The Best Time to Visit Montana
   ~Carmella Rodriguez

Montana is a popular vacation destination thanks to its abundance of stunning natural scenery, largely due to where the state merges from US to Canadian wilderness. From glaciers to mountains, lakes, and national parks, there’s so much to see and do here.

The most popular months to visit are the summer months, when vacationers want to make the most of the state’s beautiful, sunny weather. The three busiest months of the year to visit Montana are June, July, and August. Using unique data from travel start-up AllTheRooms, we know that in July vacation rentals are 68.5% booked; in August 60.1% booked; and in June 54.5%.

The summer is an amazing time to explore Montana’s national parks -- go boating on the lakes, such as on the crystal blue waters of Lake McDonald, or hiking in the Rocky Mountains. You could also consider staying in West Yellowstone, which is a gateway to Yellowstone National Park, one of the US’ most incredible spots.

With summertime sunshine comes higher demand for accommodation and therefore higher prices. The average daily rate for home rentals is $220 per night in July; $208 per night in August; and $196 per night in June -- so if you can get away from work in June, you’re likely to be able to make a decent saving.

The weather in June averages between 70°F to 80°F, making it the perfect month to get the most of the sunshine, without breaking the bank. June is also a good time to visit as schools haven’t ended for summer break yet and summer tourism isn’t in full swing. This means that you don’t have to share the state’s mountains and lakes with so many people.

If you’re looking for the cheapest month to visit Montana, November is when accommodation is the least booked with only 28% occupancy rate as of 2018 and an average daily rate of just $145 per night. Cheap deals across hotels, hostels and vacation rentals can be found as accommodation owners knock prices down in order to increase occupancy.

November is a good time to visit if you like skiing, as snowfall is high over the month. It’s worth bearing in mind that November is very cold, with average temperatures between 42°F to 50 °F, and it can be much colder the higher up in the mountains you are. December is also a good time to visit for winter sports, although it’s more expensive as it coincides with the Christmas vacation period. The average daily rate in December goes up to $224 per night.

April is also a good month to visit, with low occupancy at just 29%. Spring is in full bloom during this time and visitors flock for the change in foliage and lower prices. The average daily rate of home rentals in April is $166, while the average weather in Montana in April is from 50°F to 59°F. April is also known as the best month to visit Yellowstone because the weather is mild, the crowds are smaller, and if camping is your thing, you can sleep outside.

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Surf's Up in Montana!

   ~Sean Jansen

A low-pressure system forms at the polar regions of our planet. With cold ferocity, the winds whip in a hurricane like motion while having a barometric pressure measurement similar to that of what poverty looks like in a bank account. That pressure and wind create waves that curl outward from the storm and march thousands of miles in a fan like motion until it reaches a coastline.

Surfers study these storms and how long they take to get to where they are located. Timing swells perfectly with utmost accuracy and precision to meet these waves at the beaches, point breaks, or rock and coral shelves that waves then peel over and along where surfers catch and enjoy the sometimes long rides the waves offer.

Enter Montana.

The storms at the polar regions of our planet have the same effect to the waves that grace the coastlines like California but instead bring the snowfall needed for our waves to form in Montana. The same Low Pressure system that was spinning in Alaska that sent waves to Washington and Oregon continue to march inland as precipitation creating snowfall. Once our days in Montana begin to thaw and the temperatures climb above freezing, the snow melts and drips off our roof’s and mountains and into the rivers. Swelling the waters to flood stages where the national weather service warns of the dangers associated with the flooding river. Surfers lick their chops at the report.

Surfers on the Pacific Coast for example study wind, swell and buoy charts memorizing the swell heights and periods between the waves to dictate size and shape once breaking on the shore. Surfers in Montana study snow pack from the winter previous, with the water flow charts of their local rivers with discharge they hope breaks flood stage.  I know no other surfers with such gratitude and drive like those who live in Montana. And Brennan’s Wave in Missoula is a classic example of the stoke associated with the coming spring, warmer days, and the flood of Spring.

Sitting smack dab in the middle of town in Missoula, Brennan’s Wave, a man made wave, has a concrete structure submerged underwater. Once the Clarks Fork River hits a certain CFS in flow, the surfers come out of their winter dwelling habits and slap their wetsuits on and hit the river. Long are the days when kayakers and fly fisherman were the only enthusiasts on the river.

The rise in popularity of surfing the river wave has grown to coverage in Distinctly Montana, Local News sources, Outside Magazine, NBC, and even surf magazines on the coast, bringing professional surfers like Dylan Graves of Puerto Rico and Kai Lenny of Maui, inland to Montana to check out the action.

Kevin Brown, a local resident of Missoula, has been surfing the wave since the wave. He even has his own surf shop in Missoula and shapes specific surfboards designed just for river surfing. Similar to waves in the ocean, the river wave curls and forms what is known as white water, where the wave breaks creating a white, oxygenated foam that the surfers use to help propel through the water. With a curved face and white water following behind, the surfers can carve and turn while some can even pop airs like snowboarding or skateboarding.

As a surfer born and raised in California having grown up surfing ocean waves for the better part of two decades, the challenge of river surfing to ocean is as night and day as anything. An ocean wave pushes you in toward the beach. Where as a river waves stands in motion with water surging upward and curling, keeping you standing and moving in place. The first couple of tries I fell flat on my face, but with anything, practice makes perfect and before long I was having the time of my life, giggling at the fact that my surfing life had all but gone with my move to the mountains of Montana. Man was I wrong about that, and to be honest, happily surprised that I was stood corrected but yet another surprise Montana had to offer.

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Kayaking Safety: Tips for a Safe & Adventurous Day

   ~Ashley Casey

Kayaking enables us to connect with the outdoors in ways that no other activity can. Kayakers get to explore the world just inches above the water surface, and in vessels that get us to areas that our two feet cannot. It is that aspect of being taken from our usual surrounding and into the unknown that makes kayaking so thrilling.

But as with any outdoor activity, kayaking comes with certain risks. If you fall into cold water and are unable to get out for a long time, you risk getting hypothermia. Other dangers include drowning, dehydration and impact injuries.

If you want to enjoy your kayaking adventure, you need to be prepared for all these risks. Here are a few tips for a safe and adventure-filled kayaking trip.

Equipment: What to Bring?

Packing for your kayaking trip is loads of fun. You get to determine what you’ll use and try out new gadgets. This whole process enables you to anticipate what your adventure will be like. One of the things we recommend you invest in is the best sit on top kayak. This is particularly important for first-time kayakers and those who’re always worried about their boats capsizing.

A sit on top kayak is simply a craft that has a sealed hull and molded seat for easy entry and exit. The fact that the craft is completely sealed means that you can roll back over even if it capsizes. With a sit-inside kayak, the craft would quickly become filled with water, making it harder to use it again.

Even though we’ve cited the possibility of flipping underwater several times, this is a very unlikely occurrence if you’re using a stable, high-quality sit on top kayak.

Apart from a sit on top kayak, other gear you need to bring are floating devices, paddle floats, ropes, whistles and flares and dry-bags.

Work as a Team

Kayaking, especially for the novice, is best done with a group of friends or other experienced paddlers. But even pro kayakers can run into trouble when kayaking solo as the weather and water conditions are unpredictable.

For instance, if there is heavy rain upstream, the river can quickly be transformed into an area with a dangerous set of rapids. Similarly, if the direction of the wind changes rapidly, paddling can be more difficult and exhausting.

In the event of such risky situations, it’s a good idea to have people you can rely on to rescue you or keep you safe. If you don’t know any experienced kayaker, try enrolling in a club or taking a guided kayaking tour as opposed to going solo.

Plan your Route

The easiest way to mitigate the dangers associated with kayaking is to plan your route beforehand. When doing this, ensure you take all important factors into consideration. For instance, just how experienced are you in kayaking? Are your crew members more skilled in this activity? What will the weather be like?

One of rule of thumb is to take only those routes that are protected from strong winds and waves. Also, your kayaking spots should be within reasonable swimming distance from the shore.

If you’ll be kayaking in the sea, then be sure to attend an advanced kayaking course first. Sea kayaking can be more thrilling, but it also poses more risks as it presents tougher conditions in terms of waves, tides and winds.

Before heading out, inform at least one person who is staying on dry land. Let them know where you plan to go, how long you’re likely to take and how many people are accompanying you for the trip.

Nutrition and Hydration

As mentioned earlier, one of the risks of kayaking is getting dehydrated. Most of the time, you’ll be in remote areas with no access to foods or drinks. Factor in the amount of paddling you have to do and the fact that you can’t communicate with the outside world.

Therefore, it’s very important that you plan what you will eat and drink while on your adventure. Pack plenty of high energy food bars because they’re easy to store and they don’t go bad. You can also pack some fruits although these will have to be consumed within a short time. In addition, bring plenty of water.

Learn Basic Safety Maneuvers

Before you start your adventure, you should understand and practice the necessary safety maneuvers. When practicing these drills, opt for calm, shallow waters. Also, have an experienced kayaker with you.

If you’re still not confident in your kayaking skills, it’s best to stay within swimming distance of the shore. These are the main safety moves you should know:

The Capsize: capsizing is the most common risk. Thus, you should learn what to do in case it happens. If you’re using a sit on top kayak, then it’s easy to exit it. However, if you’re using a sit in kayak, learn how to exit your craft swiftly and safely.

The Wet Entry: after exiting your kayak, the step that follows is locating it and re-entering. Unfortunately, it’s much harder to enter your vessel from the water than land, which is why you need to practice this skill.

The Eskimo Roll: this is a more advanced maneuver as it entails flipping your kayak to the right position without exiting it. Rolling is not a self-taught skill. This is something you need to learn from a professional or experienced instructor.

Final Word

Follow the golden rules in our article for your kayak safety. Work as a team, invest in the right equipment, practice safety maneuvers and plan your route beforehand.