Originally founded as a trading post named Hellgate while still part of the Washington Territory in 1860, the town grew up in the hub of five mountain valleys and in the shadow of foothills of the Rocky Mountains in nearly all directions. Three rivers run through or near it at some point with the primary being the Clark Fork River which splits the heart of the city. In fact, its the inspiration of home-grown author Norman McLean’s novel A River Runs Through It, which was later made into a movie. The Clark Fork got its name from one of the co-leaders of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which passed through the area from 1804-1806 searching for a inland water passage from the Mid West of the U.S. to the Pacific Ocean.

The town itself obtained it’s unusual name from the Salish tribes that used to originally inhabit the area. Their term for the Clark Fork River, ‘’nmesuletk, ʷ which roughly means “place of frozen or chilling waters,” has evolved into the current version of “Missoula.”  At least 5 to 6 native tribes would annually migrate to this junction of five valleys for thousands of years from all over the region until the coming of Anglo people. The hills that flank the city directly to the east are currently named Mt. Jumbo and Mt. Sentinel, and are prominent landmarks. With a giant “M” decorating Mt. Sentinel’s hillside, the M Trail – Montana’s most hiked – zig-zags its way to the midway point of the mountain which provides stunning vistas of the valley not to mention excellent exercise for the local populace.

Apparently the white visitors and then settlers found a land o’ plenty here as well. It didn’t take long for the trading post to first expand then move to its current downtown-oriented location on the banks of the Clark Fork River. With the U.S. Army first establishing roads from several directions to and from the town and then historic Fort Missoula to protect the ever-growing population of settlers, it soon become a major crossroads of trade and eventually industry. With the coming of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1883, the town simply exploded in population, settlement and industry, the most primary being lumber. Original founders – and captains of industry – built the first infrastructure of roads, tree-lined avenues, structures and buildings, most of which still exist today. Then came the founding of the University of Montana in the early 1900s which lent an element of prestige to the city as being the first ever place of higher learning in the state of Montana.

Fast forwarding to today, Missoula is a cultural hub of western Montana. A prestigious medical industry thrives here along with tourism, arts and an abundance of adventure/outdoor activities. Rocky Mountain School of Photography owners Neil and Jeanne Chaput de Saintonge opened the doors to the school here in 1989 after relocating from Atlanta, Georgia.

With a population that truly cares about the community and environment in which they live, Missoula is an incredibly lively place. Major music, cultural, sports and arts festivals take place annually. The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, the Festival of the Book, International Wildlife Film Festival, International Choral Festival, U.S. Freestyle Kayaking Championships, Missoula Full and Half Marathons, River City Roots Festival, the Gelande Ski Jumping North American Cup Championship among others all take place here. Not to mention constant major (and less major) musical acts that travel here such as Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, etc, etc, etc.

Throw in year-round outdoor activities such as world-class back country/cross-country/downhill skiing/snowboarding, ice skating, hiking, trail running, mountain biking, road cycling, mountain biking, rock climbing, rafting, tubing, fly fishing, not to mention nature/landscape photography, you’ve got a paradise for just about any active person. We don’t mean to brag, but c’mon, wouldn’t you??? Come visit the place and you may never want to leave. But shhhhhhh….don’t tell anybody!

Panoramic of downtown Missoula across the Clark Fork River. Image by The Missoulian. Licenced under Creative Commons.

And in case you missed it, here’s a slideshow of work produced by the Intermediate Photography workshop students from a few weeks ago, including Margaret’s!

Intermediate Photography will be held again in Missoula, Montana on July 22-27 and September 16-21 with Tony Rizzuto at the helm.

Click here to view the embedded video.

An early start to the day rewarded Andrew with this moody shot in Oak Bluffs during his September vacation. The surface of the water especially appealed to contest judge Kate Feiffer. “This photograph is stunning because of it’s restraint and elegance,” she says. “A truly memorable photograph should draw you in and keep you rapt and that was the case with this photo. Gorgeous green-covered rocks seemingly afloat in a veneer of mist stretch out into a subdued sunrise. I didn’t want to stop looking.”

To see some of his work currently in the gallery, check out his latest blog post. Also visit www.andrewnixonphotography.com.