VIEWS. - Summer 2020

VIEWS. Big Sky’s Real Estate Guide

Resilience of the market Big Sky

7 hot trends

IN INTERIOR DESIGN

A CRAVING FOR GROWTH finding joy in houseplants

On the cover: Aerial view of Gallatin Preserve in Big Sky, MT

An Outlaw Partners Publication

VISTAS 08

Big Sky Gumption: Words from a Chef Food, resiliency, community and a ski bum-town up to the challenge

16

7 HOT Trends in Interior Design

24

Architect’s Wife: Rewriting the Book on Mountain Style

30

A Craving for Growth Finding solace, joy in houseplants

35

Big Sky State of Real Estate – Summer 2020

39

Two of the finest private residential clubs in the Rockies call Big Sky home Perhaps you should, as well.

40

Open Space is the New Luxury Boasting incredible outdoor recreation, plus a steady flow of new amenities and infrastructure, the Big Sky community was already growing. Now, with wide open spaces valued more than ever, its appeal is deepening.

46

Robert Kerdasha, AssuredPartners has you Covered

50

Montana and Big Sky: Worthy Classrooms

2 | Summer 2020

VIEWS.

Ranches at Yellow Mountain 526 acres +/- | $5,800,000 Michael Pitcairn michael@lkrealestate.com | (406) 995-2404

VIEWS.

Summer 2020 | 3

VIEWS. Owned and published in Big Sky, Montana.

PUBLISHER Eric Ladd VIEWS. PRODUCTION TEAM HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Sam Brooks MANAGING EDITOR Michael Somerby ART DIRECTOR Marisa Opheim OUTLAW PARTNERS TEAM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Megan Paulson

ASSISTANT EDITOR Bella Butler

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, VP MEDIA Joseph T. O’Connor

ASSOCIATE EDITOR, DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR Brandon Walker

VP SALES AND MARKETING E.J. Daws

ASSISTANT EDITOR Mira Brody

VP EVENTS Ennion Williams

SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANT, DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Kirby Grubaugh

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Blythe Beaubien MEDIA AND EVENTS DIRECTOR Ersin Ozer

GRAPHIC DESIGNER ME Brown CONTROLLER Treston Wold

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS/EDITORS Robert Hall, Kate Hull, Scott Mechura, Stacy Ossorio, Emily Stifler Wolfe CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS/ARTISTS Hutomo Abrianto, Retha Ferguson, Dan Gold, Lukas Goumbik, Robert Hall, Angele Kamp, Lasse Moller, Vecislavas Popa, Elena Putina, Aaina Sharma, Kene Sperry, Fabian Stroobants VIEWS. magazine is southwest Montana’s leading print and digital real estate publication; core distribution includes Big Sky, Bozeman, West Yellowstone, contracted placement in select resorts, and subscribers in all 50 states.

To advertise in VIEWS. winter 2020, contact Sam Brooks at sam@theoutlawpartners.com.

OUTLAW PARTNERS & VIEWS. P.O. Box 160250, Big Sky, MT 59716 (406) 995-2055 • media@outlaw.partners © 2020 VIEWS. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited Follow us on Instagram: @views.montana CHECK OUT THESE OTHER OUTLAW PUBLICATIONS:

64 Lodgepole Lane 6 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms 6,160 sq. feet +/- | 19.86 acres | $3,895,000 Ryan Kulesza ryan@lkrealestate.com | (406) 995-2404

Views: Why we’re here Try, for a moment, to recall your first minutes in Big Sky. Rounding the corner on Lone Mountain Trail near the intersection of Highway 191, you pass by the resident herd of salt-licking rams—known, in some local circles, as the “Bachelor Party”—and realize that unlike many ski town peers, this place has some wild still left in it.

Your thoughts begin to drift to the towering, pyramid-esque mountain you’ve heard so much about; imagining what it feels like to careen down it’s pillowed and steep faces is a common occurrence, so you’re not alone there. But no Google Image search can adequately prepare anyone for what awaits just around the bend.

It’s a flooring experience, witnessing a snow-covered Lone Mountain set against a powder blue backdrop. The mountain calls and we answer and we fall in love in an instant.

For most, it’s a moment where conversation stops and you’re arrested by the view. Within a few days’ time, that initial impression is sustained by face-shot powder, picturesque canyon vistas, fly fishing and the countless trails and backpacking opportunities within a stone’s throw.

If it’s not already under consideration, the thought manifests: I could live here.

And it started with a view.

That’s the essence of VIEWS., a publication that serves to celebrate two milestones—those unforgettable seconds approaching Big Sky; and the culminating event of joining its growing and dedicated community situated along the base of the mountain.

With a focus on the real estate market in our town, supplemented with Big Sky living and lifestyle pieces, VIEWS.—published three-times per year—aims to remind even longtime residents of the roots of their love affair with the beautiful landscapes and people of our community.

The VIEWS. team remembers well the earliest days of our own lives in Big Sky, the magic of its novelty, and as we all work to make the town a little better, day by day, year by year, we know some of our readers will soon join us in that pursuit.

At the very least, we’ll see you on the hill. Cheers to Big Sky and the VIEWS. that make it all possible. - The Editors

Gallatin Preserve 160 +/- acre tracts | Starting at $4,300,000 Spanish Peaks Mountain Club The Big Sky Real Estate Co. info@bigsky.com | (406) 995-6333

PHOTO BY LUKAS GOUMBIK

BIG SKY

GUMPTION: WORDS FROM A CHEF Food, resiliency, community and a ski bum-town up to the challenge

BY SCOTT MECHURA

I’LL NEVER FORGET

when I moved to Big Sky in 2000 from Mahtomedi, Minnesota. I knew exactly two people. One was a friend of a friend. And the other, someone I had met just once before.

Luckily, I’m a chef.

When I drove past the flourishing Gallatin Gateway Inn after a “reverse commute” into Bozeman to pick up some small wares for the grand opening of The Timbers in Moonlight Lodge, my first gig in the mountains, I decided to stop in and introduce myself to the resident chef.

It’s not like I had any acquaintances waiting up for me in Big Sky at that point, anyway.

So I found the back door to the kitchen, as is instinctual for my kind, and cautiously made my way in and around a couple corners. I asked if the chef had a minute, and a young line cook whisked (no pun) away. A few moments later, a man walked around the corner in whites and a blood-soiled (not his) apron, the hallmark trappings of a maker of good meals. At least in my opinion.

who were equally open book—all without being asked, mind you.

I politely told him who I was and the details of my upcoming opening at Moonlight. He knew it: without coming out and asking, I was looking for guidance, someone to show me the ropes in my new home. Anything for some grounding, and he happily obliged.

Along the way, I have met hundreds of men and women in Big Sky’s hospitality industry, and there is a comradery here that is like nothing I have experienced in my 35 years in the business. It comes in the form of willingness to help each other, to at times share staff, business ideas, intel from the ski hill and the park, or even news of a blizzard on its way, threatening foot traffic as much as commutes home.

After some time, I let him get back to his kitchen; twenty years later and Eric Stenberg is one of my closest friends.

I ended up meeting many chefs and cooks that first year

You see, outside of our common ground, they understood there was a common goal: to enhance guest experience in any way they could possible, as we all depend on that collective effort.

It’s a quality that is microcosmic of the Big Sky community.

THE RECENT PANDEMIC SCARE

that gripped our nation and ground commerce to a screeching halt came, ironically, at a time somewhat synchronous to when Big Sky would be starting to wind down for the “shoulder season” anyway.

Big Sky businesses, and those in destination communities like it throughout the Rockies and beyond, routinely grapple with a regular jolting sensation, where, just like that, the town flips from “dead” to “alive” and vice-versa. In a sense, we were well-prepared for downturn, a natural part of life in Big Sky, whereas Bozeman—our valley neighbors to the north—were far less equipped for a shutdown in TOP: PHOTO COURTESY OF LOTUS PAD BOTTOM: PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAELANGELO’S BIG SKY

PHOTO COURTESY OF BLUE BUDDHA SUSHI LOUNGE

coast-to-coast. But my kitchen opened that night, as did everyone else throughout the community, ready to console the people and community we’ve all come to cherish through tender, warm meals.

Anyone who has opened a restaurant or bar in town knows the innumerable challenges of busy moments, as well as those experienced when things slow down and most locals breathe in their newfound, temporary calm and space.

FOR MANY EATERIES

in Big Sky, though not opening from the ground up every season, the staffing, menu creation and sourcing of local purveyors is a restart that occurs biannually. Year after year, decade after decade. The bottom line: Big Sky’s restaurants, chefs and owners endure a healthy share of knocks. But we endure both periods, and the moments in between, for you: the customer, the community, our friends and family.

the middle of a period previously marked by blistering economic growth.

Big Sky is accustomed to such hurdles and it always has been. That’s why were so close, we need each other. Brick and mortar business owners know and expect this as they set up shop in town, an ultimate commitment to the community they love and serve, an ethos paramount for success.

Such has been the case throughout history, like in the winter of 1978 where older locals recall what sounded like shotguns blasting off in the middle of the night, only to learn it was the splitting of trees succumbing to bitter colds; the next morning, you can be certain Big Sky was open for a bite to eat as people shuffled in, red-eyed, from the chill.

A decade later, in 88, the largest forest fires in Yellowstone’s recorded history closed roads and shut down one of the nation’s greatest tourist attractions to the south; yet again, Big Sky was ready for business.

And I remember the morning of 9/11, and what those terrible and fateful moments did to our people, from

VIEWS.

Big Sky is built on a series of ideals: relaxation, skiing, outdoor recreation, escape from hustle and bustle, and so on. But bigger than that, perhaps the greatest reason it always flourishes is because Big Sky was built on happy friendships. And it’s simply in the blood of a Big Sky resident to be hospitable.

Since that humble beginning, I have made countless friends here, and not only in hospitality. In response to “Why Big Sky?” they all say things like “just look around, where else would you want to be?”

Though, chefs inherently spot silver linings. I think of Olive B’s Big Sky Bistro chef Ian Troxler, who puts it best: “the challenges of being a chef are universal, so why not here where I can look up at Lone Peak every day?”

Big Sky is good at many things, not the least of which is perseverance. This may be a tough time for much of the nation. But to Big Sky, this is old hat, and we love that because we’re never alone.

Summer 2020 | 11

BY THE NUMBERS BOZEMAN 5-YEAR POPULATION GROWTH TREND

21.3%

Regional population estimated to double within 15 years

RECENT MARKET LOOKBACK (APRIL - JUNE 2020) FOR THE GREATER BOZEMAN AND BIG SKY AREA Single Family Homes, Condos and Townhomes

BOZEMAN

BIG SKY

Median Sale Price

Median Sale Price

431K

771K

$223/sq.ft Avg. Sale Price vs. Listing Price

98.96% Interesting Fact:

$390/sq.ft Avg. Sale Price vs. Listing Price

96.2%

*Big Sky is growing 3x faster than Aspen, CO and Sun Valley ID, and 5x faster than Jackson, WY

All information given is considered reliable, but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, and should not be relied upon as such. These offerings are subject to errors, omissions, and changes including price or withdrawal without notice. Statistical information obtained through MLS, information considered reliable but we cannot guarantee its accuracy. All rights reserved.

Equal Housing Opportunity. If you currently have a listing agreement or buyer broker agreement with another agent, this is not a solicitation to change. Š2019 LK REAL ESTATE lkrealestate.com * Private Club membership by invitation or upon approval **Per MLS as of date of publishing

MAY 2018 - MAY 2020 STATS MEDIAN SALES PRICE - RESIDENTIAL $1.0M $0.8M $0.6M $0.4M

$771,250

$730,000 $560,000 $370,000

Bozeman $432,000 | +6.7%

$432,000

$405,000

May 2019-May 2020

Big Sky $771,250 | +5.7%

$0.2M $0

+9.5% 2018

+30.4%

+6.7%

2019 Bozeman

+5.7% 2020

Big Sky

SALES $1.1 MILLION OR MORE 100

60 40

81

78

76

80

67

59

44

May 2019-May 2020 Bozeman 67 | +13.6%

20

Big Sky 81 | +3.8%

0

+34.1% 2018

+2.6%

+13.6%

2019 Bozeman

+3.8%

2020 Big Sky

TOTAL SALES VOLUME $1.0B $0.8B

$707,466,837

$756,066,670

$721,993,649

May 2019-May 2020

$0.6B $0.4B $0.2B

$287,262,070

$250,047,097

$295,632,418

Bozeman $756,066,670 | +4.7% Big Sky $295,632,418 | +2.9%

$0

+2.1% 2018

+14.9% 2019

Bozeman

+4.7%

+2.9% 2020

Big Sky

Stats brought to you by:

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For more information on what you can expect, visit BozemanHealth.org.

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HOT TRENDS IN INTERIOR DESIGN

A set of seven complimentary elements—space, line, light, forms, color, texture and patterns—define the timeless art of interior design. Harmoniously joining those essential components form the backbone to any aesthetically pleasing interior space; a challenge that delights, perplexes and evolves eternally, much like fashion or haute cuisine. It is a dynamic craft.

In homage to those elements, the VIEWS. team presents seven of our favorite trends in interior design, contemporary and tasteful. Try your hand at any or all of these popular styling offshoots to provide your mountain home with a chic makeover sure to earn the envy of guests (be cheeky) and the appreciation of family.

-The Editors

16 | Summer 2020

VIEWS.

1. EARTHY COLORS Although the Pantone Color of the Year—an annual, trendsetting designation—is “Classic Blue,” one of the most popular emerging interior design practices is the integration of earthy tones into living and work spaces. With residences either on or at the base of a mountain as grand as Lone Mountain, the concept should be quite palatable for Big Sky residents. Think colors that include words harvested straight from nature—“Forest Night,” “Dusty Green,” “Charred Clay,” “Earth Brown,” “Olive Green” and “White Sulfur,” among dozens more in the organically inclined collection. These choices will only help to integrate your living space into the beautiful surroundings that sit just on the other sides of windows and walls.

PHOTO BY AAINA SHARMA

2. BIOPHILIC DESIGN Take trend No. 1 a step further with biophilic design, a concept that seeks to form connective tissue between indoor and synthetic living spaces with the outdoors. The foundation of this trend incorporates natural light, water, organic shaped furniture, indoor plants (see pg. 30) and gardens, stone, wood, metals and natural imagery to bring this interior design theory to life. What might that look like? Woven straw ottomans, wooden chairs upholstered with jungle patterned fabrics, floral throw pillows, raw metal pots for trees, bamboo side tables, cowhide rugs and blinds or shades that allow plenty of that Montana sunshine to brighten every corner of the room. And don’t do it just for the aesthetics—which are always pleasant, when done right—research suggests incorporating direct or indirect elements of nature into one’s home can reduce stress, balancing blood pressure levels and heart rates.

PHOTO BY HUTOMO ABRIANTO

3. FLORAL - VEGETATION WALLPAPER

PHOTO BY DAN GOLD

No. 3 pairs excellently with those design elements touted

by Nos. 1 and 2: floral wallpaper. Just as fashion trends tend to come back into style, so too do interior design fads, and floral wallpaper is one such Lazarus. Though, don’t be mistaken, this isn’t granny’s powder room floral wallpaper, delicate and dainty. Think BOLD. We’re talking bright flowers where a single petal takes up square feet of wall space, and thick green leaves and tendrils spanning the spaces in between. Vibrant and dynamic, choosey floral wallpaper can serve as a defiant, contrasting element or one that sets the tone for the entire scheme of the room—designer’s choice. No matter the route, the outcome will always exhibit personality and class for those brave enough to venture outside the box.

18 | Summer 2020

VIEWS.

PHOTO BY DAN GOLD

4. MINIMALIST MAXIMALIST min·i·mal·ist (adj.) – relating to a basic design structure stripped of superfluous elements, colors, shapes and textures; basic max·i·mal·ist (adj.) – relating to a bold mix of color, pattern and texture with special emphasis on layering, collections and eccentric design choices With the above definitions, how could the two concepts ever be joined into a single interior design trend? Such is the beauty of the minimalist-maximalist movement, which blends the limited practices and pieces espoused by a minimalist with the eyepopping color, textures, patterns and eccentricities of a maximalist. This involves limiting a room to few, select items, but each must stop the show. Pull this trend off, and you’ll find a novel form of balance that at once fosters a calming feng sui, yet also excites.

VIEWS.

PHOTO COURTESY OF YOU X VENTURES

Summer 2020 | 19

5. LAYERED, CONTRASTING DÉCOR

PHOTO BY LASSE MOLLER

For those struggling to choose between new and old, bright and neutral, why not both?

Such is the basis of layered and contrasting décor, an emerging interior design trend that is an evolution of the maximalist movement— only less gaudy, depending on your perspective.

By combining styles of furniture that are traditionally mutually exclusive, adding a pop of color and some biophilic design here and there, you get a modern look with something for everybody—and harmoniously assembled into a scene that never bores, a tasteful “I Spy” experience folded seamlessly into your home’s interior design.

6. FIBER ART

PHOTO BY ELENA PUTINA

Art snobs, hold your nose, because here comes a curious newcomer that will certainly drive you a little mad—that is until fiber art becomes widely accepted and respected, and then you too hop on board with a purchase.

Fiber art is just as it sounds: pieces made from woven or lose material, often gaining shape through gravity. With plenty of texture, and hand-woven for those that have a pension for innovative craftsmanship, these pieces will provide a dash of novelty to any room and will undoubtedly serve as an easy conversation starter at your next soirée. And for the artistes in the bunch, a quick search on YouTube reveals dozens of do-it-yourself options for a piece that becomes instantly unique, personal and affordable (the top artists in the medium charge several thousand dollars per piece, depending on its size).

PHOTO BY VECISLAVAS POPA

7. MULTIFUNCTIONAL SPACES Long gone are the days where each room had its own specific use and activity—no exceptions.

What a boring way to imagine a living space, a home, where instead of a free-flowing experience—much like life itself—compartmentalization rules. Seems somewhat controlling, no? Today, people increasingly opt for multifunctional spaces, for example, where a kitchen and a living room have no boundary, or where only a Japanese-style room divider separates an office and a home gym. There’s something liberating to the approach, and the benefits are all too easy to see—more excuses to congregate and share time with the people you love, for one, or an ease of transitioning in between “modes” of home living. Continuity, here, is key.

VIEWS.

Summer 2020 | 21

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF ARCHITECT’S WIFE

ARCHITECT’S WIFE: REWRITING THE BOOK ON MOUNTAIN STYLE

BY MICHAEL SOMERBY

You might think folks stop into 23 W. Babcock St. for an oil change. Maybe a tire rotation, and with a little haggling on the price—the joint, after all, looks old school.

No one would blame you for the blunder. The building’s painted-on façade advertises “Montana Motor Supply Inc.” in faded powder blue and black lettering, and save for a sandwich board marquee outside reading “Architect’s Wife,” very little would hint at its contents.

But a step through the doorway is not unlike plunging into a designer’s dream, where a delightful assembly of furniture and fixtures, bespoke knick knacks and decor in every color and shape rush toward you, severing any memory of the mundane parking lot to your back.

Better still, a speakeasy, a place hidden away but with ample opportunity to indulge on uncommon luxuries and joys.

Perhaps, such is the charm of Architect’s Wife, challenging its orthodox predecessors with an eccentric yet curiously understated approach to design that will certainly rewrite the book on what mountain style can be.

Long gone are the days where a few lacquered tree bark armchairs and a moose head mounted to the wall was enough to call it good—though, there is a reverence for nostalgia present in the curated selection found at

VIEWS.

Architect’s Wife, where a team of discerning interior designers has managed to achieve a fine balance between cutting edge and traditional, urban and rustic. What it presents are new paths to frame the concept of a mountain home, where distance from traditional centers of culture doesn’t mean you shouldn’t forge your own.

Led by the veteran hand of Abby Hetherington, owner and founder of Architect’s Wife and the eponymous Abby Hetherington Design firm integrated into the backend of the space, to walk through Architect’s Wife’s maze of décor is simply thrilling. Italian furniture of rich color, textures and textiles are juxtaposed by Americanmade and found items—such as upmarket puzzles and board games and devilish coffee table books—provoking dreams of nights spent by a fire, the kiddos playing Dog Bingo in its warmth while the adults in the room relax muscles sore from a day skiing on green velvet ottomans, chatting just quietly enough to hear the crackling timber.

There is no shortage of imagination tinder found within those post-industrial walls. Each corner of the building has been transformed into a room, of sorts, complete with their own palettes and themes.

Pop into a giant canvas tent for a taste of cabin hideaway, complete with tin signs of old, beaver pelt stools with elk antler legs, Native-print rugs and life-size wooden artillery Summer 2020 | 25

shells—there is no doubt, with no one watching, you might be compelled to steal a nap there.

Just on the other side of the fabric, an urban aerie space of white, where tonal couches and artwork bask in light from a chandelier made of cooking utensils that expand from a universe of filament bulbs. Think curling up for cappuccinos after supper.

A spin around the corner is where earthy and fruitlike colors collide in living room and den arrangements, fit for warm brie spread on crisp Washington apples, where the only company necessary are the bookshelves baring your favorite works of fiction from the likes of Norman MacLean, Cormac McCarthy and John Steinbeck.

But you will never see these beautiful arrangements, like I did. Your experience will be all your own, a unique brush with the most cuttingedge shop in the region, as nothing in Architect’s Wife stays put for long. The room is a breathing and evolving entity, complex and charismatic, just like the sensible buyers of each unique item.

A STEP THROUGH THE DOORWAY IS NOT UNLIKE PLUNGING INTO A DESIGNER’S DREAM, WHERE A DELIGHTFUL ASSEMBLY OF FURNITURE AND FIXTURES, BESPOKE KNICK KNACKS AND DECOR IN EVERY COLOR AND SHAPE RUSH TOWARD YOU, SEVERING ANY MEMORY OF THE MUNDANE PARKING LOT TO YOUR BACK. 26 | Summer 2020

VIEWS.

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a craving

FOR GROWTH Finding solace, joy in houseplants

BY KATE HULL

In the thick of the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the heaviness of what the world was, and in many cases still is, collectively experiencing was palpable. Stress and uncertainty seemed to creep in from every corner as we navigated a jarring period of hunkering-down, waiting for the next steps or some semblance of normalcy to reemerge.

Amidst grappling with what to do in the insecurity of those early days, I—like so many others—found solace in the simplistic joy of reviving or finding a hobby. Many searched for sourdough starters and took on the art of baking bread, most notably turning banana bread into an overnight superstar.

Others dove into their artistic sides, learning to paint, knit and create something new.

I needed to get my hands a little dirty, and even as the snow continued to fall outside my window, blanketing the Greater Yellowstone landscape in white, I looked to the plant world for little bits of bliss and reprieve. Propagating stonecrop succulents, fussing over my ever-growing inch plants and repotting thriving mother-in-law’s tongue, I’ve found gratitude in doting on and watching plants grow for years. But now, more than ever, I’ve found a doubled down joy in watching something grow, thrive and find its way.

And I’m unquestionably not alone in this indoor gardening journey.

Houseplants have always been a mainstay, to certain degrees, in living rooms, and on windowsills and desks across the globe. Over the past few PHOTO BY FABIAN STROOBANTS

months, however, residents from coast to coast—in mountain towns out West and high-rise apartments in urban metros, and everywhere in between—have sought a little extra comfort by bringing the outside in, especially as so many have found their homes warped into a cage of sorts, where the full gamut of existence—everything from bathing to making an income—transpires.

“Plants are able to grow through so many different situations, and they continue to remain hardy and beautiful and strong,” says Erin Marino, director of branding for the nationwide plant delivery company The Sill. Marino has, quite naturally, made a career in the plant word as an avid tender to her own ever-growing assemblage of houseplants.

“There is a piece of us that wants to feel similar to that,” Marino adds. “We can find some positivity and motivation in seeing a plant grow, even out of the crack of the sidewalk.

It carries a hopeful, sentimental feeling to it.”

The Sill began in New York City as a delivery service helping urban residents bring the outside’s greenery in.

Armed with the knowledge that plants help make people happier, healthier and more creative, The Sill has grown to now delivering plants nationwide, as well as adding

brick and mortar locations in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

This spring, the company observed traffic to their website double compared to similar periods, with people searching, en masse, for natural greenery to add to their spaces. This number is particularly impressive when factoring in the already steadily growing increase in gardening enthusiasts over the past few years. In 2018, the National Gardening Survey, produced by the National Gardening Association, found gardening prevalence at an all-time high—77 percent of American households participated in some form of gardening, whether outdoors or indoors. Similarly, indoor gardening enthusiasts grew to 30 percent, a figure unseen since the houseplant trend of the 70s, the survey found.

The benefits of having and tending to houseplants are plentiful. For one, you might recall the frequently referenced NASA study from the late-1980s that found plants improve the air quality of your home by removing volatile organic compounds, or COVs. Admittedly, horticulture and air-pollution experts over the years have found the key findings of the study aren’t inaccurate but are unlikely in everyday living spaces. (The short version: You’d

PHOTO BY ANGELE KAMP

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Summer 2020 | 31

PHOTO BY PAWEL CZERWINSKI

need an incredibly high concentration of plants to see the benefits of air quality changes). Still, that’s just one small piece of the plant-benefits medley.

Three experiments published collectively in the “Journal of Experimental Psychology,” known as the “Green vs.

Lean” study, found that a working environment featuring an abundance of plants and greenery leads to a more enjoyable, productive workspace.

“A lot of studies do show the impact of plants on a person’s overall mood and demeanor,” Marino says. “It [the ‘Green vs. Lean’ study] showed that employees in a green office with indoor plants were happier and less stressed and even called out sick less often, in comparison to workers in a space with less foliage and greenery as décor.”

Improvements in mental fatigue, heightened creativity, positive effects on mood, higher self-esteem; all have been common findings throughout numerous studies on the psychological effects of plants.

For a succinct and telling explanation of our affinity for integrating green into habitable spaces, an arguably revived movement, look to American biologist Edward O. Wilson’s biophilia hypothesis that proposes humans possess a genetic pull to “focus on and affiliate with nature.”

Wilson put it simply with his famed quote, “Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.”

Ask any mountain town resident if nature brightens the spirit, and I’d venture to guess you’d get a resounding affirmation, as those denizens know well the meditative and therapeutic qualities to finding a connection with nature.

Miranda Milligan, an American Society for Horticultural Science-certified horticulturalist based in Big Skybackyard-town Victor, Idaho, welcomes the juxtaposition of the outdoor world versus the nature we bring indoors, acknowledging their different effects on the soul.

“While the great outdoors inspires and challenges us, with its ever-changing, dramatic flora, it’s nice to come home to our ever-steady indoor plants,” Milligan says. “They provide a bit of a constant. They are reliable and they are soothing.”

We reap these benefits, she says, in the ritual of caring for them.

Whether born and raised in the wide-open West, or a newcomer searching for a little more room to breathe, it’s a simple task, in many respects, to understand the pull of nature for Montanans. Big Sky residents experience its majesty daily through pristine views of the rugged Gallatin Range or lush fields backing up to endless skies, and constantly seek a deeper connection to it by exploring their surroundings.

A silver lining of the times: the hardship has only served to reaffirm the importance of bringing that connection inside, surrounding ourselves with its perennial embrace.

32 | Summer 2020

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Plant Picks

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to add a new plant variety to your windowsill, The Sill recommends these go-to beginner favorites:

ZZ (Zanzibar gem) Plant

Lush, vertical growth makes this thickstemmed, waxy-leafed beauty a tried and true favorite. A variety of succulent, it does best with bright indirect to medium indirect light (but can handily tolerate low light).

Anthurium

A flowering plant, this favorite is known as the world’s longest-flowering plant. Blooms last up to eight weeks. Anthuriums do best in bright, direct sunlight.

Snake Plant

Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue (coincidence?), the snake plant has sword-like leaves that are lovely green and yellow hues. They are sun lovers, but can tolerate low light making them great additions for nearly all homes.

Pothos

“I can’t say enough good things about the pothos plant,” Erin Marino from The Sill says. It is known for tolerating just about any environment and is quick-growing, making it a favorite for office spaces.

PHOTO BY RETHA FERGUSON

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Summer 2020 | 33

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BY STACY OSSORIO

Purchasing a home, whether a primary residence or second home, can be a bewildering experience, and while we collectively continue to adjust and respond to the challenges posed by the pandemic, the scale of this life decision is rendered ever more true.

A perennially riveting topic of discussion, the real estate market in 2020 has been impacted to a noticeable extent by the consequences of attempts to manage COVID-19: the economic and social disruption have been evident.

Despite the swift and extraordinary restrictions on travel, the imposition of two-week quarantining and vacation rental cancellations, the sky has not fallen. More noticeably, the natural openness, outdoor activities and spacious landscapes that form the hallmarks of Big Sky and Montana have become a more compelling alternative to metropolitan population centers; postCOVID-19 prospects are promising.

For several years prior to pandemic conditions, inventory in our market has been trending lower, fueled by years of increasing absorption, fewer new listings, a burgeoning local population and lack of new, compelling developed inventory. Future subdivisions of land are unlikely to significantly increase lot availability due to lack of desirable sub-divisible opportunities in Gallatin County. In Madison County, Lone Mountain Land Company will likely forge ahead with their limited, premium priced ski-in ski-out condo offerings and high-end lot enclaves to compliment their private club offerings.

Heading into the winter season of 2020 there was continued demand for improved, existing property and buildable lots in the Meadow and Cascade/Mountain Village areas. Demand, coupled with low interest rates, made for a good start to the winter season, and well-priced properties were perceived as value propositions and sold quickly. Once the effects of pandemic conditions set in—reduced mobility and travel restrictions, gyrating stock market news and limited recreational alternatives—our typical “off season” arrived early and we lost our typical spring buyer momentum. Still, overall sales have remained strong and reveal the continued demand for first and second home opportunities in Big Sky. Here’s a look back at sales and market trends: Comparing first quarter 2020 month sales figures to the past 5 years shows the number of sales increasing from 94 sales in 2015, to a high of 124 in 2018 and 93 thus far in Q1 of 2020.

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Comparing the number of new listings in Q1 to the past 5 years shows 168 in 2015, a high of 197 in 2016 and for Q1 2020, the number has dropped significantly to 129 new listings.

Comparing the average number of active Q1 listings over the past 5 years also shows a decline from a high of 512 active listing in Q1 2016 to 288 active listings in Q1 2020.

So, while sales in Q1 2020 have been impacted by reactions to the pandemic, new listings and the average number of listings continue to decline as there are fewer properties to meet the increased demand.

Interestingly, while MLS does not track “back on the market” statistics, we saw a handful of contracts fall apart due to the rapid growth of uncertainty that became evident following an onslaught of gloomy news; though, many of those buyers have signaled a desire to return once a new normal has been redefined. Currently, there are 51 “pending” transactions indicating the commitment level of the Big Sky buyer.

The pandemic response has set into motion several fundamental changes that will impact our community and long-term market outlook. The desire for a second home or a “safe haven” will be a priority for many buyers. As the reality of remotely working continues to unfold, more people will be eying Big Sky and elsewhere in Montana as a viable alternative to the denser and more urban areas that, for some, have become more complex to navigate.

Wide-open spaces, gorgeous mountain vistas and a low-density community with well-appointed amenities are more and more in the spotlight and in demand. The Big Sky community continues to raise the bar by investing in community-wide state of the art facilities such as the new Big Sky Medical Center, Lone Peak High School, expanded education opportunities, the new Big Sky Community Center, diverse dining and lodging alternatives, seemingly limitless recreational opportunities and critical infrastructure enhancements.

So, as we look forward, there is a palpable sense of optimism that whatever the future and the “new normal” brings, yearround resort communities like Big Sky will continue to provide a haven for those who enjoy amenities that have been thoughtfully assembled in harmony with many things that will never change: natural beauty, low density and friendly denizens.

Stacy Osorio is a Broker with Engel & Völkers Big Sky cell: 406-539- 8553 stacy.ossorio@evrealeste.com stacyossorio.evrealestate.com Summer 2020 | 35

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Two of the finest private residential clubs in the Rockies call Big Sky home.

Perhaps you should, as well.

To live in Big Sky, to have a home here, is something many people aspire to - and for good reason.

What draws people here? For some, it's the world-class skiing at Big Sky Resort. For others, it's fly fishing the blue-ribbon Gallatin River. For still others, it's simply the inescapable experience of being amidst some of the most stunning scenery in Montana - mountains and forests that, when seen from the windows of a home, constantly beckon the viewer to be amidst them, look for wildlife, and just embrace the outdoors. To live in Big Sky is to love a lifestyle like no other.

The reasons are many, and that is why Big Sky, Montana is such a unique place to call home. It's a small and growing mountain town, where the people are not just passionate about the community, but equally passionate about taking full advantage of what it has to offer. It's a place not just to have a home, but to truly live. And two of the best places to do this are Spanish Peaks Mountain Club and Moonlight Basin.

Moonlight Basin is set on the northern side of Big Sky's iconic Lone Peak; Spanish Peaks Mountain Club is set on its southern side. While quite different, both Clubs speak to individuals and families who want to revel in the beauty of the mountains and enjoy a remarkable quality of life. While members hail from different backgrounds and all parts of the country, they share a common bond that has its roots in the simple desire to be in Montana. A desire that urges them to be amongst the company of like-minded people, sharing laughter and memories, relaxing, and playing in the outdoors.

MOONLIGHT BASIN, 8,000 ACRES OF WOW.

Let's visit Moonlight Basin first on a typical powder day mid-winter.

Moonlight Members have a true passion for skiing, and it shows.

The excitement is palpable. Looking out at Lone Peak from the windows at Moonlight Lodge, the view is of untracked powder and a clearing storm.

It's time to ski, time to snowboard, time to get after it. Fun awaits.

And out the doors of the Moonlight Lodge, straight to the chairlift they go. All motivated by their love of snow. Later, over lunch or cold beers at apres, stories of the day are shared, and plans are made for the next morning.

This is how it goes. Day after day after day.

And that's just the beginning of outdoor revelry at Moonlight. With more than 8,000 acres to explore, most of it untouched by anything but wildlife, flora & fauna, and wide-open spaces, the opportunities are endless.

A hot spot for families and couples alike, both winter and summer, is Ulery's Lake. Members gather here for BBQs and to snack at the Carpe Diem food truck, paddle boarding, fly fishing and swimming in the summer; ice skating, sledding, Nordic skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. The Yurt at Ulery's Lake is basecamp for Moonlight's guided trips, mountain biking, hiking, and fat tire biking, adjacent to 20 acres of private trails.

Just as impressive is The Reserve golf course, hosting some of the most spectacular vistas in Big Sky from every tee and green.

Moonlight Basin is a place where the outside and inside create a confluence that delivers an adventurous lifestyle to its members like no other in the Rockies.

SPANISH PEAKS MOUNTAIN CLUB, THE COMFORTS OF HOME AND LUXURY.

On the opposite side of Lone Peak, sits Spanish Peaks Mountain Club. Visit the Clubhouse on any given day, winter or summer, and you get a sense that members here feel at home with friends and family.

Whether it's second homeowners or full-time residents, this is a place where people come to relax, retreat, and spend time doing what's important. Families playing board games fill the lounge, members and staff greet one another with warm welcomes, children frolic outside together in groups of various ages, friends and siblings make crafts and ice cream sundaes at Fort Peaks, the epicenter for everything kids love to do at SP. This all takes place with the Spanish Peaks mountain range in close view, reminding members daily why they are here and why they never want to leave.

While the Club amenities, outdoor activities, family programming, ski access, golf-with-a-view on the Tom Weiskopf designed course, and member events are all abundant at Spanish Peaks, it's the simple pleasures and subtle luxuries that make it a place to call home.

Relax and stay a while, or maybe forever - that's the feeling one gets when arriving at SP. Big Sky continues to grow and evolve in many ways, as do Moonlight Basin and Spanish Peaks Mountain Club. But what remains the same is the allure for people who want a full and healthy life, and a place to come home to in the mountains.

THE BIG SKY REAL ESTATE CO.

BIGSKY.COM E INFO@BIGSKY.COM T 406.995.6333

Open Space is the New Luxury Boasting incredible outdoor recreation, plus a steady flow of new amenities and infrastructure, the Big Sky community was already growing. Now, with wide open spaces valued more than ever, its appeal is deepening.

BY EMILY STIFLER WOLFE

Gallatin Preserve 160 +/- acre tracts | Starting at $4,300,000 Spanish Peaks Mountain Club The Big Sky Real Estate Co. info@bigsky.com | (406) 995-6333

On a normal year, spring is slow in Big Sky. The resort

is closed from late April to June, seasonal workers leave town, and many business owners and residents decamp to Moab, Mexico and beyond. It’s mud season, and the rivers are too high to fish. The real estate market, likewise, slows down. Except this year, it didn’t.

The area had been positioned for a record year of real estate sales, according to Martha Johnson, a founding broker and VP of Sales at the Big Sky Real Estate Co. But when Big Sky Resort closed more than a month early on March 15 due to the coronavirus, many prospective buyers had to leave or cancel plans to visit. The market went into what Johnson described as “a pause” through April, but neither that nor the off-season lasted long.

“The phones started ringing in May, and things picked up dramatically—more than any other historical season,” Johnson said over the phone, as she and her son moved furniture for a client who’d sold his home in early June. Johnson has lived in Big Sky for 32 years and is the exclusive listing agent at the private Spanish Peaks Mountain Club. She says the nature of the inquiries is different now than in the past.

“In the luxury market, more than half my phone calls are for people looking to buy and live here year-round. They’re shifting from investment properties to second homes or primary residences. They want to move here from New York City, Chicago, L.A., San Francisco. Those are my calls.”

While Big Sky’s rugged peaks and clear, freestone rivers have long drawn diehard skiers, anglers and outdoor recreationists, a demographic shift has been underway for the last decade-plus, as new development brings with it improved amenities and infrastructure to support a growing year-round population that’s surpassed 3,000. Since 2009, Big Sky has gained an International Baccalaureate high school, a private Montessori school, a hospital and a performing arts center that draws international talent. New boutiques, restaurants and hotels appear every year.

There’s a farmer’s market, a free summer concert series, a movie theater and an awardwinning Professional Bull Riding event.

The combination of so many people working from home during the national shutdown (62 percent of employed Americans in April, according to a Gallup poll) plus Montana recording the fewest confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, may mean the virus speeds the area’s growth, feeding the momentum spurred by those capital improvements.

“I think this whole thing is going to be an accelerant for how people work and where people work and how people are educated,” said Bill Collins, director of sales at the Yellowstone Club, a private community in Big Sky. “People have found, by and large, that they can successfully work from home.”

Gallatin Preserve 160 +/- acre tracts | Starting at $4,300,000 Spanish Peaks Mountain Club The Big Sky Real Estate Co. info@bigsky.com | (406) 995-6333

After the Yellowstone Club’s ski resort closed in mid-March, around 120 member families chose to stay in their homes, Collins said.

And while sales there also paused in April, Collins noted they didn’t lose any ongoing deals or see distressed property sales because of the pandemic and subsequent shutdowns.

Since June 1, when the 14-day quarantine for out-of-state visitors lifted, the club has

Lodgeside 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms | 3,278 sq. feet +/Starting at $2,700,000 Moonlight Basin The Big Sky Real Estate Co. info@bigsky.com | (406) 995-6333 been “very active doing deals,” with numbers similar to last year.

“We’ve had slightly fewer transactions, but higher price points and we’re anticipating a really busy summer based on our demand. …

People are like, ‘Where do I want to raise my kids? Where am I safest? Where am I healthiest?’”

Already, the answer to those questions for more and more people was southwest Montana.

An hour north of Big Sky, the university town of Bozeman has been the fastest-growing city of its size in the country for the last four years, complete with a burgeoning tech sector, a thriving arts scene and direct flights to 22 cities. So, it should come as no surprise that a report commissioned by the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce in 2019 found that the community’s population grew 21 percent between 2015 and 2019. That’s three times faster than Aspen, Colorado, or Ketchum, Idaho, and five times faster than Jackson, Wyoming, during that time, according to the report.

Carolyn Cole, a real estate agent with Engel & Völkers Big Sky who moved here in 2018 from Connecticut, said as of early June, her clients were interested in buying soon, as cities continued to mire in shutdowns and unrest.

“During the stay-at-home order, people were out mountain biking and [hiking] here in Big Sky,” Cole said. “We had that luxury, versus being in New York City not wanting to get into an elevator on the 14th floor of an apartment building. …

Everybody is interested in buying in the short term—within a

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year. If things go bad or get worse, this is an awesome place to be. Open space is the new luxury.”

Inventory, which has been limited for the last several years, was nearly the same in the single-family market as compared to last year, with 34 new listings between January and May, as compared to 33 in 2019. Condo/townhouse market inventory, however, was down 14 percent, according to stats from the Gallatin Association of Realtors, which don’t include Yellowstone Club data. The yearto-date median sales price was up 10 percent to $1.83 million for single-family homes, and down 2 percent for condos and townhouses, to $480,000.

It’s the first time since the 2008 crash that home and property values in Big Sky have approached their pre-Great Recession height, and the economic landscape is different this time around.

In the years leading up to the 2008 crisis, bad loans, appraisal fraud and house flipping were occurring in Big Sky, as they were elsewhere in the country, with properties sometimes exchanging hands multiple times before they were even constructed.

“That was indicative of the time,” said Eric Ossorio, managing broker for Engel & Völkers Big Sky, who’s been in Big Sky for 28 years. “[In 2008], people were just buying things like they were yanking toilet paper off the shelves at Costco [this past winter]. That was a sandcastle. That was not a market built on a strong foundation… We have a much stronger foundation now, due to better lender oversight and a number of properties that are being sold for cash. People want to be in a place like this, so this is where they’re putting their money.”

Summer 2020 | 43

49820 Gallatin Road 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms 3,677 sq. feet +/- | 16.338 +/- acres | $1,895,000 Ryan Kulesza ryan@lkrealestate.com | (406) 995-2404 After the crash, the Boston-based investment firm CrossHarbor Capital Partners bought the Yellowstone Club out of bankruptcy in 2009, and partnered with Boyne Resorts, which owns Big Sky Resort, to purchase the area’s other two private residence clubs, Moonlight Basin and Spanish Peaks, in 2013. CrossHarbor has developed, constructed and sold more than $3.13 billion of real estate in the area, and through its affiliate, Lone Mountain Land Company, it has invested millions into public and private infrastructure, as well as community services including affordable and employee housing. Each of the clubs also has a community foundation, and together they give around $1 million annually, as of 2018, to support public education, community health, food security, conservation, the arts and other services.

This kind of support is crucial for Big Sky, an unincorporated community with no local government, that’s instead managed by a group of special districts, homeowner associations and nonprofits.

Boyne, too, is investing in upgrades. From a $13 million renovation of the base area hub to adding new ski terrain and mountain bike trails, and with a massive upgrade to the chairlift system in progress, the plan to transform Big Sky into a worldclass, year-round destination by 2025 is well underway.

Deemed essential in Montana, construction and real estate continued through the shutdown: The Montage Big Sky, a $400 million, five-star hotel and residence in Spanish Peaks, is still scheduled to open in 2021, and a new $20 million community center broke ground this spring in the Town Center, along with numerous residential construction projects.

Big Sky is a little over halfway built out, according to Tallie Lancey, a broker with Big Sky Sotheby’s International Realty.

Given that it is, in a sense, an island of developable property surrounded by public land, supply is a finite resource. Though, being earlier in its life cycle than other world-class mountain resorts like Jackson or Telluride, entry points will always be less expensive than those found in veteran competitors, Lancey said.

Even so, Lancey discourages clients from buying into Big Sky solely as a monetary investment. She cut her teeth on foreclosures and short sales here during the Great Recession, when Big Sky, itself, was also coming of age. She has since brokered the two highest dollar residential transactions in Big Sky outside of the Yellowstone Club, notably closing on the more expensive of the two during March’s shutdown. “[When] people ask if prices are going to come down, I say, ‘I don’t know. But ask yourself this: Do you want to buy in Big Sky before or after the Montage opens its doors, before or after [the Swift Current Chairlift] gets replaced with a 6-person highspeed bubble, before or after the pedestrian tunnel goes in and connects our two parks, before or after the community center gets built, or the water and sewer gets an upgrade?’ And then they go, ‘Oh! Before.’”

Lancey, who studied philosophy in college, says she often wonders what constitutes a good investment. “Does it mean your asset appreciates, or your lifestyle improves? The fundamentals are the same.”

44 | Summer 2020

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Robert Kerdasha, AssuredPartners has you covered

BY MICHAEL SOMERBY

Attention to detail—that’s where this story, a two-sided

someone who inherently understands the value of seeking only bespoke excellence in their field. Someone like Robert Kerdasha.

On the one side of said proverbial coin, an individual with a level of attention to detail that has proved a cut above. The fruits of that personal quality, coupled with hard work, are visible to even an outsider; your house(s); your car(s); your jewelry; your art; and so on.

Kerdasha began his journey in risk management

coin, starts.

Unfortunately, insurance coverage that doesn’t match that individual’s level of commitment to success is all too often on the reverse side of that coin, written, haphazardly, by professionals who are all too happy to toss signed documentation into a file cabinet. That’s where it will sit, never to be seen nor considered, until a problem arises.

This disparity has led to much heartache amongst high-net-worth individuals, who—either out of a lack of knowledge, appropriate concern or grandfathered-in insurance relationships that began as far back as college days—have failed to protect their most valuable assets from ill-fitting and flippant levels of coverage.

It’s an easily avoidable situation with the right insurance broker on your side, someone with a matched attention to detail,

over 30 years ago as a direct policy writer for Liberty Mutual, a proving grounds where he cut his teeth. In 1999, he parlayed that experience into starting his own agency, gaining the additional expertise, network and clientele that ultimately made him desirable to AssuredPartners, the Orlando, Florida, headquartered national insurance brokerage firm that specializes in commercial property and casualty insurance, employee benefits and personal insurance coverage.

Specifically, following AssuredPartners’ 2014 acquisition of Kerdasha, the seasoned professional leads up a team that caters to the spectrum of needs of high-net-worth, successful individuals.

The level of care Kerdasha brings to each of the 1,500 families enjoying his services begins with a proactive approach that identifies the hopes and expectations of individual clients.

In a sense, rather than wait for a question to arise or a problem to manifest, Kerdasha and his team identify all outstanding variables, potential difficulties and exposures from day one,

46 | Summer 2020

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combining both personal expertise and nearly three decades of experience provided by the brokerage in meeting this objective. Last, a written service timeline is created for each client’s specific needs, and request.

What makes the union between Kerdasha and AssuredPartners especially robust is a shared foundation of principles, in this instance. With 100 offices across the U.S., the privately owned brokerage has never kowtowed to pressures to go public, assuring (no pun) clients get the utmost care and concern. There are no stockholders to please and there is no intent to wrap the operation in a bow for a larger organization to snap up the business in a sale.

Kerdasha taps three decades worth of connections

within the industry to ensure his clientele fully experience the AssuredPartners way—in rapid fashion, if called for. After all, you’re paying for quality, the same reason you opted for a home in Big Sky, and that’s what Kerdasha seeks to deliver in every interaction.

And it’s important to remember that when you buy a house in Big Sky, there’s always an inherent, albeit small, risk of wildfire damaging your property—such is the nature of buying a home with incomparable proximity to wild, untapped places. Kerdasha exercises his network and history with top providers like Pure, Chubb, AIG and Cincinnati to ensure that even one of Mother Nature’s most untamable forces is kept at bay, again keeping your assets well-protected from financial loss.

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What’s more, AssuredPartners, unlike many competitors of greater scale, avoids spending large portions of their annual budget on advertisements—those campaigns can total into the hundreds of millions, even billions, of dollars, depending on the organization. Rather, those funds are applied to the customer through quality policies sourced and written by AssuredPartners, policies that ultimately fix cars or houses, just as was promised.

Simply put, ads aren’t all that necessary, as it’s a self-sustaining good news cycle that propels new channels of business.

Kerdasha, who received a Certified Advisor of Personal Insurance (CAPI) designation in 2015 from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and Chubb Personal Insurance’s Aresty Institute of Executive Education, hails from Bluffton, South Carolina, boasting a book of business that canvasses the southeast and has spread westward into the Rocky Mountains. His clients in Big Sky—members of the Yellowstone Club, Spanish Peaks Mountain Club, Moonlight Basin and those nonaffiliated—have discovered the benefits of entrusting their most valuable assets in Kerdasha’s hands, finding a trademark Southern hospitality communicated in his approach.

Truly, it’s that selfless, listen more, talk less school of thought that is so effective in delivering only the finest for those seeking across-the-board protection, with a single individual managing every piece of the equation. No worries, no guess work.

So, as you consider purchasing a new home in Big Sky, or for those reading this over a cup of coffee on a second home back deck complete with exquisite views of Lone Mountain, ask yourself this important question: is the level of attention that realized your purchase worth extending into the policies that guarantee its security?

Summer 2020 | 47

2005 Chief Joseph Trail 4 bedrooms, 5.5 baths 7,690 sq. feet +/- | 22 acres +/- | $4,300,000 Ryan Kulesza ryan@lkrealestate.com | (406) 995-2404

MONTANA AND BIG SKY: WORTHY CLASSROOMS

BY ROBERT HALL

W

hen I ventured out to Roscoe, Montana, in 1979 for a summer job, leaving behind my childhood home just west of Chicago, I was totally unaware Montana was so timelessly memorizing and would later become such a substantial component of my life.

It was during that summer that I worked on the Lazy EL ranch as a cook (their bad luck!) and ranch hand. My learning curve was steep that summer—riding fences, fly fishing and cooking grub were novel experiences for a young mid-Western urbanite.

As expected, the cowboys loved to give it to me. When I wore shorts, they suggested “whole” pants. I wanted to ride Pokey, a real plug of a horse, but they put me on a mercurial Pistol and kindly referred to me as “city boy.”

Yes, my fly cast was lousy, the cowboys were tough and my riding was worse, but after a few weeks I caught a few rainbows, figured out how to settle into a Western saddle and at least the cowboys knew I worked hard (just not smart).

Leaving Montana that summer after a full-scale crash course in the lifestyle and culture, I knew I would be back. I just didn’t know it would take 25 years.

As a father of three ski racers, and with a wife who is a reformed Vail ski bum, we collectively grew a bit tired of our quaint Pennsylvania ski hill, opting for an annual pilgrimage to the West for a ski trip. We hit the classic, obligatory checklist: Vail, Aspen, Jackson and most of Utah. No doubt, they were all great spots, but Vail was a bit like Disneyland, Aspen, well, glitzy for starters, and Jackson, despite those incredible Tetons, never seems to ski well in late March. For those reasons, among others, none of the destinations really grabbed us for repeat visits.

BOB AND THE HALL CLAN HITTING THE SLOPES—A PRIME MOTIVATOR IN PUTTING DOWN ROOTS IN BIG SKY. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT HALL

we never saw a stitch of Bogner and a fancy lunch was a perfectly grilled bratwurst.

HALL GETTING IN SOME TOURING IN THE NATURAL, WINTER-WONDERLAND BEAUTY OF BIG SKY. PHOTO BY KENE SPERRY

In 2002, our family visited Big Sky for the first time in the midst of a warm spring. Until that point, we never knew what “chicken heads” were and learned, quickly, what “slide for life” meant. Though the conditions weren’t ideal, we loved the terrain, the lack of lift lines and picked up on the Montana vibe. Simply, we were intrigued: Everyone seemed to be on fat powder skis,

The next spring our family made a repeat visit, during which we were blessed to receive several inches of cold powder and discovered the earliest days of a love affair with the steeps of Lone Peak. We relished watching our kids transform into big mountain skiers and, with our PIEPS handy, will never forget those first tracks on North Summit Snowfield.

In July we came rushing back to glorious weather, endless hiking opportunities and, wouldn’t you know it, that hard-earned fly cast came back in full.

That summer, we were lucky enough to meet several of Big Sky’s gritty locals; as it turns out, they were approachable and friendly, and we quickly figured out that the fishing guides,

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ski patrollers and various outdoors instructors were the ones that with the real status in this town, unlike many ski town counterparts throughout the Rockies. We liked this.

Over the years, that array of local friends shared some of their most valuable secrets; where the best hiking trails, fishing holes and powder stashes may be. Encouraged by this intel and eager to gain some all our own, we have made it our mission to explore the state over the last two decades, ripping up 12 of the 16 Montana ski areas, fishing nearly every major river and hiking to the breathtaking summit of many of Montana’s storied peaks.

Rodeos, pig races, music festivals and river floats have delivered us to one-of-a-kind places like Red Lodge and Whitefish, even allowing for foray into neighboring Greater Yellowstone haunts like Jackson, Salmon and Cody.

Lessons abound: Every river has its own character, each mountain range its own majesty and each local bar a classroom packed with learning opportunities. Such is the dynamic educational fabric of Montana.

TAKING IN THE VIEW AFTER AN ARDUOUS HIKE TO PINE CREEK LAKE IN THE PARADISE VALLEY. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT HALL

pack a lunch” or “the spruce moth hatch is going off on the Gallatin, let’s head out tonight.”

Perhaps being a part of this community will lead you to moments a bit more mundane (no less worthy), like getting involved in raising money for a community center or fighting for the school bond to pass. There are no wrong answers, and no matter your route, all of these activities are what makes a visitor become one with a small town in this truly great state.

How lucky I am that I was talked into driving across the country in 1979 (frankly, on a whim), only to HALL WITH LEGENDARY LIVINGSTON COWBOY JOHN HOILAND, REMINISCENT OF DAYS return to those charms 25 years later. We came as SPENT ON THE LAZY EL RANCH IN ROSCOE. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT HALL visitors and, with some work, feel as if we are soon approaching the distinguished rank of “local.”

Back East it’s not always easy to move into a new town, where one might heavily factor the right business opportunities, As Tom Brokaw once said, “Montana truly is the last best place, preferred schools and even an expected way of dressing. just don’t tell anyone else.” I may have done just the opposite of Brokaw’s plea, but you’ll find every story in Montana is all its In Montana, quite conversely, life all about existing in the own and my words have only revealed a sliver of that experience. exquisite moment, where instead of stock market or political There is plenty of storyline yet had by Montanans, including chatter dominating at tables of friends, a Big Sky resident will myself, and two questions arise: how will yours start, and what hear “It’s a powder day tomorrow, meet you at Swifty at 8:15— will you learn?

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For those ready for what’s next Your home is more than a building or an address. It’s where you experience life, family, connection, growth.

Your home should be as exceptional as you are, and as you are going to be. For a lifestyle inspired by your potential, there is only Big Sky Sotheby’s International Realty.

bigskysir.com | Big Sky, Montana | MLS ID 348905 VISIT US IN BIG SKY: 33 LONE PEAK DRIVE, UNIT 105 | 406.995.2211 BOZEMAN: 2000 SOUTH 3RD AVE, SUITE A | 406.596.6688 © MMXIX Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC.

MONTAGE HOTELS & RESORTS PROUDLY UNVEILS MONTAGE BIG SKY, SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN LATE 2021.

Consisting of 150 guest rooms and suites and a limited collection of 39 Montage Residences for sale. Montage Big Sky is centrally located within the Spanish Peaks Mountain Club community, adjacent to the 18th green, and offering ski-in/ski-out access to Big Sky Resort’s 5,800 ski-able acres. Resort amenities include a restaurant, lobby bar and lounge, market, pub and recreation room with bowling alley, indoor lap pool, family swimming pool, fitness center, signature Spa Montage, ski lockers and skier services, and 12,870 SF of some of the finest meeting and event space in the greater Rocky Mountain region.

The 39 Residences range from 2-bedrooms to 6-bedrooms, and from 2,300 to 8,000 interior square feet.

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888 700 7748

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MON TA G E RE S I D E NCE S B I G S KY. COM

Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value if any, of this property. This is not an advertisement or solicitation to purchase or sell property in states where prohibited by law. The resort project described herein (the “Resort”) and the residential units located within the Resort (the “Residential Units”) are not owned, developed, or sold by Montage Hotels & Resorts LLC or its affiliates or their respective licensors (collectively, “Montage”) and Montage does not make any representations, warranties or guaranties whatsoever with respect to the Residential Units, the Resort or any part thereof. CH SP Acquisition LLC uses the MONTAGE brand name and certain MONTAGE trademarks (collectively, the “Operator Trademarks”) in connection with the sales and marketing of the Residential Units in the Resort under a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable and non-sublicensable license from Montage Hotels & Resorts LLC. The foregoing license may be terminated or may expire without renewal, in which case neither the Residential Units nor any part of the Resort will be identified as MONTAGE branded project or have any rights to use the Operator Trademarks. WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA BUREAU OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED OR QUALIFIED THIS OFFERING.