melting, leading to igneous rocks. Lift any of these types of rocks to the surface via tectonic forces then repeat the process. Earth’s crustal recycling.

For this column let’s mix up all three types of rocks together and see what we get. First, in the fall I discussed how shales in the Big Sky region were easily eroded and formed gentle slopes and valleys. Most of the shales have already been eroded off any of the mountain ranges like the Spanish Peaks, Gravelly Range or Tobacco Root Range. Second, the core and high peaks of these ranges are predominantly metamorphic or igneous rocks since these types are hard and resistant to erosion.

But here is the enigma: Lone Mountain. Its sitting out there all by itself at 11,000 feet, not part of the Taylor-Hilgard range or Spanish Peaks. And it consists in major part of shales, mudstones and thin sandstone layers. These rocks should have been eroded away with the rest of the surrounding sedimentary rocks. So why not? Igneous intrusive rocks.

I suspect many of you have seen at some time a crumbling piece of concrete infrastructure, a bridge abutment, or a curb, or an old building foundation. The concrete weathers and crumbles, but there is still a structural element that holds it upright, rebar. The rebar adds tensile and compressional strength to the concrete. Lone Mountain has the geologic equivalent to rebar holding up the weak sedimentary rock, a collection of igneous intrusions that collectively are called a laccolith.

The igneous rocks, under extremely high pressure, were injected between layers of the sedimentary rocks where they cooled. These intrusive rocks transferred heat to the shales and sandstones, metamorphosing them into harder rocks called hornsfels. So both the hard igneous rocks, and the hornsfels, contribute to the structural integrity of Lone Mountain.

The rocks of the laccolith were initially classified as andesite back in the early 1900’s. Andesite mountain was named such because of the igneous rocks that you find on top. When you get to the top of Ramcharger, that’s all there is in the windswept rockpile on top. It is these same rocks that give you core shots all over the ski hill, whether it’s Challenger, Shedhorn or the Tram.

Today the igneous rocks are classified as dacite, which is very similar to andesite but has a slightly different chemistry.

The timing of intrusion has been determined to be around 70 million years ago. There was a lot going on at that time with the subduction of the Farallon plate, formation of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado Plateau and other orogenic events. This subduction zone would be located about 500 miles to the west of us. There was a lot of igneous activity happening above and below the surface of the earth. Large bodies of magma were melting their way through the crust, some of them making it to the surface, some not. The largest of these bodies now have names like the Boulder Batholith, the Tobacco Root Batholith and the Idaho Batholith. These

large bodies, as they cooled underground, deposited large amounts of copper, silver and gold that lead to the mineral rushes of the last century and a half here in the Treasure State. “Oro y plata,” gold and silver, is our state motto.

Perhaps the dacite intrusions of Lone Mountain are related to the larger magmatic events to the west. The gold, silver and copper rushes of the mid to late 1800’s brought us towns like Virgina City, Butte, Helena and Bannock. Now in our modern world, we have a rush of our own. Here in Big Sky we are not strip mining gold, but what we now hold valuable—our views, recreational opportunities, and outdoor lifestyle. Our gem is a mountain born from the same fires that produce other precious commodities. We owe a lot to some simple processes, and we must take care of our iconic mountain and all the natural beauty we call home.

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.

Cliffs formed by a dacite intrusion in the Dakota region of Lone Mountain.

PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

Lone Mountain dacite showing a gabbro xenolith. The xenolith is 2 inches across.

PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

Contact between shale (black) and dacite (light tan) in Patrol Chutes. PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

Pinnacles showing dacite (light tan) and sedimentary rocks (dark gray). PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

PEAK SKIS SHOWROOM

SKI TIPS WITH DAN EGAN

THE BREAKTHROUGH ZONE

BY DAN EGAN EBS CONTRIBUTOR

Entering the breakthrough zone of skiing requires changing your paradigm not only for how you ski but where you ski and why. Once you take the focus off improving and shift it to strategy and tactics, difficult ski runs become achievable. Over the years I have discovered that the best way to inject your skiing with new energy and skill is to take a step back from your current skiing comfort zone and ramp up the terrain that challenges you, moguls, trees, control, speed, powder or hard-packed snow.

Think of this approach as the equivalent of reprogramming your computer’s hard drive. It is time to update and reboot our physical and mental approach to skiing. Many of the ruts we fall into have to do with who, where, and when we ski. These patterns are as much holding you back as technical knowledge. The Breakthrough Zone is all about busting wide open into new realms of experiences.

It's skills and drills time. You must always remain motivated enough to practice. If you want to be better at steeps, you need to focus on the basics— upper body, pole planting, and quick edge-to-edge transitions. Or maybe bumps are your thing. If they are, you must be willing to start on medium-grade bumps and build up to the steep, rad lines. This is going to require practice, time, and patience; try and carve out two a day for this pursuit.

The ultimate objective is to turn “Oh no” into “Oh yah.” We’re all driven by some form of inner voice. It’s best to flip the switch of this conversation into positive reinforcing language, such as: “I can, I will, I am progressing, it’s going to happen, there is progress happening here.”

When you are not skiing, practice visualization of how you want to ski. Find images and videos of other skiers who model your goals. Watch them, embed the images in your memory, and visualize them as you ski. See yourself skiing the terrain you want to ski, the way you want to ski it. Think about your body position, focus on where you’re looking during the run, how you’re maneuvering over and around obstacles. Replay these images in your mind. If you feel your body getting tense or anxious during the visualization, take a deep breath and tell yourself to relax. This practice of visualization will help reprogram your skiing patterns.

Now is a good time to discuss the F word: “falling." Remember, falling or having a bobble is not a negative experience, but a learning experience. If you are going to push past your limits, you’re likely to have a few struggles along the way. That’s fine! Just part of the process. Explore the possibilities of all-terrain skiing and expand your horizons. As your confidence grows, so will your adventures. Be safe. Be smart. Be bold and go for it!

The purpose of practicing skills and drills is to develop agility. An agile skier can go wherever they please, and most often they get there with fluid grace. You know skiers who just seem to flow so beautifully, their body appears to float above the snow, always seeking the path of least resistance. These agile and fluid skiers add the art of dance to skiing, in just about any conditions. These skiers are operating in the Zone of Excellence.

Author and philosopher Joseph Campbell once said, “The best things and experiences cannot be told, because they transcend thought. The second best are things are the things we think about and are often misunderstood when spoken of. The third best things and experiences are the ones we describe.”

In other words, the ultimate ski run has no translation from experience to explanation.

I’ve often thought this to be true and have described my best ski runs more from the vantage point of observation rather than physically doing it.

So, recapping how to enter the Zone of Excellence, where the mind and body act as one, allowing you to perform extraordinary feats:

Take time to practice, ski with skiers who match your motivation to improve, practice visualization, see falling as a positive, and finally shift your thinking from judging your performance to observing it. My “All-Terrain Skiing” book, videos on YouTube and app, gives you the drills and skills to experience the Zone of Excellence, all you have to do is dedicate the time.

Extreme Skiing Pioneer, Dan Egan coaches and guides at Big Sky Resort during the winter. His 2022/23 steeps camps at Big Sky Resort run March 1-3, and March 8-10. His book, “Thirty Years in a White Haze” was released 2021 and his newest book, "All-Terrain Skiing II" was released this November and comes with a free app which you can download from Google and Apple App Stores. His books and worldwide ski camps are available at www.Dan-Egan.com

Dan Egan making some deep powder turns in the trees. COURTESY OF DEGAN MEDIA

Dan Egan making the steeps look easy. COURTESY OF DEGAN MEDIA

The author turning a potential "Oh no" into an "Oh yah." COURTESY OF DEGAN MEDIA

ADVICE FROM THE AVALANCHE CENTER

ALWAYS CARRY RESCUE GEAR AND KNOW HOW TO USE IT

BY IAN HOYER EBS CONTRIBUTOR

When heading out for a day of backcountry riding there is a long list of things you need: Jackets, extra layers, gloves, helmet, goggles, backpack, water, food, avalanche rescue gear, and more. Some are essential every day, others you can choose to bring or leave, depending on conditions.

Avalanche rescue gear is not optional. Any day you’re riding in the mountains—regardless of conditions or your goals for the day—you need to carry an avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe. While the first goal of avalanche safety is to not get caught in an avalanche, accidents happen to even the savviest riders and you need to be prepared.

If you’re caught and buried in an avalanche, you have a decent chance of survival if you’re dug out within 10 minutes. After that your odds decrease dramatically. This means you’re relying on your partners to find and dig you out quickly. Carrying avalanche rescue gear and knowing how to use it makes this possible.

Avalanche beacons help locate a person buried under the snow (as long as they have a transmitting beacon) down to just a few square feet. A probe is used to determine the exact location of the buried person and gives a definitive target for digging. A shovel is needed to dig out your partner.

Without all three pieces of this rescue gear trifecta, the system doesn’t work and you are unlikely to rescue your partner in time. The beacon needs to be worn on your person and the shovel and probe carried in a backpack or vest.

As important as carrying the gear is knowing how to use it. On-snow avalanche classes are the best way to

learn. Check with your local avalanche center to find one near you. There are also online resources that can help get you started. You can find links to many of these at www.mtavalanche.com/education. Consistent practice—at least once a season, ideally several times a season—will give you the confidence and experience to find and dig out your buried partners when it matters.

Avalanche airbags are remarkable tools and are a great supplement to the standard rescue gear, but they are not a substitute for carrying a beacon, shovel, and probe. Studies show airbags cut your chances of dying in an avalanche in half. That is truly amazing and makes them a worthwhile investment if you plan to ride in avalanche terrain. But they are not a silver bullet. It is still possible to get buried while wearing one.

Earlier this winter near Cooke City a rider triggered a

large slide while wearing an airbag but didn’t manage to deploy it. He was buried 5 feet deep. Other riders saw the avalanche happen and began searching almost immediately. Unfortunately, the buried rider did not have an avalanche beacon. It took a probe line an hour to locate him and he had already passed away. An avalanche beacon may have made the difference between this event being a scary close call and the tragedy it became.

Make a commitment to never leave the trailhead without an avalanche beacon, shovel, probe and don’t ride with anyone who doesn’t have them. The life you save may be your own.

Ian Hoyer is an avalanche forecaster with the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center.

A full view of an avalanche on Crown Butte outside Cooke City that killed a snowmobiler on New Year's Eve. COURTESY OF GNFAC

HEALTH BUZZ ALTITUDE GUIDE

BY KALEY BURNS EBS COLUMNIST

Welcome to wonderful Big Sky, Montana! As you take in the beautiful scenery, your body may also be reminding you that you are not at sea level anymore. Depending on where you are in town, you could be resting anywhere from 6,000-11,000 feet of elevation.

At higher elevations, you will take in less oxygen per breath. This means the higher you climb, the greater the risk of developing altitude-related illness. Altitude sickness is actually a type of stress on the body and can be a big concern for travelers. The stress of lower oxygen levels can lead to symptoms such as nausea, trouble breathing and weakness.

Thankfully there is no need to miss out on the fun and leave the mountain to alleviate altitude-related symptoms. Reference this guide for helpful tips and tricks.

Dr. B's top 10 tips to adjust to altitude

1. IV nutrient and hydration therapy: Especially if you know you are sensitive to elevation changes, I suggest getting a nutrient intravenous drop (IV treatment) as soon as you get into town. Don’t wait until you are already feeling ill.

2. Keep up hydration with electrolytes: Our favorite electrolyte on the market is LMNT. Add a packet to your 40-ounce water bottle once to twice per day to keep your muscles happy and allow you to enjoy the mountain to the fullest. Water intake is advised to be half your bodyweight in ounces, PLUS if you are physically active adding roughly 8 ounces for every 15 minutes.

Pro Tip: Consume 24 ounces of water within the first 30 minutes of waking. Your body dehydrates overnight.

3. Mind your activity levels: Many people notice that they need to monitor their intensity and duration of activity as they are adjusting to higher elevations. It’s common for physical performance to become more difficult when you ascend in altitude. It is best not to push yourself too hard for the first two to three days.

4. Get adequate amounts of sleep: Sleep disturbances are common at higher elevations. If you are struggling to sleep, check your caffeine intake and try improving sleep hygiene with a dark room, white noise or calming essential oils such as lavender.

Pro Tip: Magnesium is great for helping promote optimal sleep. Current research shows that magnesium can help the body relax to help improve disruption and even insomnia.

5. Exercise caution with alcohol intake: Alcohol is dehydrating and can affect many people more significantly at altitude. Alcohol intake can also disrupt sleep patterns. Your safest option is to wait about 48 hours before you consume alcohol at altitude.

6. Boost your nutrient intake: Foods such as bananas, avocados, spinach, Greek yogurt and kale are all high in potassium which can help mitigate some of the effects of altitude.

Pro Tip: Another favorite way to support your nutrition AND help with hydration levels is consuming bone broth. There are a couple great restaurants in town that offer this tasty treat as well!

7. Keep an eye on your calorie intake in general: Your body has to work extra hard to keep you functioning with less oxygen available. Therefore, your body requires more fuel. A nutrient-dense diet combining complex carbohydrates, plant and animal proteins and healthy fats can help keep you full and enable your body to run well at higher elevations.

Pro Tip: If you experience appetite reduction, this is a great time to utilize nutrient-packed fluids including bone broths, juices and quality protein shakes. Just check labels and steer clear of sugar levels above 12 grams per serving!

You may have to ditch the keto routine: consuming adequate complex carbs, which require less oxygen to metabolize and helps you maintain a better ratio of oxygen to carbon dioxide, allowing you to use oxygen more efficiently.

8. Recruit quality supplementation as needed: I recommend utilizing NEO40 or SuperBeets supplements to support nitric oxide production. Research has found that optimal nitric oxide levels are key to improving high altitude function.

Beets contain iron and vitamin C as well, which can be a good way to help maximize the metabolic benefits of being at altitude.

9. Protect yourself from the sun: The ultraviolet rays are more intense the higher you go in elevation, meaning sunburn can occur more easily. The effect is intensified by the sun reflecting off the snow, so don't underestimate the power of sun protection.

10. Go lower or seek support if necessary: Don’t wait too long to seek medical attention if your health is struggling as you adapt to altitude. If needed, make arrangements to sleep at a lower elevation; This has been found to help the body adjust more optimally and can allow you to still enjoy a day at the mountain!

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

Ski pow!

ENJOYING THE RIDE A LOVING LEGACY

BY BENJAMIN SPIKER SPONSORED CONTENT

As a business owner, the thought of leaving my personal legacy to my family via my business is always near to my heart. As we celebrate Valentine’s Day and the tradition of sharing our hearts with those we love, I’d like to share some thoughts for others who may be involved with a family business.

Transitioning your family business to your heirs may sound simple enough but doing it successfully can prove difficult. To help improve your transition’s chances for success, consider family business governance, a system of correlated tools and actions that support the next generation with controlling, owning, and operating the business. The framework establishes business protocols, describes how future ownership changes occur, and establishes a precedent for making business decisions.

The following are several tools that can be utilized as part of a family business governance system, including:

A buy-sell agreement is a legally binding contract stipulating how an owner’s share of a business may be reassigned if triggering events occur, the price that will be paid, and the payment structure.

A family employment policy document can be kept within the family for private use or incorporated into the business’s human resource documentation. It sets expectations for heirs, spouses, and extended family members about such issues as how they can obtain employment in the business, the requirements to attain key positions, the compensation standards to be used, and incentive language for family members.

A distribution or dividend policy is key in setting expectations with family members regarding what distributions they should expect to receive from the business. Business owners must balance the need for cash to maintain or grow the business with the desire to receive distributions.

A professional board of directors is a governing body that helps oversee the business and makes major decisions. A board generally comprises three, five, or seven professionals from various industries that have the subject matter expertise to assist the company strategically.

A family board or council is a group within the family — or may include the entire family — that comes together to make decisions about the business on the family’s behalf.

A company mission statement can be valuable to your employees and your family as it addresses

the business’s purpose and vision and can help guide future company leaders.

Your estate plan can address ownership, control, distributions, and several other factors. The business’s governing documents should be reviewed at the same time the family business governance system and tools are put in place. Revisions to these documents or corporate resolutions stored in the corporate minutes may be needed to align these documents with the company’s governance system.

Transitioning the family business to the next generation is much more than transitioning shares. A well-thought-out and documented plan that addresses ownership, control, and operations helps build a strong governance system for your business. This system, combined with communication with the next generation, can be key to your transition’s success and will help allow you and your family to Enjoy the Ride!

Benjamin D. Spiker is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Shore to Summit Wealth Management. His wealth management career spans more than 23 years and he currently works and lives in Annapolis, MD with his wife, two sons and daughter.

ILLUSTRATION BY CY WHITLING

BIG SKY BEATS TRAPPED IN THE CANYON

BY JULIA BARTON

We’ve all been there: It’s 4:30 p.m. on a winter evening and there’s approximately 10 million cars trying to make their way up the Gallatin Canyon from Big Sky. Traffic is moving slow, if at all, and no matter what music you’re listening to, you feel trapped. Want to feel even more trapped while moving at a snail’s pace up Highway 191? Try listening to this trap music playlist we compiled to help feed the road rage.

1. “Trap Queen” by Fetty Wap

2. “WAM” by A$AP Ferg

3. “Both (feat. Drake)” by Gucci Mane

4. “Better Now” by Post Malone

5. “Programs” by Mac Miller

6. “Tranquilo” by Kevin Roldan

7. “Just Wanna Rock” by Lil Uzi Vert

8. “Supastars” by Migos

9. “Backstage Passes (feat. Jack Harlow)” by EST Gee

10. “Let It All Workout” by Lil Wayne

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