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 U M M E R 2 0 2 5 10 COVER PHOTO LUCK Growing up in Montana gave LAURIE CHILDS a fondness for the West and its people. Photogra- phy allows her to link people and emotions with the land that makes the West distinct. Honoring this connection and love others hold for this re- gion is the centerpiece of her work. THE OLD BROKE RANCHER PAGE 20 GARY SHELTON was born in Lewistown in 1951 and has been a rancher, a railroader, a biker, a teacher, a hippie, and a cow- boy. 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. RED LODGE JULY 4TH BROUHAHA OF 1975 PAGE 28 TOM VANDEL is author of a crime noir novel (A Killer Story), a book of short stories (The Broken World), and a collection of po- ems (Goodbye Yellowstone Road). The latter two were selected as finalists in the High Plains Book Awards (2022, 2023). His writing has appeared in Montana Quarterly, Bel Esprit, Design Observer, and Explore Big Sky. He lives in Oregon and Montana with a wife and pooch and writes at tomvandel.substack.com. CONQUERING THE MONTANA TRAIL PAGE 32 AMY GRISAK is a writer and photographer specializing in garden- ing, cooking, and sustainable lifestyle topics, as well as anything to do with the beautiful Montana outdoors. Her articles appear in the New Pioneer, Rodale's Organic Life, Camp Cabela's, Hobby Farms, The Farmers' Almanac, Horticulture, the Great Falls Tri- bune, and more. PORK CHOP SANDWICHES PAGE 46 QUINN'S HOT SPRINGS PAGE 72 SHERMAN CAHILL is a freelance writer who lives in Butte, Montana. He enjoys film, Westerns, crime fiction, and residing in the best city in America, if not the world. ROSEBUD BATTLEFIELD STATE PARK PAGE 50 DOUG SCHMITTOU resides in Billings and is a freelance writ- er. His research focuses on travel in the Northern Rockies, evi- dence-based wellness protocols, and nineteenth-century Plains Indian art, material culture and ethnohistory. Previous publica- tions appeared in Montana The Magazine of Western History, Plains Anthropologist and American Indian Quarterly. CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTORS OUR Helena Farmers Market is the longest running and BEST market in the state. Saturdays on Fuller Avenue Downtown Helena 9 A.M. to 1 P.M. From the end of April - end of October See you at the Market!! www.helenafarmersmarket.com VOTE FOR US WIN $500 FOR YOUR CHANCE TO 2022-24 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 W I N N E R ! Y E A R S WO N

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