ADVENTURE JOURNAL
This is it. Summer in Montana. The apex of activity, when the days are filled to the brim with adventures, and the nights are marked by sparks from the campfire. With all the riding, rappelling and rousing you’ll be doing this summer on the Ranch, no doubt you’ll work up quite an appetite. Which leads us to some very exciting news: the grand opening of our brand-new outdoor dining outpost, Shed.
Montana Memories Well Spent Whoever said that necessity is the mother of invention* was spot on. What started as a pop-up restaurant for the best Montana barbecue you could devour between activities has become a permanent eatery for live-fire fare, perfectly situated near the Wilderness Outpost. We’ve been watching the finishing touches come together this spring, and can’t wait till summer to sit down with you at Shed for a hearty meal—or just a really cold beer—and watch the sun go down. If you’re curious to try your hand at live-fire grilling before your arrival, check out Senior Executive Chef Sunny Jin’s tips. Beyond Shed, we’re looking forward to the return of camping season at our six luxury camps. We’re particularly excited to welcome guests to the brand-new Dining Pavilion at Cliffside Camp, where plenty of meals, drinks and late-night card games are sure to break it in proper. With camping on the mind, we were curious how our luxury tents stacked up against the accommodations on the old frontier, so we looked into the history of cowboy bedrolls. (Spoiler alert: There’s truly no comparison.) No matter where you rest your head after a full day with us at Paws Up, we hope you can celebrate the feeling of Montana memories well spent. Though every season here is special, there’s truly no better time to visit us than summertime. We hope to see you soon.
The Lipson Family The Resort at Paws Up * For you trivia buffs: No one said it, but it was Plato who coined the concept.
866-991-9078 theresort@pawsup.com pawsup.com
A
As the 19th century wound down in the American West, the world was captivated by a talented shooter named Annie Oakley. As part of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, one of her favorite tricks was to shoot dimes out of the air with her rifle. That’s right, dimes. The sporting clays at Paws Up may be six times the diameter of a dime, and our shells are loaded with shot versus the single bullets Annie used, but they do provide plenty of sport. Shooting them out of the sky is one of our most popular guided activities. There’s just something very empowering about watching a clay burst after you shoot. Breaking things can be pretty fun.
Take your
best shot.
You can quickly learn your way around a beautifully crafted Italian shotgun, either 12- or 20-gauge. “We partnered with Beretta for our Silver Pigeon 686 Model 1 over-and-under
ZEN
shotguns,” says Caleb Melzer-Roush, Paws Up’s assistant activities director and shooting sports guru. “The walnut stocks, the checkering, the scrollwork, the fit and finish… they all represent first-class workmanship.” After mastering shooting basics at the Five-Stand Course, many shooters opt to try station-to-station shooting on the more challenging 10-Station Hill Course. Even veteran shooters enjoy the hillside shooting stands, designed by a nationally ranked shooting sports expert.
A curious thing happens when you glide across the water on a warm summer day. Your cares disappear at the end of
When asked about shooting tips, Melzer-Roush says, “Out
your paddle. It’s the perfect way to get in tune with nature.
here, follow-through is less important than if you were, say, duck hunting. You simply bring the gun up to align with the
Imagine you are the engine of a kayak or canoe, paddling
clay and shoot.”
yourself down the Blackfoot River.
And shoot. And shoot. During peak seasons, guests break
The fog has lifted off the water’s surface, departing as if to
clays by the thousands. For more advanced shooters,
welcome your voyage.
attempting a “double” is a kick. It involves shooting at two clays released at the same time, flying slightly different
A mule deer getting a morning drink perks up, one
directions. Each seems to mock the shooter with “hit me if
oversized ear twitching, and it ambles off. Overhead, an
you can.”
osprey, wings spread wide, spots something in the water. You watch, mesmerized, as it folds up its talons and slams
The quieter side of shooting
into the water. Seconds later it emerges with a writhing whitefish in tow.
While a fine Italian shotgun represents superior craftsman-
Every stroke of the paddle seems to reveal more of
ship in a firearm, compound bows give archers a techy
Mother Nature’s secrets. The scent of sage mingling with
edge. The reels on the Mathews Genesis bows make
pine dances across the water. A pileated woodpecker
holding a draw easier, giving shooters more steadiness. The
works its steady rhythm on a larch tree, red-crested head
10-station archery course, with two elevated platforms, is set
hammering away.
in the woods, and now features up to 16 three-dimensional targets emulating wild game such as elk and cougar. Simple
A grasshopper clinging to a blade of sedge grass is blown
eye sights and the more forgiving draw makes shooting, and
into the water by a gust of wind.
improving, with compound bows pretty darn easy. Suddenly, a swirl on top of the water indicates a native Stripping away any pretense of modern technology, a
cutthroat trout has found breakfast.
Wilderness Workshop at Paws Up called “Gettin’ Primitive” harkens back to a bygone era. Resident mountain man
Farther ahead of you, a brown blur slides down a muddy
Gary Steele teaches whole families what longbows are all
riverbank. It’s followed by another as river otters use
about, how they are made and how to safely use them. His
nature’s Slip ’N Slide to create a little family time.
enthusiasm for the outdoors, and teaching new skills, is contagious.
As you float and the day heats up, you raise a paddle, letting the water run down its length, dripping and
Whether you choose to start your visit with a bang or the
cooling you instantly. On shore, thick stands of grasses
whisper of an arrow, you’ll find plenty of highly skilled
and towering Douglas firs stand as sentinels, somehow
teachers at Paws Up.
assuring you that this is a special day.
plashing across a snowmelt-fed creek, a cow elk was
Unless, of course, you are present when the big bulls bugle,
clearly stressed. She soon climbed the far streambank.
letting other males know they are the dominant courters of a
The cause of her concern was quickly apparent. A large
band of cows. In the fall, herds of cows are joined by a bull.
cougar, 100 pounds of hungry carnivore, vaulted the 15-foot-
Hearing one of these big old boy’s bugle is unmistakable—a
wide creek in pursuit. Ultimately, the elk won the race, slipping
prehistoric bellow that changes into a shrill whistle and ends in
through the trees, easily jumping a fence with its long legs and
a series of grunts.
breaking into a dead run in the mountain meadow, leaving the cougar in the dust.
Equally distinctive are the bull elk’s antlers, rising up several feet on a long vertical base, each with as many as six sharp
Predators aside, Montana’s Rocky Mountain elk truly are
tines. The massive antlers make an impressive display of
gregarious, social animals. In summer, cows live in herds,
offensive weaponry, used in battles with other bulls for a harem
often with dozens of other cows and calves. Sporting tan to
or to ward off predators.
reddish coats, with much darker necks, chests and heads, the distinctive whiteness of their rumps earned them the name
Healthy herds of elk portend a healthy ecosystem. Some of
“wapiti,” in Shawnee. Calves, particularly when they are small,
Yellowstone’s plant life suffered greatly when elk numbers
have fawn-like spots for camouflage.
declined there. Elk browsing and, well, their “nitrogen” deposits aid vegetative production and plant diversity.
If you spend much time in the woodlands of Montana, you may come across these magnificent mammals, although you won’t
Visitors to western Montana and Paws Up, in particular, may
necessarily know it at first. You hear nothing. Not a rustle. Not
see large groups of elk running through meadows or across
a crunch. And then…you see them. Huge creatures grazing
small creeks, at times even running joyfully beside delighted
silently not far from you. Their friendly faces occasionally
ATV riders. Other times, the elk may be standing stock still
looking up with curiosity before bobbing back down for another
and coming to alert as horseback riders descend from higher
mouthful of succulent grass. They move effortlessly through the
country on a late afternoon ride.
thickest forests. That is despite weighing well over 500 pounds. Somewhere, in the upper reaches of the Blackfoot River Valley, An elk’s ability to walk softly and silently is due to splayed
a cougar scratches its ear, as if to wonder how an elk outran it
hooves that provide good grips on rocks or through mud. Even
so effortlessly.
bulls sporting five feet of antlers and topping 1,000 pounds routinely move between trees with barely a whisper.
—the regal rocky mountain elk
lost, then found National parks, vistas, skylines, lakes and rivers—even the fish you’re obliged to return upon meeting at the hook—are a collage commissioned by Mother Nature to momentarily stun us. Montana is the Treasure State, after all, and the cache of beauty that abounds here is impossible to possess. Prized resources belong to the collective, the oversoul of residents, visitors and wanderers—a chest full of enchantment deliberately sought or happily stumbled upon. But there are those few things—the found objects that litter forest floors and peek out from rock formations—that make us feel like adventurous children who pocket treasured souvenirs like squirrels stash nuts.
Found objects: The antler shed In the urban landscape, “shed season” may be defined as a post-holiday purge of poundage. But here in Montana, the symbolism of antler sheds, and their cyclical regeneration, is the stuff of spiritual authority and lucky finds. When migratory herds of elk and deer emerge from winter thickets to relinquish one rack to make way for an ever more ornate crown, they also assure better odds for a mate. The totem left becomes the artifact of adventures afield.
Digging it: The 100-million-year-old fossil Crystals and geodes are found statewide. Lolo, south of Missoula, is known for its smoky crystals, as is 30-acre Crystal Park, northwest of Dillon, Montana. Discoveries of invertebrate fossils are also common. Geodes lined in druzy quartz abound in Bear Canyon, located a short drive from Bozeman. Sapphires are found in the Rock Creek deposits, also near Missoula. Nicknamed “Gem Mountain,” several hundred million carats of gem-quality sapphire have been mined there over a period of 110 years. In all, gems found statewide include sapphire, jasper, amethyst, garnet, quartz, rhodonite, topaz, tourmaline and more. And while you won’t just stumble upon skeletons of the 75 species of dinosaurs that roamed Montana over 150 million years ago, there are places to go seeking them if you dare.
The alchemy of fire-cooked fare
I
n an age of sleek stainless steel and precision temperature controls, an unlikely analog hero has emerged as a fascination: fire.
Born of the same curiosity our fire-starting ancestors must have had (minus the hunting and grunting), watching an open flame bring raw food to life is oddly satisfying. And its appeal is nothing short of primal. There’s something elemental and passionate about employing ancient techniques to fashion modern meals from using low-tech methods. Seemingly overnight, open-fire cooking has become a fair-haired buzz phrase on social media platforms. For better or worse, the rise of armies of Instagram accounts have spurred video-happy “campfire commanders.” But while makeshift backyard sets attempt to mimic the remoteness of forest cookery to delight browsers, these flame fluffers are mere opening acts for serious open-fire experts. Pacific Northwest chefs Jaret Foster and Mona Johnson are practiced in the art of fire as medium. They started their unique “roaming open-fire” culinary business, Tournant, to transport a kitchen anywhere and make the experience as much about location as food. “We can set up on a mountaintop, by the sea or in a meadow,” Johnson says. Foster, a native Montanan, says their compact Sprinter van business means they are able to take elements of any surrounding and infuse that right back into their food, using live wood-fire cooking methods. “It takes farm-to-table to the next level,” he says. Tournant, named for the French word meaning “turning point” or watershed moment, was inspired by fire stories around the world. In fact, when Foster and Johnson first met, it was the seduction of fire-roasted vegetables that sparked a courtship, a business and eventually a cookbook. The Catalan-inspired escalivada—eggplants, peppers, tomatoes and onions, blackened in a pile of ash and embers—that Foster first cooked for Johnson is still a favorite. Once blackened skins are peeled away, the rich, deep flavor left behind in scooped flesh is like nothing found in conventional cooking—and illustrates the depth of flavor fire can impart even to vegetables. On a given night, it could be salmon, served seaside, on soaked cedar with coals shored up under filets; mussels smoked on a bed of briny seaweed or spatchcocked game birds over open flames that sear and lick at fat and viscera in a grassy meadow. “Fire honors the simple elements of food and takes on a transformative quality in the flames to become pure alchemy,” Johnson says. “It enables a chef to get out of the way of well-sourced ingredients.” And maybe, once in a while, fire can even author a love story.
h
arvard anthropologist Richard Wrangham claims humans owe the transition from ape to man (and refined reasoning) to the mastery of fire 1.8 million years ago.
But while man has been cooking over open flame for eons, revived interest in this primal cooking method is relatively recent. Paws Up Senior Executive Chef Sunny Jin is a fan of open-fire methods to deliver both traditional flame fare and complex ethnic flavors. That’s because Jin has dug pits and used everything from grills to griddles to Dutch ovens. There are many reasons to choose open-fire cooking, Jin says. Chief among them: versatility and cooking any style of food with the right tools. Pit size, location, cooking surface and wood type are all important considerations. Long-burning, dry oak is best, he says. Flavoring with hardwoods like applewood or hickory is a direct-heat method. Twelve inches away, and it’s lost. “It’s really about understanding the fire and putting your meats in the right location,” Jin says. Cedar-planked salmon might be set two feet from the heat of the fire, whereas fresh trout takes two minutes and would be finished closer to flames on a hot grate. “The most critical tip in live-fire cooking is understanding indirect heat,” Jin says. “Nothing goes right above the flames; it’s usually off to the side. Start from the side and work your way in until you become comfortable with how the fire behaves.” Practice and experimentation are the main things, he says. And having fun.
A E T h D E
A RG U ME N T
Summer Day Trip T O
F L A T H E A D
W
ith over 200 miles of water and 185 miles of shoreline, Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. With its blue-green water edged by pine trees, the lake offers endless recreational opportunities for water sports enthusiasts and anglers, as well as hikers who relish its scenic shores. However, it’s what surrounds Flathead Lake—restaurants, galleries, charming Main Streets and more—that make as big of a splash. We’ve cherry-picked our favorite Flathead Lake–area spots worth the day trip (it’s just under two hours by car from The Resort).
L A K E
Drinks at the Sitting Duck, Bigfork Inside, this typical Montana-style lodge has bingo, karaoke and a host of other themed fun, but you’re here to drink in the view. Head outdoors to nab a seat on the sprawling dock and enjoy the scenery over a cocktail or two. The Sitting Duck’s playful spirit is perhaps most evident in its drinks, which come with bobbing rubber duckies.
Refuel at the Raven Spent the day boating and working up an appetite on Flathead Lake? Pull right up to the Raven in Bigfork. You can’t miss it: It’s a turquoise-hued building fronting the lake. This place is a mood-lifter, rain or shine, and live music adds to the fun. There are little bits of Caribbean, Mediterranean and Asian influences on the menu here; you can nibble on pot stickers and mango chicken pops before sinking your teeth into a burger, savoring fish tacos or twirling into pad thai.
Go Cherry Picking Maine can have its blueberries. Georgia can keep its peaches. Here in Montana, it’s all about Flathead Lake cherries. They start blossoming in early May, but the best time to pick them is typically mid- to late-July through early August. Come summer, the east side of Flathead Lake is where you’ll find the most roadside stands. Even after you’ve had your fill of cherries, the stands are worth a quick stop, as they range from ramshackle to architecturally interesting. Prefer to pick your own? There are plenty of U-pick orchards on the east side, too.
Fete the Fruit Polson, Montana, takes its cherry celebration quite seriously. In fact, the town hosts a two-day cherry festival each year. Held near the end of July, the festival takes place on Polson’s Main Street. It is the ultimate ode to the cherry, with stands and events (and yes, there is indeed a cherry pie eating contest). Local artisans showcase their wares at the festival and there’s everything from a pancake breakfast to a chalk art contest. In other words, it’s small town Americana at its very best.
O
Once just a sleepy mountain whistle-stop, this burgeoning city in the Rockies offers some gems—if you know where to look.
Art Radius Gallery 120 N. Higgins Ave. From paint to printmaking and ceramics, Radius Gallery features Missoula’s best artists. Ghostly garment images by cyanotype photographer Lucy Capehart, whimsical illustrations by popular local Courtney Blazon and clever ceramic artistry by beloved musician Beth Lo draw crowds.
Lucy Capehart Baby Dress, 2015 cyanotype 19.50 x 20 in
Music
Breweries and Distilleries Cranky Sam Public House 233 W. Main St. Missoula’s 19th century red light district bustled with speakeasies and brothels in the dawn of the first Transcontinental Railroad. It’s where ChineseAmerican “Cranky Sam” ran a brothel and opium den. When this modern brewery broke ground, it unearthed such a trove or artifacts, they were eventually featured in Smithsonian Magazine. Today, you’ll find fine wines, signature brews, cider and the best summer patio.
Montgomery Distillery 129 W. Front St. Rocky mountain saloons were once convivial places to gather in the gold rush and homestead eras. Saloons doubled as post office, barber, courthouse, bordello—even church. Montgomery Distillery is a love letter to that bygone era of this building’s history in the liquor trade. Rye, vodka, gin, whiskey and Scandinavian aquavit are chief among its offerings, and its craft cocktails were featured in Food & Wine.
BAKERIES KettleHouse Amphitheater 605 Cold Smoke Ln., Bonner Named in 2020 as one of the best amphitheaters in the world, it’s just a stone’s throw from The Resort at Paws Up and the green o, and has hosted such acts as Sheryl Crow, Lyle Lovett and the Black Crowes.
Veera Donuts 617 S. Higgins Ave.
Le Petit Outre 129 S. 4th St. W
So delectable you wouldn’t guess they were vegan, the apple fritters are insanely enormous. The Veera After Dark menu for pickup and delivery is 100 percent plant-based, hot and savory.
France meets Montana, with an array of baguettes and boules and traditional French croissants and Kouign-Amann.
Once just a sleepy mountain whistle-stop, this burgeoning city in the Rockies offers some gems—if you know where to look.
F
oam? Box springs? Cushions of air? Feathers? Fat
Once the Civil War erupted, Union soldiers were issued
chance, oh lover of comfy beds. For most of the
seven-foot-long gray woolen blankets that weighed five
mountain men, pioneers, Civil War soldiers and cowpunchers
pounds. Lucky ones also received a heavy canvas-type
of the 19th century, “hitting the hay” consisted of a hunk of
blanket coated with vulcanized rubber, which made for
oilcloth on rock-hard ground, with a wool blanket cover for a
a cozy nighttime sandwich of wool and rubber blanket.
bit of warmth. Hay was a luxury reserved for livestock.
Interestingly, a blanket sling was patented in 1862: essentially an aid for rolling things up compactly to carry
The bedroll of America’s Old West had a lofty aim: to keep
above the small of the back.
travelers warm and dry. Comfortable? That word had yet to be invented. Kit Carson and Jeremiah Johnson, or even
After the War, working cowboys carried a selection of
Lewis and Clark, had to rely on the most elementary of
gear, or kits, bedrolls being among the most important.
portable beds when they roamed Montana’s wilderness 200
Properly rolled, bedrolls served as a saddleback suitcase.
years ago.
A rubberized canvas and the wool blanket would be rolled up, securing various necessities like spare pants, socks
Early in the 1800s, you were a lucky explorer indeed if you
and long johns, ammunition, playing cards and maybe a
possessed a Mackinaw blanket, made of a dense, somewhat
harmonica and a spare knife; then cinched with buckled
water-repellent wool. Unfortunately, you had to stay warm by
leather straps. Stowed behind the saddle, bedrolls also
sleeping under a flea-infested bearskin or buffalo robe.
had as many nicknames as the cowpokes themselves: “dreaming sack,” “hot roll,” even “sugan.”
A few decades later, when hundreds of thousands followed the Oregon Trail and other routes west, they weren’t much
Unfortunately, even the most water-repellent bedrolls failed
better off. Emigrant families let the women and the youngest
to protect from cold-blooded Western reptiles, aka rattlers,
children sleep in the wagons, but only after finally dumping
who always sought out warm places to snooze.
Aunt Martha’s 300-pound armoire. More likely, folks slept under the stars or, if it rained, under the wagon. Well-oiled
Today if you embark on a pack-in trip to, say, the Bob
waterproof cloths—“waterproof” being a generous term—
Marshall Wilderness, you might find some remnant of the
and a wool blanket helped some.
good ol’ Western bedroll. But most likely you’d have a mule or packhorse carrying plenty of modern creature comforts for sleeping.
Rock and
According to the International Dark-Sky Association, light pollution is so low in Montana, it’s some of the best stargazing in the country. Glacier National Park is considered a certified Dark Sky Park, but great stargazing is rife in western Montana. I came to Montana from a light-polluted Los Angeles beach community. No one really looks skyward there; it’s the horizon that matters. So when I traded waves for woods, everyone thought I was crazy. Then came the jokes about running water, electricity, outhouses and the Pony Express.
T h e
Truth be told, I contemplated moving back West about 10 years ago, and
Seduction o f
t h e
Stars
the decision weighed heavy. One night at 2:00AM, I slipped outside into the stillness and hum of a balmy evening to clear my head. I took a deep breath in the dark, laid back and slowly exhaled. A trillion stars shimmered, and at that moment, I was utterly in awe. How could anyone want to leave such a place? And that was the answer. Truly, Montana’s Big Sky is resplendent, morning and night. Dawn and dusk are bathed in pastels—ethereal frescos that cut wild swaths of impressionistic color. If only Monet had seen Greenough, Montana, at
T
6:00AM in July.
A LOCAL’S GUIDE
WITHOUT THE RIGHT
But it’s the absence of that same light in the night sky that makes stargazing
BEDROLL, NIGHTMARE
TO LOOKING UP
so incredible here. There may be stories behind the constellations, but none of that matters when you’re stargazing—especially when it’s an invitation to stargaze in tandem.
A native Montanan once told me, “If everyone stargazed each night, they’d
BEDTIME WAS A REAL
inevitably live much differently.” And I find that’s true. In duo, stargazing is a furtive mission—a pact to create a beautiful interlude, basked in the silence and otherworldly wonder that can bring two people closer.
There are many romantic gestures, but leveraging nature for novelty and
seduction is a next-level move. Jaw-dropping starry nights are part of Montana’s allure—one that’s naturally bewitching. After all, slowing down,
gazing at the heavens into a dark night sky is about beauty, curiosity and mystery—the very things that enliven the connection between two people. All you need is a blanket. Then a room. Definitely get a room. —Lori Grannis
Mustang COUNTRY
Descendants of horses brought to the United States by Spanish explorers and missionaries, mustangs became a protected species in 1971.
W
ith the wind whipping through their manes and their
March 2018, the first four mustangs arrived at Paws Up.
muscled legs galloping full force across the open field,
A fifth arrived two months later. Then, in April 2019, The
mustangs are the stuff of legend. Wild and free, they are a
Resort took in six new mustangs.
symbol of the renegade spirit and fierce independence of the American West.
While some see mustangs as “mutts,” Kesckes sees the good in all of them. “Every horse can have a purpose,” she
However, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, and
says. “Breeding only gets you so far, but training and the
to many, including most ranchers, mustangs are a nuisance.
connection you build with a horse—that is what works.”
They are considered untrainable by some and wreak havoc on the ecological balance of the land—the same land their
It has been a rewarding experience filled with plenty of ups
cattle need to pasture.
and downs. She’s had a gate slammed in her face and endured an eyelid laceration. “Horses are prey animals and
After the passage of the “Wild Free-Roaming Horses and
mustangs have a natural fear of humans, so they’re skittish,”
Burros Act” in 1971, the Bureau of Land Management
says Kesckes. Gentling a horse is not an overnight process;
(BLM) was formally tasked with protecting and preserving
it takes countless hours of patience and ever so slight
the American mustang. In an effort to protect the interests
movements to get a mustang to trust you. “You just have to
of both sides—mustang advocates and cattle ranchers—
take time, like any good teacher.”
the BLM began managing the herds and rounding up the remaining horses to be placed in short-term and long-
One of the mustangs, Tonto, was considered a two-strike
term holding facilities. This is where Paws Up and Jackie
horse. “He was deemed ‘untrainable’ by a government
Kesckes come in.
trainer, so I said, ‘challenge accepted,’” she laughs. The very first night, Kesckes was able to approach and touch him.
“We had a corporate group visiting The Resort who really
One month later she was riding him. “And he was considered
wanted to make an impact,” says Kesckes, Paws Up’s
the difficult one!” Two other mustangs self-gentled, learning
equestrian manager. She shared the plight of the mustang
from the herd. Others still aren’t quite ready, but Kesckes
with them, and they wanted to do something. “They told
knows it’s worth the wait. “I am not in a rush. I let them be
us they’d adopt the mustangs…we already had our barn
who they are,” she says. “It’s just the most beautiful thing
surveyed by BLM to see how many we could take.” In
watching a horse transform and begin to trust you.”
Let ’er rip. Then buckle up. Prescott, Arizona, 1888. A group of cowboys got together to settle the question of who was top dog when it came to ridin’ and ropin.’ The result was the first rodeo competition. Today, cowboys and cowgirls and thousands of fans still gather at dozens of rodeos throughout the West. Sure, winners earn cash. But it’s the big, flashy personalized belt buckles awarded at rodeos that really bear witness to their extreme accomplishments. Buckles are cherished for good reason. Earning one is never easy. Rodeo participants ride 1,500-pound bulls, capable of unleashing eight seconds of unparalleled fury. Some cling to the backs of bucking horses, getting whipsawed back and forth like scarecrows in windstorms. They dodge barrels at breakneck speed, and a few brave souls even leap off their speeding horses
onto ornery, sharp-horned steers and wrestle them to the ground. Rodeoing ain’t no walk in the park, that’s for sure. One of the biggest and most respected makers of rodeo belt buckles is Montana Silversmiths of Columbus, in the southeastern part of the state. They make the buckles for many major rodeos, the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) and the National Bull Riding competitions. The craftspeople at Montana Silversmiths take the time to craft buckles the right way, a tradition stretching across generations. Each finals buckle requires up to 40 hours of meticulous work by trained silversmiths and dedicated hand engravers. Performing exceptionally well at a rodeo may not earn the winner a four-foot trophy. But the one buckle he or she will wear on their belt stands uncontested as proof of some pretty gutsy accomplishments.
Photo by Greg Jones/@gsjonesy; Photo (opposite page) by Drew Pattison
Leap of Faith Where there’s smoke, there’s a jumper.
How do you go from selling computers in a cubicle to
airports throughout the western United States, the bases
parachuting into fires? If you’re Drew Pattison, it’s an easy
are strategically located to put jumpers in the heat of it at a
leap. “Working at IBM in inside sales—that just wasn’t the kind
moment’s notice. “You could show up at the base for the day,
of life I wanted,” he explains. Pattison grew up in the Arizona
then get a call an hour before you’re due to go home, and be
suburbs and attended college in Los Angeles, but the athletic
on a plane to fight a fire,” Pattison says. Depending on the fire,
outdoor enthusiast wanted a life of adventure.
a given smokejumper could be fighting the flames there for days, or even up to two weeks.
“Growing up, we had a family friend who worked for the Forest Service fighting fires and that was always in the back of my mind,” he says. He jumped ship and started working in traditional firefighting before moving over to the Forest Service to become a smokejumper.
During the season, smokejumpers High Collar for Tree Landings
make Parachute Helmet
Jump Jacket and Pants (Padded Kevlar)
repair
their
own
parachutes,” as Pattison says. Visit any smokejumper base and you’ll
Wire Mesh Face Mask
Smokejumpers are an elite team of
Parachute Harness
firefighters who fight remote wilderness fires. They typically fight the fires you’ve
Reserve Parachute
never heard of, as Pattison explains: “Our goal is to do what we can to put
find a palette of survival packs that would make Bear Grylls grin with pleasure. It is backbreaking work, and smokejumpers are required to maintain a high level of physical fitness. They also have to resort to nontraditional methods to fight fires.
them out early.” There are under 400 smokejumpers
and
equipment—“everything besides the
“We often don’t have water to put out Rope in Leg Pocket for Tree Landings
in the United States, and Missoula,
Personal Gear Bag
fires, and sometimes you’re working for three days straight,” Pattison says. “Sometimes you have to carry out
Montana, is home to one of the largest of the country’s 11
everything you brought in, if the helicopters are busy or you
bases. The name “smokejumper” comes from the method
can’t use a mule train to move gear.”
of transportation. Instead of fire trucks, smokejumpers are transported to the fire by planes, both because they’re faster
Pattison has tremendous respect for his colleagues: “There
and because of the remote locations often inaccessible by
is a really great group that ends up in this world.” Though
other modes of transport.
jumpers are based around the West, they often work together. “We take pride in what we do,” he says. “We can put 10
Pattison is quick to dispel the lore of parachuting firefighters,
jumpers in within an hour of a fire being reported. If we didn’t
though. “There is a mythology around it, certainly,” he says.
go, another crew would have to spend several hours driving,
“We do jump out of airplanes, but we’re not just jumping into
then more time hiking to the spot, all while the fire is growing.”
flaming forest fires. There is careful consideration and risk assessment conducted. We are just getting to the fires in a
Despite the rugged nature and inherent danger of his work,
specialized way that lets us get as many to a remote area as
Pattison feels lucky that he has spent the last 20 years doing
possible. We are really just firefighters doing our thing.”
what he loves. “When we parachute in, we go in high on a ridge, where we typically build a camp,” he says. “Just being out
Of course, most firefighters go home at the end of the day.
there…I’ve seen some epic summer sunsets on those ridges.
In contrast, during the summer fire season, smokejumpers
Whether you’re an outdoorsman, hunter, conservationist…
never quite know what their schedule is. Situated at
there’s just something to be said for being out there in nature.”
YOU’VE TRAVELED FAR AND WIDE. Preventing “blur” and boredom with author and National Geographic writer
Q: You’ve traveled extensively for your work. What do you see as the benefits of travel? A: It can deepen your understanding of the very many different ways people live and think—all the different
J.B. MacKinnon Imagine
the
grandmother’s
approaches people can take to living a life. Travel can broaden our horizons and open our minds. But I think it does
map
in
hallway.
your Mostly
that most powerfully the more connected we can be to the places we go.
blue, it was clean and crisp. Tiny steel pins had been jabbed into the
Q: How can we go about connecting with a
countries she’d visited: Greece,
place?
Japan, French Polynesia. As a
A: Instead of traveling in a “collect all 20” kind of mindset
kid, you probably studied those
or going to the fashionable places, [it means] traveling in
pins like they were an outright challenge—to travel to more
a more invested way, getting the most we can out of the
places than anyone else you knew.
experiences we have, learning more about the language and culture. So we come home with more meaningful memories.
Now, imagine meeting someone who could turn a map like your grandmother’s into Emmentaler cheese. We sat
Q: What was a trip you took that illustrates what
down with award-winning journalist J.B. MacKinnon to
you mean?
talk about travel and his latest book, The Day the World
A: Not that long ago I was in Mongolia. I’d spent about
Stops Shopping: How Ending Consumerism Saves the
two-and-a-half months learning the Cyrillic alphabet and
Environment and Ourselves.
basic Mongolian. Whenever the sun was going down, we’d just pull off the road and find a place to camp. We were
GET PACKING Traveling smart goes beyond planning
Capsule wardrobe FTW
Roll with it
dressing the part, which means that
Think of your next trip as a micro-
When space is limited, rolling clothes
packing is paramount. Let your next
capsule opportunity. Focus on just
works wonders. Save for bulky winter
trip inform your luggage, ensuring you’ll
a few favorite colors or styles, then
sweaters, all of your tops should get
have a great base wardrobe and plenty
add
and
the rolling treatment (fold sleeves
of room for souvenirs along the way.
accessories to finish your looks.
in, start from the neck, finish at the
When everything coordinates, you’ll
bottom hem), as should slacks, skirts,
double—or triple—your outfit options.
shorts and loungewear. Fold and
a rewarding itinerary. It’s also about
complementary
layers
stack anything else (jeans, sweaters).
NOW TRY DEEPER AND BETTER. constantly immersed in the culture through the Mongolian
Q: For some, travel can seem like a blur. And it
guide we were traveling with. It was a relaxed pace, and
can have its effects on the environment, as your
we’d taken the time to try to get to know Mongolia as a place
book explains. So what are a few tips you have
and its history. It was just a great trip.
for the well-traveled? A: Number one is travel less. Number two would be travel
Q: What would that look like, for example, if you
slow. Take time, and move on the ground instead of by air.
were to go to Montana?
Try to support local businesses rather than international
A: If I were traveling to Montana, what I’d want to do is really
businesses, because that strengthens the economy of
immerse myself in the landscape. Meet people, bounce my
places. And strengthening the economy is always going to
values off them and vice versa. And I’d try to eat locally, as
be helpful in [a place’s] ability to take care of its landscape
well, find what’s in season and what kind of local recipes
and its people.
and ingredients there are. All of that helps build a sense of what’s different about that place. And what’s different is
Q: And what do we stand to gain by taking your
the thing you can learn most from. I live on the coast and
advice?
Montana is a dry mountain area. So, yeah, to me, a trip to
A: You’ll get more out of travel. You’ll appreciate it more. It’s
Montana can be downright exotic!
more satisfying. And it makes us happiest.
Q: What’s surprising about the way some people
To that we would add, as MacKinnon writes in his book, “We
travel?
stand a better chance at a bit of magic.”
A: I’ve been on flights with people who didn’t know what country they were going to; they only knew the name of their resort. That to me was the most disconnected form of travel I could imagine.
The great shoe debate
Everything in its place
Save room for souvenirs
No matter where in the world you’re
Your heaviest items, like shoes,
“Forgetting” a key item on your
headed, the answer is almost always
belong at the bottom of your suitcase.
packing list is a great excuse for
going to be two pairs—three, max.
Thereafter, layer according to size: flat
replacing it while traveling. Locally
Beyond an everyday pair for kicking
items (jeans, sweaters), then tidy rows
bought accessories—scarves, jewelry,
around, a second, nicer pair comes
of rolled clothing. Socks, swimwear
a unique pair of cufflinks—can be
in handy for events and evenings out.
and unmentionables easily tuck into
enjoyed immediately. If you don’t
Depending on your agenda, bring a
corners to save space. Last come
anticipate
pair of athletic shoes for hikes, longer
dopp kits, toiletry bags and other oddly
suitcase to bring home treasures,
walks or the gym. Tip: Wear your
shaped items—purses, chargers, etc.
pack a foldable tote bag just in case.
heaviest
pair
during
transfers.
having
space
in
your
A
s retail and buying manager for the Wilderness Outpost, Haley Wilson has an enviable role. She
spends her days handpicking the items that grace the racks, shelves and display counters in The Resort’s boutique. Whether she is curating a jewelry collection, selecting artwork or designing branded Paws Up items, she has an unmatched eye and knows just what works for the Wilderness Outpost. While asking after her favorite items is a bit like asking a mother to pick her favorite child, she did share a few of her prized picks.
the BEST of the BUNCH Artisan Wildflower Earrings Talk about a stylish memento: “These earrings are made by a local artist using flowers all handpicked from the Paws Up property.”
The Hat Bar A good cowboy/cowgirl hat is an ideal memento of your trip to Montana, but the Wilderness Outpost’s hat bar is especially fun. “Add a feather, a beaded belt, whatever you want,” Wilson says. “I love that you can accessorize your hat based on how you want it to look. It’s a unique experience and fun to do with friends.”
The Art of the Fishing Fly For Wilson, this one’s a nobrainer: “This book is just visually stunning—look at that cover! It’s a perfect book to put on your coffee table and just enjoy flipping through.”
Tanka the Baby Bison Tanka, which means “sacred or the great spirit” in the tribe tongue of the Lakotas, was the first bison calf born at Paws Up on May 1, 2018. Tanka also sports one of Wilson’s favorite T-shirts: the Paws Up bear paw family tee.
Paws Up Tin Mug Tin mugs and camping go together like campfires and s’mores, but this one is particularly special to Wilson: “I had an artist reach out to me repeatedly wanting to be a part of our store and I finally took the meeting. When I saw the drawing, incorporating everything from [Paws Up co-owner] Nadine Lipson’s horses to Spa Town® to our valley view…I’ve never been moved by a tin mug, but this one moved me to tears.”
Chunky Hand-Knit Paw Sweater “We source these hand-knit sweaters from a mother-daughter company in Canada,” Wilson says. With the signature Paws Up bear paw logo, these cute, cozy sweaters are just right for pulling on to warm up on a chilly evening.
One family still has a profound literary influence on Western Montana The Macleans can write. Boy, can they write. First, it was Norman Maclean that put the Blackfoot River on the proverbial map with his iconic A River Runs Through It. Son John Maclean picked up where
Lindsey Thornburg Cloak
his father left off. In 2021, his book
Originally from Montana, Lindsey Thornburg designs fashion statement pieces with a distinctly Western flair. Wilson loves this cloak, crafted from Pendleton blankets.
Home Waters again shined a glorious light on Blackfoot River country. “A crimson sunset spread across the whole of the Blackfoot Valley, the kind of incendiary spectacle that secondrate artists try and always fail to put on canvas and that Charlie Russell comes closest to capturing in his paintings,” he writes. Another sentence paints a picture of what the Blackfoot River means to those who live near it, and love it: “The Blackfoot River is not still water, but there’s a spirit quieting stillness that lingers in and around it.” He personally followed Meriwether Lewis’s footsteps through stretches of western Montana, many of which tracked quite well with Montana Hwy. 200 and cross into Paws Up country. One of Lewis’s camps was near the confluence of the Clearwater and Blackfoot Rivers. It’s just one of the fascinating descriptions of local lore and history revealed within the pages of Maclean’s memoir. Other tales revolve around a family cabin on Seeley Lake, part of the chain of lakes linked by the Clearwater River that includes Salmon Lake. The Maclean family was on an endless quest for the perfect fly, the perfect cast and the perfect trout.
Key to the Mountain Flathead Lake Brandied Cherries “Flathead Lake cherries are a Montana staple,” Wilson says. “These brandied cherries are just delicious but even better, they’re made by a Montanan named Taka who takes great pride in his work. He started his business from the ground up, and he’s just so kind and generous, always willing to work hard and help The Resort in any way he can.”
Of course, it’s those memories of fishing with his father Norman Maclean and his friends that truly cements this 2021 book as a noteworthy entry in the Montana literature scene.
Copies of Home Waters and A River Runs Through It and Other Stories never run out of stock at the Wilderness Outpost.
S
ince opening in 2005, Paws Up has welcomed musicians of many ilk to its intimate performance
series, including Stars at Night and the much-loved Campfire
Stars,
where
established
songwriters
bust out their guitars in our camps for a small, lucky bunch of glampers. Competitors from The Voice and American Idol have graced our stages, as have Grammy nominees and Grand Ole Opry favorites.
WE MAKE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TOGETHER.
PAWS UP AND OUR GUEST MUSICIANS:
And while their sets have often been inspirational for guests, Paws Up has apparently returned the favor. Lupe Carroll, John Doe of X and Rhett Miller of Old 97’s have all reported back that their stays at The Resort sparked their creativity—and they have the songs to prove it. Soon after his 2019 stint at Campfire Stars, Doe formed the John Doe Folk Trio to “dig into more acoustic music. I wrote and recorded an album,” he said. The 2022 album, Fables of a Foreign Land, was partly inspired by Doe’s appearances at Paws Up. “Doing the campfire shows certainly influenced it,” Doe says. Carroll says, “I was gifted a sweet leather-covered journal upon my arrival and thought it’d only be fitting to fill the first page with a song about how incredibly gorgeous the area is.” He plans to record that song, “Blackfoot River,” soon. The lyrics set a reflective mood, not hard to imagine taking place at The Resort: “These almost frozen mornings. Sun kissing your face by the afternoon. River song singing. Please come back to me soon.” “Already There,” a song by Miller, will appear on his upcoming solo album. Of writing music at Paws Up, Miller says, “The feeling of being small in a vast landscape is humbling and beautiful. I always end up feeling like I’m part of something larger when I’m in the mountains at Paws Up. ‘Already There’ is a love letter to Montana. I try to capture the perfect feeling of being in the exact right place that I get to whenever I’m at Paws Up.” Paws Up musical guests Crystal Bowersox and Seth Glier have also worked on tunes at The Resort, with Glier reporting that two of his Montana-inspired tunes will be on an upcoming album released this year. For a full schedule of upcoming concerts at Paws Up, including Carroll, Glier and Miller, visit pawsup.com/ events/music.
A Long, Hot, Activity-Filled
Summer
at Paws Up
Wilderness Workshop: Maverick Mosaics
Wilderness Workshop: Brushes with Greatness
June 9, 11
July 8–11
Mosaics are an artful reminder of renewal. Join artist Christine Thomas for an afternoon of picking up the pieces— and making something beautiful with them. Participants will receive their final piece 24 hours after completion.
Whichever parts of the landscape speak to you, watercolor artist George Van Hook will help you capture them on canvas. You can learn from a pro as well as find plenty of inspiration for your work.
Wilderness Workshop: Pouring It On
Artisanal Picnic
June 10, 13
July 16
With artist Christine Thomas, unleash your own colorful expression as you splash and drip and paint and pour to your heart’s content. You’ll end up with a riotously colorful canvas to take home.
Every year, the top picnic chefs of the Windy City blow into Montana for our Artisanal Picnic—culinarians skilled in everything from uber-tasty fried chicken to super-creative hot dogs and craft pies.
Taste of Montana
Live Fire Legends
June 18
July 29–31
Sit down to a meal where you’ll enjoy food and drink from local growers, ranchers and beverage crafters. It’s a glorious evening, proving that Montana’s culinary resources are as supersized as the landscape itself.
With demonstrations and mouthwatering meals, you’ll be licking your fingers as you pick up pointers from the pros. Afterward, feel free to sip craft beers, jam to live music and challenge your friends to lawn games.
Wilderness Workshop: Gettin’ Primitive
Campfire Stars
June 27–July 4, July 19–26, August 15–22, August 29–September 5
Campfire Stars brings in big-name talent for live, intimate performances across The Resort. Join Grand Ole Opry favorites, indie rockers and Grammy nominees as they pluck out tunes and singalongs around the campfire and under the big, starry sky.
Real-deal Montana mountain man Gary Steele will show you outdoor survival techniques, such as primitive weapons and tools, spears and atlatls, fire making, tracking, trapping, knots and shelter building.
Fourth of July July 4 Come along for a quintessential American celebration made even better with outdoor adventures, live music, craft cocktails, a float-decorating contest, gunnysack races and epic fireworks.
Wilderness Workshop: Montana Majesty Painting June 1, July 6, August 3, September 7 With artist Ashley Mitchell, you might find yourself painting Montana’s state bird or flower or making cowboy and cowgirl portraits, with Paws Up providing the perfect inspiration.
Dave Hause (June 2–6), Austin Jenckes (June 28–July 2), Phillip-Michael Scales (July 6–10), Beth // James (July 19–24), Steve Wynn and Linda Pitmon (August 3–7), Lupe Carroll (August 9–13), Seth Glier (August 17–24)
Bounty on the Blackfoot August 20 On the scenic banks of the Blackfoot River, you’ll find a farm-to-table feast dreamed up by the visiting Chef Brooke Williamson and fellow Top Chef alum Chef Antonia Lofaso. For a full schedule of events, visit pawsup.com/events. To speak with a reservations specialist, call 866-991-9078.
T H I S I S N O T Y O U R K I D ’ S B A C K YA R D T R E E H O U S E .
Rare is the resort that can boast impeccable architectural design, unmatched privacy and world-class amenities. Rarer still, one that provides all this and a nonstop parade of Montana’s finest wildlife just beyond your window. But that’s the promise of each and every Haus at the green o. Exquisitely designed with floor-to-ceiling views and materials in perfect sync with your surroundings, you’ll discover out here, the line between where nature ends and luxury begins is very fine indeed. Please join us.
thegreeno.com I Greenough, Montana I 888-205-6416
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