:: CONTEST CLOSED :: Best Summer Adventures in Montana

June 24, 2014 - 9:20 am adrienne newlon - I really can't compete with most of the folks I know in MT. I don't have any stories of deep woods grizzly encounters on backpacking trips in Glacier Park,or gnarly, balls-out mountain bike excursions and the like. My adventures were more local and personal. Like the first time I rode 11 miles on the Rails to Trails historical route to Kila with Scott and Chloe to have breakfast at The Cottage Inn (may it rest in peace) - and then riding back after a great meal and drinking one of Keith's epic Ramos Fizzes. Or, as a new paddler, loading my kayak onto my Honda Element by myself (I'm only 5'3") and going for a long paddle at Somers inlet and getting the boat back up on the car again. And, my last summer in MT, finally (after living there for 12 years!) taking a hike in the Jewel Basin, and getting to do it with my dear friend, artist Michael Haykin - who stops to smell every rose along the way. We took the trail slowly and saw so many lovely things and talked about our past adventures in various places around the country - an adventure within an adventure, within an adventure. Any time I do anything for the first time it's an adventure for me - no adrenaline required (:

June 25, 2014 - 8:35 am Jenny Robinson - I think my most epic Montana summer adventure is probably yet to come - all the fun I'm planning on having when I'm in town for the Missoula Marathon in two weeks. I'm also hard pressed to top the ice fishing, snow running adventures I had there this past winter. Buuuuut... my first trip to Montana, 14 summers ago, has such a special place in my heart and was definitely an adventure. At about 10:00 pm on a Thursday night when I was in college, a friend announced that she had to leave for Montana right that minute to help her sister with some sort of emergency situation and did anyone want to come? I had never been to MT so blew off my responsibilities for a few days and hopped in the passenger seat. We drove through the night, fueled by Subway sandwiches (me) and cigarettes (her). We were in MT for no more than 24 hours before we headed back to Oregon, but it was enough for me to totally fall in love and make sure that I got back to MT for a respectable amount of time in future visits.

June 25, 2014 - 1:14 pm Madeline - This may not be the type of outdoor adventure story you're looking for... But I had cops pull guns on me in Montana once. They came at me from both sides. Apparently I was speeding through Columbia Falls and the cops were following me for over a mile with flashing lights. But I was driving into the sun! I couldn't see! I think they mistook me for a drug dealer or something! Little did they know, they were actually pulling over a nanny and a personal assistant from Georgia! Hilarious. I had a good adventure at Charlie B's in Missoula one time too... Montana rocks. haha.

June 30, 2014 - 1:20 pm cocoablue - And we have a winner: Madeline your story of someone pulling a gun on you in Columbia Falls is fairly epic. We will be in touch with you to send a t-shirt your way! Thanks to everyone who participated. Stay tuned! More contests to come!