Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • W I N T E R 2 0 1 8 10 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SKI PATROLLER PAGE 17 LACEY MIDDLESTEAD is a Helena-based freelance writer and outdoor enthusiast whose first love is Montana. She blogs at bitofgracebitofgrit.blogspot.com. Her work has appeared in the Helena Independent Record, Distinctly Montana and SnoWest. www.laceymiddlestead.com 7 OF MONTANA'S BEST COLD WEATHER DOGS PAGE 19 SEAN JANSEN is a freelance writer and photographer located in Bozeman. When not pushing pen to paper or spending hours behind a computer editing images, he can be found fly-fishing the local rivers, backpacking to remote lakes, or trail-running his afternoons away. WINTER NOCTURNE PAGE 22 SUZANNE MILLER, a native of Butte, owns Dunrovin Ranch, a full-service guest ranch and equestrian club offering unique backcountry adventures on Tennessee Walking Horses. e installation of a web camera led SuzAnne to enable cyber viewing. www.DaysAtDunrovin.com. 5 CHOICE DISTINCTLY MONTANA SNOWSHOE TRAILS PAGE 26 AARON THEISEN is the author of the forthcoming Day Hiking Glacier National Park and Western Montana (Mountaineers Books). He most recently wrote about Maverick Mountain Ski Area in the Winter '17 issue of Distinctly Montana. MONTANA'S FIVE WORST WINTERS PAGE 31 PHIL KNIGHT and his wife, ALAINA, have been lucky enough to fully enjoy the great outdoors of Montanas for most of their adult lives. Although Phil is slowly devolving into an armchair mountaineer, he still has high hopes for many summits, and will keep writing about his, and other peoples,' adventures as long as he can hunt and peck on a keyboard. DASH PAGE 33 DAVID ABRAMS is the author of two novels about the Iraq War, Brave Deeds and Fobbit. Abrams' short stories have appeared in several anthologies, including Montana Noir, as well as in Esquire, Narrative, Salon, High Desert Journal, among others. Abrams lives in Butte with his wife. He blogs about books at e Quivering Pen: www.davidabramsbooks.blogspot.com THREE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MAKERS OF MONTANA PAGE 42 BRIAN D'AMBROSIO is the author of several books. He may be reached at dambrosiobrian@hotmail.com WILD WEST WORDS PAGE 48 CHRYSTI M. SMITH was raised on a farm in northeastern Montana and now wrangles words for her daily radio series, "Chrysti the Wordsmith," produced at KGLT- FM in Bozeman; it can be heard on public radio stations throughout Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and worldwide on Armed Forces Radio. www.wordsmithradio.org THE IMPORTANCE OF REST PAGE 52 MAGGIE SLEPIAN is a full-time editor and writer living in Bozeman. When she's not in front of a computer, she's probably outside backpacking, climbing, shooting archery, wrecking her dirt bike, or attempting to skate ski. Writing and editorial projects can be found at www.maggieslepian.com. MONTANA HEALTH UPDATE 2018 PAGE 54 RACHEL ROCKAFELLOW is a registered nurse in Gallatin County and self-proclaimed health nerd. She has worked as a nurse educator at Montana Sate University College of Nurs- ing for 10 years, hosted "Health Matters" on Yellowstone Public Radio from 2007 to 2017, and currently as a continence-care nurse. She can be reached at HealthMatters.Rachel@gmail.com. RURAL LIBRARIES MONTANA STYLE PAGE 64 SUZANNE WARING became a freelance writer after she retired from a career as a college educator. She especially enjoys learning about and sharing stories of Montanans and their communities. She lives in Great Falls. THE GLENDIVE TRAIN MUSEUM PAGE 68 MATT WEBER is a senior at the University of Minnesota studying Journalism and Art. His focus is on visual story- telling through video and photography. LETTING THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG PAGE 74 LYNDEL MEIKLE is an historian and Montana native with many articles to her credit. EAST GLACIER: "THE WIND SHAPES US" PAGE 77 LIZ WEBER is a freelance writer who has combined her two passions to write and travel. Her work has been published by She Explores, Misadventures Magazine, Seattle Met, and Rock and Ice. She can often be found with wind-blown hair, dog-eared notebook, and too many travel dreams. Follow her journey at www.e.a.w.anders.wordpress.com. FAMOUS MONTANA UNSOLVED MURDERS PAGE 81 JOSEPH SHELTON lives in Bozeman, where he received his Masters in English Literature. He loves film, hiking, read- ing, exploring, and above all, writing. CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTORS VALERIE HARMS has edited this magazine since 2005 and says it is like throwing a party every season. A writer as well as editor, she is the author of 10 books and numerous articles. A graduate of Smith College, for seven years she was an editor at the National Audubon Society in New York City. She has taught writing and given workshops around the country, plus in Greece and Canada. In 1995 she moved to Montana to see wild animals in their habitats and explore the mountains and rivers. For more info see her Web site at www.valerieharms.com. Email queries to valerie@distinctlymontana.com. ROBERT RATH collects hyphens. Currently, he's an illustrator-designer-author-art director-dog walker living in Bozeman. He's illustrated many children's books, including the award-winning First Dog: Unleashed in the Montana Capitol, and Yellowstone's Hot Legends and Cool Myths. His clients include Lucasfilm, The History Channel, Scholastic Books, Farcountry Press and many others. He isn't allergic to anything, can't remember the names of housing subdivisions, likes to cook, can wiggle his ears, and hates writing bios. OUR ALEXIS PIKE

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