Tom Ski ~Social Media Marketing, Online Radio

Just outside of Glendive Montana, we saw a sign that read Makoshika State Park. Sounded like an interesting place to explore and a perfect time to take a stretch break. Turns out, Makoshika is the largest State Park in Montana with a land mass of 11,400 acres.

A geological paradise filled with such diversity of plant and animal life of millions of years ago. Fossils of palm trees and magnolia bushes, fish, such as rays, amphibians, crocodiles and other reptiles, rare and extinct birds and mammals, and several species of "terrible lizards" have been found here, including pieces of the duck-billed hadrosaur (Montana's state dinosaur) and the popular tyrannosaur.

We both have lived in this beautiful state for many years, and neither of us had heard of it, sad but true. This is exactly why we are on this Road Trekin Adventure, to take the time to explore, connect and to learn about the great place we live.

Makoshika, pronounced "Ma-ko'-shi-ka" is known as a Lakota phrase meaning bad land or bad spirits. The area is certainly unique. It was as if we had entered a different world. There were all sorts of weird funky formations.

What exactly did the Lakota know or understand about this particular area? It is believed that people have inhabited this area for 12,000 years or more. When European settlers came to the area in the 1800's, they called the place "hell without the fire" because of the stark beauty of the place impressed them.

Eastern Montana is very much grassland and prairie like. Makoshika State Park is completely different. Located next to the North Dakota border. The park is an arid and desert like environment. Unique rock formations of all sorts of shapes & sizes create unbelievable artistic landscapes. The sedimentary layers expose many different colors and textures. The layers date back to the dinosaur age and are older than the Dakota, Badlands, and dating back 65 million years ago.

Makoshika State Park offers miles of trails, great camping areas, amphitheater, a group use shelter and a plethora of photo opportunities to set your mind free as a shutter bug.

Besides the great trail system, there are 12 miles of roads with picturesque vistas. Another way to enjoy the beauty is to play a game of disc golf on the parks grandiose18 basket course or try your aim at the rifle or archery range.

It would be getting dark soon and having just started our trip to the Great Lakes Region, we were anxious to head down the highway. I highly recommend to anyone passing by the area to stop and visit this natural wonderland and let your imagination go wild.

We definitely plan to visit this place again, maybe in June on "Buzzard Day" and maybe go on Montana's "Toughest" 10K race. Hope to see you there!

Tom Ski is a master of the great outdoors. You can find Tom fly fishing in Montana, photographing elk and bison, watching birds from a hide or in the long grass, talking about life on his radio show and writing about his adventures at NewsBlaze.

I was driving past Bridger Bowl and noticed a sign stating that there was a Raptor Festival going on and so I immediately turned around. The parking areas were full, so I had to park a ways back and hike up the hill to the buildings above.

Perched on the back deck of the main lodge were a Swainson Hawk, a Great Horned Owl and a Turkey Vulture named Pilgrim. I introduced myself to Becky, the Director of the Center and Cynthia, a volunteer of 5 years.

I was invited to visit the Montana Raptor Conservation Center for the opportunity to speak more with the ladies and to observe some of the daily duties!

Photo: Tom Ski, Sherry Gillam

I really had no idea of what to expect as Sherry & I rolled up to the Center. After some initial introductions and basic information, we followed Becky & Cynthia around as they were beginning their daily duties. It was like a MASH Unit for Birds...basic supplies and lots of TLC.

The first bit of excitement was the banding of an ...owl, for it was to be released that day! I would have never imagined this little thing to made clicking sounds. The gals were very gentle and caring for each bird they handled. They were quick at each task keeping in mind of the birds' stress levels.

Photo: Tom Ski, Sherry Gillam

Then Emily showed up, she is one of the volunteers, one of her duties was to prepare the meals for the day for the raptors, consisting mainly of mice. It was only her second day as a volunteer and she seemed right at home preparing the morning feast, cutting up portions to bite size for the birds during their recovery.

Some of the birds received special treats such as quail, which had to be skinned. The center goes through approximately, 18,000 mice a year.

Photo: Tom Ski, Sherry Gillam

The Prairie Falcon was next on the agenda; it was his day for an x-ray as he had an injured wing. We were fortunate to watch the entire process. I was blown away at how systematically Becky & Cynthia worked together and how calm the wild bird seemed to be.

I'll bet the whole x-ray process took them less than 5minutes. The falcon was then examined and released back to his barn with breakfast waiting. What an amazingly beautiful bird!

After all the meals were on the silver tray, we followed Cynthia from cage to cage to learn more about the birds and how the center operates. In the big outdoor "barn" were two Red Tail Hawks, which would soon be ready to be released back into the wild.

Photo: Tom Ski, Sherry Gillam

There were two more Red Tail Hawks in the loft of the barn in large cages. It seems owls, hawks, and falcons run into quite a few barbed wire fences.

As we went from building to building to feed the birds, we met an amazing female bald eagle. She had been "imprinted" by a human, which means the bird is used to people and means an automatic sentence to a "life in a cage". The center has tried releasing her, but she likes people and gets in to trouble. Even in her cage, she can't room with other eagles, as she will attack them.

We met the rest of the educational birds, called the "Ambassador Raptors". They have each received injuries that prevent them from being released back into the wild. Each one is used for educational purposes, which means they get to travel and are used to teach the public about them.

Photo: Tom Ski, Sherry Gillam

If you know of or find an injured raptor in Montana, please contact:
-MRCC: 406-585-1211
-All West Veterinary Hospital (Dr. Karyn Cook): 406-586-4919MT.
-Dept. Of Fish, Wildlife, & Parks: 406-994-4042

It was quite interesting to me that each bird has it's own personality, in how they eat and their interaction with different people. My personal favorite next to the Bald Eagle, is Chaco, a Swainson Hawk.

Swainson's Hawks are summer residents of grassland and agricultural habitats in the Western U.S and Canada. They nest in trees and shrubs and lay 2-3 eggs in a fairly flimsy stick nest. The entire population is migratory and most of these birds travel great distances to winter in South America, primarily Argentina. The name "Chaco" is from the name of a province in northern Argentina where Swainson's Hawks are known to concentrate in the winter.

Photo: Tom Ski, Sherry Gillam

The dedication and passion was quite apparent. These were the most amazing group of women I had met in a long time. Volunteering their time to save injured birds of prey and returning them to the wild is their passion.

Montana Raptor Conservation Center is a non-profit organization. They only are able to help injured birds through donations and from volunteers. MRCC sits on 13 acres with room to create a first rate Center to help injured raptors return to the wild to live their lives.

There are many ways you can help and Donations are always welcome!

Photo: Tom Ski, Sherry Gillam

Please visit the website: www.montanaraptor.org

Montana Raptor Conservation Center
P.O. Box 4061
Bozeman, Montana 59772
E -Mail; mrcc960@aol.com

Please do what you can to help this great organization healing birds back to health and wellness. Also please watch for more articles on Raptors and bio's on the Ambassador Raptors, in the near future.

Tom Ski is a master of the great outdoors. You can find Tom fly fishing in Montana, photographing elk and bison, watching birds from a hide or in the long grass, talking about life on his radio show and writing about his adventures at NewsBlaze.

It's winding down to the last few days of a week's worth of fishing through central Montana. I began the first few days hiking up Bear Trap Canyon, into the wilderness area several miles up on the Madison River to fish my way out. The wind was blowing about 15 to 20 miles an hour with hoppers popping up everywhere.

For the first couple of hours I had a hard time holding on to any fish, as they were furiously taking the fly. A couple of Rainbows took delight in throwing the hopper pattern right back at me. Finally after about 2 hours of them having their way with me, I managed to hang onto a small Rainbow.

At about this time, a hatch of olives began and the wind kicked it up a few notches, which was possibly an indication to put a small #16 light pink soft hackle trailer behind the hopper. I proceeded to land another 3 Rainbows on the soft hackle over the next hour. Over the next day and half, I landed 23 trout on the combination with the biggest being 18 inches!

The next few days, temperatures reached into the 90's and high 80's, which was rarely seen all summer. I traveled from small streams to spring creeks in the area, landing fish every day.

One day in particular, the wind was hitting 30 to 40 miles per hour. Clouds of olives were blowing by and hoppers struggled to stay on land.

I took off hiking a couple of miles upstream to find one of my favorite stretches on a small stream outside of Bozeman. It was one of those afternoons where deer were bustling from the brush. Bumble bees were buzzing and caterpillars creeping at every patch of wild flowers.

As I reached my favorite run and pool, fish were rising everywhere! I decided to sit upon the bank and watch for a while, instead of disturbing the river habitat bliss.

After about twenty minutes of sitting quietly, I could not stand it any longer. I quietly slid down the bank and carefully worked my way to the center of the stream onto the gravel bar to where the fish were rising in the tail out. I started false casting to the side so as not to spook the rising trout and on the very first cast; I hooked and landed a 14-inch Brown Trout.

For the next hour and half, I proceeded to hook 15 fish and land of 9 of them. It was an awesome display of acrobatics and sheer laughter as the trout plainly put me in my place, throwing flies at me and just flat running away with everything.

This ended a perfect week of hiking and wading small streams in south central Montana.

Off to the next trip. Tight Lines.

ZZ Troutski

Tom Ski is a master of the great outdoors. You can find Tom fly fishing in Montana, photographing elk and bison, watching birds from a hide or in the long grass, talking about life on his radio show and writing about his adventures at NewsBlaze.

By Tom Ski

Photo:Tom Ski

There's a new hotspot for fine dining in Montana! Stetson Restaurant at the Yogo Inn in Lewistown, Montana has surpassed all expectations this last week. New owner, Bob Steinmann, has brought in Chef Robert Phillps as executive Chef. Robert brings 30 years of experience to create an outstanding menu with an artistic flair. Robert takes pride in creating with the freshest of ingredients.

The Yogo Inn sits on the site of the Old Milwaukee Railroad Depot. Part on the Old Depot is actually the present day kitchen of The Stetson. This is the Area where Robert will create an incredible dining experience for you. While your meal is being created you may enjoy a glass of wine and take in the western atmosphere. Stetson's has windows on two sides looking out into the courtyard and the other two walls are adorned with incredible pieces of western art.

We had Just spent the day Hiking on of the Great trails in the Little Belt Mountains west of Lewistown, the area was once the hang out of the Great Western artist Charlie Russell. The area is an amazing place to explore, view wildlife and take in the scenery that may take your breath away.

Back to Stetson's, The three of us being extremely hungry and thirsty wandered in and were shown to a great seat by their very friendly staff. We order a bottle of wine from their very extensive list and settled back to browse the menu.
After a Glass of wine and some conversation I decided on the Rack of Lamb coated in Dijon mustard, seasoned bread crumbs, pan seared and baked to perfection. Served with a creamy smooth port wine glaze and melt in your mouth garlic mashed potatoes.

Photo:Tom Ski

Sherry decided upon the Cajun Shrimp, these enormous shrimp are coated in blackening seasoning and broiled. Served also with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and topped with Beurre Blanc and snow peas.

And Alan went for the Bacon Wrapped Jumbo Scallops, broiled and topped with Beurre Blanc and snow Peas, along with the garlic mash potatoes.

Photo:Tom Ski

Stetson's Restaurant Photo:Tom Ski

Rack of Lamb at Stetson's Photo:Tom Ski

When the dishes arrived after another glass or two of wine, we were pleased to see how beautiful our plates looked. They were all works of art and the aroma was absolutely incredible. Seemed a pity to dive in and destroy the masterpieces that lay before us, but hunger won out and we went for it. The dishes were absolutely... amazing! We each shared what the other had ordered, as it wasn't just a meal. It was an experience.

That evening, we spent quite a bit of time in Stetson's, as the food was so unbelievably great and we savored each bite. As we finished up, we realized we had not saved room for dessert. We all ordered coffee and sat back to discuss the memorable day we had in Central Montana. We decided we would come back soon, and next time, save room for dessert!

To experience Stetson's is to experience the; Heart & Soul of Montana

Got up this morning and decide to head up Hwy. 35 long the East shore of Flathead Lake. As we approached Bigfork decided to go east to Hwy. 83 and go down the Swan Hwy. along Swan Lake. As we meandered along the shores of Swan Lake and down into the Swan Valley through the town of Swan Lake, passing through Condon. Up over the pass, cruising past Summit Lake, Alva Lake, and Lake Inez as we dropped into the clear water drainage. Home of Seely Lake, Montana. Famous for Cabin Fever Days in February and the Maggot Races. This time of year no maggot races, just a day of kayaking on the Lake and hanging out with the locals.

We arrived in Seely Lake about nine in the morning, as this sleepy town was coming alive. Stopped at Big Larch National Forest Campground, poured some coffee from our thermos and sipped on some home brew. While watching the sun reflect off of ripples, we decide to take a drive around the lake and survey the area.

Much to our surprise there are 4 National forest Campgrounds, with great beaches, 2 of them have very nice boat ramps. All of the campgrounds and rest rooms very clean. Lots of credit to the National Forest Service and the Campground Hosts on a job well done.

After surveying the area and driving around the lake, headed back to Big Larch Campground to create a few sandwiches and get the gear together. After the sandwiches we launched our Kayaks and headed north up the east shore of the lake. Watching the Blue Heron's and Loon's playing their games of hide and seek with us..

There were several boats out fishing and I start talking with both fisherman & fisherwomen about the Lake. It seems the lake as a abundance of Trout, Bass, & Northern Pike, as everyone seemed to be having a mix day of fishing for their favorite.

Clearwater River Canoe Trail

Location: About 4 miles north of the town of Seeley Lake on the west side of Hwy. 83. Follow the winding dirt road a short distance to the canoe launch site. The parking area will accommodate 4 or 5 vehicles. The area is rich in wildlife, especially birds. Don't forget your binoculars or your life jackets (the latter required by law). The canoe trail flows about 3 miles to where the Clearwater River enters Seeley Lake just north of the Forest Service ranger station. Take-out is at the ranger station. Forest Service personnel are in the process of improving a foot path along the lake between the ranger station and the canoe launch site so that canoeists will be able to more easily walk through the woods to pick up their vehicles at the canoe launch area.

Local info on the area & Lake;

The community of Seeley Lake, named for the 1,025-acre lake at its front door, has a year-round population of about 2,500 people. Its population swells to more than twice that during the summer months when seasonal residents come home to enjoy their mountain cabins. Seeley Lake is one of a half dozen lakes in the Clearwater Valley known as the "Chain of Lakes," through which the Clearwater River flows.

Seeley Lake is known throughout the Northwest as a resort community, although the timber industry provides most of the permanent jobs for local residents.

The lake itself is stocked several times each year with rainbow trout, some weighing up to 15 pounds. The lake is also very popular among bass fishermen and boasts one of the finest bass fisheries in Western Montana. Other fish species include kokanee salmon, bull trout, whitefish, perch and bluegills.

Seeley Lake has always been a popular winter recreation area. In recent years events such as the Snowmobilavous snowmobile festival, sled dog races and Winterfest, a winter carnival, have all created a renewed interest in winter sports. Cross-country skiers, snowmobilers and ice fishermen love the deep snow and winter beauty that only the Seeley Swan area can offer.

After Several hours of paddling , around 10 miles of it, pulled back into Big Larch Campground, packed up our gear and headed downtown to one to the best little chocolate shoops in western Montana for a treat to enjoy on our way home.

Tight Lines till Next time

ZZ Troutski