LOCAL FILMMAKER MICAH ROBIN PREMIERES ‘WE ARE NOT EXPERTS’
NEW WEBSITE PUSHES SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION, DESIGN
BUSINESS LEADERS DISCUSS ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SUMMER EVENTS
October 31 - November 13, 2024 Volume 15, Issue 22
Owned and published in Big Sky, Montana
PUBLISHER
Eric Ladd | eric@theoutlawpartners.com
EDITORIAL
VP MEDIA
Mira Brody | mira@theoutlawpartners.com
SENIOR EDITOR
Jack Reaney | jack@theoutlawpartners.com
STAFF WRITER
Jen Clancey | jen@theoutlawpartners.com
EDITORIAL CONSULTANT
Leslie Kilgore | leslie@theoutlawpartners.com
DIGITAL MEDIA LEAD
Fischer Genau | fischer@theoutlawpartners.com
CREATIVE
LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER
ME Brown | maryelizabeth@theoutlawpartners.com
SALES AND OPERATIONS
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Josh Timon | josh@theoutlawpartners.com
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
Megan Paulson | megan@theoutlawpartners.com
VP DESIGN & PRODUCTION
Hiller Higman | hiller@theoutlawpartners.com
DIRECTOR OF RELATIONSHIPS
Ersin Ozer | ersin@theoutlawpartners.com
MARKETING MANAGER
Tucker Harris | tucker@theoutlawpartners.com
CONTENT MARKETING LEAD
Taylor Owens | taylor.owens@theoutlawpartners.com
SENIOR ACCOUNTANT
Sara Sipe | sara@theoutlawpartners.com
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LEAD
Patrick Mahoney | patrick@theoutlawpartners.com
ACCOUNT COORDINATOR
Ellie Boeschenstein | ellie@theoutlawpartners.com
Daniel Bierschwale, Mark Bond, Kaley Burns, Mario Carr, Rachel Hergett, Thomas D. Mangelsen, Robert McCormick, Holly Pippel, Benjamin Alva Polley, Dave Zinn CONTRIBUTORS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BUSINESS LEADERS DISCUSS ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SUMMER EVENTS
As the community prepares for the upcoming winter season, business owners reflect on how summer events, and the visitors they bring to the area, impacted business this year. Economic impact reports reveal a significant increase in summer visitation spending, particularly at restaurants, bars and lodging.
RIVERVIEW APARTMENTS WELCOME GRATEFUL TENANTS
For tenants like Marisol Mendez, the RiverView Apartments are a new home. On Oct. 24, Laura Seyfang cut the ribbon to the apartment buildings, a project funded through the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program and spearheaded by the Big Sky Community Housing Trust. “I have my home,” Mendez said. “And I feel more sure, and in peace. It’s awesome.”
NEW WEBSITE PUSHES SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION, DESIGN
A new sustainable building website, BuildBetterBigSky.org, will guide architects, developers and homeowners on how to construct durable, nature-friendly buildings in Big Sky. The website was launched by Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization (SNO), and aligns with SNO’s 2023 Big Sky Community Climate Action Plan.
REMEMBERING THE LEGACY OF GRIZZLY 399
On the night of Tuesday, Oct. 22, grizzly 399, known as the matriarch of the northern Rockies and Queen of the Tetons, was fatally struck by a vehicle along Highway 26/89 in the Snake River Canyon. The tragic news shocked many wildlife lovers, including photographers, filmmakers, park rangers, biologists and tourists.
LOCAL FILMMAKER MICAH ROBIN PREMIERES ‘WE ARE NOT EXPERTS’
Grizzly 399’s tragic death on Oct. 22 has shocked the Mountain West. The “Queen of the Tetons” created a legacy extending far beyond bear country, symbolizing endurance, motherhood and the successful conservation of an iconic species. PHOTO BY THOMAS D. MANGELSEN
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.
On Oct. 10, local videographer Micah Robin shared his short film “We Are Not Experts” to a Bozeman crowd. His film highlights the challenges of backcountry skiing and how they make an impact on the experience itself. As an unexpected bonus, the premiere included a dazzling display of northern lights.
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.
In the final weekend of October, Big Sky celebrated the three-day Haunted Peaks Halloween Festival with events across Town Center, including the Mini Monster Mash Kids Party at the Waypoint on Saturday, Oct. 26. PHOTO BY LESLIE KILGORE
NEWS IN BRIEF BRIEFS
AUTHORITIES SEARCH FOR ITEMS
MISSING FROM CAMPSITE OF GALLATIN CANYON HOMICIDE CASE
An axe, shotgun, revolver and cooler are reportedly missing from the Gallatin Canyon campsite where police are investigating the homicide of Dustin Kjersem.
The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office gave a description of the items in an Oct. 24 press release.
GCSO believes the following items were removed from the scene of the crime: an Estwing camp axe with likely a 26” blue and silver handle; a Remington 11-87 12ga shotgun, wood stock; a Ruger Blackhawk .44mag revolver, blued 4 ⅝” barrel with wood grips; and an orange YETI brand cooler, Tundra 45.
“Keep your eyes open,” Springer said as a message to the Big Sky community on the phone with EBS. He encouraged the public to look out for signs of the missing items that may assist the ongoing investigation. “Anyone with information regarding the incident or the items listed is asked to contact the GCSO Detectives Division at 406-582-2121 or by email at detectives@gallatin.mt.gov. If the information is exigent, please contact GCSO dispatch at 406-582-2100 and request to speak with a deputy,” the release stated.
SIX-WORD MESSAGE APPEARS IN BARS FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH
Bar patrons countywide will find the words “Gallatin County says no to violence” under their glasses, a message part of an effort to reduce domestic violence. On Oct. 23, a countywide team of law enforcement, attorneys, advocates and others launched the campaign to raise awareness and understanding during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.
From Three Forks to West Yellowstone, coasters and flyers in select bars will repeat the message, providing phone numbers, websites, and information about local resources. Big Sky’s Tips Up and Beehive Basin Brewery have flyers and coasters throughout the bar area and in bathrooms.
The countywide coalition leading the effort is the Domestic Violence Response Team, which focuses on supporting domestic violence survivors and reducing homicides. Haven, a Gallatin County organization that provides confidential support to anyone impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking and stalking, coordinates the countywide team.
“For many of our communities in the area, this is such a great way to meet people where they are: the local watering hole,” stated Erica Aytes Coyle, Haven’s executive director, in the release. “We know that one in five people experience intimate partner violence firsthand, so letting everyone across the valley know about the resources can truly be the turning point that encourages someone to reach out for support.”
Haven has a confidential 24-hour line at 406-586-4111.
BIG SKY COAT DRIVE OPEN UNTIL NOV. 30
EBS STAFF
The 2024 Big Sky Collaborative Coat Drive launched on Tuesday, Oct. 15, collecting lightly worn, clean and warm coats until Nov. 30. Coats will be distributed to community members at The Wilson Hotel on Dec. 4 from 1 to 6 p.m.
Coats can be donated locally at First Security Bank, American Bank and BASE, with a special donation day at BASE on Wednesday, Nov. 13 from 4 to 6 p.m.—in exchange for a coat, donors will receive one free day pass to BASE.
The Big Sky Rotary Club will collect cash donations for new coat purchases, and Persnickety Cleaners will clean up to 200 coats for distribution day, a release stated. according to a press release from organizers.
FATAL CRASH BLOCKS GALLATIN CANYON
EBS STAFF
A collision in the Gallatin Canyon near Big Sky resulted in one fatality and a near-six-hour road closure on Sunday evening, Oct. 20.
The crash occurred just before 7:50 p.m. at mile marker 52, about four miles north of Big Sky on U.S. Highway 191. A Nissan Titan pickup truck traveling northbound lost control and veered into the southbound lane, where it collided with a semi-truck moving southbound. The pickup truck immediately burst into flames, according to an eyewitness report.
Speed and alcohol are suspected factors in the crash, according to a press release from Montana Highway Patrol on 10:51 a.m. Monday morning, Oct. 21.
The driver of the pickup truck was pronounced dead on scene, authorities confirmed. The driver has not yet been identified, but MHP revealed it was a 31-year-old male from Big Sky. The semi-truck driver, a 28-year-old male resident of Ogden, Utah, was injured and received treatment at Big Sky Medical Center.
First response, investigation and clean up efforts on the two-lane road blocked traffic until 1:27 a.m. when authorities reopened the road. Gallatin County Sheriff’s deputies responded moments after the crash, having been nearby by coincidence—with no cellular service in the area, response would likely have been slower otherwise. Deputies assessed the scene and attacked flames with fire extinguishers until Big Sky Fire Department personnel arrived to contain the vehicle fire.
“BSFD members engaged in an aggressive exposure protection to keep the fire out of the forest and adjacent vehicles,” an Oct. 21 BSFD press release stated.
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LOCAL
‘NOW I HAVE MY HOME’ RIVERVIEW
APARTMENTS IN BIG
SKY
PROVIDE FREEDOM, OPPORTUNITY FOR YEAR-ROUND WORKFORCE
BY JACK REANEY
BIG SKY—They are not just buildings beside the highway.
For tenants like Marisol Mendez, the RiverView Apartments are a new home.
Mendez moved to Big Sky five years ago from Puerto Rico. She was born in Chicago and moved to Puerto Rico at age 12. She now works in the cafeteria at the Yellowstone Club.
“Oh my God, I was living in the housing, and I was wishing to have my own spot,” Mendez told EBS the afternoon of the building's ribbon cutting, her granddaughter clinging to her leg. “And I’ve been trying since like three years to have my own place, and hopefully, I got it.”
Now that she’s moved in, life feels free—at 54 years old after five years in Big Sky, she finally lives alone. She watched after her granddaughter during the Oct. 24 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new apartment buildings, a project funded through the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program and led by the Big Sky Community Housing Trust. Lone Mountain Land Company is finishing up five privately funded buildings of its own on the eastern side of the RiverView complex.
“I have my home,” Mendez said. “And I feel more sure, and in peace. It’s awesome.”
She said RiverView is a blessing—she was on the verge of tears describing the moment she moved in, as staff helped carry her belongings and handed her a set of keys.
Her YC coworker, Stacie Bostic, is equally grateful. Until recently, she was living in employee housing
in Gallatin Gateway, nearly an hour from the club. Mendez mentioned she was moving into RiverView, and Bostic joined the wait list.
She heard RiverView was hiring an on-site manager, and she immediately applied—the parttime job came with an apartment.
“I had an interview the next day, and I had an offer letter that Monday,” Bostic told EBS, beaming. “So, it was just—God is good.”
She said all the new tenants have been “very gracious” and “over the moon happy” to have housing they can afford in the community they serve, avoiding the two-hour commute in the dangerous, often snowy Gallatin Canyon.
Bostic really wants to be here. But she, like many of her peers, cannot afford rent without employerprovided housing. The average one- and twobedroom rental in Big Sky costs $2,000 and $3,000, respectively, according to a housing trust study, which also reported that 80% of income-earning resident households need below-market housing. Bostic’s peers also desire their own living space— preferably not shared units or dormitories which are typical employee housing offerings. “I don’t want to go back to Baltimore, I love working at the club, and I love living in Montana… But I’m 39 years old, and I want my own space. That’s what I’m hearing from the rest of the residents,” she said.
As for RiverView’s living conditions, Bostic said it’s so far, so good. Tenants are just happy to have their own space in a clean, safe environment near their job.
“The people that are living in these two buildings are the people that are serving them at the club, serving them at the cafe, working, cleaning their homes… They see us all the time. We’re behind the scenes, but we’re here,” Bostic said.
She added that the buildings are diverse, and that residents are proud to contribute to the Big Sky community. She’s also an ambassador for seasonal workers with the Community Support Group, led by Laura Seyfang, who happened to serve as the first executive director of the housing trust and helped envision RiverView.
“So we feel welcome, we don’t feel like we’re just the help that lives in these two buildings,” Bostic said. Mendez loves Big Sky, too. It feels like family for her, and despite the cold winters and the culture differences, she said it’s a safe place to raise kids. Since arriving in 2019, she knew she wanted to stay. Now, she thanks the various community partners that made RiverView possible, because they built her a home.
“That’s what I’ve been waiting for a long time since I moved here—I left everything in Puerto Rico,” Mendez said. “And now I have my home.”
‘You are the reason we did this’
During the ribbon cutting ceremony, housing trust Executive Director David O’Connor concluded a long list of thank-yous by thanking the new residents.
“If you’re a resident of RiverView, please raise your hand,” O’Connor said, and the audience clapped for
Laura Seyfang, former executive director of the Big Sky Community Housing Trust, cuts the ribbon on a new workforce housing complex in Big Sky. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY
Bostic spoke with EBS in her new RiverView office. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY
Bostic, Mendez and a few others in attendence. “You are the reason that we did this… On behalf of the housing trust, Big Sky community and all these partners, please accept our welcome home.”
Much of the project was funded and made possible by Resort Tax—BSRAD funds allowed the housing trust to purchase a section of RiverView land from LMLC—so O’Connor borrowed their “Better Together” slogan when describing the various entities worthy of praise: BlueLine Development for its expertise and efficiency in construction; LMLC for its unparalleled partnership; Montana Board of Housing for enabling the federal LIHTC grant; Lizzie Peyton of Big Sky SNO for adding solar energy that will have a “very concrete effect” on residents’ utility bills; and his two teammates at the housing trust, Becky Brockie and Jennifer Boutsianis.
“If this doesn’t exemplify [better together], I don’t know what does,” O’Connor said. He added that there’s still work to be done as LMLC finishes its five buildings, “but at the end, this will be a total of about 100 homes at varying degrees of affordability for locals throughout the Big Sky community.”
Matt Kidd, LMLC managing director, said it’s important to pause along the way and recognize accomplishments. He offered “an extensive amount of praise” to the housing trust staff.
“This work is hard,” Kidd said. “Community building. Let’s not kid ourselves… Although we’re taking the time today to pause and celebrate, we know there’s more work to do, more exciting things to come.”
Kidd said the proposed Cold Smoke development will add an important step: homes for sale to local workers. “I’ll keep saying it forever: more locals living in Big Sky is a great thing. I’m very proud of that.”
Daniel Bierschwale, Resort Tax executive director praised all partners involved, with a special shoutout to Laura Seyfang.
“Without Laura’s vision this project would not have been a reality. We are all proud of your tenacious ability to ‘move and shake’ and the legacy that will be left on Big Sky because of your efforts,” Bierschwale said.
Seyfang was surprised to learn that RiverView’s community center—a common room required by the LIHTC program—would be named after her. Dave Brown, BSCHT board chair, also presented a plaque honoring Seyfang’s “unwavering vision in the creation of the RiverView Apartments and her commitment to forming the Big Sky Community Housing Trust.”
“It’s unbelievable to see this come to fruition and see the families that have been able to move in here. Makes me really thrilled,” Seyfang said.
Brown said Seyfang’s dedication and vision is “incredible.” When RiverView was just an idea, Brown was a new board member. He was not alone in questioning the viability of apartments along a thin strip of roadside land.
“It was amazing to watch, in just these past four years, the community coming together to solve a very challenging problem,” Brown said.
He praised the housing trust’s MeadowView campus, and its Rent Local and Good Deeds programs. But he said Big Sky’s workforce needs more than 1,300 additional homes by 2028, and that since 2015, the community has lost more than 85% of its long-term rentals.
“Without appropriate housing,” Brown said, “what do we have?”
Mendez and her granddaughter attended Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY
BUSINESSES CELEBRATE ‘FANTASTIC’ SUMMER IN BIG SKY
LEADERS REFLECT ON SUMMER GROWTH IN 2024 FOLLOWING A BUSY
EVENTS SEASON
BY LESLIE KILGORE
Editor’s note: Outlaw Partners is the publisher of Explore Big Sky and is the producer events discussed in this story.
As the seasons change in Big Sky and the community prepares for the upcoming winter season, business owners reflect on how summer events, and the visitors they bring to the area impacted business this year. With the Big Sky Farmers Market, Music in the Mountains, Artisan Festival, Big Sky PBR and Wildlands Festival all staples of Big Sky, most agree that the summer season is now just as important for profits and growth as winter in Big Sky.
While the busiest times for business owners centered around weekends in July and August, Wednesday and Thursday nights during the Big Sky Farmers Market and Music in the Mountains also saw some of the biggest numbers of the year as far as foot traffic in Town Center.
“The summer of 2024 will go down in our books as the smoothest and most comfortable summer on record,” said Troy “Twist” Thompson, owner of Blue Buddha Sushi Lounge, The Drunken Monk, Blindside Burger and Tres Toros Tacos & Tequila. “All of our restaurants did fantastic.”
The Arts Council of Big Sky commissioned an economic impact report earlier this year after they continued to record a significant increase in visitors during summer, particularly during the three months Music in the Mountains takes place every Thursday in Town Center’s Len Hill Park.
The arts council’s report estimated that 70% of the approximately 46,000 visitors to Big Sky’s Music in the Mountains each year are from outside of Big Sky, and stay an average of two days. Guests were valued at $180 per visitor, per day. The study allocated spending on food, fuel, transportation expenses, lodging and miscellaneous retail.
“The report demonstrates what we’ve known all along, that the arts and programs like Music in the Mountains have a huge impact on the local economy,” said Brain Hurlbut, executive director of the Arts Council of Big Sky.
Another weekly event that proved to have a significant increase in visitors this summer was the Big Sky Farmers Market. While the market has taken place from June through September for the last 16 years, the past few summers have proven to be more highly attended with local vendors seeing an increase in profits, particularly during July and August.
“The market has been quite successful with the expanded venue and a more strategic vendor layout,” said Erik Morrison, producer of the Big Sky Farmers Market. “It’s now designed to drive traffic through that East-West corridor, to merchants and our brick-and-mortar businesses. Many Town Center businesses report that Wednesdays are one of their best days each week of the summer.”
Longtime Big Sky resident and owner of Trove West, Kate Tomkinson said that summer is now an important factor for the ongoing success of her store.
Community Rodeo, Big Sky PBR, Wildlands Festival among others, bringing visitors from across the globe to Big Sky. Several community fundraising events also generated $750,000 for local and regional nonprofits.
The study also showed that Outlaw Partners’ 2024 events had a gross economic impact of $37.4 million in the area, with $21.8 million directly retained in Gallatin County. It also revealed that this summer, 50,000 event attendees contributed to $8 million in economic impact with retailers, $5.7 million at restaurants and bars, and $6.5 million in lodging and at hotels in the area.
“It’s been exciting to see our events grow through the years and most importantly, the positive impact they are making for businesses, charities and tourism within Big Sky and greater southwest Montana,” said Megan Paulson, co-founder and CMO of Outlaw.
Paulson also mentioned that it’s important to look at the demographics of travelers coming to the area to experienceBig Sky’s summer events. This year, ticket purchasers for Outlaw events including Big Sky PBR and Wildlands Festival represented 50% in Montana and 50% from out-of-state, including nine countries internationally and 419 cities nationwide. Many of the top cities match direct-fly zones serviced by Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport.
The Big Sky Chamber of Commerce recently reported that summer visitor numbers over the past two years were comparable to winter visitors, as well as spending by visitors per day.
“Overall, Big Sky continues to see strong visitation from domestic and international visitors each year,” Brad Niva, CEO of the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce, stated in an email to EBS. “Both 2023 and 2024 were similar in visitation and visitor spending. This is a return to ‘normal’ after an amazing visitation after COVID.”
As a prominent business owner in Town Center, Thompson has witnessed many changes in Big Sky over the past five years and continues to analyze the evolution of growth for small businesses in the community, particularly for his restaurants.
“While this summer was not the most profitable since we’ve been in Big Sky, as we were slightly down in sales, we had zero turnover with employees and I would say the highest guest satisfaction since opening,” Thompson said. “It was the sweet spot we in the restaurant biz hope for every night. Busy enough to fill the seats but not crazy enough to have the dreaded burnout by summer’s end.”
“Summers have grown steadily and become increasingly important to retailers in Big Sky. Summer events bring locals, second homeowners, first-time visitors and club members into town weekly, and sadly there is nothing in winter that compares.”
Outlaw Partners conducted a third-party economic impact study of their 2024 summer events at the Big Sky Events Arena in Town Center. Outlaw’s 2024 summer events season featured 16 total days of event programming that included the Big Sky
Several Big Sky frontrunners and business owners also mentioned that while the increase in visitors continues to be affected by the world-class events Big Sky now offers in the summer, the larger community effort that now exists ensures a positive, memorable and more streamlined visitor experience overall.
“It truly takes a village to create a world-class event experience here in Big Sky,” Paulson said. “We are thankful for the community, partners and sponsors who help make it possible.”
Big Sky PBR punctuates Big Sky’s Biggest Week with three nights of professional bull riding in the Big Sky Events Arena, gathering thousands each night in Town Center. PHOTO BY TAYLOR ALLEN/OUTLAW PARTNERS
The Big Sky Farmers Market takes place in the summer each Wednesday and spans Fire Pit Park to Town Center Plaza. PHOTO COURTESY OF BIG SKY TOWN CENTER
Music in the Mountains is Big Sky's series of free outdoor concerts. COURTESY OF THE ARTS COUNCIL OF BIG SKY
RECORD-HIGH $170K RAISED FOR MONTANA HOPE PROJECT AT YELLOWSTONE CLUB GOLF EVENT
PROCEEDS WILL SUPPORT 15 CRITICALLY OR CHRONICALLY ILL MONTANA CHILDREN
BY JACK REANEY
BIG SKY—A Sept. 23 charity golf tournament at Yellowstone Club raised nearly $170,000 for the nonprofit Montana Hope Project, which works to fulfill the dreams and wishes of Montana children suffering from a terminal, critical, or chronic illness. The annual golf outing is not exclusive to club members, and primarily includes sponsors and individuals involved with the nonprofit.
Montana Hope Project was founded in 1984 by Montana Highway Patrol and is sponsored by the Association of Montana Troopers, with volunteer staff comprised of active and former MHP troopers, their spouses and other volunteers. Thirty businesses and 104 golfers participated this year, and the golf tournament is typically the largest fundraiser for the nonprofit, according to an Oct. 2 MHP press release.
“We strive to make dreams come true for critically ill children in Montana,” Trooper Nick Navarro, president of the nonprofit, stated in the release. “The amount of support for the Montana Hope Project witnessed in Big Sky was incredibly moving and will directly help children across the state. We thank the players, sponsors, and our generous host, the Yellowstone Club.”
Navarro has been serving as Hope Project president since February, with 12 years of prior involvement as a coordinator and vice president. He said the nonprofit’s regional fundraising efforts have struggled since COVID, but large events like the YC golf tournament have helped compensate.
“This has been the biggest year yet, and this will help be able to grant many, many wishes,” Navarro told EBS in a phone call.
Since 1984, the Hope Project has supported 537 Montana children between the ages of 2 and 18. The average value of each wish is $8,800, and wishes have included trips to Hawaii, professional sports events, computers, shopping sprees, camping trips, hot tubs, vehicle restorations, Caribbean cruises, a horse buggy, adaptive equipment, entertainment centers, video games, and dream bedrooms, according to the release. The Hope Project is not associated with any national wishgranting organizations.
“The health conditions the children face typically require medical intervention and are physically, emotionally, and financially exhausting for the children and their families,” the release stated. “Eighty-three percent of all proceeds from fundraisers, corporate and private donors, and memorials go directly to wishes for Montana children.”
The proceeds from the September golf tournament will fund the wishes of 15 critically ill Montana children.
‘A natural partnership’
Tom Butler, now VP of public safety and privacy for the Yellowstone Club, has been helping lead the golf tournament since it began in the early 2000s— the tournament stopped in the wake of the 2008
financial crisis amidst YC’s financial troubles and ownership change, but resumed in 2011 or 2012, Butler said.
“It’s been going strong ever since we picked it back up and it’s really taken off over the past few years,” Butler told EBS in a phone call.
Butler spent 29 years with MHP, serving as Bozeman captain from 2006 to 2009, and retiring in 2020 after seven years as chief. Butler said the golf tournament is the nonprofit’s largest fundraiser, and this year’s outing raised a new record which they hope to build on in 2025.
“You know, the Yellowstone Club has always looked at benefitting Montana charities,” Butler said. “And the Montana Hope Project … the work they do is just fabulous. It’s just a natural partnership.”
Both Butler and Trooper Navarro encouraged the public to visit the Montana Hope Project website to learn more, and to look for volunteer opportunities by contacting regional coordinators.
This year, the tournament saw its first-ever holein-one by Mark Taylor, who has lobbied for Association of Montana Troopers since 1999. Butler said it was well-deserved in light of Taylor’s years of support.
Butler shared his email, Tom.Butler@yellowstoneclub.com, inviting anyone interested in sponsoring or participating in the 2025 tournament to reach out.
COURTESY OF YELLOWSTONE CLUB
BIG SKY SNO LAUNCHES SUSTAINABLE BUILDING WEBSITE
architects, developers, and homeowners
BY JACK REANEY
BIG SKY—On Oct. 7, Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization (SNO) launched BuildBetterBigSky.org, a resource designed to motivate developers and existing homeowners to explore energy efficiency, sustainable materials, wildfire resilience and water conservation.
This resource is one of 13 strategies outlined in SNO’s 2023 Big Sky Community Climate Action Plan to create a path to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The CAP aims to reduce communitywide emissions, 63.3% of which come from energy utilized by infrastructure, according to a SNO press release. Energy and buildings are one of four targeted improvement priorities from that 2023 report.
“This is a resource for everybody in the community,” said Lizzie Peyton, director of community sustainability for SNO. “… This is just a real opportunity to learn how you can have a little bit of control over the amount of energy you’re putting into your house.”
Peyton explained that many communities are mostly built out, and may rely on energy conservation initiatives. But Big Sky is still in a phase of rapid development—and being unincorporated, it’s light on permitting—so there’s an opportunity to build intentionally.
Build Better Big Sky is a toolkit to guide and incentivize businesses to do it right, she said, adding that SNO is developing a certification process to recognize participating builders. That program will be rolled out after SNO implements feedback from businesses after this initial launch.
‘To build responsibly and durably while respecting the power that nature has around us’
Peyton explained it’s not just SNO behind a curtain doing this, but an energy and buildings coalition
including active industry members who truly want to create buy-in and address business needs.
This toolkit may provide especially valuable context for architects, designers and construction firms who aren’t based in southwest Montana. An architect in New York, for example, can use the resource to learn about the challenges and limitations of building in Big Sky.
Contractors, engineers, architects, and subcontractors are encouraged to fill out the online vendor form, which will allow SNO to build a list of businesses that are on board. Peyton says it’s exciting.
“That creates kind of a reliable list of people to call… It allows contractors to get their name out there for a demographic that is interested in building correctly for the long term,” she said.
Teran Foster, research and development manager with Big Sky-based Cornerstone Management Services, added support in the press release.
“We have the privilege to live and work in a beautiful place that happens to be difficult to build resilient and sustainable homes,” Foster stated. “The creation of this website is to help provide resources to build responsibly and durably while respecting the power that nature has around us.”
These environmental priorities are widely understood to be costly. It’s not always the cheap route, but Peyton is confident it will pay off.
“You are going to have upfront costs,” Peyton said. “That’s why we have an incentives page on there … particularly when it comes to energy, even when your upfront costs are higher, you will have a return on investment.”
In this dramatic climate, she said weatherization is hugely valuable. It might only take a few tubes
of caulk to insulate windows in a single-family home, but it will cut down the heating bill—thus decreasing energy usage. The new website offers tips on small but effective ways to compound cost and energy benefits by improving the building envelope.
“It’s kind of like having a really good base layer for the winter,” Peyton said. “You’re not going to go ski on a really cold day without a base layer… you’re going to get cold at some point.”
The time for property owners to see a return will depend on what eco-friendly instrument is being installed. But for folks planning to make Big Sky home for more than a few years, Peyton is confident they’ll reach the threshold.
Independence
For those who might not care for environmental benefits, she said it’s really about independence—a Montana value that transcends politics.
An energy efficient home, especially one with its own sources of renewable energy, becomes independent from large energy companies, Peyton explained. It’s not only insulation from any potential rise in utility costs, but also security— Big Sky is geographically isolated from its utilities, so a natural disaster could damage the electrical grid, or prevent propane from being trucked in.
Peyton believes anyone can get on board with energy independence, and this resource will help property owners attain that.
The new website was made possible with funding from Resort Tax and the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation. Another similar resource is Alpenscapes, which Peyton said is useful for the same demographic: “new property buyers or anyone who is retrofitting any property.”
Builders,
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BY LIBBY COLTEA AND CYRUS COLEMAN EBS GUEST COLUMNISTS
This year will be the sixth annual Fall Food Drive conducted by the Lone Peak High School National Honor Society. NHS works with the community to collect food over the duration of November to help support the Big Sky Community Food Bank and provide food for people within the community who are homeless or may not be able to afford food.
NHS’s annual food drive initially began as “Thanksgiving in a Bag” in 2019; however, the food drive has now developed into encouraging people to donate any non perishable items they can find. This year, the food bank is focusing on canned soups and non-perishables in addition to Thanksgiving fixings, but any items are greatly appreciated.
This food drive mostly focuses on the Big Sky School District’s elementary, middle, and high school. Donation boxes for grades 6-12 will be placed near the front office, and individual boxes will be placed in the respective classrooms for
students in grades pre-K through 5. Students will be incentivized with a prize to bring in as many canned goods and Thanksgiving foods as humanly possible. Parents are encouraged to send their kids to school with canned goods to drop off at the front office.
If you do not have any kids attending the school, you are still welcome to drop off canned and packaged goods at the elementary and high school front offices. You can also donate year-round at the Big Sky Community Food Bank.
As boxes fill, NHS members will take weekly trips to the food bank, and deliver them to those in need. In the past five years, elementary, middle, and high school families of the Big Sky School District have done a wonderful job of supporting the community food bank, amassing more than 6,800 food items. This year, we hope to achieve even better results! Please help us support our local food bank by donating canned goods to fill the boxes at the elementary and high school buildings. The Fall Food Drive will take place from Nov. 4 through Nov. 21. Thank you for your donations!
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ASK: LONE MOUNTAIN LAND COMPANY
What is the Cold Smoke housing development?
Cold Smoke, a new community housing development, is set to play a significant role in shaping the future of Big Sky thanks to a continued partnership between the Big Sky Community Housing Trust and Lone Mountain Land Company working to address the community’s affordable housing needs through another public-private partnership. Cold Smoke will fill a major gap in the housing market that will provide an opportunity for families to plant roots in Big Sky.
Over the last eight years, Lone Mountain Land Company has been dedicated to addressing the housing gap in Big Sky, creating over 700 community housing units that serve 2,500 locals. Cold Smoke, which is set to break ground in 2025, will create a community of up to 400 homes that consists of both single-family homes as well as apartments with a mix of rental and for-sale offerings. The units will be attainable to a wide spectrum of incomes within the Big Sky community. Cold Smoke is centrally located, walking distance from both the Meadow Village and Town Center. The design prioritizes livability and caters to the outdoor enthusiast with ample storage and direct access to nature. Planned amenities for Cold Smoke include a trail system that connects to Big Sky’s vast trail network. Trails promote health & wellness, preserve open space, and foster social connectivity. See the QR codes above for the Cold Smoke ownership waitlist and the video summary on the recently opened RiverView Apartments.
What is the latest on the Buck’s renovations?
Big Sky residents and visitors will be thrilled to hear that the Buck’s restaurant is undergoing significant renovations with plans to reopen in 2025. The refreshed restaurant will retain many beloved original elements to honor its storied history, including an enhanced arcade and game room for family-friendly fun, along with a refreshed menu and full bar. The spacious Montana Room will also be available for group bookings and community events, continuing a legacy of memorable gatherings. We look forward to sharing more about the restaurant and the opening date in the upcoming months.
In addition, Lone Mountain Land Company has been focused on much-needed additional employee housing in the former Buck’s Motel. Earlier this year, renovation work commenced on the guest rooms, featuring the installation of fire sprinklers and alarms to enhance safety standards. New, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, along with new windows, are being implemented to improve comfort. Each room is being completely revitalized with new plumbing fixtures, carpeting, and furniture.
To foster community among employees, in addition to the public Buck’s restaurant, a dining room will be available for meals, as well as a communal kitchen for preparing meals together. Supplemental employee facilities will include a convenience store, coffee bar, and fitness center, with renovated rooms expected to be ready for occupancy this winter season.
A new building constructed with sustainable cross-laminated timber modules is also being assembled on-site and is projected to be ready for occupancy in the spring. There will be up to 322 team members accommodated with housing throughout the full site when complete. LMLC is committed to enhancing the experience for both employees and visitors in the Big Sky community. Stay tuned for further updates as these exciting renovations progress.
What is happening where the dirt work is being done next to Tips Up?
You might have noticed some activity in Town Center throughout October, with equipment moving around as the LMLC team conducted site grading and light utility work near Tips Up and in the parking lot adjacent to BASE. This early utility work is laying the groundwork for future projects, including the upcoming public restroom facility and our plans for a new hospitality project next year, with more details to be shared on this project in early 2025. Additionally, we’re planning further roadway and infrastructure improvements for Town Center, with that work set to begin next spring and summer. Thank you for your patience as we work to enhance Town Center!
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SPORTS
LONE PEAK VOLLEYBALL TAKES VICTORY IN LAST HOME GAME, SENIOR NIGHT
BY JEN CLANCEY
BIG SKY—After two failed serve attempts for both Lone Peak High School and Manhattan High School, the score in the fifth and final set of the Big Horns’ last home volleyball match was tied 14-14. The game was anyone’s, which wasn’t the case just a month ago when the Tigers swept the Big Horns 3-0 in the Manhattan High School gymnasium.
Two hours and 25 minutes into Lone Peak’s senior night game on Oct. 19, senior captain Claire Hoadley lifted the ball to serve and delivered it barely in reach of a Manhattan player. The crowd’s cheers rose as an uncharacteristically scrambling Manhattan back line failed to control the ball: 15-14 Big Horns.
Manhattan’s coach called for a 60-second timeout. When the set continued, Hoadley lifted the ball to serve again. The Tigers returned it out of bounds for a final match score of 3-2 Big Horns.
Head coach Ashley Muckway beamed as the girls celebrated a home game and senior night win. “Words can’t describe how hard they’ve worked to get to this point,” Muckway said. On Sept. 19 the Big Horns lost “pretty bad” to the same team, s he added.
“They came back with a vengeance,” Muckway said. “And [Manhattan] is a good team. I mean, they can swing. And they’re smart.”
She said that the senior leadership this season has been unbelievable and that the younger girls stepped in to lift them up this time. “Tonight, the seniors were there, they showed up like they always do, but everyone else on the team showed up for them,” Muckway said.
The first set ended in a 32-touch game point for a Big Horn win. Senior captain Aubrey Farr’s dig instincts were on full display as she dove to keep Lone Peak in play in a close 25-23 set.
In sets two and three, Manhattan sophomore Savannah Droge and senior Morgan Pavlik kept the Big Horns on their toes with heavy hits and strategic placement, often going for kills back-toback to win points. The Tigers advanced to a 2-1 lead.
Farr responded to Manhattan’s efforts in the fourth and fifth set, stopping strikes directed short on the court and toward the middle. As Muckway said, the team stepped up for its seniors with juniors Stella Haas, Avery Graham and Lily Turner serving, setting and finishing the ball. Collaborative blocks by Haas and senior captain Addy Malinowski supported a string of Big Horn points in the fourth set, crucial to their victory that forced the fifth set.
Hoadley said that everyone fought hard for the final home game and senior night win. “It’s a big deal to me, and it means a lot. It’s going to be a memory that I carry with me forever.”
She explained that the Big Horns found their groove again in the fourth set. “All it takes is one play, one good save to bring everybody’s energy up. And as soon as everyone’s excited like that: one kill, one pass, one amazing set, that’s all it takes.”
Senior Eva Mitchell won’t be able to make the next two away games and said that the win was a great way to end the regular season.
“It’s been so fun,” Mitchell said. “I’ve been with most of them since like third grade. So it was super fun to play with them throughout this whole time.”
Before the game started on Saturday, coaches, teammates and families honored the LPHS volleyball seniors with brief speeches and flowers.
Farr was the first to be honored. The senior is undecided on college and studies, and Haas shared some words about her teammate. “She’s always encouraging everyone on the team to get to know each other and be proud of each other … Overall,
Aubrey has been a fantastic all-around teammate and the best-ever partner I could ask for. I’m going to miss my white jersey next year.”
Applause sounded for senior Libby Coltea next. Coltea would like to study pre-med and is excited about where the future will take her. Turner spoke about her teammate and friend. “Libby has been the heart and soul of our volleyball team since she moved here last year, bringing unmatched energy and enthusiasm to every game and practice,” Turner said. “Even outside of volleyball, Libby is an incredible friend.”
Mitchell was next to be recognized and Graham spoke about the senior. “You are such an amazing teammate and have been the most supportive girl on the team throughout everything. We love you so much and I’m so excited to see where you go in life over the next year,” Graham said.
Malinowski walked out to cheers and her teammate and friend, junior Carla Mansilla, shared some words to celebrate her. “As a team captain, she leads with passion and encouragement. When we are winning, she is ecstatic. And when we are losing, she finds a way to motivate us to play better,” Mansilla said. “Addy, your kindness and beast skills at sports will take you so far.”
Lastly, Hoadley walked out with her family. Hoadley will play volleyball at Rocky Mountain College next year and sophomore Penelope Brooke noted her leadership skills. “Claire is an amazing volleyball player as well as a huge inspiration. She always finds a way to help people, especially the younger girls, with improving their skills … She is such an important contribution to the team and we will miss her a ton next year,” Brooke said.
And with speeches done, the seniors began their last regular season match on their home court, enthralling the Big Sky crowd with a victory.
The Big Horns girls celebrate winning their match against Manhattan in the fifth set.
PHOTO BY JEN CLANCEY
The Big Horns warm up on their home court before senior night. PHOTO BY JEN CLANCEY
SOCCER: WHITEFISH KNOCKS OFF LONE PEAK IN CLASS A QUARTERFINAL
BY JACK REANEY
BIG SKY—For the second consecutive year, Whitefish High School eliminated Lone Peak High School in the Montana Class A boys soccer tournament.
Last year, the Big Horns traveled to Whitefish for the state semifinal. This year, the Bulldogs visited Big Sky on Oct. 19 for the quarterfinal round to defend their 2023 state championship.
“The boys just rallied together,” Whitefish head coach Eric Sawtelle told EBS after the game. He credited senior Logan Bingham for a “fantastic” job keeping the midfield organized. Sawtelle said in a playoff game, things can get physical and chippy, but the Bulldogs did a good job staying patient.
“And really, just had the competitive spirit to win 50/50 balls and focus on some of the basics of the game,” Sawtelle said.
Lone Peak head coach Tony Coppola said the Big Horns played with grit and responded well to the Bulldogs’ physicality. He saw strong leadership from his players. “We just couldn’t get it in the net,” Coppola said.
The Bulldogs dominated possession for most of the game, but junior keeper Oliver McGuire kept the score close, with about a dozen high-leverage saves. Senior captain Cameron Pecunies added a handful of tackles to stop Whitefish threats.
The game remained tied for most of the first half, which paused halfway due to a lower-leg injury to Whitefish player Jack Grant. With no athletic trainer or ambulance present, the injury turned into an extended delay until Big Sky Fire Department personnel arrived to provide medical transport. After roughly 30 minutes receiving care on the turf, Grant was carried onto an on-field ambulance and gave a thumbs up, hearing applause.
After the delay, the intensity and physicality picked up. Each team earned a yellow card before halftime, in addition to other penalties which created scoring chances for both teams during stoppage time.
First, a free kick by Lone Peak senior Finn McRae rang off the left post. After the Bulldogs regained possession, Whitefish junior Kyler Johnson volleyed a free kick from junior Rowan Perkins for the game’s first goal.
Halftime was shortly called, with the Bulldogs leading 1-0.
The Bulldogs continued to control possession in the second half, narrowly missing numerous scoring chances in the offensive zone. Lone Peak head coach Tony Coppola said the Big Horns employed a new defensive strategy, and it seemed to limit the damage from a strong opponent, but the Bulldogs were difficult to contain.
“They were a lot bigger, a lot faster… They were offensive-minded, and they executed,” Coppola said. “… Hats off to Oliver, again, he kept us in the game.”
In the game’s 50th minute, Whitefish senior Preston McPhearson received a goal kick and beat McGuire for a breakaway score, giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.
Trailing by two, the Big Horns began applying pressure.
Sophomore Sid Morris nearly got his head on a soaring free kick, and senior Arlo Hurlbut sent a cross to junior Brady Johnson, but it was stopped by the Bulldog keeper.
With 11 minutes and 30 seconds remaining, sophomore Dudley Davis lined up for a penalty kick. Davis’s initial shot was kick-saved, but he collected and deposited the rebound for a Big Horn goal.
As the clock ticked away, Whitefish earned a yellow card, and Davis earned a red card, removing him from the game with five minutes on the clock.
Even playing shorthanded, McGuire and the Big Horns fended off the Bulldogs. On attack, Brady Johnson sent a cross airborne to the foot of Sid Morris, but Morris couldn’t get his volley on target
Instead of a potential game-tying goal entering stoppage time, Whitefish responded seconds later to add a third goal. The score remained 3-1 until the final whistle.
“I thought we played one of our best games, and we created a lot of chances,” Hurlbut said after the game.
“The boys showed a lot of heart, and they played big. That’s what we asked them to do today,” coach Coppola said. “[Whitefish is] always good, it’s never an easy game. So we came in there pretty optimistic, and I felt like we played really well. It just wasn’t enough.”
McRae said Whitefish is a formidable opponent, but this year the Big Horns saw opportunity for an upset—knowing they failed to finish their chances added to the frustration of the loss. Hurlbut and McRae agree the team left it all out on the field, but the loss is a bittersweet end to their high school careers.
As for the future, Hurlbut and McRae believe in the future of their team.
“I think they’ll lock it down,” Hurlbut said.
‘Keep your heads up’
Entering the season, coaches Coppola and Jeremy Harder recognized the Big Horns would need a team effort. Through the season, Coppola said it clicked.
“I was really proud of them, I’m really proud of the growth, and everything I saw this season was good,” Coppola said. He added it’s time to look forward to 2025, and to see who will step up to fill seniors’ leadership roles.
Coppola said his postgame message to the team is that the Big Sky community is behind them, even after a painful and frustrating loss.
“Keep your heads up,” Coppola said. “We win with class, we lose with class, and I’m proud of them regardless of the score… We didn’t leave anything on the field today, that was very apparent. So we just move on.”
PHOTO BY JACK REANEY
Seniors Finn McRae (Lone Peak) and Preston McPhearson (Whitefish) battle for possession. PHOTO
BY JACK REANEY
LOCAL EXPERTS REPAIR HOUSEHOLD ITEMS AT BELGRADE FIX-IT CLINIC REGIONAL
BY JEN CLANCEY
BELGRADE—Mike Kreikemeier had been working on a small space heater for five to 10 minutes before he found the culprit. Fuzz particles had caused the heater to detect high temperatures, and thus immediately shut off power to prevent fire.
“Yeah, we got it,” Kreikemeier said, clearing the filtration with a tiny screwdriver. He’s lived in Montana for 30 years, and said he got his miscellaneous mechanical repair skills from farming. Kreikemeier, seated at a table in the corner of the Belgrade Community Library’s upstairs room, is among a group of volunteers who offered their expertise to fix any small household items at the fifth annual Belgrade FixIt Repair Clinic.
On Oct. 11, the Gallatin Solid Waste Management District partnered with the library to divert repairable items from the Logan Landfill. From 3 to 6 p.m., people carried small dressers, record players, bikes and muck boots up the stairs and were pointed to the best person for the repair job, all for free. An Oct. 8 press release described the event’s impact, which in years past has transformed 3,000 pounds of potential trash into workable items again.
Patty Howard, the recycling and outreach coordinator with GSWMD, described the event as a way to reduce waste and reuse items. She’s found that people who don’t have the knowledge or money to get repairs will bring in items ranging from coffee makers to family heirlooms.
“ This just gives folks another way to keep the things that they love going,” Howard said. Just one hour into the clinic, volunteers had already worked on 31 items.
In another corner, Kara Gratzek has set up a bike
repair station, surrounded by an assortment of tools and a repair stand.
“When it comes down to it, bike tools are pretty darn specialized,” Gratzek said. She volunteered on behalf of the Bozeman Bike Kitchen, a nonprofit that educates bikers and refurbishes bicycles, as well as promoting safe cycling for transportation and recreation. Gratzek has been working on bikes for 12 years professionally and expected to complete at least three bike repairs during the clinic.
“I think it’s a great way to keep stuff out of the landfill,” Gratzek added. She remembered a moment last year when a volunteer fixed up a gentleman’s VCR player so a kid could watch his Stargate tape.
Before volunteer Marci Young started inspecting a dresser drawer, she spoke to EBS, reflecting on the clinic. Favors, like fixing up a household item, or exchanging skills with each other, are important, Young explained.
“It’s building a stronger, resilient community,” Young said.
Liz Johnson works with the library and said that the event increases the community’s access to repairs.
“That’s what we’re here for. We’re here to serve the community,” Johnson said of the library.
Chairs lined the front of a volunteer’s station with Belgrade-based Heritage Handyman. Twenty minutes prior, a stained glass lamp shade graced the tabletop and left with its owner. Kristina Bogar waited next to her rocking chair, a mixture of exposed dark wood and parallel slats. The chair belongs to a set that has been in her family for about 25 years, since her late father selected the pieces.
The right leg and curved rocking piece were attached with a rainbow of rubber bands. In a room full of menders, the chair was in good hands.
Kristina Bogar and her chair.
PHOTO BY JEN CLANCEY
Kara Gratzek works on a bike. PHOTO BY JEN CLANCEYara Gratzek works on a bike.
PHOTO BY JEN CLANCEY
Marci Young troubleshoots a dresser drawer. PHOTO BY JEN CLANCEY
Mike Kreikemeier working on a small space heater at his station in the Belgrade Community Library. PHOTO BY JEN CLANCEY
QUEEN OF THE TETONS RANGERS, BIOLOGISTS, PHOTOGRAPHERS MOURN THE DEATH OF GRIZZLY 399
BY BENJAMIN ALVA POLLEY
EBS CONTRIBUTOR
On the night of Tuesday, Oct. 22, grizzly 399, known as the matriarch of the northern Rockies, Queen of the Tetons, was fatally struck by a vehicle along Highway 26/89 in the Snake River Canyon.
“I was devastated as many people are, and upset,” filmmaker and photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen told EBS in a phone call. “She was weeks away from going into hibernation.”
399’s yearling cub is unharmed and although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Wyoming Game and Fish haven’t yet located him, they believe he has a strong chance of survival due to age, size and the time of the year.
The tragic news shocked many wildlife lovers, including photographers, filmmakers, park rangers, biologists and tourists. No one was possibly as devastated as Mangelsen, who first discovered 399 and her three cubs eighteen years ago. In the years since, Mangelsen estimates he has photographed and filmed her anywhere from 100 to 150 days a year.
“She had taken up, in a good way, a lot of my life. It’s been a joy to have her in my life,” Mangelsen said. “Now there’s a big hole in my heart. Now, I have less reason to go into the park.”
Throughout her lifetime, the 28-year-old sow mothered 18 cubs, eight of which reached adulthood. She navigated a vast but bustling landscape with many human inhabitants, living around and near roads in Grand Teton National Park. This keen understanding of her surroundings kept her cubs safe from not only nearby traffic but also large male grizzlies.
Frank T. van Manen, supervisory research wildlife biologist for the USGS Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, noted 399’s “intelligence, patience and grace.”
“All attributes that likely allowed her to successfully navigate a landscape with the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem—where the human footprint is relatively high—and not get into major conflicts, which is quite remarkable,” Manen said. “Her offspring were not always successful in this regard, with several involved in human-bear conflicts.”
She was one of the most famous bruins in the world, drawing fans from across the globe to Teton National Park.
“People from around the world have followed grizzly 399 for several decades,” Hilary Cooley, grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, stated in a press release following 399’s death.
Mary Cochenour, senior attorney in Earthjustice’s Northern Rockies Office, hopes that legacy will carry on beyond 399’s tragic end.
“The Queen of the Grand Tetons, also known as grizzly 399, offered people a glimpse into the life of a mother bear who played with her cubs, cared for them, worried over them, just as any mother would her children,” Cochenour wrote in an email to EBS. “She was fierce and loving and her loss is profound. For those of us who call this part of the world our home, we are fortunate to live among these intelligent, complex creatures.”
Wildlife-vehicle collisions are an unfortunate reality in the GYE. Between 2009 and 2023, vehicles have collided with, and killed, 49 grizzlies in the region, about 3.3 grizzlies per year, according to the National Park Service. Two have been killed thus far this year, including 399.
Mangelsen said he pities the driver who hit her, and hopes the public won’t play the blame game. Bears often travel at night, which is always poses a risk to both drivers and animals.
“Grizzly 399 showed us what bears are. They’re not big and scary and human killers. They’re sentient, intelligent, beautiful beings that lead emotional lives,” Mangelsen said. “I saw her and her cubs playing and jumping and wrestling, and the cubs playing with each other, while at other times, they were nurturing and feeding.
“She was an amazing being. They’re no different than us in those behaviors. We don’t understand their language, but they do have emotional lives.”
Grizzly 399 and her cub, Snowy photographed in 2016. PHOTO BY THOMAS D. MANGELSEN
A&E
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
A COMMUNITY STUDY ON ADOLESCENTS, SCREENS AND MENTAL HEALTH
BIG SKY SCHOOL DISTRICT’S MEDIA EDUCATOR LAUNCHES THE BIG SKY COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
BY LESLIE KILGORE
BIG SKY—Ashley Jenks has worked in the Big Sky School District for the past 12 years of her 15-year career as a kindergarten through 12th grade licensed educator. During her tenure with school-aged children at every age and stage of development, she has seen a lot of changes— particularly when it comes to the use of screens and phones in and out of the classroom.
Last school year, when she was teaching history at Ophir Middle School, she read Jonathan Haidt’s new book, “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness,” which has been the subject of many online discussions, book groups, podcasts and parent-teacher organizations across the country since its release last March.
“The distraction of phones in the classroom and all school spaces is a plight that my colleagues and I battled daily,” Jenks said. “I was witnessing the harm that smartphones brought to the educational setting as well as the heartbreaking social and emotional angst experienced by my students. The subtitle of Haidt's book gave promise to addressing a struggle that my teaching peers and I were encountering, and it also implied that our little corner of Montana is not alone in this strife.”
As Jenks continued to see the plummeting effects of phones in the educational environment, and after Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte made a public call in August for Montana schools to adopt phone-free policies, followed by the positive results that many piloting states and schools documented after having gone phone-free, she decided to launch the Big Sky Community Book Club.
Her goal with the book club is to encourage local families, educators and other leaders in the community to further explore the outcomes that school districts across the country have experienced after employing phone-free policies during the school day. Research continues to show that phone bans have increased academic performance and improved mental health issues among students in grades K-12.
Along with the Big Sky-based organization Wellness In Action, which supports Jenks’ efforts to bring this topic to the forefront of the community, Jenks has planned two events in November at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center as an opportunity to create more dialogue about Haidt’s book and research.
“Our launch at WMPAC will be an opportunity to gather and discuss the purpose of the group, engage in dialogue about the latest research on modern childhood and mental health, and learn the scope and communication channels for the book group.
As well as enjoy some information from WIA on our local health services,” Jenks said.
A major concept addressed by Haidt is the need for all families to align and unite on this topic. He writes that supporting one another and building safety and guidance around access to digital content cannot be practiced by only a few. To be successful, it must be a group shift.
“To be clear, technology and learning are a revolutionary advantage that humans are experiencing. Technology allows us new means of communication and efficiency that are beneficially
life-changing,” Jenks said. “However, Haidt's book highlights the nature of a developing adolescent brain and its limitations. Just as we protect our children from other addictive substances, there is now a wave of irrefutable research that deems social media a detriment to adolescent growth and development.”
Jenks mentioned that she has read other books on this topic and one of the most significant issues with anything published about the consequences of a “screen-based childhood” is that there have not been longstanding or large-scale studies documenting the impacts of a digital lifestyle in adults or adolescents.
“The rapid momentum of social media as well as digital advancements has largely happened inside the last two decades,” Jenks said. “That's not very much time for research to demonstrate clear benefit and harm analyses. Haidt's book appears to be one of the first titles to compile scientific evidence that outlines the causation between digital childhoods and a struggling generation of kids.”
As an educator and now a media specialist at the Big Sky Community Library and the Ophir Elementary library, Jenks sees the rapidly increasing distractions that smartphones cause in a learning environment. She also witnesses the effects on appropriate developmental and social growth. However, as a parent herself, she wants to be clear that the objective of the book club is not to be a platform for parent and teacher complaints or biases.
“This is a discussion for all community members to learn, communicate and respond,” Jenks said. “I hope the Big Sky community will gain a sense of unity and collaboration on this topic and others in the future. My goal is to encourage dialogue and facilitate further discussions among parent groups in Big Sky.”
Ashley Jenks’ Big Sky Community Book Club is discussing the outcomes of phone-free classrooms across the country. PHOTO COURTESY OF ASHLEY JENKS
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LOCAL FILMMAKER HIGHLIGHTS REALITIES OF BACKCOUNTRY SKIING IN ‘WE
ARE NOT EXPERTS’
MICAH ROBIN CREATIVE HIGHLIGHTS THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH BACKCOUNTRY SKIING, AND HOW THEY’RE OFTEN MORE MEMORABLE THAN THE SKIING ITSELF
BY MARIO CARR
EBS CONTRIBUTOR
BOZEMAN—On Thursday, Oct. 10, outside of the Roly Poly Coffee Co. on Broadway Avenue in Bozeman, local filmmaker Micah Robin hosted a free premiere of his short ski film, “We Are Not Experts.” The event featured beer from MAP Brewing, live music from local band “Signal Fire,” and raffle prizes including Baist Gloves vouchers, Montucky Cold Snacks swag, and two pairs of Volkl skis.
Roughly 200 people, Bridger and Big Sky enthusiasts alike, gathered in the gravel parking lot to watch the 15-minute film projected just after the sun went down. Viewers donned their puffy jackets and beanies, as temperatures dipped below 50 degrees Fahrenheit on the cool autumn evening. The breeze fluttered the projection screen throughout the film, creating a whimsical effect that matched the theme of the night. After the movie, attendees turned around to see the Northern Lights dancing over the Bridger Mountains.
One of the stars of the film, Johnny Egan, had worked with Robin, who grew up in Big Sky, on a bike-to-ski film called “Means to Ascend” that premiered in June 2021. When Egan and Robin set out to create “We Are Not Experts,” they sought to document five different backcountry ski spots in Montana. Like all backcountry skiers, Egan and Robin had lofty goals and ambitions that resulted in only one or two of these five outings actually going to plan. Over the course of the last two winter seasons, the two continued to pursue their goal to document these trips, bringing along a new friend to ski with each time.
“Whether you’re skiing in jeans at some podunk hill in South Carolina or Nebraska, or you’re here skiing Bridger or Big Sky, we’re all doing it for fun and it doesn’t always work out,” Egan said.
Spending time with friends is perhaps one of the greatest highlights of skiing in the eyes of Egan and Robin, and all the other local athletes in the film: Anna Fake, Sam Egan, Chase Samuels, Cole Herdman, Jake Burchmore and Nick Westfall. This ski movie featured zero gnarly Alaskan spines, and a fair amount of crusty turns, but nonetheless the crowd was loving it and left the premiere stoked for the upcoming winter season.
“I’ve had multiple people come up to me after the film saying, ‘You know, I finally felt represented in a ski movie,’” Robin said.
As Robin was editing footage from these seemingly foiled outings, he realized all of the great comedy that he had documented.
“I’ve always loved comedy… And skiing has always been about having fun and making fun of yourself, and never taking yourself too seriously,” he said.
Robin hopes to continue making films in the future that match the energy of “We Are Not Experts,” but isn’t ready to disclose any specific future projects. His 2024 film is now available on YouTube.
Filmmaker Micah Robin speaks before the Bozeman premiere of his new ski film. PHOTO BY MARIO CARR
Cinematic still from “We Are Not Experts.” COURTESY OF MICAH ROBIN CREATIVE
PHOTO BY MARIO CARR
5,997±
BIG SKY EVENTS CALENDAR
Thursday, Oct. 31 – Wednesday, Nov. 13
If your next event falls between Nov. 14 – Nov. 27 please submit it to
THURSDAY, OCT. 31
Prospera Roundtable: cash flow and seasonality Big Sky Medical Center community room, 12 p.m.
Live music: Slasherfest starring Scavenger The Waypoint, 9 p.m.
Live music: Take a Chance and Shane Dee Tips Up, 10 p.m.
FRIDAY, NOV. 1
Live music: Dudley Creek Trio Tips Up, 8 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOV. 2
Comedy night with Steve Gillespie The Waypoint, 7 p.m.
SUNDAY, NOV. 3
St. Joseph Mass Big Sky Chapel, 8 a.m.
All Saints in Big Sky worship Big Sky Chapel, 10 a.m.
Dinner and a movie The Waypoint, 4 p.m.
Big Sky Christian Fellowship worship Big Sky Chapel, 4:30 p.m.
MONDAY, NOV. 4
MSU presidential search forum Norm Asbjornson Hall (Bozeman), 5:15 p.m.
TUESDAY, NOV. 5
Bone Dry Comedy Hour Open Mic Last Best Comedy (Bozeman), 8 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6
Trivia The Waypoint, 7 p.m.
THURSDAY, NOV. 7
Ice Dinosaurs with Dr. Patrick Druckenmiller Museum of the Rockies (Bozeman), 5:30 p.m.
TEDxMontanaStateUniversity
Norm Asbjornson Hall (Bozeman), 6 p.m.
Pecha Kucha Night
The Ellen Theatre, 6:40 p.m.
FRIDAY, NOV. 8
Big Sky Community Theater: Tony n' Tina’s Wedding
Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, 7 p.m.
Live music: Dead Yellers Tips Up, 8 p.m.
Tango Opera Maria de Buenos Aires
Armory Music Hall (Bozeman), 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOV. 9
Big Sky Community Theater: Tony n' Tina’s Wedding
Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, 1 p.m.
Tango Opera Maria de Buenos Aires Armory Music Hall (Bozeman), 7 p.m.
Big Sky Community Theater: Tony n' Tina’s Wedding
Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, 7 p.m.
SUNDAY, NOV. 10
St. Joseph Mass
Big Sky Chapel, 8 a.m.
All Saints in Big Sky worship
Big Sky Chapel, 10 a.m.
Big Sky Christian Fellowship worship
Big Sky Chapel, 4:30 p.m.
Tango Opera Maria de Buenos Aires
Armory Music Hall (Bozeman), 7 p.m.
MONDAY, NOV. 11
Pride for your Gear hosted by Big Sky OUT Montana Ski & Boot (Bozeman), 7 p.m.
TUESDAY, NOV. 12
Chamber of Commerce board meeting 88 Ousel Falls Rd Unit A1, 9 a.m.
Western Roots Country Dancing Tips Up, 7:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 13
Community Art Class: Collaging Arts Council of Big Sky, 6 p.m.
Trivia
The Waypoint, 7 p.m.
FEATURED EVENT:
Big Sky Community Theater: Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 9 at 1 and 7 p.m.
On Friday, Nov 8 and Saturday, Nov. 9, see Big Sky community members in the musical “Tony n' Tina’s Wedding.” The immersive theater experience brings audience members into the story as wedding guests, with support from the Big Sky School District Lunch Ladies. There will be three performances: Friday, Nov 8 at 7 p.m., and Saturday at 1 and 7 p.m.
A LA CARTE HOLDING TIGHT TO TOMATOES DINING
BY RACHEL HERGETT EBS COLUMNIST
Fall is my favorite season. I love watching nature shift its color palette. I love the crunch of leaves underfoot. I love the drastic temperature changes, the first snow dusting the mountains and the sudden urge for hygge—the Danish term for cozy comfort, like curling in front of a fire with a book and a warm beverage.
But there is one part I do not love. With the chill in the air comes the end of our already short mountain growing season, an end to the (sometimes literal) fruits of summer. Mostly, I will miss the tomatoes.
As fall approached this year, I kept hearing a familiar refrain from my mom and stepdad: “come pick tomatoes.” What used to be a large garden in their backyard is overgrown. Grasses have overtaken the soil and returned it to the domain of the dogs. Years ago, a new space was created, tucked against their house in the Bridger foothills and open to the morning sun. They call it the garden. I maintain that a garden holds a variety of plants. The only variety here is in the size and color of the tomatoes grown therein. It is a tomato patch. And for it I am grateful.
We are blessed with a food system that allows for fresh produce year round. I will be able to buy tomatoes in the dead of winter and they will be sufficient… as in mediocre or just fine. But who strives for mediocrity?
To use the phrasing of today’s youth, garden tomatoes “hit different.” The flavor is more robust. The guts have more meat and less water. They are simply tomatoes at their most tomato-ey.
My stepdad starts his tomatoes inside in the spring, babying them with lamps, and carting trays of the starts onto the deck when the sun is out to harden them to life outdoors. When it is time to plant, protective water wells surround them. These are eventually outgrown, as the patch of tomatoes begins to go wild toward the end of summer, producing hundreds upon hundreds of tomatoes—tiny golden cherry tomatoes that provide unmatched bursts of sweetness and larger red tomatoes for slicing.
The tomato patch was still producing in October this year, and my last visit yielded so many tomatoes I had to unload the bowl in the middle of picking because the weight was getting hard to carry. The unmistakable smell of tomato plants, both grassy and spicy, covered me as I tested the ripest looking fruits, seeing if they would fall off in my hand.
When I say the tomato patch produces, I mean it produces. I only picked the tomatoes that were perfectly ripe and ready to eat, knowing more would be ready the next day, and still I had too many tomatoes. Some, I left with my mom, who had plans to make her new favorite tomato recipe—
southern tomato pie. I dropped others off for my cousin in town. I ran an errand and gave some to the clerk behind the counter, going back to the car for more when her excitement at the fresh tomatoes was obvious. And still, I have tomatoes.
I ate all the little cherry tomatoes first. They feel like they are ready to burst when they are ripe, and many do, meaning they don’t keep well. Plus, they are essentially nature’s candy. The rest, I’ve been rationing, doling them out into caprese or Greek salads. But what makes my heart happiest is a classic BLT—bacon, lettuce and tomato with mayo on plain toasted wheat bread. With fresh garden tomatoes, a BLT reminds me of summers of my youth and visiting my grandparents in Billings. They were farm kids and simple folk when it came to food. So much of what we ate came from their prodigious garden. And sometimes, when it was too hot to cook, grandma would announce that BLTs would have to suffice for dinner.
Then, I don’t think I would have written an ode to tomatoes, preferring green beans, carrots and cucumbers from the garden. However, time and memory change our experiences and our taste buds. Biting into a BLT now and letting the sweetness of the garden tomato mingle with the salty bacon leads to a wave of nostalgia. It reminds me to take joy in the simplicity, to enjoy each garden tomato— as long as they last.
Rachel Hergett is a foodie and cook from Montana. She is arts editor emeritus at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle and has written for publications such as Food Network
Magazine and Montana Quarterly. Rachel is also the host of the Magic Monday Show on KGLT-FM and teaches at Montana State University.
PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT
PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT
BUSINESS
THE BIG SKY WAY: TO INFINITY AND BEYOND WHY RENEWING BIG SKY’S
RESORT TAX IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR FUTURE
BY DANIEL BIERSCHWALE EBS COLUMNIST
When I think of the future, Buzz Lightyear’s famous catchphrase, “To infinity and beyond!” comes to mind. While the Big Sky resort tax doesn’t reach infinity, its extension is vital for our community’s future. For over 30 years, this tax has shaped Big Sky, funding critical infrastructure, services, and community projects. To continue building a vibrant and resilient community, renewing and extending the resort tax is essential.
The resort tax was introduced in response to the strain tourists placed on local infrastructure and emergency services. First implemented in 1992, it was designed to relieve property taxes by ensuring that visitors contribute to funding essential infrastructure and services. Recognizing its importance, the community voted to extend the tax through 2032, and in 2020, to enact an additional 1% tax for infrastructure, bringing the total tax to 4%.
Today, the Big Sky Resort Area District administers this 4% resort tax, only collected on the sale of luxury goods and services such as lodging, retail and dining. Of this, 3% is allocated for grants to government and nonprofit organizations, and 1% is reserved for voter-approved infrastructure projects. This model has served us well by supporting key priorities for many years, but the need for a longterm funding solution has become pressing as our community continues to grow.
‘It’s important to emphasize that extending this tax and utilizing bonding will not result in additional costs for taxpayers.’
The resort tax is a powerful tool because 100% of collections are reinvested directly into our community. Other state taxes, such as lodging tax, only invest a small portion in Big Sky. The resort tax has funded essential infrastructure and
local projects, from the Big Sky Fire Department training facility to the Water Resource Recovery Facility—check out the FY24 Impact Report for the important ways resort tax benefits our community.
Without resort tax dollars, these projects would have put a significant financial burden on local residents, if they were able to be completed at all.
As Big Sky grows, so does the pressure on our infrastructure. The Big Sky Capital Improvement Plan has identified infrastructure deficiencies, including housing shortages, water and wastewater management, transportation and emergency services. While the resort tax has funded many projects in the past, community needs outpace collections. BSRAD will continue to explore various public and private funding sources to supplementally finance projects outlined in the CIP, but will also look to maximize resort tax investments.
One way to leverage these dollars is through bonding.
Currently, the resort tax is set to expire in 2032, limiting our capacity to undertake long-term projects that require ongoing funding. This deadline may seem far off, but many large-scale capital improvements need a longer timeline for attaining financing.
To understand how bonding works, think of it like a mortgage. Instead of paying for a house upfront, we borrow money and repay it over time, allowing us to enjoy the benefits of homeownership now while making manageable payments. The same concept applies to resort tax bonding. We can borrow against future tax revenue to fund major projects now, accelerating infrastructure development and avoiding rising construction costs. Bonding allows us to invest in large projects that require significant upfront capital by spreading payments over time, making them more manageable and aligned with Big Sky’s growth.
However, without extending the resort tax beyond 2032, our bonding capacity is limited. The
upcoming expiration restricts the length of the bonds we qualify for (term), reducing the ability to finance costly projects. The difference between an eight-year, 20-year or 30-year horizon is significant. Renewing and extending the resort tax provides the financial flexibility we need to secure longterm bonds, giving us the tools to tackle large-scale infrastructure projects that will shape our future.
BSRAD is currently vetting projects outlined in the CIP based on community needs, feasibility and long-term impact. Once these projects are prioritized, bonding resort tax collections will be essential for funding them. Without an extension, our capacity to move forward on these projects will be severely limited, and delaying would lead to higher construction costs, increasing the overall cost of each project.
It’s important to emphasize that extending this tax and utilizing bonding will not result in additional costs for taxpayers. Instead, this approach focuses on effective management of existing resources. The 4% tax will be collected regardless; now it will simply be allocated more strategically.
The resort tax is vital to our community, allowing visitors to help fund our critical infrastructure. Renewing the resort tax is essential for building a resilient, sustainable future. It enables us to bond against future revenue, accelerating key projects and ensuring Big Sky thrives for generations to come.
Buzz Lightyear’s rallying cry reminds us that while we may not reach infinity, we can extend our impact well into the future. Renewing the resort tax is the Big Sky way forward, ensuring our community remains able to meet upcoming challenges— and beyond.
Daniel Bierschwale is the Executive Director of the Big Sky Resort Area District (BSRAD). As a dedicated public servant, he is committed to increasing civic engagement and voter education. Many ballot issues impact government services and public funding including subsequent property tax impacts. BSRAD is the local government agency that administers Resort Tax, which offsets property taxes while also funding numerous community-wide nonprofit programs.
Resort tax revenues support community resources including WMPAC and the Big Sky School District. COURTESY OF BSRAD
PRAIRIE POPULISM IN ACTION: THE REGIONAL HOUSING COALITION’S COLLABORATIVE APPROACH
PRAIRIE POPULISM IN ACTION: THE REGIONAL HOUSING COALITION’S COLLABORATIVE APPROACH
BY MARK BOND GUEST COLUMNIST
Since Montana first became a state, there has been a strong sense of what is commonly known as “prairie populism.” The idea is simple: to solve issues, we have to rely on each other and work together. When your neighbor is stuck in a ditch, you pull them out because you don’t know when the next vehicle will pass by. In Gallatin County, this idea is alive and well, and it’s being harnessed by One Valley Community Foundation to address one of our region’s most pressing challenges: the accessibility of stable, attainable housing for our communities’ residents. This initiative is called the Regional Housing Coalition.
Last month, housing leaders from across Gallatin County came together for a day of collaboration and problem-solving at a Regional Housing Coalition meeting in Big Sky. At the meeting, the RHC learned about the incredible work being done by the Big Sky Community Housing Trust to build and provide tangible housing options for the people who make our communities thrive. This exchange of information benefits housing practitioners across our region as they work together to find ways to build more affordable housing.
During the meeting, members also formally decided to develop a county-wide housing data dashboard to keep the public informed, created new tools to facilitate the construction of affordable
housing, and finalized a regional strategy to address homelessness. Real work is happening with the RHC, and while you may not have heard of it yet, it isn’t new.
This coalition of our region’s key stakeholders has been active for almost two years, and their collaboration is driving a gradual but profound shift in how we work together to address Gallatin County’s critical housing challenges. Since its inception in January 2023, One Valley Community Foundation has convened the RHC and served as the backbone organization driving this transformational work. By uniting diverse experts and decision-makers—from local and county government leaders to nonprofit community housing trusts, developers, banks, realtors, employers, and more—the RHC ignites collaboration and innovation to tackle the region’s pressing challenges of housing attainability and affordability head-on. This cross-sector convening of groups and people who might never otherwise find themselves in the same room isn’t common these days, but it is essential to finding solutions everyone can support. Our coalition is not just a gathering of minds; it’s a powerhouse of action. Through strategic coordination and alignment, the RHC ensures that all our resources are leveraged and every effort is synchronized toward a common goal: ensuring every resident in Gallatin County has access to stable, attainable housing.
More than two dozen diverse organizations make up the Regional Housing Coalition, which meets four times annually. Each meeting is held in a different part of Gallatin County to ensure that all voices are heard, accountability is shared, and everyone understands that this issue is not
isolated to one municipality or demographic; it impacts all of us. Between the quarterly full coalition meetings, smaller workgroups meet more frequently throughout the year to dig into specific issues like affordable housing, land banking, public communications and education, homelessness and more.
When you’re steering something as big as the RHC, it takes a while to get up to speed, and it doesn’t turn on a dime. But now that the coalition has gained momentum, we’re making progress and focusing on what matters most: the people who make up our vibrant communities throughout Gallatin County.
This isn’t just my opinion, though. The people in the room at RHC meetings are the ones most responsible for housing in our region, and they’re seeing huge benefits.
David O’Connor, executive director of the Big Sky Community Housing Trust, put it well.
“There are so many incredible minds in the room at the Regional Housing Coalition meetings that I know I could pick any one person’s brain for a whole day. I walk away from every single meeting feeling better at my job.”
Together, we’re not just talking about change— we’re making it happen.
Mark Bond is the Community Engagement Manager for One Valley Community Foundation. For more information about the Regional Housing Coalition, visit onevalley.org/regionalhousing.
Big Sky’s RiverView Apartments are an example of housing solutions gaining steam in Gallatin County. COURTESY OF ONE VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
BUSINESS
GALLATIN COUNTY COMMISSION URGES VOTER PARTICIPATION FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT STUDY
BY SCOTT MACFARLANE, JENNIFER BOYER AND ZACH BROWN
COLUMNISTS
Thank you for supporting the creation of Gallatin County’s local government study commission. This once-in-a-decade opportunity allows us to evaluate and potentially improve how our county government serves the community. The last time our government structure was updated was in 1994, when Gallatin County had a population of
just 32,000. Today, with over 124,000 residents, it’s essential to ensure that our government is wellequipped to meet the needs of a much larger and rapidly growing population.
This November, you’ll find 22 nonpartisan candidates on your ballot who have stepped up to serve on this important commission. We are deeply grateful for their willingness to contribute their insights and expertise. You will be asked to vote for seven candidates. Those elected will spend about a year and a half evaluating our county government and proposing recommendations for improvement.
The study commission has the authority to recommend changes in the structure, powers, duties, and limitations of various governmental offices. This may include reviewing whether certain offices should have term limits or whether our county elections should remain partisan. However, the commission cannot propose changes that conflict with state law, remove current officeholders, or modify taxes or fees.
Ultimately, any recommendations made by the commission will be put before the voters in 2026, giving the public the final say on any potential reforms.
The Gallatin County Commission believes that diverse backgrounds and professional experiences are essential for a well-rounded discussion on how best to improve our government. Candidates who demonstrate curiosity, problem-solving skills, and a collaborative spirit will be key to fostering constructive and productive discussions.
Because this election doesn’t follow the typical format of candidate forums, websites, and yard signs, some of the names on your ballot may be unfamiliar. However, we encourage you to review the candidate profiles recently published by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle and Explore Big Sky, and carefully consider the skills, motivations, and perspectives each candidate would bring to the study commission.
STACY OSSORIO
ENVIRONMENT
FALL ELK MIGRATION: A CALL FOR CONNECTED LANDSCAPES
CENTER FOR LARGE LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION
As the crisp air of autumn sweeps across the Gallatin Valley landscape, a timeless ritual begins to unfold: the fall migration of thousands of elk across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Each fall, herds move from higher-elevation summer ranges in Yellowstone National Park and surrounding areas to lower-elevation valleys, driven by food availability and the need to escape harsh winter conditions. They traverse vast distances—sometimes up to 60 or 70 miles—through the Gallatin and Madison ranges along routes followed for at least centuries, and probably much longer. Even resident herds are on the move this time of year, spurred by mating, the presence of hunters and more.
“The connections within and between high elevation areas and surrounding valleys are critical for regional elk,” said wildlife biologist Julie Cunningham of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. “Maintaining landscape connections is important for the long-term conservation of elk populations.”
Seasonal migration and movement are not only iconic Montana events but also vital ecological processes. As elk move, they play a role in shaping plant communities by grazing and dispersing seeds. Further, their movement influences predators like wolves and bears, which rely on them as a food source. In these ways, elk movement helps to sustain local ecosystems.
As cities and towns expand into traditional elk habitats, it becomes harder for animals to maintain
movement patterns. Today, rapid development in the Northern Rockies, including housing subdivisions, roads and fences, is fragmenting the landscape. Increased traffic poses a particular danger, with high-volume roads serving as physical barriers and leading to more collisions, killing elk and sometimes people, too. Fences further disrupt movement, trapping elk or forcing alternate and often more perilous routes.
One of the most visible herds in the Gallatin Valley spends time south of Gallatin Gateway. While the herd is being studied to learn about its movement patterns, expanding human activity serves to increase the challenge of accessing habitat patches.
“The south Bozeman elk herd is valued by the general public who would like to see this herd be able to safely use its remaining habitat,” said Cunningham.
Conservation organizations work to protect connections between habitat areas through activities such as securing conservation easements, conserving wildlife corridors, promoting wildlife-friendly fencing, and supporting the building of wildlife crossings along roads. One such organization is the Bozeman-based nonprofit Center for Large Landscape Conservation, which works to ensure that wildlife can move freely across large landscapes.
“More traffic on roads means they can become a true barrier for wildlife, keeping them from accessing habitat,” said CLLC Road Ecologist Liz Fairbank, lead author of a study of wildlife and
transportation on U.S. Highway 191 and Montana Highway 64 (Lone Mountain Trail) from Four Corners to West Yellowstone.
With the involvement of public agencies such as FWP and the Montana Department of Transportation, CLLC and Montana State University’s Western Transportation Institute identified 11 priority sites along the two roads where wildlife crossings can reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and reconnect habitat.
This past September, MDT applied for a federal grant for a $26 million wildlife crossing project to enable wildlife to pass safely over and beneath US191 south of Gallatin Gateway. The organization and community partners helped to move the project from concept to proposal through an engineering feasibility study and pledges to cover required, nonfederal matching funds.
"We really need collaborative conservation," said Fairbank. “Solutions for wildlife and people become possible when communities, agencies, and nonprofits work together.”
Fall elk migration and movement are key ecological processes that connect landscapes and sustain wildlife populations across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Maintaining ecological connectivity for wildlife is one way to ensure that iconic elk and other species can continue to thrive in the face of growing challenges, preserving the wildlife heritage of this remarkable landscape for generations to come.
A bugling elk. PHOTO BY HOLLY PIPPEL
GNFAC: THE FIRST FLAKES OF WINTER DON’T FLAKE OUT ON PREPPING
AVALANCHE EQUIPMENT FOR THE SEASON
DAVE ZINN EBS COLUMNIST
The first flakes of snow swirling through the sky unlock a deep excitement for the coming winter and prompt a wild scramble to uncover winter gear. For some, this first snow means seeking areas with (arguably) enough coverage to ski or ride and to make the first turns of the new season. Before succumbing to the pull of freshly covered hills, take the time to ensure your avalanche rescue equipment is functioning as intended and review fundamental avalanche rescues skills. Remember the adage, “If there is enough snow to ride, there is enough snow to slide.”
Each person riding in and around steep snowcovered terrain should have three primary pieces of rescue equipment every time out: an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe. An avalanche airbag pack or vest is an excellent addition to these three essentials. Familiarity with your equipment’s effective use is critically important in the case of an accident.
As we pull gear from closets and bins, remember that batteries don’t replace themselves and equipment left broken and worn when the snow melted last spring did not magically repair itself during the summer. Here are the checks to perform before heading out this season.
Three-antenna digital avalanche beacon:
• Replace batteries and confirm that contacts are in good condition
• Ensure the battery power registers near or at 100% and all buttons, dials and switches operate as intended
• Confirm your transceiver functions by performing a practice search
Metal avalanche shovel:
• Inspect the blade and handle for wear and cracking
• Assemble and test the shovel making sure it operates smoothly
• If necessary, file the cutting edge of the blade smooth, so it doesn’t tear up your pack
Avalanche probe:
• Inspect the tensioning cable for fraying and damage
• Assess the locking mechanism
• Assemble the probe
Avalanche airbag:
• Check canister pressure or battery charge (now and before each day’s use)
• Charge or refill canister as needed
• Confirm the assembly
• Perform a test deployment (recharge cannister or battery afterwards)
Confirming that essential avalanche safety equipment is organized and in working order is the first step in your pre-season preparation.
The skills taught in avalanche classes are perishable without practice, melting away with the transition to summer. Gather backcountry partners in the backyard, time your transitions from having your gear in packs to “ready-to-rescue,” hide transmitting beacons around the yard, and perform searches. Additionally, sharpen skills by looking through online avalanche education tools and attending an avalanche class or two this winter. Visit mtavalanche.com/education_calendar for a list of classes in southwest Montana run by the Friend of the Avalanche Center and other regional providers. Decide to get yourself and your crew into an avalanche safety mindset this year.
The snow will fly soon, and we will embark on a fantastic winter of recreation in the mountains. We want everyone to come home from their adventures. Start by performing these simple checks and practicing essential skills. All season, find relevant avalanche information and forecasts from the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center at mtavalanche.com
Dave Zinn is an avalanche forecaster with the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GNFAC
DISPATCHES FROM THE WILD BEAR SPRAY WORKS BETTER THAN PISTOLS
THE TRAGIC YET AVOIDABLE REALITY OF GRIZZLIES BEING KILLED DURING HUNTING SEASON
BY BENJAMIN ALVA POLLEY EBS COLUMNIST
Each year, about this time, we bowhunters head out to the woods and mountains, some searching for food to put in the freezer, while others want trophies to hang on the walls. Bowhunters and other hunters have the most significant risk of bear encounters. We go out when bears are in hyperphagia, trying to put on as many calories as possible before six months without eating. We are trying to fool an elk, deer or moose. We dress like the woods in camouflage, silently stalk and sneak through the brush, and try to be silent except bugling or imitating a bull or cow elk in heat or rattling antlers. We might even smell like an elk or deer if we are using scent to mask our own.
At least a few times yearly, a bowhunter or a rifle hunter shoots a grizzly because they thought the bear was charging them when in fact, it was a bluff charge, a warning by the bear. Last year, more than a half dozen bears were killed “in defense” by hunters and anglers with pistols.
“People who carry a pistol have to shoot,” said Tim Thier, a former bear biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who studied bears for 27 years. “So, now you have a wounded bear, and you’ve increased your chances of getting chewed on. A pistol doesn’t pack much power. If you have time to shoot a bear multiple times with a pistol, the bear probably wasn’t coming after you to begin with. You had time to pull out your pepper spray.”
Frequently, the bear is either wounded, maimed or killed. If it has cubs, they become orphaned, most likely captured and taken to a zoo, or if left on their own, will possibly die from malnourishment or be killed by predators. If fate has it that they survive, they most likely will get into trouble because they didn’t have their mother’s guidance to raise them to full maturity teaching them the grizzly culture: what to eat, where to den, where to go to stay out of trouble with the two-leggeds or where to find food when the berry crop fails. It becomes a cascading effect of the cubs getting into more trouble in the future.
When a bear is injured, it increases the likelihood that a hunter or another person will be injured, putting agency folks in danger.
“Having worked for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, I was involved numerous times where people got bluff charged by a bear and they shot and wounded it, and then we’re supposed to track it down and kill it,” Thier said. “We’re risking our lives trying to find the damn thing.”
He never had to do that with a bear sprayed with pepper spray.
Given the proven effectiveness of bear spray over pistols, which is 98% of the time, the question arises: why don’t more hunters carry and use bear spray instead of a gun in self-defense?
“I think many bowhunters and other hunters prefer to carry and use a firearm instead of bear spray because they believe bear spray isn’t effective as a defense against a grizzly bear,” said Tim Manley, former FWP
grizzly bear biologist for 37 years. People often told him that they didn’t carry or trust using bear spray because of the wind.
“Bear spray comes out of the can at about 75 mph. It was developed to be used at close range and to form a cloud so that you didn’t have to be accurate when deploying,” Manley said. “If the wind is blowing in your direction, you will get some blowback, but unless it is a gale-force wind, the spray will reach a bear that is close and will have an effect.”
Understanding bear behavior and taking preventive measures is critical. It’s disheartening to see these unfortunate events glorified—in some circles, shooting a bear is viewed as a display of power. With the right knowledge and tools, the vast majority of bear encounters could be avoided.
“It’s like these people that shoot bears with pistols are treated as heroes,” Thier said. “And I’m like, what the sh**! I’m tired of this nonsense.”
Valor shouldn’t be freely doled out to someone who shoots and kills a creature that was surprised by the shooter sneaking around in the forest, mimicking another animal. That is the sole purpose of a hunter’s biomimicry of the animal we stalk. So, why should we be alarmed when we surprise a bear?
“The vast majority of charges are bluff charges,” Thier said. “They’re trying to tell you to back off. If you carry pepper spray, you can create a barrier between you and the bear. In most cases, you can back out and be just fine, as the bear will likely retreat once it encounters the pepper spray, effectively deterring a potential attack.”
So, what is a bear to do?
Behavior to expect from bears
According to a scientific paper by lead author Kerry Gunther, bear management biologist for Yellowstone National Park, bears have many different ways of showing agitation. Warning behavior toward people includes blowing, hop-charging, huffing, teethclacking, paw-slap lunging, woofing, or charging without contact where they veer off at the last minute—which I have had bears do to me. In these situations, the bear comes at you with its head up, ears up, stiff-legged, telling you to back off. These behaviors are warning signs that the person should leave the area. When bears stand up, it is usually a sign that they are trying to gauge the situation and see if what they heard or smelled is a threat.
An actual bear attack is an incident where grizzly or black bears will have their heads down low, their ears laid back and directly come into physical contact with humans, including fatal or non-fatal.
A bear encounter is when people observe bears or the bear observes them but are unaware of each other. A bear-human encounter is when both are mutually aware of each other.
Curious behavior is when a bear approaches or follows people they have encountered. Flight behavior is where bears run off or walk away. Neutral behavior is when bears don’t react at all to humans but go about their business.
If people act confident, bears tend to leave us alone. Most of these behaviors are just warnings and don’t warrant being shot.
Grizzly densities and other stats
How come Glacier National Park, which has the highest density of grizzlies in the Lower 48, doesn’t have more bear attacks? It gets 3 million visitors a year from all over the world, many of whom don’t know a thing about bears, and still there are very few bear incidents. Sure, there were two injuries this year, but not severe. Since 1910, Glacier has had only ten bearcaused human fatalities.
According to the Public Affairs Office, Yellowstone had 4.5 million visitors in 2023, with only two bear-caused injuries in the last five years. From 1872 to 2023, YNP had only seven bear-caused human fatalities. The chance of being attacked in Yellowstone is 1 in 2.7 million visits, highlighting the rarity of bear attacks.
Tourists are rarely mauled in these two highly visited national parks, which have a high density of bears, because of one reason: people carry bear spray.
Manley told me via email that he strongly recommends bowhunters, bird hunters, rifle hunters, anglers, hikers, campers, or other recreationists to carry and know how to use bear spray.
Unfortunately, in most incidents where bear spray has been used to deter grizzly, those incidents don’t get reported or made into the media because people aren’t injured, and the bear isn’t wounded or killed.
“I know of two cases where the grizzly was actually on the person, and they were able to spray the bear in the face, and it left,” Manley said. While working with coworkers at FWP, he often told them not to shoot if a bear got on him but to use bear spray. “Why? Because I know of two instances where the hunting partners shot at the grizzly on their hunting partner. The autopsies of the dead hunters revealed they had actually shot and killed their partners while they were trying to kill the bear.”
Thier agrees, that there’s a safer tool during a bear attack. “Pistols aren’t the answer, and bear spray has been proven to work.”
Benjamin Alva Polley is a place-based storyteller. His stories have been published in Audubon, Esquire, Field & Stream, The Guardian, Outside, Popular Science, Sierra, and other publications on his website. He holds a master’s in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism from the University of Montana.
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BEAR SPRAY’S PROVEN EDGE: EFFECTIVE, NON-LETHAL SAFETY IN THE WILD
BY TAYLOR OWENS
Bear spray has become a cornerstone of safety in bear country, providing an effective, nonlethal means to deter bear aggression. Studies, including those published in the Journal of Wildlife Management, show that bear spray deters aggressive behavior in brown bears 92% of the time and is similarly effective against black bears (90%). This high success rate makes bear spray more reliable than firearms, a method that requires precise skill in stressful encounters. Bear spray creates an intense burning sensation in a bear’s eyes, nose, and throat. The temporary but immediate discomfort prompts bears to retreat and minimizes potential harm to both humans and animals. In contrast, firearms, which were traditionally relied upon for bear encounters, have been shown to be less effective and more dangerous. An analysis of firearm use in bear encounters from 1883 to 2009 revealed that firearms stopped aggressive bears only 67% of the time.
Firearm use often results in fatal outcomes for bears, which conflicts with conservation goals. Studies in Alaska have demonstrated that bear spray allows for safe human-bear encounters
without the frequent injuries or bear fatalities associated with firearms. Bear spray is the preferred option for people venturing into bear habitats as bear populations grow.
Environmental factors such as temperature and wind, however, can impact the performance of bear spray. Tom Smith’s research with Brigham Young University examined these conditions, finding that cold temperatures slightly reduce spray dispersal, but that bear spray remains effective even at minus 23 degrees Celsius with a reach of over four meters. For optimal effectiveness, experts recommend storing bear spray close to the body in extreme cold and keeping it accessible for immediate use
Even in breezy weather, simulations show that bear spray reached targets within two meters, maintaining its deterrent capability under strong headwinds or crosswinds. Despite its reliability, some users worry that wind-driven spray will drift back towards them. A 2010 study addressed these fears—researchers found that while wind did affect the trajectory of the spray plume in a few cases, it rarely incapacitated users and still reached bears effectively in all instances. This resilience under varied conditions has solidified bear spray’s place
as a recommended safety tool, especially for hikers, campers, hunters, and those recreating in bear country
Bear spray not only supports human safety but also plays a vital role in conservation by reducing lethal encounters. The increasing use of bear spray has correlated with a decrease in defense-related bear shootings; bear spray has the potential to reduce bear mortalities in defense-of-life scenarios. This life-saving benefit aligns with the overall goal of managing human-bear conflicts in a way that fosters coexistence, helping sustain healthy bear populations and reduce negative impacts on their ecosystems
Bear spray remains the recommended deterrent in bear habitats for its well-supported efficacy, accessibility, and non-lethal approach. Wildlife safety experts advise practicing with inert canisters to improve response time and carrying bear spray in an accessible holster, such as a bear belt, or pocket for rapid deployment. As more people engage with wilderness areas, carrying bear spray serves as a proactive, responsible choice for enjoying bear country safely while minimizing risks for both humans and bears.
PHOTO BY TAYLOR OWENS
American Bison // Bison bison
HEALTH
LET’S TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH: THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP
BY ROBERT MCCORMICK GUEST COLUMNIST
When I think of what it means to be human, this quote from Viktor E. Frankl resonates: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
The “space” that Frankl is referring to is liquid gold and takes on many different forms: kindness, calmness, generosity, patience and empathy. It is the grease in the wheels of society. There are millions of everyday simple human interactions where “space” makes all the difference. It could be a critical conversation with a coworker on addiction struggle or as simple as a friendly Montana wave as a stranger drives by on a narrow country road.
Despite the vast physical space surrounding Big Sky, it can be challenging to consistently cultivate our mental and emotional space. We are still connected to the world at large, being inundated with instant messaging, 24-hour breaking news and an endless number of notifications that keep us on constant alert. Add in the pressures of adulting: housing, finances, raising kids, politics, work, staying healthy and eating right, and it often feels like we can barely keep our heads above water.
What’s the solution to creating more “space”? How do we do better? In any given self-help book, you’ll find the usual suspects for improving your personal health: Exercise more, meditate daily, express gratitude, spend time in nature, etc.—all of these things can and will help boost your energy and overall wellbeing, but the one thing that trumps them all is getting consistent, quality sleep.
Forming good sleep habits
Matthew Walker, PHD and author of the New York Times bestselling book “Why We Sleep” says it best: “The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep.” Quality sleep is the one thing that makes the biggest influence on our overall physical and emotional health.
What constitutes a good night’s sleep? It varies slightly with age, with most children sleeping nine to 10 hours. Teens require eight to 10 hours of sleep per night, and adults should be sleeping between seven and nine hours a night. Keep in mind, that this is hours of actual sleep per night; lying in bed watching TV or doom scrolling doesn’t count.
Are you getting your eight hours of sleep, but still not feeling like you’re on top of your game? Worse yet, are you giving it everything you’ve got but still coming up short? If you are consistently relying on caffeine to fuel your day, the quality of your sleep is likely to blame. The next step to becoming a sleep savant is set yourself up for consistent, continuous quality sleep.
During the night, we cycle through four stages of sleep. Stage one and stage two are considered light sleep, as our bodies prepare to enter a deeper slumber. Stage three is known as slow-wave sleep, when the body carries out repairs and growth. Finally, stage four or rapid eye movement sleep is when we dream. Each one of these cycles lasts roughly 90 minutes and we cycle through these four stages about four to five times each night. For now, don’t get caught up in the details of each stage of sleeping. Just know that in order to optimize each sleep cycle and wake up feeling energized, consistency and continuity are key.
Quality sleep is a non-negotiable priority for happiness. Like anything worth pursuing, it’s going to take some effort to get there. Think in terms of sleep hygiene. Just like brushing your teeth each day, a good night of quality sleep will have you waking up feeling minty fresh and ready to take on the day.
Simple action steps might look something like this. Maintain a regular sleep schedule. This will take some time and energy to perfect, but it will pay dividends in both the short term and long term. Build your daytime and nighttime routines around your sleep schedule; remember this is a priority—it is more important than anything else. Your family, friends and coworkers will eventually thank you for the work you are doing on yourself.
Create a restful environment. Your bedroom (or wherever you sleep) should be as dark as possible; black out any LED light from electronics, thermostats and phones. In fact, charge your phone in a different room if possible. It will reduce temptation to scroll while you try to get to sleep. Experiment with the air temperature in the room; preferences vary from person to person, but somewhere in the mid-60’s Fahrenheit is ideal.
Avoid a few things before bed. Avoid alcohol altogether when possible, but at the very least stop drinking alcohol at least two to three hours before you go to sleep. Alcohol may get you to fall asleep quickly, but you’ll be less likely to sleep through each sleep stage efficiently. Your REM sleep stage will be affected the most. Avoid screens, especially scrolling through emails, news, and social media. The blue light isn’t helping you fall asleep, but more importantly, the stimulation of all that online content will get your mind racing, making it more difficult to wind down. Lastly, give yourself an hour or two in between your last meal of the day and when you plan to fall asleep.
The impact of a good night’s sleep goes well beyond feeling refreshed each morning. In the short term, sleep helps regulate emotions. Insufficient rest can lead to increased irritability, anxiety and mood swings making it challenging to handle stress effectively. For example, think of those days where everyone in your path is getting under your skin. When you’re in the middle of that, ask yourself: how did I sleep last night? Maybe it’s you, not them.
Stressors are always around us—all day, every day. Feeling overwhelmed? Work on your sleep schedule. Quality sleep supports a healthy stress response. Well-rested individuals are more resilient to stressors, while sleep deprivation can heighten feelings of stress and overwhelm.
In the long term, there is a strong correlation between sleep disturbances and mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. Consistent poor sleep can exacerbate symptoms of these conditions, creating a cycle that can be difficult to break.
Spoiler alert: there will be challenges. Do you work night shift? Do your neighbors party too hard? Maybe your roommate snores too much? Kids can’t sleep, so you can’t sleep? But if you make sleep a priority, you’ll find way to work through these situations. Don’t aim for perfection, aim for progress.
Good sleep hygiene can help anyone become a better human. It is the perfect place to start your wellness journey. Quality sleep is the gateway drug to being comfortable with discomfort. If you’re not 100% sure what to do with yourself right now, then work on your sleep. Pursue becoming the happiest, kindest, most healed, most present, confident version of yourself. We are all on this journey together. We will do better; we will create space for ourselves and everyone we encounter.
To explore the topic in more detail please read Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, by Matthew Walker, PHD.
Robert McCormick is the Culinary Director at the Yellowstone Club. Around the community he volunteers as a Wellness Navigator, leads Holistic Emotional First Aid sessions, and is an active member of the Be Well Big Sky Leadership Council.
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HEALTH BUZZ SPOTLIGHT ON CREATINE SUPPLEMENTATION
BY KALEY BURNS EBS COLUMNIST
Lately, the supplement spotlight has landed on a new powder. Creatine supplements are being widely marketed to add extra power to your exercise performance and muscle gains. However, it’s important to determine if the science matches the hype. As we know, health is highly individual.
If you’re chasing ambitious fitness goals, it’s natural to look at your nutrition and wonder—is there anything I could be doing to give me an extra boost? While we encourage that whole foods always be your first focus to improve your nutrient intake, individualized supplements can make a difference to your performance and recovery. Creatine could be one of them.
Creatine is a naturally-occurring compound and source of energy that helps create a steady supply of energy for your muscles—especially during exercise. While you can get creatine from your diet in meat (especially beef), poultry, fish and eggs; creatine monohydrate powder is the only supplemental form with benefits currently backed by research.
Creatine helps with protein synthesis, which increases growth of lean muscle mass.
There is also evidence that increasing creatine concentration in the brain can support mood, cognitive function and depression, especially in women, and can be particularly helpful during times of stress or sleep deprivation.
Some people might not react very well to taking higher doses, such as if they have an existing kidney problem or enzyme defect that makes digesting protein difficult. Clinically, women tend to do better with lower dosing or cycling their dosing on a 1-2 week stretch.
Studies have found that not every person reacts to this supplement in the same way. Some may experience more results and health improvements, while others deal with creatine side effects like indigestion and fluid retention.
For those who tend to be more sensitive, a micronized creatine monohydrate is a good option, since in this form tends to be easier to dissolve in liquid and potentially easier to digest.
Consuming collagen, and sources of collagen such as bone broth, is also a great way to increase intake of the amino acids that form creatine: arginine and glycine.
If you’re curious about optimizing your nutritional routine or personalizing your supplement regimen, our dietitian and naturopathic physician can help. We recommend you always consult your healthcare provider when adjusting your supplementation routine.
Dr. Kaley Burns is a licensed Naturopathic Physician providing a wide range of services for her clients, including: Naturopathic Medicine, IV Nutrient Therapy, Regenerative Injections, Rejuvenation Therapies, Vitamin Shots, and Nutrition Counseling. She embraces a natural approach to health and aims to similarly inspire and guide others on their health journey.
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$2,600,000 | #388104
$1,750,000 | #389834
$1,600,000 | #380146
TBD TIMBERLOFT DRIVE
Big Sky
40± acre alpine meadow overlooking the Gallatin Canyon, outstanding views of the Spanish Peaks and Lone Mountain. Two adjacent 40± acre properties, designated building sites, end of the road privacy easy all season access. Close to Ophir School and the West Gallatin River.
TBD SKYWOOD ROAD
Big Sky
Enjoy privacy and outstanding views of Lone Peak from this beautiful Skywood Preserve property. Rolling forested hills combined with a grassy alpine meadow complete with a small natural pond create a beautiful 21± acre parcel, just minutes from Town Center or Meadow Village.
TBD LOW DOG ROAD
Big Sky
Ski accessable w/ biking and hiking access to area trails. Convenient to all the services at Big Sky’s Mountain Village. Great access to the Middle Fork of the Gallatin River by taking an established trail from the building site directly to the stream. Property located on the North side of Low Dog Rd.
