Hey guys, it’s been a dang interesting spring so far (and about to be summer). I’ve been bouncing around Montana and the PNW, attending speaking engagements at conventions and also acquiring content for social media and the documentary I’m working on titled “Leaving Montana”.
I had an excellent time speaking at Miscon 37 in Missoula, Montana. There’s hardly a better place to be in the world than western Montana in spring.
In all that, I managed to finish a new novel, a psychological thriller based in Montana. It’s currently on submission with my agent.
I hope you all are having a great warm season. You can find me where the tall, north country forests mingle with hidden waterfalls and lumbering moose.
The signing for THE PULLER at the Missoula Barnes and Noble has been rescheduled for December 12th, from 2 to 4 pm. I’m excited to meet you folks in person!
I’ve been walking a lot in Missoula. It’s what I do when I’m taking an hour break from writing. Usually I’m on my headphones listening to music, taking audio notes, trying to pet whatever dogs and cats I see. Yesterday, I walked past a bookshop I’m familiar with. The shop was where I had my first ever book signing in 2015. The book was my debut.
Eight people showed up.
One of those was my dad.
He flew out from Chicago for it, sat in the “audience” to support my first ever novel. And make no mistake, at the time that was me jumping off into the unknown. A leap of faith. A new valley to call my own.
After the signing (it didn’t take long haha), we ate ice cream and watched the river. A bald eagle soared over the valley, searching. He and I watched the scene quietly, an unspoken understanding between us.
No matter what, through it all, this guy has had my back. I strive to be more like him, more kind, less judgmental, more logical and practical.
A few years ago we took a camping trip to my favorite Montana river, and then on to Yellowstone. He bought a new tent and sleeping bag just for the trip. We fly fished and took pictures deep in the national forest. I still remember us wading the river at sunset, watching as the trout nipped bugs on the surface, as a moose and calf slowly emerged from the woods and crossed the river. Or filming the elk in Yellowstone, or the spectacular night sky. Or the poor guy having to eat my terrible cooking.
When I was a teenager and getting into trouble, he set me aside and told me I could be anything I wanted to be if I put my mind to it. I never forgot that lesson.
I miss those trips. Those times. I don’t see my parents as much as I used to.
But you see, that’s what they taught me. A healthy eagle flies far from the nest.
Hi. There’s been a lot of bear content in the news lately, especially in the Northern Rockies. A bear attack (sadly), and video of curious bears “following” people. I’ve noticed that it’s occurring more frequently this year. And that’s because a lot of people are moving to the Northern Rockies…people who think their new backyard is just like their backyard in Texas.
It’s not.
Unlike Texas, which has almost no public land or wilderness (and which most people sadly confuse as a wild place), the Northern Rockies are still very wild, with incredibly vibrant ecosystems and a full array of native fauna.
I’ve been filming grizzly and black bears in Montana and NW Wyoming since 2004.
How many times have I followed a bear into the woods? Zero.
How many times have I gone for a jog or bike in grizzly habitat? Zero.
How many times have I not paid attention to the woods in grizzly habitat? Zero.
More and more, I’m seeing people that think the Northern Rockies are some kind of paradise playground, a tame personal backyard.
They are not.
The moment you step into that national forest, you better give those woods 100% of your attention…not your music app on your phone as you jog or bike. Or that random text.
The national forests and parks of the Northern Rockies are the real deal. They are the home of the wildest and rarest animals in the world.
And for those continuing to consider a move there, here’s the reality. Check out the frost-free days of these Montana towns:
97 frost-free days in Bozeman 102 in Whitefish 110 in Missoula.
Can you handle 250+ days of cold? Think about it. For real.
The truth is, Montana is a place best visited. It’s home to a unique brand of hearty people who’ve developed a tolerance to the harsh winters and abundant wildlife.
Growing up, I used to want a cabin on a lake. Then I realized that’s how you ruin the place you love. I saw it happen to the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Soon, trees were cut down for a “better view”. Pine needle and sandy forest floors were replaced with chem-lawns that depleted oxygen levels in the lakes.
And if enough people keep building homes next to places like Glacier, they’ll deplete grizzly bear habitat like the oxygen in the Northwoods lakes.
To capture the essence of Glacier, tent for a few days in a campground. Or take a boat tour, or hike, or just drive. You won’t capture the essence by building a home there . You’ll only ruin it.
The Northern Rockies are more than your outdoor clothing catalogue dreams. More than your desire to “invest in a vacation home”. They are more than your personal goals. They go beyond you…beyond me.
Whew. It’s been a minute since I’ve posted a substantiative update to this page.
I left Missoula in January to house shop in the Pacific Northwest, camp, photo journal, and wrap up a writing deadline. While Montana will always be my #1, The long winters have started to wear on me. However, the summers are impossible to beat.
I checked out the Oregon coast, Portland, and several other areas. In the process I lost my whisper-quiet photography drone, which was capable of filming at 4k resolution with a 3-way gimbal head. The drone went berserk fifteen yards from me and crashed into a remote salmon stream. I searched for the drone for two days in the wilderness ravine, but no luck. BUT, luckily DJI stands by their products, and they shipped me a new drone for free. So that’s cool.
On the writing front, my debut novel THE PULLER has a new publishing home. I’m hoping to announce specifics any day now. In addition, I’m 1/3rd of the way finished with what I consider to be a novel on the level of THE PULLER called, LOST PLANES, LOST RIVER. It falls into the category of “upmarket thriller” and I’m excited about the project. I really wanted to come at the page hard and not filter myself. I wanted it to be art, not product in the way TH PULLER is experimental. It’s turning out well.
And on the house shopping front, things are getting interesting. In March of 2019, I left Missoula with my adventure cat Wrigley to attend a couple business meetings in LA. After the meetings, Wrigley and I ended up visiting various national parks and forests. And sadly, he died on December 27th, 2019. This had a profound impact on me…the kind of tectonic shift to where it felt like I’d become someone else. Less brighter, less smiles. Despite a myriad of distractions.
I honestly haven’t been able to stay between four walls for longer than a week. I feel compelled to move at all times, whether that constitutes gym, hiking, photography, different hotels, etc. This feeling, this change, doesn’t seem to be fading, but rather intensifying as time passes. So I’ve been rolling with it. The freedom is intoxicating. We’ll see how much longer it lasts.
The only thing I’ve ever learned in all this, is that nothing lasts forever. Not drones, not careers, not friends, nor beloved cats that liked Redwood National Park. But we try to make it last, don’t we?
Best, – Michael
A remote section of the Oregon coast where my drone disappeared.
