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 6
6
Spring
TA B L E O F
C O N T E N T S C O N T E N T S
TOM
RATH
2026
ISSUE
8 A NOTE FROM OUR PUBLISHER
10 OUR CONTRIBUTORS
12 MONTANA HOSPITALITY: YELLOWSTONE TIPIS
by Sherman Cahill
16 TREASURE STATE TABLE
20 LAST BEST BOOKS
22 THE OLD BROKE RANCHER
ON STARTING A NEW VACATION RENTAL
by Gary Shelton
26 QUESTA ERA LA VITA A BELLA VISTA:
ITALIANS AT FORT MISSOULA
by Ross Peterson
32 JOURNEY THROUGH HISTORY
AT MONTANA'S NEWEST STATE PARK
by Ednor Therriault, photos by Cannon Colegrove
39 MONTANA OUT LOUD: ANNOUNCING OUR NEW PODCAST!
42 THE MYSTERY PASS OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES
by Rick Hull
44 THE APPLE AND THE ARCHITECT:
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S MONTANA
by Joseph Shelton, illustratons by Robert Rath
54 KEEPING THE RAILS CLEAR
by Justin Franz
58 LICHEN: A LOVE STORY
text by Joseph Shelton, photos by Tim Wheeler
62 GIL MANGELS'S DIORAMA OF AMERICA
photos by Rick Szczechowski, text by Nick Mitchell
70 THE WEIGHTS OUR NATION'S WARRIORS CARRY:
HOW THE MONTANA VET PROGRAM
IS REDEFINING POST-WAR HEALING
by Holly Matkin, photos by Bryon Gustafson
78 A CONVERSATION WITH
ORTHO MONTANA'S DR. JESSICA HART
82 GET TO KNOW RAVALLI COUNTY
by Bryan Spellman
94 CROSSWORDS
95 AD INDEX
96 DOWN THE TRAIL
