The Outdoors

As far as beautiful, high-mountain lakes with almost crystal-clear water go, Montana and Wyoming give each other a run for their money. You'll find several good contenders in both states, but we thought we'd lead some folks OUT of Montana to this gem of a lake.

Finding new ways to entertain guests who visit us in Montana is getting harder - especially without spending a fortune. Hiking, biking, fishing, and camping are still great options, but sometimes you want something a little more unique and unusual. The 'experiences' section on Airbnb is a good start to find these cool things to do.

This is a head shaker, especially with how many helpful resources there are about living in Montana. So many people insist on holding onto false expectations, incorrect data, and far outdated imagery about what life is really like in Montana. It has always been hard to live here, but there's another set of challenges now.

Meeting new people in the Bozeman area can be hard, especially if you're not in college and going to parties. However, there are lots of events around the valley this weekend that are great opportunities to meet new friends. Practice that smile of yours and check out your options.

If you're into RV life, van life, or camping amongst others, Montana has many excellent RV Parks to choose from. They're vastly different and offer an array of amenities from outdoor pools, playgrounds, seclusion, or creeks that run right through the property.

Before everyone heads back to school and regular schedules, have some fun Bozeman style with friends and family at any of these great free or cheap events this week. They're all family friendly, but kids not required. LOL.

Very dry conditions, gusty winds up to 40 MPH, and the chance of lightning storms have created dangerous fire conditions across all of western Montana on Friday. Any wildfires that start today will be difficult to contain, so Red Flag Warnings have been issued across the western counties.

It's mid-day on one of the warmest days of the year, and I've driven by no fewer that half a dozen homes with their sprinklers on. It's not illegal to water your lawn, but their are rules and there is common sense - both of which are being ignored too often around Bozeman.

Wildfire smoke from Canada, and the smoke from fires within Montana dropped the Air Quality Index (AQI) in parts of Montana by dozens of points on Wednesday. Thursday isn't looking too promising either with Air Quality Alerts and Heat Advisories in effect for large portions of the state.

Red Flag Warnings have been issued for a large area covering Fort Peck Lake and the Missouri River on Thursday. Very dry conditions and gusty winds up to 40 MPH today make for extremely precarious conditions.

This is fantastic news for Montana considering the influx of people in the last few years. A characteristic of being a Montanan apparently still holds true, and it's a health win all around. Being active and getting outside is so important to overall health - we all know that.

Montana has been surrounded by raging wildfires all summer and now we have plenty of our own to deal with. One of the most challenging aspects of these wildfires is the particulate filled smoke that they produce. It can stay localized in valleys or continuously blow into the state with the jet stream. How can you stay healthy if you're susceptible to breathing issues?