Dudley Improta, an avalanche specialist with the West Central Montana Avalanche Foundation (WCMAC), carefully digs a pit on a finger ridge, high on the slopes of Morrell Mountain, in the Swan Range east of Seeley Lake. He uses the blade of his aluminum shovel to shave the sides, isolating a cross-section of the snow as […]
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Bugling sounds of Vuvuzelas and the ringing of cowbells lead the way for ski mountaineering racers as they traverse around Whitefish Mountain Resort for the 10th annual Whitefish Whiteout Race on February 11, 2017. Ski mountaineer racing, or SKIMO, consists of athletes strapping skins on their skis, racing up the hill, and riding down as
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Montana’s front country hiking becomes backcountry quickly, which makes it easy to get away from crowds. Although a week or more is preferred for a grand-quest into a wilderness area, a weekend warrior can easily find their piece of trail magic in the dramatic and less traveled spaces outside Glacier National Park. With 27 million
Hiking Northwest Montana’s Backcountry Read More »
Four-legged friends are the best hiking buddies—particularly when they carry the wine, hum sweet-nothings in your ear, and provide protection while trekking in the Wild West. Llamas tell an ancient story through their legacy careers as backcountry packers, granting humans assistance with economic livelihood and recreational pursuits. They are also intriguing with their comical appearance,
Llama Packing: Backcountry Hiking is Better with a Four-Legged Friend Read More »
If you already have a “lake place” – your own or your parents,’ your friend’s grandparents or cousins, or your Uncle Bob’s – then you likely already have your favorite lake. But for the rest of us, any of the dozens of Inland Northwest lakes can be ours for the loving. To feel the cold
Inland NW Lake Guide 2017 Read More »
Big Agnes served her purpose well until last summer. My family’s orange and yellow 4-person Big Agnes tent was acquired early in our marriage, four years before our first child was born. Not only did she come with a cool name; Big Agnes had a vestibule (purchased separately) that made the tent more versatile and
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Experience Whitefish, Montana, near the west entrance to Glacier National Park, while running the scenic backroads around this beautiful mountain town. The Two Bear Marathon, September 10, has an all-new, all-road course this year for both the full and half marathon distances. The race starts and ends at Depot Park in downtown Whitefish, where a
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Home to the University of Montana in the whole-foods-and-hiking-boots heart of the state, Missoula is a community of fit free spirits—consider it a cross between Bend and Bellingham. In recent years, the city’s running and river surfing communities have put it on the adventure-sports map, but hiking remains king here. But full parking lots belie
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A century of commercial trapping, habitat loss, and unregulated hunting eradicated grizzlies from 98% of their original range in the contiguous U.S. Here in the Northwest, records from the Hudson Bay Company show that nearly 4,000 grizzly bear hides were shipped from trading posts in the North Cascades in a 35-year span. Despite these grim
North Cascade Grizzly Bears Could Get a Boost Read More »
Located in Northwest Montana, Whitefish is a winter getaway paradise. Downhill skiing or snowboarding? Check. Snowshoe in Glacier National Park? Check. Take a horse-drawn sleigh ride followed by a home-cooked chili dinner? Yummy check! Whatever your adventure style, Whitefish has you covered Hit the slopes at Whitefish Mountain Resort Consistently top-ranked in national magazines and
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