The Story Behind the "M"

The "M" is 620 feet above the Missoula Valley floor. It is 125' feet long and 100' feet wide. University of Montana forestry students cut the switchbacks into the side of the hill in the early 1900's. The first "M" was assembled out of whitewashed rocks in 1909, and given a fresh coat of paint by freshmen every year, until 1968, when all those rocks were cemented together with concrete.

Photo by Nelson Kenter, kenterphotography.com

Archive for the ‘Blogs’ Category

My Top Griz Memories

By BILL SCHWANKE. When asked to list my top memories of Griz and Lady Griz basketball I have to confess that most of the list will come from Griz basketball because of the years I watched the men play, starting... more

The Facts of Life

By VERINA PALMER MARTIN. If I were to name two things I learned during my college years that have resonated with me throughout my life, it would be these: 1. Always check your facts. 2. Never forget how little ... more

Zen and the Art of Stacking Wood

By CLAY SPRINGMEYER. So, I've been living at home in Helena with my parents for the last few weeks for winter break, which basically means I get to live there free of rent for my devoted and uncomplaining slave... more

Jen’s Video Blog – Job Tips

By JENNIFER SHRYOCK. Work It Video Blog - Episode 1... more

On the Road to The Rocky Mountain Front

By BOB ZIMORINO. Leaving Montana is not as easy as one might think. Oh sure there are roads in and out of the state and regardless of popular local sentiment there are no armed guards at the border. ... more

Un-Bear-able Thursday, Satisfying Saturday

By BILL SCHWANKE. All in all, a good bounce-back Saturday for both the men and women at Montana. But as they say, “There’s a long way to go.”... more

The Year in the Rear-View Mirror

By RYAN NEWHOUSE. From new trails and an additional roundabout to the launch of a new streets festival and record ridership, Missoula saw lots of bikes, lots of bus riders and lots of footpaths in 2010. Here’... more

Mouthwatering Bloody Mary at Last Run Inn

By RYAN NEWHOUSE. Fresh powder means one-and-a-half things in Missoula, hitting the slopes at Montana Snowbowl and finishing the day with a slice of wood-fired pizza and a famous mouthwatering Bloody Mary at La... more

F*#%ing Mittens

By ELKE GOVERTSEN. Like mittens. This time of the year I can hardly think of them without calling them F*#%ing Mittens. At my house they are either missing, mismatched, wet or lost. Always.... more

Moving to Montana Soon…

By BOB ZIMORINO. I knew a guy that went by the name Johnny D that was going to visit his brother in Missoula. In January of 1976, I went home from work and an hour later was sound asleep in the back of Johnny D... more

The Year of Missoula

By CLAY SPRINMEYER. Happy holidays and blessings of the new year, dear reader. As we flow forward in the river of time into 2011, I've been reflecting on some of the adventures that 2010 brought me.... more

A Huge Week for Griz Hoops – Part II

By BILL SCHWANKE. LADY GRIZ 69, NORTH DAKOTA 59. Like Utah Valley UND came to Missoula with only one win. ... more

A Huge Week for Griz Hoops – Part I

By BILL SCHWANKE. The week was huge in terms of wins and progress for both University of Montana basketball programs. Let’s take it a game at a time in the order they were played.... more

2011: A Course for Beginners

By CC THE TRAINED MONKEY. Hello, and welcome to Lesson One of “2011: A Course For Beginners.” Please open your text books to the first chapter entitled “New Years Resolutions.” ... more

Same Start, Different Finish

By BILL SCHWANKE. It looked like the Lady Griz and Griz were headed for the same destination at the beginning of their games against Wyoming and Cal State-Fullerton last week. But fortunately only one team made... more

Let’s Get Around . . . with Missoula Maps

By RYAN NEWHOUSE. I love maps. It doesn’t matter if it’s a world map, neighborhood map or a fake treasure map.... more

A Christmas Card for Readers (Christmas Recipes Too)

By BOB ZIMORINO. I hope that it is a time of peace and joy for you and your families. Being this is most of the time a food blog, let’s eat!... more

Jackson Hole and Bru Ha Ha

By BOB ZIMORINO. On the 8th of October in 1975, two weeks and a day shy of my twenty second birthday, I left New York State with my friends Billy and John. There we were, three guys with two dogs and all of our... more

Yes, Verina, There is a Santa

By VERINA PALMER MARTIN. Every December I swear up and down I won’t get sucked into watching another marathon of sappy Hallmark Channel movies that end with snowflakes falling on cue in a freaking Christmas m... more

A New Brew in Town: Flathead Lake Brewing Co.

By RYAN NEWHOUSE. Two weeks ago, Flathead Lake Brewing Co. opened a new brew pub on the second floor of 424 N. Higgins Ave., which is above the (also) new restaurant, Sapore. Owners Sandy Clare and Carla Mancin... more

Grizzly Bill Schwanke’s Blog Tip-Off

By BILL SCHWANKE. Where to begin, when it comes to blogging about Griz and Lady Griz basketball. Especially when you’re perceived by some to be an expert despite the fact that your more direct contact with Gr... more

Griz 2-0 in Gut-Check Basketball Games

By BILL SCHWANKE. Oregon State at Montana--one of the best basketball games I’ve ever seen in Dahlberg Arena . . . period!... more

Taking It on the Road

By BOB ZIMORINO. I graduated from college with an Associates Degree in Food Service Administration. I moved west…to Buffalo. The job that followed was as the head cook in a summer camp for the mentally challe... more

Grow…

By ELKE GOVERTSEN. I know this is a blog about being a mom in Missoula. I will take every advantage to tell you about my sons, how brilliant and beautiful and sweet they are. How very difficult it is to keep up... more

Holiday Networking – All I Want for Christmas is a Job!

By JENNIFER SHRYOCK. As the holiday season skates along, it might be tempting to steer your sleigh away from your job hunt, with good intentions of re-starting in the New Year. ... more

Spare the Rod

By CC THE TRAINED MONKEY. I was in the grocery store the other day and there was this kid who was pitching a fit because his mother wouldn’t buy him a package of liverwurst.... more

Missoula Needs Snow Angels

By RYAN NEWHOUSE. As snow has finally blanketed the streets, trails and sidewalks of Missoula, the City and the Bicycle-Pedestrian Program Manager are asking everyone to do their part to keep the sidewalks in ... more

The Beauty of Being Young and Broke

"Taste It" blog by BOB ZIMORINO. When you are a poor, young college kid with a meal ticket, eating out is truly a luxury. Other than spending a little beer money on sustenance snacks like pizza slices and cheap... more

The Interview: Simple Steps to Success

"Work It" Blog by Jennifer Shryock. It’s the big day! I hope you were able to get a good night’s sleep, but if not, don’t fret.... more

CC the Emcee

By CC THE TRAINED MONKEY. So, Thanksgiving is coming up. I usually spend it with friends because I’ve never had any family out here in Los Angeles – that is, until recently when my niece came to town to st... more

A Tough End to a Tough Season

By MICK HOLIEN. It was a season predicated by mistakes and it ended Saturday about how it began – with disappointment and frustration.... more

The Thanks is in the Giving

"Taste It" Blog by BOB ZIMORINO. I am going to take a break from the story I have been telling about the evolution of food in my lifetime for a holiday special.... more

Thankful for Spirits – Montana Whiskey and Vodka

"Drink It", by RYAN NEWHOUSE. The spirits of Halloween and Dia de los Muertos may be behind us, but there are some spirits that are never far away, and for that I am especially thankful.... more

How to be Happy at Work

By JENNIFER SHRYOCK. Studies on what makes people happy reveal that it doesn't have much to do with material goods or even high achievement; it seems to whittle down to your outlook on life and the quality of y... more

Let the Brawl Begin

By MICK HOLIEN. Just how big a factor a predicted sellout crowd will have on the 109th meeting between the Grizzlies and the Bobcats will be proven early. The defense has to rock MSU freshman quarterback Denari... more

Life is a Buffet

"Taste It" Blog by BOB ZIMORINO. Before I am hunted down like Richard Kimble, by psychotic attorneys claiming none of what I have written is true, I have decided to add a disclaimer to my blog. I freely admit t... more

When Aliens (and Cryptosporidium) Attack

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A UM STUDENT. Blog by Clay Springmeyer. I have aliens chewing on my intestines. Ever seen that cult classic, Alien? Remember that part where the alien baby bursts out of the guy's stomach ... more

Before Your Job Interview—For Your Best Performance, Prepare

11/15 "Work It" blog by JENNIFER SHRYOCK. Congratulations, you've scheduled your job interview! Now get right to work preparing for it. The most successful job candidate shows up for the interview already worki... more

Weekend Tips from the Trail 11/19/10

What's going on this weekend? This video blog will help you make a plan. ... more

Still in the Hunt

11/14 Blog by MICK HOLIEN. You can say what you want about this year’s edition of University of Montana football but one thing is for sure – while I’ll take a winning mark any old time, this group of Griz... more

Confessions of a Desert Diva

11/12 Blog by Verina Palmer Martin. I really hate to admit it, but I’m not the same Montana girl my daddy raised. More precisely, I’m not the tomboy he took camping, hunting, fishing and competitive trapsho... more

Go Big, Go Growler

11/11 Blog by Ryan Newhouse. Since I’ve lived in Missoula, I’ve noticed a sharp rise in the use of growlers at Missoula’s breweries. Perhaps because I’m from the South and my grandfather used to run moo... more

The Fighting Sioux Will Bring Attitude…

11/10 Blog by "Voice of the Griz" Mick Holien. There is little doubt that the University of North Dakota football team will bring attitude to Washington Grizzly Stadium for Senior Day on Saturday. And if the... more

The Growth of a Nation

11/10 Blog by Bob Zimorino. I thought about calling this segment “The Girth of a Nation” because according to the Centers for Disease Control while men have gained an average of an inch and a half in height... more

The Need for Tweed

11/09 Blog by Ryan Newhouse. Last Sunday, about 50+ riders donned their dandiest tweed-inspired garb and rode their bikes through the gray, wet streets of Missoula for the first annual Missoula Tweed Ride. The ... more

Anywhere But Missoula, MT

11/09 Blog by Elke Govertson. If you had asked me in college where I would live when I “settled down” (is that what has happened? I have settled? Like a flat cake? Like an upset stomach? Yikes.) I would hav... more

The Hunter’s Credo

11/09 Blog Post by CC The Trained Monkey. So, hunting season is here. Guys in L.A. don’t know that though because men here don’t hunt. Occasionally they’ll troll -- for chicks. Or stalk. Lot of stalk... more

Zoo Town Night Life

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A UM STUDENT. Blog by Clay Springmeyer. Goodbye Day Light Savings! Don't you love getting to sleep in an extra hour? Well, readers, so much has happened in the last week that I don't eve... more

Weekend Tips from the Trail 11/12/10

What's going on this weekend? This video blog will help you make a plan. Then use the Plan-it button to the left to view all the upcoming events in the area. ... more

Weekend Tips from the Trail 11/5/10

What's going on this weekend? This video blog will help you make a plan. Then use the Plan-it button to the left to view all the upcoming events in the area. Don't forget to set your clocks back 1 hour this... more