Billings Versus Bozeman: Who Loves the AB More?
Our Home Wilderness
At nearly one million acres, the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness holds some of the most remote and pristine lands in the lower 48. For those who venture into is deep canyons, traverse its high, windswept plateaus, and seek the jewel-toned waters of any of its 1,000 lakes, the Wilderness offers solitude, adventure, and the opportunity to experience truly wild country.
The Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation is the only organization solely dedicated to stewardship of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. Each season, we mobilize volunteers and crews to maintain and restore hundreds of miles of trail so people can travel safely and responsibly through this landscape. With ongoing strain on our partners at the Forest Service, this work is more essential than ever.
Stewarding The Beaten Path
As you may know, each year Bozeman and Billings (and their respective surrounding communities) host two important giving days where community-minded folks pitch in to help an array of local nonprofits. These events are Give Big Gallatin Valley and Yellowstone Valley Gives.
Because the AB Wilderness is important to both communities, ABWF does work in both Gallatin Valley and Yellowstone Valley. This year, our Give Big and Yellowstone Valley Gives effort centers on stewardship of The Beaten Path - the iconic 26-mile route that connects East Rosebud to Cooke City and has long defined the experience of this wilderness. After years of repairs following the 2022 floods, the trail is now fully open, and we expect a substantial increase in use as the hikers who have been waiting for repairs to be completed plan their return to this corner of the AB. (We posted this blog last year featuring nine great alternatives to The Beaten Path for folks who want to venture a bit further afield.)
We need to ensure that the uptick in visitation is met with a corresponding increase in wilderness education, targeted stewardship projects, and on-the-ground outreach to ensure those using the trail treat the area with the respect and reverence it deserves. ABWF is prepared to take on this challenge - and we need your support to make it successful.
Along The Beaten Path | Photo: David Wells
We have multiple stewardship projects focused on caretaking The Beaten Path this year, are launching a brand new Ambassadors-in-Residence program to place trained long-term volunteers at the East Rosebud and Cooke City Trailheads this summer, and are increasing our outreach in communities near The Beaten Path to share best practices and instill wilderness ethics in a wide range of prospective visitors to the path.
Of course, we need your support to do all this successfully. That’s why this year, we're hosting a friendly competition between Gallatin Valley and Yellowstone Valley to see which community will step up the most for the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.
Bozeman VS. Billings: A Little Friendly Competition
You may remember that last year, we partnered with two “virtual climbers” to race to the top of Granite Peak to raise money for our stewardship work. This year, Bozeman’s Herman Watson and Billings’ Maddison Wilhite are at it again, only they’ve traded this ice axes for trail runners: Maddison and Herman are competing to see who can cover the 26 miles of The Beaten Path the fastest, and it’s your (generous, tax-deductible) dollars that will propel them!
Each dollar donated during Yellowstone Valley Gives moves Maddison farther along the path, and each dollar donated during Give Big Gallatin Valley fuels Herman’s journey. Which community will get their runner the the end the fastest?
Our goal is to raise $13,000 from each community to support this vital work. Which means every $500 milestone takes a runner another mile along the path. In the real world, your support helps ensure that as more people return to The Beaten Path, they do so with the knowledge and responsibility this place requires. Whether you love the path, have yet to visit it, or simply believe in the value of instilling good wilderness ethics, we need your support.
(As an extra thank you, each person who donates will be entered into a drawing for a one-night stay at The Lark in Bozeman or The Wren in Missoula.)
Thank you for supporting your community, this work, and and your wilderness.