I have been thinking a lot about the Scots. Were there Scots in Montana? If so, why did they not leave a lasting mark on the Montana identity? Why, for example, do Montana Universities offer Irish Studies, but no Scottish Studies? Turns out, this is a theme across the West. While many Scots and Scots-Irish … Read more
Lolo Peak trail doesn’t actually lead to Lolo Peak. The trail switchbacks for 3.6 miles through beautiful lodgepole and larch forests and steep meadows to Carlton Ridge. Along the way, breaks in the trees offer stunning vistas as range after range of mountains tumble away in all directions. To the northeast, the jagged Missions cut … Read more
Dressed in fringe-laden buckskin and wielding a guitar, Jack Gladstone spoke with a deep resonant voice and loomed tall on the split log stage. Granted he seemed more giant because I was probably six or seven at the time, but it wasn’t hard to imagine him getting a football scholarship to the University of Washington. … Read more
The lounge car of the train, with its arching tinted windows, chrome inlays and sturdy vinyl seats evokes a mid-century glamour. Occasionally a conductor will stroll through, stomach straining the buttons on his vest, one thumb tucked into a vest pocket, importantly checking the big round face of the watch at his wrist, calling … Read more
Designated in 1910 as the nation’s 10th National Park, the grandeur of Glacier has attracted visitors for centuries. The Blackfeet Indian tribe that dominated the plains east of the mountains frequently wintered in the wooded valleys of what is now Glacier National Park, and considered the area around Two Medicine sacred. The Kootenai, who made … Read more
My favorite thing to do in fort Benton is to stroll along the levee eating ice cream from the Freeze. Unfortunately, weather doesn’t always cooperate. The weekend we went was muggy, windless and clinging on the verge of 90 degrees. On such days, the best policy is to visit one of the town’s five museums. … Read more
For years I have gone to the park in Fort Benton, and for years the fort failed to materialize. All that remained was an adobe blockhouse that you couldn’t enter and two fenced-off bits of walls, little more than mud heaps. This time however, the Fort Museum was finally open and somewhere deep inside me, … Read more
One of Montana’s premier events, Bannack Days is here again. Click here for a schedule of the packed full weekend. Click here, for SouthWest Montana’s video of Bannack Days from a few years ago (you may have to scroll down a bit). With exhibits, performances, meals, tours, demonstrations and music, Bannack days is one of … Read more
N.B. Our apologies for the title, it was to easy a reference to pass up. We thought about using “Wherefore art thou SouthWest Montana” but, frankly, have never been entirely sure of the meaning of “wherefore.” Imagine this scenario: you’re sitting in a bar with a few friends and friends-of-friends. You say you blog … Read more
