PLWA ACCESS AMBASSADOR

Iexcellent online trail resources, visit backyardmontana.com, a website she created to provide information about outdoor recreation in Southwest Montana.

You have a lot of different recreational and creative passions. Where do these stem from and how does public access play into them? How do you balance all your creative pursuits while still getting out to enjoy Montana’s outdoors?

My recreation and creative passions stem from growing up in a remote setting in the Adirondacks. Growing up in such a remote area, there weren't that many public entertainment facilities so I focused on the arts first. A high school art teacher enlightened me that I had creative talents. The outdoors was something I gravitated towards and realized was important to me with age. I was lucky to grow up in an area with so much public land to explore and I only realized how rare that opportunity was when I left it. I think the balance between creative pursuits and Montana's outdoors is that my business fulfills some creative challenges during the week, but being in the outdoors recreating and photographing my husband and my adventures during the weekends is what makes me feel most alive and refreshed. I'm grateful to have so much land to explore in my free time, and it's just in my backyard.

What are your favorite types of landscapes or destinations to visit and photograph? What do you hope to convey through your photography?

My favorite landscapes are off the beaten path. My husband and I prefer strenuous hikes or bushwack for the solitude and rarity of the views we get to witness. I hope my photography conveys the beauty and sacredness of these places, as I see them. I hope it encourages people to want to protect them.

Why are Montana’s public lands, along with maintaining access to them, important to you?

Montana's public lands are what make Montana special. Maintaining access to them is of utmost importance to me because it's what I value most about where we live. The peacefulness and mental clarity it provides me is unmatched.

It’s clear from the portfolio on your website, valeriemannedesign.com, the incredible time and energy you put into your handcrafted woodworking projects. What drew you to such a hands-on craft and natural medium?

I remembered seeing these geometric lath pattern table tops and thinking, I want to try something like that. I really liked that the end result was not only beautiful but functional. Woodworking and being able to make furniture pieces for myself feels empowering as a woman. The more I learned and worked with different wood species, the more I appreciate the beauty found in wood as a medium. Each board is different, and working with wood is imperfect. I like to woodwork in a way that primarily shows off the wood's character.

What do you love about living in Butte and its recreational opportunities?

I love living in Butte because I feel surrounded by so many nearby trail options.

What was your drive behind creating Backyard Montana and what do you see for the future of that creative pursuit?

Backyard Montana was this personal project I started when we moved to Butte. I had just begun my business without having many clients to start with, so I had a fair amount of free time. I decided to start a website documenting the hikes my husband and I did with basic stats and put together a few helpful articles for recreating in Montana. There wasn't much trail data out there online, and it quickly became popular. It was cool to talk to people who had questions about trails or hikes and who also seemed experienced in their outdoor explorations. Some people were very appreciative of it as a free resource and respectful which felt really good. It has a small store that primarily consists of trail maps. I encourage recreationists to learn how to use and read maps instead of increasing reliance on phones. The future of the site is unknown because my business picked up and I don't have a lot of time to dedicate to it. I would like to see it head in a direction that not only encourages others to build their own relationship with Montana'a outdoors but to want to protect it.

What do you think your average recreationist living in or visiting Montana should be aware of?

For fun: You're not going to be able to get to most trailheads in this area in a sedan. I was glad to already have a high-clearance vehicle, but some of the trailhead roads are downright comical. Our offroad driving skills improved quickly.

For serious: Montana recreationists need to be aware of how they can be good stewards of the lands they enjoy. The land should be treated with respect and taken care of. That means putting campfires dead out, cleaning up garbage found on the trails, respecting trail use restrictions, and following leave-no-trace principles. I came from an area that became so popular it ran into overuse and inexperienced user issues, and I want to do what I can to make sure that doesn't happen here.

In your opinion, what is the most important thing readers can do to protect access to their public lands?

I think being more active and informed when it comes to politics is the most direct way to get involved and protect public land access. I'll admit, I wasn't very politically savvy. But I've learned a lot about how to testify, look up bills, and be more proactive this past year and am still learning to become more confident and comfortable with it. I think not only is it important to personally become more active in politics but spreading information and encouraging others to do the same is key.

Ian Lange was born and raised in Bozeman, Montana and grew up skiing, ice climbing, rock climbing and recreating in the mountains. He is an athlete, photographer, and storyteller passionate about creating meaningful stories, interactions with people and nature. His love for photography and adventure grew from exploring the mountains and living in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Ian began skiing and climbing with his dad as a kid, and this mentorship shaped his perspective and skills in the backcountry. His time in Yellowstone had a profound impact on him at an early age, and access to the outdoors was the reason his parents moved to Bozeman in the ‘90s.

Ian’s vision for landscape photography imagines the artistic landscapes of Montana as an untrammeled wilderness with vast ecological benefits to animals and humans, and spreads awareness about the majestic state we call home. He imagines what the ecosystem looked like before the 1800s when westward expansion began to vastly change the landscape, when the Gallatin valley was a sea of flowers with bison and other wildlife roaming free. When asked about his motivation for photography, Ian said, “I hope my contribution can help people to

into our wild nature. Without connection to ourselves as well as these shared resources. With increasing development and expansion into nature, we are at risk of losing access to public lands.

“Access to the public land and water gets people outside, and it’s important for people to be able to see the wilderness and have connection with the land...being in nature is important for people staying happy, and for some it’s their livelihood.”

Ian shares his love for wildlife, dark skies and pristine wilderness to inspire others to be stewards of the mountains, rivers, prairies and valleys of Montana. Photography, skiing, and climbing, and recreating intentionally are some ways to have a relationship with the land and be part of the ecosystem.

“Access is important. There are less access points here than in some places, and we need to keep the few we have for the public...it’s important for the livelihood of a lot of people.”

towers of Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, raced 100-mile mountain bike races, climbed El Capitan in Yosemite numerous times in a single day, snowboarded first descents in Grand Teton National Park, raced collegiate Nordic skiing, and he has been a passionate big game hunter since a young boy growing up in Montana.

Mike’s commitment to the mountain sport community is evidenced by The Rut Mountain Runs in Big Sky, Montana which he co-created with Mike Foote.

In addition to being a professional mountain athlete and coach, Mike loves spending time with his amazing wife Stephanie and his kids Colt and Wren. Mike is also a practicing attorney. Previous to taking a break from the full-time practice of law, Mike was a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Folks in SW Montana know you through your passion for running, but you have a lot of different recreational passions. Where did these come from, how does public access play into them, and finally, how do you balance hobbies, work, and family?

I grew up in Bozeman, Montana, and my father is a farrier. I spent many years working with him on ranches, and my parents were passionate about the outdoors. We spent any free time fly-fishing, hunting, backpacking and hiking on public lands in Montana. This was my youth from my earliest memories through high school. Essentially, most of my formative experiences were thanks to public land access to wild places in Montana.

Do you feel that the variety of outdoor recreational opportunities Montana offers to folks here tie the communities together in any way?

Absolutely. Access to public lands is one issue that spans the political spectrum in Montana. It's a rallying point. Most people who live in Montana enjoy some form of outdoor recreation, or access, on public lands, and our lives are enriched from this privilege. Access is something everyone can appreciate and relate to one another on.

With your training as an attorney, where do you see the current struggle to maintain access to our public lands and waters going? What issues do you think your average recreationist living in or visiting Montana should be aware of?

Not getting any easier, that's for sure. Honestly, I think one major issue today is so many people are moving here from out of state, buying large tracts of land adjacent to public lands, and these folks are not excited about public access. Nothing against new folks moving to Montana, I just think there's a value conflict arising. Some people value privacy over access. But, that's not the tradition in Montana from a historical perspective, nor is it the legal tradition in this state, in terms of precedent. The right to a clean and healthy environment was written into our state constitution by the framers, and I think is just some of the evidence that for generations Montanans have valued access to public lands. It’s what makes us who we are as Montanans.

What issues do you think your average recreationist living in or visiting Montana needs to be aware of?

Respecting private property rights and understanding boundaries, so that accessing public lands is done properly and in legal and respectful manner. Also, of great importance is understanding the public access law to waterways for fisherman. Many people don't fully grasp this. Last, everyone should have a basic appreciation for, and knowledge of, principles of caring for our public lands, as users.

Training, being mentally strong - a lot of the sports and pursuits we practice and care about in Montana aren't something you can just half-ass. What do you do in your daily life to maintain balance and achieve your goals?

I feel very lucky, and privileged, how much time I spend on public lands every week in Montana. I appreciate exercising on public lands pretty much every day of the week, in the mountains. I'm either running, biking, skiing, climbing, hunting, or adventuring with my kids, every week and year round. I think the easiest way to care about our lands in Montana and the lifestyle we are so lucky to live here, is to make it a regular practice of doing something on public lands where you turn off your phone, put away the headphones and actually enjoy being in nature. Remember what it means to be human on a consistent basis.

You are known not only for your outdoor writing, but also as a passionate advocate for public access. Where did this drive to sound the call for protecting access to Montana's public lands and waters come from?

As a matter of principle, it just stands to reason that the public should be able to access public land. On a personal level, my own passion for the cause is a response to change. I grew up in a rural area where kids could basically hunt, fish, or play on almost anyone’s farm. Over the 50 years I’ve lived in Montana, I’ve seen a profound shift in landowner demographics as family farms and ranches have been sold to wealthy out of state interests. While some of those new owners are indeed generous about access to their land, most are not. At the same time, farmers and ranchers are realizing the economic potential of their wildlife by leasing hunting rights to outfitters (as they have the right to do). The vast majority of their clients are wealthy non-residents. The upshot is that public lands have become the last resort for Montana resident outdoorsmen of ordinary means.

Montana is a state with a high number of recreational public land and water users. Why do you think public access is facing so many challenges in the current political landscape?

This is an odd paradox, as I have pointed out elsewhere. It is puzzling that a state in which nearly half the resident voters buy hunting and fishing licenses could elect an administration and legislature so openly hostile to public land concerns. Part of this phenomenon reflects simple partisanship. Today, many voters will reflexively vote for the party to which they’ve sworn allegiance even if that means voting against their own best interest on certain issues. Furthermore, as a general rule in political discussions one can’t go wrong by following the money. That isn’t always easy to do given the basic corruption of our campaign finance system, but a lot of wealthy parties have an interest in tying up public lands for their own purposes.

Culturally we are moving towards a more sedentary lifestyle, with hours spent in front of screens and keyboards. What do you feel time outside in the natural world and evenings spent with the written word offer future generations?

The basic premise here is certainly correct. Ours will be the first generation of Americans with a shorter lifespan than our parents. While this phenomenon is multi-factorial, our increasingly sedentary lifestyle is certainly significant. To address it, I much prefer heading to the mountains on foot to running on a treadmill in a gym full of desperate, sweaty people. Letting kids sit in front of video games should be punishable as child abuse.

What, in your opinion, is the most important thing readers can do to protect access to their public lands and waters?

Two words: Get involved. For most of my life, hunters and anglers have been happy to leave the political heavy lifting to others while they went hunting and fishing (as, I’m now ashamed to admit, did I). That will no longer stand. In response to the crisis we’re discussing, a number of Montana organizations are actively addressing these concerns, including PLWA. Every outdoor enthusiast enjoying Montana public land should support them. During the next election cycle, grill your candidates for state and local office about their position on public lands and don’t let them feed you any bullshit. (During an election, it’s hard to find a Montana candidate who doesn’t swear undying support for public land access even though they’ve been working to hinder it for years.)

Here in Montana, we have the numbers to win these battles. We just need to mobilize them and get them pointed in the right direction.

What made you fall in love with biking and skiing?

I grew up in a big skier family so I didn’t really have a choice in that matter. However, after numerous mornings of my mom dragging me out of bed and up to the ski hill I started to see and feel how amazing it is to flow down a mountain and to have full control of every aspect of it. It really is just a roller coaster that you are in control of. This was great and I was so happy to have that realization but then I found a big hole during the summer months I couldn’t quite get that same feeling. I tried everything from whitewater kayaking to mountaineering but when I finally truly discovered mountain biking - meaning the first ride where I felt that same flow I felt on my skis - I absolutely fell in love. The ability to be out in the mountains with just you and your bike or skis and explore is a magical thing and when you see that, it is hard to not fall in love with it. This is something you can find without the bike or skis as well, but I love the bike so much because it allows me to get further into the wilderness and also have a really fun time getting out. Oh and also, I love to go fast.

Why is public access an important issue to mountain biking in Montana?

Public access is everything when it comes to mountain biking in Montana. Without public access there is no mountain biking here in Montana. Most of the trail systems in the state are built on public lands and losing access to that would be detrimental to not only the biking community but the entirety of the outdoor community within Montana. No public access means way less accessibility to mountain biking throughout the state which would essentially eliminate the next generation of mountain bikers in Montana and deprive so many people of the ability to enjoy and learn to appreciate the wilderness like I and so many others have. And let's be honest, if we don’t use something much we tend to forget about it and let it deteriorate. The wilderness is not something we want that to happen to.

Do you see any important connections between your study of physics and your sporting pursuits?

There is a huge connection between the two! Skiing and biking is all physics and my understanding of physics helps me to improve my skiing and biking. Conversely, my skiing and biking helps me understand physics better as well. When you are skiing or biking a big or technical line, you have to be able to visualize your moves which requires an understanding of how you actually move (analyzing the forces acting on you). I would say that growing up a skier and biker helps me drastically when it comes to visualizing a physics problem. You can’t ski or bike without physics.

How do you see recreation and public access issues evolving in the coming years as the population in Montana grows?

It is tough to say. What I would like to see is that as more people come to Montana and use our public lands, we will realize that there needs to be access to those lands and that in fact having more access can not only help improve the lives of people in Montana, but it could also improve the economy within Montana. Skiing tourism has been boosting the Montana economy for a while now but mountain biking is becoming a huge sport and a lot of people are looking to travel and find new places to ride. By becoming a place that has access to large trail networks we would bring in a huge demographic of tourists that would in turn bolster the Montana economy. I see more and more interest in trail networks and I think the only way that’s going to happen is if people start to take responsibility for and take care of the networks we currently have and advocate for the creation of new ones.

Why do you think it is important for people to get involved and take an active role in protecting public access?

Without a voice no one gets heard. You can sit around and complain about the lack of access as long as you want but if no one hears it then it does no good. In order to protect the public lands that we all appreciate so much the public needs to make their voices heard. We need to tell people that we are using these trails and that we need more. It is up to us to keep our public lands public. Like I said earlier, if we don’t use something much it tends to deteriorate and usually after that we throw it out or give it away. Public land access is not something we want to let be given away.

What is your favorite artistic medium? 

Photography, and more specifically making hand-bound photo books that can tell a story better than any single picture could. I love sketching and I find it helps me understand the light of a scene much better, although my talents live mostly in the digital realm. My favorite medium to appreciate is either watercolor with pen, or charcoal. Masters of these mediums bewilder me with their subtleties and finesse.And they lend themselves to great outdoors companions. 

Why do you think the artistic medium is so effective at conveying messages to the public?

Firstly there is the realism of a photograph. Even with the possibility of doctoring or manipulating a photograph, there is a visceral reaction to seeing a realistic representation of a scene. My message in particular, one of conservation and celebration of public land, has its roots in the early photographic history of America.

How does public access inform your work?

Access to space to roam has been a pillar in my life for much longer than photography. Public access has been a place for me to learn, grow, explore, and become the person I am today. It is a mental and physical retreat to our natural beginnings, a metaphorical garden of eden. Photography is simply a means of communicating, of showing others the splendor of our public lands from my perspective. 

Growing up in the West, how do you think public access and the outdoors has affected your life?

Access to public lands has been a cornerstone of my life since early in my upbringing. Space to roam has been a consistent theme that has followed me through my life. I’m extremely fortunate to have grown up in a time and place where I did have access to public land right out my back door, and this connection has certainly defined the person I am today. 

Why do you think it is important for people to get involved and take an active role in protecting public access?

It is a fallacy to believe public lands are a given. We’ve seen many attempts, some successful, to reduce the treasures of American public lands to a simple line item.The truth is the wealth of these lands far exceeds their capital value, and without the passion of people defending them, these lands will erode over a few generations.We need to recognize the collective wealth that access provides. From hunting and fishing to recreation to scientific research, the value of public land is boundless.