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e took a couple of chances with the summer issue of Headwall this year. Not to be confused with anything like a free solo (we’re not that brave). More like car camping with a group of college kids: Could be fun. Could be troublesome. It started when avid inline skater Jason Cohen, who wrote the spring issue’s outstanding cover story about Missoulabased endurance mountain biker Bill Martin, pitched his plan to roll the Trail of the Coeur D’Alenes with a tour company out of Red Lodge. Jason’s a terrific writer, and we loved the humorous potential of the trip, but the frightening combination of potential wisecracks, tour guides and Idaho caused considerable uneasiness at the home office. What, we wondered, would our rugged constituency in Bozeman think? And then there’s Jared Alden’s breathtaking photo essay capturing the hypnotic grace of slacklining. Following pro Michael Payton and others through Montana and beyond, Alden’s stunning pictures cried out for prominent exposure in our pages. But slacklining? Without a narrative? Compared to our normal meat and potatoes, it seemed like sipping sarsaparilla through a silly straw. The camo-clad raconteurs in hunting camp would surely look askance. But here at Headwall, we’re nothing if not bold adventurers, and when the unknown calls, sometimes we just have to go. And we’re glad we did. Alden’s images come together in perhaps the most interesting layout we’ve put together in our
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10 issues. The emphasis on natural surroundings and unwavering body control make for an elementally pure pursuit, worthy of any outdoorsman’s attention. In Cohen’s case, we got what we hoped for: a paean to the passions of inline devotees. But surprisingly, his companions turned out to be familiar to us—folks who like to get outside, work up a proud sweat, and go a little faster. We’re down with that. Of course, our summer issue pours generously for the shot-and-a-beer crowd, too. Headwall regular Jack Ballard serves up backcountry fishing for golden trout in the Crazy Mountains, though he seems more adept at repeatedly luring friends to a painfully remote destination than landing a lunker. And Aaron Teasdale delivers a family-friendly account of his audacious scheme to press his wife and their young sons into an epic mountain biking trip from Missoula to Banff. Suffice it to say, we get the impression he married well. Headwall newcomer Chris Dombrowski closes with an inspired disquisition on the thirst for potent drink. Whether any particular adventure goes fairly or aught, a ration of spirits holds promise to soothe the mind and warm the soul. As a matter of fact, now that this issue has been put to bed, maybe I should give Chris a call.
Matt Gibson Editor-in-Chief
Chad Harder