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 8 S UMMER'S HERE, and with it comes that familiar Montana magic—the kind that makes you remember why you put up with six months of winter. The snow's finally gone from the high country, the rivers are running cold and clear, and somewhere out there, a family's loading up the Suburban for their first camping trip of the year. I'm writing this with my morning tea getting cold because I keep getting distracted by a mead- owlark out there somewhere. The air smells like fresh hay, and for once there's no wind trying to blow my papers around. Mornings like this remind me why we put up with February. This issue kicks off our annual Best of Montana celebration. Voting's open now, so get out there and cast your ballots for the businesses that make this state special. Every vote gets you entered to win $500 cash, which isn't bad pay for supporting the local places that keep our commu- nities running. We've got some fantastic stories lined up for you. There's the incredible tale of thru-hiking the Montana Trail — all 1,700 miles of it. Then there's the wild story of Butte's "Band Boys" and how they got tangled up with William A. Clark. Plus, you'll meet the characters at Teller Wildlife Refuge and relive the legendary Red Lodge riots of 1975 — a Fourth of July that went completely sideways. Every story reminds me that Montana isn't just coordinates on a map. It's about slowing down enough to appreciate what matters—a well-cooked meal, a locally-owned business that knows your name, the simple pleasure of reading something good while the evening light turns the mountains gold. In a world hell-bent on fracturing your attention into a thousand digital pieces, we're still here making something you can hold in your hands. Real stories about real places. No push notifica- tions, no algorithms, no anxiety-inducing clickbait. Just good storytelling and the celebration of a place we all love. Our advertisers make this whole thing possible, so when you visit their businesses, mention you saw them in Distinctly Montana. It makes their day, and ours too. Wherever you're reading this—maybe lakeside, maybe around a campfire, or just kicked back with a cold beer—thanks for letting us tag along. Here's to summer days that last forever, good stories, and living in the best place on earth. 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 www.distinctlymontana.com/bom2025 VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITES FOR A CHANCE TO WIN $500

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