We Trade Blog

June marks the Monte Dolack Gallery's 18th Anniversary!

Karen Welch — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:07:14 -0600

Monte Dolack, Missoula Valley, 2009

In June 1993 Monte Dolack and Mary Beth Percival opened the Monte Dolack Gallery in downtown Missoula, Montana and it has been an integral part of Missoula's vibrant art scene ever since. Come celebrate 18 years of exhibiting wonderful art work at 139 West Front Street with us June 3rd for First Friday Art Walk from 5-8pm.

Western Montana Fair

and Missoula Stampede

Commemorative Poster

Monte Dolack, Western Montana Fair, 2011

The Montana Fair and Missoula Stampede commemorative poster will be released June 3rd, 2011 During First Friday Art Walk. Unsigned posters are available for $30 and a limited number of signed posters are available for $100. Posters purchased during the event will include one fair admission and proceeds benefit the Western Montana Fair. Join us at the Monte Dolack Gallery this First Friday for refreshments and to visit with four rodeo queens in attendance.

Fine Art Poster Shipping Special

Monte Dolack, West Wind, 2003

During the month of June, the Monte Dolack Gallery is offering the fine art poster, West Wind by Monte Dolack, with free shipping for the month of June. Click here to order.

Front Street Frame Studio

Monte Dolack, View from Monhegan, 1998

The Front Street Frame Studio in the Monte Dolack Gallery has served Missoula's framing needs for over 15 years. Call the gallery (406) 549-3248 to set up an appointment or stop in and visit with our staff.

The Classics

ary Beth Percival, Glacier Jazz, 1988

The gallery has the most complete collection available of posters crafted and designed by nationally known artists Monte Dolack and Mary Beth Percival for over 30 years. We have rare and vintage poster editions with only a few remaining prints as well as more recently released images such as Missoula Valley.

Orders can be placed at our website www.dolack.com or by calling 800 825-7613.

SMART MEETINGS MAGAZINE

Karen Welch — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:00:00 -0600

WeTrade Members: Now you can advertise in...

SMART MEETINGS MAGAZINE

The SmartMeetings June 2011 Issue is highlighting Idaho, Montana and Wyoming as a destination (6-12 pages).

*Reservation Deadline Extension April 8th

*Creative Deadline Extension April 15th

Perfect for Hotels, Event Venues, Resorts etc....

Their website is www.smartmeetings.com/ and on their website you will find a link to "View this Issue" or "Online Issues" so you and your members can get an idea of what the magazine highlights, what they feature, and how your members would be advertised in the magazine.

Also, you will see in their media kit (the file attached called "Inserts") all the information on pricing, sizes, and demographics.

Note: If you need help developing an advertisement forSmartMeetings magazine, check out one of the several WeTrade members who can help!

Call the WeTrade office for help getting set up with SmartMeetings.

Missoula Children's Theatre Summer Day Camps

Karen Welch — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:59:00 -0600

MCT Day Camp is a rehearsal process for an original musical for children entering grades 1-12. All children will participate in an audition, be cast in a role, rehearse, and perform in the show. When not in rehearsal, participants will attend acting, movement,and art workshops taught by MCT personnel.

· Each camp is held Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m.

· Participants should bring a sack lunch, snack and water daily. Microwaves or vending machines are not available.

· Performances are on Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 and 5:00 p.m.-you choose your child's performance day when you register.

· Performance tickets go on sale the first day of camp at the MCT Box Office and online. Call (406) 728-7529 or visit www.mctinc.org to purchase tickets.

· You will be informed of your child's schedule in a letter sent home with your child during the camp week.

· All registered children are accepted into this program.

Value is $150 per registration.

Here's what we have coming up

Spring Day Camp

April 4-8

PERFORMANCES

April 9-10at 3:00 & 5:00 p.m.

Summer Day Camp

June 20-24

Register by June 17

PERFORMANCES

June 25, 26

Summer Day Camp

July 11-15

Register by July 8

PERFORMANCES

July 16, 17

Summer Day Camp

July 25-29

Register by July 22

PERFORMANCES

July 30, 31

New spring courses from RED WILLOW Learning Center

Karen Welch — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:04:58 -0600

... A non-profit healing center in Missoula, Montana dedicated to providing holistic integrated body-mind based healing services to those who have experienced trauma and other adverse life experiences

Red Willow Spring Classes

Expansive Mask-Making with Katharina Hirsch -- Mon. April 4, Noon-4:00pm and Tues., April 5, 10:00am-4:00pmThis course is designed to help build communication and trust as well as help the student overcome perceived limitations in life.The process serves as a tool to connect with self and helps stimulate possibilities for expansion and growth. -- $200.00

Energy Ecology with Yarrow Grace -- Mondays, April 11- May 23 (no class 5/2), 6:30-8:30pmOur effectiveness and sense of fulfillment in life depends on our personal power and our awareness of our own energy body. In this class, you will learn energetic exercises to assist you in becoming aware of your energy and frequency. $145.00 for 6 week series

1000 Hands Buddha Qigong with Libby McIntyre -- Mondays, June 6- 27, 6-7:30pmThis is a seated Liu Dong healing qigong form that uses flowing and powerful hand movements to open the heart energy and quiet the mind. It allows the student to find calmness and balance helping to heal body, mind, and spirit. $125.00 for 6 week series

The Creative Self with Ken Silvestro -- Tuesday, May 10-June 7, 1:00-2:00pmThe creative self is central to each person's psychology. The creative self offers direct unconscious influences that can shift fixed patterns of behavior. Both intellectually and experientially, students will enrich their lives by opening doors to one of the most powerful of all natural human phenomena- creativity -- $100.00 for 5 week series

Tai Chi Ch'uan with Michael Norvelle -- Tuesdays, April 5- April 26, 6:30-8:00pm -- Tuesdays, June 28- August 2, 6:30-8:30pmOriginally developed as a martial art and longevity exercise, the Wu family style of Tai Chi has now been recognized as preventative or wellness exercise. Called the ultimate low-impact exercise, Tai Chi Ch'uan has been shown to improve cardiovascular endurance as well as balance, strength and posture. It is a mindful practice and has been called moving meditation centering the practitioner emotionally. -- $45.00 for each 6 week series or $10.00 drop-in rate

Beginning Herbal Medicine with Britta Bloedorn -- Tuesdays, May 17-June 21, 7:00-9:00pmConnect with medicinal plant allies and discover a holistic approach to health and self-care using botanical medicine. -- $140.00 for 6 week series

Tai Chi Chih (TCC), Joy Through Movement with Lynne Roberts -- Tuesdays, May 17- June 21, 5:30-6:30pmThis low-impact movement strengthens from the inside out. The gentle circular movements are done standing, using shifts in body position and stepping in coordination with arm movements offering a complete physical workout. TCC is great for everyone! Progress is according to your own pace and body. No special clothing is required. -- $60.00 for 6 week series

Gentle Yoga for Pain Relief with Brooke Hewes Carnwath -- Wednesdays, April 6-June 29, 4:45-6:00pm (no class 5/11, 5/25)This course will explore posture as a way to create space in the body. Bringing breath and awareness to constricted areas of the body is an effective way to work with and dissipate pain. This gentle asana class will combine mindfulness and movement. $40.00 for each 6 week series or $8.00 drop-in fee

Zen-Style Meditation with Michael Norvelle -- Wednesdays, April 6- May 4, 6:30-7:30pmMeditation is the art of sitting still and then encouraging the mind to become still. Once the mind is still, our perspective can change. This meditation class will discuss both basic types of meditation, mindful and no-mind types. The student will have the opportunity to practice both styles and settle on the one that is best for them. $40 for ea. 6 wk series or $8 drop-in rate

Intro to Art Therapy for Mental Health Providers with Kim Brown-Campbell -- Wednesdays, May 18-June 22, 6:30-8:30pmThis course will teach mental health providers accurate and ethical methods for using art in their session with mental health psychotherapy participants. -- $240.00 for 6 week series

The Psychology of Relationship with Ken Silvestro -- Wednesdays, April 6- May 4, Noon-1:00pmJoin Ken for a look at relationship and learn how to break repetitive patterns, improve self-esteem, and discover healthy relationship. -- $100.00 for 5 week series

Yoga for Beginners with Sarah Pederson -- Thursdays, Mar 24- June 30 (no class 5/19, 5/26, 6/1), 4:00-5:00pm

Students in this class will practice a variety of pre-yoga exercises, yoga poses and breathing exercises. The course is geared toward helping the student work on improving balance and flexibility as well as relaxation and strengthening any potentially weakened areas. $25.00 for each 4 week series or $8.00 drop-in fee

The Art, Science and Medicine of Connection with Jan Newman -- Thursdays, March 24- May 26, 2011, 6:30-8:30pm

Modern life is rife with obstacles which have left us stressed out, anxiety ridden, fearful and angry. These are symptoms of disconnection and have been linked to a multitude of diseases. In this multi-media experiential course, participants will learn to reconnect with their inner and outer worlds to be better able to lead happier, more fulfilling lives. -- $225.00 for 10-week series or $25.00 per session drop-in rate

Circle of Security with Glenyss Carney -- Fridays, Apr. 1, 8, 22; May 6, 13, and June 10,17, 24, 3-4:30pm -- This relationship-based parenting education course will help you change the stuck patterns of parenting and give you the tools for raising your child with "no-nonsense tenderness." -- $220.00 or $280.00 per couple for 8-session series

Yoga and Meditation for Self-Care with Erin Gael -- Introductory class: Sundays, April 10,11:00am-12:30pm FREE -- Sundays, May 8, 15, 29 and June 19, 26

Feelings of "burn-out" and secondary trauma can creep by even the healthiest of boundaries. In this class for health care providers and for those who work in the field of crisis stabilization services, the student will be led through a spirited, challenging and deeply rejuvenating yoga practice that includes, meditation, breath work and relaxation. $10.00 drop-in rate

Awareness Through Movement with Henry Cloud -- Saturday, April 9, 10:00am-3:00pm -- Each person is unique. Using the "tools" of curiosity, intention, movement, breath and attention, we will explore, in a non-judgmental environment, what is available to us as humans. -- $65.00

Sanctuary Meditation Technique with Susan Rushe -- Saturday, April 23, 1:00-4:00pm -- This technique gives you the tools to reach a high level of meditation but also to connect to your potential as a human. All ability levels are welcome! $50.00

Gifts of the Spirit with Susan Rushe -- Sunday, April 24, 10:00am-5:00pm -- Embark of a journey of self-discovery and self-realization! This course is a fun-filled expedition into your spiritual identity. This work is a wonderful way to increase your creativity, productivity, manifestation, and healing. -- $250.00

MAX Meditation with Susan Rushe -- Tuesday, April 26, 4:30-6:00pm

MAX Meditation is a system that will truly teach you how to meditate. Based on a fusion of the ancient techniques of yoga and mind acrobatics mixed with the principles of psychology and neurolinguistic programming, MAX Meditation is a great way to meditate! FREE

East Meets West: A Yoga Workshop for Teachers & Students of Yoga With Serena Early & Laura Marx -- Saturday, May 14, 9:00am-5:00pm

This one day class focusing on health, rehabilitation and stress reduction integrates Yoga's therapeutic relationship to Ayurveda and the physiology of body mechanics. Includes Pranayama breathing, restorative poses and a vegetarian Ayurvedic lunch. -- $95.00

Journey into Shamanism with Marge Hulburt -- Saturday, June 11, 9:00am-4:00pmThis experiential workshop is an introduction to shamanism and shamanic healing. It will cover the shamanic journey for oneself, power animal retrieval, connection with compassionate healing sprits, and the use of the journey for problem-solving and healing. -- $95.00

Meadowsweet Herbs offers classes on herbs and herbal medicines

Karen Welch — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:54:30 -0600

HERBAL FOUNDATIONS:

An in-depth program in Herbal Medicine

May-August 2011

Discover the healing properties of medicinal plants - a special and unique part of our world. Herbal Foundations is an in-depth herbal studies program for the serious herb student.

NEW THIS YEAR: CEU¹s for nurses!

This activity has been submitted to Montana Nurses Association for approval to award contact hours. Montana Nurses Association is accredited as an approver of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

COME ON A JOURNEY... with us and experience an intimate connection with healing herbs that are native to the northern Rocky Mountains. We will study medicinal plants easily grown in our northern climate as well as some special exotics. Foster a lifelong relationship with herbs as we explore the healing power of plants and the study of herbal medicine.

Discover...

· How to grow herbs

· How to make essential oils

· The healing properties of essential oils

· The use of herbs for different body systems

· The art and science of medicine making

· The respectful harvesting of wild plants

The Details

Dates: May 18 - August 31, 2011

Time: Wednesdays from 1 - 4 pm

Location: Will vary depending on the class

Cost: $595* if registered before April 1, 2011.

$650* if registered April 2, 2011 or after

Includes four months of classes with more than 50 hours of instruction. Contact us for payment options. *Includes some herbal supplies.

For more information: Call us at 406-728-0543,

Email us at: classes@herbsmt.com

Or visit: meadowsweet-herbs.com/classes.htm

THE PROGRAM

Herbs for the Body Systems: Respiratory System, Cardiovascular System, Nervous System, Reproductive System, Kidneys & Bladder, Liver & Digestive System, Skin, Muscular Skeletal System, Lymphatic System, Immune System

Field Trips: Wildcrafting, Rocky Mountain, Lavender Gardens

Medicine Making: Herb drying & processing, Herbal formulating, Capsule making, Tinctures, Cough syrups, Salves, Herbal oils, Teas, Poultices, Liniments, Hydrotherapy

Also: Wildcrafting Ethics, Intro to Aromatherapy, and Herbs for Children

Students will complete Herbal Foundations with a full natural medicine chest created by their own hands, as well as receiving a certificate on completion of the course.

Gentry River Ranch Vacations

Karen Welch — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:02:58 -0600

GENTRY RIVER RANCH now offers ranch vacations. Gentry River Ranch is located in Columbia Falls overlooking the Flathead River.

There are 3 packages to choose from:

The Three Day Ranch Vacation

Lodging in their very own private two bedroom/one bathroom cabin on the river with a full kitchen. Horseback riding, riding lessons, fly fishing and rafting with a guide and scenic tours of Glacier National Park. We will provide a complimentery lunch on the trail or river. We can ride or float right from the ranch, but many excursions will include driving to nearby locations to access more trails and rivers.

3 days/nights - $1,095.00 per person

6 days/nights - $1,995.00 per person

Double occupancy.

The Three Day Wilderness Pack Trip

This is a wilderness trip that will include 3 days of riding and camping in the Great Bear Wilderness. This does not include lodging at the ranch. We will have and hour and a half drive to the trail head.

From there, it is a little over two hour horse back ride into the Wilderness where we will camp and fish for 2 nights. We will provide the tents and prepare all of the meals while you are with us. We will arrive back at the ranch on the third day around 6 PM. You just need to bring your sleeping bag, your fly rod and your camp clothes.

3 days - 2 nights - $1,195.00 per person.

Maximum 4 people

The Cowboy Bed and Breakfast

For those who prefer a more relaxing getaway in the wilds of Montana there's our Cowboy Bed & Breakfast where you can bask to the sounds of nature with the one you love.

We provide a spacious private bedroom with a queen-sized bed and a mountain view you'll never forget.

A perfect romantic getaway for up to two people and only $175 per night.

The Gentrys are known for their hospitality and really know how to show you a good time.

GENTRY RIVER RANCH

MEMBER PROFILE: LifeStyle Fitness Club & LifeStyle Kids Club

Karen Welch — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 15:11:23 -0700

We Trade members now have access to a variety of personal fitness options and programs through Missoula’s Lifestyle Fitness Club and their companion Lifestyle Kids Club.

Located conveniently on North Reserve Street, directly across from Costco, the fitness Club is well equipped with state-of-art cardio and weight-training equipment.

Nearby, the Lifestyle Kids Club is a premium drop-in fitness and active play center for children up to the age of 10.

“We have a wide variety of people that come to our facility,” said Lifestyle Fitness owner, Dallas Neil. “Our mission is Better Health for Everyday People, and so we don’t target intense body builders. We just assist the average everyday person who wants to be healthy.

“They’re welcome to come here and not be intimidated.”

Yearly memberships in the fitness center are available to We Trade members at the rate of $40 per month, said Neil.

There’s more. Much more. PHOTO BELOW: Lifestyle Fitness owner, Dallas Neil.

The center offers fitness and play opportunities for children, said Neil. We Trade members can take their children to Lifestyle Kids Club, which is located across North Reserve from Lowe’s, in the corner near Nara Sushi and Loose Caboose.

“Let’s say you want to go on a date, or just have an appointment during the day, or you just need some time to go to the store,” said Neil. “You can drop your kid off, at Lifestyle Kids Club whre they’ll be in an active and friendly environment with kids treadmills and different types of fun kids active things to do there.”

“We have a wide variety of people that come to our facility,” Neil explained.

Currently, Lifestyle Fitness is conducting its yearly Lifestyle Challenge.

“The big thing that we’re doing right now is called the Lifestyle Challenge,” said Neil.

“It works like this: Everybody has a personal mountain that they want to climb, whether it is that they want to lower their cholesterol, they want to hit the golf ball 20 yards farther.

This program gives members a great goal-oriented opportunity for $50 dollars.

“Participants get a t-shirt, a 50-page booklet that explains exactly what to do nutrition-wise and also health-wise, plus some really good benefits from our instructors and trainers,” said Neil.

“And then, participants can take $25 dollars of that and can win prize money. What you do is at the end of the 10-weeks you write your story. We just read the stories and we give the prize money back.”

For more information on the Climb Your Mountain Challenge, visit the Lifestyle web site at:

“Our monthly memberships for WeTrade are $40 a month, and all of our memberships are one-year memberships,” Neil Explained.

WeTrade members can also buy gift certificates or memberships for $50 apiece.

If you have any questions, you can call the center at 406-531-3926. Visit Lifestyle Fitness Center’s web site at MissoulaLifestyle.com

Changes in Montana Law for out-of-state hunters

Karen Welch — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:14:24 -0700

In November of 2010, the voters of the state of Montana killed the special guaranteed outfitters licensing for out of state hunters. Before, if your member booked a hunt with one of our outfitters, they would be guaranteed to obtain a hunting license through the outfitter.

The price varied from year to year based on demand - anywhere from $1200 to $1500 per license for big game. The passage of this law means that all out-of-state hunters will have to be put in a lottery to see if they win a license. The good news is that the price of the licenses look to be $900, quite a reduction. AND the last two years, the available licenses were not sold out.

If that holds true this year, people should have no problem obtaining a license. All of our hunting outfitters will work with people. People can book a hunt with them based on the ability to obtain a license, or can call after they do get a license. The outfitters will take them if they have space.

To see where the outfitters hunt, what the cost is, and more information about each one, visit www.packandtack.com for Eustance Pack and Tack, www.crossheartoutfitters.com for Crossheart Outfitters, and www.circlekbl.com for Circle KBL Outfitters. Circle KBL also hunts in Idaho. Idaho has much lower licensing, and different rules. Call Karen at We Trade Network for details on each of these outfitters. 406-543-9999.

People must apply directly with the state of Montana for a license. Lottery names will be drawn in May.

*Please note: This is just the popular deer and elk hunts. Bear, cougar, and antelope hunts haven't changed.

Featured Member - Eustance Pack and Tack Outfitters

Karen Welch — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:02:55 -0600

If a wilderness adventure is at the top of your vacation wish list, your first big decision will probably determine whether you ‘go it alone,’ or opt for a professionally guided excursion.

Your explorations of uncharted territory – whether for a back country hunting trip, or wildlife viewing, or a family horseback & fishing excursion – will most likely result in the fondest memories when you hire a guided outfitter to handle all the essential details.

“If you’re a skilled woodsman and you can run your own camp, then you’re Ok,” says long-time outfitter Neil Eustance, of Vaughn, Montana. “If you’re not, and you need some help with packing in, camping, hunting and getting your game out, then a guided hunt is best for you.”

Perhaps your most important vacation decision - as important as where you decide to go - will be the outfitter you choose as your professional licensed guide.

And that’s exactly when Neil and his wife, Babette, should promptly be penciled-in as the “first to call.”

The Eustances - who own and operate Pack and Tack Outfitters - offer nearly 18 years’ experience as Montana outfitter/guides.

And they offer a convenient gateway into some of the most stunning wilderness in the Western U. S. -- the Indian Meadows Traihead into Montana’s Scapegoat Wilderness... with direct trail access to the renowned and stunningly beautiful Bob Marshall Wilderness directly to the north.

EXPERIENCE COUNTS
The Eustances of Pack and Tack have an extensive resume of packing experience, starting in the early 1990s, when they honed their trade contracting work with other outfitters. In 1998, the Eustances purchased a special uses permit and established their Sheep Creek Camp in the Scapegoat Wilderness, which is located almost directly north of Lincoln, Montana via the Indian Meadows trailhead gateway.

For almost 10 years before they made their choice of a camp, they considered all the best features of an ideal back country camp.

“That was part of the reason we decided to get the camp that we did,” said Babette Eustance.

“We had a lot of experience working for other outfitters and we saw which camp layout was bright and beautiful and easy to get in to. The one we finally bought was very scenic and very beautiful with a good population of game animals.

“The camp was just the right distance from the trailhead and just seemed like the perfect one.

“We thought, ‘Wow, do you think we could do this?’ And then it actually came up for sale and that’s when we decided, in 1998, ‘Well, let’s go for it!’ ”

They had been studying, learning and researching for years... and waiting for this opportunity.

Neil is a Montana native raised since childhood near, and in, the Montana’s wilderness. One of Neil’s first trips into the Bob Marshall was when he was in high school. He went alone.

Thus he brings to outfitting the best combination of lifelong experience as an outdoorsman with exceptional skills... and years of experience with livestock, particularly horses and mules. Eustance owns and handles his own stock for transportation and packing.

“I’ve always been a hands-on type of guy with western-style living,” said Neil. “I trained under a number of unique individuals that have made a lifelong career of working in the woods. It took a lot of time out of my life to learn those skills,” said Neil.

“Neil’s woodcraft skills are so ingrained in everything he does,” said Babette. “He’s had so much experience that it’s now all second nature to him. He just knows what it takes to be comfortable living in the woods.”

Neil is also highly respected as among the most experienced outfitter for packing hunt-harvested animals out of the wilderness and is regularly contracted by other outfitters to pack harvested game out to the trailhead.

And Babette Eustance is a recognized Elk guide with a reputation and a record of guiding success. Additionally, Babette is considered one of the best buglers/callers in the elk hunting industry, and has won several bugling competitions in the northwest.

THREE-SEASON SERVICE

In contrast to many single-season outfitters, the Eustances at Pack and Tack provide three-season services that include custom-designed summer excursions, and winter dog sled outings.

CUSTOMIZED SUMMER EXCURSIONS

“In summer we do roving summer trips,” said Babette. “Which mean we custom-design what our customers are looking for,”

“Depending upon the individual needs, fishing, photography, painting, we rove from camp to camp in the Helena, Lolo and Lewis & Clark National forests, all within the wilderness,” said Babette.

“We can do everything from a full-service summer camp to a pack-in and pack-out arrangement.”

“A lot of times in our summer trips we’ll get people who’ll want to do something specific, like watch birds, or take photos, or people who enjoy painting, or looking for endangered species,” said Babette.

“And so we’ll be able to customize a trip for their needs. For these trips we, as a commercial user, do have to put in an itinerary ahead of time with the forest service. So, we have to schedule our customers into the schedule we already have arranged with the forest service, and get an ok.”

FALL HUNTING AT SHEEP CREEK

When summer skies turn autumn gold, the Eustances tailor their services to hunting, with access from their Sheep Creek Camp.

“Fall is hunting, and that’s limited to the Helena National Forest and the Scapegoat Wilderness,” said Neil. And year by year, the Eustance’s Sheep Creek camp is getting a reputation as a hunter’s paradise.

“Last year was an exceptional year for our hunters,” said Neil. “We had almost an 80 percent harvest, and even 100 percent with some hunts.”

But that success was merely a part of a trend for Pack and Tack.

“In a 10-year average, we have run at about a 40 percent success rate,” said Neil. “Which is phenomenal in the industry. The industry average is about 17 percent. For individuals, the success rate is at about five percent.”

“Now, I have to qualify that,” cautioned Neil. “Because we’ve occasionally had zero percent. But when the years add up, we’ve had success most of the time,” he said.

The hunter’s success is merely the first part of a guided hunt. From there on is where Pack and Tack stands out in the Montana guiding industry.

“That’s the main area where our experience pays off for our hunters,” said Neil. “We have the stock animals and the experience to get your game out. It’s a very technical operation to transport hundreds of pounds of meat in the middle of bear country.”

“Retrieval of harvested animals is such a specialized thing, which we’re good at,” said Babette. “You have this downed animal in the back country with Grizzly bears all around, and horses that are scared and want to run away from giant predators...

“So, you have this harvested animal that’s huge and you have to get it into manageable pieces onto a pack animal that really doesn’t think it’s that great to have on its back,” said Babette.

“Of course that’s the idea of a guided hunt,” said Babette, laughing.

“Neil and I do the work while the hunters can sit in their tent at the end of a hunt, have dinner and talk about the details of the day’s hunt. But that’s a huge part of the job that we do. And we love it.”

Hunting season has barely finished when the Eustances turn to their wintertime specialty... dog sledding.

WINTER DOG-SLED EXCURSIONS

Once again, the Eustances have earned a reputation that stands out in the industry. Like their summer outings, dog sledding excursions are family activities. And the Eustances will custom-design a winter outing for small or large groups.

“We go all over the state for dog sledding trips and tours,” said Babette. “We can arrange week-long trips where we assist cross country trips and haul-in camps and set up excursions, or rides for families on a half-day or day long trip.

“We also do special occasions, particularly with dog sledding activities,” said Babette.

“We have 68 dogs and have the ability to arrange a variety of winter activities, even including petting activities for shut-in or resource folks.”

A MULTI-USE GUIDE SERVICE

For Neil and Babette Eustance, their job as outfitters begins with an undying love for the Montana Wilderness.

They don’t sugar-coat any aspect of a back country adventure.

That’s because they know it’ll be a challenge for anyone who sets foot into Montana’s beautiful wilderness back country.

But they also know that the majority of their clients emerge from their experience with a deep love for wilderness and everything it signifies.

It’s the Eustance’s job to open the gates to a wilderness experience.

“We’re a little more progressive, than most outfitters,” said Neil. “We’re not quite as traditional as the old-style outfitter. We’re probably one generation younger.”

“And we love what we do,” said Babette. “One of the things that past clients of ours have commented on regarding our service is the fact that we really enjoy what we do,” she added.

That’s part of the reason why the Eustances of Pack and Tack are so willing to custom-design a wilderness adventure for each of their customers.

Because, with each year another person, family or group will be ready for an experience in Montana’s unique wilderness lands. And the Eustances are ready to share their love of Montana’s wilderness with anyone who calls.

For further information, please visit the Pack and Tack website at: www.packandtack.com

Senator Tester To Host Small Business Workshop, 7/9, Kalispell, Montana

Karen Welch — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:46:49 -0600

Flathead Valley Community College
Tester to host small business workshop in Kalispell to boost Montana jobs, business

Senator to bring together businesses and industry leaders to discuss entrepreneurship, access to capital

In his latest effort to create jobs and boost business in Montana, Senator Jon Tester will host another Small Business Opportunity Workshop next month.

The workshop is scheduled for July 9 at Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.

The event will focus on entrepreneurship, access to capital (such as loans, grants, and tax credits), and marketing opportunities.

Complete Article: MATR Newsletter

Lodging in Kalispell on trade. For More information about Barter in Montana please see the We Trade Network website.