Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • FA L L 2 0 2 4 10 COVER PHOTO KRISTA L. TAYLOR was born and raised Montana girl that loves the outdoors and all the beauty that Montana has to offer. Starting her photography journey at 15 and after living as a USMC wife all over the US, she moved back home to enjoy all the beautiful mountains that she missed. Having Glacier Park in her backyard provides lots of opportuni- ties to take wonderful photos and family adventures allow her to capture and appreciate all the beauty this world has to offer. THE OLD BROKE RANCHER PAGE 14 GARY SHELTON was born in Lewistown in 1951 and has been a rancher, a railroader, a biker, a teacher, a hippie, and a cowboy. Now he's trying his hand at writing in the earnest hope that he'll make enough at it to make a down payment on an RV. Hell, scratch that. Enough to buy the whole RV. BUFFALO SOLDIER WHEEL PAGE 17 DOUG STEVENS (aka "graytrekker") is a retired scientist and college educator. He is also a freelance writer and photographer living near Polson. Doug's printshop can be found at: graytrekker.darkroom.tech/ WHY I BELEIVE PAGE 22 KELLY BERDAHL has been involved in bigfoot research for 25 years. As a strong proponent of music education in the public schools through a 31-year career, he is currently the Band Director at Bozeman High School. Kelly lives in Bozeman with his beautiful wife Natasha, and children Silas and Evie. LEWISTOWN'S FORGOTTEN AIRBASE PAGE 26 MICHAEL J. OBER is three generations de ep into Montana's history and lore. Born in Havre, Montana, he graduated from the University of Montana with a BA and MA degree American History and, later, a Mas- ter's of Library and Information Science from the University of Denver. His professional career spans forty years as Director of Library Services at Flathead Valley Community College where he also taught Montana History and English Composition. Seasonally, he worked as a wildland fire fighter, backcountry ranger and law enforcement road patrol ranger in Glacier National Park for forty-four years. He is the author of Glacier Album, (Riverbend Press, Helena) a show- case of vintage photographs of Glacier Park. He recently released his new title: Montana Historic Places on the National Register: From Banks and Barns to Bridges and Battlefields (Mountain Press, Missoula). He has written numerous articles in state and regional periodi- cals about Montana's culture and history. MONTANA'S APEX PREDATOR PAGE 50 DOUG SCHMITTOU resides in Billings and is a freelance writer. His research focuses on travel in the Northern Rockies, evidence-based wellness protocols, and nineteenth-century Plains Indian art, material culture and ethnohistory. Previous publications appeared in Montana The Magazine of Western History, Plains Anthropologist and American In- dian Quarterly. CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTORS OUR L O R A L I N A E S T H E T I C S 4 0 6 . 8 0 2 . 4 3 5 1 W W W. L L A 4 0 6 . C O M Winner of the Best Spa Best Esthetician Best Skincare Treatments Best Sugaring/ Waxing Best Massage Therapy Office (2nd Place) In Montana! of B E S T M O N TA N A A S V O T E D B Y R E A D E R S O F 2024 W I N N E R ! Prioritize Self-Care in the Bitterroot Valley 2023 of B E S T M O N TA N A A S V O T E D B Y R E A D E R S O F W I N N E R !

• Cover