As an editor, putting each issue of Big Sky Journal together is like working on a puzzle. There are different components that make up the final picture, and you hope that when it’s all pieced together, it fits well and that the stories complement each...
Writer Thomas McGuane made Montana his permanent home in 1978. After working hard in Hollywood and playing hard in Key West, Florida — where he was known as “Dr. Berserko” — he decided to trade in the thrill of a peripatetic life for Montana’s big skies,...
If there’s a common theme that’s become firmly established in today’s mountain architecture, at least in this part of the Rocky Mountain West, it has to be windows. Whether appearing in homes with more rustic and traditional sensibilities, or in those that are contemporary and...
I recently saw a sign that read: “If you choose not to take joy in the snow, you will have less joy in your life, but still the same amount of snow.” That sentiment can apply to a lot of things really, but for those...
Big Sky Journal has been around for nearly 30 years. That’s a lot of issues, a lot of stories documented, people profiled, communities highlighted, hidden treasures exposed, at least to some extent. But what blows me away is that there’s still so much that remains...
When people decide to put roots down in the Northern Rockies, whether it’s in the ski towns of Big Sky, Montana, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, or Sun Valley, Idaho, or a fly-fishing or lakeside retreat on a waterfront setting, typically the allure of both nature and...
I’m not going to pretend I’m an experienced angler. Just one look at me on the bank of a river, struggling with a fish or taking an enormous amount of time to tie on a fly or untangle my line, and I’m instantly exposed for...
As I write this in early November, my home base in South- West Montana is already blanketed in snow, sketchy winter driving conditions are in full force, the biggest of the puffy coats has already had a good amount of wear, and ski gear is...
Watching summer dwindle away is part of life in the Northern Rockies, because, as we all know, it’s fleeting. And it’s busy: Fly fishing, hiking, mountain biking, rafting, visits to and from family and friends, music festivals, and the list goes on, as we stuff...
“An individual is not too distinct from his place. He is his place.” — Gabriel Marcel If you think about it, much of the art we see is connected to the area in which it’s created. Whether it’s a landscape capturing an iconic view or a...