There is a magic to Montana, and that sense of magic was captured exquisitely on the written page by our native son, author Norman Maclean. Best known for his novella A River Runs Through It, Maclean is also lauded for his short stories and his hard-headed investigation in the Mann Gulch fire of 1949, Young Men and Fire. And it is with great pride that we acknowledge that Maclean's premiere works were handwritten on the deck of his log cabin on the shores of Seeley Lake. To honor and celebrate this heritage of the written word, the inaugural In The Footsteps of Norman Maclean Festival will be held in Seeley Lake, Montana and on the Blackfoot River the weekend of July 10-13, 2015.
The festival will highlight those who remember Norman's life in Seeley Lake, those who worked with him on Young Men and Fire, and writers and scholars who have reviewed, analyzed and appreciate Maclean's works. We anticipate hearing from the forest ranger who walked the Mann Gulch with Norman during Maclean's investigation, his son, author and reporter John N. Maclean and more. We will tour the actual fishing holes described in A River Runs Through It, get updated on the successful conservation efforts on the Blackfoot River, and for the hardy hiker – a tour of Mann Gulch.
Festival events will be held on the Blackfoot, in Seeley Lake at the Double Arrow Resort and at nearby Camp Paxson on Seeley Lake. Camp Paxson was the site of the nation's first smokejumper training center, and will host our Sunday focus on both Norman and John N. Maclean's numerous published works on wildland fires and their impact. Saturday's focus will be on Norman Maclean's writings and a showing of the film, A River Runs Through It.