Montana is a State of Mind (Part I)

A Dispatch from Big Sky Country



I was lucky. Not only are my in-laws great folks, they also live in one the most beautiful places on Earth. I say this easily because landscapes around Troy, a berry of a town (population 1,000) in the Northwest corner of Montana, cannot be more beautiful than they already are. Nestled between steep mountains and the formidable Kootenai River, Troy is, as they like to say, a Gateway to Montana. The lowest in elevation in the whole state and surrounded by many lakes, rivers and creeks, it is a place of almost tropically lush vegetation, mostly evergreen, and equally abundant wildlife.

From the nearest big city of Spokane, WA, the road to Troy leads 140 miles across Northern Idaho, a gorgeous country in itself with many waterfront resorts and vacation spots. Crossing a state border in America is usually nothing more than passing a road sign. The scenery of Idaho, oblivious to human partitions, continues into Montana along U.S. Highway 2. Once a main line between the Eastern shores and the Pacific, the now forgotten road soon becomes narrower and curvier, traffic more sparse, mountains taller, forests thicker. You can hear the silence. Welcome to Montana.

Wild Places, Tender Hearts


The fourth largest state with millions of acres of wilderness, Montana has a population of less than a million. It is no surprise that Montanans take their right to bear arms very seriously. Seeing the might of nature around Troy, even a die-hard gun control advocate would be tempted to conclude more guns are needed here.

Federally protected grizzly bears need not worry: stiff fines and possible jail time are imposed for shooting a grizzly bear, accidentally or intentionally, no exceptions allowed. Not even in self-defense, which is particularly infuriating to nonsense-intolerant Montanans. On the bright side, they joke, you don’t need to outrun the bear, just the person you are with.

For a long time, life in Lincoln County where Troy belongs, revolved around timber, mines, railroads and dams. Eventually, heavy industries took their businesses and jobs away leaving scars on people and soil. The logging industry is now reduced to supplying lumber for trophy houses and lodges. Today’s public taste for environmental issues, while commended, often overlooks the immediate needs of small company towns like Troy and neighboring Libby. Consequently, no one dares to bring lumber mills back in spite of the extensive research in sustainable forestry urging more selective cutting.

As beauty inevitably attracts money, out of state buyers are steadily driving the real estate prices out of reach of ordinary people. Rising property taxes and a lack of employment only accelerated subdivision of existing homesteads. But, selling more land to people who in turn use their money and influence to restrict public access to waterfronts and forests is a risky business. Attacks on public domains are fiercely fought against in Montana as evident by the latest victory for the state in stopping a wealthy developer to trademark Montana’s popular slogan The Last Best Place.

When it comes to tourism, the state is actively pursuing the elusive “high-value, low-impact” visitors, primarily depicting Montana as a place of a spectacular scenic beauty but also friendly and safe.

Next: Getting Tourists without Tourism