Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 0 10 7 GREAT PLACES TO X-COUNTRY SKI PAGE 12 35 years living in Montana and a lifetime in northern climes have given PHIL KNIGHT a real appreciation for the power of landscape. A student of wild places and the people and creatures who inhabit them, he writes about his adventures and misadventures from his home in Bozeman. BIRDS THAT LOVE WINTER PAGE 17 LIZ LARCOM, a trained biologist and journalist, often writes about the natural world. Working with her husband, Craig, their work has appeared in national, regional, and statewide publications. In her spare time, the Great Falls resident rambles the countryside looking for birds. 7 COOL WINTER HIKES PAGE 22 LACEY MIDDLESTEAD is a Helena-based freelance writer and outdoor enthusiast whose first love is Montana. She blogs at bitofgracebitofgrit.blogspot.com. Her work appeared Helena Independent Record, Distinctly Montana, and SnoWest. www.laceymiddlestead.com SKIJORING PAGE 30 MAGGIE SLEPIAN is a full-time editor and writer living in Bozeman. When she's not in front of a computer, she's probably outside backpacking, climbing, shooting archery, wrecking her dirt bike, or attempting to skate ski. Writing and editorial projects can be found at maggieslepian.com. HEMINGWAY IN MONTANA PAGE 37 CHRIS WARREN is the author of Ernest Hemingway in the Yellowstone High Country. After being awarded a Lewis-Reynolds-Smith Founders Fellowship from the Hemingway Society, Warren presented his findings at the 2018 International Hemingway Conference in Paris and at the 2019 Montana Book Festival in Missoula. He will serve as the Co-Director and Site Coordinator for the 2020 International Hemingway Conference taking place in Sheridan, WY, and Cooke City. A proud father of two, Chris currently splits his time between Cooke City and Portland, OR. WILD WEST WORDS PAGE 44 CHRYSTI M. SMITH was raised on a farm in northeastern Montana and now wrangles words for her daily radio series, "Chrysti the Wordsmith," produced at KGLT-FM in Bozeman; it can be heard on public radio stations through- out Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and worldwide on Armed Forces Radio. www.wordsmithradio.org MONTANA'S REALITY TV PAGE 46 JOSEPH SHELTON is a freelance writer and photographer who lives in Bozeman. He reads a lot, works at a record shop, and enjoys long strolls around Costco. Follow him on Instagram at @agentgordoncole. SOUP SHOP PAGE 51 JUDY BLUNT spent more than 30 years on working ranches south of Malta. Her poems and essays have appeared in numerous anthologies and journals; her bestselling memoir, Breaking Clean, was listed as a New York Times Notable book, earning a Whiting Writers' Award, the Mountains and Plains Book Award and the Willa Award for memoir/ nonfiction. Blunt has received a National Endowment for the Arts and a Guggenheim Fellowship. She is a professor of nonfiction and directs the Creative Writing Program at the University of Montana, Missoula. PECHAKUCHA PAGE 54 LARRY STERNE was a reporter and editor for weekly and daily newspapers in New England and New York before starting several newsletters and magazines in the nonprofit field. He and his wife operated a health care publishing business and and a webinar business for k-12 schools. ey moved to Bozeman in 1996, but now divide their time between Portland, MN, and Bozeman. Larry was an original organizer of PK Bozeman. WELDING WOMEN PAGE 68 BRIAN D'AMBROSIO is the author of more than 10 books and his articles have been published in local, regional, and national publications. D'Ambrosio's favorite journalistic topics or subjects: history, music, architecture, vernacular artists, boxing, photography, forgotten inventors, and obscure American poets and authors. Also a private investigator, he may be reached at dambro- siobrian@hotmail.com HOT SPRINGS FOR HEALTH PAGE 76 JOEANN FOSSLAND is a freelance writer living in Tucson, AZ, when she isn't on a road trip or at the beach. Bitten by the travel bug 40 years ago, she has explored four conti- nents and 26 countries. Montana is one of her favorite es- capes, particularly visiting historic hotels and hot springs. ese days, she's sharing her travels in magazines and articles in hopes of inspiring others to live their dreams. www.JoeannsView.com OUCH! PAGE 86 LYNDEL MEIKLE is a Montana native and historian with many publications. CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTORS VALERIE HARMS has edited this magazine since 2005 and says it is like throwing a party every season. A writer as well as editor, she is the author of 10 books and numerous articles. A graduate of Smith College, for seven years she was an editor at the National Audubon Society in New York City. She has taught writing and given workshops around the country, plus in Greece and Canada. In 1995 she moved to Montana to see wild animals in their habitats and explore the mountains and rivers. For more info see her Web site at www.valerieharms.com. Email queries to valerie@distinctlymontana.com. ROBERT RATH collects hyphens. Currently, he's an illustrator-designer-author-art director-dog walker living in Bozeman. He is currently teaching graphic design at Montana State University–Bozeman. His clients include Lucasfilm, Scholastic Books, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, and many others. He isn't allergic to anything, can't remember names of housing subdivisions or birthdays, likes to cook, can wiggle his ears, and hates writing bios. Huge thanks to Bill and Anthea for the best gig ever. www.robARTrath.com OUR ALEXIS PIKE TOM RATH

• Cover