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Local look back: Uncle Dan remembers a true Big Sky legend
Published
6 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Dan Wade
To set the stage: Big Sky in the early ’80s was just a little bit different than it appears today. In Meadow Village, there were no buildings in the Westfork Meadows or Town Center area except the old McBride Homestead. This made for excellent gopher hunting, but not much else. Even the path to Ousel Falls was an old dirt logging road. The Meadow Village Center consisted of The Country Market, Furst Place Restaurant and a much smaller post office, along with just a couple offices in that complex.
On the mountain, the Huntley Lodge and Mountain Mall were the dominant buildings. There were no other condominium complexes except the Hill Condos and Deer Lodge (aka Fear Lodge) and the upscale dorms—not. The Mountain Lodge was a hostel, where I believe you could stay for under $20 a night—lift ticket included! There were just three places to eat dinner on the mountain: the Huntley’s main dining room, Ernie’s Deli, and the Ore House, now the much bigger Montana Jack.
There were no cell phones, ATMs, computers (for the most part), no full-time police presence, no guard rails on the canyon highway, no traffic. Nighttime forays from the Mountain Village to the Meadow or Bozeman meant that you were on your own for anything that might happen—off the road into the river, vehicle breakdowns, animal strikes, whatever. The community was small, but you could rely on the “Montana ethic” in folks to help you out.
But this is really a story about a dog. One early winter I roomed in a Hill Condo with Chris Nash and his alter ego, Strider. Strider was a Big Sky celebrity. Everyone knew him. He could, and would, stand by the road and hitchhike where ever he wanted to go. Mountain to Meadow, Hill to the Huntley, Strider got around. Strider probably went to Buck’s for “two-fer night” for cocktails, but kept a low profile.
One night, a friend and I skied down the Middle Fork (aka The Sewer Line) on the full moon to enjoy dinner at the Furst Place. This trip was always an adventure because there were no houses, condos, or lights from the start until you got down to the trailer court, where Aspen Groves now resides. Moose, elk and the bitter cold were all at play. We took Strider along as a watch dog. He was good company and was big enough to provide security against whatever popped out of the woods.
I recall that it was well below zero when we crossed onto the golf course on our ski down. At this point, Strider found a more interesting calling and totally ditched us—for a moose or canine friend we never knew. We completed our ski, had a great dinner, and rode the (only) shuttle bus back up the mountain late. But we had lost Strider. What would I tell Chris? A lost dog in bitter cold and snow with predators about. I was fretting having to tell Chris that his dog, our roommate, was lost. Until, we arrive back at our Hill castle to find Strider, sitting by the front door, wondering what the hell took us so long to get back up the mountain. A dog’s life indeed.
Dan Wade opened Uncle Dan’s Cookies in the winter of 1983-1984 with a cookie cart parked at Big Sky Resort. Thirty-five years later, Uncle Dan’s Cookies is still baking all their cookies from scratch in Big Sky. Not only beloved in Big Sky, Uncle Dan’s Cookies have been photographed being enjoyed at Mount Everest base camp, underwater in Zanzibar, in Antarctica, and many other exotic international locales.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
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Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
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Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
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Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
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Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass St. Joseph Catholic Mission
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Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Time
(Thursday) 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm