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 6 10 THE OLD BROKE RANCHER PAGE 22 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. THE PILOT WHO SPLIT THE SPIRES PAGE 26 EDNOR THERRIAULT writes from Missoula, where he lives with his wife, Shannon, when he's not on the road poking around Mon- tana. He's published several books including Seven Montanas, Myths and Legends of Yellowstone, and Big Sky, Big Parks. His first book, Montana Curiosities, became the best selling title in Globe Pequot's Curiosities series. He's also a musician, perform- ing under the nom de guerre Bob Wire. HARDWOOD DREAMS ON THE HIGH PLAINS PAGE 32 JARRETT VAN METER is a basketball coach and writer originally from Kentucky. His writing has appeared in such publications as Garden & Gun, Texas Monthly, Oxford American, and Bitter Southerner. He most recently coached at Hellgate High School in Missoula. PROFILES IN VALOR PAGE 62 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 Indian Quarterly. CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTORS OUR Live Music, Casino & Food Open 7 Days / Week 8am - 2am Entertainment 5 Nights / Week 406.728.1559 1101 Strand Avenue, Missoula SunriseSaloonandCasino.com Missoula's only country-western bar and largest dance floor Voted Best Country/ Western Bar in Montana! 2026 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 FOR US VOTE WIN $500 FOR YOUR CHANCE TO BEST TATTOO SHOP IN MONTANA 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 FOLLOW THE SPARROW: @LOYALSPARROW THELOYALSPARROW.COM 406.479.1937 1117 N. 7TH AVE. SUITE #5 BOZEMAN 406.599.0149 9 E. MAIN ST. BELGRADE CORRECTION: In our Spring 2026 issue, our profile of Dr. Hart incorrectly placed her practice in Missoula. Dr. Hart sees patients at Ortho Montana in Bozeman; the prac- tice also serves Billings and Miles City. The corrected article appears in this issue on page 78, and our digital and online editions have been updated. We regret the error and any confusion it caused.

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