MONTANA KAIMIN

Welcome to Missoula

THE LAST BEST COLLEGE NEWS SUMMER 2015

What to eat, drink and explore this summer

FLOAT ON page 7

DRINK UP page 9

CHOW DOWN page 10

montanakaimin.com

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Surfing SnowmeltRylan Boggs

@RT_Boggs

Brennan’s Wave might just be one of the best places in town to kill a little time, go for a swim and watch surfers shred hundreds of miles away from the nearest ocean.

Right next to the Higgins Avenue Bridge, the wave is in the heart of downtown Missoula. Created by pouring concrete and boulders into the river, the wave allows surfers and kayakers to practice and exhibit their skills in public.

The wave was opened June 25, 2006, to memorialize Brennan Guth, who passed away in a 2001 kayak-ing accident on the Rio Palguin in Chile. Guth was a prominent fig-ure in Missoula’s river community and had always dreamed of help-

ing remove the tangle of rebar and concrete that once rested where the wave is now.

Though surfing is mostly enjoyed in the spring and summer months, some die-hards will don full-body dry suits and dodge floating ice chunks while surfing during the coldest winter months.

Though Brennan’s Wave is the most easily accessible and icon-ic wave in the area, more surf-able waves can be found on the Lochsa River and Alberton Gorge.

One of the strongest influenc-es behind surf culture in Missoula is Strongwater Mountain Surf Co. Started in 2008 the shop provides rentals, lessons, custom boards and other surfing gear for those wishing to shred the wave.

Another local river outlet is Zoo Town Surfers, a whitewater compa-ny specializing in rafting, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. The company offers guided tours on the Blackfoot, Clark Fork, and Bitterroot Rivers.

Looking to expand Missoula’s river scene is a group set on build-ing a second wave downriver of Brennan’s. The new wave, dubbed the Max Wave, will be a memorial to Max Lentz, a Hellgate High school student who passed away in a 2007 kayaking accident in West Virginia. After his death, family and friends wanted to create a memorial to Max that was something the community could enjoy.

The Max Wave project has slow-ly been fundraising money to reach the nearly one million dollar price tag attached to the wave. One of the biggest fundraising opportunities for the wave is the annual event Best in the West, a kayaking competition held on Brennan’s Wave.

The event has always drawn large crowds and brought awareness to the new project with all entrance

fees from competitors going toward the new wave. As the design stands, the Max Wave will consist of two features, an upper and lower wave as well as providing wheel chair ac-cess right down to the shore.

Despite the diligent fundrais-ing efforts, the Max Wave project lags far behind projected goals. It began in 2008 and was scheduled to be completed this year, but has not even completed the permitting phase.

The delays are due to the sheer size of the project, endangered riv-er species and not wanting to overly disturb the natural ecosystem of the river, according to Zoo Town Surf-ers Owner and Vice President of the Max Wave project, Jason Shreder.

While Missoula already has a large river surfing scene, Shreder hopes that the Max Wave will bring more attention to the town and that it may one day hold a World Cham-pionship event.

Kris Moon, surfs at Brennan's Wave on the Clark Fork River in Missoula, Sunday, June 28.

Matt Robbins/@matt_robbins_photo

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509 S. HIGGINS MON-SAT 10-7 SUN 11-5 WWW.BETTYSDIVINE.COM

Mount Jumbo, Missoula’s ‘other’ mountainThe Montana Kaimin

@montanakaimin

Hiking the M on Mount Sentinel is a ritual for many visiting the University of Montana campus, so it’s surprising how long it takes new students to find their way across the river to the L.

The L, which represents Missoula’s Loyola Sacred Heart High School, is on the western flank of Mount Jumbo and overlooks the Lower Rattlesnake Valley and Hellgate Canyon. The trail is steep, rougher than the climb to the M, and almost as high. It offers extraordinary views of the Clark Fork River and the Missoula Valley to the west.

Persistent hikers who climb on above the L find a route to the rounded summit of Mount Jumbo and the gate-way to the forested ridges above the Rattlesnake. This trail system is open to hikers for most of the year and pro-vides access to dozens of miles of back-country hiking and running.

Nick Mertes, a Griz football player from Minnesota, climbed Jumbo and watched the sun set his first semester at UM last year.

Pastel colors spilled off the horizon and into the valley, he said.

“I could have sat there for days,” he said. “I was no more than 15 minutes away from my dorm, but for some rea-son I felt hours away.”

Summer hikers up Missoula’s “oth-er” downtown peak can expect to find wildflowers, big views and a breeze. A shepherd’s wagon is on the hillside, a summer home for a rancher who watch-es over a herd of sheep the city employs to keep noxious weeds in check.

To climb to the L from campus, cross Clark Fork River on the pedestrian bridge and follow Van Buren Avenue north to Cherry Street. Turn right and walk to the end of the street, and the beginning of the Mount Jumbo trail system.

Courtesy of Google Maps

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Some of Montana's premier rock climbing, scenic hikes and back-country camping lie in Missoula's backyard. 52 miles south of Missou-la, just past Hamilton lies Blodgett Canyon.

Known to some as the "Yosemi-te of Montana," the glacier-carved canyon is lined by jagged peaks on which you can spot both rock climbers and mountain goats. Fol-lowing the Blodgett Creek trail along the canyon floor, you are lead through dense forest before rejoin-ing Blodgett Creek and your first full view of the canyon. The trail proceeds to follow the creek for

another 2.5 miles before crossing a bridge and continuing to the roar-ing Blodgett Falls.

Along the trail, the creek trans-forms from rushing rapids to serene marshlands and back again. The canyons proximity to Wilderness area and diverse habitats make it an excellent place to spot birds and wildlife. Black bears are frequent-ly seen foraging for berries off the trail and moose sometimes saunter through the marsh further into the canyon. The wet environment also supports dense vegetation through-out, with an enormous variety of wildflowers lining the trail.

Blodgett can be experienced both

in the afternoon and overnight. Hik-ing from the trail head to the falls adds up to a seven mile round trip, with creekside campsites about two miles in. For the ambitious back-packer, follow the creek 12.5 miles all the way to its source at Blodgett Lake and spend the night in some of Montana's most serene wilderness.

The canyon also offers world class rock climbing and hundreds of different routes frequented by lo-cals and climbers from around the country.

Whatever kind of adventurer you call yourself, you can call Blodgett Canyon home.

Looking to watch the skies turn

Blodgett Canyon as seen from Blodgett Overlook.Evan Frost / @efrostee

crimson over some of the most ma-jestic mountains in the Northwest? Try the Blodgett Overlook trail. Just three miles round trip, grab a bottle of wine and watch the sun descend into the Bitterroot Wilderness from rocky outcrops that sit above the canyon.

How to get there

Follow US 93 from Missoula for about 45 miles, then turn right onto Bowman Road, followed shortly by a left onto Ricketts Road.

Follow Ricketts Road until you take a slight right onto Blodgett Camp Road, which will take you to the trail head.

Backpack the BitterrootsBlodgett Canyon offers activities for every intensity

Evan Frost@efrostee

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Blodgett Canyon as seen from Blodgett Overlook.

We opened Radius because we wanted to press the boundaries of contemporary art,” Founder Lisa Simon said. After seven years of teaching at UM, Simon and her husband opened Radius in August of 2014 and will be hosting a celebra-tion for their one year anniversary in September.

Evan Frost / @efrostee

A newcomer on the Missoula art scene, Radius Gallery is quenching the city's thirst for the contemporary while support-ing artists from around the region.

After teaching in UM's English depart-ment for seven years, owner Lisa Simon aspired to combine her passion for prose and interest in visual expression, all while helping contemporary artists gain footing in a town where they're often overlooked.

"It's nice to help visual artists talk about their work, find a voice I suppose," Simon said.

Simon has seen a connection between literature and art history throughout her career and wanted to bring this connection out of the classics and into modernism.

Their current exhibition, "Scapes: Land, Sea, Mind," focuses on artists interpreting scene as subject . The exhibition features over 80 pieces by 61 artists and will be dis-played until August 8.

"We wanted to press the boundaries of traditional art," Simon said.

In August of 2014, Simon and her hus-band, Jason Neal, opened Radius. This September they will host a one-year anni-versary celebration.

Missoula Art Museum: Talking about where we are now

Evan Frost@efrostee

Missoula’s galleries offer more than just air conditioning

The Missoula Art Museum offers University of Montana students two great things: fantastic art and free ad-mission.

The museum’s collection offers a range of contemporary western art and it is one of the few art museums its size in the West to emphasize ab-stract as well as narrative art from the region.

“This is about the conversations that are happening now,” said Bran-

don Reintjes, the new MAM curator. “The conversations about society through art and the values that we live are important and they happen here.”

This summer’s exhibits at the MAM include the Montana Triennial: 2015, which represents the state of art under the Big Sky. The show includes an important look at contemporary ceramics in Montana, the legacy of the vitality of Montana artists such as Rudy Autio and Peter Voulkos, who forged the path of ceramics from practical craft to fine art. The Trienni-

The Montana Kaimin@montanakaimin

al runs through Sept. 4.The museum is especially dedicat-

ed to showing contemporary work by Native American artists. Painter Jeneese Hilton’s work is on display in the current exhibit, “Raven Review-ing Modern.” Hilton was raised on a ranch on the Blackfeet Reservation east of Glacier National Park. Her work blends Native American reali-ties – both the brilliant and the dark – with an international and multicul-tural complexity developed though a lifetime of travel. The exhibition runs through Aug. 22.

The MAM joins downtown Mis-soula in celebrating art with gallery talks, refreshments and music on the first Friday of each month. The First Friday of August – Aug. 7 – features Missoula photographers Keith Gra-ham and Neil Chaput. They will dis-cuss their new exhibition of photo-graphs of the daily life of Montana’s 21st century one-room school houses. Graham is a professor at UM’s School of Journalism.

Admission on First Friday, as al-ways, is free.

Art is cool.Radius Gallery

As the weather has started heating up in Missoula, so have the Missoula Os-prey.

Three weeks into their season, the local minor league baseball team has jumped out to a 10-6 record, good for first place in the Northern Division of the Pi-oneer League.

“We’re starting to kind of settle in to what professional ball is,” Osprey Man-ager Joe Mather said.

Mather, along with most of his play-ers, is adapting to a new job this sum-mer. He’s in his first year managing the Osprey, a rookie-league team that is often a player’s first stop once he enters profes-

sional baseball.The team is largely made up of players

who have been recently drafted or signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Os-prey’s parent club at the major league level.

“Six of our nine starters offensively were draft picks, so only a third of our guys were in pro ball last year,” Mather said about his lineup in a recent game.

The Osprey have seen their attendance suffer a little bit with the recent heat wave that swept through Missoula, but Gener-al Manager Jeff Griffin is confident that his team is one of the best draws in town.

“We’re all about fun, affordable family entertainment,” Griffin said. “We’ve got something going every night.”

Their promotions include fireworks after selected Friday games, a t-shirt give-away on July 31, and weekly brewfests during Saturday home games.

The Pioneer League runs a split sched-ule, with the teams that win the first and second half of the season advancing to the playoffs.

Mather thinks they have a chance to get there.

“As long as we can all stay together and everybody keeps putting the work in … I think talent-wise we have as good a shot as anybody to make a run at the championship,” Mather said.

The Osprey play at Ogren Park, next to the Kim Williams Trail and the Clark Fork River.

Osprey season in full swing at Ogren ParkOsprey’s Austin Byler squares up a ball and hits it over the right field fence for a solo homerun in the seventh inning, his second homerun of the night.

Loren Benoit for the Montana Kaimin

Andrew Houghton@ETNHoughton

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Float onStay cool in

the Clark Fork

As you’ve probably already real-ized, it’s hot. Like really hot. Like melt-ing-into-a-puddle-of-your-own-sweat hot. And, to the dismay of those who migrated here from predominantly warmer climates to escape extreme temperatures, this heat wave comes at least once a year. The good news for all of us is, however, that there’s a way to beat the heat.

One way to enjoy Missoula’s natural beauty and to not melt into a sweaty puddle is to free up your schedule, spend 15 bucks on a black, chalky tube,

and head for the Clark Fork. The concept of floating as a recre-

ational activity is pretty self-explan-atory: you sit on a tube and largely let the current do the rest. If it gets too hot to be out of the water, you hop in and swim around a little.

1 However, there are some sugges-tions I’d like to make if you’re going to give floating a shot:

2 Bring something to drink. Wheth-er it’s water (for those of you who, like me, are not of age yet) or spiked lemon-ade, it makes the experience even more refreshing.

3 Don’t be stupid if you drink,

Talia ZookFor the Montana Kaimin

though. Like if you can shotgun a beer better than you can swim, wear a life vest or something.

4 Sunscreen is sexy. Peeling away sunburnt skin like a molting snake is not.

5 If you’re going with a larger group and you want to remain that way, bring rope to tie your tubes together. You’re welcome.

6 Avoid flip-flops, but definitely bring shoes for the walk back.

7 Speaking of the walk back, make sure you have two cars (i.e., one at the beginning of the float and one at the end). I don’t know if that’s common sense or not. Seems a little like common sense.

8 When you’re floating and hav-ing a grand ol’ time, don’t be that an-noying group that competes with each other to see who can scream the loud-est. It makes it kind of unpleasant for the rest of us.

9 I had a friend who kept his iP-hone (in a LifeProof case) in his pocket throughout a float trip only to realize that it had fallen into the river some-where along the way. For your own sake, just leave your phone in the car.

10 Prepare yourself for the occa-sional rapid. They’re only fun if you’re coordinated and paying attention.

Please don’t litter. My inner-envi-ronmentalist dies a little with each can I see floating around. We want to make sure that the float stays pretty for ev-eryone!

11 One of the greatest things about floating the river is your surroundings. Many floaters drift in groups from East Missoula to downtown—getting to see a pleasant mix of Missoula cityscape and Montana wilderness. So, if the Albertson’s parking lot seems a little crowded in summer and the beer aisle seems a little empty, you can probably guess why. Maybe join in next time!

SUNDAY, 7/12 Blade runner / Roxy Theater

What better way to get acquainted with your new home than a dystopian sci-fi thriller? An all-time classic, 1982’s “Blade Runner” stars Harrison Ford as an assassin who tracks down and kills “replicants,” androids who are indistinguishable from people that are only legally allowed to perform menial labor on planets other than Earth. It won’t do anything to dissuade your dad’s fear that he’ll one day be replaced by a computer at the plant, but you’ll probably have a great time! 7:30 p.m. All ages.

$8Sunday, 7/12, 7:30 p.m.@ The Roxy Theater

MONDAY, 7/13 HONEYHONEY / Top Hat

One of the things that you’ll quickly learn about Missoula is that folk and blues music is literally inescapable. You dart down a cor-ner, there’s a kid with an acoustic guitar sing-ing “Wagon Wheel.” You try to escape into a bar, and it’s open mic night for everyone who learned three chords and then gave up after that. You seek refuge on campus, and there’s That Guy playing “Wonderwall” under the tree outside Miller. Give in now or wind up a bitter events calendar writer, this Monday at the Top

Hat. 8:00 p.m., 18+, $12 advance.

$12 in advanceMonday 7/13, 8 p.m.@ The Top Hat (18+)

TUESDAY, 7/14 Farmer’s Market / The Four X’s

One of Missoula’s most prized institutions is the downtown Farmer’s Market, where you can purchase a whole variety of healthy foods you convince yourself you’re going to start eating before beelining to the donuts and slushies. 5:30 p.m., by the X’s at the corner of North Hig-

gins.

Tuesday, 7/14, 5:30@ The Four X’s, North Higgins Ave.

TUESDAY, 7/14Missoula Music Show-case / The Badlander

Every week, the Badlander features a dif-ferent Missoula artist or band of any genre. You never really know exactly what you’re go-ing to get until you show up, so it’s kind of like gambling AND getting to see a show. There is also gambling. Get acquainted with one of Mis-soula’s favorite venues, and wade through the Tuesday night drunks to get to one of the food trucks that may or may not be open. It’s like a really frustrating mystery! All ages, 9:00 p.m.

Monday 7/13, 9 p.m.@ The Badlander (all ages)

Michael Seibert@michaelcseibert

COMING UP

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SwimsuitDon’t float naked. Please. Speedos are acceptable.

Sunscreen Extra tubeLobsters aren’t

native to Montana.It’s better than

a patch kit.

The Basics

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Quench:

DRINK

Montana has not been spared this century’s resurgent local movement, and as the state’s cultural epicenter, Missoula has no shortage of enterprising young graduates and well-established icons looking to get you as drunk as three pints of beer or two ounces of liquor can. Despite restrictive laws on serving and business hours, each year sees the opening of at least one new tap room or distillery. For newcomers it’s becoming hard to keep track. Our recommendations are only the tip of the iceberg, but if they’re not enough to get you through the weekend you might want to speak to an addiction counselor.

Montgomery DistilleryIf you favor big city cocktail culture over the folksy pretension of the craft beer movement, you won’t find it in Missoula. But what you will find at Montgomery Distillery is the hardscrabble mixology of the American pioneer. The West was founded on liquor, for better or worse, and the operators of Montgomery Distillery reflect the over-abundance of character the frontier attracts. This eccentricity is carried over to the cocktails, which are adorned with fruits, roughage and fungi mysterious to even the most esoteric University biologists. Missoula’s status as the weird artsy child among Montana’s settlements is defended vigorously by Montgomery in a kombucha cocktail, which tastes faintly of paddle board yoga.

Missoula Brewing CompanyFor decades, Highlander beer has been to Missoula as Rainier beer has been to Seattle: A hometown classic produced out of town. Missoula Brewing Company has contracted Great Northern Brewing in Whitefish to bottle and ship Highlander south for years, but this summer sees production return to Missoula. The new MBC Tap Room sits astride Grant Creek on North Reserve and will serve four new beers named after Montana peaks under the Highlander label. Old hands fearful of the brewery’s swanky website and new tartan-less bottle designs can rest assured the classic Highlander red ale isn’t changing any time soon. Now it just comes with artisanal pizza and a view, at least until 8 p.m.

The Dram ShopThe Dram Shop is another recent addition to Missoula’s drinking culture, with a geographically diverse tap selection rivaling that of The Rhino bar but with a crowd less likely to throw up on your daughter. Those with arcane knowledge of how small a dram unit actually is will be pleased to find the Dram Shop has broken from gilded tradition and is perfectly willing to fill as many growlers as you can carry. Minors and teetotalers can enjoy regional craft sodas while the celiac-inclined are provided a deserved selection of wines. Patrons can have deli food delivered to order by the nearby Market on Front, or something more haute from the next door Pearl Cafe.

Montgomery Distillery’s spin on the classic Screwdriver, the Damiana Dare Me, rests on the bar next to a bowl of fresh citrus used in a number of their craft cocktails.

Evan Frost/@efrostee

Philip Schaefer mixes a “Damiana Dare Me” at the Montgomery Distillery

Evan Frost/@efrostee

UM students (left to right) Mike Bouchee, Alec Bouchee, and Zach Peevey enjoy drinks at Missoula’s recently opened Dram Shop.

Sydney MacDonald/@sydneymacdo

Warm your soul with local spirits

Hunter Pauli@paulimeth

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EAT

117 W. Front St.

Missoula’s premiere boutique for contemporary women’s clothing and accessories.

http://laurelcreekmissoula.com

Market on Front ($)Whether you’re preparing for a picnic, looking for a latte or just

grabbing breakfast on the fly, Market on Front can probably help you out. The breakfast menu is innovative and customizable, emphasizing fresh ingredients and twisting breakfast staples with homemade pe-sto and chipotle aioli. The Fruity Pig uses date/fig preserves to com-pliment your choice of savory bacon or ham (or turkey if you opt for its lunch version, the Fruity Bird). Breakfast, lunch or beer, Market on Front has you covered.

$5-$10

Burns St. Bistro ($$)Part food co-op, part warehouse and all local, Burns St. Bistro is

revitalizing an oft-forgotten part of Missoula one brunch at a time. Featuring an ever-changing menu highlighting local producers and ingredients meant to catch you off guard. Far from the downtown restaurant scene, the Bistro always draws a crowd for their weekend brunch with their classic brunch burger, veggie browns and weekly specials ranging from crispy pork shoulder to quail eggs.

$10-$15

Taste the Big Sky: Pork belly, eggplant and lamb burgers, oh my!

Crisp pork belly sitting atop cherry compote and Jo Jo potatoes from Burns St. Bistro

Story and Photos: Evan Frost@efrostee

BREAKFAST

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Taco Sano ($)Sandwiched between Kettlehouse Brewing and the Higgins Street

Holiday gas station, Taco Sano has flavors to suit every palate. After the burrito joint staples of rice and beans, your options are endless. Both the chicken and brisket are slow cooked in house and can be topped with a variety of veggies and sauces, including the infamous Glacial Melt, a blend of habanero peppers that might be the spiciest thing you’ll find in Missoula. Their BYOB policy is encouraged and easy to do with Kettlehouse around the corner, but you can also throw a burrito in your backpack before hitting the trail if that’s more your style.

$5-$10

Caffe Dolce ($$)Mediterranean meets Missoula at Caffe Dolce. Pasta is made fresh

every day and their patio provides a perfect spot to cool off with one of their many flavors of gelato. The lunch menu infuses the flavors of Greece and Italy into a number of sandwiches and salads, including a lamb burger topped with goat cheese and arugula. Dolce also boasts one of the most robust wine menus in the state, with a match for any meal, lunch or dinner.

$10-$15Bridge Pizza ($)

Whether you’re in the mood for a single slice or just a salad, Bridge Pizza can accommodate just about any budget. The daily pizza specials rarely disappoint and their wide selection of beer in bottle and on tap has something for everyone’s palate. Beat the dinner rush and go in for happy hour.

$5-$10

Ciao Mambo ($$)Italian cuisine any way you want it. Ciao Mambo’s menu of

traditional Italian pizza and pasta is made to order, as your server is sure to inform you, as they skillfully write their name upside down on you paper table cloth. The wine list is vast and the dinner options plentiful. Traditional staples like lasagna keep the crowds happy, but if you’re feeling adventurous opt for the Baked Eggplant Parmigianna. When the waitstaff warns you about the wait for a dish, you can bet it’s probably worth it.

$15-$20

Eggplant alla Parmagiana on a bed of pasta waits to be served to expectant diners at Ciao Mambo in Missoula.

LUNCH

DINNER

Flavors of Italian gelato change with the seasons at Caffe Dolce, but the wide variety can suit anyone’s palate.

Courtesy of Caffe Dolce