Last week, Montana Governor Steve Bullock joined Montana Department of Commerce Director Meg O’Leary to announce the award of $500,000 from Commerce’s Tourism Infrastructure Investment Program (TIIP) for eight tourism facility improvement projects in Bozeman, Browning, Fort Belknap, Hamilton, Malta, Poplar, Red Lodge and Terry.
“Tourism plays an important part in Montana’s economy. These grants are a reinvestment of Montana Lodging Tax funds back into tourism facilities across the state that are working to improve the quality of experiences they offer visitors and Montanans,“ Governor Bullock said of the grants. “These projects will strengthen our communities and attract more visitors to support Main Street Montana businesses.”
Montana Department of Commerce Director O’Leary noted, “the TIIP grant funds will help both established tourism attractions upgrade their facilities as well as give developing attractions a boost in their efforts to expand their appeal and services.” She added, “these projects also benefit Montana residents by bolstering the local economy and adding to their community’s quality of life.”
Director O’Leary approved the TIIP grant funding for the projects following recommendations made by Commerce staff and members of the state’s Tourism Advisory Council. The eight TIIP grant recipients were selected from 24 applications requesting $1.82 million in grant funds from the program. When completed, the eight projects will result in $1.3 million in tourism facility improvements. The $500,000 TIIP grant funds will leverage $768,848 from other private and public sector sources being invested in these projects.
This year the TIIP grant awards include:
1. $54,000 awarded to the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary in Red Lodge for improvements to their Montana native wildlife care and public education facility’s walkways, signage and grounds. Total Project Cost: $81,000.
2. $20,111 awarded to Hamilton Players, Inc. for the purchase and installation of updated theater technology and performance equipment in their live theater facility in Hamilton. Total Project Cost: $36,331.
3. $80,000 awarded to the Blackfeet Tribe for improvements and restoration of the Chewing
Blackbones Campground near St. Mary on the east side of Glacier National Park. Total Project Cost:
$191,200.
4. $34,266 awarded to the Fort Belknap Indian Community/Island Mountain Development group for
the construction and installation of picnic tables and shades at public recreation and campground
areas in or near Mission Canyon/Hays, Snake Butte, Lodgepole and the buffalo pasture viewing
area/observation platform along MT Route 66, south of the Fort Belknap Agency. Total Project Cost:
$51,400.
5. $132,586 awarded to Bridger Bowl, Inc. in Bozeman for construction of the Alpine Cabin, which will
provide visitor services for those using two new ski lifts being constructed on the north side of
Bridger Bowl Ski Area. Total Project Cost: $325,000.
6. $45,310 awarded to the Prairie County Museum for a water mitigation project in the basement of
their historic building in downtown Terry. Total Project Cost: $81,500.
7. $20,000 awarded to the Judith River Foundation/Great Plains Dinosaur Museum in Malta for the
purchase and installation of new hands-on learning stations, improved fossil storage and exterior
dinosaur displays. Total Project Cost: $31,500.
8. $113,727 awarded to the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes to assist in the restoration of the
historic Poplar Agency Indian Boarding School Dining Hall for use as a visitor information and
tourism program facility. Total Project Cost: $472,107.
Since 1995, TIIP grants have provided $5.2 million in tourism lodging tax funds to 114 projects in 52
Montana communities. These TIIP-assisted projects represent $48.5 million in Montana tourism facility
improvements financed with public and private funds.
TIIP grant funds are provided by the 4% Montana Lodging Facility Use Tax which is assessed on the
lodging price of all accommodations across Montana, including campgrounds. The grants are awarded
through a competitive process and require $1 match for every $2 provided by grant funds.
Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Last Chance to Drive To Old Faithful, Canyon Until Spring
The roads to many favorite Yellowstone destinations will close to automobile travel in the next few days as the park begins preparing for the winter season.
The only road in the park which is open to wheeled vehicle travel all year is the section from the North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana, through Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Junction and the Lamar Valley on to the park’s Northeast Entrance and the communities of Cooke City and Silver Gate, Montana.
All other roads will close for the season at 8:00 a.m. Monday, November 4th, so park staff members can begin preparing the roads for limited, commercially guided snowmobile and snowcoach travel beginning December 15th.
At Mammoth Hot Springs, the Yellowstone General Store, Post Office, medical clinic, campground and visitor center remain open all year. Pay-at-the pump fuel is available 24 hours a day all year at all park service stations.
All communities near and on the way to Yellowstone are open all year, with local businesses offering a wide range of fall and winter recreation opportunities.
Visitors driving to and in the park during the fall and winter are encouraged to have flexible travel plans and be prepared for changing weather conditions. Temporary travel restrictions or closures can occur at any time without notice. Mud and snow tires or tire chains may be required. Updated information on road conditions in Yellowstone is available 24-hours a day by calling 307-344-2117.
Extensive information and assistance for planning a visit to Yellowstone is available on the park’s web site at http://www.nps.gov/yell.
Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park
The only road in the park which is open to wheeled vehicle travel all year is the section from the North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana, through Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Junction and the Lamar Valley on to the park’s Northeast Entrance and the communities of Cooke City and Silver Gate, Montana.
At Mammoth Hot Springs, the Yellowstone General Store, Post Office, medical clinic, campground and visitor center remain open all year. Pay-at-the pump fuel is available 24 hours a day all year at all park service stations.
All communities near and on the way to Yellowstone are open all year, with local businesses offering a wide range of fall and winter recreation opportunities.
Visitors driving to and in the park during the fall and winter are encouraged to have flexible travel plans and be prepared for changing weather conditions. Temporary travel restrictions or closures can occur at any time without notice. Mud and snow tires or tire chains may be required. Updated information on road conditions in Yellowstone is available 24-hours a day by calling 307-344-2117.
Extensive information and assistance for planning a visit to Yellowstone is available on the park’s web site at http://www.nps.gov/yell.
Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Do Yosemite In One Epic Hike
Did you know that you can do one hike that encompasses nearly all of Yosemite’s iconic sights? This epic 12.6-mile hike includes a full view of Yosemite Falls from the only place in the park to see both the upper and lower falls in their full glory. You’ll also see El Capitan, Half Dome, Illilouette Fall and Nevada Fall.
The hike tops out at Glacier Point, the spot first made famous by the photo of John Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt standing together with the Yosemite Valley in the background. The hike also finishes with a trip down the famous Mist Trail where you’ll pass over Vernal Fall.
This epic one-way hike begins with a climb up the Four Mile Trail, and then travels back to the valley via the Panorama Trail, and is a must bucket-list item for every hiker.
Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park
This epic one-way hike begins with a climb up the Four Mile Trail, and then travels back to the valley via the Panorama Trail, and is a must bucket-list item for every hiker.
Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park
Monday, October 28, 2013
The Mountain: My Time on Everest
You could say there are two books in The Mountain: My Time on Everest. There’s chapter one, and then the rest of the book.
I have to say that I really struggled with the first chapter of The Mountain for some reason. To me it seemed unfocused and lacked flow. Author and world-class climber Ed Viesturs kept interrupting the narrative of the story of his first climb on Mt. Everest with anecdotes from other climbs and climbers, and from my standpoint, completely disrupted the flow of the read. I must confess I almost threw in the towel at that point.
Once I got past that first chapter, however, there was a noticeable difference in the flow and readability of the book.
Although Viesturs never intended to split the book into the two parts described above, he did intend to split it in another way. The book’s chapters alternate between his own personal experience with the mountain, and an historical overview of climbing on Everest. Viesturs discusses some of the early British attempts on the mountain, including George Mallory’s three expeditions. Subsequent chapters provide overviews of Edmund Hillary’s first summit, Reinhold Messner’s first Everest summit without bottled oxygen, the fatal debacle of 1996, as well as the first American summit in 1963, which included the daring attempt by Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld to scale the unclimbed West Ridge. Viesturs also discusses the highly controversial Chinese expedition of 1960 when one climber purportedly took his boots and socks off in order to gain traction up the Second Step - only a couple hundred feet below the 29,035-foot summit!
Viesturs also lays out his own personal history on the mountain, having made 11 attempts, and reaching the summit on 7 of those occasions. He provides insights into his first climbs as a guide, his inclusion in the 1990 international Peace Climb, his role in a couple of film making expeditions on Everest, as well as the compelling story of how his climbing buddy almost died as a result of a mucus plug.
Although the vast majority of the book was an interesting look into the history of the world’s highest mountain, there were a couple of occasions where Viesturs left his readers hanging. For example, in one case he mentions the “mysterious” death of Chantal Mauduit while she was in her tent at 21,500 feet on Dhaulagiri in 1998, but he provides no other details on why this was a mystery.
In 1997 Ed climbed Everest as part of a research team to find out what happens to the minds and bodies of climbers at extreme altitudes. However, he didn’t mention any of the scientific findings from this project.
I was also baffled by a passage regarding the 1960 Chinese expedition. Although the evidence is pretty overwhelming that the Chinese lied about their first summit, Everest historian Walt Unsworth still concluded that the Chinese story may have been factual. Viesturs states that he’s puzzled by this conclusion, which he absolutely should be. However, in the very next paragraph, Viesturs says, “It’s within the realm of the conceivable, as Unsworth states, that they did indeed make the first ascent of Everest from the north in 1960”.
Okay, so these might be a little bit nitpicky, I’ll agree. But overall The Mountain is a really good read, especially for those looking to discover a broader perspective on the history of Mt. Everest.
Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park
I have to say that I really struggled with the first chapter of The Mountain for some reason. To me it seemed unfocused and lacked flow. Author and world-class climber Ed Viesturs kept interrupting the narrative of the story of his first climb on Mt. Everest with anecdotes from other climbs and climbers, and from my standpoint, completely disrupted the flow of the read. I must confess I almost threw in the towel at that point.
Although Viesturs never intended to split the book into the two parts described above, he did intend to split it in another way. The book’s chapters alternate between his own personal experience with the mountain, and an historical overview of climbing on Everest. Viesturs discusses some of the early British attempts on the mountain, including George Mallory’s three expeditions. Subsequent chapters provide overviews of Edmund Hillary’s first summit, Reinhold Messner’s first Everest summit without bottled oxygen, the fatal debacle of 1996, as well as the first American summit in 1963, which included the daring attempt by Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld to scale the unclimbed West Ridge. Viesturs also discusses the highly controversial Chinese expedition of 1960 when one climber purportedly took his boots and socks off in order to gain traction up the Second Step - only a couple hundred feet below the 29,035-foot summit!
Viesturs also lays out his own personal history on the mountain, having made 11 attempts, and reaching the summit on 7 of those occasions. He provides insights into his first climbs as a guide, his inclusion in the 1990 international Peace Climb, his role in a couple of film making expeditions on Everest, as well as the compelling story of how his climbing buddy almost died as a result of a mucus plug.
Although the vast majority of the book was an interesting look into the history of the world’s highest mountain, there were a couple of occasions where Viesturs left his readers hanging. For example, in one case he mentions the “mysterious” death of Chantal Mauduit while she was in her tent at 21,500 feet on Dhaulagiri in 1998, but he provides no other details on why this was a mystery.
In 1997 Ed climbed Everest as part of a research team to find out what happens to the minds and bodies of climbers at extreme altitudes. However, he didn’t mention any of the scientific findings from this project.
I was also baffled by a passage regarding the 1960 Chinese expedition. Although the evidence is pretty overwhelming that the Chinese lied about their first summit, Everest historian Walt Unsworth still concluded that the Chinese story may have been factual. Viesturs states that he’s puzzled by this conclusion, which he absolutely should be. However, in the very next paragraph, Viesturs says, “It’s within the realm of the conceivable, as Unsworth states, that they did indeed make the first ascent of Everest from the north in 1960”.
Okay, so these might be a little bit nitpicky, I’ll agree. But overall The Mountain is a really good read, especially for those looking to discover a broader perspective on the history of Mt. Everest.
Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park
Sunday, October 27, 2013
National Parks Epic Challenge: Jimmy Chin on Grand Teton
The National Park Foundation is publishing a series of excellent videos they call the "National Parks Epic Challenge".
In this video, world-class climber, skier, and mountaineer Jimmy Chin scales Grand Teton and then skis down, showing why he is one of the most skilled and fearless adventurers on the planet. Jimmy has circled the globe as an elite athlete, explorer, photographer and filmmaker, but his home is in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, near the stunningly beautiful Grand Teton National Park. The majestic Teton Range is ideal for rock climbers and ski mountaineers, and the park protects a diverse array of wildlife, including herds of buffalo and elk. Jimmy talks about visiting the National Parks as a child, and how he felt when he first saw the Tetons at age 18. He is one of the few people in the world to have climbed and skied Mount Everest from the summit.
Jimmy Chin in Grand Teton: National Parks Epic Challenge from National Park Foundation on Vimeo.
Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park
In this video, world-class climber, skier, and mountaineer Jimmy Chin scales Grand Teton and then skis down, showing why he is one of the most skilled and fearless adventurers on the planet. Jimmy has circled the globe as an elite athlete, explorer, photographer and filmmaker, but his home is in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, near the stunningly beautiful Grand Teton National Park. The majestic Teton Range is ideal for rock climbers and ski mountaineers, and the park protects a diverse array of wildlife, including herds of buffalo and elk. Jimmy talks about visiting the National Parks as a child, and how he felt when he first saw the Tetons at age 18. He is one of the few people in the world to have climbed and skied Mount Everest from the summit.
Jimmy Chin in Grand Teton: National Parks Epic Challenge from National Park Foundation on Vimeo.
Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park
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