GRIZZLY SURVIVAL STORY, SAFETY TIPS FOR BEAR COUNTRY
HISTORIC CLUBS FROM GALLATIN CANYON, MADISON VALLEY HOLD FIRST-EVER MEETING
September 19 - October 2, 2024 Volume 15, Issue No. 19
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@theoutlawpartners.com
SENIOR ACCOUNTANT
Sara Sipe | sara@theoutlawpartners.com
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LEAD
Patrick Mahoney | patrick@theoutlawpartners.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Kaley Burns, Mario Carr, Kurtis Dykema, Robin Fedock, Jacob W. Frank, Rachel Hergett, Thomas D. Mangelsen, Benjamin Alva Polley, Ethan Schumacher, Sara Sipe
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Lone Peak High School junior Brady Johnson (left) and the Big Horn soccer team played its first varsity home games on Sept. 7, tying 4-4 with Bigfork High School. Head Coach Tony Coppola called it a “slug fest” as teams traded goals into the final minutes. The girls fell 3-0, but both teams expressed optimism about the young season.
STATE OFFERS $675 PROPERTY TAX REBATE
Anyone who owned and lived in a Montana residence for at least seven consecutive months in 2023 is eligible for a $675 property tax rebate that must be filed by Oct. 1. This is the second year that the Montana Department of Revenue has offered the tax rebate program, and Gov. Greg Gianforte added a letter to Montanans addressing high property taxes.
PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS INCORPORATION
14 7 11 16 28
The 12th annual Rut Mountain Runs returned to Big Sky Resort, testing runners across many kilometers of rugged terrain. Pictured here, 30-year-old Missoula resident DJ Reinhardt continued to find joy in the struggle of the flagship Rut 50K race, as the ever-popular event was again highlighted by smiles of the accomplished. PHOTO BY ETHAN SCHUMACHER / BIG SKY RESORT
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 Tuesday, Sept. 24, the public can learn more about an ongoing study to explore incorporation and offer thoughts and visions for Big Sky’s future. The public meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. at The Wilson Hotel, providing a “crucial opportunity” to engage with the study—approved and funded in May by the Big Sky Resort Area District.
HISTORIC CLUBS FROM GALLATIN CANYON, MADISON VALLEY HOLD FIRST-EVER MEETING
The Madison Valley Women’s Club formed in 1920 to support women ranchers in the area. The Gallatin Canyon Women’s Club formed for a similar purpose in 1927, and both clubs remain active. Somehow, over the past 100 years, the clubs had never met until this summer, when they came together to celebrate their respective history.
12TH ANNUAL RUT GATHERS ATHLETE COMMUNITY
The Rut Mountain Runs took place from Sept. 13-15, gathering athletes of all ages and abilities to compete in six different courses at Big Sky Resort under the watchful eye of Lone Mountain. Early season snow and chillier temps didn’t deter those aiming for the summit and the 50K even saw new course records, including a new Trifecta record.
GRIZZLY SURVIVAL STORY, SAFETY TIPS FOR BEAR COUNTRY
Nate Bender shared his story of a grizzly bear encounter in 2021, when proper deployment of bear spray may have saved his life while camping in the Mission Mountains. This Mountain Outlaw story discusses safety tips for bear country and the purpose behind Hey Bear, a retail brand based in Big Sky focused on bear conservation and awareness.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters to the editor allow EBS readers to express views and share how they would like to effect change. These are not Thank You notes. Letters should be 250 words or less, respectful, ethical, accurate, and proofread for grammar and content. We reserve the right to edit letters and will not publish individual grievances about specific businesses or letters that are abusive, malicious or potentially libelous. Include: full name, address, phone number and title. Submit to media@outlaw.partners.
ADVERTISING DEADLINE
For the October 3rd issue September 25th, 2024
CORRECTIONS
Please report errors to media@outlaw.partners.
OUTLAW PARTNERS & EXPLORE BIG SKY P.O. Box 160250, Big Sky, MT 59716 (406) 995-2055 • media@theoutlawpartners.com
BIG SKY SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OPENS DISCUSSION OF GOVERNOR’S CALL FOR CELL PHONE-FREE SCHOOLS
BY JEN CLANCEY
BIG SKY—The Big Sky School District Board of Trustees joined the list of school districts across Montana discussing the impact of cell phone use on kids’ education in its schools. At a Sept. 11 board meeting, members made a motion to discuss Gov. Greg Gianforte’s Aug. 22 call for cell phone-free schools.
The cell phone policy in Big Sky’s high school and middle school currently prohibits use of cell phones, earbuds and headphones during instructional (class) time, unless specifically approved by the teacher. Teachers may collect phones during instruction and assessments to reduce distraction and support academic integrity. Gov. Gianforte’s letter to school district superintendents and trustees urged educators to implement “cell-phone-free” school policies.
BSSD Superintendent Dustin Shipman explained that should Big Sky schools adopt an updated cell-phone-free policy, 100% buy-in from staff and the community is necessary.
“We have to be really prepared to deal with it,” Shipman said. He said no decisions will be made without gathering significant data about the staff and community’s perspective on the issue, and soliciting public input.
SEARCH AND RESCUE AIDS INJURED HORSEBACK RIDER UP BUFFALO
HORN CREEK
EBS STAFF
On Sept. 16 at 2:26 p.m. Gallatin County 911 Dispatch received a call about an injured horseback rider who was bucked off a horse about two miles up Buffalo Horn Trail south of Big Sky. Volunteers from Gallatin County Search and Rescue, Big Sky Team, Big Sky Fire Department and Covered Wagon Ranch employees responded to the Buffalo Horn Creek Trailhead to help the rider, who had reportedly sustained injuries to their leg, arm and back.
After driving a UTV as far up the trail as was safe, Search and Rescue members continued on foot to reach the patient and provide first aid. They packaged the patient into a mechanized one-wheeled litter and extracted them to an awaiting Big Sky Fire Ambulance. The patient was stabilized and then transported to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center for further treatment, according to a social media post from Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue.
In the social media post, Sheriff Dan Springer thanked the rescue team and employees of Covered Wagon Ranch for their help. He also reminded recreationalists of the importance of having a communication device with fully charged batteries when recreating in the backcountry in case of an emergency.
BIG SKY COMMUNITY LIBRARY TO HOST PRESENTATION OF POSSIBLE NATIONAL MONUMENT PLAN NEAR BIG SKY
EBS STAFF
On Oct. 3, the Big Sky Community Library will host Stephen Capra, executive director of Bold Visions Conservation, for a presentation about a possible national monument near Big Sky.
According to a Sept. 4 press release from Bold Visions, the Madison Gallatin Wildlife National
Monument could protect 1.6 million acres in the Madison and Gallatin ranges and in the area of Island Park, Idaho. The monument wouldn’t be a statue or structure and instead conserve wildlife habitat in the two regions.
The land would be under the Biden administration’s Antiquities Act, according to the press release.
“This much needed monument will be the first of its kind,” Capra stated in the release. “It will prioritize protection of wildlife in this critical part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.”
The Thursday, Oct. 3, event will happen at 5:30 p.m. at the Big Sky Community Library.
CLASSIFIED PUBLIC NOTICE
TWO WEEKENDS - 9/20-21, 9/27-28
10am to 4:30pm 135 Twin Antler Drive (across from Riverhouse)
Framed posters: Jimi Hendrix (1971), Jerry Garcia Band, Janice Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company (x2), Rick Griffin works (1967), Montana’s Mission Mountain Wood Band (1973 and 1979 from Buck’s T4), rare archaic concert posters.
Original multi-media: historic Vietnam War (pro and anti), “Spirit of The Sixty’s” Celebrating Freedom of Speech and Assembly 5-piece exhibit. Numerous Peter Max vibrant colored silk scarves (framed), Original carvings: whinnying horse, bears, and eagle. Moose antlers. Log burl bed with life-sized 6-point elk head headboard.
(406) 529-0523
Board Vacancy
The Big Sky Resort Area District is seeking resumes from qualified citizens who are interested in serving on the Board of Directors. As outlined in District Bylaws, the remaining Board shall appoint a replacement Board Member to fill the vacancy. Interested parties shall submit a letter of interest and resume by September 25th and there will be a special meeting held on October 1st to interview candidates and make an appointment. The remaining term for this seat expires in May of 2026 and the voters will need to confirm the appointment in a May 2025 election.
Send letters of interest and resumes to daniel@resorttax.org.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
THE DEATH OF THE AMERICAN DREAM (BIG SKY STORY)
I was a firsthand witness to the slow death of the American Dream, unfolding in the unlikeliest of places, Big Sky, Montana. Nothing could have prepared me for the events that I would experience and the times that I would have. A mid-level private equity firm asserted total control over an entire town. I bet the big private equity firms wish they could get away with that. The scale, scope and speed of the takeover was stunningly precise and well-orchestrated. No ski town in recent history or perhaps ever has experienced the likes of what happened in Big Sky between 2009 and 2024.
How can we start without the main player? CrossHarbor Capital has been central to every possible storyline since 2009. Their vast and specific influence among decision making bodies in the general area of their investments has been alarmingly effective. While having a controlling interest in most of the largest businesses by gross revenue, CrossHarbor Capital has made Big Sky effectively a company town.
It has been eerily reminiscent of the type of control last seen during the Robber Baron Era in
the late 1800s. Extremely worrying has been the general lack of oversight or regulation on their developments. Improper amounts of influence have been given to one single entity. In an optimal system, to increase fair market competition and thus access to the American Dream, as it were, these conditions would not exist. This is an example of the monopolization of a town in a classical sense. Remote and relatively serene, Big Sky is an unincorporated area that possesses no local government. A single group with lots of money was able to successfully achieve something we rarely see these days: a company town.
Fair competition is a bedrock value for Americans. We seek to achieve our best on an equal playing field. That has never been the case in the United States, but is an ideal to be striven towards. This has not been a fair fight here in Big Sky, which has quickly turned into a textbook example of neofuedalism. What we see in Big Sky by CrossHarbor is only further emboldened by the lack of public outcry and general ease with which they have achieved their goals. The ability
to channel public funds into projects that suit their needs is of great concern.
Representing all people is also a bedrock principle of our democracy. When one entity permeates a wide and vertical swathe of revenue generating activities in a small remote town, that is cause for concern. There is an implied intimidation involved with speaking up or asking questions of the largest, most powerful entity in southwest Montana. No individual person can cast a vote or have their voice heard in any meaningful way. What has happened here in Big Sky is downright unAmerican and absolutely not normal.
This is truly taxation without representation. Sadly, the game is in the fourth quarter and the impact has already been felt.
Remember when? There is no going back. Protect the water, protect the land and protect the people.
Dan Kelly Big Sky, Montana
MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE ANNOUNCES $675 PROPERTY TAX REBATE LOCAL
BY MARIO CARR EBS CONTRIBUTOR
Anyone who owned and lived in a Montana residence for at least seven consecutive months in 2023 is eligible for a $675 property tax rebate that must be filed by Oct. 1. This is the second year that the Montana Department of Revenue has offered the tax rebate program.
Owners of single family homes, apartments, condominiums, trailers, manufactured homes, and mobile homes including up to one acre of surrounding land are eligible for the rebate. The DOR website has detailed instructions and videos showing how to find and file the necessary information.
“Only property taxes paid on the dwelling and up to one acre of land surrounding it can be used to claim the rebate. If your property is larger than one
acre, you can use our calculator to determine the amount of property taxes to report on your claim,” the DOR website states.
With a maximum payout of $675, anyone who paid $675 or less in property taxes in 2023 can have those taxes entirely refunded.
Properties owned by an entity such as an LLC or a corporation are not eligible for the rebate. When homeowners file online, they may receive a check in the mail within 30 days; direct deposit is not available. The DOR has warned on their website that there were several rebate scams during last year’s rebate application period, and to only trust communications directly from the DOR for the most up to date information.
‘Dear Montana Taxpayers’
The DOR website contains a link to a letter from Gov. Greg Gianforte, addressed to Montana taxpayers and dated Aug. 1.
“Property taxes are too high, and they need to be reined in,” he wrote.
This year, Gianforte has established a bipartisan Property Tax Task Force in order to “reform” the state’s property tax system. Gianforte wrote that out-of-staters who don’t pay income taxes in Montana should have to pay their fair share in property taxes.
“While property tax rebates provide temporary relief, we’ve seen property taxes rise too much as some local governments grow their spending at alarming rates,” he wrote.
The Governor’s letter states that many Montanans believe their property taxes are too high, and he hopes to help by putting up to $675 back into each eligible household.
PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS PROGRESS ON LOCAL GOVERNANCE STUDY
HIRED CONSULTANTS SEEK COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES, WILL DELIVER FACT-
FINDING STUDY IN JUNE 2025
BY JACK REANEY
BIG SKY—On Tuesday, Sept. 24, the public is invited to a meeting to offer thoughts and visions on Big Sky’s future, and to hear an update on an ongoing study to explore incorporation as a municipality among other potential local governance options.
The public meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. at The Wilson Hotel, providing a “crucial opportunity” to engage with the study—approved and funded in May by the Big Sky Resort Area District. The study will identify facts regarding local governance options for Big Sky, according to a Sept. 9 press release from WGM Group, the firm leading the study.
The study will evaluate a range of possibilities for Big Sky’s future, “from establishing a municipal government to considering other forms of governmental change, as well as the option to maintain the current status quo,” the release stated.
The study team aims to work closely with the community and listen to all perspectives, and the Sept. 24 meeting will be the first opportunity for
locals to chime in. Future public meetings are planned for January and March of 2025.
Dylan Pipinich, WGM land planner, will lead the project team and help facilitate public engagement events.
“Many Montana communities were founded around industry, while Big Sky was developed around recreation and a strong sense of place,” Pipinich stated in the release. “Over the years Big Sky has been innovative in fostering that sense of place. Our objective is to understand and convey the facts about governance in this distinctive community, enabling residents to make informed decisions that will guide Big Sky’s future.”
The meeting will include a project overview and introduction of the project team, answers to frequently asked questions about the study and its potential impact, and an introduction to the project website and online resources. Attendees will have the chance to ask questions and give feedback.
WGM Group will conduct the study with support from consulting firms ECOnorthwest and M2O Group. Both firms claim experience in helping communities navigate challenges and opportunities. Lee Ann Ryan, senior project manager for
ECOnorthwest, expressed gratitude in advance to the Big Sky community for engaging with the study.
“Our team recognizes and understands the unique dynamics resort communities often face today, but perhaps none are as unique or complex as Big Sky. We’re committed to leveraging our economic expertise to provide residents with clear, data-driven insights into their governance options,” Ryan stated. In addition to public meetings, the study team will engage community groups, including fiscal stakeholders and nonprofits, through one-on-one meetings and open house meetings, according to a follow-up email to EBS.
“As a long-time resident of Big Sky, I am deeply committed to the outreach process and look forward to listening and learning from the community,” stated Meg O’Leary, president of M2O Group. “Together we have a bright future.”
The latest effort to explore governance options for Big Sky has been picking up momentum for well over a year, and local leaders believe they’re taking a fresh approach by finding facts that will enable residents to make informed decisions impacting Big Sky’s future.
MDT REPAIRS, PLANS TO REPLACE BRIDGE NEAR LAVA LAKE
POTHOLE FIXES ARE TEMPORARY, BUT BRIDGE REPLACEMENT MAY BE ON THE HORIZON WITH MDT PROJECTS TO IMPROVE 191
BY JACK REANEY
BIG SKY—From Sept. 9-12, the Montana Department of Transportation repaired the bridge near the Lava Lake trailhead on U.S. Highway 191 between Bozeman and Big Sky. The work was scheduled through Friday, Sept. 13, but crews were efficient and finished ahead of schedule.
MDT Engineering Project Manager Chad Mozol provided background on the repair work to the bridge.
“The repairs are intended to extend the service life of the bridge deck and improve the ride for motorists. The crew is patching the potholes on the bridge deck with special concrete that can be driven on within hours of placement and then applying a crack seal material to the entire deck,” Mozol wrote.
He added that the temporary fix is meant to ensure the bridge can continue carrying residents, visitors and commuters until the bridge is replaced. MDT is in the early stages of planning a replacement for the bridge, but no timeline has been established for construction.
Bridge replacement, turnouts, passing lanes and 191/64 intersection on MDT’s radar
The Lava Lake bridge replacement came up during the Sept. 11 Big Sky Resort Area District board meeting.
MDT estimates that potential bridge replacement could be a $30 to $50 million project, and it was identified as a near-term priority in MDT’s 191/64 Optimization Plan.
“The optimization plan… has identified four projects that have been nominated to the conceptual planning stage,” said Daniel Bierschwale, BSRAD executive director. “One of those—and by far the most complicated one—is a Lava Lake re-do.”
Bierschwale said the current situation involves close interaction between humans and vehicles, as most Lava Lake hikers must park on the other side of the river and traverse the bridge using a narrow walkway, just a few feet from highway traffic.
“Kind of exciting to see MDT looking at what can be done there,” Bierschwale said.
In addition, MDT listed three other projects on 191 as nominees for integration into its Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan, which commits federal aid and State of Montana funding to complete engineering and construction activities.
Improving the intersection between 191 and Montana Highway 64 (Lone Mountain Trail) was another project, estimated to cost MDT between $10 and $15 million.
“I think we’re all aware of that particular project… it may or may not be a roundabout, depending on how things progress,” Bierschwale said.
BSRAD already contributed $10.4 million to the project by purchasing land needed to expand the intersection, and that may serve as a funding match for federal grants, Bierschwale added.
Another MDT priority is to help improve pullouts and turnouts, estimated at least $5 million.
“The pullouts and turnouts… some of them aren’t large enough to actually get someone to be able to pull over,” Bierschwale said. “And secondly, the signage that is associated with the turnouts doesn’t exactly incentivize anyone to necessarily use them.”
Finally, MDT could use another $10 to $15 million for passing lanes.
“HDR and MDT have identified four areas, two for northbound, two for southbound passing lanes… I think that will really help with fluidity of travel in the canyon,” said Board Chair Kevin Germain.
“And just once again, stressing, come to Community Week and listen to MDT and HDR present, so you can get the real specifics of what they’re working on and looking at.”
The community can learn about MDT’s projects and provide feedback during a presentation at the Madison-Gallatin Joint County Commission meeting, at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
This curved bridge in the Gallatin Canyon was patched up in early September, but the long-term solution will be replacement. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY
BSRAD FORESEES NO BIG COSTS, NOR ADDITIONAL RESORT TAX DUE TO CIP PROJECTS
INFRASTRUCTURE WOULD BE FUNDED LARGELY BY OUTSIDE SOURCES AND BONDING, OR THE ALTERNATIVE: ‘WE PAY FOR ALL OF IT OURSELVES’
BY JACK REANEY
BIG SKY—In August, the Resort Tax board emphasized that Big Sky’s capital improvement plan won’t result in a massive economic burden on the Big Sky community, and that the catchy dollar amount in the seven-hundred-millions might turn out to be a lot smaller.
In September, the messaging continued.
“I just wanted to put a fine point on the fact that this capital improvement plan most certainly was alarming, when you saw the total volume of projects. Three quarters of a billion dollars is a lot,” said Daniel Bierschwale, BSRAD executive director, during the Sept. 11 board meeting. “It was never… the intention of Resort Tax to seek funding $750 million in projects. Rather, engage the community in a process that gets everything on the table.”
For many large infrastructure projects, the bulk of funding will come from federal and state agencies, in addition to complex public financing mechanisms. Each project will need a developed budget, or “financing stack,” in partnership with its project sponsor.
“This is not Resort Tax,” said Board Chair Kevin Germain, turning to face the small boardroom audience for emphasis. “… This is all sorts of funding sources.”
On Sept. 11, the board reviewed summaries of a few capital projects slated within a three-year window. One of them is a potential wildlife overpass and bridge retrofit to enhance wildlife connectivity, near Dudley Creek inside the northern BSRAD boundary. The Center for Large Landscape Conservation is leading the project.
Federal funding would cover at least 80% of costs for transportation-related projects like this, according to board member John Zirkle.
“It’s a community decision. BSRAD, our job is to get these projects onto a ballot. And the electorate is going to decide whether or not we move forward with them.”
John Zirkle, BSRAD board member
“They’re
not going to cost the community any more money. We’re not charging an additional more 1%.
We currently have a 4% sales tax on luxury items and goods, and that will stay the same.”
Daniel Bierschwale, BSRAD executive director
“This is a classic example of a project that really won’t require much from Resort Tax to get this across the finish line,” Zirkle said. “And the fact that it’s dollars coming from outside of Big Sky is great, it’s a big win.”
Germain sees this CIP process as the continued evolution of Resort Tax in the community’s best interest. Bierschwale assured that BSRAD will continue its typical grant allocations to nonprofits and government services, but BSRAD is using some different financial tools “to make sense of the big math problem.”
According to Montana law, if Resort Tax intends to use bonding as a financial tool for projects larger than $500,000, the BSRAD board must bring those capital projects to the public for a vote.
“It’s a community decision,” Zirkle said. “BSRAD, our job is to get these projects onto a ballot. And the electorate is going to decide whether or not we move forward with them.”
Bierschwale added a point of clarification about CIP efforts: “They’re not going to cost the community any more money. We’re not charging an additional more 1%. We currently have a 4% sales tax on luxury items and goods, and that will stay the same… we’re talking about how we choose to allocate our funds moving forward.”
David O’Connor, executive director of the nonprofit Big Sky Community Housing Trust, added public comment to expand on Bierschwale’s point.
Infrastructure projects are funded by property taxes in most communities, O’Connor said. If Big Sky took that approach, roughly 3,500 residents would foot the bill for infrastructure strained by many thousands more visitors. That’s why resort tax exists in Montana, in a nutshell.
“I just want to stress that this funding mechanism is a great tool that’s available to this community—that
is not always available to local communities—where we can fund these infrastructure needs that are so sorely needed by every community, via a tax that is primarily paid by the visitors,” O’Connor said.
If Big Sky chooses to follow a different course than what’s outlined in the CIP, O’Connor said the alternative means higher property taxes, and “we pay for all of it ourselves.”
Whitney Montgomery, CEO of the Big Sky Community Organization, also gave public comment in support of BSRAD’s current capital improvement planning to invest in long-term infrastructure needs.
“I cannot applaud you all enough for moving this forward. Now is the time in our town, when we have access to funding through bonds and TEDD TIFs, and other ways of looking at public financing, to maximize and leverage other fundraising,” Montgomery said. “If we can get this work done prior to any incorporation conversation, we’re all the better.”
Projects discussed on Sept. 11 included a campus expansion for Morningstar Learning Center, traffic flow and safety improvements to U.S. Highway 191, the Cold Smoke community housing project, and Gallatin Canyon sewer infrastructure to benefit Gallatin River health.
Bierschwale said this year, BSRAD will focus on evaluating and vetting near-term projects included in the CIP, “a living and breathing document.”
Already, Bierschwale said BSRAD has been “scrubbing the CIP” and reduced fiscal year 2024 projects from $628 million to $102 million. Many of those projects have been redistributed over subsequent years for the 10-year plan.
In the near-term, the fate of some larger infrastructure projects may be decided at the ballot box.
BE WELL BIG SKY TO HOST MENTAL HEALTH LIVE STORYTELLING EVENT
BY JACK REANEY
BIG SKY—Eight local storytellers will share how they went “over, under or through” to navigate a mental health challenge, during an upcoming event at Lone Mountain Ranch.
The event will be hosted by Be Well Big Sky on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at LMR’s Ranch Hall from 6 to 9 p.m. Be Well Big Sky is a grassroots, volunteerled initiative to reduce stigma surrounding mental and behavioral health using a peer-to-peer model to help connect people to the resources they need. Event tickets are available online, and will include food served by LMR starting at 6 p.m. before stories begin at 7.
Shannon Steele, director of Be Well Big Sky, said live storytelling is powerful because it highlights shared humanity and resilience, and allows groups to experience collective healing.
“It normalizes our human experiences,” Steele told EBS. “Because when we listen to others’ stories, we see pieces of ourselves.”
Jeremy Harder, Danielle Muilenburg, John Loomis, John Allen, Hector Frias, Andy Nagel, Ben Keefe
and Robbeye Samardich will share their personal journeys of strength amidst life’s challenges. All ages are welcome to attend, but parents are advised to consider the adult language and content that may come with these serious discussions.
“I think it will be entertainment,” Steele said. “So be prepared to be entertained, and inspired, and potentially moved. You might shed a tear or two.”
Steele said this is not only one of Big Sky’s first live storytelling events surrounding mental health, but also Be Well Big Sky’s first main event of any sort.
She hopes to see as many as 120 community members in attendance and believes the event will help increase awareness of Be Well Big Sky, which sprouted up during the past four years before spinning out from the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation in December 2023. It’s now sponsored by the One Valley Community Foundation, and continues to focus on improving accessibility and awareness of resources in the Big Sky community.
Steele said it’s a community-initiated model of healing, based on the fact that humans need connection at a biological level.
“We don’t heal in isolation, we heal in community,” Steele said. She added that ideally, people can turn to a neighbor or friend for support, instead of only being able to schedule a therapy appointment or see a doctor.
The storytelling event is not just about the stories themselves, but also about emphasizing reciprocity needed for a peer-to-peer network of support. All storytellers are trained as Wellness Navigators, meaning they are prepared to provide real-time support, often as someone’s first point of contact during crisis, by providing advice and helping connect people to existing resources.
“[Navigators are] embedded in every corner of the Big Sky community” Steele said. “They’re well known in Big Sky, they’re often very trusted community members.”
For those who cannot attend the storytelling event, Steele said Be Well Big Sky will accept donations online, and community members interested in volunteering or becoming a Wellness Navigator can contact hello@bewellbigsky.org.
BIG SKY SHINES AT GALLATIN VALLEY ‘OUT OF THE DARKNESS’ WALK
BY SARA SIPE EBS CONTRIBUTOR
BOZEMAN—On Sunday, Sept. 8, the Gallatin County chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention hosted the Gallatin Valley “Out of the Darkness” walk. Supporters gathered at Lindley Park in downtown Bozeman.
According to the foundation’s website, “The Community Walks, held in hundreds of communities across the country, are the core of the Out of the Darkness movement, which began in 2004. These events give people the courage to open up about their own connections to the cause, and a platform to create a culture that’s smarter about mental health.”
Team Big Sky, comprised of a handful of Big Sky locals—many of whom are connected with Wellness In Action or that have been personally touched by suicide—were recognized as the team who raised the most in donations, and were honored by carrying the event banner and leading the approximately one-mile long walk.
The mission of WIA, founded in 2005, is “to improve community wellbeing by providing a network of mental and behavioral health resources to people who live and work in Big Sky.” For more information about available resources, call WIA at 406-589-6522 or email info@wiabigsky.org.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741.
COURTESY OF SARA SIPE
SOUTHWEST MONTANA WOMEN’S CLUBS MAKE HISTORIC INTRODUCTION
GROUPS FROM GALLATIN CANYON, MADISON VALLEY MEET FOR INAUGURAL GATHERING AFTER CONVENING FOR 100 YEARS IN SEPARATE VALLEYS
BY LESLIE KILGORE EBS CONTRIBUTOR
BIG SKY—On Sept. 28, 1927, a group of women who lived in Gallatin Canyon met for the first time at the home of a rancher’s wife on Buck Creek, to form an unprecedented club for ranching wives in the area.
Back then, ranches had no electricity or telephones and families only traveled to Bozeman two or three times a year. Some returned to Bozeman for the winter, but many remained and endured cold harsh winters on their own, isolated from most other families.
Seeking friendships, the women on these ranches formed the Gallatin Canyon Women’s Club, which remains an active and thriving organization today, meeting throughout the year in Big Sky and its surrounding areas.
Recently, members of GCWC gathered at the Jack Creek Preserve on Jack Creek Road to meet the members of the Madison Valley Women’s Club, a similar organization that was formed in 1920 to support women ranchers in the Ennis area.
Over the past 100 years, the two clubs have never gathered, making this a significant and historical event for the area.
“We decided to meet in the middle, at the Jack Creek Preserve,” said Jane McCarthy, president of GCWC. “It was the suggestion of Barbara Gillespie, a member of both clubs for many years. She’s lived in Big Sky and now in McAllister.” McCarthy said more than 70 women met at Jack Creek Preserve to learn the history of both clubs,
make new and renewed acquaintances, and enjoy each other’s company while playing cornhole, throwing axes, hiking around the preserve and sharing a potluck lunch.
“Members just hung out and visited with stories and history from both sides of the mountain,” McCarthy said. “Many women had heard of each other but had never met.”
The two key speakers during the gathering were GCWC member Joan Traylor and MCWC member Shirley Storeymasson.
Traylor spoke of the club’s history, scholarships, support of the Big Sky library and the Crail Creek Ranch renovation, and other community projects and fundraising efforts. Storeymasson, a member of GCWC for 65 years at 91 years old, recounted anecdotes from the past six decades of the club and its philanthropic efforts in Ennis and beyond.
“We have very similar beginnings, and both focus on community support,” McCarthy said. “It was way too long [overdue] to actually meet, spend time together and learn about both our clubs’ focuses.”
McCarthy added that both clubs began by offering social gatherings for women in two secluded rural areas while also extending fundraising support in each community for the schools, local nonprofit organizations, libraries and more.
“The clubs had never met due to the mountains and the accessibility between the two groups,” McCarthy said.
As GVWC begins to plan for its centennial celebration in 2027, McCarthy mentioned that membership is at an all-time high, particularly after COVID when numbers dipped significantly due to only having Zoom meetings online.
Many younger women in the community are now getting involved and want to continue the tradition of philanthropic support and keeping historical records, which McCarthy thinks will revitalize the club. Furthermore, both GCWC and MVWC hope to continue this new tradition of an annual or biannual gathering.
“We hope to do this again, with both clubs visiting our respective hometowns and continuing this important connection,” McCarthy said.
Learn more about the organizations at gcwomensclub.com and madisonvalleywomansclub.org
COURTESY OF GCWC
COURTESY OF GCWC
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SPORTS
ONE MOUNTAIN RACE, AND ITS RALLYING COMMUNITY
THE 12TH ANNUAL RUT SEES LOCAL WINNERS, 50K RECORD BREAKS AND THE SEASON’S FIRST SNOW
BY MIRA BRODY
BIG SKY—“We don’t want the Rut to be too easy. We added some snow this year,” said an announcer over the PA system at the 12th annual Rut Mountain Runs. It was seconds before wave four of the 28K event would leave the gate and temperatures barely hovered above freezing, crisping the grass along the Big Sky Resort Base Area. Early morning sun illuminated the remaining snow that lined Lone Mountain from a Thursday night storm—the first snowflakes the region has seen this season.
The sound of a gunshot. A collective cheer. And the runners began their biggest challenge of the day— ascending Lone Mountain.
The Rut Mountain Runs are a three-day mountain running festival featuring a VK (vertical kilometer), 11K, 21K, 28K, 50K and Rut Runt Run for young aspiring athletes.
“As you can see we’ve got some snow up in the mountain in the alpine,” Mike Foote, the Rut’s race director, told EBS on Friday morning. “That’s part of being in the mountains. It’s going to be a cold day.”
Before any of the runners had taken to the course for the weekend, Foote said both Rut and Big Sky Ski Patrol crews had ascended the snowy peak at 6 a.m. for a literal safety sweep; co-director Mike Wolfe had been spotted in a social media video with a broom in his hand, sweeping the trail of powder above the tree line.
The inclement weather was a perfect example of the spirit behind the race and those who work to make it happen each year. Volunteer Coordinator Danelle Gjetmundsen said she estimates the Rut has the helping hands of around 600 volunteers each year, who make possible everything from packet pickup, to aid stations, set up and clean up, course marking, course clean up and medical and safety.
“We couldn’t do the race without them,” she said. She’s been coordinating volunteers every year of the race except the first two. “We have volunteers for three or four days. We have volunteers in the race area, we have volunteers on course, we have volunteers at aid stations, setting up before the race and we have them after the race as well.”
“They rally,” Gjetmundsen said of her crew.
Rally indeed—despite gale force winds and below-freezing temperatures on the summit of Lone Mountain, the volunteers atop were in high spirits, dressed in unicorn costumes and ballerina skirts over their ample layers, filling water bottles and handing out snacks, cheering for every single runner to crest the ridgeline.
“The Rut is like the highlight of the year for us and we like being around the energy of the runners and the volunteers, it’s just such a fun and beautiful event,” Sara Boughner said, gesturing behind her at the sea of snow-capped mountains. Boughner has been volunteering for “eight or nine years” she confirmed, just as Friday's VK champion, and 28K leader (and eventual winner), Cam Smith arrived at the top.
Peering down Alto Ridge from the summit, hurried figures come into view as they make their way to the top. There are also a couple stationed and unmoving with familiar green crosses on their uniforms. Big Sky Ski Patrol has been involved in the Rut since its inception, helping to provide medical coverage across the mountain as athletes navigate the treacherous terrain, in sometimes treacherous weather.
“It’s awesome to see all the athletes come up and just the camaraderie and their attitude … and basically this environment, the beauty of your
surroundings,” said Cindy Dixon, who has been with ski patrol for 43 years, including every single Rut. “It’s a great event.”
Down in slightly more favorable conditions, a winter wonderland is displayed at the Swift Current aid station, located at the top of Swift Current 6 chairlift—it’s the final aid station before the race’s most challenging ascent to the top of Lone Mountain where Boughner, Dixon and their teams await. There’s Christmas music playing, a cardboard cutout of Buddy the Elf, inflatable snowmen and Santa himself.
Santa, who is really longtime volunteer Eivind Gjetmundsen in costume, said his highlight so far has been seeing the vertical kilometer runners pass through. Like all aid stations, his team’s job is to ensure runners have the water and calories they need to make it through the next stage of their race, and provide medical care if needed. He adds that they also provide a critical element, especially before the summit climb—encouragement.
“If they make it here, they usually can keep going,” Gjetmundsen said with a smile.
Gjetmundsen also notes that as the running festival has grown, so has its global reach. “It’s just really grown into a huge festival that there’s thousands of people from all over the world,” he said. It seems the craving for Lone Mountain is transcendent.
28K runners ascend Alto Ridge on Lone Mountain. PHOTO BY MIRA BRODY
A Thursday night storm brought a few inches of the season’s first snow to the course, delaying the start time for a course safety check and adding a technical challenge. PHOTO
BY MIRA BRODY
Doug Neil and his brother Jake Neil know this all too well. Born and raised in Bozeman, the twin brothers tied for first place in the 21K on Friday, crossing the finish line together. Rut veterans, and training partners, Doug said the atmosphere and trail system around Big Sky keeps him coming back. Did they have intentions of winning?
“Definitely not,” Doug laughed. “That was a surprise. We didn’t even really know we were winning … we thought maybe we were in the top three but didn’t know exactly where. We were pushing as hard as we could because we knew a guy was on our heels.”
Although in most competitive sporting events, athletes will push to pass a leader in the final moments at all costs, Doug and Jake finished together at 2:12:26. While competitive with each other, it felt right to complete the race together and share that time.
“It kind of worked out,” Doug said. “We train together all the time and we do a handful of races and sometimes we end up together, and sometimes we don’t. It just depends how the day is going. I think we just felt really good and ended up doing the whole thing together. It was really fun.”
Down at the resort’s base area, friends, family and fans cheer finishers in, and tents dot the pavement with booths. One such booth is the Inclusive Outdoors Project, an organization that supports Adaptive, LGBTQIA2S+ and BIPOC communities in the mountains. At the Rut, they’ve worked with Foote to create a nonbinary category for runners, and this year are sponsoring 20 nonbinary athletes.
“With the Rut partnership … [we’re able] to provide some social change and policy change with the race itself and work with some of the nonbinary runners that we’ve been able to highlight and sponsor,” said founder Vasu Sojitra. “They’ve been able to help us create a nonbinary category and podium so that that category can be highlighted in ceremonies and throughout the race, so it’s been really cool to involve their voice.”
At a neighboring tent, there’s a face glitter station with the sign: “Running is hard & glitter makes everything better.”
The glitter station is part of Girl, Get After It, an organization that began in Bozeman with founder Cass Wendell, and has since grown to a national reach. They help women meet new people and try new things in a fitness space, from workouts at local gyms, to hiking and skiing.
“We want everyone to be included and everyone to not be so intimidated so we help women kind of get more involved and try new things so it’s not so scary,” Hannah Fox told EBS; Wendell was out running the 28K. Fox has been with GGAI since 2020 and has been a community lead for the last two years.
Kids, too, are celebrated here, first with a forum in which they question North Face athletes on all subjects: What’s your favorite snack (gummy bears, one panelist answers); Is your favorite part the start or the finish (the finish); Have you been to a baseball game (Yes, a Colorado Rockies game); What’s the steepest run you’ve ever done (That one, pointing to Lone Mountain). After that, the chaotic, and largest-ever Runt Run kicks off with both victories and tears.
Cheers ring out from the finish line of the 28K as runners who have been on course for nearly eight hours reach their destination; those both familiar and unfamiliar with the arriving runner cheer, jump and ring cowbells.
It’s golden hour, the last hour of a race wherein we celebrate not how fast we are, but how we—as collective humans of all ages, races, genders, shapes, sizes and pace—have persevered through a tough challenge.
RUT MOUNTAIN RUNS 2024 RESULTS
Trifecta Champions
Scott Patterson
Jena Greaser
VK
Men
Cam Smith 46:09
Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau 47:42
Ryan Becker 48:41
Women
Jennifer Lichter 56:59
Klaire Rhodes 58:30
Caitlin Patterson 1:00:28
Nonbinary
Taylor McCaslin 2:06:15
Hema Lochan 2:46:05
11K
Men
Mitch Morris 37:48
Ruairi Moynihan 41:56
Ian Rasmann 45:52
Women
Camille Hines-Keane 49:48
Alexandra Robran 50:12
Samantha Valentine 52:20
Nonbinary
Taylor McCaslin 1:11:47
21K
Men
Doug Neil 2:12:26
Jake Neil 2:12:26
Chris Johnson 2:14:43
Women
Madison Liechty 2:24:42
Jen Maixner 2:32:23
Olivia Amber 2:35:13
Nonbinary
Greer Klepacki 4:01:23
28K
Men
Cam Smith 3:03:45
Scott Patterson 3:10:38
Johnny Luna-Lima 3:11:34
Women
Bailey Kowalczyk 3:35:13
Jennifer Lichter 3:37:30
Denali Strabel 3:55:22
Nonbinary
Winona Rachel 5:10:59
Emily Spognardi 5:28:29
Lee Tsairis 8:05:51
50K
Men
Michelino Sunseri 5:01:15
Ryan Becker 5:09:12
Scott Patterson 5:20:07
Women
Klaire Rhodes 5:45:29
Jazmine Lowther 5:53:14
Hannah Osowski 5:56:26
Nonbinary
Emma Keating 9:32:00
Madison Sudweeks 9:46:49
Ory Frazier 12:00:05
The children’s 1K Rut Runt Run is all chaos. PHOTO BY MIRA BRODY
Missoula residents seven-year-old Monroe Anderson and Kara Cromwell finish the 11K. PHOTO BY JEN CLANCEY
LOCAL GOLF PRO COACHES JUNIOR CATE LEYDIG TO ELITE TOURNAMENT IN BIG SKY
BY LESLIE KILGORE
BIG SKY—As another season winds down at the Big Sky Resort golf course, head golf professional Tom Conway has much to commemorate. In his second year in charge, Conway continues to coach several aspiring, young Big Sky golfers to compete at the regional and national levels.
Having started as the assistant pro in 2013, Conway began developing many of the local juniors’ golf games from young ages.
“I worked with Camp Big Sky in my early years with a lot of kids in the camp getting their first taste of golf with that program,” Conway said. “Many of those kids still come to the golf course and are hopefully lifelong players to this day.”
While most of his work has been private lessons with all ages and ability levels, he also developed the Big Sky Junior League in 2019 as a way for kids to start golfing competitively in a low-stress and fun environment.
“If there is a kid in high school and on the golf team, I have very likely given them a lesson at some
point,” Conway said. “Lone Peak High School has had a steady stream of good players over the years, and I hope that success continues.”
One of those players is Cate Leydig, a local teen who had the opportunity to play in the American Junior Golf Association tournament hosted at Big Sky Resort’s course in late August. Since 2019, Big Sky Golf Course has hosted this annual tournament which brings the top junior golfers in the world to play four days of highly competitive, elite golf.
“AJGA is the premier junior golf tour in the world,” Conway said. “Having an event of this caliber in Big Sky is an amazing way to showcase our golf course and the community of Big Sky to people from around the country and the world.”
Conway explained that qualifying for an AJGA tournament can be a difficult process. Almost every tournament has a local qualifier the day before to give local players a chance to compete.
“There are a few other ways players can qualify for [AJGA] tournaments but for the most part players are qualifying the hard way,” Conway said.
Leydig got her first opportunity to play in the AJGA tournament this year, qualifying as a local competitor for the host course.
“Cate and I have been working together since she was about five years old, and she’s been playing in local junior tournaments and finding great success from a very young age. We decided this was the year to test her skills against the best in the country,” Conway said.
Leydig said she spent many years watching and volunteering at the AJGA tournament in Big Sky, with the hope that she would be good enough to play in it one day.
“The AJGA is one of the most competitive junior golf tours in the nation and it was a dream come true to compete in the event,” she said. “I’ve been working with Tom since I was five, and he’s the reason I’m the golfer I am today.”
This story was condensed for print. Read the full story at explorebigsky.com
MIDDLE PLAYERS SHINE IN BIG HORNS’ LOSS TO ENNIS MUSTANGS
BY JEN CLANCEY
BIG SKY—In a race to 25, the Lone Peak High School Big Horns started strong on Sept. 12, with a first game win. Ultimately, the Ennis High School Mustangs moved ahead, winning the next three games for an overall victory at the LPHS gym. The Big Horns’ harmony in the first game resurged in the fourth with a comeback in the last five points, though the Big Horns lost 25-20.
Head coach Ashley Muckway said the girls are hungry for a victory and it showed in the final game. “I think they just want it,” Muckway said. “I think they just want that win, and they know in order to do it, they have to keep composed.”
“We’ve been working all week on fire, and intensity, and self confidence, and I think that’s what you saw tonight,” Muckway recalled, describing practices since their game against Three Forks.
“That’s why I think they kept their composure,” she said of the final game.
Composure was necessary against the Mustangs’ successful blocking and swift kills. Junior Isabelle Hawkinson of the Mustangs accomplished more than six kills in the second game alone, on top of successful serves. That game ended in an 18-25 loss for LPHS. The loss came after a dominant start for the Big Horns, with junior Stella Haas and senior captain Claire Hoadley leading in kills for a 25-20 win.
“I think the other team saw what we were doing and how we beat them, and then used that against
us, for sure,” Muckway said of the subsequent losses. It became clear in the third and fourth games that no ball was certain. Senior captain Addy Malinowski described the surprise moments when players launched far-off balls back into play. She remembered thinking, “Oh, we’re still in this, we’re still going.”
“We were very scrappy and we worked really well as a team, especially in the first set,” Malinowski
said of the game’s successes. “I think that everyone just needs to work on stamina and keeping all our energy up … not letting one play get to us.”
As they say, confidence comes from the inside out, and middle players on both sides of the court showed key defensive blocks in the final game. Mustangs’ junior Addisyn Rowe and senior Mikendra Ledgerwood blocked attempts from aggressive LPHS hits, often multiple times in a point.
Senior Eva Mitchell and junior Avery Graham responded to the strong defense with their own. The duo regularly leapt against spikes from the Mustangs, putting the opposing team back on guard.
“She was on every single block,” Muckway said of Graham’s performance and said she stepped up in a big way. She described Mitchell’s contributions as important to the team dynamic. “Every time the ball was coming to her, she was ready.”
Hoadley commended the Mustangs for putting the Big Horns' skills to the test. “They had some really good hitters,” Hoadley said. “We had some amazing plays. We had some spot-on passes. Lily [Turner] was setting dimes the entire game.”
Hoadley said that they will take lessons from matches and come ready to play the next time, working on their craft and team dynamic.
“We have an amazing group of girls and some amazing coaches that are going to bring us together.”
Senior captain Aubrey Farr receives serve from the Mustangs at the Sept. 12 match. PHOTO BY JEN CLANCEY
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
LOCAL TEEN BAND SQUID BOMB PLAYS METAL IN THE MOUNTAINS
BY JEN CLANCEY
For the past year, two local teens have met amongst metalheads in an Ophir Middle School classroom on Wednesday afternoons. The final hour of school is reserved for clubs, and eighth grader Cannon Welch and freshman Sid Leydig were Rock Club regulars in the spring. This summer they’ve been rehearsing together under their band name, Squid Bomb, which they formed in January.
The band performed a few songs to open for Metal in the Mountains in Len Hill Park on Sunday, Sept. 15 ahead of Big Sky metal band Scavenger and Metallica tribute band Blistered Earth. Metal in the Mountains is an addition to the Music in the Mountains series run by the Arts Council of Big Sky, and is a treat for metal lovers in the region. One could call it an “Encore Jam.”
With Welch on drums and Leydig on guitar, the Big Sky-raised pair have practiced together for school talent shows alongside fellow Big Sky bass guitarist and student Kael Gilbert. Welch and Leydig kicked their rehearsals into high gear when they learned they would open the last MITM show of the year.
“I think that’s gonna be really cool,” Welch said, of playing alongside two experienced bands. Welch and Leydig spoke to EBS ahead of the Sept. 15 show. “I feel like it’s gonna inspire us too.”
Welch has been around metal music his whole life, and referenced his parents’ taste in music as an influence. Leydig was inspired by the hard rock sonic landscape in the Netflix show “Stranger Things.” He remembers what song drew him in.
“The last episode of season four of ‘Stranger Things,’ there was … ‘Master of Puppets,’ and I thought the song was really cool,” Leydig said. He’s talking about the season finale when a character distracts bloodthirsty creatures with a thunderous metal performance, all to save his friends. “So then I started listening to more metal songs, and we had always had one electric guitar that had just been around the house, and I had occasionally played it, but then, after I started listening to metal, I started
playing guitar a lot more than I had before.”
It’s one thing to listen to metal music, but it’s another task to play it. Both band members find the music challenging but fun.
“It’s really uplifting. It’s really fun to play,” Welch said. “The style that a lot of these drummers use for metal music, like really fast beats … can be challenging sometimes.”
Brian Hurlbut, executive director of the Arts Council of Big Sky, said that the metal concert is a way to showcase local talent. “We have the opportunity to make a big impact on these kids’ lives and also to show the community what these kids are doing, that they are creative and doing something fun,” Hurlbut said.
Hurlbut said 800 people attended last year’s first metal show and many said it was their favorite event that year. “It just feels like a little more of a homegrown event,” Hurlbut said. He’s a drummer himself and learned about Welch’s drumming from open micstyle events, and heard about Leydig’s guitar ability from his friendship with Leydig’s father.
“We’re ready to rock,” Hurlbut said.
As for Squid Bomb’s future, Leydig said that the band will continue jamming and mastering new songs.
Cannon Welch (left) and Sid Leydig (left) formed the name Squid Bomb from Leydig’s nickname “Sid the squid” and referencing Welch’s first name. PHOTO BY JEN CLANCEY
WMPAC ANNOUNCES FALL 2024 SEASON
WARREN MILLER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
The Warren Miller Performing Arts Center has announced its fall lineup of performances. This year, the fall season is heavy with performances that showcase music and movement, often paired in unexpected ways.
“The fall shows are often some of my favorites of the year, because we tailor them so specifically to the local community,” John Zirkle, WMPAC’s executive director, said. “The off-season is when many of us decompress and relax, and we like to offer local families some entertainment options during this time.”
The fall season begins on Sunday, Oct. 6 with artist and cello player Gideon Freudmann. Freudmann performs live soundtracks for classic silent films with his cello and real-time digital effects. His imaginative, original accompaniment breathes new life into this classic art, bringing the best of cinema and live music to another level and to new audiences. He’ll be performing alongside
“Sherlock Jr.,” the timeless 1924 Buster Keaton silent comedy about a movie projectionist who dreams of being a great detective. Freudmann is a founding member of the Portland Cello project and world-renowned composer for the instrument.
On Oct. 17, WMPAC will welcome the Losers Cirque. The Losers Cirque is an energetic and mesmerizing acrobatic group from the Czech Republic who will take the stage to perform breath-taking athletic feats. It’s a family-friendly event, but can be enjoyed by any age (even if you can’t do a somersault).
Perhaps the most exciting show of the season is on Oct. 29 with Huang Yi & KUKA. An international sensation that pairs choreography and dance with technology in ways both illuminating and unsettling. Taiwanese artist Huang Yi has spent years developing a highly specialized robot that dances onstage alongside him, blending precise technology with deeply human emotion. As with all fall season events, this show is great for families.
“It’s a mind-bending performance to watch, and we’re insanely lucky that we get to see them in Montana on their world tour,” Zirkle said. “This is one that you don’t want to miss.”
The remainder of the fall season is packed with community-led events, including the annual Lone Peak High School musical and a Christmas season performance of the “Nutcracker.” One departure from tradition is the format of this year’s community theater play. Every year, talented Big Sky locals perform a community theater play, but this time it has a twist: it’s an immersive dinner theater experience. The play is called “Tony and Tina’s Wedding,” and invites the audience to be guests at the wedding taking place onstage. (Yes, dinner and dancing are included for the audience as well.)
Audience members will save 40% on the cost of all shows if they buy a WMPAC fall season pass, which provides tickets to all eight shows. There’s also an option to bundle three or more shows and save 25%, and early bird pricing before Oct. 1. Tickets and more information are available at warrenmillerpac.org
BIG SKY EVENTS CALENDAR
Thursday, Sept. 18 – Wednesday, Oct. 2
If your next event falls between Oct. 3 – Oct. 16 please submit it to explorebigsky.com/calendar-event-form by Sept. 25
THURSDAY, SEPT. 19
Montana Trails Lecture Series
Lone Mountain Ranch, 5 p.m.
Live music: Emma & the Ledge Tips Up, 10 p.m.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 20
Gallatin River Cleanup
Big Sky Community Park (check-in), 9 a.m.
Live music: Mercedes Carroll Tips Up, 8 p.m.
Big Sky Oktoberfest
Big Sky Town Center, 3 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 21
Gallatin River Cleanup
Big Sky Community Park (check-in), 9 a.m.
Big Sky Oktoberfest
Big Sky Town Center, 12 p.m.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 22
St. Joseph Mass
Big Sky Chapel, 8 a.m.
Gallatin River Cleanup
Big Sky Community Park (check-in), 9 a.m.
Oktoberfest: Lederhosen Fun Run
Big Sky Town Center, 9 a.m.
Big Sky Oktoberfest
Big Sky Town Center, 10 a.m.
All Saints in Big Sky
Big Sky Chapel, 10 a.m.
Soldiers Chapel Service
Soldiers Chapel, 11 a.m.
Big Sky Christian Fellowship
Big Sky Chapel, 4:30 p.m.
MONDAY, SEPT. 23
Action Throwback Series
The Waypoint, 7 p.m.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 24
Pickup flag football
Big Sky Community Park, 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25
Trivia Night
The Waypoint, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 27
Karaoke Night
The Waypoint, 10 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 28
Live music: Montana Deluxe Tips Up, 9 p.m.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 29
St. Joseph Mass
Big Sky Chapel, 8 a.m.
All Saints in Big Sky
Big Sky Chapel, 10 a.m.
Soldiers Chapel Service
Soldiers Chapel, 11 a.m.
Big Sky Christian Fellowship
Big Sky Chapel, 4:30 p.m.
MONDAY, SEPT. 30
Action Throwback Series
The Waypoint, 7 p.m.
TUESDAY, OCT. 1
Pickup flag football
Big Sky Community Park, 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 2
American Legion Fall Bingo
Riverhouse BBQ & Events, 5:30 p.m.
Mindfulness Sitting Group
Wellness in Action, 6:30 p.m.
Trivia Night
The Waypoint, 7 p.m.
FEATURED EVENT
GALLATIN RIVER CLEANUP
Sept. 20-22, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On Sept. 20-22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., volunteers will clean up areas along the Gallatin River. Participants can go to Big Sky Community Park for volunteer supply pick up and check in. Community members interested in volunteering can reach out to Tess@gallatinwatershedcouncil.org.
DINING
A LA CARTE GRANDMA’S
HANDS
BY RACHEL HERGETT EBS COLUMNIST
Bill Withers, when writing about the woman he said he loved above all others, honed in on her hands. And for good reason. In his song, and in my experience, a grandmother’s hands are capable of extreme comfort and strength. Her protection and love emanate through them.
I spent much of my childhood watching my Japanese grandmother’s hands. Her long slender fingers were constantly in motion, clacking her knitting needles into a blur that seemed slow in comparison to the speed at which she fed her commercial sewing machine or stirred a stove full of pots to feed the family.
Most fascinating, maybe, was the formation of rice balls. A rice ball is a simple thing. It is, as stated, a ball of rice. And yet it feels like so much more. In the weeks since my grandmother’s death at the end of August, I have considered ways to memorialize her here, to talk about the food of my childhood. A friend had the answer, in the form of simple “funny concave triangles” of rice.
“I remember how fun it was when she came to our classroom in Cottonwood School and made tempura and showed us how to shape rice into funny concave triangles, just so,” friend and local artist Marla Goodman commented when I posted grandma’s obituary online.
Rice balls are ubiquitous in our family. I walked into my mom’s house last month, where family had gathered around my grandmother’s bed. “Rice is ready,” my mom said. “I need you to make rice balls.”
Japanese convenience store staples, rice balls known as onigiri are generally sold in more impressive forms. They are wrapped in seaweed, stuffed with pickled plums or salted salmon, smothered, colored and flavored. They are perfectly shaped by molds that emulate their hand-formed cousins.
All of this is unnecessary. The rice balls I grew up with were “shio musubi,” simply salted rice. I have since learned that musubi, in the Shinto religion of my grandmother’s Japanese youth, is the power of creation and becoming. It is our connection with the earth, ourselves and each other. It makes sense that I feel connected through the rice.
To make shio musubi, you wet your hands, salt your wet hands generously, then take a lump of hot rice directly from the rice cooker, shaping it into a triangle shape using the natural curves of cupped hands. The heat and the pressure and the stickiness of the rice hold it all together. Making rice balls always felt like a labor of love. This is hot rice we’re talking about. It hurts, burning your hands as you shape it. Not everyone in my family is willing to endure the pain. But grandma did.
As a child, long before she taught me how to form the rice balls myself, I would watch from the kitchen table as grandma took the rice into her hands. Later, I would take her hands in mine, normally dry and cracked from their constant use, but now reddened and shiny from the heat of the rice.
“It not hurt,” she said in her perpetually broken English that I always found endearing. I can attest that it does in fact hurt to make rice balls, but
“GRANDMA’S HANDS”
Grandma’s hands
Used to hand me piece of candy
Grandma’s hands
Picked me up each time I fell.
- Bill Withers
grandma never gave in to the pain. To make rice balls for her family was a testament to the immense love held in grandma’s hands.
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
Keiko Yoshida Williams. PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT
ENVIRONMENT
HEY BEAR: WHY WE YELL IT IN BEAR COUNTRY HEY BEAR IS MORE THAN A BRAND; IT IS A MOVEMENT!
BY MIRA BRODY
This column is presented in partnership with Hey Bear, a retail brand based in Big Sky focused on bear conservation and awareness. If you have a story about a bear encounter or interaction in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, please submit via email to media@outlaw.partners.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in the Winter 2021-22 edition of Mountain Outlaw.
When Nate Bender goes camping or hiking, he makes it a habit to keep his bear spray to his right side—on the right-hand pocket of his backpack or to the right of his sleeping bag at night. On July 4, 2021, that habit came in handy for the first time. It may have even saved a few lives.
An avid outdoorsman and native of Hamilton, Montana, Bender grew up recreating in bear country with his family and continues to do so from his home in Missoula where he is attending the University of Montana for dual graduate degrees in research conservation and business analytics. This summer, he was camping alone, what he calls “cowboy style,” in the Mission Mountains when sounds of a bear growling woke him around 6 a.m.
“I can think of better ways of being woken up,” Bender said. “It all happened very quickly. When I opened my eyes after that sound I was looking right at the mama and her two cubs.”
The sow bear, which Bender identified as a grizzly, charged within five seconds, just enough time for him to reach to his right, grab his bear spray, pull off the safety and deploy a 30-foot pepper spray cloud that deterred her and may have saved both their lives.
Bear encounters are not only dangerous to humans but put bears at risk as well. Over Labor Day weekend in 2021, four grizzlies—a sow and her three cubs—were euthanized after improperly stored food habituated the bears into breaking into vehicles and residences. The sow had been a longtime resident of Glacier National Park
and is said to have mothered at least 10 cubs over the years.
Bender did everything right: he stored his food away from camp in a scent-proof and bear-proof bag and had bear spray on hand, within reach, and ready to deploy at a moment’s notice; and he had practiced with his spray. He calls the encounter a combination of preparation and luck but asserts that everyone entering bear country should do so with a visitor’s mindset—you are entering a wild habitat in which wild animals live and thrive.
“Following these recommendations and being ‘bear aware’ adds layers of safety for people, but they also help keep bears wild,” said Morgan Jacobsen, Region 3 information and education program manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
Bears that are habituated to gaining access to food, whether it be garbage, pet food, bird feeders or other attractants, according to Jacobsen, lose their natural drive to find food in the wild and oftentimes cannot be rehabilitated. “Keeping attractants secured not only helps keep you and your neighbors safe, it helps keep bears alive and promotes healthy bear behavior.”
Yellowstone National Park visitation numbers broke all-time records in both July and August of 2021, and the Gallatin Valley is the fastest growing micropolis in the country. As more people visit and move to these wild areas, bear encounters will become more common. In addition to storing food properly, hiking in groups, and carrying and knowing how to use bear spray, it’s also key to avoid startling bears, which many people do by yelling “Hey bear!”
The brand Hey Bear has harnessed the power of these words and turned it into a movement. “There’s been this massive population growth in bear habitat areas,” said Eric Ladd, the brand’s founder and owner of Outlaw Partners, publisher of Explore Big Sky and Mountain Outlaw. “You see more and more interactions with people and bears … and it prompted me to try and have an impact and create a solution for these problems.”
Hey Bear cobrands with a number of sustainable and ethical brands, such as Cotopaxi, selling T-shirts, hats, jackets and bear spray belts, and is subsequently creating a movement around education and recreation as well as partnering with regional bear habitat conservation efforts. Hey Bear is more than just a brand of sustainable and fashionable products—it’s a movement that advocates for those beautiful apex predators with whom we live.
This is the ethos of Hey Bear.
“If you’re going to coexist with a creature at the top of the predator pile, like a bear, you have to treat them with a tremendous amount of care and respect, otherwise that interface is not going to turn out well,” said Ladd. “We should consider ourselves lucky to be stewards and to be living with a creature such as a bear.”
And we are lucky—lucky to share a space in this beautiful ecosystem with these bruins. Lucky, even, to be awakened by them at night while camping, or to see one on a hike or from a distance in our car so long as we’ve taken the precautions required of us to be good stewards in their home.
Tips from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks: Being responsible in bear country
• Hike in groups of three or more
• Make noise, we recommend shouting “Hey bear!”
• Store food properly when hiking or camping
• Carry bear spray, keep it within reach and know how to use it
• Visit a bear safety class with Fish, Wildlife and Parks
• If you see a bear from afar, stay 100 yards away
• If you encounter a bear and it moves toward you, move slowly away and speak in low tones
• If a black bear charges, stand your ground and fight back
• If a grizzly charges, lay flat on your stomach, protecting your neck and head with your arms and do not move
• NEVER run from a bear
By the time snow begins to accumulate, grizzly bears have gained enough fat to see them through a long winter's sleep. PHOTO BY THOMAS D. MANGELSEN
A small cousin of the grizzly, the black bear is found throughout the United States in forested mountains. Unlike grizzlies, black bears are skilled at climbing trees. PHOTO BY THOMAS D. MANGELSEN
DISPATCHES FROM THE WILD: THE FLUCTUATING POPULATIONS OF TRUMPETER SWANS HOW ARE JACKSONITES SAVING IT?
BY BENJAMIN ALVA POLLEY EBS COLUMNIST
Deep in the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is a remote, shallow pond teeming with aquatic plants far from human activity. This pond is home to a pair of nesting trumpeter swans. These giant snow-white birds with black bills and black legs stand 5 to 6 feet tall and weigh 25 pounds. The largest waterfowl in the United States can even live for 25 years in the wild. Their numbers are globally estimated at around 63,000 birds of breeding age.
The conservation story of this iconic bird wasn’t always successful. They were once thought extinct in the Lower 48 due to overhunting and habitat loss. Around the turn of the 20th century, the population hit all-time lows. Biologists estimated fewer than 70 wild breeding pairs in remote parts of Yellowstone National Park.
In 1932, a flock of swans was discovered in the innermost regions of Yellowstone, surprising even the most ardent birdwatchers. People thought they were the last remaining swans in the continental United States.
Yellowstone’s remoteness and protection as a national park might have saved the birds from overhunting and extinction.
Despite the challenges, the trumpeter swans have shown remarkable resilience. Even after their Yellowstone numbers dropped to just four individuals in 2010, they have managed to bounce back, with their population now at 80 individuals in Yellowstone.
Several contributing factors, including human disturbance, disease and climate change, contribute to the birds' constant decline and competitive struggle to survive in a wetland ecosystem.
Despite the yo-yo-like nature of their populations, trumpeter swans have always been associated with Jackson, Wyoming, and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Bill Long, a former Wyoming Game and Fish Department warden and the founder of the Wyoming Wetlands Society, has been a critical figure in conserving trumpeter swans. His initiative to start a captive breeding program in 1986 has been instrumental in saving the birds and releasing them back into the tri-state region of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming and even Oregon.
The society has since raised and released over 800 young swans, or cygnets, back into the wild. From north to south, the project areas include Montana’s Flathead Reservation, Blackfoot Valley, Madison Valley, Yellowstone and Teton national parks, Fort Hall Reservation in Idaho, Bear Lake, Wyoming’s Big Sandy and Green rivers, and Summer Lake, Oregon.
Over the years, Long has worked closely with Wyoming Game and Fish, Wind River Reservation, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks,
The Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and the Pacific Flyway Council to determine where to release the yearlings.
In July, the Wyoming Wetlands Society released five yearlings near the Big Sandy Creek River area in the Wind River Range. In August and September, another six swans were released.
This is vital in places like Wyoming, where 75% of the species rely on riparian habitats in a dry environment. Wetlands and riparian corridors are super crucial for species as our planet warms.
While stabilizing the swan population is crucial, the need for protecting the wetlands is urgent. These ecosystems are home to thousands of plants and animals and play a vital role in improving water quality, protecting against floods, and maintaining streamflow. The rise and fall of trumpeter swan numbers serve as a barometer for the health of these wetlands.
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.
Swan cygnets are released into the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park by specialists in 2024. PHOTO BY JACOB W. FRANK / NPS
EVERY DROP COUNTS WILDFIRE AND STREAM RESTORATION
BY ROBIN FEDOCK EBS COLUMNIST
The realities of life and climate change across the West, and specifically in our corner of southwest Montana, are compounding to increase the threat of wildfires, which are only predicted to grow in size and frequency. Factors like poorly planned development, warmer winters, less snow, biodiversity loss and drought are driving the trend. This risky set of conditions is also straining our already sensitive rivers, streams, groundwater and water supply. As wildfires get worse, our waters become more compromised. In order to adapt to these dangerous feedback loops, it’s critical to consider the close relationship between wildfires and water systems. How can we use what we know about their connection to plan for a more fireresilient and water-secure future?
Take water supply, for example: fires that burn through watersheds can leave behind a wake of nasty pollutants and heavy metals that leach into the water supply and are difficult and expensive to filter or treat. Fires also alter the landscape’s vegetation and soil, which can cause erosion and flooding, and help the contaminated water travel fast. So while a local wildfire might only directly
impact a small area, its secondary impacts to water quality and water supply could have far-reaching consequences for nearby communities and those downstream.
So, what can be done? How can we steward the streams, rivers and groundwater in our neck of the woods in a way that helps prevent the spread of wildfires, or at the very least, lessens the severity and longevity of their impact?
The good news is that stream restoration approaches can also function to reduce the harm from wildfires. In the case of wildfires, a single stream restoration project can offer simultaneous benefits.
One such multipurpose approach uses low-tech process-based restoration, or LTPBR, and borrows ecological design wisdom from beavers. An online animation from Emily Fairfax, who studies beavers and wildfire, illustrates how beaver dams function to raise the water table and direct water flows onto the landscape, effectively creating wetlands, a natural firebreak. “Can’t start a campfire with soggy sticks,” she notes. “Beavers = Firefighters.”
Fairfax’s research found that “overall, riparian zones with beaver activity were three-times less affected by wildfires compared to riparian zones without beaver activity. In short, places with beavers stayed green. Places without beavers? Not so much.”
In Big Sky, you can find an effective example of LTPBR along the Middle Fork of the West Fork Gallatin River. The Gallatin River Task Force, working in partnership with Big Sky Resort and Trout Unlimited, used LTPBR and beaver dam analogs to raise the water table and restore the channelized stream and degraded wetland along that stretch of river. While the primary goal of the project was not focused on wildfire prevention and resiliency, the outcomes surely supported these aims.
LTPBR is a remarkably simple, effective, and low cost approach to stream restoration and wildfire prevention—it allows the natural systems to work as they should. This is why the Task Force is in the process of identifying and mapping this kind of restoration treatment for the main streams in Big Sky: the Middle Fork, North Fork, South Fork, and West Fork.
Wildfires, rivers, streams, groundwater and our communities are deeply entangled here in southwest Montana, impacting each other in rapidly changing ways. As we continue to learn more about these systems and the problems they both pose and face, it can be useful to consider how they are connected. That connection might just spark a solution.
Robin Fedock is the communications and marketing manager for the Gallatin River Task Force.
GALLATIN VALLEY IRRIGATORS:
BIG SKY RECYCLED SNOWMAKING IS GOOD FOR THE LAND AND MONTANA AGRICULTURE
BY KURTIS DYKEMA GUEST COLUMNIST
From growing up as a 4-H kid in the ManhattanChurchill area, to now working toward taking over my family’s farm along with my brother, it’s safe to say I’ve seen many highs and lows in the Gallatin Valley—with many of the challenges being out of our control.
For the past decade, one of the most significant challenges we’ve faced has been drought. According to the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s 2024 Montana Drought Outlook Report, much of Montana is facing abnormally dry to severe drought conditions resulting from low snowpack and below average precipitation.
Low snowpack in the winter months in the mountains leads to less cold-water flow during the hot summer months downstream, which impacts river, land and animal health.
As president of the Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators, I have had a front row view of how the drought has impacted my fellow farmers and ranchers. AGAI, established in 2004, strives to be the guardian and advocate of the Gallatin River system through the protection of historically decreed water rights. We work to protect the river system, as well as the farming stewards of the land.
To farmers and ranchers, water is everything. Access to clean, usable water is not only critical to our bottom line, but also to Montana-grown agricultural production. And as we continue to
see record-low levels of snowpack each winter, the Gallatin River has suffered—straining the health of the river, the riparian floor, and family farms and ranches all over the Gallatin Valley.
That’s why when the Big Sky community first approached us about their industry-leading recycled snowmaking program, we were so optimistic. For the first time in a long time, there was an innovative way to take back control on something that impacts our lives so heavily.
The idea of recycled snowmaking is fairly simple: take recycled water from the broader Big Sky community—treated water that most communities in Montana, including Bozeman, pipe directly back into the river—to make base-layer snowpack on ski runs. Thanks to a new $60 million state-ofthe-art water treatment facility, the treated water in Big Sky is considered "Class A-1," the highest classification of reuse water recognized by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. The tightly packed base layer snowpack then slows the rate of melt throughout the spring and summer, which recharges the aquifer and results in increased cold-water flow into the Gallatin River during the dry, hot months. Based on the current permitted recycled water amount, this additional volume could last up to 19 extra days, increasing cold-water flow into the Gallatin.
The recycled snowmaking program this year added an additional 21 million gallons of highly treated recycled water to the watershed. That addition ultimately recharged the aquifer, benefiting all downstream users.
After over a decade of extensive environmental review, numerous conservation groups, including AGAI, wrote letters of support to DEQ for the
first-ever recycled snowmaking program in the state. The permit, which was submitted by the Yellowstone Club, was approved by DEQ in August of 2021, and began this past 2023-24 ski season. Now, the broader community is seeking to expand the concept with the backing of the conservation community. Other Montana ski resorts are also taking notice as a tool to combat persistent drought.
The Gallatin Valley is the headwaters of the Missouri-Mississippi watershed, which drains roughly two-thirds of the United States. The health of our Gallatin River is critical not just for us, but for all those downstream.
This project wouldn’t have happened without collaboration. We applaud the Yellowstone Club for their leadership and investment in making this a reality that other ski areas can follow. We are also grateful to Trout Unlimited, American Rivers, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, the Gallatin River Task Force, Bridger Bowl, and Big Sky Resort for their support of this conservation effort.
As Montanans, we all have the privilege of calling this amazing state home. Along with that privilege comes the responsibility to care for our land and make our community a better place. The teamwork it took to get this innovative, environmentally responsible project across the finish line is something to be proud of. I join the rest of the Gallatin Valley agricultural community in saying that I look forward to an increased abundance of cold, late-stream flows.
Kurtis Dykema is the President of the Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators and farms his family’s multi-generation ranch. He grew up in the Manhattan-Churchill area and graduated from MSUNorthern at Havre.
HEALTH BUZZ A HOLISTIC RUNDOWN—ADRENAL HEALTH HEALTH
BY KALEY BURNS EBS COLUMNIST
The adrenal glands are vital glands that pump out dozens of different “lifedependent” hormones daily. Many of us are familiar with cortisol as the “stress hormone,” but it actually has many crucial roles within the body including electrolyte balance, managing fluid retention, supporting sleep and concentration and even helping libido. This is why adrenal hormonal imbalances usually impact many areas of your well-being.
Typically, the underlying causes of adrenal imbalance include a combination of factors related to high stress levels or significantly stressful experience, exposure to environmental toxins, lack of sleep or pushing past exhaustion while overexercising, and poor diet.
Adjusting caffeine and alcohol intake helps. Too much of either alcohol or caffeine interferes with your sleep cycle and can result in abnormal adrenal function as well as anxiety or depression.
Eating an unrefined diet can also help. Consuming natural, healthy fats (coconuts and coconut oil, butter, avocado, nuts, seeds and olive oil), wildcaught fish (such as salmon, mackerel or sardines that provide anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids), Celtic or Himalayan sea salt, and high-fiber foods (like berries, chia seeds, flaxseeds and starchy veggies) all support optimal adrenal hormone regulation.
It’s worth checking your movement routine. Exercise helps combat stress, but it’s also possible for it to be “too much of a good thing.” Overexercising and not recovering properly with rest days taxes your adrenals and interferes with hormone production. Try to move your body in ways that you enjoy, but also give yourself rest when needed.
Testing for adrenal function will vary for each individual. Testing can be performed in some individuals through saliva tests, others via blood testing, or urine collections may also be used.
As with all holistic care, there is not a one-sizefits-all approach to promote balanced and healthy adrenal and glandular function. Therapies must be tailored to meet each individual’s needs. It is important to work with a team that can optimize your unique health needs.
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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