SUMMER 2020
Cover: Sobba Cycle
Read the most recent stories online. Though we recommend finding a real-deal, print copy. It’s pretty.
Story Highlights
Spin Doctor
FEATURESPIN DOCTOR In downtown Whitefish, the feisty 25-year-old “entreprenista” who owns Sobba Cycle peddles her own brand of high-octane fitness bliss.Clare Menzel P errey Sobba cracks open a bottle of kale juice. Her acrylic nails are electric-blue and...
The Lemonade Chronicles
Business Bonanza!The Lemonade Chronicles. When the virus pelted the world with lemons, these scrappy local business owners made something oh, so, delightfully sweet.CLARE MENZEL BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH GLACIER LANES Like a pair of homing pigeons, Kristen and...
Holy Smokes, We Did It.
Love LetterHoly Smokes, we did it. Thanks to you.Elma Giavasis | Boss owner of Highline Design Co. & Go Local Flathead Valley GO LOCAL TEAM Back when it became evident that Corona was not just a beer you drink when you’re all out of the good (local) stuff, it...
Editor’s Note – Summer 2020
Editor's NoteA Crinkly Wiggle of a Stick A word from our Summer 2020 Editor-in-Chief, Clare Menzel.CLARE MENZEL Have you ever picked up a magical river stick I have. The first one I really remember was delicate and silky gray, with a spray of hairy frayed bark....
The Tomato People
Business HighlightThe tomato people Enchanting towers of vegetables comprise a family farm in Kalispell that’s locally famous for juicy tomatoes and crisp cucumbers. BENJAMIN ALVA POLLEY T he Flathead Valley’s growing season is short. But one...
Unity
HeadwatersUnity In the Flathead Valley, two women find solace, support, and joy in shared experiences of oppression.CLARE MENZEL Curled up together on a porch in Whitefish, Sami Francine and Tanya Gersh have the giddy energy of newly-minted BFFs. The evening marks...
Donna The Destroyer
HeadwatersDonna the destroyer In Columbia Falls, a painter revels in spontaneity and experimentation, with a healthy dose of destruction. JONATHAN FETTER-VORM "G o east of the zebra.” This is how Donna Gans directs me to her painting studio, a...
A Far Cabin In The Dark Woods
HeadwatersA Far cabin in the dark woods On hitch in a remote corner of Glacier National Park, a nostalgic trail dog reflects on the ranger era of Kishenehn station. BENJAMIN ALVA POLLEY I n the autumn of 2002, the wind trembled the lemon-colored...
All Ears
HeadwatersAll ears In a home recording studio, a Kalispell couple introduces listeners of their podcast to a wide range of Flathead Valley residents in hopes of sparking community connections.KATIE CANTRELL I n 2018, Justin and Julie Shobe, of Kalispell, were feeling...
Flathead Nonprofit highlight: The Flathead Food Bank
Non-Profit FeatureGo Local donates 3% of each issue’s advertising revenue to a local nonprofit organization. This issue supports The Flathead Food Bank. NONPROFIT HIGHLIGHT: The Flathead Food Bank Q&A with Jamie Quinn, director of the Flathead Food Bank JAMIE...
Adventures in motherhood with the Octagon bike trailer, a cage match on wheels
Field NotesAdventures in motherhood with the Octagon bike trailer, a cage match on wheels Think you’re a tough adventurer? Try two and a half miles with six kids under 3.KATIE CANTRELL W hen our two girls were barely 1 and not-quite-3, my husband Nick brought home a...
Fifty Classic Worst Climbs of North America: Mount Cleveland
Field NotesFifty Classic Worst Climbs of North America: Mount Cleveland Think a 35-mile, 10,000 vertical-foot day hike sounds rough? Here’s how to make it even worse.MIKE BESTWICK I n 1979, Steve Roper and Allen Steck published the inspiring book Fifty Classic Climbs...
Shake Your Leg
FEATUREShake Your Leg Channeling the gritty spirit of a Montana frontier legend, gravel-grinding cyclists tackle a herculean challenge during the annual Joe Cosley Ride.Pete Thomas I t’s almost 4 a.m. on a brisk August morning. I straddle my gravel bike in the dark in...