"MONTANA - SKIING THE LAST BEST PLACE"
A a collection of photographs by Craig W. Hergert
Stories by Brian Hurlbut Foreward by Warren Miller.
MONTANA: SKIING THE LAST BEST PLACE (COVER)
A 12" x 12" high quality 212 page hardcover coffee table book that includes over 150+ photos of all 16 Montana public ski areas, plus the Yellowstone Club and our dear neighbors, Sleeping Giant (Cody, WY) Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee.
This project began began as a labor of love, and of course an excuse to get out and explore the region back in 1998. I love small towns and small town ski areas, and there is nothing quite like the mix of Montana hospitality, wide open spaces and skiing....Skiing in my mind, is one of the most freeing activities in the world, where sport, culture and passion borders continuously on the edge of spirituality. Whether visiting a small family owned mom and pop hill with a couple lifts, or immersing yourself at large and luxurious resort such as Whitefish Mountain or Big Sky, the feeling of huge wide open country and a laid back atmosphere translates to an experience like none other.
I've spent well over $30,000 of my personal savings traveling and shooting over the years to complete this project, and now that I am down to the final printing, I have unfortunately run out of funds. That is where you come in....
Help me finish this project and get it out in the world! None other than Warren Miller has graciously offered to write the foreword to the book for me, and I couldn't be more excited to finally see it all come together!
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One for the Ages...A Northern Lights viewing like none other!
May 23, 2024
Location: Maudlow, MT - Northern Bridger Range, Sixteen Mile Creek
OPEN EDITION
May 11th, 2024 12:35 am
I was extremely excited, and pleasantly surprised to see how many people were able to get out and see this last absolutely unbelievable display of the northern lights! Not only here in Montana but all over North America and the world, it was a sight to behold!
I follow several Aurora Borealis websites to keep an eye on when there are possible chances for a flare up to go out and take some photos. And, along with the excitement of everyone else, it seemed like this was going to be a big one.
I loaded up the camper and all my gear to head north, trying to find a good location that would give me the best possibility of seeing the Northern Lights again, not only from absence of city lights, but also the absence of people and wandering car lights. With a little due-diligence and studying of my trusted-heavily-marked-on and-falling apart Montana Gazetteer maps, I was able to find just what I was looking for out at at the old Maudlow Schoolhouse on 16 Mile Creek. The intact though decrepit school house from 1909 still has the old teeter totters, swings, and basketball hoops still up in the playground. It is such a beautiful place in time, that you can almost hear the children still laughing and playing in the distance.
With no cell service, and no one else around, I could hear the roaring spring waters of 16 mile Creek in the distance as I sat and watched the mind blowing dance of colors throughout the night. It was such an amazing experience, that I really had a hard time keeping myself focused on just taking photos, and ended up just laying down in the grass and watching the dancing show for the rest of the night into the early morning before crawling back in the camper for a couple hours of sleep.
"Hoop Dreams Under the Stars" - Maudlow, MT
"School District 91" Maudlow, MT
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A big remodel and updated artwork at MacKenzie River Pizza in downtown Bozeman
May 23, 2024
MacKenzie River Pizza in downtown Bozeman recently completed a 3 month long remodel on its original downtown location. The new look turned out great! Was able to put up a updated display with all pieces on location available for sale...
"Learning Patience" Smith River 90"x30" Canvas
I am very grateful to the original owners of MacKenzie River Pizza, Christin Cooper, Mark Tache, Don MacKenzie and the subsequent franchising through Glacier Restaurant Group in Whitefish. (The restaurant is now in 29 locations across Montana, Idaho, Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Nevada)
Mark & Christin purchased one of my first large pieces of "Wheat Lines" , a custom hand tinted black duo-tone print of the Bridger Range, for the Bozeman restaurant from my gallery in the Emerson Cultural Center back in 2003. I have been working with them ever since, and am extremely grateful for their continued business over the last 20 years!
Be sure to swing in to the newly remodeled downtown Bozeman location (and the new Belgrade location) next time you are in town!
"Wheat Lines" Bridger Range from Three Forks - 2001
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"Canary Springs Under the Northern Lights" Large 45"x55" custom size canvas for client
April 29, 2024
Recently finished installing this large 45"x55" standard format canvas print for a client. They wanted it to fit perfectly above their fireplace, so we made a custom crop of the Canary Springs image from the Mammoth Terrace in Yellowstone National Park in order to include a little bit of the Milky Way that is in the panorama format of the print. Very happy with how it turned out, and more importantly, so were they...
45"x55" version of "Canary Springs Under the Northern Lights"
1.5" thick satin canvas gallery wrap
Rendering of the install location (forgot to take an actual pic of the install)
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