Explore Big Sky - January 26 to February 8, 2023

January 26 - February 8, 2023

Volume 14, Issue No. 2

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 EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Rob Smith | rob@theoutlawpartners.com

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, Badger, Dan Egan, Chris Kamman, Alex Marienthal, Silas Miller, Carey O’Donnell, Sara Sipe, Paul Swenson, Cy Whitling

OPENING SHOT

Winter weather was dry and unexciting for most of January, but storms returned with a vengeance beginning on Jan. 22. By Jan. 24, a few fresh inches had piled delicately upon the “ski-dirondack” chairs on the patio at Tips Up, and even on the wires of string lights beyond.

JACK REANEY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE LAST LAP PART II: A LIFE’S WORK

In part two of “The Last Lap,” a three-part series about the final season of the Lone Peak Tram, EBS spoke with the directors of ski patrol and lift maintenance to learn how their work has depended on the machine over the past 27 years. Avalanches and slow-moving rock glaciers were among the biggest challenges posed by the elements for Mike Buotte and Laurel Blessley, and their respective teams.

LOCAL GROUP EXPLORES INCORPORATION

Garnering recent attention, a local group is opening their research to the public which regards the possible incorporation of Big Sky into a state-recognized municipality. Big Sky Local Governance, Inc., has been exploring the pros, cons and obstacles of centralizing government in the Big Sky community. They will welcome volunteers from the public in February.

BIG SKY PREPARES FOR SKIJORING FESTIVAL

On Feb. 4-5, the “Best in the West Showdown” skijoring festival will return to Big Sky for its fifth year. This year’s event will include a welcome parade led by Montana State University’s Rodeo Team, and freestyle snowmobiling exposition during intermission. Big Sky’s course has a reputation for “progressive” design featuring a right-handed dog leg turn and banked slalom.

NPR SHOW TO VISIT WMPAC

ON THE COVER:

A brave competitor hangs on to navigate a banked turn during the 2022 edition of the Big Sky Skijoring Foundation’s “Best in the West Showdown,” returning to Big Sky in early February. PHOTO COURTESY OF BIG SKY SKIJORING FOUNDATION

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.

The hosts of “Planet Money,” a popular and “quirky” economics podcast produced by NPR, will perform a live show at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center on Feb. 11. The show, which will be livestreamed, will use multimedia to discuss Scottish economist Adam Smith, the origin of job benefits and the naturally-occurring economic experiments tested during COVID-19.

PLUS:

FROM BASE TO ‘YELLOWSTONE’ PREQUEL

Carey O’Donnell, a part-time Big Sky resident, was working out at BASE when she was suddenly cast as an extra in “1923,” the prequel for the TV series “Yellowstone.” The production team dressed O’Donnell and her cohort in detailed costume to play the role of prohibitionist “Temperance Women,” and they filmed for hours on the streets of Butte in blazing heat this past September.

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 February 9, 2022 issue: February 1, 2022

CORRECTIONS

Please report errors to media@outlaw.partners.

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OBITUARY

AUDREY K. TOSTEVIN

Born Helen Audrey Kirchman on Oct. 9, 1927, the only child of Harry Kirchman and Bernice Karl Kirchman. Audrey lived in Bethlehem, PA and is a graduate of Liberty High School and Moravian College. At an early age, Audrey became passionate about theatre. She also had quite a sense of adventure and took flying lessons at Allentown Bethlehem Easton Airport and flew solo in 1944 when she was only 17 years old. Not having a drivers’ license yet, she rode her bike to the airport.

Audrey met her husband, Edgar Ronald Tostevin Jr. (Ron) at the PA Playhouse, where she expanded her love for theatre and fell in love. They married in 1958 and had three kids: Edgar Ronald Tostevin III (Ron, of Wharton, NJ), Laura Ann Tostevin (now Laura T. Sacchi, of Big Sky) and Cynthia Jean Tostevin (now Cynthia T. Sarver, of Ligonier, PA).

Audrey had five grandchildren: Helena Sacchi and Benjamin Saad; James Sarver, Tyler Sarver and Douglas Sarver.

After marrying Ron, they lived in Applebachsville, PA before moving to Easton, PA, then to Ligonier, PA in 1971, where Audrey lived until last year when she moved to the Springs in Bozeman, MT.

After 50 years of marriage, Audrey’s husband, Ron, died in 2008 after a seven-year fight against multiple myeloma. Later that year, Audrey adopted Romeo, a shepherd/lab mix, and he became the next love of her life.

From high school until just a few years ago, Audrey was very active in the theatre, both acting and directing. She also started Lollipop Productions, a puppet theatre, for which she not only handled the puppets during the shows, but also made the puppets and wrote the shows. She toured schools, birthday parties and arts festivals.

Audrey and Ron performed in many stage productions together and they also enjoyed traveling. Over the years they took several small

boat cruises and also went on safari to Africa, traveled to South America, the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, Canada and their beloved Sanibel Island, Florida. They also bought a small beach cottage in 1963 in Silver Beach, NJ, where the family enjoyed many summer vacations.

Audrey was very active in the Episcopal Church, specifically St. Michaels of the Valley Episcopal Church, Rector, PA where her remains will be interred beside her husband on June 3, 2023.

All are welcome to her memorial service at the Big Sky Chapel on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Audrey K. Tostevin Memorial Theatre Scholarship Fund, which will grant scholarships to high school seniors who are passionate about theatre.

Checks should be made payable to FOBSE and mailed to Laura Sacchi, PO Box 161376, Big Sky, MT 59716. Gifts are tax deductible and tax receipts will come from FOBSE, a 501(c)(3).

To learn more about FOBSE visit https://www.friendsofbigskyeducation.org/.

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Continuing the Incorporation Conversation: Our Commitment to Supporting a Community Decision

Dear Big Sky,

Throughout the history of Big Sky, forming a municipality (incorporation) has been a consideration for our community. A newly sparked citizen effort has begun around this topic. At the January Big Sky Resort Area District (BSRAD) Board meeting, representatives introduced their organization and a dialog was started with BSRAD.

The Board expressed commitment to working together to understand the goals, pressing issues, and what potential solutions are created by incorporating. Specifically, the Board emphasized how Resort Tax currently offsets property taxes for existing government services (ie, fire, sheriff, transportation, water & sewer).

Resort Tax is the primary public funding source in Big Sky. We remain committed to our fiduciary responsibility of forecasting community needs and their associated costs. Additionally, we will continue to fund those needs through a transparent budgeting process for Big Sky. Research of the fiscal impacts of incorporation is in initial stages. We are dedicated to supporting this community conversation, the voters of BSRAD and the community at large.

We truly are BETTER TOGETHER,

Sarah Blechta Board Chair Sarah@ResortTax.org

Daniel Bierschwale Executive Director Daniel@ResortTax.org

LOCAL NEWS IN BRIEF

BIG SKY LOCAL GOVERNANCE, INC. TO OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS

EBS STAFF

Big Sky Local Governance, Inc., a recently formed group exploring the possibility of incorporating Big Sky as a municipality, will engage the public for the first time in February.

On Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m., the group will host an orientation with a presentation and Q&A for new and existing volunteers at the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District boardroom.

“This is a chance to get caught up on what has brought the group to this point and the plan going forward,” Tim Kent, one representative of the group, wrote in an email to EBS.

On Feb. 17, the group will hold their monthly work session at 10 a.m. at the BSCWSD boardroom. Zoom invitations for both meetings will be sent before the event. Kent encouraged community members to email the group with questions.

FEDS SEND $930M TO CURB ‘CRISIS’ OF US WEST WILDFIRES

ASSOCIATED PRESS

BILLINGS—The Biden administration on Jan. 19 announced $930 million for reducing wildfire dangers in 10 western states by clearing trees and underbrush from national forests, as officials struggle to contain infernos due to climate change.

Under a strategy now entering its second year, the U.S. Forest Service is trying to prevent out-of-control fires that start on public lands from harming communities. But in an interview with The Associated Press, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack acknowledged that the shortage of workers is hindering the agency’s wildfire efforts.

“It’s not a matter of whether or not these forests will burn,” Vilsack said. “The crisis is upon us.”

The sites targeted for spending in 2023 cover areas in Southern California, the Oregon-California border, Arizona, northern Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Washington state, Colorado, New Mexico and Montana.

The idea is to focus on “hotspots” that make up only a small portion of fireprone areas but account for about 80% of risk to communities and developed infrastructure—from houses to roads and power lines.

PROPOSED BILL WOULD LAUNCH FARMTO-FOOD-PANTRY GRANT PROGRAM

Food pantry operators have long said it’s a challenge to keep shelves stocked with fresh, nutritious produce. Now, a proposal in the Montana Legislature seeks to make that easier.

House Bill 276 would launch Montana’s first-ever “farm-to-food-bank” grant program. It would open up $1 million in funding over the next two years to regional food hubs and pantries across the state to help purchase fresh food from local producers.

The Montana Food Bank Network’s chief policy officer Lorianne Burhop said the grants would help food banks bring down the cost of buying locally, which can be more expensive than other sources of food.

Food hubs awarded a grant under the proposal in Montana would have to purchase goods with at least 51% of ingredients produced in-state. Preference would be shown to applicants that demonstrate an ability to reach underserved communities—especially those on tribal reservations.

NEW GOP TAX BILL WOULD BENEFIT TOP MONTANA EARNERS, PROVIDE “MEAGER” BENEFITS TO MIDDLE- AND LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS

EBS STAFF

A new tax bill proposed by Republican legislators would mean that Montanans earning the state median income would get an extra roughly $50 a year while those earning $570,000 or more would get nearly $6,000, the Montana Budget and Policy Center estimated.

“It is … largesse to the richest millionaires, and its benefits are meager indeed for middle-income and low-income households,” said Margaret MacDonald, with Big Sky 55+ of Billings.

Members of the Senate Tax committee voted 7-5 last week to advance Senate Bill 121.

The bill would decrease the state’s top income tax rate from 6.5% to 5.9%, which sponsor and Sen. Becky Beard, R-Elliston, said will “help make Montana a more competitive place for our economy and our standard of living.”

The bill also would increase the refundable Earned Income Tax Credit from 3% of the federal credit to 10%. This credit helps people who earn lower incomes.

UM STUDY:

‘YELLOWSTONE’ SERIES GENERATES 2.1M VISITORS, $750M IN SPENDING FOR MONTANA

UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA

MISSOULA—Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone” has sparked the interest of a worldwide audience, bringing an estimated 2.1 million visitors and $730 million in spending to Montana in 2021, according to a new University of Montana study.

Conducted by UM’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research and UM’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research, the study found that the TV show has been a significant factor in marketing Montana. Centered on the fictional Dutton family ranch, “Yellowstone” treated more than 12 million viewers to the scenery of Montana during its season-five premiere.

The study found that the combination of visitor spending and film production spending associated with the production of “Yellowstone” resulted in $730.1 million in spending to the state’s economy, $44.5 million in state tax revenue, more than 10,200 jobs, $376 million in income received by Montana households and roughly $1.1 billion in output.

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO THE BIG SKY FIRE DEPARTMENT FIRE DISTRICT MEMBERS

An Election of one trustee for the Big Sky Fire District Board of Trustees will be held on May 2, 2023.

Declaration of Candidacy forms for the election are available at the Big Sky Fire Department, Station #1 - Westfork Meadows, 650 Rainbow Trout Run, Big Sky, Montana and the Gallatin County Election Department, Gallatin County Courthouse, 311 W. Main Street Room 210, Bozeman, Montana.

Original Declaration of Candidacy forms must be filed with the Gallatin County Election Department no later than 5:00 p.m. on February 6, 2023.

MONTANA PUBLIC RADIO

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THE LAST LAP PART II: A LIFE’S WORK

A VETERAN PATROLLER’S RESPECT FOR LONE MOUNTAIN’S HAZARD, AND A MECHANIC’S REFLECTION ON ‘THE HEART OF THE MOUNTAIN’

“The Last Lap” is a three-part series commemorating the origins, glory years and final days of a defining era for American skiing.

BY JACK REANEY

Mike Buotte, Big Sky Ski Patrol’s director of snow safety, first became a Big Sky ski patroller in the winter of 1994-95—just before construction began on the ambitious tram.

As a rookie, Buotte believes his backcountry skiing knowledge and youthful ambition earned respect from veteran patrollers who took him under their wing. Almost immediately, he helped Big Sky Resort open some of the most unique and hazardous inbounds terrain in the United States.

Part one of this series highlighted the peak-hiking and tram-welding days of Montana ski-legend Tom Jungst. In part three of this series, which will publish at the end of ski season, EBS will speak with the Big Sky community during the tram’s final weeks.

“On a personal level, [the tram] meant incredible opportunity to me,” Buotte told Explore Big Sky in a November 2022 phone interview. “I was at the right place at the right time as a young, gung-ho patroller and backcountry skier who was very into the mountains. That tram provided access to a real mountain, and that was exciting and challenging. It turned into my life’s work.”

Buotte also said it’s time for a new tram.

“That tram’s been really, really good to us,” he said. “We haven’t had—I shouldn’t say this—we haven’t had to evacuate that tram.”

Buotte—pronounced BE-ott—said it’s been a pretty stable machine for 26 years and it represented “a giant step forward for inbounds skiing in the United States.”

Back in the early ‘90s, Buotte said that the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center was a brand new two-person operation, and patrollers were trained “on the job” for snow safety. Patrollers are far more qualified now, he said. Before Thanksgiving, Buotte led “all patrol day” at Lone Mountain to help teams from all over Montana shake off the rust.

Around that time, Buotte and a core group of seasoned avalanche mitigation professionals “got the first shots on the mountain” and analyzed the snowpack.

He said this season’s early snow was akin to 1995.

“It snowed early, it snowed often, and it didn’t stop,” Buotte recalled. The tram wasn’t ready for patrol use until mid-December, and by that time, he said the snowpack was “mature” and probably hadn’t seen a single explosive.

Thankfully, the 1995-96 snowpack settled without a weak layer. There wasn’t a single deep slab avalanche in the tram’s first season, Buotte said. That changed the following year.

‘The reality of what’s going on’

“In Big Sky and around Montana, [’96 and ’97] has never been topped in terms of snowfall,” Buotte said. Unfortunately, a “killer ice layer on the bottom of the snowpack” caused problems in the tram’s second season.

On Christmas Day, 1996, a patroller died in an explosive accident near the summit of Lone Mountain. Buotte says it was traumatic for the entire team.

The next morning, patrol triggered a “wall-to-wall” avalanche across Lenin and the Dictator Chutes. The slide infamously took out the Shedhorn chairlift, leaving scars still visible today.

Buotte and another patroller were caught in that avalanche. Miraculously, they both stopped. Had they “taken the ride,” Buotte is confident they would not have survived.

“That second year, the reality of what’s going on really hit us,” Buotte said. “And it was not fun and games. It was pretty dark, frankly. That’s when it got very real for the organization. And for me. The

industry changed; avalanche training changed. We had to up our game. It was a new paradigm.”

Buotte said patrol changed the Lenin route’s design—adding more separation in time and space—and applied the same learning to other routes. Mitigation work is inherently dangerous, but Buotte believes the close call helped emphasize the importance of route structure to reduce risk.

Even before the tram was built, he remembers industry experts saying, ‘it won’t work,’ and ‘it’s too dangerous,’ and ‘the weather is too crazy.’ Serious doubts circulated when an inbounds slab nearly claimed the lives of two professionals while pummeling the chairlift built to complement tramserved terrain.

“It was really freakin’ hard,” Buotte said. “But the challenge is what kept [patrollers] coming back, year after year, trying to improve. That’s what’s incredibly satisfying to me personally, now, looking back to where we started as an organization and a ski patrol, and where we are now.”

Spirit and superstition

Buotte talks to Lone Mountain, thanking it often.

“I pick up every piece of trash that I see on the mountain when I’m skiing around—not to make the resort prettier, but to respect the mountain. I’ve stopped, sidestepped up the mountain to pick up that granola bar wrapper or water bottle or whatever.

“That’s what I do to kind of try to honor the mountain and to hope that it doesn’t kill me,” he said, laughing.

In his 28-year career, he said he’s never heard another patroller voice a superstition about the tram. However, Buotte still feels the power of the machine. He said that initially, everyone was “freakin’ intrigued” by the Lone Peak Tram.

When a toboggan was mangled around a tree, Buotte said patrol decided to leave it in memory of the destructive slide. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

Big Sky Ski Patrol’s Director of Snow Safety Mike Buotte

“One thing I used to love to do, especially in the early years of the tram, I would go into the motor room when the tram was taking off and watch the bottom bull wheel go into slow motion. And as it sped up, I used to love watching it reach full speed and watching the hydraulic ram move as the cars got into the middle of the span... I used to love to stand in that motor room and watch that bull wheel spin.”

Buotte believes the tram creates a rare undercurrent of respect, especially between patrollers, locals and lift maintenance.

“Just about everybody who has skied up there a lot has gotten the s*** scared out of them at some point,” he said. “The possibility of serious consequences is there, and I think it has engendered a certain amount of respect for the mountain... If two groups of people respect the same thing, there’s a level of camaraderie and kinship.

“There’s no place we’d rather be than the tram. What a great lift—what a singular lift.”

When asked to estimate his total number of rides, Buotte said he’d need to do some math. He said he hates to exaggerate, and at Big Sky, he usually doesn’t need to.

In a follow-up, Buotte reported he’s ridden the tram a minimum of 5,600 times. In a second follow-up, he revised that number to 5,000 for further fear of exaggerating.

He also mentioned a sticker that says: “LIFT MAINTENANCE—because ski patrol needs heroes too.”

Laurel Blessley, Big Sky Resort’s director of lift maintenance, sees that sticker around sometimes. She agreed with Buotte that difficult, occasionally dangerous working conditions forge trust between lift maintenance and ski patrol.

“They need us for the lifts, and we need them to keep the mountain safe,” she said. “It takes all of us.”

Driving blind

Blessley spoke with EBS in the control room in the tram’s bottom station, over the hum of the 27-yearold machine. She occasionally paused to hear a radio call or reached back to press a button as she spoke.

She joined lift operations in 2000, switched to lift maintenance in 2002 and became tram supervisor in 2003—the tram was operated by lift maintenance until lift operations took over around 2007. As supervisor, she said it was a lot of ‘learnas-you-go.’

“I was real green. Never really been on a [snowmobile] very much,” she said.

Snowmobiling became a part of her daily routine as she fired up Swift Current, Lone Peak Triple (now Powder Seeker) and the tram as part of her pre-dawn route for 13 years. It turns out, navigating Upper Morningstar in the dark is challenging.

“After years and years, I could probably do it with my eyes closed,” she said. “Back then, our snowmobiles weren’t as high quality. It was easy to get stuck on the headwall, easy to get off-course.”

She explained how she’d find her way up by following a series of four reflectors mounted on poles; when she lost sight of a reflector, she said, “you could look down and see the corduroy lines. Then you knew you were going the right way, unless it was a new cat-op who got lost too. I’ve been stuffed in the bottom of the A-Zs from that as well.”

Blessley’s been working on the tram for 20 years, almost half of her life.

Projects included changing the haul rope in 2008 and 2017, rebuilding the gearbox in 2019 and removing and replacing the electric motor in 2009. It helped her grow as a person, teaching her adaptability, resilience and confidence—especially confidence under pressure, as her team needed to persevere through terrible weather, and trial and error of solving problems unique to a one-of-a-kind jigback gondola.

The Lone Peak Tram does have at least a younger sibling: the nearly identical Allen Peak Tram at Snowbasin, Utah, was another jigback gondola “tram” built for the 2002 Olympics. But the Allen Peak Tram climbs roughly one-third the height—508 versus 1,450 vertical feet—and it was not constructed on a slow-moving rock glacier.

‘Something needed to happen’

“This building is slowly moving downhill,” Blessley said of the tram’s bottom station, estimating about “20-ish” feet since 1995. “The back right is dipping more than the back left, so the tram is moving

backwards and down a little, which is causing alignment issues that we mitigate often.”

Recently, Doppelmayr made custom parts to align the tram’s haul line with the groove of the shiv wheels. Blessley confirmed that Doppelmayr built the Lone Peak Tram knowing that the bottom station was on a rock glacier but not knowing how much the mountain would move. She said the lack of towers helped the tram exceed its life expectancy.

“I believe Doppelmayr guaranteed about 10 years,” Blessley said of the 27-year-old tram. “Might have been 15.”

By 2023, if skiers feel off-balance while loading the tram car, it’s not just nerves; the terminal is noticeably tilted, and Blessley pointed out how water collects in the loading dock where it used to drain. That’s not to mention outdated controls, she added.

In terms of retiring the Lone Peak Tram, she said something needed to happen.

“The new machine is really exciting for us,” she said. “It [will be] a true tram. It’s a huge installation that we’re really excited for. But I can say personally, I’m also really sad because... this tram has just been such a huge part of my life for so long.”

Blessley even tattooed the Lone Peak Tram on her right arm in 2006.

“[At] the tram base here, you feel like this is the heart of the mountain. Being up here every day in the winter and summer, it’s pretty special. The ride you take up this tram, you also feel like you’re going up the heart of the mountain.”

Blessley has spent thousands of hours looking out the window of the tram base, seeing people in the Big Couloir, descending the Gullies and Cron’s. She ridden “some of the most glorious runs of [her] life” before the tram opened to the public. She has fond memories of locals and friends tram-lapping in the April sun. And she remembers late-season tram-ops parties at the bottom station—even team sleepovers at 11,167 feet.

She gazed out from the control room where she watched the sun rise about a thousand times.

“I would do my thing, run the rescue rope, get the ice off the rescue rope and get the lift ready for the day,” Blessley said. “But I had almost an hour to myself up here, just me and the mountain. I feel lucky to have had that for so long.”

Her tattoo looks familiar for now. But for the next generation, including her 8-year-old daughter— Blessley believes her daughter is ready to take her first tram lap this season—the graphic might look foreign someday, a strange fixed-grip cylinder framing an unfamiliar perspective of Lone Mountain from a bygone era.

Blessley got the tram tattoo in 2006, three years after becoming tram supervisor for Lift Maintenance.

PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

Blessley said maintaining the tram is similar to maintaining other lifts, with similar key components. One key difference is that it runs in reverse every other ride. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

NEW LOCAL GROUP LOOKS INTO INCORPORATING BIG SKY

SOURCES POINT TO BIG SKY’S GROWTH AND POTENTIAL AS REASONS FOR FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—A formal effort to look into whether Big Sky should incorporate resurfaced Jan. 11 for the first time since the mid-2000s.

The topic came up during a Big Sky Resort Area District board meeting, when representatives from Big Sky Local Governance, Inc. spoke briefly with the board about their main objective: Testing the viability of turning the unincorporated community into a formal municipality.

Tim Kent, a representative of the group who was unable to attend the BSRAD meeting, spoke on the phone with Explore Big Sky. He said the group has intermittently met for four or five months and—as the group begins to pique the public’s interest—they want to counter potential misinformation and “[be] very factual… it’s a research-oriented effort.”

Kent added, “we want people to get involved and get involved in a productive way. The group is all about researching these questions, finding answers and publicizing them.”

The possibility of incorporating is a sign of community success, Kent reasoned.

“We’re not doing this because [Big Sky is] shriveling and dying and nobody is moving here. It’s a sign that population has doubled, or more, since this was last looked at. It’s really not rational to think that we’re just going to grow and grow and not need more governance to go with it.”

Kent gave credit to the vast amount of nonprofits in Big Sky, and the “amazing” level of engagement from community leaders in those organizations. Big Sky Local Governance does not intend to reduce or impede the efforts of those organizations, he said, but added that “nonprofits are not a government.”

“[Big Sky Local Governance] is a true ad-hoc group, born out of a growing awareness that there were a lot of issues in the community that not any one individual business or entity could address, and we should probably start focusing on,” Kent said. “It’s not a criticism of any group or any effort that’s been made. Just the realization that it could be better.”

‘Not a special interest decision’

With regards to the last time Big Sky considered incorporation from 2006 to 2008, Kent said there was talk of incorporating across county lines—to include Big Sky Resort and Mountain Village located in Madison County—and that the Simkins family “[was] very adamant against [incorporating] and did everything they could to see it didn’t get to the voters.”

The Simkins family originally owned and developed portions of Town Center, and sources say liquor licensing laws were a primary reason for the developers’ reluctance.

Liquor licensing may remain a key point of contention, as incorporation would immediately disqualify Big Sky from adding more licenses, according to one source involved with Big Sky Local Governance. The number of liquor licenses for a town or city is tied to the population under Montana law, and while current liquor licenses active in Big Sky would be grandfathered in, it’s unlikely that new licenses would be issued until the town’s population crossed a given threshold.

A town of more than 3,000 people—Big Sky as a census designated area has roughly 3,500 people—would be allowed five full liquor licenses, with one more license available for each additional 1,500 residents, according to the Montana Code Annotated. Complicating that math, however, is the likelihood that an incorporated Big Sky would not have the same boundaries and population of the current census designated area.

Incorporation could therefore be a conflict of interest for developers looking to open bars, restaurants and hotels.

“This is not a special interest decision,” Kent said. “This is a decision of everyone who is registered to vote in the impact area. That’s who should make the determination of whether this effort moves forward. [We’re] public oriented, everyone can sit at the table and make contributions.”

Big Sky has changed in terms of population, visitation and community in the past 15 years, and Kent said this topic should be viewed independently of prior attempts to incorporate. One difference in this approach, sources say, is that the current vision does not include Madison

County, which would require time-consuming efforts in dealing with state law, especially considering that parts of Big Sky in Madison County do not meet minimum population requirements.

Population density must be 200 people per square mile, determined by census data—part-time residents who reported primary residence elsewhere are excluded.

“It’s pretty clear the only places that meet the population density are the meadow and the canyon, around Ramshorn,” Kent said. As the group currently understands it, those would be the limits of the municipality which means laws could not be enforced on individuals and organizations outside the municipal boundary.

“Municipality [is] the most used and understood form of government in Montana, and seen around the world,” Kent said. “It should be something that’s very familiar to people.

‘Coexist’ with Resort Tax

Kent pointed to other resort communities, in which resort tax collections are used to fund municipal government. However, he said Big Sky’s case is unique as resort tax has existed in the absence of government, whereas many other resort communities were incorporated beforehand. It’s a misconception that BSRAD would lose its authority to fund nonprofits and other organizations.

“It’s absolutely not going to gut resort tax,” Kent said, adding that a state official advised that a municipality and resort area district would “coexist.”

Big Sky Local Governance pursued a consultant, but quickly realized that with Montana’s last incorporation in 1999, forming a municipality is not anyone’s specialty.

“We need help, we need people to get involved and help present a fair and accurate picture to the community,” Kent said.

He estimated that the first public forums will be held at some point in early summer. In the meantime, community members can volunteer to participate in monthly meetings by reaching out to the group via email.

A municipality would require population density of 200 primary residents per square mile, and limits would include the meadow (shown) and possibly part of the Gallatin Canyon near the Ramshorn neighborhood, according to research by Big Sky Local Governance.

PHOTO BY CHRIS KAMMAN

LPHS SOPHOMORES HONOR US CONSTITUTION IN AMERICAN LEGION SPEECH CONTEST

BY JULIA BARTON

Six Lone Peak High School sophomores took the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center stage on Jan. 24 to recite 10-minute speeches they wrote focused on specific areas of the U.S. Constitution for the 9th Annual Capt. Richard Allgood Oratorical Contest with the Big Sky American Legion Post 99.

This year’s winner Claire Hoadley wrote her speech, “The Environment and its Place in the U.S. Constitution,” arguing that environmental freedom should have the same constitutional protection as free speech, meaning citizens should have a right to breathe clean air and live in a healthy environment.

Sons of the American Legion Post 99 member and LPHS teacher Tony Coppola has been assigning the speech contest to students for nearly a decade as part of his 10th grade U.S. government and political science class as a way for students to gain a deeper understanding of the Constitution.

“There’s the life skills of getting up on stage and having to speak in front of a group and just having to prepare themselves for that,” Coppola said in reference to the value of the competition. “It’s a really good way for [students] to showcase their

knowledge of the Constitution and the connection between civic duties and responsibilities. That makes them a better citizen and prepares them for their future.”

The American Legion began the Oratorical Contest in 1938 to inspire high school students to develop knowledge and appreciation for the Constitution. The local competition is named in honor of the late Richard Allgood who died in 2020. Allgood was an exceptionally involved member of Post 99 and the Big Sky community.

“Allgood and I got together years ago and we started getting things going” Capt. Jack Hudspeth of Post 99 said. “Tony [Coppola] brought up that he wanted to do the contest and we just jumped on it.”

As the winner of the contest, Hoadley was awarded $500 from the Legion. Hoadley will move onto the district oratorical contest in Bozeman, the date for which has not yet been set. The second place winner, Freida Fabozzi, received $300 from the Legion; third place winner Aubrey Farr, $200. The other contestants were Grady Towle, Cyrus Coleman and Anna Masonic. In addition to the Legion’s prize money, the top three winners received medals, and all participants were given a Post 99 coin and $100 donated by Cindy and Greg Oswald for their hard work in preparing for the contest.

“I am impressed each year by the students that choose to participate in this competition. It’s no easy feat to prepare and deliver an 8-10 minute speech,” said judge Sara Sipe, who works for Outlaw Partners, the publisher of Explore Big Sky. “The speeches this year were particularly noteworthy for their originality and variety. These are exceptional young people. Their parents, educators and community should be proud.”

Contestants L-R: Claire Hoadley, Anna Masonic, Cyrus Coleman, Grady Towle, Freida Fabozzi and Aubrey Farr. PHOTO BY SARA SIPE

WATER & SEWER DISTRICT RECEIVES FIRST ARPA CHECK

FLATIRON SUBDIVISION, LITTLE COYOTE POND, GENERAL MANAGER HIRING PROCESS AND SEWAGE PLANT DELAYS ALSO DISCUSSED IN JAN. 17 BOARD MEETING

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—The Big Sky County Water and Sewer District received a check for $1.38 million on Jan. 11, after applying through the state for federal American Rescue Plan Act funding in 2021. The district was awarded the maximum amount of $2 million, with the remainder to be disbursed later.

The ARPA award was among topics discussed on Tuesday during the district’s public board meeting. Other items included negotiations with the Big Sky Owners Association to trade water rights for a land easement, updates on the hiring process to replace District General Manager Ron Edwards as he nears retirement, a possible ordinance to protect the incoming Water Resource Recovery Facility by regulating grease discharge from restaurants and salt-based water softeners, an update on WRRF construction and its associated delays, and the proposed “Long Gun Ranch” minor subdivision of the Flat Iron development.

The ARPA funding must be used by the end of 2026, though Edwards explained that he believes that may be extended given the slow pace of construction projects nationwide. He said the money will be applied mostly to engineering costs of the water resource recovery facility.

The WRRF remains under construction and behind its original goal of processing liquids by late May 2023. Due to supply-chain related delays in sourcing computer chips, the plant’s motor control center—District General Manager Ron Edwards called it “the brains” of the plant operation—cannot be completed on schedule. The liquid-processing phase may be delayed six months, with setbacks also affecting the final stages of construction. These delays were first announced in the district’s November board meeting.

“Nobody can give us any assurance they aren’t going to push us back even more,” Edwards said.

The WRRF is about halfway complete in terms of total concrete poured.

Three-way trade for the Little Coyote Pond

The Big Sky Owners Association is engaged in a project to conserve the West Fork Gallatin River by re-routing the river around a sediment pond which was used for decades, re-establishing uninterrupted river flow. With the pond closed off, the BSOA is planning to establish a fishery and community recreation area but will need to secure water rights from the district first.

Board members discussed the possibility of trading water rights to the BSOA in exchange for an easement— currently held by BSOA—which would allow the district to run a water main under Crazy Horse Road, eventually replacing an existing water tank and build an improved tank at the end of Crazy Horse Road.

NorthWestern Energy currently owns the land desired by the district, as it previously held a sub-station at the

end of Crazy Horse Road. The land is now used to store unused equipment. The board discussed the possibility of a quitclaim deed exchange with NorthWestern, offering a small plot of land beside the WRRF.

“We are trying to trade [water rights] for an easement, both public community projects. And that’s a benefit to both sides,” Edwards said.

Long Gun Ranch

As part of the unfolding Flatiron resort development, developers proposed to subdivide 14 acres to create the one-lot Long Gun Ranch.

Most of the Flatiron subdivision is not included in the boundaries of the district, requiring developers to build an independent septic system. However, the Long Gun Ranch parcel is located “wholly within the water and sewer district,” according to proposal documents reviewed by the board.

Edwards said that the district has “never planned to run sewer [over] there,” but added that the Flatiron project includes a plan to build a membrane bioreactor plant—a small-scale version of the WRRF being built by the district.

Edwards said the current question is whether the MBR would cover the entire proposed Flatiron development. Alongside the districts Flatiron Committee, he’ll ask that question and others during a Jan. 25 meeting with developers.

Grease, salt and phosphorus

“Treatment plants don’t do well with a ton of grease coming in,” Edwards said. “If you can prevent some of the stuff coming in, it will prolong the life of the membranes.”

The board completed the first reading of a drafted ordinance that would protect the WRRF from degrading materials. The primary concerns are grease from commercial kitchens, salt from conventional water softeners, and phosphorus—Edwards said the source of increasing phosphorus is unknown.

Existing water softeners will be allowed, but if the ordinance passes, replacements and new builds will not be allowed to install conventional water softeners, which increase water salinity.

The board discussed hiring a compliance officer, and Edwards added that it would likely be a regular shortterm contractor.

Five-month application drought

Reminiscent of 2008-09, the board has not seen any new sewer applications for five months. One board member joked that it could be a new record.

Edwards said it’s still early in the game, and that winter months typically slow applications. But with interest rates rising, he said uncertainty in the building market could make for a quiet 2023. He predicts a rebound in 2024.

Talent search ‘encouraging’

“I’ll be 65 in February,” Edwards said.

After 27 years in his role, Edwards has been keeping his eye on retirement. He said he hopes to stay on board until the WRRF is completed, but the district is searching now for his replacement.

Board member Mike Wilcynski said the board has interviewed “strong candidates, very diverse backgrounds, very business-oriented and well-rounded.”

Edwards hopes to overlap with the new hire for an extended transitional period.

“There’s a lot of differences [in Big Sky] than a small town or city,” Edwards said. “There’s a lot of history of what we do. It’s unique.”

The board discussed the “necessity” of providing housing for the incoming general manager, as board chair Brian Wheeler said candidates have “done their homework” on Big Sky’s real estate market and aren’t interested. Discussion included the possibility of building a house on land adjacent to the WRRF.

Long Gun Ranch (left) would occupy a boot-shaped parcel south of Montana Highway 64 (Lone Mountain Trail) in the final hairpin turn east of the Mountain Village and Big Sky Resort. PHOTO COURTESY OF BIG SKY COUNTY WATER & SEWER DISTRICT

of Natural Resources and Conservation in Helena. PHOTO COURTESY

SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION VOLUME INCREASES FOR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

CAPT. SCOTT SECOR PRAISES VOLUNTEERS

BY JACK REANEY

On Jan. 17, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue released their 2022 annual report, containing interactive maps showing location of rescues by month, photos and videos, safety recommendations and annual statistics.

According to the report’s introduction, mission volume increased for the fourth consecutive year, the longest streak in GCSSAR history. Total missions also increased for the second year in a row with 140, making this the most demanding year for SAR volunteers in Gallatin County history. The amount of training commitments increased for volunteers, and the report states that 2022 saw “an overall professionalization of our all-volunteer organization,” supported by new equipment and resources.

“Although winter is slow in the Gallatin Valley, West Yellowstone is slammed with snowmobiles and crosscountry skiing,” the report stated. “Big Sky is our catch all area, where [rescues] stay pretty steady throughout all seasons.”

Capt. Scott Secor, who has been paid to run the entire operation since September 2020, expressed overwhelming praise for his program’s 157 volunteers.

“I don’t think words can accurately describe how much appreciation we actually have for the volunteers,” Secor told EBS. “They are the backbone of the operation. We give them the tools and logistics, but on the front side is them doing all the heavy lifting, going into the field and rescuing complete strangers.”

Secor called his volunteers the most selfless people he’s ever met—his career began in the military—and

said SAR volunteers drop the fork at dinner time and leave weddings when the pager sounds. Especially for volunteers with families, he said it’s a huge sacrifice. The report states that volunteers “dropped what they were doing to go help someone” 1,473 times in 2022.

“I’ve never seen a higher quality of individual than our volunteers,” he said, adding that he focuses on showing appreciation year-round.

“[SAR volunteers] don’t get paid, but make no mistake, we are very professional.”

‘We rescue more locals than visitors’

Secor pointed out that many of the rescues in 2022 were not visitors from warmer states, unfamiliar with local hazards and terrain. He said it’s easy to assume an emergency is the result of poor or uninformed decisions, but the majority of missions are called on slip or fall incidences, leading to an unfortunate bad day.

“One of the things that we learned is that accidents can happen to some of the most skilled and experienced people,” he said. “The truth is we rescue more locals than visitors.”

Considering that many volunteers are not native to Gallatin County, and are compelled to explore “this perfect Mecca of backcountry space” for the same reasons as visitors, Secor said “the golden rule” is part of his team’s culture. Born in Bozeman, Secor said he doesn’t blame people for moving here, and that his team takes pride in lending a hand and teaching backcountry safety.

Regardless of who volunteers are responding to, Secor said they keep a positive outlook and empathy toward the victim on what is often their worst day.

“It’s incredibly fulfilling. It’s rewarding work, you can actually have an impact on someone’s life. We can say, ‘Today I saved someone’s life,’ quite often.”

Secor is also proud that rescues are completed free of charge.

The annual report listed two main takeaways for Gallatin County explorers:

“[First], accidents can happen to anyone, anywhere, and anytime – your preparedness for those accidents will dictate your experience in the backcountry, and [second], these volunteers and their time are invaluable. While they get to respond to beautiful locations using some fun equipment, they are often responding to someone’s worst day, possibly someone’s last day, and sometimes to a friend or teammate.

“Their dedication is strong and while ‘thank you’ will never be enough, we hope the community continues to support them, from near and far, as their calling to help runs deep and the mission is never complete,” the report states.

Secor also encouraged Gallatin County citizens to consider joining SAR.

“You get to put hands on a soul and help bring them home to their loved ones,” he said in summary of the biggest reward to volunteers.

ABRUPT CHANGE IN LIBRARY LEADERSHIP

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—The Big Sky Community Library saw unexpected change this month, as Amy Hunter, library director, left the organization as of Tuesday, Jan 17.

The surprising move comes after Hunter had recently discussed new developments including an oral history of Big Sky, formation of a library district and the possibility of a new library facility located closer to the center of Big Sky. Hunter said that board members of the Friends of the Big Sky Community Library “relieved” her of directorship and offered her the role of head librarian, which she declined.

The Friends of the Big Sky Community Library board issued a press release on Thursday, Jan. 19 stating that “the current role of Library Director has also evolved into a Head Librarian position. As a result, we will be losing Amy Hunter as [a] valued member of the library staff. She has resigned from the Big Sky Community Library effective Jan. 17. We wish her well in all her future pursuits. The library’s two assistant librarians are not affected, and the library anticipates no disruption in service.”

The release also referred to “a period of transformative growth as we collaboratively develop plans towards becoming a fully functioning public library and civic gem.”

Hunter said the head librarian position would have shifted her focus toward programming and collections, and away from the “big picture” planning she had embraced in her role as library director. Those responsibilities will be taken on by an incoming executive director.

The press release stated that the Friends of the Library will launch a search for an executive director and will release a job posting soon. Interested candidates can email the board.

Hunter spent more than six years as a librarian and was nearing the one-year mark of her position as library director in Big Sky.

Her initial priorities as library director had been to increase programming and build more financial stability for the library. She also hoped to increase community partnerships and build more of a presence with the nonprofits in the community. She focused on rebuilding after the library suffered during the early COVID-19 pandemic.

“I love the library,” Hunter said. “I want people to go and check it out and see what it’s about. I want the board and the people there to know what the community wants. Go give [the library] feedback about what [patrons] want to see.”

With regards to her departure, Hunter said she did not see any initiatives or priorities which did not align with the board. She attributed the shift to

“miscommunications and personality differences.”

Hunter explained that she has been very open with new ideas, often pursuing feedback from patrons before proposing them to the board. Hunter believes that in this small community, some ideas and questions reached the board indirectly.

“Once I had [an idea] figured out more, I would talk to the board,” Hunter said with regards to her style of processing and generating ideas.

She said the creation of a library district will remain a key priority in her absence, as it was an initiative originally proposed by the Big Sky Resort Area District. Hunter did the bulk of that research.

While speaking to EBS about the Jan. 19 press release, Hunter emphasized her desire to not stir up trouble with the library or its community.

Library Board Chair Kris Corzine spoke briefly with EBS before meeting with the rest of the board to generate the press release that was distributed on Jan. 19. Corzine said the board is “currently in process” with handling the transition between Hunter leaving the library and the board hiring a new executive director and head librarian.

“It has happened very rapidly,” Corzine said.

She was unavailable for further comment on Jan. 20.

SKIJORING TO STRIKE LOCAL AWE FOR FIFTH YEAR

BY JACK REANEY

On Feb. 4-5, the Big Sky Skijoring Association will host their fifth annual “Best in the West Showdown” in Big Sky.

Skijoring is a fusion of horseback riding, skiing and waterskiing in which horse, rider and skier follow a roughly 900-foot-long course including jumps, banked turns, gates and other obstacles. In partnership with the Big Sky Ski Education Foundation, this year’s two-day event will also incorporate a freestyle snowmobiling exposition where professional snowmobilers perform backflips and other tricks. And for the first time in the festival’s five years, the Montana State University Rodeo Team will lead an opening parade in Town Center on Feb. 4, including local organizations and community members.

Skijoring registration is open to the public, at various levels and formats which may require finding a team through Facebook groups listed on the BSSJ registration page. Registration in the 12-and-under Junior Class is free.

According to a BSSJ press release, “the best skijoring teams [will] gather to test their skill and grit to see who will be crowned the best in the West,” and the event is hosted by Delzer Diversified Inc., RentBiz and Lone Mountain Land Company.

“Southwest Montana has recently been the epicenter for the growth of competitive skijoring and has turned out some of the best skijoring teams in the country,” the release also stated, adding that last year’s event attracted 3,300 spectators and more than 150 teams looking to tackle the event’s progressive course design which features a rare right-handed dog leg, fire features and elements of banked slalom.

“One of the reasons this race is a favorite amongst the competitors is because we put the safety of the

horse first,” stated Patrick McVey, course groomer and general manager at Lone Mountain Ranch. “Rider input, snow conditions, temperature, and decades of grooming and equine experience go into every pass we make on that course. When it’s done, it’s done right. I take a lot of pride in that.”

“Skijoring to me is goosebumps,” BSSJ Executive Director Justa Adams stated in the release. “It’s an explosive combination of lightning-fast horses and daredevil-skiing taken right to the edge. All held

together by rope, guts and grit. Combine that with this amazing Big Sky venue and support of this community… We’ve got something truly unique. These elements come together to inspire and thrill in a way I’ve never experienced.”

The course is designed by Colin Cook, a former ski racer who told BSSJ that skijoring provided a “second wind” after his alpine career culminated in the Junior Olympics. In seven years, he’s won two national championships behind a horse.

“What we are doing with the Showdown, it’s a special place in time for skijoring,” Cook stated in the release. “One where we are reimagining what is possible. I’m thankful to have the opportunity to bring these ideas to life and put my signature on each course we make. It’s all thanks to the support of my team and this community.”

The snowmobile exposition will occur before the show and during halftime on both competition days. It will feature riders Keith Sayers, Willie Elam and Mike Poirier.

“We are like no other FMX Show out there,” Sayers, a Montana native, stated in the release. “The team of riders I have working with me are some of the best in the world… Not only being amazing athletes on the machines but off the machines as well.”

Tickets are on sale for $20 per day, or $35 for the twoday event.

With a course designed in southeast Town Center, more than 3,000 spectators attended last year’s festival. PHOTO COURTESY OF BIG SKY SKIJORING ASSOCIATION

Different event categories open the event to pros and rookie competitors. PHOTO COURTESY OF BIG SKY SKIJORING ASSOCIATION

BOYS FALL SHORT IN OVERTIME, GIRLS DOMINATE AGAINST SHIELDS VALLEY

DRAMA OF BOYS GAME EXTENDED BY BURST PIPE; SCHOOL EXPERIENCES MINOR WATER DAMAGE

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—Excitement was in no short supply at Lone Peak High School on Thursday night, as thrilling overtime basketball was disrupted by a burst pipe, which caused minor water damage near the art classroom. That scene was followed by a dominant home win for the girls.

The boys started slow, allowing nine unanswered points after being tied 6-6 in the first quarter. The Big Horns closed the deficit to three points by the end of the first, behind freshman Ebe Grabow’s three-pointer from the corner and senior captain Max Romney’s layup-and-one.

A quiet finish to the first half saw the Big Horns trailing 34-26 to the Shields Valley High School Rebels team that made a state-run last season. By the end of the third quarter, the Rebels had extended their lead to 45-33, and the Big Horns began to near their second consecutive home loss.

After the Rebels scored a layup, Big Horns sophomore Isaac Bedway sparked a comeback by hitting a short floater and shouting to fire up his teammates. Junior Juliusz Shipman followed up by dropping a three, and as Romney drove toward the basket, senior captain Gus Hammond shouted “yes sir” before Romney even scored his layup.

Trailing by seven points, the Big Horns defense stood their ground. Coach Malinowski pointed out that the Big Horns eventually outscored the Rebels 17-5 in the fourth.

After a Shields Valley three, Bedway answered with a jump shot and another three, bringing the margin to five with under four minutes remaining. Shipman, Romney and Grabow contributed layups and free throws between defensive stops, eventually tying the game at 50 behind Romney’s free throw with 17 seconds left.

“I think we just needed a spark,” Bedway said after the game. “We played three really bad quarters, and at the end we started to figure out how to play as a team, and we did that really efficiently.”

Head Coach Al Malinowski said Bedway is figuring out his role on the team and gave him credit for recognizing some key mismatches which lead to the sophomore’s “breakout night.”

Bedway opened the overtime scoring with a free throw, and the teams traded baskets until the Rebels held a 54-53 lead. The Big Horns were surging in transition when a whistle suddenly blew. But it wasn’t the referee’s whistle.

It was the shrill sound of the fire alarm halted overtime play, and 26 minutes would pass while school administrators sprang into action. The crowd sat idle while the teams shot around.

No significant water damage

School Maintenance Director Carey Pemberton told EBS that a pipe burst above the art room. The pipe system was already scheduled for replacement in summer 2023.

“Thank God somebody was here,” he said, adding that there was no significant destruction aside from water pouring and some damaged sheet rock. “Tomorrow this would have been a major, major deal. It would have just kept pouring.”

Athletic director and boys assistant coach John Hannahs said water was “cascading,” and gave kudos to the administration and tech staff for taking quick action. Pemberton responded immediately from his nearby home, arriving within five minutes. The fire department came shortly after to help manage the disrupted firesuppression system.

When the alarm ceased and the game resumed, Bedway splashed a three under tight coverage to give the Big Horns a 56-54 lead. In the final 70 seconds, the Rebels scored a layup and a free throw to regain a one-point lead.

With 17 seconds left, the fire alarm blared back to life. Teams quickly convened in a huddle, but Hannahs made a gesture suggesting the teams play on. The Shields Valley coach nodded in agreement, and the Big Horns prepared to set up a gamewinning chance with an inbounds pass.

“I’m not going to say it was the right decision, but we had 15 seconds left, and it was already pretty loud in the gym,” said Hannahs, who had initially responded to the broken pipe and understood the false alarm. “We just wanted to get one game down I guess, and people were tired of [waiting].”

In the waning seconds, the Big Horns got the ball to Romney, their leading scorer. With two seconds remaining, he attempted a three but fell short, giving the Rebels a 57-56 victory.

Coach Malinowski said it hurts to fall one possession short, and while Romney’s three-pointlook might not have been ideal, it was a shot. He was proud of the Big Horns for fighting back in the late stages of the game.

“We’ve had a couple [losses] like this now, so I know our guys are frustrated,” Malinowski said. “I also think they need to recognize that we’re gaining some valuable experience playing in these tight games. The more experience we get, we’re going to get to the outcome we want to. We just need to recognize that some turnovers in the first quarter end up being just as critical as the last possession in a tight game.”

The Big Horns will continue to work on building depth in their visit to Sheridan High School on Friday night.

“Sheridan’s got a good team with experienced players,” Malinowski said. “We’re going to need to find a way to rise back up after all the energy we put into tonight’s game, to compete at a high level tomorrow.”

Girls bounce back with blowout win

“Thank you for taking that journey with us, let’s play some basketball,” Hannahs announced before reading team rosters ahead of the girls varsity matchup.

Senior captain Gus Hammond takes a contested shot. PHOTO BY RICH ADDICKS

Grabow played a physical game with numerous steals.

PHOTO BY RICH ADDICKS

The game quickly escaped the Rebels’ reach, as the Big Horns extended an early 13-10 lead to 29-12 by the end of the first quarter. Soon it was 42-12, and when junior Astrid McGuire succeeded in firing a laser beam three pointer off the backboard at the halftime buzzer, the Big Horns owned a 5215 advantage.

“Yeah, you know, I honestly thought we had less time, so I was trying to get the shot up,” said McGuire, who was mobbed and celebrated after her basket. “I did not expect it to go in, but I’m glad it did because it’s a little less embarrassing.”

Seven different Big Horns would score a threepointer during the contest, accounting for 30 total points from beyond the arc.

“We had a great week at practice, we played fast, and we really wanted to show we could press and play fast and recover to create a lot of transition buckets,” head coach Loren Bough said. “So we accomplished that tonight. We’ve been shooting threes great all season and in warmups, so we knew we were due for a night of shooting threes well. When those two things come together, that’s the kind of team I think we’re building.

“I would say 52 points in a half is probably a school record,” he added. “That’s a rare occurrence in girls basketball in Montana.”

The Big Horns played as an offensive unit, distributing the ball with speed and intention. Coach Bough said the coaches stress the value of extra passes which lead to better shots.

“We’ve all played defense against teams that move the ball quick, and it’s really tiring,” said senior captain Jessie Bough. “For me, I know the more I move the ball, the more tired they’re gonna get, and the more open looks we’re gonna have.”

“We all trust each other to pass,” added junior Vera Grabow. “We never stop the ball, we work together. That’s a big thing we talk about at practice, not being a ball-stopper.”

As the Big Horns continued to defend their second half lead, starters exited the game and younger players took the court.

“The idea here is to have a good team, but also to keep the program going at a strong level,” coach Bough said. “We’re always excited to get the freshmen and sophomores out there and give them as much playing time as possible.”

Jessie added, “I think it’s good for them to have experience being on the court with [starters and team leaders]. I think they have a lot of fun and I think they learn a lot. And we get to learn a lot from them.”

Jessie said everyone was having fun while playing unselfish basketball.

“I think it was the most fun game any of us have ever played, which is what we’re working towards— playing together.”

The Big Horns look to continue rolling against Sheridan on Friday, before their focus shifts to Manhattan Christian and Gardiner at home on Jan. 26 and 27.

Grabow played a physical game with numerous steals. PHOTO BY RICH ADDICKS

OP NEWS

OUTLAW PARTNERS ACQUIRES L&K REAL ESTATE TO DEEPEN CAPABILITIES, CREATES OUTLAW REALTY

OUTLAW PARTNERS

Outlaw Partners is the publisher of Explore Big Sky. BIG SKY—With offices in Big Sky and Bozeman, Outlaw Partners is southwest Montana’s most influential experiential marketing, media and events company, and now offers clients focused expertise in real estate. Company leaders look forward to expanding Outlaw’s real estate footprint as L&K Real Estate joins its family of brands and relaunches as Outlaw Realty.

The agents at the Outlaw Realty have been working in southwest Montana for 23 years with over $2 billion in transactions across land, ranch, commercial, and development consulting deals. The new partnership gives the team a strategic advantage in executing transactions for buyers, sellers and developers by having the state’s most robust media platform and marketing agency behind them.

“The merger with Outlaw Partners gives us access to state-of-the-art services for our sellers and buyers,” said Eric Ladd, founder and Chairman.

“This allows the agents to have an even closer relationship with Montana’s largest marketing, media and events company. It unlocks some serious potential for our real estate clients.”

At Outlaw Realty, the client experience is the top priority. Bringing together an experience-driven platform with a dynamic brokerage and seasoned real estate experts results in a new era of real estate for southwest Montana. Ladd says combining each company’s respective strengths and Outlaw Partners’ global reach makes for an unmatched partnership within the real estate industry.

“The real estate brokerage business is competitive, and this merger will allow us to be the most cutting-edge brokerage in the region. The key to gaining great results in the real estate sector is having a team that is armed with talented brokers and agents who have access to the best data and suite of marketing and advertising services. This is what our team will deliver,” Ladd said.

Outlaw Partners is the powerhouse behind Outlaw Realty and will provide access to media and marketing services to make the brokerage stand out

against its competitors in the southwest Montana real estate market.

“This is a very significant merger, as it truly pulls together all of Outlaw’s resources under one brand and will provide our customers with not only cutting-edge real estate resources but will also give them access to some of Montana’s best events, adventure travel opportunities, strategic marketing services and the largest media network of its kind in the Northern Rockies,” said EJ Daws, managing broker at Outlaw Realty.

As with all Outlaw Partners businesses, there will be a strong ethos of building community and giving back. This past year, Outlaw celebrated efforts in helping raise and donate over $400,000 for local nonprofits in addition to hosting the Wildlands music festival, which helped raise money and awareness for preserving land and waters in southwest Montana.

“One of the most important responsibilities of being in the real estate brokerage business is helping build community and support thoughtful and responsible development. This will be a core ethos of Outlaw Realty,” Daws said.

A&E ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FROM BASE TO EXTRA ON THE SET OF 'YELLOWSTONE' PREQUEL ‘1923’

BY CAREY O’DONNELL EBS CONTRIBUTOR

Editor’s note: A version of this story first appeared in the Palm Beach Post. This version has been shortened for print but the piece can be read in full at explorebigsky.com.

“You look strong and … forgive me, but kind of hungry. Would you be interested in working as background talent on a 'Yellowstone' prequel set in the 1920s?”

Not exactly the typical chitchat among side-by-side strangers working out in the local Big Sky fitness center. And for the record, I don’t look hungry, at least not in soulful bakery-case-staring kind of way. I’m apparently just lean and fit enough to catch the eye of the visiting crew member.

“We need background artists who look like they could have survived in Montana during the 1920s,” she explained, adding that Montana’s Great Depression began a full decade before the infamous financial crisis hit the rest of the nation. “The demands of daily life in the Mountain West back then called for a lot of physical resilience. If you have the time, we could use you.”

I had the perfect window of opportunity for a lark like this. It was the tail end of a glorious summer in Big Sky, where my husband and I built a home 20 years ago, and I had a week before I needed to be back home in Palm Beach. The production headquarters was an easy drive from our place, and “Yellowstone” was a huge hit so it was a safe bet to think that a related series would deliver a wagonload of fun.

Presto-chango! Within two weeks I ended up playing a screaming, sign-waving “Temperance Woman” in the wild west on the set of “1923,” the western drama and "Yellowstone" prequel starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren.

The show is also the sequel to “1883,” the second of co-creator Taylor Sheridan’s two record-breaking cable series produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios that center on the fictional Dutton family.

When I turned up for my costume fitting a week before filming in the back of a hungry-looking mall in Butte, the first person I saw was a rangy, mustachioed “rancher” in a cowboy hat and vintage jeans at least two sizes too large, cinched comically at the waist. He was skeletal. No Hollywood fakery going on here, I thought.

The contents of the expansive costume department affirmed that observation. Original hook-andeye closures and snaps the size of sugar ants confounded my ability to try on the pieces selected for me in a timely way. My fumbling with the pearl-buttoned footwear was humbling. I went from fast and efficient to halfway helpless when challenged by the way clothes fastened 100 years ago.

Nimble-fingered costume assistants buttoned us up and then swept for watches, jewelry, tattoos and anything else modern-day so that the next step—a photo of the look against a screen with our names and roles—would portray us the way we’d appear on set—minus the hairstyling.

Under a well-oiled production team

With military proficiency, we were greeted cheerfully and routed through five stations: COVID testing, costume, hair, makeup and a hot breakfast buffet before we boarded a bus to the set.

The dozen Temperance Women were introduced to a production assistant who would manage us all day—coordinating bathroom breaks, keeping us hydrated and reminding us to brace for up to 12 hours on our feet. In pointy, high-heeled footwear.

The pervasive friendliness and lack of flustered hustle by almost everyone who handled us was surprising and contagious.

“The tone on and off the set usually starts with the director, and is adopted down through the ecosystem,” Los Angeles-based entertainment attorney Clay Lorinsky explained. “A happy cast and crew logically improve efficiency, cost containment and the likelihood of profitability.”

Stylists tackled the transformation of about 150 heads of hair in under two hours, working from posterboards featuring photos of each extra in his/ her costume.

The casting company had warned all female extras to arrive wearing foundation and mascara only. Anything additional would be wiped away

Multiple attempts by some of the Temperance Women to sneak on a little lipstick backfired repeatedly when a staffer from the ever-present

Cast and crew enjoyed shade between takes on set in Butte during a September heatwave. PHOTO BY CAREY O'DONNELL

Old meets new on the Butte set of “1923” where part-time Big Sky resident Carey O’Donnell spent days working as an extra. The cars are vintage, but the building was not, so it was draped in blue to be digitally replaced. PHOTO BY CAREY O’DONNELL

costume department materialized out of the shadows to wipe it away.

The attention to detail was astonishing.

At Camp Makeup, I got a nod of approval for minimalism as brush-wielding artists worked their magic to achieve a humorless, Puritanical look for me, as well as era-accurate painted faces for the feminine “Flappers,” and outdoor complexions for the street-strolling “City Folk.”

But who were these people dropping their lives in CPA firms, dental offices and retail shops to pledge grueling long hours to this production? For a click above minimum wage, I might add.

I spoke to kindergarten assistants, faculty from Butte’s Montana Tech, actual farmers, retired mining industry managers, truck drivers, local historians, multi-generational Butte residents and starstruck Bozeman soccer moms who set out at 4:30 a.m. in their Audis and Escalades to make the 6 a.m. call.

Most of the extras were Butte residents who treated the opportunity like community theater on steroids.

The excitement and pride around playing a small part in the cult-like success of the Dutton family saga was all-pervasive among our group, due in part to the starring role that Montana’s history and way of life is celebrated in the series.

Even so, it was a little eerie how 200 strangers were instantly united through pitch-perfect costumes and unfamiliar roles in service to this meticulous production.

“Nothing fully prepares a first-time extra for what it’s like on set,” said Marcie Bigelow, a veteran of the professional extra scene in New York City. “This is especially true if it’s a period piece where

your normal surroundings are completely replaced with the trappings of a bygone era. It can feel other-worldly.”

Modern streets transformed

Our set was built by a team of Los Angeles set designers who, in less than two weeks, transformed four city blocks in uptown Butte into a somewhat historically accurate Bozeman, circa 1923.

Butte’s magnificent brick buildings from its rock mining heydays are largely intact, reducing the investment required to create a believable set with an astonishing sense of place. The only visible stumbling block was a modern building in the middle of the action that had to be shrouded in a giant blue tarp so an era-consistent image could be projected there in post-production.

It took a full nine hours to wrap my single, fiveminute scene that was big, complicated and choreographed with about 100 moving parts over three action-packed city blocks.

Harrison was easy-going and outwardly friendly over hours of filming the same three-block scene from above, from behind, from the left, from the right, with a close up on him, with a close up on them, and once with a big, fancy camera mounted on a robotic rig to get the ultimate, immersive tracking shot of Ford’s point of view atop his horse as he makes his way into town.

Before filming began, we were cautioned by the AD not to “fanboy” the actors, with emphasis to my group that was positioned in proximity to Ford, who plays Jacob Dutton, the great-great-great uncle to Kevin Costner’s character in the “Yellowstone” series.

The scene begins with Ford on horseback. He looks right as he passes a streetcorner boxing match in an elevated ring, then left at hay wagons

and magnificent passing cars in totally unrealistic spotless condition.

Ford dismounts—without a hitch, by the way, which is not easy at 80 years old—ties up his horse outside the saloon and bobs and weaves his way through us sign-waving, screaming Temperance Women.

Erin Coker, the only professional among our group, had a speaking part as she pursued Ford through our tumult. The star conferred amicably with Coker and an AD over the course of the day to tweak the exchange for a more natural dynamic.

Twice we had to pantomime the scene, waving and yelling without sound (not as easy as it sounds) so the lines between the actors could be cleanly recorded and then blended with our background noise.

After each take Ford would exit the “saloon” that was cowboy-western perfection from the outside but a tight-squeezed, long-abandoned retail space behind a timeworn front door.

During the second take he lifted his chin at my “Prohibition for Montana” sign and quipped, “You’re on the wrong side of the issue, you know.”

I responded that the back says, “Wanna buy me a drink?” He laughed, à la movie star

Our long day on set was amidst a monster heatwave. The 100-plus degree temps prompted the production to cancel two of its three-day shooting schedule.

Standing around in the sun in our pinchy heels and heavy black dresses required more physical stamina than expected. Relentless heat and long hours standing in the sun took its toll on three extras— two from my Temperance group who felt faint and had to be helped off set.

“Background artists—union and non-union— shouldn’t expect first-class creature comforts between takes or even to be able to sit-down every time a scene cuts. It can be a real challenge for outdoor shoots with large casts to provide enough places for extras to sit in shade or shelter,” Bigelow said.

Great art comes from great pain, as the saying goes, and I happen to have the blisters to prove it.

O’Donnell hoists a sign prop between takes on the set of “1923” with her fellow background actors, a group dubbed the “Temperance Women.” COURTESY OF CAREY O’DONNELL

O’Donnell and fellow background actors on the bus. PHOTO BY CAREY O’DONNELL

NPR’S ‘PLANET MONEY’ PODCAST TO SHOW LIVE AT THE WMPAC

HOSTS OF THE “QUIRKY” FINANCE PODCAST WILL COVER VARIOUS MONEYRELATED TOPICS IN A MANNER THAT GOES BEYOND AUDITORY EXPERIENCE

BY JULIA BARTON

Hosts of NPR’s popular “Planet Money” podcast will bring a fun take on explaining economic nuances to the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center on Feb. 11 at 7 p.m.

“Planet Money” isn’t like your usual finance report or economic breakdown. Hosts use the podcasting format to find creative and entertaining ways to boil down complicated pieces of the economy for listeners. And— given the podcast’s 1.3 million monthly listeners—the approach seems to resonate.

For “Planet Money Live!” the hosts will take things one step further, using visuals and theatrics to engage with listeners IRL.

“We aim to entertain as much as we aim to inform and it should be really fun,” said Joanna Pawlowska, NPR’s senior producer for events. “If you’re a ‘Planet Money’ fan, I think you will know that they have a pretty quirky and creative way of getting into economic topics and explaining how the economy works. So that same quirky signature style will be on stage.”

The podcast is known for going beyond simple explanations and actually getting involved in a complicated process to fully explain it to listeners. For

example, “Planet Money” made a T-shirt and followed it around the world to see the full production process— from harvesting the cotton on a Mississippi farm and fabric manufacturing overseas to sewing in Columbian and Bangladeshi factories and transporting the shirts back to the U.S.

Podcasts are inherently audio-driven, so Pawlowska’s job as an event producer is to help the hosts with creative ways to transform their unique stories into a wellrounded performance.

For the show at the WMPAC, hosts Greg Rosalsky, Mary Childs and Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi will cover three main topics: a murder mystery of famed Scottish economist Adam Smith’s reputation, a silly-yethistorical look the origin of job benefits and the naturally occurring economic experiments that came from the COVID-19 pandemic. The show will include mini

REVITALIZED

plays, interviews, audience engagement and, for an added touch, a band will provide live scoring and music accompanying the various segments.

NPR will record the show to potentially publish as a future podcast, Pawlowska explained. The event will also be livestreamed so people unable to make it to the WMPAC can still enjoy the show.

“It’s part of NPR’s mission to make our journalism really accessible,” Pawlowska siad. “It is also really awesome to bring hosts, reporters and stories into a live venue so that individuals have an opportunity to ask questions and go a little bit deeper with the content … In larger cities like New York, LA and DC, there’s so much content being produced live all the time because there’s so many people that live there. It doesn’t happen as often that we get the opportunity to come to a place like Big Sky, so we’re really, really excited.”

Although NPR has certainly been to Montana before— the “Morning Edition” podcast came to Bozeman during the 2016 election as part of a live series investigating how people across the country felt about election issues and candidates—Pawlowska said the upcoming live show will be the first podcast performance the broadcasting company has done in the state.

To purchase tickets for “Planet Money Live!” or to stream the event, head to bit.ly/wmpac-pm.

Jan 28 – May 7

Considered one of the greatest artists in the field of comic books, Alex Ross has created some of the most iconic images known to fans today. Learn about how Ross developed into a great illustrator through his childhood drawings, preliminary sketches, paintings, and 3-dimensional head busts of characters in the Marvel Universe.

Mavelocity: The Art of Alex Ross was developed by the Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County, dunnmuseum.org

Special Thanks To:

Underwriting Sponsors: Jamie and Leesha Ford

Contributing Sponsor: The Hippely Family

THREE

IMAGE COURTESY OF NPR'S "PLANET MONEY" PODCAST

BIG SKY EVENTS CALENDAR

Thursday, Jan. 26 – Feb. 8

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

THURSDAY, JAN. 26

ARTventure Afterschool Program

BASE, 4:30 p.m.

Screening: MT Wild

The Independent, 5 p.m.

Live Music: Marcedes Carrol Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

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

Live Music: Under the Umbrella Tips Up, 9:45 p.m.

FRIDAY, JAN. 27

BSCO Social Cross-Country Ski Community Park, 10 a.m.

Open Pottery Studio BASE, 5 p.m.

Big Sky Rotary Gold Auction Dinner Bucks T-4, 6 p.m.

Live Music: Jacob Rountree Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

Big Sky Rotary online Gold Auction closes Online, 7:30 p.m.

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

SATURDAY, JAN. 28

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

Live Music: Emma and the Ledge The Independent, 8 p.m.

Live Music: DJ Moe Jazz Tips Up, 9:45 p.m.

SUNDAY, JAN. 29

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

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

Fundraiser for Dale Roberts Scissorbills Saloon, 3 p.m.

Open Pottery Studio BASE, 4 p.m.

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

Screening: Nfl Conference Championships The Independent, 6:45 p.m.

Live Music: Band of Drifters Trio Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

MONDAY, JAN. 30

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

TUESDAY, JAN 31

BSSEF Viking Skate Skiing Race Big Sky Resort Golf Course, 4 p.m.

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

Screening: “Far Out”

The Independent, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 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: Chandler Huntley Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

Live Music: Fish Camp Boys Tips Up, 9:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, FEB. 2

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

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

Live Music: Dan Dubuque Tips Up, 9:45 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEB. 3

BSCO Social Cross-Country Ski South Fork Loop, 10 a.m.

Open Pottery Studio BASE, 5 p.m.

Live Music: Aaron Golay Band Tips Up, 9:45 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB 4

Big Sky Skijoring Best in the West Showdown Town Center, 11 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, FEB. 5

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

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

Big Sky Skijoring Best in the West Showdown Town Center, 11 a.m.

Open Pottery Studio BASE, 4 p.m.

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

MONDAY, FEB. 6

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

TUESDAY, FEB. 7

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

Full Moon Women’s Circle Santosha Wellness Center, 7:30 p.m.

International Guitar Night WMPAC, 7:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 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: Woodburing Pyrography BASE, 6 p.m.

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

Trivia The Independent, 7 p.m.

Live Music: Chandler Huntley Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

Live Music: Austin Gaskins Tips Up, 9:30 p.m.

FEATURED EVENT: BIG SKY SKIJORING BEST IN THE WEST SHOWDOWN Skijoring—a popular Western sport that’s a fusion of horseback riding, skiing and waterskiing in which horse, rider and skier follow a roughly 900-foot-long course including jumps, banked turns, gates and other obstacles—will return to the streets of Big Sky on Feb. 4-5. This year’s two-day event will also incorporate a freestyle snowmobiling exposition and the Montana State University Rodeo Team will lead an opening parade. Head to p. 19 for more information.

BUSINESS

MAKING IT IN BIG SKY: ASCEND PROPERTIES

BY MIRA BRODY

BIG SKY—Adam Farr, owner and managing partner of Ascend Properties, has wanted to own his own business for at least a decade. Finally, three years ago, he channeled his entrepreneurial spirit alongside his wife, Hannah, and started Ascend Properties here in Big Sky. What began as a single property under their management three years ago, has grown organically into 65.

Farr takes pride in providing not only a unique vacation experience, but also doing his part to help Big Sky thrive by referring all guests to cherished local businesses. He also owns Go Big Rentals, which is the largest long-term rental management company operating in Big Sky with over 125 properties rented out to Big Sky locals.

In addition to running a business, Farr coaches the Lone Peak High School football team and enjoys spending time with his family here 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: I’d like to start with a little background information on you, when did you first come to Big Sky and what brought you here?

Adam Farr: In 2007 I moved from Spokane, WA to Big Sky with my wife Hannah and two young children to take a position as the valet manager at Yellowstone Club. Within a year I transitioned to the property management side of things and headed up the thenemerging YC rental home program. It has been truly incredible to see how Big Sky in general has transformed from our 2007 arrival to today.

EBS: Tell me about the history of Ascend Properties: When did it get its start? What prompted you to start this business?

AF: Starting my own business had been a goal of mine for at least the past 10 years and I finally took the plunge almost exactly three years ago by starting Ascend Properties. As someone who has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, finally choosing to exercise it by starting Ascend was one of the best decisions of my life. We started with one property under management and have grown it to 65 and counting. Many vacation rental and property management businesses grow quickly through the acquisition of other businesses, however the growth of Ascend Properties has been completely organic; adding one property at a time to our management portfolio. There is no question that without the support of, and relationships with, several key real estate agents and brokers within our small community we would never have seen this type of growth. We could not be more grateful to them.

EBS: With Big Sky being a vacation hot spot, what services do you offer to visitors, as well as the local community? What about your properties makes a visit unique?

AF: The vast majority of our portfolio consists of luxury real estate catering to the type of visitor that Big Sky small businesses need to survive and thrive. Without the visitation of affluent travelers, many businesses— including my own—would frankly have long odds to survive. Our team genuinely enjoys referring a wide range of restaurants, ski shops, retail, realtors and many other local businesses to our guests daily.

One of the defining aspects of our guests’ stay is our laser focus on communication and responsiveness. Before, during and after a guests stay, they can expect us to respond immediately to all communications. If anything is requested by a guest, the number one priority must be a very high level of responsiveness. Then of course execution in meeting the needs of the guest as quickly as possible. The longstanding relationships our team has with many key vendors and contractors in the area helps us greatly in achieving timely resolutions to anything that may arise.

EBS: How big is your team?

AF: Our staff consists of nine full-time year-round team members, all of whom live in Big Sky and have extensive experience in property management and vacation rental

management. Our approach of maintaining a year-round staff with benefits and housing has proven incredibly effective as opposed to relying on seasonal staffing. We are always looking for top talent, so if you’re reading this and want to be part of a dynamic, fun and fast-growing team, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

EBS: What is the best part about being a business owner in Big Sky?

AF: Undoubtably it is the community feel of Big Sky and the willingness of other business owners, realtors, contractors and the residents of Big Sky in general to help prop one another up for success. As a prime example, we have had countless interactions with fellow vacation rental companies who in one sense would be considered our competitors, but in a much greater sense are actually extremely pleasant and consistently putting forth a “we’re in this together” type of an approach whenever we interact with them.

EBS: When you’re not at work, where could we find you in Big Sky and what might you be doing?

AF: My first thought was, when am I not at work? Mostly kidding, I have spent a great deal of time coaching the high school football team over the years. Many people don’t realize that practice starts in early June and the season ends in late October, so for about half the year that occupies the majority of my time outside of work. Otherwise, you will probably find me hanging out with my family, on the golf course, or at the Riverhouse [BBQ & Events] eating a flank steak sandwich made “Carnie Style.”

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

AF: A business mentor of mine gave me the advice to, whenever financially feasible, hire talented people who are a culture fit, even if you don’t have a defined role for them just yet. I think this is incredibly true in today’s labor market. Having stuck by this advice for the last 15 years of my career I can definitely say it has paid significant dividends for the businesses I’ve helped lead.

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

AF: Ascend Properties is most definitely not in the business of turning properties that are suitable for long-term rentals into vacation rentals. In fact, we own Go Big Rentals as well, which is the largest long-term rental management company operating in Big Sky with over 125 properties rented out to Big Sky locals. We are keenly aware of the housing situation in Big Sky and routinely talk homeowners into going the long-term rental route with their property. Protecting Big Sky’s long-term rental portfolio is something we take seriously and will never stop doing.

Adam Farr and his wife Hannah own and operate Ascend Properties here in Big Sky. PHOTO COURTESY OF ADAM FARR

A business mentor of mine gave me the advice to, whenever financially feasible, hire talented people who are a culture fit, even if you don’t have a defined role for them just yet.

–Adam Farr, Owner and Managing Partner of Ascend Properties

OPINION

SKI TIPS WITH DAN EGAN SELECTIVE EDGE PRESSURE, THE KEY TO FLUIDITY

BY DAN EGAN EBS CONTRIBUTOR

Skiing is a dance, an art form. Injecting fluidity into your movements while gliding over, on and through snow makes the mountain your ballroom.

Fluidity adds grace and rhythm to your personal style that complements the hill with your skiing presence. I define fluidity in skiing as the ability to correct body position with minor adjustments that help you stay in control. Situational skiing is the best way for skiers to discover the dance within themselves. The result will be a more elegant, fluid style of skiing.

My drills in the All-Terrain Skiing Program are designed to help you accomplish a task or a body position that enhances efficiency. The goal is to illustrate how positioning your body or skis allows you to change direction and turn. One of the best drills for this is the Thousand Steps, which introduces the concept of selective edge pressure and how the ski can travel in an arc with our constant edge pressure. The “Selective Edge Pressure” is the idea that skis during a turn don’t need constant pressure, rather they can be edged and released multiple times while making carved turn. This drill adds fluid motion to your skiing while discovering the benefits of selective edge pressure, and will help you internalize the feeling of fluidity when turning your skis—and builds what I call “the touch”—necessary for the mastering the sport of skiing.

Small steps lead to big leaps in your skiing improvement. In the Thousand Steps drill, the small steps are designed to help you identify your Frozen Zone. The Frozen Zone is the moment of realization that you’ve lost balance and can’t move your feet. It’s when you feel locked, stiff, and unable to react. Usually, the result is a skidding ski or upper body rotation. This drill will help you identify your Frozen Zone and teach the mobility, independent leg action, and agility necessary to overcome it. Taking lots of small steps will help you in a big way. The Thousand Step drill brings together balance, upper body position, requires a powerful stance and requires an awareness with the snow that develops the touch for fluidity.

Your Frozen Zone is the point where you are unable to continue stepping. At that moment, your body is out of alignment, remember relax; take small, light steps.

Basically, we are going to make small marching steps while skiing and carving our way down the mountain. Like most drills this exercise provides self-diagnosis and instant feedback. If at any time while making small marching steps throughout your turns, you feel stuck or unable to make the steps, you are out of balance and chances are your hips are too far back behind your feet.

To start, pick out a groomed slope, beginner or intermediate, which ever you are comfortable with. Start to glide diagonally across the slope while making small quick marching steps. Focus on keeping the tips of your skis on the snow, so just lift heels and tails of your skis. Avoid making large marching steps. Now start to turn while you are stepping, attempt to step through the entire arc of the turn during the transition and into the new turn. Continue to step throughout the entire process. Make three or four turns in this fashion. Stop and repeat.

Make the adjustments needed to be able to make steps throughout each turn. If any time you feel unable to make the steps, adjust your body position especially your hips until you feel freer to move and make the steps.

Repeat this drill until your steps are smooth and effortless. Notice how the skis travel along the radius of the turn even though they do not have constant edge pressure. This selective edge pressure created by placing the ski on edge in a turn and then lifting it up as the uphill ski replaces the contact with the snow while remaining in balance is a powerful feeling. This skill will allow you to become fluid in moguls, crud, and hard pack. This drill will set you free.

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 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

Dear Badger,

Was I wrong to cut 4 people who cut into the Tram line to join their group? 5-cabin wait and the skiing was good.

-Anonymously submitted via Explore Big Sky website

Dear Lone Wrongedler (I make up names if you don’t give me one),

I’ve been on this earth a long time and I’ve seen a lot of long lines and dingbats who abuse systems. The tram line is a sacred one. Everyone is up there to worship at the top of the mountain. Some people ski it as many days as they can, and some people paid out the nose to ski it for one glorious day where they thought they were a better skier on the East Coast and now they are about to tomahawk down the Big in front of a bunch of worried/amused onlookers waiting to feel or prove something that day. My point is, it’s not like you’re waiting in line to ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant at Disneyland. You’re waiting in line to complete a quest. The snow stakes are higher and it’s way too cold to wait extra time in line.

My first bit of advice is to… ignore it and use your anger on some sick turns down the mountain. The person who is allowing their friends in line could be any one of these things: a young moron who works for the resort and has literally no conscience (yet… there’s time); a Make-a-Wish group so let’s just leave that where it is and happy best day ever; a family who is mad that they just paid a ton for this vacation and by golly we just paid more for the tram so we’re gonna do whatever we want because the world owes us; or it could be a group of friends who lost one of their pals and they just found them so they could all ride together.

I choose to believe that most people wouldn’t do that unless they had good reason.

Such line-cutting behavior—theirs or yours— would never fly with a rule-following mountain goat, but mankind has a lot of variables when it

comes to reasoning. We often assume it’s one thing when it’s something wholly different so the best route in that situation is to choose kindness and hope that they had a good reason for their friends arriving late. The sacred tram line is simply not a place to take petty revenge.

This badger is afraid of heights, so I will leave all of the tram line to you and your fellow risky buddies while I pretend that Pomp is a triple black. I think that responding in anger only creates more anger or fear. I’ve seen so many moose do it. But seeing the world as a cooperative place where moments of kindness and understanding, one stick at a time, build a strong foundation for a better world. Just ask the beavers.

Sincerely, Badger

When doing the Thousand Step drill, focus on keeping the tips of your skis on the snow, so just lift heels and tails of your skis. PHOTO COURTESY OF DEGAN MEDIA

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

OH! ISN’T THAT GNEISS?

BY PAUL SWENSON

In the last column you were introduced to the sedimentary rock bookends to the drive up or down the canyon. Today I would like to introduce you to the rocks that make up 90% the drive through the canyon.

“Well, that’s nice,” you say. To that I would say that you are correct, only your spelling is not. Yes, it is another rock pun since the rocks are actually called gneiss. Gneiss has its roots in German, Gneis, which means “spark.” When you pick up a piece it actually sparkles in the sunlight, so I guess that name aptly fits.

Gneiss, pronounced “nice,” is a high-grade metamorphic rock that shows a distinct banded pattern with alternating bands of light and dark minerals including; quartz (white), different types of feldspars (white and pink), micas (dark), and amphiboles (dark). There are other minor minerals that can be found associated with these types of rocks including garnets, talc, and asbestos.

The Gallatin drainage is one of the few drainages in Montana that has very limited mining history with the exception being an old asbestos mine high up the drainage behind Karst. The talc mine on the Madison River and the “rubies” of Ruby Reservoir fame—actually garnets—are associated with metamorphic rocks similar to the ones found in the Spanish Peaks.

billion years old in the southeast half of the range, and 2.2 billion years old in the northwest half of the range. Between the two distinct ages, and grades of metamorphism, lies a one-quarter mile wide “suture zone” where the rocks were joined together in a micro-continental collision about 1.5 to 1.2 billion years ago. This suture zone runs from about the Spanish Lakes to Diamond Lake then along Indian Ridge. It is difficult to know the entire extent of these micro-continents, but it’s fascinating that there’s this evidence in our backyard.

border, plate tectonics has added many small “suspect terranes” that make up California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska, most of them added in the last 100 million years.

One of the largest of these terranes was interpreted to be an island arc the size of Japan that began interacting with the continent along a subduction zone around 80 million years ago. The stress associated with this collision was transferred to the east through the crust of the Earth, deforming and

So what does “high-grade metamorphic” mean?

Let’s start with metamorphic. Metamorphism means to change composition or structure of a rock. This is accomplished by subjecting a rock to an increase in temperature or pressure or both. These increases in temperature and pressure come from forcing a rock to greater and greater depths in the Earth.

There are many types of metamorphism, but to get to “high-grade” like our rocks display in the canyon and our surrounding mountains, they had to be buried to depths of at least 20 kilometers (about 13 miles). That’s pretty deep, especially to think they are now our mountain peaks.

Now for the really cool part of the story. The rocks of the Spanish Peaks metamorphic complex are 1.5

All continents began small. Then through time and the process of plate tectonics, they grow and accumulate more and more continental material. When one looks at a map of the Precambrian (older than 600 million years) basement rocks of North America, you will see it is made up from at least 10 distinct micro-continents. These were accreted together over the first three billion years of Earth’s history to make the core of our present continent.

All the other major continents also show similar structures of accretion and growth over time.

And for North America, since the start of the Paleozoic (550 million years ago), when the coast of the continent ran up the Montana-Idaho

uplifting the Rocky Mountains over the subsequent 30-million-year time frame. This collision caused the Precambrian basement rocks, along with the overlying sedimentary rocks, to be lifted tens of thousands of feet along large fault lines that eventually gave us the Spanish Peaks, Beartooth Range, Bighorn and Wind River Range, to name a few.

So now that you know how “gneiss” it is to drive the canyon, hopefully you will be able to spot the banding in the rocks, the sparks from the reflection of sunlight off the different minerals and appreciate the fact that these rocks represent the basement of our continent.

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.

Folded gneiss along the Gallatin River at “Screaming Left.” Photograph’s scale represents a two-foot width. PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

Augen, German for eye, structure in gneiss. The feldspar “eye” is about the size of a 50-cent piece.

PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

Cathedral Rocks, above House Rock, consist of 1.5 billion year old gneiss. PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

BY ALEX MARIENTHAL

At avalanche centers, we travel around the backcountry to gather data about snow stability and avalanche danger in popular recreational areas. We want to know how the snowpack is layered throughout the backcountry, where weak layers exist and how much new snow or wind-drifted snow it might take to produce an avalanche. The snowpack and weather patterns can differ a lot across the large areas covered by avalanche centers. We cannot travel to all corners of the forecast area every day, so we use observations from the public to help us figure out where the snow is unstable. You can help your nearby avalanche centers by submitting observations through their websites, email, or social media.

After a day riding in the backcountry, donate 10-20 minutes of your time to share what you saw, especially if there were avalanches or if you triggered an avalanche. We often dig into the snowpack and do “snowpack tests” to find where the snow is unstable, as you may have seen in our videos and forecasts, but the most obvious sign that the snowpack is unstable is seeing recent avalanche activity or triggering avalanches. When we know about recent avalanches, we don’t have to dig to look for instability.

We are familiar with the difficulty of reporting avalanche involvements due to feeling embarrassed, but mistakes happen, and others can learn and live by knowing about recent avalanches. We will keep your identity anonymous if desired, and we can mention vague locations to keep top secret powder stashes safe.

You do not have to submit highly detailed or technical reports. Simple information can be the most useful. Share the estimated depth and width of avalanches, and the slope aspect and elevation where they occurred, if possible. If you are inclined to dig into the snow, we like to hear about how deep the snowpack is and how deep weak layers are buried, or if you notice a different amount of new snow than what we reported.

Many areas do not have an avalanche center, but nearby avalanche centers can facilitate sharing observations. Skiers and riders in areas without an avalanche center should consider sharing observations through social media networks, such as snowmobile club pages or a Facebook group that has members who ski in similar or nearby areas.

Letting others know about recent avalanches or unstable snow can help them plan to avoid potentially dangerous areas. Go to avalanche.org to find the nearest avalanche center to your riding area and share your observations. Each avalanche center has a place where you can submit observations to their website, email, social media or call and leave a message. You can also go to avalanche center websites to find recent avalanche activity and snowpack data for areas you plan to ride. This information can prevent accidents and save lives. Thank you for your support and sharing observations!

Alex Marienthal is an avalanche forecaster with the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center.

Skiers touring through Beehive, Bear and Middle basins on Saturday, Jan. 21 found a windslab atop a firm column on a north-facing aspect Middle Peak. They also found depth hoar buried about 2 feet deep on a northeast-facing slope in Bear Basin. COURTESY OF GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST AVALANCHE CENTER

Making smarter decisions about renewable energy requires knowledge. NorthWestern Energy’s solar projects throughout the state of Montana provide clean energy to the power grid – and they’re shaping the future of renewable energy, too. We’re working with local universities to better understand where solar energy belongs alongside a balanced energy mix. And that research is helping us build a brighter future for the next generation of Montanans.

HOW TROUT SURVIVE WINTER IN A FREEZING RIVER

BY SILAS MILLER EBS CONTRIBUTOR

On a crisp winter afternoon, I step onto the sheath of ice that lines the canyoned banks of the Gallatin River. The sun radiates off the fresh snowpack beneath blue skies. No insects buzz, and no critters crawl or hop about the terrain. Life seems as frozen as the air. But beneath the seemingly forbidden icy surface of water, trout maintain their survival. How they do so is a question worth asking for the fly-fisher eager for a chance to catch them, as well as for anyone with a capacity to marvel at their adaptive capabilities so alien to our own.

As a warm-blooded fly-fisherman, I must maintain a constant body temperature. My methods of adaptation for a cold river involve the thickest beanie I can find on the market and two layers of wool socks tucked inside of expensive Gore-Tex waders. Such insulating items are useless for any of the Gallatin River’s cold-blooded rainbow and

brown trout. They belong to a group of animals called poikilotherms, whose body temperatures fluctuate in correspondence with their environment. But a trout can still freeze to death in a river, so to speak, amid conditions fraught with relatively little food and limited space for shelter from predators and fast currents. In response, they acclimatize their biological processes. A trout’s metabolism slows at a corresponding rate to decreases in water temperature. As a general rule, their metabolic rate halves for every temperature drop of 10 degrees Celsius. The metabolic compensation grants them imperative energetic advantages to consume less food at a time when resources are scarce.

It comes as no surprise that a trout’s behavior changes with less energy. With reduced needs for oxygen and food, they relocate to areas of minimal current where less exertion is required to maintain their position. They might migrate to a lake if nearby, or they may swim up narrow, frozen-over contributory streams that are shielded from attack by bald eagles and belted king fishers. The smaller the fish, the slower its metabolism, which means it can last longer without a meal. It is thought that a small trout might nestle itself within the crevice of a rock where it remains for the duration of winter,

shielded from the current and hidden from feisty river otters and mink.

Larger trout with a need for occasional caloric intake head for the depths of the deepest and slowest pools that also happen to be in a primary current where the river naturally gathers food. They do not move far to strike prey, which usually accounts for no more than occasional stonefly nymphs or larvae hatched from the bottom of stones or dislodged by shifts of anchor ice along the riverbed. They also don’t fight as much, which grants proximity for a larger number of trout. Smaller trout, however, remain vulnerable as prey.

So I walk along the frozen banks of the river with an eye out for the deepest and laziest water. Those shallow riffles and speedy runs that I’d trade my tax return for a chance to fish at dusk come summer are no longer good for catching anything other than a cold. I didn’t always know this, but learning the nuances of river ecology to trick its inhabitants brings forth a connection with place.

And as we also change our behavior for the cold, I am almost always alone when I fish amid the stillness of winter, making the connection all the more enjoyable.

The snowcapped Absaroka Mountains tower over the Paradise Valley as the Yellowstone River flows through it. PHOTO BY SILAS MILLER

Dan Delzer Leaders’

Kirk Dige Circle of Achievement Maggie Biggersaff Circle of Honor Katie Haley Grimm Circle of Honor

BIG SKY BEATS SKIJORING

BY JULIA BARTON

Skijoring is a curious sport that places big-air-hucking, deathwish-clutching skiers and good ol’ horsebackriding Westerners on a snowy obstacle course together in front of rowdy crowds for a spectacle you won’t soon forget. Skijoring is coming to Big Sky Feb. 4-5 and in the spirit of the often clashing cultures that come together for the sport, EBS put together a playlist full of songs with competing energy that somehow (maybe) just fit together like skiers and cowboys.

1. “Bucked Off” by Brad Paisley

2. “Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind & Fire

3. “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson

4. “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC

5. “Save a Horse” by Big & Rich

6. “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin

7. “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash

8. “Dancing Queen” by ABBA

9. “Trippin’” by Futurebirds

10. “Take It All Back” by Judas and the Lion

INSPIRATION POINT WITH THE FINEST LOCATION, VIEWS, AND EXQUISITE FURNISHINGS

Inspiration Point 1B in Spanish Peaks Mountain Club has the finest panoramic views of the Spanish Peaks, Lone Mountain, and Gallatin Range. 1B is privately positioned at the end of a cul-de-sac, minutes to the Spanish Peaks Club amenities, ski slopes and Montage Hotel. This furnished mountain modern home is equipped with Wolf/Subzero appliances and meticulously curated furnishings and art.

Montana

Center

PHOTOS BY HOLLY PIPPEL