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the green o Brings the Outdoors In and the Indoors Out

Maybe you read “To Build a Fire” during middle school, the Jack London American classic about a man who falls asleep in the snow? Short story made shorter:  It doesn’t end well, for the man or his dog. So if staying overnight inside a frigid Montana forest frightens you, that’s understandable. But let us put your mind at ease. This is a tale with a very happy plot.

Staying at the green o is the stuff of blissful dreams.

Imagine you’re snuggled inside an ultra-sleek snow globe, while powdery flakes fall all around you. Picture yourself watching winter’s night sky from your big, fluffy bed or nibbling on s’mores after an adventurous dogsledding ride.

Paws Up Ranch’s newest resort lets you luxuriate in nature 365 nights a year.

Starting in 2021, the green o will provide visitors the ultimate in wintry getaways with 12 secluded Haus accommodations. It’s a “new level of glamping®,” says Paws Up and the green o owner Laurence Lipson, and it offers guests exclusivity and privacy surrounded by beautiful swaying pines. “The juxtaposition of an architectural and design-forward property in a remote timberland setting really hasn’t been done in the U.S.,” Lipson continues. “When coupled with exceptional service, cuisine and full access to everything Paws Up has to offer, it’s truly a singular experience unmatched by any other property in the world.”

It’s an experience that includes access to hundreds of miles of trails perfect for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing and a multitude of winter wilderness adventures like downhill tubing and ice skating.

For dining, guests at the green o have exclusive access to the Social Haus, a lounge, restaurant and bar in a unique, wooded setting. And because of the green o’s convenient location, guests can also choose to dine at any of Paws Up’s inspired restaurants and dining locations, as well as participate in all of Paws Up’s myriad events throughout the year.

Let’s close the book on any worries about overnight travel up here in the country’s northern reaches. A new chapter is about to begin, and you can be among its very first protagonists.

Introducing Our Very First Story Contest

Speaking of literature, we’ve been creating these splashy Adventure Journals for three years now. It’s been a labor of love, and we’d love to share that feeling with you. So far, we’ve written about everything from constellations in the night sky to trends in Western fashion and what goes into the perfect s’more.

Now it’s your turn.

Tell us what you’d like to read about in our 2021 Summer Adventure Journal. lf we choose your subject, we’ll send you a $100 Paws Up gift card, which you can use at The Resort during your next stay. And if you go ahead and write the story yourself, we’ll feature your name in the byline. Get brainstorming now!

Submit your ideas on or before December 1, 2020. Go to this webpage: go.pawsup.com/StoryContest2021 and fill out the form. We can’t wait to read over your great story ideas! See contest rules for details.

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New This Winter at Paws Up: Blast Mountain

Whether it’s the swoosh of your snow tube shooting down a run, the whirring sound of blades against rock-hard ice or the snap of a sporting clay being hit in midair, the sounds of winter come alive at Paws Up. Here, the landscape is filled with the kind of excitement that turns snow days into playdates.

One gathering spot for good times is Blast Mountain Tubing and Ice Skating Park, The Resort’s new wonderland within a wonderland. Experience the thrill of the ride when you fly down each chute, bouncing and bobbing on your inflatable tube, reaching heart-racing speeds and occasionally catching air. The kids will holler with glee as they take on banked curves and long stretches before gliding to a stop. And if climbing in snow boots isn’t your thing, grab a towrope and let it whisk you back up.

Don’t forget to lace up your skates for some laps and twirls and (if you dare) leaps. If you want to bring out your competitive side on the ice, head back to the rink just behind the Cook Shack to join a game of curling or broom hockey. At Blast Mountain, figure skaters have the smooth, glassy ice all to themselves.

To warm up, head to the clubhouse for hot chocolate and snacks, plus beer and wine for the grown-ups.

ANOTHER KIND OF BLAST

After visiting Blast Mountain, one option to round out your day is on the other side of the mountain. Test your shooting skills with a sporting clays adventure on a course specially designed to resemble real-life field conditions. Difficult yet fun, our scenic stations will give your sporting side an exhilarating challenge. Just take aim and get your pulse pumping. You’ll have plenty of time to relax before dinner.

With Montana’s reliable late-December snowfall, Blast Mountain and sporting clays are two of many reasons Paws Up makes for an epic Winter Break getaway. Plan your whole trip at go.pawsup.com/winter-break.

IF IT HAPPENS ON SNOW, WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED.

From dogsledding and snowmobiling to snowshoeing, we may have thought of everything.

Up for some downhill?

A short drive away is one of Montana’s best ski resorts, Snowbowl, where you can schuss down 2,600 vertical feet. The Whitefish and Lost Trail ski areas are also near Paws Up. Around here, your skiing and snowboarding choices are endless. After the scenic ride back to The Resort, treat yourself to a relaxing soak in your luxury vacation home’s hot tub while watching more powder fall from the sky.

SKI Magazine calls skiing in Montana “Uncrowded. Unspoiled. Unbelievable.” And snow lovers at Paws Up are simply unstoppable.

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Under All That Glittering Snow, A Culinary Paradise

How does Pomp, buried under winter’s blanket in tiny Greenough, Montana, keep carving out a reputation for dining excellence? Paws Up Executive Chef Sunny Jin takes a collaborative mindset to work each day. “Staying set in our ways would plateau creativity,” he said. “Our guests are often the strongest voices guiding our food, giving us foresight into a more valuable dining experience.”

Innovation is also a necessity when the cooking features local, seasonal ingredients. “Winter is where I find my best moments. Simple preparations open a new world of opportunity,” Jin said. In wintertime, for example, it’s the long, slow braises that are close to Jin’s heart: “When you devote yourself to a one-pot dish and its components, it teaches you to focus on the ingredients and timing for a meal that is both simple and rewarding.”

While Jin’s masterful elk short ribs, dry-aged bison ribeye and Rocky Mountain trout have been among past winters’ culinary wonders, beef is always a centerpiece. At its heart, Paws Up is a cattle ranch. And this season, some of that beef is special indeed.

“We’ve received our very first cuts of Wagyu beef from our Paws Up Ranch,” Jin said. Which means diners can expect exquisite portions that are highly marbled, ultra-tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Out here in the wilderness of fine dining, creativity often snowballs from one area of the kitchen to another. “Every Paws Up family member, and I mean everyone, is encouraged to throw ideas on the chopping block,” Jin noted. Rest assured, once an idea is born, it will be cultivated by a true master.

WINE SPECTATOR POURS ON THE ACCOLADES: POMP EARNS AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

It may seem unusual for Wine Spectator to honor a Montana establishment with its prestigious Best of Award of Excellence. But, considering the carefully curated vintages and labels at Pomp, it’s really not surprising. In awarding Paws Up’s fine dining restaurant, Wine Spectator noted the menu’s particular strength in California wines as well as its strong showings from illustrious Burgundy, Piedmont and Champagne vineyards.

Guests visiting during our annual WinterFest culinary weekend (February 12–15, 2021) will get a special viticultural treat: sipping alongside Lynn and Ron Penner-Ash, cofounders of Willamette Valley’s Penner-Ash Wine Cellars.

THE HOLIDAYS ARE SWEETER WITH CHEF AMANDA ROCKMAN.

Here’s one creature we love to have stirring: Chef Amanda Rockman will be joining us December 24–26 for her fifth trip to Paws Up. And each time she visits, she brings bubbling energy and a joy for baking.

“Really, what I try and do is give people of all ages skills they can use to get creative in the kitchen. If they’re going to take the time to come and talk with me, I want to feed them useful nuggets to take home,” she said.

And those nuggets she offers are decorated with kudos. A James Beard Award finalist and two-time Jean Banchet Pastry Chef of the Year, her pastry chef skills are admired from Chicago to Austin.

What’s she looking forward to this time? “It’s super fun to watch the kids,” Rockman said. “How they decorate their cookies. Some are so methodical about how they decorate each cookie … and some just dump the sprinkles on top and smile big.”

When she’s not whipping up flour-y goodies for Paws Up guests, you’ll find Rockman cuddled up in a dogsled making a mess of the snow.

To join Rockman over Christmas this year, start by visiting go.pawsup.com/holiday­treats for more info.

In the meantime, enjoy her recipe for sugar cookies.

Amanda Rockman’s Holiday Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

INGREDIENTS

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon oat milk

2 teaspoons vanilla paste

2 eggs

 

ICING

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

Food coloring and gel as desired

DIRECTIONS

Cookies:

In a medium-size bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and nutmeg. Set aside.

Using an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar and sea salt until light and fluffy. Add oat milk and vanilla paste. Add eggs, one at time, and scrape bowl after each addition. Gradually spoon flour mixture in, beating on low speed until dough is smooth and well-blended.

Turn dough out on work surface. Cut dough in half and shape each portion into a compact disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 325F. Unwrap 1 dough disk and roll on lightly floured work surface to 1/4-inch thickness (lightly coat rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking). Cut into chosen shapes and place 2 inches apart on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate cookies on baking sheets for 5 to 10 minutes to help them keep their shape when baked.

Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Cool cookies completely on wire racks, about 20 minutes. Repeat process with remaining dough.

Icing:

In a medium bowl, combine sugar and liquid until smooth. Add more sugar or milk as needed for desired consistency For outline icing, you want a consistency that will keep its shape; for the flooding icing, you want looser so that it can fill in the shape. Apply gel food coloring and extract for flavor.

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This Year Could Use a Little Magic

Have you congratulated yourself lately? You’ve nearly made it through 2020, and that was no small task. If you have kids at home, you’ve accomplished the nearly impossible—virtual schooling—while virtually working! Maybe you adopted a puppy to provide the family with extra comfort and entertainment. You’ve done your best during a time when nothing has gone according to plan.

You’re invited to stick around after the holidays to make The Resort your home away from home. Paws Up now offers the ultimate in remote learning and working, with uber-fast Wi-Fi, inspiring work-and-study spaces, in-home dining and personalized shopping. Just ask your Reservations specialist about extended stays.

The year’s not over yet, and we have some plans in mind that you can actually keep. Plans like ice skating, snow tubing and snowmobile runs, followed by festive drinks around the fire. Cookie baking with a master pastry chef. Rocking out to a live band. Opening presents in your beautifully decorated wilderness home, and even getting a visit from Santa. There’s still plenty of room for magic this year with a holiday visit to The Resort at Paws Up. Not only can you continue your favorite holiday traditions, but you’ll make lots of new ones, as well. Who knows—after coming to our winter wonderland this year, your family may not want to spend another Christmas without sleigh rides and Cow Croquet. Or spend another New Year’s Eve without fireworks and a midnight dip in your hot tub underneath the twinkling sky.

Join us for a holiday season that will renew your spirits and officially hit the refresh button for a better new year. Oh, and that puppy you adopted earlier this year? She’s more than welcome to come, too.

Wondering about our Winter Wonderland?

You’ve heard the phrase “It’s a dry heat!” But what about a dry cold? With lower humidity along with low temperatures, western Montana’s average winter day makes for a surprisingly comfortable setting to let loose during all those awesome activities.

December Average Temperatures:                                                       December Average Snow Depth:

High 37°F                                                                                                                      5″

Low 25°F

January Average Temperatures:                                                             January Average Snow Depth:

High 40° F                                                                                                                     8″

Low 27° F

February Average Temperatures:                                                          February Average Snow Depth:
High 42°                                                                                                                       7″

Low 26°

Then again, Montana’s anything but average.

The Big Sky creates unrivaled snowflakes.

Back in 1887, people claimed to witness 15-inch snowflakes falling from the sky in Fort Keogh, Montana. Think they needed helmets instead of wool hats?

Montana has its ups and downs.

On January 11, 1980, the temperature in Great Falls, Montana, rose from –32°F to 15°F in just seven minutes, marking the most rapid temperature change ever registered in the U.S.

Sometimes winter can’t wait till December.

Last September, Missoula broke the previous record set in 1934 for all-time September snowfall with

1.6 inches of snow.

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How to Stay Centered in an Off-Kilter World? Observe.

It may not help you levitate, but the number of people meditating these days is soaring. According to the Washington Post, apps like Headspace saw a huge spike in usage during the first half of the year. On the very likely chance that trend will continue, we thought we’d learn more about meditation from Paws Up’s resident expert on the subject, Spa and Wellness Director Laura Russell-Nygard.

As she tells us, “The human mind is undeniably a powerful tool. Not only can it control our internal world but also our external world. And so, the purpose of meditation is simple:  to carefully observe one’s mind.” The benefits are almost a side effect.

Meditation brings about lots of benefits, in fact, such as the ability to lower stress levels, better feelings of connection with yourself and loved ones, improve focus and reduce brain chatter (all those voices in our head need a break, too). It can also help us achieve a better understanding of pain, which can be both mental and physical.

One of the most helpful benefits of meditation in times like ours is an improved ability to acknowledge and deal with anxiety. “And that’s something you’ll find in all areas of your life, whether it’s worrying about what to make for dinner or the current state of the world. We all deal with anxiety in different ways and on different levels,”  explains Russell-Nygard.

Meditation helps reduce anxiety by allowing you to slow down and view the world (and yourself) without judgment, which makes it possible to reduce worrying thoughts and bring about a feeling of balance, calm and focus. “All it takes is a five- or 30-minute practice. The whole idea is to give yourself time to quiet your mind while you focus on getting into a space where you can greet the day with a more positive and open-minded outlook,” she says. And you can do it anywhere and also any time. Anyone, at any age or stage in life, can do it.

Whether you’re sitting in a comfortable chair at home or finding a place out among the 37,000 acres here at Paws Up, there’s no better time than the present to begin. All that matters is that you’ve found a space where you can focus your mind and bring your attention to your daily purpose.

Through mindfulness, your meditation practice can develop into a deeper experience, purposely bringing your attention to an experience occurring in the present moment.

Get started by downloading one of the many apps available online, by playing a guided meditation video or simply by following a few steps on your own:

  1. Find a comfortable place to sit.
  2. Close your eyes.
  3. Try to make no effort to control your breath, just breathe naturally.
  4. Focus your attention on the breath and on how the body moves with each inhalation and exhalation. Notice the movement of your body as your breathe. Observe your chest and shoulders, rib cage and belly. Focus your attention on your breath without controlling its pace or intensity. If your mind wanders, return your focus back to your breath.

Forest bathing, a type of meditation, and yoga meditation are two ways to begin your practice—or take it to the next level—while you’re at Paws Up.

Learn more about all our spa and wellness services at pawsup.com/spa.

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Chad Melville Spills What He Loves About Wine and Montana

If you think winemakers are a fussy bunch, you’ve never met Chad Melville of Melville Winery in California’s Sta. Rita Hills. His family’s highly rated wines may have earned cult status, but this likable guy isn’t putting on any airs. In fact, he considers himself a farmer first, “I’m not a winemaker, I’m a winegrower,” he says. That distinction means everything to Melville. “Most people aren’t involved in that but that’s the most fun for me.” His wines are 100 percent estate-grown, a rarity in the wine world. “It’s all our grapes and we do all of the farming, everything by hand, organically.”

He likens the process to a Japanese restaurant:  “You can have really beautiful fish and you can cook it if you want to, but it’s such a great product, so go sashimi style.” Melville doesn’t tinker with the grapes too much, preferring a hands-off approach. “Just allow Mother Nature to humble you to a point where you recognize that she’s in charge and you’re just lucky enough to be involved in this magical process,” says Melville.

His laissez-faire attitude toward wine is similar to one of the reasons why he loves Montana: “The whole vibe—it’s so special.” He jokes that when he returns home to California, he tells people Montana was “terrible” because he doesn’t want it to change. Melville has been a frequent guest at Paws Up, and this fall he’ll return for our Visiting Vintners Series (November 6–8), along with winemakers Amy and Dominic Chappellet, as well as cheese expert Laura Werlin.

An avid outdoorsman, Melville has played, Paws Up-style, on every visit: “I’ve been in the summer and winter and gone horseback riding, skeet shooting, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. I love just running on the property, because there are so many beautiful trails.” This visit, he’s looking forward to some new adventures, including go-karting and tackling the ropes course, but when he’s around his good friends, the Chappellets, it’s anyone’s guess. “I’m the instigator, but Dominic is always up for anything,” he says.

One thing is for certain. He’ll be showcasing some of his best bottles, including the fall favorite Donna’s Syrah, and he can’t wait to try some wines from the Chappellets. “They are an iconic Napa family, but they are some of the best people on earth,” he says, “and they just happen to make really good wine.”

The fastest shutter speeds and the quickest smiles:

Let us tell you about Barbara Van Cleve.

Make your way to Paws Up the first weekend of November, and you’ll also get the unique opportunity to meet and learn from award-winning ranch-life photographer Barbara Van Cleve. You’ll cover a lot of ground, both in acres and in wisdom, during this special fall Wilderness Workshop.

Born and raised on her family’s Montana ranch, she learned ranch life hands-on at an early age before pursuing photography. She got her first camera when she was just 11 years old. Eventually she became the youngest dean of women in the United States at DePaul University, where she taught English literature and photography. And in 1995 she was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame.

Van Cleve has been a friend of The Resort for close to 12 years. During that time, people have loved getting to know this joyful, rough and rowdy cowgirl while gaining new camera skills and improving their techniques. But the best takeaway is always her unique approach to life, on and off the ranch.

To find out more about all the events happening November 6–8, 2020, at Paws Up, visit pawsup.com/events.

Cheese, please!

Let’s be honest: there are some things that are meant to be paired. Peanut butter and jelly, for one. Cookies and milk. And, of course, wine and cheese. But, before you’re thinking of a run-of-the-mill cheese plate sided by a glass of merlot, think again. This is our Visiting Vintners Series, so you’ll be sipping wines by Napa royalty (Chappellet) and Central Coast innovators (Melville) and snacking on cheeses that will, as Laura Werlin puts it, “blow your mind.”

Werlin knows what she’s talking about. In fact, she’s written the book on it—well, actually six books—and nabbed a James Beard Award. “I really like introducing people to the great cheeses made in this country,” she says. “The biggest misconception is that all American cheese comes out of a factory, but so much of what is happening in American cheesemaking is inspiring Spain, Italy [and other countries].”

For Werlin, the chance to pair her cheese expertise with two of California’s best wine labels is a match made in heaven. “I’m really excited to be at Paws Up and work with them, because Chappellet is legendary and their wines are tried and true, really impressive,” she says. “And, Melville has really made a name for the Central Coast wines. I love Melville wines and always have.” Find more information about the weekend here.

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This Fall, It’s Two Wheels Against Four

Forget quarterbacks and linebackers. The biggest battle on the field this year is between motors and engines. That’s because when it comes to adventure at The Resort at Paws Up, you won’t find any two activities that make your heart race quite like our Polaris and Fat Tire Electric Bike Tours. Let’s go tread-to-tread to see which vehicle is right for you.

See gorgeous vistas and historical sites:  Our Polaris General vehicles are engine-powered all-terrain vehicles that can travel with maximum control while speeding through mud and dirt. The Polaris can scale mountains like they’re molehills, slice through streams and power through off-road brush. On our Backcountry Tour, you’ll drive to Garnet Ghost Town, the most pristine and well-preserved ghost town in Montana. On the Extended Tour, you’ll head to the Garnet Mountain Range, where, at more than 7,000 feet, you can enjoy a 360-degree view of the valley and then traverse the mountains all the way back to The Resort.

Get into the woods and spot unsuspecting wildlife:  Fat Tire Electric Bikes are designed to let you motor over surfaces, including bumpy roads, rock and even sand in ultimate comfort. With four-inch or larger tires, they come in a variety of frame styles, including the full-suspension mountain bikes you’ll find at Paws Up. These environmentally friendly, all terrain e-bikes scoot quietly over trails and along the fabled Blackfoot River, so you’ll spy all sorts of creatures. Able to go up to 20 miles per hour, without pedaling, you can tackle the terrain while ogling mile-after-mile of scenic wilderness.

No matter which way you choose to ride, either on a Polaris or on a Fat Tire Electric Bike, you can’t lose when you have 100 miles of trails and 37,000 acres of pristine wilderness to explore. It all comes down to what feels right for you.

Getting walked all over in your equine relationship?

Getting along well with others is all about give-and-take, and with the newest activity at The Resort at Paws Up, you’ll have the chance to practice—with a horse. Paws Up Equestrian Manager Jackie Kecskes, our expert in all things horse-related, has created a new activity designed with you and your steed in mind:  Foundational Horsemanship. Be prepared to be challenged, because as Kecskes says, there are no horse problems, only human ones.

You may have a specific problem to work on, like how to help a horse that doesn’t load well. Or you might need to understand how to manage certain traits, for example, if your horse back home seems flighty, pushy or lazy.  Whatever your issues, these sessions will steer you and your horse in the right direction toward a long-lasting happy life together. Each session is individually designed and could include groundwork or saddle work (or both), depending on what you’re wanting to focus on.

With Foundational Horsemanship, you’ll begin the process of working things out. While you can’t fix everything in one day, you can get a taste for what a successful relationship is all about. And better still, you’ll leave Paws Up with a whole new outlook when it comes to your relationships, on the trail and off.

To see the full menu of fall adventures at The Resort, visit  pawsup.com/fall-adventures.

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Join the Cowgirls on a New Frontier

It wouldn’t be Paws Up if you didn’t walk away having tried something totally new.

And this year, our much-anticipated Cowgirl Roundup has not one, but two new twists. For the first time ever, the event will be held in the fall, setting the scene for crisp mornings and breathtaking trail rides during Montana’s most vibrant season. What could be better? Well, the Roundup is also welcoming its very own sister event, the Wonder Women of Fly-Fishing.

It’s all happening this September, offering women and girls the opportunity to not only rope and ride but to fish some of the greatest waters in the West as well. Getting to know and learning from truly inspiring women is a much-anticipated added perk.

With diverse backgrounds and wills of steel, Cowgirl Hall of Fame honorees will again convene at Paws Up. Equestrian trailblazer and award-winning community leader Patricia E. Kelly will return to share knowledge from her 37 years as a certified Master Urban Riding teacher and Equine Husbandry instructor. Joining her will be fellow honoree Pam Minick, a former Miss Rodeo America, world champion roper and sports commentator. Guests will also ride alongside prolific author and Chef Paula Disbrowe and Montana distiller Lauren Oscilowski, as well as one of Paws Up’s most beloved cowgirls, photographer Barbara Van Cleve.

While fall is a picture-perfect time of year to be a cowgirl, it’s also hands-down the greatest time for fly­-fishing in Montana. Women and girls of all skill levels are welcome at the Wonder Women of Fly-Fishing, and there really is only one requirement for entry: a love of the outdoors. Guests will learn the ins and outs of fly-fishing on the Blackfoot, among other spectacular rivers, and feel the unmatched thrill of having a native cutthroat at the end of the line.  Expert angler (and Air Force vet) Kelly Harrison will bring decades of experience as she leads new and experienced anglers alike on this adventure. Half the fun is the freedom to mix and match your schedule. You might even see a Cowgirl Hall of Fame honoree out on the river or a pro angler out for a horseback ride during the golden hour. It’s a one-of-a-kind weekend that celebrates the best of fall and offers the rare chance to meet legendary women. If you ask event coordinator (and talented fisherwoman) Mindy Marcum, the intimacy of these gatherings is the best part:  “I walk away every year excited to be a woman and inspired to be a better one.”

Feeling the pull to join some incredible women this fall? Reserve your spot at the Cowgirl Fall Roundup and the Wonder Women of Fly-Fishing, September 10–13. Learn more at pawsup.com/cowgirls and pawsup.com/fly-fishing.

We need the tonic of wilderness. We can never have enough of nature.

  • Henry David Thoreau

Mother Nature tends to make her grandest statements during peaceful fall retreats to the Montana wilderness, as if she understands our need for quiet moments of reflection in trying times.

As autumn begins in earnest, purple larkspurs and white-tipped bear grass wave goodbye to summer, and the storied Blackfoot River itself reflects its fondness for cottonwood trees, their deep yellow leaves biding their time before skating across its surface. Burnt orange and yellow leaves dance in the wind in stands of aspens along Elk Creek, as tireless woodpeckers tap out the rhythm of the forest. Larches, too, will join the colorful show, showering the earth, their needles like tiny golden foot soldiers lining up on the paths below.

As bears fatten for a yet-distant winter and bison begin to build up thicker layers of overcoats, bull elk bugle in their haunting way, causing dozens of ears to perk up among the cow elk. Fall’s transformations of flora and fauna are overseen by bald eagles and flying Vs of migrating Canadian and snow geese.

Across the massive meadows of Paws Up, just beyond the deep-green hillsides, the Swan and Garnet Mountains gash open passing clouds to let a Milky Way’s worth of stars tumble out.

Fall guests here do well to do as Thoreau’s suggested by “being forever on the alert for natural wonders.” To preview what they look like in our slice of Montana, wander around at pawsup.com/fall.

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What is Your Glamping® Tent Type?

When you picture your ultimate luxury camping getaway, what do you see? Is your tent peacefully secluded amidst the timbers—or right on the edge of the rushing river? Are you spending your days fishing and swimming—or would you rather be out biking and exploring? Just like our guests, each tent at The Resort at Paws Up has its own distinct personality. Discover what makes each camp unique and you’ll be sure to find a match made in glamping heaven.

THE MOST DRAMATIC VIEWS

Each tent at Cliffside Camp is perched atop a soaring cliff to offer stunning views—and the heightened drama doesn’t end there. The camp’s Dining Pavilion extends over the Blackfoot River to offer dazzling surroundings at every meal. It’s also home to two ultra-romantic honeymoon tents.

THE PERFECT HOME BASE

Wander off and explore—we’ll be sure to call you back for dinner. Located on the banks of the idyllic Elk Creek, Creekside Camp is picture-perfect for families, offering plenty of charming wooded space to run, play and reconnect with nature.

THE MOST TRANQUIL

Located on a private section of the ranch, Moonlight Camp is a Greetings from Montana! postcard come to life. Take a short stroll to the river, go for a bike ride, play horseshoes, sink back into Adirondack chairs and revel in this quintessentially Montana-style glamping retreat.

THE ROOMIEST INTERIORS

Want to put everyone all under the same canvas? North Bank is the first camp in the U.S. to offer three-bedroom tents, and every tent has a spacious balcony overlooking the river. Meals are family-size, as well—North Bank’s welcoming Dining Pavilion features a massive fireplace and glass walls for a spectacular view.

THE IDYLLIC PERCH

Sitting on a bluff overlooking the Blackfoot River and Elk Creek, Pinnacle Camp offers more than just a jaw-dropping view—here you also have access to swimming and fishing on the Blackfoot River. After a full day of adventure, sinking into your welcoming tub might be your favorite part.

THE GREATEST BLACKFOOT EXPERIENCE

With tents that sit directly on the banks of the Blackfoot, River Camp offers the ultimate way to take advantage of its legendary waters. After spending your days fishing, swimming and relaxing with the river as your faithful companion, you might find it hard to return to life on dry land.

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In Montana, the Trout Rise as Surely as the Sun

“There’s certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of mind.”

Washington Irving may have penned those telling words back east in New York some 200 years ago, but they still very much apply today for anglers on the waters in and around The Resort at Paws Up.

In this fly-fishing mecca, you discover what moves you—what touches your soul—in a pristine natural environment. Is it the unending quest to cleverly imitate nature with man-made flies? The experience of spending time in nature, maybe glimpsing a black bear tearing into a rotting log for her own insect snack? Or maybe, just maybe, it’s simply admiring the stunning beauty of the fish you catch.

Take, for example, a fish like one of western Montana’s lone native trout, the Westslope Cutthroat. With sporting markings on the throat and gill plate like a bright-orange-red bandana, these local residents are beloved for their good looks and feisty fights. And no visitor who’s tussled with one and held it in wet hands before releasing it back into the water goes home with anything less than a story worth repeating many times.

Also lurking in the legendary Blackfoot River are an abundance of silver bullets called rainbows and cutbows, a cutthroat/rainbow hybrid. And, of course, there are their ill-tempered neighbors, the brown trout.

According to Assistant Activities Manager Ben Pepe, the leader of Paws Up’s fishing program, “the Blackfoot, of all these rivers near Missoula, offers the most beautiful setting, with shimmering water running over dappled rocks, Ponderosa pine-lined banks, bald eagles and the occasional river otter—this is River Runs Through It country. It really is the quintessential Rocky Mountain river.”

Guided half-day fly-fishing trips on the Paws Up stretch of the Blackfoot offer guests the advantage of being first on the water, thanks to two private access points. Upstream on the river lies the Box Canyon, another beautiful stretch suitable for full-day, eight-hour trips and trophy fish. Guides can also run longer trips to the brown-trout-laden Bitterroot River or the expansive Clark Fork near Missoula.

It’s not just the fish around here that are big. “The salmon flies—you just don’t see them in other local areas,” Pepe said. “That hatch creates a feeding frenzy, typically in mid- to late June. We like to fish big attractor patterns, some of which mimic stone flies or hoppers.”

Patterns like the Chubby Chernobyl, a favorite of another Paws Up fly-fishing devotee, Executive Assistant Mindy Marcum, who spends much of her off-time on the water. “As it gets later in summer, we’re trying to imitate a grasshopper that’s fallen off a stalk of grass into the water,” she said.

As summer cedes to early fall, Marcum will cohost a Paws Up event, the Wonder Women of Fly-Fishing, September 11–13, with renowned fly-fishing guide Kelly Harrison.

For Mindy Marcum, fly-fishing is all about releasing stress with every cast, as well as “the total relaxation and the togetherness with others.” As she put it most succinctly, “Fly-fishing is my yoga on the water.”