Montana
A Field Guide to Feeling Good in Northwest Montana – Flathead Beacon
When Allie Maloney moved to the Flathead three years ago, she experienced a feeling that many newcomers and outsiders recognize all too well: profound loneliness. Her closest community of family and friends – the ones who understand her deepest self – live out of state, and she strongly felt this distance.
“I came here right before the pandemic, and I was working remotely almost from the very beginning,” Maloney explained. “I don’t have very many friends here; I don’t have very many hiking partners here. It was kind of a lonely existence.”
These past few years, Maloney has branched out into the community, hosting a “Lord of the Rings” themed Halloween get-together, throwing Hanukkah parties, and knocking on neighbors’ doors to sell sourdough and ravioli. Still, in moments when feelings of isloation take root, she turns to the outdoors for a breath of fresh air.
“The more I can go outside, the better,” she said.
However, there’s a distinction between loneliness and solitude, and Maloney’s new book – the 94-page “Northwest Montana Field Journal” – encourages readers to overcome the former and embrace the latter. The book helps readers deepen their sense of place and self by being alone in nature, no matter their outdoor skill level.
“It gives you a way to be by yourself, be outdoors, and have a reason for doing it,” Maloney said. “Whether you’re visiting or you’re a local, you can speed up your connection to nature and develop your sense of place quicker through journaling and doing activities.”
At first sight, the book’s front cover – inky blue with fiery-orange hues of a Montana sunset behind the outline of a looming mountain range – appears mysterious, even unassuming. Inside, the journal features troves of colorful, whimsical depictions of hundreds of living things – from an iconic 400-pound black bear to the often-overlooked Camas wildflower. The drawings are all accompanied with thought-provoking do-it-yourself style reflection exercises.
Maloney has worked as an outdoor education instructor and wilderness guide for years in the Pacific Northwest, so this journal bridges her two biggest loves – art and the outdoors. However, she shared that she’s encountered unexpected challenges with recreating in the Flathead.
“The hard part is finding the motivation to do it alone, or when the weather isn’t great, or when you don’t know where you’re going,” Maloney said. “It’s always hard for me if I haven’t been to a trailhead before and I’m going alone.”
If Maloney feels intimidated to explore new spots on her own, she imagines that the feelings of hesitancy and unfamiliarity are tenfold for those without formal wilderness training. She hopes that the book’s outdoor exercises, along with delightful drawings like a playful yellow-bellied marmot wearing a wizard cape and whimsical rufous hummingbird delivering a letter in its beak, can help bridge that gap to make recreation feel more inviting.
Maloney’s journal also revolves around the assumption that for most people, a blank canvas is not the best vehicle for introspection. In fact, for those hoping to make sense of their thoughts or discover new parts of their inner selves, opening a book to meet the intimidating stare of an empty white page can be discouraging, even isolating.
“The Northwest Montana Field Journal” instead works towards the lofty goal of helping people reflect by giving them exercises to complete, prompts to contemplate, and quotes to consider. It’s intentionally designed so anyone can open the book anytime, to any page they choose and begin their unique journey without the help of a guide or instructor.
“My brain is really good at coming up with ideas, seeing things, asking questions, and then thinking about how to teach them or how to inspire people to ask questions and be creative,” Maloney said. “The journal helps people write in a way that isn’t intimidating, that isn’t the blank page.”
Maloney’s passion for her work and care with which she embarks on every little drawing and exercise shines through in the final product. Page 34 guides readers through the process of writing a letter to their future selves, with a maroon and yellow morning clock butterfly serving as the metaphorical pilot and a carefully chosen William Shakespeare quote becoming a source of inspiration. Page 26 encourages readers to reflect on challenges they’ve faced and how they overcame them; page 42 invites them to take a break from thinking by coloring; page 22 beckons them to memorialize an important moment in their lives while looking at Maloney’s drawing of Crater Lake’s mesmerizing shores. And for those simply looking to learn, pages 58 onwards contain troves of information about the iconic species of animals, plants, and fungi who call Northwest Montana home.
“If visitors buy this field journal, they will be better visitors because woven in is lots of messages about how to be a respectful visitor, understand the history and context of being here, and leave no trace,” Maloney said.
Maloney also considers her journal an antidote to the intensity of Montana hiking culture among locals. To her, being in nature can, and should, mean different things to different audiences.
“The void for locals is understanding that you don’t just need to go to Glacier,” Maloney added. “It doesn’t have to be a big suffer-fest; it doesn’t have to be 100 miles. Even if you just go visit the free Forest Service campgrounds, rental or service cabins, try to find the lakes that are going to be the emptiest or visit the quietest bits of nature all around even if they’re not the most scenic – it helps give us reasons to go out.”
To this end, creating the book helped Maloney deepen her own sense of place and connection to her new home in Northwest Montana. Her process of artistic creation requires both holing up in her den drawing, outlining, and researching as well as getting outside and exploring. This taught her more than she ever expected to learn about the Flathead. She’s been able to take that knowledge to new artistic endeavors – like her most recent poster displaying the Flathead’s poisonous mushrooms.
“I haven’t drawn every species that exists here, but I’ve drawn maybe 50% – if we don’t count insects,” she laughs.
While Maloney’s book itself is full of information about the many species of plants, animals, and fungi in the Flathead, it presents the information in an easily digestible manner. For instance, along with an in-depth description of the bark of the ponderosa pine, also comes a way for someone with no wilderness experience to easily identify it.
“It’s very curated; it’s supposed to be very helpful; it’s supposed to be very unintimidating,” Maloney said. “It’s supposed to get you one level deeper into nature-nerd, without feeling like you have to be able to read a scientific dichotomous key and have a scientific vocabulary.”
Everybody loves and wants to learn more about bears and mountain goats; but Maloney also drew upon her own wilderness experience to educate about the “less exciting” plants and fungi. When writing about the Glacier Lily, rather than delving into the flower’s complicated taxonomy, Maloney chose to highlight its edibleness and the best way to prepare it.
“My specialty within the wilderness community is food and rations and teaching people how to feed themselves and keep themselves going beyond just ‘food for fuel’,” Maloney said. “I love plants, I love foraging, and teaching people what they can eat and what things are called. So that’s a weird thread that ties my outdoor experience with some of the art.”
While creating the art and drawing connections between organisms and people’s daily lives is the most nurturing and inviting part of the book, “Northwest Montana Field Journal” is also deeply rooted in science. The sort of “first rendition” of the book was Maloney’s graduate school thesis, the “Adirondack Field Journal.” The master’s-degree level exercises that Maloney developed years ago made their way into the new book.
“Every page of that journal had to have some scientific basis behind it to prove my thesis, which was that you can connect to nature through journaling,” Maloney said. “We know that sense of place is really good for your mental health and physical health. When you live in a place, your sense of place develops over time. This journal helps you feel more connected to the place you are in.”
“The Northwest Montana Field Journal” has become more than just an homage to Maloney’s new home – it’s been used by crew leaders in organizations like the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation as a reference guide for species identification.
While she’s excited that professionals are using her book, Maloney posits that the journal can also serve those who don’t have a relationship with nature at all, as people can use it to cultivate their fondness over time. Maloney herself is proof that being outdoors is not always love at first sight.
“When I was little, I was such a reluctant outdoor child,” Maloney said. “I really didn’t like bugs. And now I do it professionally and I like being outdoors and bugs don’t bother me at all.”
Ultimately, Maloney hopes that the journal can appeal even more broadly, beyond the borders of Montana, to make outdoor experiences more accessible worldwide.
“It’s incredibly universal,” Maloney said. “All of the drawings and information in the back is Northwest Montana, but the actual journaling activities could be done anywhere by anyone and serve the same purpose. My hope is that if you’re a visitor, you could start it while you’re here, but you could keep filling it out and documenting your adventures elsewhere.”
But creating the book was only the first step. Putting this journal (as well as Maloney’s many other products, such as her other book, “A Northwest Montana Alphabet,” and dozens of prints, postcards, stickers, posters, and clothing) out into the world requires tremendous vulnerability. Most of her high moments in this process have arrived when she’s working at craft markets, where she gets to connect with buyers and see the variety of people who feel a connection to her artwork. It’s a simultaneously rewarding and heartbreaking process.
“I really like seeing the dads who get really excited about it,” Maloney said. “I’ve had young dudes and ladies, grandparents, parents, a lot of locals and tourists, and a lot of queer people come and buy it. I think that immediately they notice that it’s accepting and written in an inclusive way.”
Recently, the Salish Kootenai College bought 50 copies of her book for a course, providing a small but shining spark of encouragement. The lows have been trying to connect with bookstores and shops owners. She said that constantly selling and pitching herself takes an emotional toll.
“It has been pretty discouraging,” Maloney said. “Overall, it’s like you go into a store, you try to find out the buyer or the owner and give them an example of your book. They’re not there, so you come back 20 times, they’re still not there.”
With the many ups and down of selling her products, Maloney is especially appreciative of the stability that comes with the other branch of her work – collaborations with local businesses and nonprofits. Most recently, she completed a project with the Flathead Trails Association to create a comprehensive guide to the Flathead Valley’s recreational opportunities.
The map itself is beautiful and inviting, showcasing colorful depictions of people recreating in a dozen different ways – from biking to hiking to snowboarding. Major Flathead landmarks are clearly designated, and accompanied with simple, one-sentence-long descriptions of their history. Yes, it’s a functional guide, but it’s also so artistic that it could easily find its way framed up on a wall or pasted into a scrapbook.
“The goal was to inspire rather than tell people where all the trails are,” Maloney said. “It’s definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I love doing these collaborations; and I know immediately it has an end goal and I’m going to send it out into the world.”
Art and work have become increasingly synonymous in Maloney’s life, which for many creative people can be complicated and lead to burnout. However, Maloney has taken care to keep her spark for the outdoors and excitement to create artwork alive in her everyday life.
“I can’t help side questing and trying new things,” Maloney said. “For many years, I’ve tried to learn how to make something new every year. In the past, it’s been felting or mosaics or quilting. This year I’m making bandanas. I don’t have to get good at it, but I do try something new.”
Maloney’s approach to creating new art without the pressure to excel, or even be good at all, mirrors how she hopes readers interact with her journal.
“You don’t need to do anything epic in order to have a really meaningful moment outside. You deserve to be here, be part of this place and there’s always more you can learn.”
Brian Miller won the Democratic primary Tuesday for the U.S. House seat in Montana’s eastern district.
The Associated Press called the race for Miller, an attorney in Helena, who fended off a challenge from state Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, a longtime legislator from Box Elder, and Sam Lux, a farrier from Great Falls.
In the Republican and rural eastern district, any Democrat will be an underdog, and Miller will face off against incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Troy Downing, who was unopposed Tuesday.
Libertarian Patrick McCracken is also running.
In the primary, Miller took 58% of the vote. Lux took 27% and Windy Boy took 16%, according to the Montana Secretary of State’s website.
In April, Windy Boy paused his campaign amid “serious sexual abuse” allegations raised by the Montana Democratic Party — but Windy Boy restarted his campaign and later called the allegations “political attacks.”
Miller is representing the victim of the alleged abuse and her mother, although he said he didn’t take on the role until after Windy Boy initially suspended his campaign.
The Western Montana Food and Farm Trail, a new agritourism initiative led by Farm Connect Montana, launches May 30, offering locals and visitors a new kind of food and farm adventure across Western Montana.
Running June 1 through October 31, the self-guided Trail spans more than 200 miles and features more than 100 farms, ranches, farmers markets, restaurants, breweries and food businesses across the Missoula, Bitterroot, Flathead and Mission Valleys. Along the way, participants are invited to meet growers and makers, taste what’s in season and experience the culture and care behind Western Montana’s local food community.
At the center of the experience is the passport-style Trail Field Guide, illustrated by Missoula-based artist Courtney Blazon. The guide features illustrated maps, curated itineraries, seasonal highlights and more than 100 local food destinations throughout the region. The guide also includes more than $130 in special offers from participating farms and businesses.
Participants can collect stamps at Trail stops along the way to qualify for prizes, giveaways, or simply as a way to document their journey. End-of-season prizes include raffles for three CSA memberships valued at over $600 each, as well as local food and farm gift certificates, product bundles and Courtney Blazon-designed market totes.
The Trail is a regional collaboration led by Farm Connect Montana in partnership with Land to Hand Montana, The O’Hara Commons and Sustainability Center and Abundant Montana, organizations working to strengthen local food systems across Western Montana. The project aims to support local farms and food businesses through expanded visibility and agritourism opportunities while reconnecting locals and visitors with the people, places and stories behind their food.
“In creating the Western Montana Food & Farm Trail, we hope to inspire both residents and travelers to discover the stories behind their food and connect with the people cultivating a more vibrant, resilient and locally rooted food community,” said Bonnie Buckingham, Executive Director of Farm Connect Montana. “Participation in the Trail is a win for everyone. It creates new opportunities for farms and local food businesses to reach wider audiences while encouraging participants to explore new places, support local producers and experience Western Montana in a more meaningful way.”
“Land to Hand is thrilled to partner with Farm Connect on the Food and Farm Trail to highlight the robust agricultural heritage of Western Montana,” said Gretchen Boyer, Executive Director of Land to Hand Montana. “This initiative is more than just a guide – it’s an invitation to celebrate and support the local farmers who nourish our communities every day. By connecting residents and visitors directly to the source, we’re strengthening our local food system and honoring the people and landscapes that sustain the Flathead Valley.”
To celebrate the launch, regional Trail launch parties will take place in Missoula, the Bitterroot Valley and the Flathead Valley throughout early June, featuring Field Guide distribution, local food vendors, giveaways and opportunities to learn more about the Trail.
Trail Field Guides ($10) will be available for purchase beginning May 30 both online and at participating businesses, farmers markets and community locations throughout the region. A full list of Field Guide purchase locations and details, as well as a digital map and Trail listings, special events and more information is available at farmconnectmontana.org/trail.
Funding for this project was made possible through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service.
Regional launch events
• Missoula Launch Party — LaLonde Ranch, Sun., June 7, 1-4 p.m.
• Bitterroot Launch Party — O’Hara Commons Market, Wed., June 10, 4-6 p.m.
• Flathead Launch Party — Backslope Brewing, Tue., June 16, 4-7:30 p.m.
An “I voted” sign points to a Vote Center on June 1 in Los Angeles.
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Six states — California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, South Dakota and New Mexico — hold elections on Tuesday. Most of the attention is on California and Iowa, where there are competitive primaries for governor. In both states, the Democratic Party also sees a road map to control of Congress in the fall.
In California’s unique primary system, voters send the top two vote-getters to November’s general election, regardless of candidates’ political parties. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is term limited, and California voters will also pick who should move on to the general election in five new Democratic-leaning congressional districts.
In Iowa, Democratic voters will choose a candidate in a key Senate race — the Republican in the race is already the de facto nominee. In order to win a majority in the Senate, Democrats must pick up four seats, forcing the party to win in Republican-leaning states like Iowa. For governor, the race is the first good chance Democrats have to win the office in years, but Republicans still need to select their nominee.
Here are key races to follow:
Or skip to specific races:
California governor | California U.S. House | Iowa governor | Iowa U.S. Senate | New Jersey and Montana
You can also check out June 2 voter resources from the NPR network.
California decides top two gubernatorial contenders
It’s been a chaotic scramble to pick the next leader of the country’s largest state. After three prominent Democrats — former Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Alex Padilla and state Attorney General Rob Bonta — decided not to run, Democratic voters haven’t had a clear front-runner for the first time in decades. Voters have more than 60 candidates to choose from, but only a fraction of those are considered serious contenders. Only the top two vote-getters will move on to the general election in November.
California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra hugs a supporter at the Long Beach Arena on May 31 in Long Beach, Calif.
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The race got a shakeup when former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, the presumed favorite, dropped out of the race after he was accused of sexual misconduct by several women. Most recently, polls show the contest could be between two Democrats — the Health and Human Services secretary under former President Joe Biden, Xavier Becerra, and billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer.
Before Becerra was appointed to Biden’s Cabinet, he served 12 terms in Congress and was elected as the California attorney general in 2016. He’s considered by many as the candidate with the strongest political background. Becerra’s pitch is that he is a proven leader who can hold his own and protect California from President Trump.
Steyer has forked over more than $213 million of his own fortune on the race and is also financially backed by Our Revolution, a group aligned with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Steyer’s platform is centered on taking a stand against special-interest groups in politics.
Polling just a few points behind Becerra and Steyer is Republican Steve Hilton. The former Fox News host was endorsed by President Trump in April, after which Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, another Republican in the race, quickly dropped in the polls. Hilton’s platform focuses on increasing affordable housing supply for first-time homebuyers, bolstering tech industries and reviving California’s film industry.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer speaks with students during a Get the Youth Vote with Bruin Democrats event at UCLA’s campus on June 1 in Los Angeles, Calif.
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The outcome of California’s new congressional districts
In response to Texas redrawing its congressional lines to create five Republican-leaning districts at the behest of President Trump, Californians approved Proposition 50 in November last year. The measure temporarily sidestepped the independent redistricting commission tasked with drawing nonpartisan influenced congressional boundaries, in favor of politically gerrymandered districts. That allowed state Democrats to redraw their map so five previously Republican-held districts now lean Democratic.
This has left those Republican incumbents figuring out their political futures. Rep. Ken Calvert, the longest-serving Republican from California, and Rep. Young Kim are running in the same district, for example, in a race that’s gotten quite heated.
Then there’s Rep. Kevin Kiley. After being drawn into a much more Democratic-leaning district, he decided to run in a new seat and announced he was leaving the Republican Party and running as an independent instead, though Kiley said would still caucus with the Republicans.
Because of California’s primary system, some of these more competitive seats are creating competitive primaries between Democrats, allowing primary voters to signal to the party what kinds of candidates speak to them most in places that have the most to lose — and gain.
Iowa’s GOP gubernatorial primary
Iowa Republican voters could decide the party’s nominee for governor in the state’s first open race for the office since 2011, as sitting Gov. Kim Reynolds opted not to run for reelection.
With five Republicans on Tuesday’s ballot, Rep. Randy Feenstra is the only one endorsed by Trump. The race will test whether Trump’s endorsement holds weight in a state where his approval rating has slipped over the economy and the war in Iran. Feenstra’s lead may be declining, as one recent poll shows political newcomer and Iowa businessman Zach Lahn could have a shot at winning the GOP primary.
There is a good chance, though, that Iowans won’t know the outcome of the race on Tuesday because a candidate must secure 35% of the vote to win outright. If no one clears that threshold, the nominee will be decided at a Republican convention where delegates — not primary voters — make the final choice.
But the Republican-backed candidate isn’t a shoo-in come November. Cook Political Report categorizes the governor’s race as a toss-up with a slight Republican advantage. Whatever Republican wins on Tuesday will face unopposed Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand in the general election. Sand is popular among voters and has, so far, outraised any other candidate for governor.
Democrats look to flip Iowa Senate seat
Democratic voters in Iowa will pick which candidate they think has the best shot at beating the Republican nominee for Senate, expected to be Trump-endorsed Rep. Ashley Hinson, on Tuesday. This is a seat that Democrats believe they have a shot at flipping come November. It’s part of a larger strategy of expanding their map — and winning in states currently held by Republican senators — if they want a chance to retake the Senate majority.
Iowa Democrats have a choice between state Rep. Josh Turek and state Sen. Zach Wahls. Both candidates are courting different Iowa voters, though. Turek is vying for the independent-leaning vote, while Wahls is hoping to gain the support from committed Democrats. Turek flipped a state House district held by a Republican, while Wahls represents a Senate district that is solidly blue. Both argue they are the candidate who has the right message to win in November.
And with three competitive congressional races on the ballot, some Democrats in the state are feeling like the road to a Democratic majority in Congress runs through Iowa.
Looking beyond Tuesday
New Jersey and Montana also have competitive races that could decide which party has control of Congress.
In New Jersey, all eyes are on Congressional District 7. Four Democrats are hoping to oust Republican Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. The sitting congressman has been notably absent from Washington for weeks due to what Kean cites as unspecified medical issues. He has missed more than 100 House votes since his last recorded vote on March 5.
Two races in Montana may be more competitive than originally expected with the last-minute announcements — shortly before the filing deadline — by Republicans, Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Ryan Zinke, that neither would seek reelection.
While an open Senate seat does not make Montana, which has long been considered a Republican stronghold, necessarily competitive for Democrats, an independent candidate is outraising candidates in both major parties. Seth Bodnar, Iraq war veteran and former president of the University of Montana, is hoping voters will send him instead, mostly on the message that he won’t work for either party and is focused on changing the direction America is heading. In Bodnar’s case, he has enough voter signatures to land himself on the November ballot, but the Montana Secretary of State’s Office hasn’t yet certified those signatures.
Democrats are working to flip Montana’s 1st Congressional District as well. When Zinke announced he was retiring from Congress, it was seen as an opening for Democrats to compete. Now, four Democrats are angling for the open seat, including front-runner Sam Forstag, a smokejumper who is endorsed by popular progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
June 2 voter resources from the NPR Network
California | Iowa | Montana | New Jersey | New Mexico | South Dakota
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