Outdoors on The Bozeman Daily Bee

First snowfall reported in parking lot of REI, locals begin base layer rotation

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 07:52:10 +0000

A light dusting was observed on the windshield of a Subaru Outback at the REI parking lot on North 19th Tuesday morning, prompting immediate speculation about an early opening at Bridger Bowl. The snow melted by 9:45 a.m. but not before three separate group chats were activated.

“Conditions are shaping up,” said Dale Henderlong, 42, applying storage wax to his touring setup in his garage on Durston Road. “Can’t be too prepared. Last year I waited until November and the skin track was already crowded by 7 a.m.” Henderlong has lived in Bozeman since 2019 and considers himself a veteran of at least two real winters.

Hyalite parking lot expands into meadow that was parking lot five years ago

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 06:39:18 +0000

The Forest Service completed phase three of the Hyalite Canyon parking expansion last Tuesday. The new lot covers what regulars still call the lower meadow, though regulars now park in phase two and walk ten minutes to the trailhead.

“I remember when this was all just cars parked in the grass,” said Dale Henderickson, 42, adjusting his pack at the History Rock trailhead. “Now it’s paved. With lines. And a vault toilet that smells like a vault toilet.” He has been hiking Hyalite since 2011, which makes him a local by most definitions.

New trailhead ambassadors at Hyalite mostly just watch the moose eat the kiosk landscaping

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 09:02:40 +0000

The Forest Service deployed six volunteer trailhead ambassadors to the Hyalite Canyon corridor last weekend. They wear sage-green vests. They carry maps. They have a checklist that includes “greet visitors,” “share Leave No Trace principles,” and “monitor parking compliance.”

Marge Haskins, 72, stationed at the Grotto Falls lot by 7 a.m., said she handed out twelve dog-poop bags and one stern look to a golden retriever off leash. The retriever did not appear chastened. “People mean well,” Haskins said. “They just forget this isn’t a city park. The moose doesn’t read the signs.”

Fairy lake parking lot achieves full carrying capacity by 6:14 AM, ranger confirms

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 09:56:14 +0000

The Fairy Lake trailhead reached maximum vehicle occupancy at 6:14 AM Tuesday, according to Gallatin National Forest ranger Dale Harnish, who has worked the Booth Creek entrance station for twelve summers and says the only thing that arrives earlier is the dust.

“We had a Sprinter van with Colorado plates idling at the gate at 4:47,” Harnish said, stirring instant coffee in a enamel mug that has seen three administrations. “Driver asked if he could ‘secure a spot for the weekend.’ I told him this isn’t a timeshare presentation. He said his app showed availability.”

Moose takes up residence in Hyalite trailhead port-a-potty, hikers unfazed

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:02:50 +0000

A bull moose has been spending his mornings in the handicap-accessible port-a-potty at the Hyalite Canyon trailhead, and regulars say he keeps it cleaner than most weekend users.

The moose, estimated at 1,100 pounds and unbothered by human concepts of privacy, arrived three weeks ago and has shown no interest in the other facilities. He prefers the one with the handrail.

“He’s got a routine,” said Dale Henderickson, 54, of Belgrade, who has been hiking the Palisade Falls trail every Tuesday since 2003. “Shows up around 6:30, settles in until the tour buses hit at nine. Then he moves to the shade by the creek. Polite about it. Doesn’t even knock the toilet paper over.”

M trail parking lot full by 5:47 AM as hikers attempt to beat crowds they are

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 10:23:07 +0000

The M Trail parking lot reached capacity at 5:47 AM Tuesday, according to the Forest Service counter installed last spring and the three Subarus idling with headlights off beside the kiosk. By 6:15, a line of headlamps stretched up the switchbacks like a slow-moving constellation. Everyone interviewed said they came early to avoid the crowds.

“I got here at 5:30 and there were already twelve cars,” said Dale Henderickson, 34, who moved to Bozeman in 2019 and works remotely for a Denver software firm. “Unreal. It used to be empty at this hour. I remember in twenty-twenty you had the whole mountain to yourself.” Henderickson was wearing a headlamp, a Patagonia Capilene hoodie, and carried a Nalgene stickered with the logo of a brewery that opened in 2021.

Hyalite parking lot achieves wilderness designation after third hour of waiting

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:42:23 +0000

The Forest Service announced Tuesday that the Hyalite Reservoir parking area has officially met the criteria for wilderness character after visitors reported sitting in their vehicles for three hours without seeing another human being move.

“It was profound,” said Brenda Calloway of Four Corners, who arrived at 6:45 a.m. with two paddleboards and a cooler. “By 9:30, the Subaru next to me hadn’t shifted an inch. Total solitude. I didn’t see a single other soul get out of their car. Just us, the aspens, and the collective idle of forty-eight engines.”

Hyalite shuttle adds Three minutes to commute, locals consider moving to Belgrade

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 14:43:18 +0000

The new Hyalite Canyon shuttle pilot program launched Monday, removing forty-seven parking spots from the main trailhead and replacing them with a bus that runs every twenty minutes. Forest Service officials say the system will reduce congestion by twelve percent and give the meadow a chance to breathe.

“I drove up at 5:30 a.m. and the lot was already full,” said Marnie Cuthbert, 34, who has hiked Hyalite every Tuesday since 2019. “Now I have to park at the Gateway Center and ride a bus with my trekking poles. It adds three minutes. Three minutes, Chuck. I don’t have three minutes.”