In Their Own Words

"I don't feel like I've earned it. I feel like I'm getting away with something. I'm just an old mountain-goat researcher who gets paid to go around the world and learn about nature."

-- Doug Chadwick, a National Geographic writer who lives in Whitefish.

Gear Junkie's Watch

Whether you're out snowshoeing or just walking around town, this nifty little device could answer all your questions. Not only does it accurately count your steps, it tells you distance, calculates calories burned, and can recall your average weekly or daily performance. If you're competing for the ESPN couch potato contest, you won't need it. But if you're active, it could be a fun purchase.

Name that Peak

At only 6,800 feet, it's not the biggest mountain in Montana, but this week's peak offers some of best snow this side of the Continental Divide. A recent expansion and the addition of a new lift expanded the terrain to 600 acres. And while the mountain only offers 1,400 vertical feet, it receives on average 240 inches of snow each year.

Straight Talker

"It's 6:30 a.m. on a Sunday in mid-February, and I'm on 'vacation' at Lone Mountain Ranch, a few miles east of southern Montana's Big Sky Resort. The sun won't be up for an hour. If I were rational, I'd be in my cabin, wallowing between the sheets. But it seems that my enthusiasm for Nordic skiing has finally turned the corner to obsession. Which means that, instead of enjoying solid REM sleep on my last morning here, I'm shivering in a spandex unisuit as I ski fresh tracks on trails combed a mere three hours ago by a tank-like German groomer."

-- Stephanie Pearson in Outside magazine

** Are you a straight talker, or have a story to tell? Send your quotes, words or stories to mkidston@helenair.com