Explore Big Sky - October 1st to October 14th, 2026 by Outlaw Partners

Oct. 1 - Oct. 14, 2026 Volume 17 // Issue 21

BIG SKY SCHOOL DISTRICT OPENS ADDITIONAL TEACHER HOUSING WINTER OUTLOOK: POTENTIAL FOR A WARM, DRY WINTER COUNTY ACCOUNTS FOR $568K INCONSISTENCY

THE TEN-YEAR-OLD BREAKING RODEO RECORDS OPINION: ROADLESS RULE’S RULE'S IMPACT ON BIG SKY RECAP: BIG HORNS' HOMECOMING

OPENING SHOT

October 1 - October 14, 2026 Volume 17 // Issue 21 Owned and published in Big Sky, Montana

PUBLISHER Eric Ladd | eric@theoutlawpartners.com

EDITORIAL VP MEDIA Mira Brody | mira@theoutlawpartners.com

The Gallatin Gateway elk herd grazes. Wildlife is more prevalent as the temperatures cool; be aware of herds crossing when driving, especially through Gallatin Gateway. PHOTO BY HOLLY PIPPEL

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STAFF WRITER Jen Clancey | jen@theoutlawpartners.com LOCAL JOURNALIST Leslie Kilgore | leslie@theoutlawpartners.com DIGITAL MEDIA LEAD Fischer Genau | fischer@theoutlawpartners.com STAFF WRITER Carli Johnson | carli@theoutlawpartners.com EDITORIAL INTERN Annie O'Neill | annie@theoutlawpartners.com

CREATIVE GRAPHIC DESIGNER Luke Breum | luke@theoutlawpartners.com

SALES AND OPERATIONS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Josh Timon | josh@theoutlawpartners.com CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Megan Paulson | megan@theoutlawpartners.com VP DESIGN & PRODUCTION Hiller Higman | hiller@theoutlawpartners.com

4 BRIEFS 8 6 LETTERS 8 BIG SKY 14 REGIONAL 10 21 ENVIRONMENT 28 A&E 32 BUSINESS 13 41 HEALTH 43 FUN

RECAP: BIG HORNS’ HOMECOMING Lone Peak High School held its homecoming week Sept. 21-25, fit with its annual homecoming parade and home games for fall sports. On Friday night, Sept. 25, a crowd of community members, families and students cheered on LPHS football as they played against Park City High School. Ultimately, the Big Horns fell 44-0 to the Panthers.

WINTER OUTLOOK: POTENTIAL FOR WARM, DRY WEATHER While a forecast shows how warm and dry a winter is likely to be, it doesn’t reveal what that does to the snow underfoot. To find out the forecast for the upcoming winter season, and what the outlook leaves out, EBS spoke with a local meteorologist and two Montana State University snow researchers.

DIRECTOR OF RELATIONSHIPS Ersin Ozer | ersin@theoutlawpartners.com MARKETING MANAGER Tucker Harris | tucker@theoutlawpartners.com CONTENT MARKETING DIRECTOR Taylor Owens | taylor.owens@theoutlawpartners.com SENIOR ACCOUNTANT Sara Sipe | sara@theoutlawpartners.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LEAD Patrick Mahoney | patrick@theoutlawpartners.com ACCOUNT COORDINATOR Ellie Boeschenstein | ellie@theoutlawpartners.com

CONTRIBUTORS Benjamin Alva Polley, Daniel Bierschwale, Kaley Burns, Ali Chipouras, Marcus "Doc" Cravens, Bayard Dominick, Kristin Gardner, Rachel Hergett, Lizzie Peyton, Holly Pippel, Brad Niva

ON THE COVER: The Montana State Rodeo Team leads the Bobcat runout at the Sept. 19 game against Central Connecticut State. The ‘Cats beat the Blue Devils 35-30, followed a week later by a victory against Northern Arizona, setting the team up for their 19th straight win. PHOTO BY MARCUS “DOC” CRAVENS

18 24

EDITORIAL POLICIES

SCAN FOR TOWN CRIER NEWSLETTER. DAILY NEWS, STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

BIG SKY SCHOOL DISTRICT OPENS ADDITIONAL TEACHER HOUSING The Big Sky School District celebrated the opening of six new tiny homes for teachers and staff with a Sept. 16 ribbon-cutting ceremony on site, just north of the Lone Peak High School tennis courts. The units, open to teachers and support staff on a firstcome, first-served basis, cap a decade-long push by the district to build on-campus faculty housing. THE TEN-YEAR-OLD BREAKING ADULT RODEO RECORDS Rowyn O’Meara was 3 years old the first time she got on a horse, and she’s refused to get off one since. Seven years later, Rowyn, now 10, has spent hours riding the Tuesday night rodeos at Lone Mountain Ranch, where she recently posted a time of 14.901 seconds in barrel racing, the fastest women’s time run at the venue in six years, against a field of adult competitors.

COUNTY ACCOUNTS FOR $568K INCONSISTENCY At a Sept. 1 Gallatin County Commission meeting, Chief Financial Officer Aaron Mitchell announced the source of a $568,570 discrepancy in a Sept. 1 county commission meeting. The inconsistency started when the county double-reported a balance during a transition to a new finance software in 2019. FROM CONTRIBUTORS: ROADLESS RULE’S IMPACT ON BIG SKY In this piece by guest contributors Kristin Gardner and Lizzie Peyton, they discuss how the proposed repeal of a 25-year-old environmental protection policy could impact Big Sky. From wildfire mitigation, to water quality and wildlife protection, they learn from Big Sky’s leading entities on what a roadless rule repeal could mean locally.

EDITORIAL POLICY

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Outlaw Partners, LLC is the sole owner of Explore Big Sky. EBS reserves the right to edit all submitted material. Printed material reflects the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the opinion of Outlaw Partners or its editors. EBS will not publish anything discriminatory or in bad taste.

Letters to the editor allow EBS readers to express views and share how they would like to effect change. These are not Thank You notes. Letters should be 250 words or less, respectful, ethical, accurate, and proofread for grammar and content. We reserve the right to edit letters and will not publish individual grievances about specific businesses or letters that are abusive, malicious or potentially libelous. Include: full name, address, phone number and title. Submit to media@outlaw.partners.

EBS welcomes obituaries written by family members or from funeral homes. To place an obituary, please submit 500 words or less to media@theoutlawpartners.com.

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ADVERTISING DEADLINE For the October 15th issue: October 7, 2026 CORRECTIONS Please report errors to media@outlaw.partners. OUTLAW PARTNERS & EXPLORE BIG SKY P.O. Box 160250, Big Sky, MT 59716 (406) 995-2055 • media@theoutlawpartners.com ©2026 Explore Big Sky unauthorized reproduction prohibited

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Explore Big Sky

4 October 1 - October 14, 2026

BRIEFS

NEWS IN BRIEF

‘A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT’ OPERA HOLDS BOZEMAN PREMIERE EBS STAFF Opera Montana’s rendition of “A River Runs Through It” premiered Sept. 18 at the Ellen Theatre in Bozeman. Based on Norman Maclean’s novel of the same name, the opera toured Montana this past summer, offering previews of its programming. Finally, on Friday, Sept. 18 evening, its main cast performed on stage for the world premiere. Composed by Zach Redler, Kelley Rourke and Matt Foss, the opera starred Schyler Vargas as Norman, Michael Kuhn as Paul, Ryan Bryce Johnston as Neal, Phyllis Pancella as Clara, Christine Taylor Price as Jessie and Megan Marino as Heidi. In a Wall Street Journal article, Heidi Waleson wrote that the opera “embodies the book’s characters, themes and powerful sense of place with a sophistication and eloquence that take it beyond the regional into the universal." Other newspapers, including The New York Times and The Washington Post shared the news about the Montana story coming home to the Ellen Theatre.

DECORATED SKIER JESSIE DIGGINS TO SHARE STORY OF GRIT, RECOVERY AT MSU TALK OCT. 29 EBS STAFF Jessie Diggins, the most decorated cross country skier in U.S. history, will speak at Montana State University on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the event is free and open to the public, with tickets available in advance online.

CITY OF BOZEMAN TO CREATE CATTAIL CREEK ANCHOR ROUTE EBS STAFF Bozeman City Commission announced the adoption of the Cattail Creek Corridor and Anchor Route Master Plan, marking a major milestone in establishing a plan to connect the parks, trails and natural areas in west Bozeman. The plan provides a framework for a trail from East Valley Center Road to Gallatin Valley Mall, according to a Sept. 16 press release from the city. “Much like the Gallagator on the east side of town, the Cattail Trail will provide a north-south connection on the west side, providing more opportunities for biking, walking, and recreating,” Mayor Joey Morrison stated in the press release. “We have existing parks and trails in the area, but they aren’t connected. Through this work, we’ll be building new trails and improving existing areas to create a cohesive trail network that everyone can enjoy.” Approximately 20% of the city’s population lives within a half mile of this corridor. When the project is completed, residents will see new wayfinding signage, new paved and gravel sections of the trail, improved street crossings and new park spaces along the trail. There will also be improvements to the natural habitat, including new trees and riparian zones, and new recreational experiences, such as a dog park, gathering spaces and fitness areas. The project will be completed in segments. The first segment will be by the West Winds neighborhood, and the City will conduct further engagement to work with surrounding neighbors on the site layout. The earliest the trail might be completed is 2030, but improvements will begin to take shape as early as 2027. More information on the Cattail Trail plan, including visuals of how the trail could look, can be found online.

SESSIONS SEEK INPUT ON FUTURE OF LIBRARY SERVICES IN BOZEMAN EBS STAFF

The talk is co-sponsored by MSU and the Bridger Ski Foundation, a Bozeman-based nonprofit that runs ski programs for about 1,000 youth and maintains roughly 90 kilometers of local cross country trails. Diggins is expected to speak about her athletic career as well as her advocacy for mental health awareness, including her own experience with an eating disorder.

On Oct. 3 and 4, the Bozeman Public Library and Bozeman Library Friends and Foundation will host community conversations about the future of library services in Bozeman. Library Director Susan Gregory noted in a Sept. 23 release from the City of Bozeman that sessions are aimed at collecting community input.

Diggins, 35, grew up in Afton, Minnesota, and retired from competitive skiing in 2026. Over her career she won four Olympic medals including the first U.S. Olympic gold in cross country skiing, earned with teammate Kikkan Randall in the 2018 team sprint, along with four overall World Cup titles, seven World Championship medals, 33 individual World Cup race wins and 90 total podiums. She is a three-time Tour de Ski champion, the author of the memoir “Brave Enough,” the subject of the 2026 documentary “Threshold,” and a board member of the climate advocacy nonprofit Protect Our Winters.

“This is just the start of a conversation, and we want the community’s voice in it from day one,” Gregory said. The library and design team wants to learn what residents hope to see moving forward.

“We are excited for the opportunity to welcome Jessie Diggins to MSU to share her inspiring story with us,” said Betsy Asserson, MSU associate vice president of student wellness. “Jessie’s openness about her experiences with an eating disorder and mental health challenges helps reduce stigma and brings important conversations into the open. Her story encourages people to seek help, support one another, and recognize that recovery is possible. It also reminds us that people are more than their struggles, or their accomplishments.” The event is sponsored by several MSU offices and colleges, including Student Wellness, MSU Athletics and the Office of the President.

Tommi Laitio, an urban strategist who led Helsinki’s library system for almost 10 years, will lead the conversations. He is joined by a Gensler design team, which is a global firm that created the strategic planning process for the Chicago and San Francisco libraries, two systems where Laitio previously worked. According to the release, Gensler prides itself on listening, testing ideas and leading with community priorities. This is one of several planned opportunities for community input; more sessions will follow in the months ahead. CEO of the Friends and Foundation, Janay Johnson, encouraged involvement. “We’re bringing in some of the most respected planners in the library field, and we want to hear directly from residents about what would make this project meaningful for them,” Johnson stated. The Saturday, Oct. 3 session will run from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Bozeman Public Library, and the Sunday, Oct. 4 session will take place at 12-4 p.m. at the KidsFEST event at the Gallatin Regional Park.

Since 1992, Resort Tax has collected more than $200 million, all of it dedicated to our community – funding essential services, improving infrastructure, preserving natural resources, and supporting the people and places that shape our daily lives. The annual grant cycle is one part of a larger process for investing Resort Tax in Big Sky. This year, 20 sponsors are requesting $6,998,448 for 32 projects across eight impact areas.* Community input is an important part of that process, helping the Board understand community priorities as it considers grant requests alongside other needs and long-term investments. *Does not include rolling or multi-year grants

Meetings will be held at The Wilson Hotel and virtually via Zoom. Details at resorttax.org.

OCT

20 OCT

Deadline: October 14

Review the projects at resorttax.org/allocations

Please note that all comments will be entered into the public record and will be publicly available

Explore Big Sky

6 October 1 - October 14, 2026

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS A LONGER-TERM FUNDING SOURCE

An aerial view of Big Sky. OUTLAW PARTNERS PHOTO Dear Editor, As chairman of the Big Sky Transportation District, I’ve known that Big Sky’s transportation infrastructure has not kept pace with today’s demands. This goes beyond congestion on U.S. Highway 191 and Montana Highway 64—it includes local roads, transit, pedestrian and bike connections, and basic traffic safety. We know many of the projects we need: highway and intersection improvements; expanded Skyline service, fleet upgrades, park-and-rides and transit facilities; safer local roads with traffic-calming; and better walking and biking connections. Projects with cost estimates already exceed $150 million, and several major projects remain unpriced. Responsibility is scattered: Montana Department

of Transportation handles highways, the transportation district handles transit, and HOAs and RIDs maintain local roads. Bike, pedestrian and traffic-calming projects have no clear owner. Even when we know what’s needed, the harder questions remain: Who leads? Who pays? How do we get it built? Public transit is one of the most cost-effective ways to expand capacity on U.S. 191 and MT 64. We can get more personal vehicles off the road if we can make public transportation more convenient and efficient. A simple thing like adding Wi-Fi to the Skyline buses coming from Bozeman, will dramatically increase the ridership as people can be productive while commuting. Our five-year plan targets doubling service, requiring new vehicles, investment in technology, park-and-rides, bus

turnouts and a transit hub. Federal funding can help, but requires local matching at levels rural systems like ours have never faced. We can’t keep solving these needs one project at a time. A Targeted Economic Development District (TEDD) could be an important piece of a longerterm approach, offering a new funding source for infrastructure. It won’t replace MDT, county or federal funding, or solve every issue—but it can help pay for work we know is needed. We know what Big Sky needs. Now we need a realistic way to pay for it. If you have any questions, reach out to me at Bayard@bigsky.com or 406-250-2920. Bayard Dominick Big Sky, Montana

BIG SKY NEEDS A DIFFERENT SOLUTION Dear Editor, Big Sky’s growth has brought tremendous opportunity, but our infrastructure has not always kept pace. As an unincorporated community spanning two counties, we face challenges that are different from most Montana communities, and we don’t have a city government with the traditional tools to address them. Those challenges are becoming increasingly urgent. Our community faces aging water and wastewater infrastructure, increasing pressure on our transportation network, an impaired Gallatin River, and perhaps most concerning, significant wildfire risk. Protecting Big Sky from wildfire isn’t simply

about responding when a fire starts. It requires long-term investments in evacuation routes, water systems, forest management, emergency access, communications and other critical infrastructure.

Tax Increment Financing. These tools allow communities to capture a portion of the growth in property tax revenue and reinvest it directly into infrastructure. They do not create a new tax.

Today, much of that responsibility falls on our resort tax and a collection of local organizations working together. From my perspective as CEO of Big Sky Chamber of Commerce, they have accomplished a great deal, but the scale of Big Sky’s infrastructure needs is growing faster than the resources available.

Big Sky is helping drive Montana’s economy. We should also have the ability to responsibly reinvest some of that growth into protecting our community, strengthening our infrastructure and preparing for the future.

One potential solution is giving communities like Big Sky greater access to tools such as Targeted Economic Development Districts and

Brad Niva Big Sky, Montana

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8 October 1 - October 14, 2026

BIG SKY

STUDENTS, COMMUNITY CHEER ON BIG HORN FOOTBALL IN HOMECOMING GAME

LONE PEAK HIGH SCHOOL PLAYED PARK CITY, ENNIS AND LAUREL IN THREE SPORTS DURING HOMECOMING WEEK BY JEN CLANCEY Lone Peak High School held its homecoming week Sept. 21-25, fit with its annual homecoming parade and home games for fall sports. On Friday night, Sept. 25, a crowd of community members, families and students cheered on LPHS football as they played against Park City High School. Ultimately, the Big Horns fell 44-0 to the Panthers. The Big Horns kept the Panthers at bay going into the second half. With the Panthers leading 14-0, the second half of the game started on a strong note as the Big Horns continually stopped the Panthers on defense. Coming off of an injury, freshman Skye Walkup became a familiar sight for any Park City player carrying the ball down the field. After the game, senior Lucas O’Connor commended his teammates’ performance in the match, including senior Tayler McVey, senior

Boone Jorgenson and senior Townes Laxson. He also shared praise for freshmen like Bryson Cluff and Walkup. “Skye [Walkup] had a phenomenal second half,” O’Connor said. He noted that despite Walkup’s injury earlier in the season, he practiced with a cast soaking up as much information and training as he could.

Girls volleyball and girls and boys soccer also played homecoming games. First, LPHS volleyball played Ennis High School, and fell 3-0. While the result shows a sweep, a closer look at each game offers a different perspective. In the first match, the Big Horns racked up 21 points against the Mustangs’ 25, and 22 points in the second match.

“Our freshmen have been kind of stepping up, taking jobs because they have to,” O’Connor said. “We’re down on so many people, so I’m proud of them for that.”

Back at the Big Horn Coliseum on Saturday, Sept. 26, the girls and boys soccer teams played against Park City High School, respectively winning 1-0 and 2-0. In the girls match, freshman Braxtin Clark received an assist from junior Lola Morris to put the ball in the back of the net.

Throughout the game, students in Big Horn blue and white followed the offense and defense up and down the field, punctuating any tackle or reception with cheers.

In the boys game, senior Sidney Morris scored off of an assist from senior captain Keegan Lichini. Then, junior Ty Mittelstaedt scored off of an assist from senior Sidney Trulen to put the score at 2-0.

“It’s amazing,” O’Connor said about the crowd. He encouraged the same kind of attendance at LPHS home games in the future. The next will be senior night on Oct. 23.

Photos by Jen Clancey

BIG SKY

9 October 1 - October 14, 2026

Explore Big Sky

PHOTOS: LONE PEAK HIGH SCHOOL’S HOMECOMING PARADE ROLLS THROUGH TOWN CENTER Big Sky turned out on Wednesday, Sept. 23 for Lone Peak High School's homecoming parade, featuring floats of all varieties, including a "Dollywood" entry, honoring the late Dolly Parton, as well as horses, candy and participants of all ages. Photos by Annie O’Neill.

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10 October 1 - October 14, 2026

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‘STAFF ARE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY’: BIG SKY SCHOOL DISTRICT CUTS RIBBON ON NEW TEACHER HOUSING BIG SKY—The Big Sky School District celebrated the opening of six new tiny homes for teachers and staff with a Sept. 16 ribbon-cutting ceremony on site, just north of the Lone Peak High School tennis courts.

The Yellowstone Club Community Foundation and the Big Sky Resort Area District provided $375,000 for the project. Big Sky Land Management, Riverside Cabins and Allied Engineering served as operational partners, working to get the homes ready before teachers arrived in August.

The units, open to teachers and support staff on a first-come, first-served basis, cap a decade-long push by the district to build on-campus faculty housing. Riverside Cabins completed construction in September ahead of staff moving in for the new school year.

“When we started talking about teacher housing, the question was always how can we make our community more livable for the people who’ve come to work for us,” said BSSD Superintendent Dustin Shipman. “Staff are members of the community.”

BY ANNIE O’NEILL

Shipman said the idea grew out of a presentation by students in a building class who pitched a tinyhome project to the board. Ciara Wolfe of the YCCF said the district’s commitment to housing has helped make it one of the state’s strongest school systems. Recently, that excellence has been recognized by U.S. News and World Report, which ranked LPHS as one of the top high schools in the state and No.1 for college readiness in 2025. “We’re honored that we can do our small part in helping make sure that all of our educators and teachers can live in the exact community that they serve,” Wolfe said.

Interior of one of the units. PHOTO BY ANNIE O’NEILL

Jared Kelly, a new tenant and design and technology teacher at BSSD, said high costs had priced him out of Whitefish and Bozeman before he came to Big Sky.

Ribbon cutting ceremony in front of the new units. PHOTO BY ANNIE O’NEILL “This has given me an opportunity to honestly stay in Montana and teach these kids,” Kelly said. He added that a shorter commute has made a difference in the classroom, giving him more energy to teach. The six homes mark the latest phase of a housing effort school officials say has become central to keeping teachers in Big Sky.

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RODEO QUEEN IN THE MAKING: THE 10-YEAR-OLD BREAKING BARREL RACING RECORDS

AT JUST 10 YEARS OLD, GALLATIN GATEWAY’S ROWYN O’MEARA SET THE LONE MOUNTAIN RANCH RODEO’S ADULT BARREL RACING RECORD, AND SHE’S JUST GETTING STARTED BY ANNIE O’NEILL Rowyn O’Meara was 3 years old the first time she got on a horse, and she’s refused to get off one since. Her mother, Lisa O’Meara, remembers trying to call her in for dinner. Rowyn, trotting circles around their property in Gallatin Gateway, had other plans. “Mom, you can go cook dinner,” she said. “I’ll be fine.” She stayed out until dark. Seven years later, that refusal to quit has turned into one of the most dominant young careers on the region’s youth rodeo circuit. Rowyn, now 10, has spent this season riding the Tuesday night rodeos at Lone Mountain Ranch, where she recently posted a time of 14.901 seconds in barrel racing, the fastest women’s time run at the venue in six years, against a field of adult competitors. Lisa hadn’t expected the record going in. “I just wanted her to go out and have a clean run,” she said. “And then they took the time, and we was like, that’s the new run. What happened? Oh my gosh.” For Rowyn, it’s just one entry in a season that already includes more than 40 rodeos.

Rowyn with her mom, Lisa O’Meara. PHOTO BY ANNIE O’NEILL

She started competing at 5 years old, when Lisa took her to her first youth rodeo. Since then, the family has built a summer around the circuit: youth rodeos most weekends, a horse trailer with living quarters so they can camp out for two-day events, and, this year, Rowyn’s first season of junior high rodeo. Now in fifth grade, Rowyn is homeschooled, a decision Lisa said was made partly to give the family the flexibility to keep pace with her daughter’s ambition.

“This doesn’t have to be your fastest run. Just go out there and have a clean run,” Lisa recalled telling her daughter. Rowyn ran her fastest time to that point in her career, beat a full field of adult and professional riders, and won the race outright along with a $545 prize. Then came the record at Lone Mountain Ranch later this summer, on June 26, when she beat out a field of experienced adult riders.

“We just have more time, more flexibility for her to do this kind of thing,” Lisa said. It also means more time on the horses, and less time on a screen. “None of these [rodeo] kids are staring at a screen,” Lisa said. “They are just outside all day long.” Rowyn’s main event is barrel racing, though she also competes in breakaway roping and has a soft spot for goat tying. Watching her ride, Lisa says, is watching someone who takes the sport more seriously than most kids her age ever do—seriously enough that Lisa has occasionally had to remind her she’s allowed to just have fun. Rowyn has always pushed herself, and by her mother’s account, the field isn’t about the competition. “It’s a competition against herself,” Lisa said. “Making sure she’s got a clean run.” That standard has produced results that outpace her opponents. Last year, Rowyn won the all-around title at Lone Mountain Ranch, which included a saddle and a belt buckle. This year also included a win at a barrel race in Three Forks, in what became one of her favorite runs. The rain was pouring, and Rowyn was soaked and shivering by the time her turn came. Lisa remembers telling her she didn’t need to push it.

Much of that success has ridden on the back of one horse: Boone, a barrel horse with an unlikely backstory of his own. A family friend originally bought him lame and overweight, the result of an earlier owner’s neglect. He needed a light, confident rider who could exercise him safely, and Rowyn, fearless according to Lisa, took on the job despite Boone’s reputation for being intimidating for other kids to handle. She rode him nearly every day for a month while the family arranged for special shoes and veterinary care. By the time he had recovered, the family had grown too attached to let him go, and bought him. Lisa said the decision to take on a lame horse was a gamble, but it’s one that’s paid off. Boone, Lisa says, has “just been the sweetest,” and now, he’s a horse that helps break records. “He’s just so gentle,” Rowyn said. “He loves his job. He gets pumped to go around the barrels.” Little Rowyn’s career has unfolded, week after week, in front of the same small hometown audience: her younger brother, Kayden, who competes in his own events in junior barrels and breakaway roping; her grandfather, who has attended dozens of rodeos this year despite a hip replacement, and family friends

who rarely miss a Tuesday night at Lone Mountain Ranch. The family’s horses are part of that world too. Alongside Boone are horses Sadie and Riot. “They’re just another member of the family,” Lisa said. For a Gallatin Gateway kid, it’s a striking bit of hometown recognition. Rowyn appeared on the cover of Condé Nast Traveler’s July/August issue, representing the very Lone Mountain Ranch where she now sets records against competitors more than five times her age. Asked what she thinks about in the middle of a run, Rowyn doesn’t have much of an answer. She zones out, she says, so completely that Lisa isn’t always sure she can hear instructions called from the rail. “I get butterflies in my belly,” Rowyn said of the moments before a run, the same feeling now that she had at 5. Once she’s in the arena, it comes down to instinct: “Finish second, check in before first … Focus on one barrel at a time,” she tells herself. What that looks like in practice is tight, controlled turns, and not knocking barrels along the way. For now, there’s no sign of her career slowing down. Though Lone Mountain Ranch’s 2026 rodeo season ended in September, the offseason won’t likely keep Rowyn out of the saddle for long. Asked what it feels like to beat riders twice her age and size, she doesn’t overthink it either. “It feels pretty good,” she said, shrugging. If this year is any indication, next season’s field of competitors, adult, professional, or otherwise, should probably be on notice.

Explore Big Sky

14 October 1 - October 14, 2026

REGIONAL

A WARM, DRY WINTER IS LIKELY—WHAT THAT MEANS FOR SNOWPACK IS HARDER TO SAY BY ANNIE O’NEILL Out in the Pacific Ocean, one of the strongest El Niños ever recorded is taking shape, a system that points toward another warm, dry winter for southwest Montana. Bozeman-based meteorologist Mike Heard calls it "one of the strongest El Niño events of our lifetime." Last winter was the warmest on record for southwest Montana, Heard said, and snow arrived "a little later and melted off a little sooner." This year, he expects "almost a carbon copy:" a slow start, periodic snow showers, and an early finish. While a forecast tells you how warm and dry a winter is likely to be, it doesn’t reveal what that does to the snow underfoot. To find out what the outlook leaves out, EBS spoke with two Montana State University snow researchers. MSU has deep roots in snow research. Robyn Gotz, an MSU Earth sciences researcher, said the program began at Bridger Bowl Ski Area in the 1950s under professors Charles Bradley and John Montagne. Today, its graduates work as avalanche forecasters, snow hydrologists and transportation officials, among them Karl Birkeland, who earned his master's in Earth sciences at MSU and later directed the U.S. Forest Service National Avalanche Center. "There's no other place that I know of where I can find such a broad collection of snow science research," Gotz said. The work reaches into engineering, too. Sam Verplanck, an assistant professor of civil engineering at MSU researches snow mechanics and avalanche behavior, and said MSU's engineering building houses cold chambers for studying how the sun changes snow's properties. He and his predecessors have also studied how snow responds to explosives used for avalanche mitigation. Where to look for a forecast you can trust Long-range forecasts are easy to find online, but they aren't equally reliable, and the sources experts use are more specific than what turns up in a search. Gotz starts with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. She likes CAIC's regional-scale forecasts, which fall between the continent-sized outlooks and the local conditions that can change from one slope to the next. For local snow conditions, she trusts the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center. Heard's preference is the National Weather Service. Heard said that a "super" El Niño is strengthening with each monthly Climate Prediction Center update. He has seen strong El Niños bring ample snow to Montana, but he said the most likely outcome this year is warm and dry. Gotz cited the CPC's December-throughFebruary outlook, which favors above-average temperatures—roughly 40 to 60 percent odds across the northern part of the U.S—and leans toward below-average precipitation in the interior Northwest. Heard described the latest outlook as having a "bullseye" for below-normal precipitation and above-average temperatures over Montana.

Fan Mountain's south face shows how a warm, mostly dry winter marked southwest Montana last winter. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY. The reason for the warmer, drier weather is the jet stream. Heard said the tropical jet stream should pull most Pacific moisture south of Montana, which would instead favor the southern Rockies, California and Texas. There are caveats. "No two El Niños are alike for Montana," Heard said, and forecasts of the driest and warmest sometimes land in the middle. He said it's too early to get "hyperlocal" and to look towards NOAA's official winter outlook that comes out Oct. 15. Snow is also harder to forecast than weather—Gotz said that difference comes down to scale. Forecasts work at three sizes: continent-sized, regional and local. But snow can vary at an even smaller scale, from one slope to the next. Few products forecast at the local scale, and applying coarse models to small areas "always involves some kind of error,” she said. Verplanck put it another way: “an inch of snow isn't just an inch of snow.” Wind and air temperature can produce drifted slabs or "cold smoke," complicating things. Inside a warm, dry snowpack Seasonal outlooks point to less snow overall, Gotz said, but they say nothing about what's inside it. "It's good information, but it's not enough information," she said. She said a warm, dry year can go several ways. It can mean less faceting at the base of the pack, which means fewer persistent weak layers that linger into spring. It can also mean more sun crusts and rain crusts, water draining through the snow, and weak layers forming around those crusts. Rain is a particular problem. Rain percolating into snow breaks the bonds between grains, and the snow loses cohesion. If it refreezes, it can regain strength, but the internal structure will be "completely different," said Gotz. If rain only wets the upper layers before refreezing, the added weight can stress weak layers underneath. If Gotz were watching for the first physical sign of a warm, dry snow pattern, she said she'd look for sun crusts, the hard, glossy layers that form when the sun melts the snow surface and it refreezes overnight. "These can become buried later and can be problematic layers," she said. Elevation matters too. At Big Sky, she said, you could have dry snow up high and melting snow at the base. Gotz wouldn't generalize about a late-start,

early-melt season, but said much of it depends on temperature and precipitation during the winter, even if snow arrives later and melts out earlier. A season like that raises the question of water supply. "When we talk about something like a late start and an early end to a season, then we start talking more about snow as a water resource," she said. What's missing, Gotz said, is timing. "If we don't know exactly how much snow, or how much time will pass between snowstorms, we won't know exactly how that snowpack will evolve." Cold, shallow snowpacks tend to grow faceted layers at its base, meaning the layers are angular, sugary and bond poorly, but that weak layer "can last well into the spring if the conditions are right." Warmer temperatures bring less faceting, but still could result in a fairly stable snowpack. “Or we could see warming that leads to the formation of crusts and weak layers around the crusts," she said. Asked what people get wrong, Gotz explained there isn't one main misunderstanding. Snow conditions often have different drawbacks depending on their temperature and depth. Some assume a warm, dry winter means less faceting and a safer snowpack, but crusts and liquid water percolating through the snow "can also lead to dangerous conditions," Gotz noted. Local stakes Snowpack is a major source of the region's water, Verplanck said. If winter precipitation falls short again, Heard reiterated, the region could end up in a "worst case scenario" of drought and fires by spring and summer. Heard also warned that mixed precipitation at lower elevations could bring freezing rain, sleet and icy roads. For skiers, Heard expects a later start, an earlier end and periodic snow showers in between. Gotz said she doesn't have a great answer on ski quality. "I always think that more snow is better for ski conditions," she said. The CPC updates its outlook Oct. 15, and the snow itself will have the final word. The forecast can show how warm and dry the winter is likely to be, but it can't tell you what's happening inside the snow, or where it will matter. For Gotz, that gap is part of the draw. Snow is fascinating, she said, because it changes so much that "you can't imagine that you know the answer." You'll always learn more, she said, by looking at it and studying it.

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17 October 1 - October 14, 2026

R E GI O NA L

Explore Big Sky

OVER 166,000 BOOKS DELIVERED TO GALLATIN COUNTY KIDS VIA LOCAL IMAGINATION LIBRARY PROGRAMS

STARTED BY THE LATE DOLLY PARTON, THE INTERNATIONAL NONPROFIT'S IMPACT CONTINUES LOCALLY BY JEN CLANCEY GALLATIN COUNTY—For a kid, it’s a special feeling to receive a book wrapped in plastic addressed to your name every month. Amie Gatterdam, Gallatin City-County Health Department’s maternal child health services group manager, recalled her own children’s excitement when she signed them up for Imagination Library’s free book program. “It’s so cool,” she said. “I mean, usually those are the first pieces of mail they’ll get in their life, you know?” When the founder of Imagination Library, Dolly Parton, died in late August, Gatterdam explained to her kids where those books came from. The nonprofit started by the beloved country singer and philanthropist sends free books to children across the U.S., Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom and Australia each month until their fifth birthday. In Gallatin County, the number of books sent to local kids has grown with the help of Greater Gallatin United Way’s year-old collaboration with the GCCHD and Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital. GGUW recorded 166,090 sent to Gallatin County kids in the last six years. GGUW, who provides resources to young families across the valley, has seen the most growth in the children they work with between the ages of 0-1 year old, mainly because of a program called Healthy Gallatin Home Visiting. After a family delivers a baby, they can sign up for free home visits, whether they live in Bozeman or across the county in West Yellowstone. During visits, a nurse or family resource worker will assist them with health questions and concerns. “We can come every other week, all the way up until the child goes to kindergarten, and there’s no cost to the families,” Gotterdam said. “Oftentimes those referrals start at the birth of the baby.” About a year ago, the home visit teams began

April, JJ and Rugby-Rae Wheat read “The Animal Song” by Jonty Howley. PHOTO COURTESY OF AMIE GATTERDAM asking if parents were signed up for Imagination Library. If the parent was interested, the visiting staff enrolled the child. One year in, Gatterdam has seen how the program improves access to books for families who are busy, living far from resources or for those who don’t have the financial means.

Finding new ways to reach families

“If you’re a family who maybe only has one vehicle or who is more isolated, who doesn’t live in a community that has a bookstore … you can’t get much closer to your mailbox,” Gatterdam said. She added that the monthly schedule also builds a routine of reading with a parent. Tori Sproles, outreach coordinator at GGUW, shared similar thoughts about its benefits.

“But we’re kind of missing those families that might not attend those types of things,” she said. “So when we started working with the City-County Health Department on promoting this during their universal home visits … it drastically increased our numbers of infants receiving books closer to birth.”

“I think it creates an opportunity for parents and children to just engage at a different level and have a medium to do so,” Sproles said. “Kids are excited, families are excited to read the new stories. Overall, it impacts the entire dynamic of their family.”

Sproles began wondering how they could get more kids on Imagination Library after she noticed many of the attendees at GGUW events already knew about it.

Sproles also coordinates with Family Promise of Gallatin Valley to get children enrolled. Kids living in transitional housing can be signed up too, she said, as long as they have a mailing address. At Montana State University’s Master’s of Science in Innovation and Management, students have worked with GGUW for the past four semesters—this year they’ll work on reaching Spanish-speaking families to provide them with bilingual books. Both Sproles and Gatterdam emphasized how beneficial early literacy is. “It’s important for all families, regardless of what language they speak, to read to their kiddos and to kind of plant that love of reading as early as possible,” Gatterdam said. She noted that first lady Susan Gianforte has met with her to learn from the county’s successful Imagination Library programs and how they can be implemented elsewhere. On Sept. 25, the world will celebrate Dolly Day in honor of the late Parton. Sproles described Parton as an “amazing human.”

Gallatin County mom reads her son's favorite Imagination Library book "Tad and Dad" by David Ezra Stein. PHOTO COURTESY OF AMIE GATTERDAM

“In addition to all the other things she did, I think that this is just an amazing program,” Sproles said. Imagination Library, which Parton started in her Tennessee hometown, is just one example. “I’ve just really enjoyed being … able to spread the word and get more families involved.”

18 October 1 - October 14, 2026

R E GI O NA L

Explore Big Sky

GALLATIN COUNTY DISCOVERS SOURCE OF $568K CASH DISCREPANCY

COUNTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DISCOVERED A DOUBLE-REPORTED BALANCE; RESOLUTION OF FINANCES ONGOING BY JEN CLANCEY Gallatin County Chief Financial Officer Aaron Mitchell announced the source of a $568,570 discrepancy in a Sept. 1 county commission meeting. It turns out, the money hadn’t existed in the first place. When the county transitioned financial software from Eden to Munis in 2019, the county had overrecorded interest earnings for the year. “We found that they were inflated and doublereported,” Mitchell said. It’s a step forward for Gallatin County’s finances, which was flagged by the state in 2025 for late audit reports dating back to 2018. The county also faced a more serious infraction of two disclaimer of opinions on its 2019 and 2023 financial reports, meaning the independent auditor could not state an opinion on the county’s financial reporting because there wasn’t enough information. These issues were also raised and organized in an independent citizen report which brought further attention to the problem. At the meeting, commissioner Zach Brown explained that the recent discovery is a relief. “Thank you for this,” Brown said. “It’s cathartic and exciting.” Problems with financial reporting and matching funds have weighed over the county for almost 10 years. A 2025 letter from the state to former CFO Justine Swanson noted the cash reconciliation concerns in each audit report the county submitted since the fiscal year that began in 2017. Knowing the source of some of those mismatches is a help. In response, the county commissioners voted unanimously to subtract the $568,570.39 from the county’s Payment in Lieu of Taxes fund, which typically serves as a general fund. The change reduces the PILT fund from about $2.7 million to around $2.3 million. Koula Black, communications manager for Gallatin County, emphasized that the county’s discovery and subsequent decision corrects a duplicated balance.

“I’M MORE OF THE IDEA OF YOU SHOULD CLEAN YOUR OWN HOUSE BEFORE YOU TELL SOMEBODY ELSE HOW TO MANAGE THEIR HOUSE. AND GALLATIN COUNTY IS MY HOUSE.” —JOSHUA TUININGA, GALLATIN COUNTY RESIDENT AND CITIZEN RESEARCHER

The Gallatin County Courthouse in Bozeman. PHOTO BY JEN CLANCEY “Some notable things to know are that there was no lost money—misspent or taken. The correction fixes an eight-year-old data conversion error in how a balance was recorded,” Black told EBS. It’s not a service cut or tax charge either, Black assured.

“It feels like shouting at the wind,” Tuininga said. “But you can change where you are if you want to.”

Commissioner Jennifer Boyer applauded the ongoing effort by the finance and treasurer’s department to rectify finance issues.

A transition from Tyler Technologies’ Eden to Munis software appeared to be a challenging one in Gallatin County.

“I just want to extend my gratitude and this was a pretty significant finding that’s obviously been elusive for quite a few years,” Boyer said.

“It was a difficult software implementation, from what I heard,” Mitchell said at the county commission meeting. Granted, the system is meant to manage 180 districts locally, but Gallatin County is not alone in its struggles with software transitions under the Texas-based technology company. Multiple local government entities in the U.S. have reportedly struggled with using Munis software since 2020, though they didn’t all use the software for the same purpose.

Work not done yet, citizen researcher emphasizes importance of transparency One of the ways the public has learned more about county finance problems is from Joshua Tuninga’s 71-page report compiled from county commission meetings and audits. In an interview with EBS, Tuininga, who grew up in Gallatin County and is the owner of a local business called Door Panel Systems, said that he had heard rumors of financial mismanagement, and wanted to clarify whether it was true. He was surprised to find years of issues along the way. “I was not expecting it,” Tuininga said. He acknowledged that trouble converting software, reconciling cash and dividing duties are all problems that other counties have seen before, but not all at once. The 2025 letter from the state to Gallatin County officials outlined the cost of these issues: the state can withhold financial assistance if significant findings in audits aren’t resolved. Tuininga hopes his research helps improve financial transparency and accountability. “I’m hoping that the problems get fixed. That’s what I would really like. Because that’s the goal, right? It’s accountability and then fixing the problems that are found,” Tuininga said. Following the money has also given him a sense that change is possible at the local level. “I’m more of the idea of you should clean your own house before you tell somebody else how to manage their house. And Gallatin County is my house,” Tuininga said. While national and statewide problems loom, it can be hard to feel empowered, he noted.

Challenges in transition to Tyler Technologies’ Munis

From Black’s experience working in government, Munis has been user-friendly. “There’s a lot more checks and balances within the system,” Black said. She spoke to whether the county plans to continue using the current software in the near future. “Between the system and the oversight of the CFO, as long as it’s matching and pairing and everything is working accordingly, then yes,” she said. “But, you know, technology changes … that’s something we’re going to continue to really stand strong on, and keep in touch with is, as technology changes, what’s out there? What’s being done? Can we do better?” The story of the county’s financial issues is multifaceted. Its difficult conversion to Munis software is one that other local governments in the U.S. can relate to. Producing past due reports and audits will take further significant effort and coordination and it’s an important step for the county to keep its bond rating, which assures ease of receiving federal and state funds. Black noted that officials imagine the issues to be resolved in the next 18 months. While discoveries continue, the county can at least put questions about half a million dollars to rest.

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Explore Big Sky

21 October 1 - October 14, 2026

ENVIRONMENT

DISPATCHES FROM THE WILD: KEEP ROADLESS AREAS ROADLESS BY BENJAMIN ALVA POLLEY EBS COLUMNIST

The proposal to rescind protections for America’s roadless areas is being framed as a practical move: more flexibility for forest managers, more tools for wildfire response, more access for timber work, and more local decision-making. Those arguments deserve to be heard. Rural communities live closest to these forests. Fire seasons are longer and hotter. Forest managers do need the ability to thin, restore and respond where the landscape genuinely calls for it. But rescinding roadless protections is the wrong answer to a real problem. The U.S. Forest Service has proposed repealing the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, with public comments due Oct. 6, 2026. If finalized, this change would alter the future of some of the most intact public lands left in the country. These places are not empty nor wasted. They are reservoirs of clean water, wildlife habitat, silence, carbon storage and spiritual repair. Roads are often described as access into places that didn’t have it before, but they are also scars that take a while to heal. A road into wild places does not end when the gravel is laid and dumped. Roads bring culverts, erosion, sediment, invasive weeds, illegal dumping, poaching pressure, noise, vehicle sparks and fragmentation. Forest Service research has found that roads can reduce habitat quality and wildlife movement, increase collisions and fragment streams. For elk, grizzly bears, lynx, wolves, wolverines, trout, migratory birds and many less-charismatic species, roadless country is not a luxury. It is shelter. It is their homes. Clean water is a primary reason to keep these lands intact and without roads punched through forests. Many roadless areas lie high in mountainous watersheds, where snowmelt gathers and cold streams begin. Once roads are cut into steep slopes, erosion follows. Sediment clouds spawning beds, warms streams, damages fisheries, and increases costs for downstream communities. Road construction and road use can increase erosion and sediment in streams, and the Roadless Rule has long been justified in part as a way to safeguard our water sources for now and into the future. In an age of drought, wildfire, and shrinking snowpack, protecting headwaters should be an easy decision we can all make, beyond red or blue political identities. Rescission supporters argue that the current rule limits wildfire management and active forest restoration. The United State Department of Agriculture has said removing restrictions would reduce wildfire risk by allowing more road work, more thinning and management access wherever they want. In some places, that concern makes sense. But treating every roadless acre as a missed management opportunity ignores what these places already do. Intact forests store moisture and shade streams. They give wildlife room to move as climate

ADOBE STOCK PHOTO conditions become increasingly chaotic. They provide ecological resilience precisely because they have not been carved into smaller pieces. There are better ways to manage fire than opening the door to permanent road building in the last best backcountry. We can prioritize defensible space around communities, prescribed fire where appropriate, restoration in already-roaded forests and maintenance of the enormous existing road system that federal agencies already struggle to afford. We do not need to punch new roads into wild watersheds to prove we are taking fire seriously. Roadless lands also protect something harder to quantify but no less essential: quiet. Silence has become one of America's rarest public resources. Silence is an endangered species. I learned that long before I had the language for it. In 2001, I spent six months camping out and working in the Trinity Alps Wilderness of northern California with the California Conservation Corps/AmeriCorps Backcountry Trails program, cutting trail, living simply and learning what wild country can ask of a person. Later, I carried those lessons through 13 years of work in Glacier National Park, through time in Big Bend National Park, and into the long solitude of a fire lookout in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Those places built my confidence, sharpened my inner voice, fed my intellect and curiosity, and taught me to pay attention internally and externally. In roadless country, a person can still hear wind in the pines, water moving under ice, the wingbeat of a raven, and the absence of engines. That quiet matters to hunters, anglers, hikers, tribal members, writers, painters, photographers, scientists and children who deserve to know the world is larger than noise. Being

beyond roads and Wi-Fi gives people a chance to hear themselves clearly, away from the hum of civilization and the constant bombardment of advertisements vying for our attention. Feeling a sense of awe is easier to find in roadless areas. In these places, I feel grace. Public lands give ordinary people access to beauty that can’t be priced. Roadless areas remind us that not every acre must justify itself in board feet, mineral leases, or short-term economic output. Some places justify themselves by remaining intact and whole. Roadless areas and large tracts of intact nature teach us dignity, respect and compassion not only for our ideas but for other beings caught in the web of life. The choice before us is not between people and wilderness. It is between humility and appetite. We can acknowledge the need for smart forest management while also recognizing that some places should remain beyond the reach of new roads. Roadless areas are good for wildlife, clean air, clean water, endangered species and the human spirit. Keeping them roadless is not anti-progress. It is an act of restraint. And restraint, in a country that has already built roads nearly everywhere, may be one of the most patriotic conservation values we have left. Benjamin Alva Polley is a place-based storyteller. His words have been published in Rolling Stone, Esquire, Field & Stream, The Guardian, Men’s Journal, Outside, Popular Science, Sierra, and WWF, among other notable outlets, and are available on his website.

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All information given is considered reliable, but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, and it should not be relied upon as such. These offerings are subject to errors, omissions, and changes including price or withdrawal without notice. All rights reserved. Equal Housing Opportunity. If you currently have a listing agreement or buyer broker agreement with another agent, this is not a solicitation to change. ©2026 Outlaw Realty www.outlaw.realty

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24 October 1 - October 14, 2026

ENVIRONMENT

Explore Big Sky

WHAT THE PROPOSED REPEAL OF THE ROADLESS RULE COULD MEAN FOR BIG SKY BY KRISTIN GARDNER AND LIZZIE PEYTON GUEST CONTRIBUTORS

There’s a lot of conversation across Montana about the future of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, and in Big Sky, the issue hits especially close to home. Much of the undeveloped national forest surrounding Big Sky is protected by the roadless rule. The federal policy limits road construction and large-scale timber harvesting in designated areas of the national forest system. Across Montana, the rule applies to approximately 6.4 million acres of national forest land. On Aug. 18, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a proposal to rescind the roadless rule. With the public comment period closing Oct. 6, 2026, now is the time for Montanans to weigh in. For Big Sky, the proposal could affect “inventoried” roadless areas within the Custer Gallatin and Beaverhead-Deerlodge national forests. Though the nearby Lee Metcalf Wilderness won’t be impacted because it’s protected separately under the Wilderness Act of 1964, adjacent roadless lands still play an important role. Forests untouched by roads connecting wildlife habitat, protect the watershed and support the ecological health of the larger landscape. What is the roadless rule? The 25-year-old rule generally prohibits new road development, road reconstruction and commercial timber harvesting on plots of national forest land, with limited exceptions. It does not prohibit recreation, grazing, wildfire suppression, prescribed fire or vegetation management. Roads may still be constructed or reconstructed in certain circumstances, including when needed to protect public health and safety. The rule also allows some timber removal to improve habitat, reduce hazardous fuels or restore ecosystem health. The current federal proposal would remove those nationwide restrictions and shift decisions about road construction and timber harvesting to individual forest plans and local Forest Service officials. Rescinding the rule would not immediately authorize a road or logging project. Plans for roads would still need to comply with the applicable forest plan, the National Environmental Policy Act and other federal laws. It would, however, remove a national layer of protection that currently applies to inventoried roadless areas. To better understand what the proposed change could mean for Big Sky, we turned to our trusted local experts in wildfire, water and ecosystem health. Wildfire management: Roads add access, and ignitions Wildfire is among Big Sky’s most pressing concerns, and it is central to the debate over the roadless rule.

Supporters of rescinding the rule argue that additional road access could help land managers conduct mechanical thinning, remove hazardous fuels and reach fires more quickly. Roads can provide access, potential control lines and tactical advantages for firefighters. They also bring more vehicles, equipment and people into previously inaccessible areas, increasing the potential for human-caused ignitions. The Big Sky Fire Department emphasizes that preventing those ignitions is an important part of community safety. “Over 75% of wildfires in Montana are human-caused,” the department states in its wildfire-preparedness guidance. Wild Montana reports that more than 90% of wildfires begin within half a mile of a road. BSFD Wildland Fire Chief Jon Trapp emphasized there are other ways to ensure public safety outside of building roads. “Road access can be an important tool when it comes to fighting wildfire. However, the likelihood of human-caused ignitions increases substantially near roads,” Trapp said. “There are other methods available to reduce wildfire impacts without opening new roads across the landscape.” A peer-reviewed 2026 study published in “Fire Ecology” examined three decades of wildfire records across national forests in the contiguous United States. Researchers found that wildfire ignitions were nearly four times as dense within 50 meters of a road as they were in inventoried roadless areas. More roads would likely lead to more fire ignitions, the study concluded. “These fires will, on average, be smaller than fires farther from roads, but there will be more of them, and some of them will grow to become large fires. Nevertheless, both roads and roadless areas can contribute to strategic, landscape-scale fire management,” the article states. Water quality struggles with more development The forests surrounding Big Sky form the headwaters of the Gallatin and Madison river systems. Snow and rain falling across these landscapes eventually flow into streams, groundwater and drinking water supplies used in Big Sky and downstream communities. Road construction can alter drainage patterns, increase erosion and carry sediment and nutrient pollution into waterways. New roads and timber harvesting also disturbs vegetation and streams, affecting water temperature and fish and aquatic insect habitat. Native trout are especially sensitive to these changes since they rely on trees and other vegetation for thermal cover. American Rivers reports that five of the eight western native trout species rely on roadless areas for more than half of their habitat. The health of the Gallatin River, our drinking water and our world-class fisheries all depend on keeping the mountainous areas surrounding our community intact. The roadless rule is one of the few tools to protect these critical assets. Wildlife connectivity and ecosystem health Roadless lands also support wildlife and the health of the larger ecosystem. Connected areas of undeveloped habitat allow elk, deer, bears and other species to move between seasonal ranges, find food and shelter and avoid concentrated human activity.

A map of roadless Areas around Big Sky; see the full map at Wild Montana. IMAGE COURTESY OF WILD MONTANA

These connections are particularly important in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the largest nearly intact temperate-zone ecosystems on Earth. Fragmenting habitat with new roads can disrupt wildlife movement, while increased traffic and human activity can displace animals from otherwise suitable homes. According to Jen Mohler, executive director of Grow Wild, roads also introduce a further threat from noxious weeds. “More roads mean more opportunities for noxious weeds to spread,” Mohler said. It’s the perfect storm: vehicles, gear, people and animals can carry seeds, and construction could disrupt the soil, leaving bare dirt ideal for invasive plants. “Once introduced, noxious weeds can spread rapidly along these corridors, displace native vegetation, degrade wildlife forage, increase erosion and fundamentally alter the ecological function of the landscape. What begins as a single introduction can become an entrenched, landscape-scale problem that is costly—and sometimes nearly impossible— to reverse,” Mohler said. Taking action In Big Sky, clean water, healthy forests and connected wildlife habitat support more than recreation; they are foundational to our local economy, and our ability to adapt as wildfires and extreme weather become more common. Protecting these interconnected systems is essential to our community’s future. As the Forest Service considers the proposed repeal, submitting a public comment is one of the most direct ways to place local concerns in the official record. Public comments are open until Oct. 6 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Public comments can be submitted online here. Big Sky SNO has created guidance for making public comments and provided additional resources. Kristin Gardner is the chief executive and science officer of the Gallatin River Task Force. Lizzie Peyton is the director of Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization.

The Secret Season Belongs to Those Who Wander. Golden landscapes. Wild encounters. Cozy evenings. Autumn offers Yellowstone at its most intimate and inspiring with unforgettable wildlife, iconic geothermal wonders, and room to slow down and take it all in. It's a season made for discovery. Our Autumn and Winter Vacation Packages are thoughtfully designed to help you experience more of the park while enjoying the comfort of lodging just steps away from Yellowstone’s wonders. All of our packages take the guess work out of a Yellowstone getaway with lodging, meals, in-park transportation, and knowledgeable guides.

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26 October 1 - October 14, 2026

ENVIRONMENT

Explore Big Sky

THRIVING LANDSCAPES: FIVE LESSONS WE LEARNED FROM A SUMMER OF GARDEN TOURS BY ALI CHIPOURAS EBS COLUMNIST

This summer, Alpenscapes invited the Big Sky community to explore five unique properties through resilient landscape tours, held in partnership with Grow Wild’s Wildflower Festival and Alpenscapes’ Garden Party Series. At each event, property owners welcomed community members to explore their landscapes, connect with neighbors, and learn from one another. Each landscape told a different story. We visited established gardens, newer landscapes, spaces shaped by forestry work, and properties designed to balance beauty with wildfire preparedness. Along the way, homeowners and local experts shared what worked, what didn’t, and how their landscapes have evolved. Here are five lessons we learned this summer. Every property, and every property owner, is unique There is no single formula for creating a resilient landscape. Some homeowners want a low-maintenance yard, while others dream of a colorful garden, a place for their children to play or a landscape designed to withstand wildfire better. Every property also has its own conditions, including sun exposure, soil, slope, existing vegetation and access to water. The good news is that although every landscape is unique, every landscape can become more resilient. A yard can be beautiful, functional and personal while also being fire-safe, water-wise and ecosystem-friendly. Resilient landscaping does not require sacrificing how you want to use your outdoor space. It means making thoughtful choices that work with Big Sky’s climate, our natural environment, and your personal needs. Fire-wise can still be full of life One of the most encouraging lessons from the tours was that wildfire preparedness does not require creating a barren landscape.

A Photo from one of Alpenscapes’ garden parties this summer. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALPENSCAPES We saw beautiful, creative examples of rock patterns and hardscaping incorporated alongside thoughtfully selected plants. Crevice gardens were a favorite, using rocks to create visual interest, retain moisture and provide pockets where native and drought-tolerant plants can thrive. We also saw how forestry work can improve the health and diversity of a property. Thinning and limbing trees can reduce wildfire risk while allowing more sunlight and moisture to reach the forest floor. At several properties, native wildflowers appeared after dense tree cover was reduced. Although many of us were taught that cutting down trees is always harmful, strategic forest management can support a healthier, more diverse ecosystem while also helping protect homes and neighborhoods from wildfire. Resilience happens at the community scale The choices we make on our individual properties matter, but resilience does not stop at the property line. We can remove every invasive weed from our own yard, but seeds from neighboring properties can continue to spread. We can take steps to harden our homes and create defensible space, but wildfire can still move through an unprepared neighborhood. We can conserve water at home, but excessive water use elsewhere still affects our shared local supply. Wildfire preparedness, water conservation and ecosystem health are community-wide challenges. The more neighbors, HOAs, businesses, and property managers participate, the greater the impact becomes. Sometimes our best resource is our neighbor The garden tours and parties reminded us just how valuable it is to learn from one another.

Planting the Crevice Garden at Crail Gardens. PHOTO COURTESY OF GROW WILD

Property owners openly shared their successes, mistakes, surprises and lessons learned. They talked about which plants survived, which ones moved to

unexpected places, which projects required more maintenance than anticipated and which choices ultimately saved water, time, or money. With patience, nature will do its thing A resilient landscape doesn’t establish overnight. Native plants have evolved to thrive in our climate, but they still need time to develop strong roots and settle into a new landscape. A newly planted garden may look sparse during its first season, but with patience, you can watch it come to life. Over time, native plants can put on an everchanging show throughout the summer while providing food and habitat for pollinators, birds and other wildlife. What begins as a small planting can gradually become a thriving ecosystem just outside your door. The tours may be over for the summer, but support for creating resilient landscapes is available yearround.Explore the free Alpenscapes Guidebook, resilient landscaping guidelines, native and climateappropriate plant lists, free property site visits, educational events and guidance from local experts on our website. After one of this summer’s garden parties, an attendee captured the importance of this work: “This is a really special collaboration that has a lot of meaning and impact in a way that few other local collaborations could. I feel like our community is safer and more resilient because of their big-picture outlook and work,” the attendee said. Thank you to the homeowners who welcomed us into their landscapes and everyone who joined us to learn. Ali Chipouras leads marketing and communications at Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization. She is a sustainability professional with nearly a decade of experience in both private and public sector roles in Montana.

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TBD FIRST LEFT DRIVE - MID MOUNTAIN, BIG SKY - Stunning 11.29+/- acres, just minutes from the base of the resort - Secluded acreage with a creek and Lone Mountain views - Sale includes full architectural plans for an impressive mountain modern home $2,499,000 | MLS 403144

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78 MEADOW VILL AGE, UNIT E - BIG SKY

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Explore Big Sky

28 October 1 - October 14, 2026

A&E

A LA CARTE: SEEKING A SPICE MIX BY RACHEL HERGETT EBS COLUMNIST

I’m ever curious about how cuisines morph across time and space. How, for example, does a dish that originates from one culture or country differ when served outside of these initial parameters? Once upon a time, some 20 years ago, I visited a Mexican restaurant in Poland—Warsaw, if memory serves. Dinner arrived with generous sides of rice and beans, but at the time I did not recognize the nearly white rice with corn and carrots and peas as a Mexican dish. Mexican rice, in my mind and experience, was a deep red orange, taking on the color of chili peppers that season the grains. This rice seemed very bland in comparison, very Polish. I was almost surprised they didn’t try to sneak in some pickles. Now, I know that the rice was made with full respect to the restaurant owner’s Mexican culinary roots. It was arroz primavera, or spring rice, and the mixed vegetables are essential to the dish. My perception of Mexican rice was entirely colored by my experience here in the U.S. Greek cuisine has found a similar box inside my mind. I have been making a simple Greek-inspired salad for decades. This was Greek food to me. Well, until last summer when my mom and stepdad’s closest friends, a couple I simply call my “second parents,” rented a house on Crete for a couple months. When my mom returned from a visit to the Greek island, she naturally came bearing gifts, including an olive wood necklace, olives and olive oil. Are we sensing a theme here? But she also came armed with a “mix for Greek salad” spice packet from Wild Aroma—a company based in the Cretan town of Heraklion—and tales of how the Greeks actually eat salads. My Romaine-lettuce heavy salad was again Americanized and unlike the salads they were served with every meal on Crete. These salads had a mix of vegetables, but rarely lettuce. And instead of crumbles of feta, it had a choose-your-ownadventure hunk of the sheep’s milk cheese. My salad included a dressing of sorts, a mix of feta, olive oil, lemon juice and oregano. On Crete, simplicity was key. A spice mix was sprinkled over

Enjoy greek seasoning on a variety of vegetables, feta, olive oil and red wine vinegar. PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT the vegetables, salt and pepper cracked, and then olive oil and red wine vinegar was drizzled over the whole thing. Now, the Greek salads I make multiple times a week are somewhere in between the two, mainly because I often have crumbled feta rather than the bricks on hand. The aforementioned “mix for Greek salad” has been key. I briefly mentioned this seasoning packet in an earlier column about big salads. A serving suggestion on the initial packet is a photo of a Greek salad the way my mom described. It’s a bed of vegetables with a chunk of feta on top. From what I can see, it has cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, green peppers and fresh parsley leaves. The “mix for Greek salad” adds the herbaceousness, with just the right amount of depth and bite. I liked the seasoning mix so much we asked for more to be brought back across the pond when my second parents returned from their adventure. They did. It was not enough. This week, my final packet running dangerously low, I scoured the internet for a supplier. I was not successful. So it was on to Plan B—creating my own spice mix. By the time I started this project, the final teaspoons I reserved for comparison’s sake had somehow disappeared. I relied instead on the powerful memory of taste. But I did find the cardboard packaging with the ingredients list: oregano, thyme, parsley, celery, salt. After a trip to Town & Country Foods, I secured the base ingredients from Fisher Spice, a Bozemanbased spice merchant started by Stan Fisher and, as of this year, under the guardianship of the owners of Furrow & Fly English Muffins.

Later, when I looked at the Fisher Spice website to find those nuggets of information, I also stumbled on a list of spice blends. One seemed to jump out. “Greek.” I sought it out at a second store later that morning, just to clarify that the Greek mix is not one and the same. It’s not. Fisher Spice’s Greek mix includes spearmint, marjoram, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, onion and chili flakes. I have used it before and grabbed a packet, knowing it is delicious on fish and chicken, things that pair exceptionally well with Greek salad. Back to the custom spice mix. I’ve left out the salt, simply because I like to have ultimate control of salt levels in my food and generally avoid spice mixes with salt included. My first test run started with equal parts of the first three ingredients (oregano, thyme and parsley), and half that of celery seed, taking into account the intensity of their flavor. The celery seed was still overpowering. Part of the problem seemed to be the delivery; Whole celery seeds, though minuscule, pack a punch in a tiny package. Spice mix Version 2 halved the amount of celery seed, and this time I pulled out my mortar and pestle and ground the seeds into a near powder form before adding them to the mix. It was still too heavy on the celery seed. I halved them again in spice mix Version 3, and also halved the parsley. The second move was mainly because of personal preference—of the four spices, I enjoy parsley the least. Finally, the taste of the dry mix felt familiar on my tongue. Maybe my salad still isn't truly Greek, or maybe it’s Crete-specific. It is built from my experience, so I may never know. What I do know is that it remains delicious and with this spice mix, I feel I have unlocked some of its secrets. Greek salad seasoning mix 1 part oregano 1 part thyme ½ part parsley ⅛ part ground celery seed To make a Greek salad, sprinkle generously over vegetables and a hunk o’ feta. Top with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

While recipes vary, Hergett’s include oregano, thyme, parsley and celery seed. PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT

Rachel Hergett is a foodie and cook from Montana. She is arts editor emeritus at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle and has written for publications such as Food Network Magazine and Montana Quarterly. Rachel is also the host of the Magic Monday Show on KGLT-FM and teaches at Montana State University.

A&E

29 October 1 - October 14, 2026

Explore Big Sky

COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR Read the full events calendar, or submit your own community event by scanning the QR code.

BIG SKY COMMUNITY WEEK MONDAY, OCT. 5 THROUGH FRIDAY, OCT. 9 MULTIPLE BIG SKY LOCATIONS From Oct. 5-9, local organizations will participate in Big Sky Community Week, programming events that are meant to educate residents, celebrate achievements, start conversations or provide community members with fun activities. This year, community week starts Monday, Oct. 5 with a community coffee at 8 a.m. with Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization and Big Sky Community Food Bank. Other events include an Oct. 5 State of the Community at 5 p.m., pizza with a purpose Oct. 6 at 12 p.m. and a community appreciation event starting at 4 p.m. at Len Hill Park on Oct. 8. PHOTO COURTESY OF BIG SKY COMMUNITY WEEK

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Indigenous People’s Day Fashion Show MONDAY, OCTOBER 12 6 - 9 p.m. Whole museum $20/VIP ticket, $15/ticket Registration is required

Discover the artistry of Indigenous fashion as Angela Howe and Rebekah Jarvey share designs rooted in heritage, storytelling, and cultural pride.

SCAN QR CODE TO REGISTER

museumoftherockies.org | 406.994.2251 | 600 W. Kagy Blvd.

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32 October 1 - October 14, 2026

BUSINESS

A SEASON OF DISCOVERY AT MUSEUM OF THE ROCKIES

A RUNWAY SHOW, A MASQUERADE NIGHT OF BOZEMAN'S SPOOKIEST HISTORY, AND A CURATOR'S OWN EXHIBIT DEBUT BY TAYLOR OWENS Sponsored content This fall, the Museum of the Rockies is proving that a history museum can be anything but dusty. In the span of just three weeks, MOR will open three brand-new exhibits, host a runway show celebrating Indigenous design and throw open its doors after dark for a 21-and-over Halloween event steeped in local legend. At the center of it all is Dr. Siriana Lundgren, MOR's Curator of Cultural History—a Billings native and accomplished historian who came home to tell Montana's stories in a way only she could. With a background in historical musicology and a specialized interest in women in music in Western boomtowns, Lundgren has an interesting perspective that makes her uniquely suited to her position. "I love history, but I'm a culture person first," Lundgren said. That extends to how she sees the institution itself: "We're not just a history museum. We're also a science museum. And we're always blending together the past and the present." "I think people sometimes have this misconception that history is dusty and old and not super relevant," she said. "And what I think cultural history does for us as a field is it helps connect us to the past in a really intimate way." Lundgren grew up visiting MOR as a kid, and she's carried a pride in Montana's history ever since leaving for college. "As a Montanan, I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder to explain to people, ‘you don't understand—this place and the people who live here have the most rich, complex and inspiring stories,’" she said. That conviction now shapes everything she brings to the museum floor. Starting in October, visitors will have plenty of new reasons to walk through MOR's doors. On Oct. 3, Popnology kicks things off. The traveling exhibit explores the surprising overlap between science fiction and science fact, including, Lundgren noted, actual pieces of a Mars rover on display. "Popnology is where science fiction meets science fact, and it's all about how science fiction

has influenced actual technological development," she said. "There are going to be some showstopping pieces in there. We highly recommend people come." On Oct. 10, Getting Dressed, Lundgren's own curatorial debut at MOR, follows a week later. On Oct. 17, Chisel and Razor, developed in partnership with the Montana State University School of Art and Architecture and Tinworks, rounds out the trio, telling the shared story of siblings Edmonia and Sam Lewis and, more broadly, the history of Montana's Black community around the turn of the century. Edmonia was a world-class Anishinaabe and Black sculptor who lived in Italy, while Sam was a Bozeman barber and amateur opera singer. Ask Lundgren what she wants people to feel walking out of an exhibit, and she'll tell you it starts with what she calls the "big idea." For Getting Dressed, that idea is disarmingly simple. "Getting dressed is something we all do every day," she said. "But doing it concretely impacts the way we move through life and has through history." The exhibit grew out of Lundgren's own research into Chinese women in boomtowns, a research she'd written about in her dissertation but had never encountered through an actual object, until she found a silk suit believed to have belonged to a Chinese woman living in Butte's Chinese community around 1910. "What I love about clothing is that it's so visceral," she said. "When you see a garment, you picture the person that wore it. You're very rarely just looking at a shirt and not also imagining the body that inhabited that shirt." That instinct runs through the whole show, which is organized into sections—Play, Rest, Work and Change—each built around garments never before displayed at MOR. The Play section centers on a 1930 women's ski suit, one of the earliest examples of women wearing pants for athletics. Preparing it for display meant confronting the woman who once wore it, sweat stains and all. "You can see that she has armpit stains from where she sweat while she was skiing," Lundgren said. "There was a woman in 1930 who went skiing and also got really hot and sweaty in her ski suit, just like the rest of us when we go skiing today." Rest features three elk tooth dresses, one newly commissioned from Apsáalooke artist Miranda Rowland, one from Chokecherry Creek Designs' Angie Howe, and one from Bethany Yellowtail of B.Yellowtail Designs. Work showcases the very first female ranger uniform from Yellowstone National Park. And Change closes the show with a beaded COVID face mask by designer Rebecca Jarvie.

“Getting Dressed” features Indigenous fashion. PHOTO COURTESY OF MUSEUM OF THE ROCKIES

Getting Dressed's grand opening doubles as one of the fall's marquee events: a runway show on Indigenous Peoples Day, Oct. 12, featuring designers Angie Howe of Chokecherry Creek Designs and Rebecca Jarvie fresh, in Jarvie's case, off a trip to New York Fashion Week.

The museum will feature a Halloween-themed event Oct. 30. PHOTO COURTESY OF MUSEUM OF THE ROCKIES "That whole night will be so fabulous," Lundgren said. Each designer will present eight to twelve runway looks in MOR's auditorium, followed by a reception with local vendors including Wampum Wear, Fierce Women Warriors and Still Smoking Designs, plus a chance to shop Howe's and Jarvie's own collections. "It's all to celebrate the beauty of Indigenous design," Lundgren said. "Because holy cow, are these garments just so incredible." Fall at MOR isn't only about fashion and history. Families can get hands-on with Grossology Discovery Day on Oct. 17, a science-forward event that leans into the museum's identity as both a history and a science institution, the kind of curiosity-driven, sensory experience Lundgren said museums have leaned into. Adults looking for something different should mark their calendars for Pour & Gore, MOR's masquerade-themed, 21-and-over Halloween event on Oct. 30. "There's a lot of weird and spooky history around Bozeman," Lundgren said. "Pour & Gore is a 21-and-over event, and you'll get to learn a little bit more about the mysterious past of Bozeman." Looking further out, Lundgren points to the Women Riders of Indian Relay event on Nov. 6, featuring championship riders discussing their experience in what she calls "the most electrifying sport in the world." For visitors who think they already know Museum of the Rockies, Lundgren asks them to look again. "Keep your eye on the History Hall," she said. "We're going to be changing a lot in the History Hall in the coming year, and hopefully it'll start to look really different and new and exciting." With three new exhibits, a runway show and a full slate of programming landing in the span of a few short weeks, these upcoming colder seasons are as good a time as any to find out what's changed.

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W W W . O U T L AW . R E A LT Y | 4 0 6 . 5 8 9 . 6 2 4 7 All information given is considered reliable, but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, and it should not be relied upon as such. These offerings are subject to errors, omissions, and changes including price or withdrawal without notice. All rights reserved. Equal Housing Opportunity. If you currently have a listing agreement or buyer broker agreement with another agent, this is not a solicitation to change. ©2026 Outlaw Realty www.outlaw.realty

34 October 1 - October 14, 2026

BUSINESS

Explore Big Sky

THE BIG SKY WAY: ANOTHER TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX

Kettlehouse amphitheater in Bonner, Montana, on an old sawmill site. PHOTO BY TAMMY ESTENSEN

BY DANIEL BIERSCHWALE EBS COLUMNIST

In the last Big Sky Way, we talked about catching up. Big Sky’s infrastructure hasn’t always kept pace with our growth. Today, we have some catching up to do—on our roads, in our water and wastewater systems and in our ability to prepare for wildfire. So, how do we pay for it? That question isn’t new either. In a 2024 Big Sky Way, “Funding Our Future,” I wrote about Big Sky’s “financial stack”—the combination of resources we use to make major community investments possible. Resort Tax is part of that stack. So are bonds, state and federal grants, mill levies, ratepayers, philanthropy and private funding. By combining these resources, Big Sky has been able to accomplish more than any one could support on its own. But not every piece of that stack is predictable. Our community has twice pursued federal Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development, or BUILD grants, for improvements to the U.S. Highway 191-Montana Highway 64 intersection, but neither application was selected. Competitive grants can’t be the foundation of a long-term infrastructure strategy. As the scale of Big Sky’s infrastructure needs became clearer, so did the need to look more broadly at how to pay for them. In November 2024, Economic and Planning Systems completed a public finance study examining ways to supplement existing funding sources. One of those tools was a Targeted Economic Development District, or TEDD.

The purpose is pretty simple: to help a community address infrastructure deficiencies so it can support its economy. In Big Sky, that means using a portion of future property tax revenue generated by growth for transportation, water and wastewater and other eligible infrastructure. The mechanics take a little more explaining. A TEDD establishes a defined geographic district where infrastructure deficiencies have been identified. Creating the district allows another tool to be used within it: Tax Increment Financing, or TIF. TEDD is the district. TIF is the funding mechanism—similar to how BSRAD is the district and Resort Tax is the funding mechanism. As new development and rising property values increase the district’s taxable value, they generate additional property tax revenue. TIF allows a portion of that new revenue to be reinvested in eligible infrastructure. During the life of the TIF, the counties and other local taxing districts continue to receive revenue generated by the district’s base taxable value, including inflationary increases. When the TIF ends, the full taxable value becomes part of the tax base available to them. This isn’t an unfamiliar tool in Montana. If you’ve driven to Bonner for a concert at the KettleHouse Amphitheater, you’ve visited an area where a TEDD has helped transform a former mill site. Missoula County used TIF revenue for infrastructure and environmental cleanup, supporting redevelopment that brought new businesses, jobs and investment. As we covered in "Catching up," our infrastructure needs are significant and interconnected. Transportation investments can improve safety and emergency access. Water and wastewater investments can protect the Gallatin River, support wildfire response and provide capacity for homes

and businesses. Wildfire infrastructure protects people, property and economic activity that extends far beyond Big Sky. It’s important to understand what a TEDD is not. It will not appear on your property tax bill as a new tax. It is not a ballot measure. The proposed district would require approval by the Gallatin and Madison County commissions. A TEDD also wouldn’t eliminate the need for other funding sources. Resort Tax, ratepayers, grants, philanthropy, private funding and partnerships will continue to be part of a project’s financial stack. A TEDD could help leverage those resources, with each playing a different role depending on the project. It simply adds another tool to that stack—one particularly relevant for a small community that generates significant tax revenue for Montana and our two counties, but has limited ability to retain and reinvest those dollars locally. TIF allows a portion of future property tax growth to support the community that generated it. For more than 50 years, Big Sky has found ways to build what the community needs. Today, the scale is bigger and the projects are more complex. A TEDD won’t do it alone. Neither will any other tool in the toolbox. But together, they give Big Sky a better chance to catch up—and build a stronger foundation for what comes next. Daniel Bierschwale is the Executive Director of the Big Sky Resort Area District (BSRAD). As a dedicated public servant, he is committed to increasing civic engagement and voter education. Many ballot issues impact government services and public funding, including subsequent property tax impacts. BSRAD is the local government agency that administers Resort Tax, which offsets property taxes while also funding numerous community-wide nonprofit programs.

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HOW PERSONAL WAREHOUSE IS REDEFINING FLEX SPACES BY TAYLOR OWENS Sponsored content Drive out toward Yellowstone Airport Park in Belgrade, and you might expect to find rows of steel and concrete boxes—practical and purely functional. Step inside Personal Warehouse's model unit though, and that expectation falls apart fast. "Wow, this is not what I expected at all," is the No. 1 comment CEO Steve Garrison hears from firsttime visitors. "When you hear the word warehouse it gives a certain connotation, and really it's kind of unfair. Everybody walks in and they're like; these are amazing creative spaces." That gap between expectation and reality is, in many ways, the whole story of Personal Warehouse, a company now 26 years and 40 projects into building what the industry calls "flex space": hybrid units that combine office, warehouse and personalpassion space into one flexible footprint, available to buy rather than just rent.

cheaper to own than to rent. He built his first project on that math. That first project delivered right after Sept. 11, 2001, and the timing nearly sank it. Garrison had marketed the concept to buyers as space for cars, boats and toys. Then the towers fell, and in the days after, he lost 60% of his customer base. "I'm thinking that the world's going to end," he says. Then the market pivoted. "The Monday after 9/11, I went into my office, and I had 42 voicemails... 90 days after 9/11, I was 100 percent sold and closed out." Buyers weren't looking for toy storage anymore—they wanted smaller, affordable, flexible space to run a business out of, and the ability to own it rather than rent it.

Personal Warehouse's flex-space campus sits just outside Belgrade near Yellowstone Airport Park. PHOTO COURTESY OF PERSONAL WAREHOUSE

That shift became the company's throughline. Today, roughly 20% of Personal Warehouse clients are car and motorsport enthusiasts, but the core client base is small business—typically leasing or buying units between 1,000 and 4,000 square feet. "In good times, people are starting new businesses. In times of contraction, people are looking to be more cost-effective," Garrison says. "We catch people as they're growing, and we catch people as they're shrinking."

20% of units are leased rather than owned) for owners who'd rather deploy capital elsewhere.

The result: masonry construction rather than metal, full climate control, wet bars and high-end finish levels rare in industrial product. "I don't think this is going to feel like any warehouse that you'd step into around Bozeman and Belgrade," Garrison says.

He noticed a real void in the market: self-storage units topped out at 10-by-10 feet, while traditional warehouses started around 10,000 square feet. Nothing existed in between, and nothing let a small business or individual own their space.

Garrison points to a persistent imbalance in commercial real estate: the vast majority of product is built for large corporate tenants, even though small businesses make up the overwhelming share of the business community. "Ninety-five percent of the market is built around large corporate users—10, 20, 50, 100,000 square feet," he says. "Eighty-five percent of all small business in America is five people or less, yet only a nominal amount of the entire real estate market is designed to accommodate them.”

Industry veterans told him it couldn't work: rents on smaller, flexible spaces would be too high for anyone to pay. Garrison ran the numbers differently. By converting a rental product into an ownership product, he found it could be 30 to 40 percent

Ownership, historically, wasn't realistic either. Ordinary commercial assets ran into the millions of dollars. Personal Warehouse's model breaks that barrier down to a scale small businesses can actually afford, while also offering the option to lease (about

Garrison's path to flex space wasn't a straight line. After earning a degree at Colorado State University, he landed at a private mortgage banking firm in Fort Collins in the early '90s, financing a wave of apartment-to-condominium conversions sweeping Denver. The technical, often-botched process suited him. "It was really technical and it was complicated and a lot of people messed it up, and for some reason it made sense to me," he says.

Every Personal Warehouse project has been shaped by the one before it. Early feedback about dim, purely industrial interiors led to more windows and natural light. Requests for a workspace-life separation led to integrated mezzanines. A desire for the units to feel less like a warehouse and more like an office pushed finishes upmarket.

Examples of businesses working out of Personal Warehouse units include a 12-year-old's socialmedia slime business in Round Rock, Texas and a Colorado owner's fully scaled model of the Rocky Mountains, complete with a running train line, built over four years. Other units house high-end recording studios and podcasting setups, a photography studio with a rotating turntable set built to shoot product photos, and full home-gym buildouts. "I set out to build projects, and I ended up building communities," Garrison says. Owners become friends, travel together and do business with each other. Unlike Bozeman-area live-work condos, which Garrison describes as functioning more like "a house with an oversized garage," Personal Warehouse units are strictly commercial. The company is now active in seven states, with plans to expand to around ten, and recently launched a consulting arm, FLX Blueprint, to help landowners and developers unfamiliar with the flexspace asset class get projects off the ground. "I feel like we are where the self-storage industry was 20 years ago," he says, pointing to remote work, evolving lifestyle preferences post-COVID, and a broad appetite for adaptable space as tailwinds. "I think this is probably going to be one of the hottest asset classes in real estate for the next 10 to 15 years." For Garrison, the pitch ultimately comes down to experience over explanation. "You have to come see it for yourself... it's not a warehouse, it's so much more than that."

Inside a Personal Warehouse unit, natural light, full climate control and high-end finishes replace the metal-box feel of a traditional warehouse. PHOTO COURTESY OF PERSONAL WAREHOUSE

The model unit—Unit 302—is open for tours, with self-tour access available by text for visitors outside regular hours.

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ONE CREDIT UNION, A LOAN FOR EVERY KIND OF MONTANA BUYER

PHOTO COURTESY OF WHITEFISH CREDIT UNION

BY TAYLOR OWENS Sponsored content No two Montana homebuyers arrive at the closing table by the same road. One is saving for a first home on a tight down payment. Another just started a business after years working for someone else. A third already owns a place and wants to put its equity to work or is eyeing a piece of land and dreaming of building. Each needs a different kind of loan and finding it shouldn't depend on which box they happen to fit. That's the thinking behind the lineup at Whitefish Credit Union, which offers everything from firsttime buyer mortgages to land and construction loans. "We have a full suite of products," says Matt Venturini, senior vice president and chief lending officer. “And lenders can assess someone's situation and say, 'This is what I think would fit best.'" Sometimes that starts by questioning the request. Many borrowers walk in asking for a 30-year fixedrate mortgage, the loan they've heard the most about, and a lender may suggest something else. "You ever thought about an ARM?" Venturini says. "This is how much you would save monthly." An ARM, or adjustable-rate mortgage, can start with a lower rate than a fixed loan. For some buyers that means a lower payment now and the ability to qualify for more. Whitefish Credit Union offers both, along with a range of fixed-rate products. The same matching applies across the rest of the lineup. First-time buyers can look at a program

requiring as little as 5% down. Homeowners who need cash down the road might be better served by a home equity line of credit, which lets them borrow when they need to instead of paying interest on money they haven't used yet. For those buying a lot or planning a custom home, Whitefish Credit Union also offers land loans and construction financing, a process we previously covered in depth. Whitefish Credit Union underwrites every mortgage in-house and keeps its loans on its own books instead of selling them to investors. That means its underwriters aren't tied to the rigid guidelines that secondary-market loans require, and they can make decisions based on the credit union's own policies and their own judgment. Venturini points to the self-employed as a common example. Secondary-market programs typically want two years of tax returns showing steady income. A carpenter who left a contractor to start a business may have a strong track record but only 18 months of it on paper. "Maybe we have a year and a half, we might be comfortable with that," Venturini says. "We're not just trying to fit something within a box. If we're comfortable with it, we'll move forward." The same in-house control shapes how the credit union handles mortgage insurance. Many lenders require private mortgage insurance, or PMI, when a buyer puts down less than 20%, adding a monthly charge that, depending on the loan program, can last for years or even the life of the loan. Whitefish Credit Union doesn't charge it. Instead, it adjusts the interest rate to reflect the risk. Venturini offers a round-number example: a $100 monthly PMI payment adds up to $1,200 a year. "We figure if

we're going to do the loan, we'll adjust the rate for whatever that risk is," he says, "rather than charging another monthly fee that you can't get rid of unless you refinance." Local knowledge also plays a role. Property values in Montana can vary widely from one county or town to the next, and Venturini says that understanding of each market helps the team decide when a loan makes sense and when a higher down payment might be warranted. The relationship doesn't end at closing. Many mortgages are sold, sometimes more than once, leaving borrowers unsure who to call when they have a question. Whitefish Credit Union services its own loans, so a member with a question, a change to an automatic payment, or interest in refinancing can call or walk into a branch. If the original loan officer has retired or moved on, the portfolio is reassigned so there's always someone to talk to. "That's what people really appreciate," Venturini says. "They can get that information quickly and get their problem solved." With eight branches across Northwest Montana, Whitefish Credit Union is close to home for many borrowers. Whether you're buying your first place, weighing a fixed rate against an ARM, or tapping the equity in a home you already own, the first step is a conversation with a local lender. Learn more about Whitefish Credit Union's mortgage and home loan options at whitefishcu.com or call (406) 862-3525.

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41 October 1 - October 14, 2026

HEALTH

HEALTH BUZZ: MAYBE SILLY CAN SAVE US

ADOBE STOCK PHOTO

BY KALEY BURNS EBS COLUMNIST

In a world fracturing under the weight of historic anxieties, local families and neighbors are feeling the burn. We track our sleep cycles, quantify our steps and micro-dose mindfulness. Yet, we walk around still profoundly tired. As a culture, we have optimized the joy right out of our days. What if the remedy to our modern burnout isn’t another rigorous self-care routine, but something far more radical? What if silly can save us? From a holistic health perspective, play and silliness are not childish distractions. True healing requires us to address the nervous system. And silliness is a fundamental, evolutionary necessity for human health. The physiology of play: Calming the survival brain When we look at wellness through a biological lens, our bodies are constantly scanning our environments for safety or threat. Chronic stress locks our bodies into a sympathetic nervous system response; the familiar “fight, flight, or freeze” mode. This state spikes cortisol, tenses muscles and halts the body’s natural healing processes. Silliness acts as an immediate circuit breaker for this chronic stress loop in three ways. First, spontaneous laughter, funny voices, and playful movement stimulate the vagus nerve. This triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, signaling to your brain that you are safe, much like the grounding, resetting effects of an acupuncture

session. Second, choosing absurdity drops stress hormones and releases a cocktail of endorphins and dopamine. This biochemical shift is an instantaneous, natural mood elevator. Lastly, pure silliness requires us to drop our physical armor. It loosens tight shoulders, releases clenched jaws and forces us to breathe deeply. Dismantling the tyranny of perfection Psychologically, much of our suffering comes from the pressure to maintain a curated, competent, and successful identity. We are terrified of looking foolish in front of our neighbors, colleagues, and peers. This hyper-vigilance isolates us and keeps our bodies in a state of high alert. Embracing the silly is an act of ego-defiance. When we allow ourselves to dance terribly in the kitchen, speak in ridiculous accents to our pets, or engage in harmless, absurd banter, we break the tyranny of perfectionism. We give our bodies permission to stop performing and start repairing. Cellular support meets emotional release In our practice, we look at the whole person. We know that optimizing your physical health requires biological building blocks; like the clean hydration and cellular support found in IV therapy, or the systemic balance brought by naturopathic medicine. But those therapies work best when the mind aligns with the body. Think of silliness as the emotional equivalent of a cellular flush. It clears out the stagnant energy of worry and replaces it with vibrant, living vitality. A unique “silly” prescription: Action steps for your health Integrating silliness into your daily routine doesn’t require a total lifestyle overhaul. It just requires a

willingness to lower the stakes of daily life right here in our community. There are many unique ways to kickstart your inner play but you can start with a few of the following recommendations. Here are a few unique ways to kickstart your inner play: Keep a ridiculous item, like a clown nose, giant sunglasses, or a bubble wand, in your car glove compartment or desk drawer. When a moment feels overwhelmingly stressful or rigid, take it out and use it for 60 seconds to disrupt your brain’s stress loop. Next, try to stand up and vigorously shake your hands, legs and torso while making a low, buzzing “vroom” sound with your mouth. This somatic practice actively discharges trapped adrenaline and activates deep diaphragmatic breathing. Lastly, experiment with the words you use. Ban a common, boring word in your house for an evening, like “good” or “fine,” and force your family or partner to invent a completely fabricated, ridiculous-sounding word to replace it. To look at a heavy world and choose a moment of lighthearted absurdity is not denial; it is defiance. It preserves our humanity and keeps our hearts soft. So let go of the need to be dignified, productive and poised for just a moment. Let yourself be a little foolish. It might just be the best medicine you take all year. Dr. Kaley Burns is a licensed Naturopathic Physician providing a wide range of services for her clients at Big Sky Natural Health, including: Naturopathic Medicine, IV Nutrient Therapy, Regenerative Injections, Rejuvenation Therapies, Vitamin Shots, and Nutrition Counseling. She embraces a natural approach to health and aims to similarly inspire and guide others on their health journey.

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