MICROBREW MONTANA, AN END-OF-THE-YEAR COMMENTARY

For the past year, I've been on the Microbrew Trail, visiting every brewery in Montana, except one, and posting articles on all 24 of them. You can read the entire series here.

Along the beer trail, I'm made a few observations about what might be Montana's fastest growing industry and thought I'd pass them on to microbrew-loving readers. [more]

MICROBREW MONTANA

If you're like me, you're always asking yourself how dedicated you are? Well, I've recently learned, I'm not dedicated enough.

When I took on the Microbrew Montana project back in February I carefully calculated the miles I'd have to drive and the amount of time it'd take to see all the microbreweries in Montana.

Then, back in July, Jim Devine called and blew up my plan. He and his two partners, Sandy Stinnett and Russell Houck, had just started the Beaver Creek Brewery in Wibaux, and he wondered when I'd be out to see him. [more]

Snow Season

A major snowstorm is dumping several feet of snow in the Colorado high country, especially in the Southwest part of the state. Telluride, for one, is getting a couple of feet. Travel is tricky and drivers are advised to carry winter survival gear.

Editor's note: Our friends at the Flathead Beacon have published their annual winter guide, you can pick up it up if you're in the Flathead or check it out at FlatheadBeacon.com. Here's a sampler of some of the excellent winter fun stories.

Skiing might not be your cup of tea, or maybe you just need a break from the slopes, but either way you shouldn’t confine yourself to the indoors while you’re in the Flathead this winter. If you look around, there’s plenty to satisfy the outdoor, if not slightly alternative, taste without heading to the chair lifts: Ice fishing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and dog sledding come to mind.

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FOLLOWING MY SHOTS

When I write my column every week, I'm hoping something good happens because of it. Sometimes, it does, but often not. In both cases, I haven't been following my shot.

Every good basketball player should follow his shots, so today, I'm shrugging off that bad habit and starting to post periodic updates on what happened after the column hit cyberspace.

For a few significant updates for 2008 Wild Bill columns, read on. [more]

Editor's Note: This story was provided courtesy of the University of Montana. It's based on research being performed by the UM College of Forestry and Conservation.

A 1929 issue of Montana Wild Life, the magazine of the State Fish and Game Commission, included a picture of a bull trout under the caption "The Cannibal of Montana's Streams." The photo shows a trout sliced open to display 103 fingerlings that were in its belly when it was caught near the mouth of Rattlesnake Creek. Another article declared bull trout "the enemy of game fish" and described efforts to scoop them out of Flathead Lake to give smaller fish a chance.

Times have changed.

Now the bull trout is listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. In most Montana lakes and streams, anglers are required to carefully release them back into the water. And Lisa Eby, associate professor of aquatic vertebrate ecology in UM's College of Forestry and Conservation, is looking at ways to help bull trout and other native fish thrive.

[more]

It's Christmas morning, and there looks to be a bit less snow than I was hoping for. But there is still plenty of white stuff in forecast , both for today and through the weekend.

The weather is not such pleasant news if you're traveling, of course. [more]

It's Going to be a White Christmas

Apparently all the powder hounds in the West asked Santa for snow, because he’s bringin’ it! Here’s a rundown of the Christmas depths and events at my favorite mountains.

Arapahoe Basin – 8 new inches, 35 inch base. As a special Christmas gift, the Pali Terrain has just opened.

Keystone – 9 new inches, 34 inch base. For $85, take your honey on a horse-drawn sleigh ride to dinner at a Soda Creek Valley cabin.

Breckenridge – 14 new inches, 54 inch base. Peaks 7, 8, 9 and 10 are open and full of pow. [more]

COMPANY WANTS TO BE ROLE MODEL IN REAL ESTATE BIZ

On October 29, I posted a column called Revisiting the Cabela's Controversy reporting that several Montana sportsmen and women had contacted me bemoaning that Cabela's was "off the hook" and the Montana Wildlife Federation (MTF) had "given them a pass."

MWF denied this, saying the state's largest hunting and fishing organization has only been distracted with other pressing issues. Then, on November 12, MWF executive director Craig Sharpe wrote a long letter to Cabela's asking the company to explain what it was doing differently than a year ago when controversy over the amenity land marketing division erupted.

Today, I received Cabela's response. [more]

Better be careful here and not run into anyone, because at least half of the guys standing around in this area where the courthouse is, are contingency fee attorneys looking for their next client.

The steepest and maybe the deepest Double Diamond run in the city is a wonderful 23.3 percent out on Queen Anne Hill between Prospect and Highland. It's my favorite ski run in Seattle. It was named 80 years ago after a run down it on a toboggan with the riders all warmed up by prohibition rum sloshing around, right behind their belly button.

My favorite run in Seattle is called Warren avenue. [more]