Get the gear to get out.

by David Tucker

Getting the right summer gear on the cheap isn’t always easy. But whether you’re in the market for a lighter fishing rod or a slick new tent, killer deals on good products do exist. Here are a few places to look.

Local Sales & Discounts
Our local retailers know what we want, what works in Montana, and they provide great service and support to boot. They’ll often display last year’s inventory on clearance, and for the most part, you won’t be getting shortchanged with year-old technology. And as the summer season eases toward fall, look for end-of-season sales as gear shops try to purge inventory. Expensive items such as mountain bikes can be up to 50% off, and you can still get a few months of riding in before the snow starts to fall. For a town-wide sale, add Summer Crazy Days to your calendar (July 22-24).

Outfit your campsite, without breaking the bank.

Second-hand Gear
Don’t let the marketing gurus fool you—unless you’re climbing Everest or biking the Continental Divide, you don’t need the best and the newest. Let some other poor sap keep buying new gear every year, and swing by the second-hand stores in town and pick up what he discards. For gear, Second Wind Sports and Nu2u are great options, and thrift stores like the Salvation Army and Goodwill (with a new location in Belgrade) are dependable resources for affordable layers and smaller items. These are all good options for purging old gear as well, and you might even make some money doing so.

Racks on racks on racks, of gear.

Online
The myriad online options can be intimidating, but some are worth mentioning. Daily-deal sites such as the Clymb offer top brands at severe discounts anywhere up to a few days at a time, and eBay and Craigslist are useful if you’re willing to scroll through endless bad photos and misleading product descriptions.

Outdoor gear is expensive, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. Use these tips, and remember—it’s about the experience, not the gear. Have fun out there.

Top spring drives.

by Mike England

Finals are coming up and before you know it, you won’t have any time for fun. Time to load up the car and head out for one last adventure before the semester ends. Here are two to consider.

Livingston / Paradise Valley – Out & Back
Just east of the Bozeman Pass (“over the hill,” as it’s called) sits the Windy City of the Rockies: Livingston, Montana. This wind-scoured old railroad town has a vibrant downtown, funky feel, and great music on the weekends. Just past the gap in the mountains south of town begins the sprawling, picturesque (and aptly named) Paradise Valley—30-some miles of rural countryside, enormous cattle ranches, and sweeping mountain views.

The Western Beartooths rise above the Yellowstone River in Paradise Valley.

The Absarokas (aka, Western Beartooths) rise dramatically to the east, while the west side is flanked by the Gallatin Range. Bring a fishing rod and take a few casts at any of the fishing access points along the Yellowstone River, which you’ll follow the entire drive. Chico Hot Springs (look for the sign) on the south end of the valley is a great spot to grab lunch and a soak.

Continue south through Yankee Jim Canyon and into the tiny town of Gardiner; now the wonders of Yellowstone Park await. Take a quick dip in the Boiling River or cruise into Mammoth Hot Springs to see the elk. On your way back through Livingston, feast at the Rib & Chop House or the 2nd Street Bistro, then hit up the Murray Bar for a taste of real Montana—complete with semi-surly bartenders and free-roaming dogs.

Flathead Pass / Shields Valley – Loop
Nothing screams Montana like bumpy old logging roads, and for a fun half- or full-day road trip, Flathead Pass in the Bridger Mountains is your gateway to off-road adventure. You’ll need some clearance, but any 4WD truck or SUV should make it up this road (provided it’s dry; wet roads should be reserved for the well-experienced or moderately suicidal). Take Springhill Road north of Bozeman and turn right at the Flathead Pass sign. A winding, rocky, somewhat sketchy climb and you’re at the top of the pass, with incredible views of the Gallatin and Shields valleys.

The west side of the northern Bridgers, just below Flathead Pass.

Continue east to the blacktop and hang a left. After a long drive through sagebrush flats reminiscent of old westerns, you’ll arrive in Wilsall. Grab lunch at the Wilsall Café or the Bank Bar before heading south toward Livingston. The jagged Crazy Mountains rising to the east will capture your attention, as will the Shields River meandering south toward its confluence with the Yellowstone. Pack your rod along for this drive as well—the Shields may not have the huge hogs of the ‘Stone, but it’s a smaller river and fun to fish. Animal and bird life abound along this riparian corridor, so bring some binos too. Stop in Livingston for dinner or continue on back to Bozeman, a mere 25 miles distant.

Stewarding the CDT in Montana.

by Sonny Mazzullo

The Montana Wilderness Association takes a community-driven approach to protecting and championing Montana’s public lands, outdoor way of life, and quiet beauty. That approach entails connecting communities, like the student body of Montana State University, to the wild places that make our state so special. Since 1962, MWA has achieved this through its Wilderness Walks program. A few years ago, MWA went a step further and took over CDT Montana, a volunteer trail stewardship program dedicated to maintaining and completing the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail.

Taking a break along the trail. Italian Peaks, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.

At 3,100 miles long, the CDT is our nation’s longest mountain trail. Starting at the Mexican border, the trail follows the geographical divide north through New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming, before entering Montana and Idaho just outside Yellowstone National Park. Here the trail continues for another 980 miles to the Canadian border. By engaging volunteers in trail maintenance and construction projects along this portion of the CDT, MWA is improving access and trail conditions in some of Montana’s most treasured landscapes: the Centennials, the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness, and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, to name a few.

If you’ve hiked, biked, or ridden any stretch of the CDT between Glacier and Yellowstone over the last three years, chances are you owe one of CDT Montana’s world-class volunteers a high five. Why? Because last year alone, CDT Montana’s 159 volunteers built two miles of new trail, constructed 270 feet of turnpike, and brushed back encroaching vegetation on 25 miles of trail. On a typical project, trail crew volunteers, aided by packers from local Backcountry Horsemen chapters, hike ten miles into the wilderness, set up base camp, and spend the next week digging dirt and hauling rock. Some days the weather is peachy, with blue skies and warm sunshine. Other days you wake up in a frosty tent before spending all day moving earth in the rain and sleet.

Even with nice weather, swinging a pulaski is hard work.

Despite the inherent hardships, volunteers come back year after year because the projects are joyful, rewarding experiences that lead to lasting friendships. “Adventures in new places with great people – who wouldn’t want to experience that?” asks Bozemanite Patty Bartholomew, three-time CDT Montana volunteer.

If you’d like to spend a week this summer camped in a beautiful location while building or maintaining wilderness trails, you’ll want to check out CDT Montana’s 2016 volunteer project lineup. There are projects of varying levels of strenuousness, so anyone can join, plus it’s free. For more information or to become a CDT volunteer, visit us at wildmontana.org.

Fruits of your labor: gooey marshmallows.

Sonny Mazzullo is the CDT Montana field coordinator for the Montana Wilderness Association. 

The meaning of experience.

by Drew Pogge

“We had the experience but missed the meaning. And approach to the meaning restores the experience in a different form.” —T.S. Eliot

It seems obvious, at first blush, to think that we recreate for pleasure. Because it makes us feel good; because of what we see and hear and sense in wild country; because the very word “recreate” stems from the Latin recreare, to restore. But more and more, it seems, the pleasure of experience isn’t the point.

I’m talking about GoPro and Strava and social media that demand constant attention. Increasingly, our experiences outside are products for consumption rather than restorative journeys. There is a growing attitude that we must share an experience online—immediately—for it to be meaningful, and that the number of views, or “likes” or shares somehow determine the quality of the experience.

“Awesome shot, bro. Bet you’ll get 50 likes.”

It’s bullshit.

Our experiences are our own. We should make of them what we need—not what’s trending on Twitter. When I ask someone how their ski was, I want to hear about what it meant to them: what creatures they saw, who they met, how it compares to adventures we’ve shared or other places they’ve been. I’m not interested in whether they got great footage, or beat the average pace of someone in their online age group—because unless you’re Ken Burns or Dean Karnazes, your product or result just isn’t that impressive. It doesn’t have to be. It’s recreation.

When I see a real-time “selfie” of someone standing at the top of a mountain, I am not impressed or envious or jealous. It saddens me to think that rather than soak in the views, observe the wildlife, or talk with partners—real-life people, right in front of us!—we feel compelled to remove ourselves from the present in order to promote an image for an assumed audience. Recreation as performance art.

“Get out of the way. I’m trying to shoot the Ridge.”

My point is not that we shouldn’t take photos or draw sketches or write stories about our experiences. I’m a writer for crying out loud—it’s how I pay my bills. Which sort of is my point: why make playing outside work if it doesn’t have to be?

In Bozeman, we live for recreation. It’s why many of us moved here—certainly not for the weather or the vast number of high-paying jobs or the low cost of living. Come spring, we’ll have every opportunity to run and bike and fish and ski—all in the same day if we choose—and it’s these experiences that define us as a town and as a community. Even without my GoPro, that seems pretty meaningful to me.

This article originally appeared in Outside Bozeman magazine.

MSU supporting veterans’ spouses through scholarship.

by Lilly Brogger

Our nation’s veterans put their lives on the line for our freedom. The spouses of these veterans also make an incredible sacrifice, setting aside personal goals to focus on family while their loved ones are in the service. Education is often one of these goals, but frequent relocations complicate pursuing a college degree.  Montana State created the Veteran Families Freedom Scholarship to help these spouses overcome the challenges that come with gaining a college education.

Sean Gifford, an MSU student veteran, came up with the idea, along with his wife, fellow MSU student Kira Gifford. The Giffords explained the idea to Jim Kraus, a retired special-forces colonel and Bozeman local, who then introduced Gifford to Carol Smith, then a member of the MSU Alumni Foundation’s Donor Relations Advisory Board. Smith was intrigued and Sean and Kira presented the idea at the next advisory board meeting. In 2013, the scholarship fund was established, thanks in large part to Smith’s initial donations. Since 2013, the Alumni Foundation has received many additional contributions for the initiative through major gift commitments, planned gifts, endowments, and current-use annual gifts. To date, they’ve raised $608,000.

Carol Smith began her involvement with veterans while volunteering with Warriors and Quiet Waters, and helping student veterans allowed her to further extend her gratitude. “Establishing the Veteran Families Freedom Scholarship is my humble thank-you and infinite gratitude to our military armed forces,” she explains, “who defend our freedom and great country and their spouses who wholeheartedly deserve our thanks.”

Many veterans choose to pursue their education at MSU. Photo by MSU / Kelly Gorham.

For both in-state and out-of-state students, scholarships such as this can be incredibly helpful. Gianna Vanata is the director of development at the MSU Alumni Foundation and helps organize scholarships for veterans. “We have many veterans and families at MSU that have made incredible sacrifices for our country and deserve this support,” says Vanata. “When donors provide  scholarships to a veteran or spouse, they are not only helping lessen the financial stresses of pursuing education, they are honoring the service of these families.”

Jessica Sullivan received the scholarship in the fall of 2014. Her husband Patrick did two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. As he was re-stationed, first in Alaska and then in Louisiana, Sullivan transferred schools. Her husband eventually decided to end his time with the army to refocus on education. The couple chose to attend MSU, where Jessica had previously been accepted.

Patrick and Jessica Sullivan. Both chose to attend MSU, and Jessica received a scholarship through the Veteran Families Freedom Scholarship fund. Photo by MSU / Kelly Gorham.

The GI Bill covered tuition and fees for Patrick. She, however, didn’t get financial assistance, and chose to go to school part-time and gain Montana residency. Jessica finally gained residency and received the Veteran Families Freedom Scholarship, which allowed her to student-teach. “It put that semester at ease,” Sullivan explains. “It made it a lot easier to not have to worry about working full-time.”

Both Sullivans graduated in May of 2015 and Jessica now works as the Veteran Coordinator at MSU. The scholarship helped her reach her educational goals, but Jessica’s continued involvement is most important to her. “It’s nice to have it set up for those who come behind me.”

As our military commitments change, more veterans are coming to MSU. This means more spouses as well. MSU has been recognized for accommodating and supporting veterans—the university also offers other scholarships and the MSU Veteran’s Center works to ensure that veterans feel welcome here.

The MSU Veteran Center focuses on creating a welcome home for our nation’s veterans at MSU. Photo by MSU / Kelly Gorham.

The fall 2016 application is now available at montana.edu/veteran, or on their Facebook page. Any veteran spouse committed to his or her education is encouraged to apply.

How not to be “that guy”.

by the editors of Outside Bozeman magazine

We’ve all seen him: the guy up on the ridge who looks like a total mess. He’s holding the line up, he’s swinging skis and poles everywhere, and he’s stopping in the middle of everything to fix his gloves. His I’ve-never-done-this-before friends have tagged along just to make things worse for everyone.

Bridger’s Ridge: full of freedom, provided you play by the rules.

Granted, at one point or another, we all took our first step onto the ridge and our lives haven’t been the same since. And in doing so, we all made mistakes along the way and people either yelled at us or abandoned us to figure it out ourselves. But first semester is over, so here’s how to behave the next time you step into the bootpack and begin climbing the stairway to heaven.

1. Stopping in the Bootpack. It’s okay to get tired, but don’t do it in front of 100 hungry powder skiers. Step off to the side and take a few deep breaths. You’ve got all day and having a heart attack on the bootpack would really suck. Step to the side and enjoy the day while the speedy jerk behind you runs to the top to prove his manhood.

2. Urinating. Not in the bootpack. Ever. And even on top of the ridge, please step off of the beaten path to relieve yourself. We understand that this is the great outdoors and you feel so free and alive. Take a few steps sideways to achieve your Zen cleansing so that we don’t have to look at it while sucking wind and sweating out our eyeballs. The moaning is kind of weird too, but we can deal with it.

3. Adjusting Gear. Your skis came loose, your jacket got too hot. We get it. Mine did the same thing 20 steps back. The only difference is I didn’t attempt to fix it with a line of people behind me. This seems so obvious, you would think, but if I had a nickel every time… ah screw it, you get the picture. Step to the side.

4. Planning Ahead. About that hot jacket. I don’t care how many vertical feet you’ve logged on the Stairmaster at Access Fitness, climbing uphill in heavy-ass ski boots is hard work. Plan ahead and strip off your insulated down coat before the hike. At the very least, open your pit zips and unzip the front. You’ll be cold for all of about 60 seconds.

Your reward: the steep and deep.

5. Hogging the Loading Zone. For the patroller’s sake and that of everyone else, leave a path through the loading zone. This means at the top and the bottom. People need to get through, as in from one side to the other, so make it possible. Take all the time you need strapping and unstrapping equipment, but get out of the way while doing it.

6. Unwieldy Poles and Skis. While loading or hiking, turning around abruptly while shouldering skis will leave a wake of destruction. Be aware of where your gear is at all times and don’t take people out with it. And please don’t stab people behind you with your poles.

7. Sideslipping. Maybe this one is taking the list too far, but we thought it was worth a mention: if you’ve got first tracks on something, please don’t ruin it for everyone else. If you can’t do it right, maybe stick to something a little easier next time.

8. Bringing Your Girlfriend. Only kidding, but know the limit. Some people aren’t at the proper level yet, and bringing a beginner or inexperienced person into this terrain is not only a bad idea, it’s simply dangerous to him or her and everyone else.

9. Beacon Ignorance. Know how to use them and practice regularly. Nothing says “I shouldn’t be skiing here” like not being familiar with your avalanche transceiver. Simply putting one on is not good enough. Yes, that’s all they require for you to hike the ridge; but when the time comes to dig out your buddy, staring blankly at that thing strapped to your chest for 10 minutes will cost someone his life. Shovel and probe proficiency will help mitigate disaster as well.

10. Unknown Zones. Know where you are at all times. If you’re new, bring someone who isn’t. Do not ski something that you’re unsure of, as many areas on the ridge cliff out, and this will put you and the people who have to come help you in danger. And with multiple access points to the ridge now, choose the appropriate one for where you are going. If you find yourself hiking north from Slushman’s and down-climbing Z-Chute, you’ve gone too far.

Congratulations: you’re no longer “that guy”.

Bonus: It isn’t against the law for your pack to be loose and dangling, your skis to be swaying in the breeze, or your jacket to be dragging on the ground. But for the love of God, keep your shit in check.

The lowdown on the MSU ducks.

by Morgan Solomon

With close to 1,000 Facebook followers, the MSU ducks are nothing short of celebrities on campus. I mean, these ducks are pampered and everyone in Bozeman knows about them. In a recent interview with the eldest mallard of the pond, we found out what it’s like being an MSU duck.

Mr. Mallard, why are you and the ducks so popular around campus?
“Well, first I’d like to say that we’re certainly appreciative of the love. It’s really something to be able to winter over in Montana if we want, with only a bare minimum of harassment and shenanigans on campus. If I had to guess, our fans like us because we’re a welcome distraction from classes—a bit of wildness right here on MSU grounds. And I’ve been told that we waddle in an amusing manner.”

“We’re ready for our crumbs now, thank you very much.”

Describe your typical day at the pond.
“First thing is usually the morning rush from the dorms. Those freshman really book it—get it, book it?—when they’re late in the morning. After that, we typically lounge in the sun until the morning shift arrives. Bread-throwers, that is. They feed us until we barely float, and then it’s time for a nap.”

Sounds rough.
“Well, there are all of those domestic wolves to contend with. They’re either chasing us around the pond about to snap our heads off, or stealin’ the bread nuggets right from under our beaks. Of course, out-of-town ducks can be a pain, too. They clearly don’t know what a big deal we are, and sometimes I wonder if fighting for a piece of bread is worth a black eye or broken rib.” 

Still, for a duck it sounds pretty plush.
“Yeah. We wouldn’t want it any other way. After the Ugly Duckling, Daffy Duck, and that miserly Scrooge McDuck, we’re pretty much the biggest story in duck celebrities these days. Those Duck Dynasty fools don’t hold a candle.”

To stay in touch with Mr. Mallard and the gang, visit them at the duck pond (with bread, of course) or go to facebook.com/pages/MSU-Duck-Pond.

Volunteer opportunities for the holidays and beyond. 

The holidays are a season of reflection, giving thanks, spending time with family, and relaxing. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for everyone. For some, the holidays bring on even more stress—financial strain, insecurity, and trouble keeping the house warm. That’s where volunteering comes in. As college students, giving money typically isn’t an option and there’s a limit to how much Ramen you can donate. Luckily, time and effort are just as valuable. Below are some options—some specifically for the holidays and some for beyond—that will make you, and the people around you, feel good.

MSU’s Office of Activities and Engagement sponsors Service Saturdays, local service projects held the first Saturday of every month. There are several options in December—creating Christmas cards for seniors (on campus), volunteering at Gallatin Rest Home with group activities, helping Bridgercare send out holiday letters (on campus), helping set up the Christmas Stroll and the Baxter Ballroom, and helping Habitat for Humanity reorganize and make room for new items. February events include Valentine’s Day card decorating, helping at Reach, Good Neighbor Bag distribution, and more. Go here for more information and to check out February and March dates.

MSU students helping at Habitat For Humanity. Image courtesy of MSU Office of Activities and Engagement.

Big Brothers, Big Sisters, can be a great way for college students to become involved. They require background checks and proof that you are responsible of course, but allow for flexible schedules. They encourage prospective mentors to check out the “Enroll a Child” page on their website to see the kind of kids needing mentors and to read about the matching process. The kids enrolled in the program come from all walks of life and from various financial situations. Matches aren’t random, but rather are based on the kind of mentoring you want to do, and the kind of mentoring the enrolled child needs. They currently have 33 Little Brothers on the waiting list and are in need of Big Brothers. The best way to contact them is through their website, which lists their phone number as well as an email form. They can also be messaged on their Facebook page or on Twitter.

In February, MSU students can help make Valentines Day cards to help local organizations. Image courtesy of MSU Office of Activities and Engagement.

Bozeman’s frigid winters mean that anyone without a home is in an especially bad situation. The Warming Center—part of the HRDC—relies heavily on volunteers during this time of year. Orientations are held Tuesdays from 6-7pm. Potential volunteers are encouraged to check out the Warming Center’s website and stop by to find out where help is needed. The HRDC also has various other volunteering opportunities.

MSU students volunteering at the Gallatin Valley Food Bank, another great service opportunity. Image courtesy of the MSU Office of Activities and Engagement.

MSU also has a partnership with America Reads, which focuses on helping kids struggling with literacy and math skills. MSU students can apply to become tutors, which are recruited at the beginning of the spring and fall semester. Check out their website for more information, contact, and to find an application.

Theses are just a few of the many opportunities for volunteering in our community. MSU’s annual Involvement Fair takes place January 23, from 10am to 3pm in the SUB ballrooms. A large group of local organizations will discuss volunteering and answer questions. Check out this list of groups that will be there.