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 • S P R I N G 2 0 2 5 8 SPRING IN MONTANA ALWAYS ARRIVES WITH A SENSE OF REBIRTH, as if the land itself is stretching awake after a long winter's nap. This year, as the snow begins its retreat from our valleys and the first brave wildflowers peek through the thawing soil, we find ourselves once again grateful to be producing another issue of Distinctly Mon- tana for you, our faithful readers. This spring issue is particularly special as it marks the beginning of our annual Best of Montana contest! Last year's contest shattered records with over 85,000 nomina- tions and votes. We're expecting even more participation this year as we celebrate the businesses and people that make Montana the remarkable place it is. You can nominate your favorite Montana businesses starting March 15th through April 20th by visiting our website or scan- ning the QR code. Remember, each nomi- nation enters you into our sweepstakes to win $500 in cash. The more nominations you submit (once per day per category), the better your odds of winning! There will be another $500 prize during the voting phase this summer, so stay tuned. We're especially proud of the strength of our authors in this issue and have a nice har- vest of pages for you. The infamous Old Broke Rancher reports for duty with a hilarious story about (not) getting a puppy. A splash of history with a story about the snowsheds of Glacier National Park. Some modern day culture with a feature on the Montana Bal- let Company. Ednor Therriault takes us on a whimsical road trip across the state with a travelogue on Montana's rest stops. These stories reminded me again why I choose to live in this remarkable place—the vastness, the quiet, the rugged beauty that persists regardless of the tumult and noise happening beyond our borders. To our advertisers: we cannot thank you enough. Your support makes this magazine possible, and we encourage our readers to support you in return. Dear readers, when you visit these businesses, please let them know you saw them in Distinctly Montana! As you read this issue, perhaps with a steaming cup of coffee on a cool spring morn- ing, know that we're honored to be a small part of your Montana experience. From muddy boots to green valleys, re- birth to renewal—we wish you a spectacular spring! Thank you for reading Distinctly Montana, and for helping us contin- ue to celebrate the Last Best Place. A N O T E F R O M T H E P U B L I S H E R P U B L I S H E R CHRISTOPHER MUHLENFELD, PUBLISHER chris@distinctlymontana.com ©2002-2025. Distinctly Montana is owned and published by Thunderstruck Media LLC, a Montana company. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in any form, in whole or in part, without our written permission is prohibited. Distinctly Montana welcomes freelance contributions—please contact us to inquire about submitting your work. DISTINCTLY MONTANA IS DESIGNED AND PRINTED IN THE USA. Published by Thunderstruck Media LLC • 280 West Kagy Blvd, STE D286 • Bozeman, Montana 59715 www.distinctlymontana.com • info@distinctlymontana.com • (406) 600-7660 WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS! The paper content of this publication has been certifiably reforested via PrintReleaf – the world's first platform to measure paper consumption and automate reforestation across a global network of reforestation projects. LEARN MORE AT PRINTRELEAF.COM photo: flickr.com/nicholas_t | CC BY PUBLISHERS Christopher & Pattra Muhlenfeld EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joseph Shelton ART DIRECTOR Robert Rath COPY EDITOR Shannon Page PROOF EDITOR Shannon Page SALES EXECUTIVE Larry Sem PRINT MANAGEMENT Pam Koehler, Koehler + Co. fb.com/distinctlymontana instagram.com/distinctlymontana twitter.com/distinctlymt S U B S C R I B E S U B S C R I B E T O D AY T O D AY W E D E L I V E R ! W E D E L I V E R ! SUBSCRIBE TO SUBSCRIBE TO DISTINCTLY MONTANA DISTINCTLY MONTANA MAGAZINE MAGAZINE DISTINCTLYMONTANA.COM/SUBSCRIBE SEND A CHECK FOR THE AMOUNT MATCHING THE SUBSCRIPTION PERIOD YOU'D LIKE: 1 YEAR - $39.95 2 YEARS - $69.95 3 YEARS - $99.95 MAIL CHECKS TO: DISTINCTLY MONTANA PO BOX 84, BOZEMAN MT 59771 TO SUBSCRIBE BY PHONE, CALL 406-600-7660 www.Dis t inc tlyMont ana.com $ 9.95 DISPL AY UN T IL SEP T. 15, 2023 AN EVENING AT BULL HEAD LODGE WITH CHARLIE RUSSELL TELLING "THE STORY OF BUTTE" DO SOME TOURISTS HAVE A DEATHWISH, OR WHAT? RECREATION IN THE PINTLERS S U M M E R 2 0 2 3 VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE BUSINESS FOR A CHANCE TO WIN $500! B E S T O F M O N TA N A B M D I S TI N C T L Y M O N T A N A ' S 2023 TM TM www.Dis t inc tlyMont ana.com $ 9.95 DISPL AY UN T IL JUNE 15, 2024 S P R I N G 2 0 2 4 TM THE DEVIL'S BRIGADE IN HELENA BUFFALO BILL'S LAST TOUR OF MONTANA ANACONDA, BEST LITTLE CITY IN SOUTHWEST MONTANA TREASURES OF THE WORLD MUSEUM OF MINING SCAN TO SUBSCRIBE 2025 o f BEST M O N TA N A A S V O T E D B Y R E A D E R S O F

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