The Truth of Living in Montana

Welcome to Montana. Where wilderness abounds and adventure awaits.

But wait (insert vinyl scratch here) is it really?

Okay, okay I'll be honest. Yes it is that and more but trust me when I say that while that all sounds fine and dandy, there are plenty of harsh realities to living in Montana.

Being born and raised here I am now completely used to the grit and grind of Big Sky, but believe it or not I still have a hard time with all the responsibilities sometimes. Now in all fairness I do live in a more rural setting, so if you are more of a city person, I suggest going to Billings or Missoula for a visit. So let's get into the truth of living in Montana.

First off, let's start with Spring time. Yes, flowers are quite literally EVERYWHERE, and going to Glacier National Park in any season, especially Spring is breathtaking, but are you ready for the mud? If you are one for mudbogging and jumping in puddles, you will love it here, but keep in mind that our "Spring" doesnt really start until around oh.....June. Nope, not kidding. By then the snow has fairly melted and green is the glorious blanket that beckons a Montanan-winter-hermit. Lilacs are blooming, and here they are practically everywhere which is amazing! However, while Spring can be beautiful here, there are still occasional snow flurries (we even saw snow in August once), puddles your 4-ton truck can get stuck in, allergies galore, and best of all, the mosquitos are starting to come alive. Don't get me wrong, I really do love living here, but if you aren't prepared for this stuff, you will hate it.

On to Summer! I don't know about you guys, but my allergies start flaring right when Summer starts, not because of pollen, but because of dust. Road dust to be precise. When the rain has quit, the dust rises up and man it really coats my house! There are however a ton of activities to do during Summer. State parks, national parks, hiking, swimming, parades, festivals, kayaking, boating, floating (floating down the river on pool floaties for hours), and much more. But here's the catch: Tourist Season. This is prime time for loads of people ranging from all over the WORLD to come and explore the outdoors. In other words: good luck getting a quick coffee, restaurant reservation, or camping spot. It's virtually impossible during the summer to get anywhere or do anything in a timely manner. Last summer my hubby and I wanted to go to Glacier National Park for our anniversary, but the highway was at a stop quite literally 5 miles out of the park, so we decided to go do something different. I'm telling you, this place in the Summer? Scary. Don't even get me started on the bears and cougars. On a serious note though, if you do visit please NEVER go hiking by yourself during bear season! I'm not kidding. I see so many stories about tourists and bears during Summer and really, please be careful and buy bear spray and make lots of noise in the woods. And oh boy, the late Summer smoky air. I swear we get everyone's forest fire smoke and that just becomes the air we breath in the late Summer days...and nights...and in the house. Anyway, I digress. It wouldn't be fair if I didn't say at least one good thing about each season. Summer here really does mean adventure. It means wildlife abounds with eagles, bears, deer (and their fawns), cranes, swans, etc. Lot's of beauty and nice warm summer nights with a campfire and good company. It also happens to mean that the summer beer is out (wink wink).

Enough about Summer. Let's get into Autumn.

Autumn time in Montana is …interesting. So let me just say that how Fall operates here is entirely dependent on how the Summer went. If we have a wet, thunder stormy Summer, Fall will be a little longer than if it was a dry, hot and smoky summer. Honestly if you are looking for gorgeous Fall colors, I recommend going more towards New Hampshire, because here the only trees that really change color are the Tamaracks, and even those only really get to a bright yellow and then they are bare. The temperature is very nice though considering we still have a warm sun with a cool breeze and pumpkin stuff is out pretty much everywhere. I remember one year when we got one hell of a cold front that froze all the trees so quickly that when the Spring hit us the leaves were falling. It was the weirdest thing to be raking leaves during Spring time. Anyway, Autumn here is basically a blink as it really only lasts for about a month which is probably why stores start putting out the pumpkin spice stuff well into August. Fall hits us around September-early Octoberish. I say ish because most of the time we start getting snow fall in October and once it snows I call it Winter. But Fall is also when tourists start heading home, things start getting cozy, and you don't long to tear your hot flesh off you body anymore. So there's that.

Winter is coming. Oh look at that, Winter is here.

No joke that's pretty much how quickly that happens. One minute Fall, the next freezing cold banishment to the indoors. This is prime time for us locals to start hibernating which means stocking up on food just in case we can't leave the house because of snow, buying a snow shovel...or 6 just in case, seeing which neighbor will attach a plowing shovel to their truck this season, hanging Christmas lights early so we don't have to dig in the snow to find our house later, chopping and stacking at least two large garage fulls of wood for the fireplace, buying all the winter clothing (boots, coats, gloves, hats, ear muffs, goggles, face warmers, thick socks, long underwear, scarves, and last but certainly not least: shoe chains), getting the winter tires put on, and practicing our drifting so that if it accidently happens on the road we know how to react quickly and efficiently to it. To the tourists that dare to stay in this incredible wild land during Winter, I say: may the odds be ever in your favor.

Truly though, Winter here is by far the most difficult and harsh to get through if you are not prepared. Even if you think you are prepared, chances are you'll still get a few surprises through the season. So the best thing you can do is open a special savings account especially for unexpected Winter expenses. A Costco membership is kind of a staple here as it really is the best financial option for this time of year. Lot's of businesses even double down on shifts here just in case multiple employees can't get out of their own driveways. Snow is the King here. Hence why so many people love coming here to ski and snowboard. I'm more of a sledding kind of girl myself. Sometimes it gets to negative temperatures here and when that happens you are going to want a ton of anything that will keep you warm, even if you are inside. Living here means that those Winter storage boxes in your garage at least triple in size and amount, and if you have a wood burning stove, you better have a lot of dry wood ready!

I would safely say that Winter time is the harshest season here. I mean, we are far north so it's not that hard to remember. Granted I don't even want to know how Canada or Sweden does it. Montana feels like a Nordic country what with it's terrific nature and wildlife. It really is spectacular here. For me and many others, the nature and quiet here is what makes living here so worth every hardship. I see eagles land in my front yard. I get to talk to the momma deer and fawns that come close because my lawn has the best munchies. The thunder and lightening storms are exquisite and exciting. The snowfall is so hygge and peaceful. Summer nights are a dream when the moon is full, the air is warm, and the firepit is burning with a beer in your hand. Best of all, the silence of the woods. This is the last best place. It really is the land of adventure and wilderness. Honestly I can't imagine living anywhere else (except maybe Norway).

If you come here, as a local, I ask that even though there are things that can be taxing and scary, please be respectful, friendly, and know that more than anything, we want to keep this place sparse, wild and beautiful, and if you contribute to that goal, than you are most welcome.

Thank you for reading. Blessed Be and Happy Holidays!