By Phil Knight

It’s finally summer in the Bozone—the perfect time to save up some cash, take a break from schoolwork, and most importantly, enjoy the outdoors and beautiful weather. Where to go when adventure is calling? If time is tight, stay close without compromising fun and adventure. Just 20 minutes from downtown Bozeman lies one of the world’s greatest multisport mountain playgrounds: Hyalite. In this wild canyon and the surrounding peaks, you can pretty much do it all.

A great way to experience Hyalite Reservoir

This has long been the go-to place for locals seeking their mountain fix. But Hyalite has matured from a place to shoot old televisions, cut firewood, and get your truck stuck to a sophisticated adventure Mecca. Motorized recreation has been scaled back in favor of human-powered pursuits and wildlife conservation. The road up to Hyalite is paved, clean and right next to a stream great for fishing, making the way up to Hyalite an easy drive.

Views from the Mount Blackmore trail

Hyalite’s trail system is legendary and offers anything from an easy stroll to weeklong expeditions through the heart of a 500,000-acre roadless area. Throw in heaps of spectacular waterfalls, like Grotto, Palisade, and Horsetail, and it’s hard to find more classic hikes. Epic mountain biking also awaits, with favorite rides including History Rock trail into South Cottonwood Canyon, the East Fork trail to Emerald Lake, and the easier West Shore Trail along Hyalite Reservoir.

Hyalite Reservoir

Brim-full early in the summer, the reservoir is a paradise for boaters seeking still water. Stand-up paddleboarders look like lost surfers, families putt along in overloaded outboards bristling with fishing poles and dogs, and couples enjoying evening picnics paddle by canoe or kayak. Hardy scuba divers train in the chilly depths of the snowmelt-fed water and boaters jump ship to take a cool swim—just watch the sunken stumps. There’s great fishing year-round, and in winter, ice fishers set up shop on the frozen tabletop. More remote lakes beckon from the backcountry, offering awesome lakeside camping and fishing.

Shower Falls up the Hyalite Creek trail

You want wildlife, Hyalite’s got it—even wolves and grizzly bears are making a comeback here in the north end of the Gallatin Range. Mountain goats and bighorn sheep skitter across ridge tops, golden eagles ride the thermals, moose lurk in the deep woods, and coyotes cruise for stray poodles.

Though Hyalite is close enough to Bozeman for great day tripping, you can also pitch your tent or park your camper at Langhor, Hood Creek, or Chisholm campgrounds. Or, if you prefer a fully equipped cabin, reserve the Window Rocks or Maxey cabins—both accessible by car.

One of Hyalite’s full-time residents

Hyalite By the Numbers
9 forest service trailheads
500,000 roadless acres
3 campgrounds
2 vehicle accessible rental cabins
2 day-use areas, including a pavilion with fireplace and wood-fired grills
2 wheelchair-accessible trails (grotto falls and palisade falls)
1 trout-filled reservoir
1 trout-filled alpine lakes
2 trout-filled creeks
5 daily trout limit
40,000 monthly visitors during the summer

Looking to pick up a print copy of the Blue Light Guide? Here’s where you can find us:

On Campus                                         
Admissions/New Student Services
SUB Cafeteria
Office of Student Success
Hannon Hall
Hapner Hall
North and South Hedges
Langford Hall
Outdoor Recreation Center
Roskie Hall
The Renee Library
The Outdoor Rec Center


Off Campus/Around Bozeman
Bozeman Health
Daily
Paulie’s
Bridger Brewing
Taco Montes
Spire Climbing Center
Wild Joes
Cafe M
International Coffee Traders
Town & Country
Bridger Bowl
REI
Bridger Brewing

Music on Main defines the summer season in Bozeman.

by Tyler Gobin

Music reverberated off the buildings as the smell of wood-fired pizza drifted through the crowd. The sun sunk behind the brick buildings of Main Street, casting a shadow to cool down the street. People young and old filled the air with a steady hum of chatter as we made our way through the crowd. In front of the stage at Main and Bozeman, everybody was energized and dancing as the Young Dubliners  projected their Irish sound through the crowd.  Another quintessential Music on Main — not to be missed and an iconic element of summertime in Bozeman.

Starting in late June, when the weather becomes (somewhat) more predictable, locals crowd into three blocks of downtown Bozeman, where bands entertain, food vendors satisfy, and sponsors showcase their swag.

The 2019 lineup does not disappoint, and the crowds have only grown as the summer progresses. So far, each week has seen a tremendous turnout, with Mother Nature’s surprising cooperation. And the night the Young Dubliners played was no exception.

Jamming to the Young Dubliners

It began with me urging my reluctant roommate to get up and head downtown. Grabbing our bikes, we pedaled toward the sound of music.  As we drew near, we could feel the energy building. It seemed as though the entire town was migrating by car, bike, or foot toward the pulsing musical vortex.

Is the entire town here?

The crowd was a melting pot of ages, incomes, and attitudes; the smell of noodles and pizza permeated the air. Walking among the masses, an irrepressible smile overtook my face. It seemed the whole crowd had a little snap in their step, a thrill to their voices, and a glow to their smiles.

Another fun summer evening

Much of this euphoria, I found, was people’s appreciation of a fun social culmination to a great summer day spent outdoors. Among other anecdotes, I overheard a couple guys describe their adventure to Ross Peak — it included a bike ride to the saddle where they dismounted and set out on foot toward the summit. They climbed up, struggled down, and loved every moment of it. Now they were here, dancing and laughing and raising beer cups to an incredible day in the Bozone.

For my part, I ran into people from both work and school, and also made completely new friends. Before I knew it, my roommate’s reluctance had changed to boundless enthusiasm, and I could barely keep up with him as he mingled and danced around the street.

Caught up in the music

There’s an unspoken agreement among Bozemanites that everyone must go to Music on Main at least once — the idea being, it’s the people who make it great, so it’s one’s civic duty to attend. Now in its second decade, the event has become a summer staple for locals and visitors alike. Kudos to the Downtown Bozeman Association, which organizes the event, and to you — the people of Bozeman — for making Music on Main such a success.

For more information, visit downtownbozeman.org

A Griz and a Bobcat walk into a bar… 

by the editors

The Cat-Griz rivalry is a nasty one, and we’re here to throw some salt on the wound. At this year’s annual gridiron get-together, keep one or two of these up your sleeve.

• Why do Griz grads put their diplomas on the dashboards of their cars?
  To qualify for handicapped parking.

• What do you call a Grizzly with a Big Sky Conference championship ring?
  A thief.

• What’s the difference between the Griz and a dollar bill?
  You can still get four quarters out of a dollar.

• What does the average UM player get on his SATs?
  Drool.

• How do you get a UM grad off your porch?
  Pay him for the pizza.

• What are the longest three years of a UM football player’s life?
  Freshman year.

• How many UM freshmen does it take to change a light bulb?
  Not sure—that’s a sophomore course at UM.

• Do you know why the Griz were considering changing their team name to “the Possums”?
  Because they play dead at home and get killed on the road.

• What’s the difference between a Griz fan and a carp?
  One is a bottom-feeding scum-sucker—the other is a fish.

By Emily Harris

Spring camping in the Park. 

Yellowstone has yawned herself awake and begun to shake free her winter blankets of snow and ice. Freshly thawed riverbanks swell with the promise of willow buds, hillsides whisper green, and that steadfast mountain chickadee has shivered through its last cold night and into the warm dawn of spring.

This time of year, it becomes easy to wax poetic about the springtime splendors of Yellowstone. We all have a touch of the cabin fever, and while we pretend to be excited that it’s snowing again because “we need the moisture,” we really just want it to be green outside already. While a visit to Yellowstone to observe newborn bison frolicking in the mist of ancient geysers will certainly relieve some of these doldrums, an early-spring camping excursion requires checking weather forecasts, bringing multiple backup pairs of socks, and the knowledge that if you drink a hot, caffeinated beverage directly before bed to compensate for unplanned cold weather, you will be wide awake all night.

Springtime in Yellowstone is a study in the temperature ranges a human body can physically withstand. Expect everything to be frozen at daybreak—fingers, boots, snowshoe bindings, the sausages you intended to eat for breakfast. As the sun climbs above the horizon, the world begins to thaw. You’ll gradually weigh down your pack with extra layers and eventually strip to shirtsleeves. Snowshoes will end up being dead weight as you wade through flowing rivers of buffalo patties (which thaw faster than the ground around them).

Yes, now is the season to visit Yellowstone. No mosquitoes, no traffic jams, and no question of whether the bears are still hibernating or out of their dens and really, really hungry—the extra burden of pepper spray is shouldered with neither doubt nor regret. And the two million summertime visitors to the Park have not gotten the memo… let’s keep it that way.