“Go, go, go, said the bird: human kind
Cannot bear very much reality.
Time past and time future
What might have been and what has been
Point to one end, which is always present.”
– T.S. Eliot “Four Quartets” 1943
Rain falls lightly on my living room window as I write.
In Montana, rain mostly takes place in the in-between seasons: spring and fall; an intermission before a great heat or a great freeze. For the first time in what feels like years, we are expecting snow in the mountains and valleys this weekend. For those itching to ski and ride, this will cause the first of many fevers as we anticipate carving those snakelike lines into the side of a mountain, feeling the gentle give of the layers of white fluff beneath and the pull of flight without wings.
In addition to recreation, the moisture has brought an end to something we’ve been reading about in the news all summer: drought.
From the Pacific Coast to the Rocky Mountains, much of the West was stricken by a crippling dryness this summer. A light snow year followed by early and often heat waves quickly spent many reservoirs, put pressure on local agriculture and caused state of emergency declarations from the Governor’s Office in Helena. Although it’s tough to forecast what kind of winter Montana will see this year, the rain gives me hope.
In this in-between season, this juncture of hope, we bring you a new issue of VIEWS. Inside you’ll find stories that delve deep into Big Sky’s past and that address impending growth in a coveted historic neighborhood in Bozeman. There are also stories that will keep you in the present—whether that’s ripping a new line on Lone Mountain or cozying up by the fire to wait out the current storm.
Like you may do after clipping into a pair of ski boots, we hope this winter issue allows you to look back, lean forward and enjoy the present, all at the same time.
Mira Brody
Managing Editor, VIEWS. Big Sky
