"I am in love with Montana . . . Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans." John Ernst Steinbeck.

This time of year we normally are heading off to Big Sky country to see family and friends, to fool a few trout with offerings of hair and feathers, and of course to find beautiful singletrack to ride. Bozeman used to be a sleepy little college town, where the pace of life was as it should be, laid back. It has definitely changed but still nice and a home away from home for me. Seems like growing pains are everywhere in the west as people grasp for their little piece of paradise. Even water-rich Montana has not been spared from the current drought as wildfires scorch the earth and smoke fills the skys.

I'm going to miss having world class pizza at Mckenzie River, and a pitcher of one of my favorite brews, Moose Drool. Hope to get back soon.

Pictured is a beautiful piece of singletrack near Bozeman.