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Silvertip Fire in the Bob Marshall Wilderness

By
Alan
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The Silvertip Fire is a lightning-caused wildfire in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, about 15 miles southeast of Spotted Bear Ranger Station. Recent reports put it at roughly 4,688 acres with 0% containment, and several trails in the area are closed for public and firefighter safety.

The fire has been reported on both sides of Silvertip Creek, with growth mainly toward Silvertip Mountain and some spotting eastward. Officials say the remote terrain makes direct firefighting difficult, and no structures are currently threatened.

The Flathead National Forest has closed multiple trails, including portions of Trails 88, 584, 103, 89, 83, 90, and 229.

Silvertip Fire Dashboard

The Bob Marshal Wilderness

The Bob Marshall Wilderness — affectionately known as “The Bob” — is one of the premier wilderness areas in the United States, located right here in northwestern Montana.

Here’s a comprehensive overview:

    • Designated: 1964 under the Wilderness Act (originally set aside in 1940 as a primitive area)
    • Size: 1,009,352 acres — the fifth-largest wilderness in the lower 48 states
    • Named after: Bob Marshall (1901–1939), a forester, conservationist, and co-founder of The Wilderness Society
    • Location: Straddles the Continental Divide, just south of Glacier National Park, extending 60 miles from north to south

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex

“The Bob” is actually part of a larger complex comprising three wilderness areas:

    • Bob Marshall Wilderness (1964) — the oldest and largest
    • Scapegoat Wilderness (1972)
    • Great Bear Wilderness (1978)

Together they span more than 1.5 million acres, making it the third-largest wilderness complex in the lower 48. It stretches from Glacier National Park in the north to Rogers Pass in the south.

Landscape & Features

    • Chinese Wall — the iconic 1,000-foot limestone escarpment stretching 12–22 miles along the Continental Divide
    • Big Salmon Lake — the largest lake in the complex at 970 acres
    • South Fork of the Flathead River — a designated Wild and Scenic River
    • Elevations range from 4,000-foot valley floors to over 9,000 feet along the Continental Divide
    • Over 1,700 miles of trail open to foot and stock use only

Wildlife

The Bob is considered by many to be the “crown jewel” of the wilderness system and contains some of the best wildlife habitat in the lower 48:

    • One of the highest grizzly bear population densities in the U.S. outside of Alaska
    • Gray wolves, lynx, wolverines
    • Elk, deer, moose, mountain lions, mountain goats, bighorn sheep

Recreation

    • No roads, no motorized equipment, no bikes — true wilderness per the Wilderness Act
    • Activities: backpacking, horseback riding, hunting (in season), fishing (state license required), and river floating
    • Popular trails include the Chinese Wall Trail (53 miles, multi-day), George Lake, and sections of the Continental Divide Trail
    • Guided pack trips are available for those not wanting to carry heavy loads
    • Town of Augusta (pop. 200) serves as a key gateway from the east

Access from Great Falls

If you happen to be in Great Falls, you’re actually closer to to “The Bob” than you might think.

You can gain access to The Bob Access through towns like Augusta (1 hour drive from the trailheads), Choteau, Bynum, Dupuyer, and Browning.

The Flathead and Lewis and Clark National Forest ranger districts manage the area.

Key contacts:

Lewis and Clark National Forest: (406) 791-7700

Flathead National Forest: (406) 758-5200




 

Another Billionaire is building a resort in Montana

By
Alan
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Another Billionaire building a resort in Montana

Billionaire Arthur Blank (Home Depot co-founder and Atlanta Falcons owner) has debuted Auster at Dome Mountain, a new luxury lodge/resort in Paradise Valley.

This recent development fits the pattern of high-net-worth individuals, like other billionaires expanding hospitality or private properties in the state. Blank has assembled a large portfolio in the area over roughly 25 years — now totaling more than 33,000 acres across properties including Mountain Sky Guest Ranch (which he bought in 2001), West Creek Ranch, Paradise Valley Ranch, and now the new Auster site.

Auster sits on more than 6,000 acres beneath Emigrant Peak and the Absaroka Range, with about four miles of Yellowstone River frontage. It features 20 one-to-three-bedroom cabins designed for year-round stays, a main lodge with Southwind Kitchen and Saloon (including a rooftop deck), a pool, guided activities (hikes, horseback riding), and access to the Johnny Miller-designed Rising Sun Golf Course at the nearby Mountain Sky property. Construction largely stayed within an existing 1960s guest-facility footprint. Rates are in the premium range (reports mention around $1,000 a night in some coverage).

Blank has emphasized conservation easements on parts of his holdings (for example, thousands of acres protected via the Gallatin Valley Land Trust) alongside ranching, recreation, and philanthropy through the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and related Montana giving.

Montana has seen a series of similar projects and purchases by wealthy individuals and firms. Examples include the long-established Yellowstone Club (private ski/golf community near Big Sky with many high-net-worth members), Discovery Land Company developments such as Crazy Mountain Ranch (private membership ranch/golf experience on former Marlboro Ranch land) and the proposed Territory 1889 / Flathead Lake Club near Lakeside (1,700-acre members-only project with golf, residences, and marina that has drawn local opposition), plus other luxury offerings around Big Sky like Montage Big Sky and One and Only Moonlight Basin.

Recent local commentary often frames these as part of a broader trend, raising questions about housing costs, public access, water use, community character, and how much of the state’s iconic landscapes become exclusive retreats. Proponents point to economic activity, conservation efforts, and tourism benefits. Paradise Valley’s dramatic river-and-mountain setting is a major draw for these projects.

High-end development increases costs for everyone

Montana experienced sharp housing price increases starting around 2020. Statewide home values rose about 50% from early 2020 to mid-2022 (faster than the national average in that period), and in some metrics prices roughly doubled from spring 2020 levels in the following years.

More recent figures (late 2025–mid-2026) show medians around $530,000–$550,000 statewide, with some stabilization or modest year-over-year declines in places, though levels remain elevated. In high-demand areas the picture is more acute:

    • Gallatin County (Bozeman/Big Sky area) medians have often been in the $687,000–$800,000 range recently.
    • Bozeman-area figures frequently show $700,000–$790,000+ for single-family homes or overall medians depending on the exact period and data source.

Affordability metrics have been among the worst in the U.S. by price-to-income ratios at various points (sometimes ranking least affordable), as median household incomes lag (roughly $72,000–$75,000 in recent data). Many renters face cost burdens exceeding 30% of income.

Overall cost-of-living indexes place Montana near or somewhat above the national average in recent readings (e.g., composite indices around 95–106, with housing often 20–28% above national averages while other categories like utilities can be lower). Housing is the primary pressure point for many residents.

How much does a Billionaire cost?

Concentrated demand from higher-income migrants (including from coastal states), remote workers, retirees, and second-home/vacation buyers has bid up prices, particularly in places like Big Sky, Paradise Valley, the Flathead Valley, and around Bozeman.

Luxury resorts, private clubs (e.g., Yellowstone Club and related Discovery Land Company projects), and high-end lodge/ranch developments amplify this in specific locales by competing for land, drawing more affluent visitors/residents, and supporting a service economy where worker wages often do not keep pace with local housing costs.

High vacancy rates from seasonal/second homes reduce available stock for year-round residents and workers. This contributes to workforce housing shortages in resort areas. Montana has responded with property tax changes that raise rates on second homes and short-term rentals while providing relief for primary residences, explicitly aimed at shifting burdens after out-of-state purchases drove up prices and taxes for locals.

Broader factors include limited housing supply relative to demand (geographic constraints, construction costs, zoning, and slower building during the migration surge), national post-pandemic trends, and amenity-driven appeal of the Mountain West. Population growth surged then slowed (partly because high costs deterred further in-migration).

Economic Trade-offs Favor the Wealthy

Tourism and outdoor recreation (bolstered by these developments) generate substantial activity — nonresident visitor spending has been in the $5+ billion range annually in recent years, supporting tens of thousands of very low paying jobs and hundreds of millions in tax revenue that many claim can ease burdens on residents. Some billionaire owners (e.g., philanthropic efforts tied to large ranch holdings) may emphasize conservation easements but do nothing to help conserve affordable living arrangement for Montana locals.

The distributional effects are uneven: service and hospitality jobs can be seasonal or lower-wage relative to elevated local costs, and long-time residents or lower/middle-income workers face greater pressure on housing, property taxes, and everyday expenses in many areas of our state.

In short, billionaire-backed and luxury ventures raise local costs mainly via the housing channel in many of Montana’s desirable regions, exacerbating affordability challenges for many Montanans. Statewide effects are real and may vary somewhat by location but not by much. Over all, these trends are having ripple effects across the state and are not just being experienced in these so-called hot spots.




 

Petrichor: What is it and why does it smell so good?

By
Alan
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Petrichor

Petrichor is the distinctive earthy, usually pleasant scent produced when rain falls on dry soil or rock, especially after a warm, dry spell.

The term was coined in 1964 by Australian researchers Isabel Joy Bear and Richard Grenfell Thomas in a paper published in Nature. They formed it from the Greek words petra (or petros, meaning “stone”) and ichor (the ethereal fluid said to flow in the veins of the gods in classical mythology), describing it as a “tenuous essence” derived from rock or stone. Previously, the smell had sometimes been called an “argillaceous odour.”

What causes it

The scent arises mainly from a mix of compounds that build up or are present in dry soil and get released into the air by rain:

    • Volatile plant oils that accumulate on and in soil and rocks during dry periods.
    • Geosmin, an organic compound (a bicyclic alcohol) produced by soil-dwelling actinobacteria, particularly Streptomyces species, as they break down organic matter. Geosmin is a major contributor to the characteristic earthy note; humans are extremely sensitive to it.
    • In some cases, ozone carried down by storm downdrafts (especially with lightning), which can add a sharper, cleaner element.

When raindrops strike porous dry soil, they trap tiny air bubbles that rise and burst, creating aerosols that loft these scent compounds (along with some microbial material) into the air. This effect is often strongest with lighter rain after prolonged dry weather.

In short, petrichor is the smell of rain hitting thirsty earth — a combination of plant-derived oils, bacterial geosmin, and the physics of raindrop impact. It’s widely regarded as one of the most pleasant and evocative natural scents.




 

Cyr Bridge boat slide construction begins July 27

By
Alan
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Cyr Bridge boat slide construction begins July 27

FWP Alberton: Construction at the Cyr Bridge Fishing Access Site (FAS) boat slide is scheduled to begin Monday, July 27. Cyr Bridge is the main put-in for the Alberton Gorge whitewater section of the Clark Fork River, and the slide will remain open during daytime hours, with temporary evening closures (5 p.m.-1 a.m.) on several days, Monday-Thursday only.

The slide will be open during all daytime hours, but floaters can expect some delays and an adjustment to the launching process as portions of the wood and stairs on each side of the slide are replaced. Evening complete slide closures are anticipated for July 28-30 from 5 p.m.-1 a.m. while crews replace entire crossbeams on the slide, with the potential for a few additional evening closures during the week of August 3.

The project will ultimately replace all the wood on the slide to keep it in safe condition for boaters using the slide to launch rafts down a steep riverbank. The work is expected to take several weeks to complete. Extra Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and construction staff will be on hand to assist boaters with launches during the busiest times.

About The Alberton Gorge

Alberton Gorge is a roughly 9–12 mile stretch of the Clark Fork River (also called Clark’s Fork of the Columbia) in Mineral County, just west of Missoula and near the town of Alberton. It is renowned for Class II–IV whitewater, steep canyon walls, sandy beaches, ponderosa forests, and deep pools, and serves as a major put-in area (including at Cyr Bridge). Its history spans deep geological time, Indigenous presence, early exploration and settlement, the railroad era, and modern recreation/conservation.

Geological History

The canyon walls expose rocks of the Belt Supergroup, a vast package of primarily fine-grained sedimentary rocks (mudstones, siltstones, sandstones/quartzites, and some carbonates) deposited roughly 1.47–1.38 billion years ago during the Mesoproterozoic. These formed in a large intracontinental basin (linked to the breakup or rifting of the Nuna supercontinent) that filled with sediments from ancient rivers and inland seas.

Visitors can see ancient ripple marks, colorful layered rocks, and mud cracks left by long-gone shallow waters—evidence of a barren, pre-life landscape very different from today’s.

The modern gorge shape was dramatically carved during the last Ice Age. Around 15,000–12,000 years ago (estimates vary slightly by source), a lobe of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet dammed the Clark Fork River near the Idaho border, creating enormous Glacial Lake Missoula (up to 2,000 feet deep in places and covering 2,900 square miles).

The ice dam failed repeatedly (dozens of times over several thousand years), releasing catastrophic outburst floods. Water raced through the region at high speeds (tens of miles per hour), stripping soil, scouring bedrock, and shaping the steep-walled canyon, purple cliffs, and rock formations still visible today. These Missoula Floods also created the Channeled Scablands farther downstream and contributed to the Columbia River Gorge. The landscape remains wild and similar in character to how the floods left it.




 

Ghost Font: Hiding Communications From AI

By
Aimee
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Ghost Font: Hiding Communications From AI

Ghost Font is an experimental “anti-AI” visual communication system (not a traditional TTF typeface) created by computer scientist and Mixfont founder Eric Lu. It encodes short messages in motion so that humans can read them while current leading AI models often cannot.

How It Works

    • Messages appear as thousands of tiny moving dots in a short video.
    • The dots forming the letters typically drift in one direction (e.g., upward), while background dots move the opposite way.
    • Human vision readily groups points moving together into coherent shapes (a form of motion-based perceptual grouping), so the text becomes visible as faint letters.
    • Any single static frame or screenshot looks like random noise—the letters vanish because they rely on relative motion across frames.
    • A hidden decoy message is embedded as an additional layer. AI systems that analyze the video (usually by breaking it into individual frames) frequently latch onto the decoy and report the wrong text, or hallucinate something else.

You can try it yourself on the official page (mixfont.com/ghost-font): type a short message, preview the animated result, and download the video. Processing happens locally in the browser.

Background and Motivation

Lu was inspired by frustration with AI assistants automatically summarizing private conversations (sometimes incorrectly). He wanted a way to share messages that are harder for AI to casually read. The project draws a parallel to the 2013 ZXX font by Sang Mun, which used visual noise to defeat older OCR systems — but modern multimodal models easily read ZXX. Ghost Font targets current AI limitations around temporal/motion understanding instead.

According to Lu: “I was inspired to make Ghost Font one day after texting with my mom, and I noticed that AI kept trying to summarize our messages, many times incorrectly,” Lu, a former Google associate product manager, said in an interview. “I was annoyed that it was being so intrusive in our private conversation and I started brainstorming ways that I could potentially communicate without AI reading everything.”

Effectiveness and Limitations

In Lu’s tests, models such as Claude Fable and GPT variants (including strong “thinking” or agentic versions) struggled or failed to extract the real message without very specific prompting about the technique. Some users later succeeded with careful instructions or by writing code to analyze optical flow/frame differences, showing it is not cryptographically secure.

Key caveats:
    • Limited to very short messages.
    • Harder for some humans to read than normal text (and inaccessible to many with visual impairments).
    • A determined agent with code execution can often decode the motion.
    • Future video-native models that better process temporal cues will likely defeat it.
    • True privacy still requires proper encryption or shared secrets, not visual tricks.

Lu presents it as a prototype and experiment exploring differences in human vs. AI perception, potential CAPTCHA ideas, and a benchmark for AI visual/temporal capabilities. He has indicated plans to open-source the generation code and support longer text.

In short, Ghost Font is a clever, shareable proof-of-concept that leverages human motion perception to make short messages temporarily harder for today’s AI vision systems to parse — more of a demonstration of current gaps than a robust anti-surveillance tool.




 

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