Twenty years after their ancestors were released here in one of the most controversial wildlife projects of the century, wolf howls punctuated the cold winter air on Monday to the delight of dozens of wolf watchers.

“This is a great day,” said Char Thompson of Eugene, Ore., as she manned her spotting scope on a snowy hill near Junction Butte to watch the nearby wolves. “To have interaction and so close … ”

Members of the Junction Butte pack seemed to be fleeing from the Prospect Peak wolves gathering on the opposite side of the Lamar River. As a black and gray wolf loped south through chest-deep snow, two others sat atop the butte’s ridge as if they had been posted as lookouts to ensure the Prospect Peak wolves weren’t in pursuit.

“Lots of people thought the wolves wouldn’t be very visible when they were reintroduced,” said Rick McIntyre, a veteran with the Yellowstone Wolf Project. “My first day back in the park, I saw the entire Crystal Creek pack, so it’s a big circle of life.”

MORE>>>Billings Gazette

If you were putting together a list of the most "iconic" restaurants in Montana, which eateries would you include?

Lee Breslouer at Thrillist.com believes that the Union Grille at the Grand Union Hotel in Fort Benton deserves the top spot.

Breslouer has published an article titled "The Most Iconic Restaurant In Every State (and DC)," and the Fort Benton landmark was his choice for the Treasure State.

Of course, the word "iconic" is somewhat subjective, but there were some rules to Breslouer's quest, including that each of the finalists had to have been around for 30+ years, and still be a crowd favorite.

Breslouer says of the Union Grille:

Located just east of Great Falls -- with their highfalutin waterfalls and tiki mermaids -- the small town of Fort Benton itself is so old and iconic that a good portion of the town is a historic district thanks to its rich history of steamboats.

MORE>>>KPAX

The numbers are in and Montana's busiest airport reports it's only getting busier.

Last year, more than 966,000 passengers flew in and out of Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. The 9.3% increase sets another passenger record for the airport and the state of Montana.

In June, the airport announced its 13th and 14th non-stop seasonal service to Houston and New York's La Guardia airport.

MORE>>>ABC/FOX