Who says that Montana in December is beautiful? (Besides us, a bunch of times) I mean look at this tree. It isn’t the kind of picture you would see hanging in a fancy art gallery. And this picture of the sun sparkling on Helena Reservoir doesn’t need to be accompanied by an epic soundtrack. Montana … Read more
Last November, Tempest videographer Mike Dreesman was filming the fall larch colors in the Seeley-Swan Valley when he encountered a Grizzly Bear near Van Lake: I passed a car parked on the side of the highway. I looked back and realized that the driver was looking at a grizzly bear, so I whipped the mini-van … Read more
A few weekends ago, I went hiking up Sioux Charlie trail in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, and frankly, you’re lucky that I decided to come back to work. You’re also lucky that I only posted 11 pictures, because I took exactly ten times that many. This is the Stillwater River. Presumably whoever named … Read more
Back in January, we made plans to cross-country ski into a Forest Service cabin. I spent the next month in a near panic, worried that we wouldn’t have any snow to ski on. I spend a lot of time worrying about the weather when we plan trips. In fairness, the country only a few miles … Read more
Tempest videographer Mike Dreesman spent the first week of January in Yellowstone National Park. He took some stunning footage of big horn sheep, bison, eagles, and scenery, but probably his most arresting footage was of two carcasses in the snow. Mike spent nearly four hours taking video of a bison carcass which lay half submerged … Read more
I have a friend who was talking about a trip he took to Texas. “The problem, with Texans,” he said, “is that they are all so proud of Texas. They think that Texas is the best place ever.” “Montanans can be pretty arrogant when it comes to talking about our state too,” I replied. He … Read more
One of my favorite Charlie Russell stories comes from an essay by Rick Newby called “Bookmen of the Montana Frontier:” “Early in the twentieth century, Montana folklore has it, a Helena couple visiting Paris stumbled upon Charlie Russell in the galleries of the Louvre. Russell greeted them warmly but begged them not to mention to … Read more
On my recent trips to Butte, I went to some cool museums, took fun tours, and ate delicious food. I also spent a lot of time just wandering around. The activities are fun for sure, but there is something very alluring about just wandering around a place, looking at things. Butte has an air of … Read more
Serendipity Photographers spend a lot of time waiting for shots that never happen, and thinking about shots they missed. But sometimes shots spring up on you with no warning whatever. Initially Mike drove right past this moose sighting near Norris Geyser Basin, thinking that the shadows and lighting were bad. After a while of driving … Read more
The Photographers’ Club One of the things that Mike enjoyed most about his Yellowstone trip was the camaraderie that develops between the photographers. Wildlife photography involves a lot of downtime, a lot of sitting and waiting for an animal to appear, or for an animal to do something interesting. Mike spent this time chatting with … Read more
