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 ‘All Featured’ Category

DIY Window Cleaner

By ERIN TURNER - We are mid-summer right now and you know what I can’t avoid at this point? My dirty windows. Here's my simple and frugal DIY recipe for window cleaner:... more

UM Sports Trivia | Week of July 29

By CHRIS WALTERSKIRCHEN - Making Chris' top trivia mentions this week: Grizzly football sanctions, Rutgers Athletics Program, pro golfer, Hunter Hahan, and legendary Grizzly football player, Terry Dillon.... more

Missoula Job Service Featured Jobs | Week of July 29

Make It Missoula posts local jobs from the Missoula Job Service. This week's jobs include: A Clinical Coordinator, CSCT Therapists, and a Receptionist/Data Entry Worker.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of July 29

Trail 103.3 DJs share what's happening in Missoula this week: Out to Lunch, Missoula Farmers' Market, Osprey Baseball, Downtown ToNight & more!... more

Missoula’s Annual Chip Seal Program Begins

F.Y.I. - Missoula City Street Division crews begin applying oil and chips as part of the City’s annual Chip Seal Street Maintenance Program on Monday, July 29.... more

Hey Bob, Go Jump in a Lake

By BOB WIRE (VIDEO) I used to be reckless--“jump from the fifth floor balcony into the pool” kind of reckless". Now, eating jalapeños on my nachos without taking a Prevacid first is as reckless as I get.... more

This Week’s Missoula News Highlights-Week of July 22

By TOM DIDDEL- A recap of the week’s most talked-about stories in Missoula: Arnold Schwarzenegger Visits Western Montana Fire Crew, Cash Hyde Story Lives on in new Documentary, and More!... more

Fairy Tale and Super Hero Festival is Saturday July 27

Come to the Fairy Tale and Super Hero Festival at Dragon Hollow Play area on Sat., July 27, from 10am to noon. Kids will enjoy fun, food and activities. The first 450 will receive a Tooth Fairy bag.... more

Montana Diva Foundation Hosts 2013 Celtic Festival of Missoula

By LINDA McCARTHY- The Montana Diva Foundation hosts the fourth annual Celtic Festival of Missoula July 26-28 in Caras Park in the heart of Downtown Missoula. ... more

The Kids Are Not Alright

By CHERY SABOL - While older workers may emerge battle-weary from the recession, will the youngest members of the work force come out permanently scarred?... more

The Best Surprise is Truly No Surprise

By MARK RIFFEY - Hotels often provide fuel for writing and a recent trip I took was no exception. Hospitality 101: everything that impacts a guest's stay is everyone's job - particularly simple little things.... more

Griz Total More than 700 Hours of Community Service

By JOEL CARLSON - UM Athletic Director, Kent Haslam announced that Montana’s student-athletes spent over 700 hours engaged in community service last year.... more

Hot Dogs on a Hot Day from Tom Dooley’s in Missoula

By PAUL SIDORIAK - It's hot in Missoula! Instead of heating up my house by cooking, this week I let the kind folks at Tom Dooley's Gourmet Hot Dog Restaurant do the cooking for me! ... more

Pair of Lady Griz Hoopsters Sign European Contracts

By JOEL CARLSON - Emboldened by the news that her former Lady Griz teammate, Alyssa Smith had signed a professional basketball contract, Katie Baker decided to look at similar options for herself.... more

UM Sports Trivia | Week of July 22

By CHRIS WALTERSKIRCHEN - Making Chris' top trivia mentions this week: Brent Pease, Robin Selvig, Phil Mickleson, Britain's Newest Prince and more!... more

Beer Icon Comes to Flathead Lake for Cruise

By RYAN NEWHOUSE - The Montana Brewer's Association holds fundraising cruise on Flathead Lake on Aug 10, featuring best-selling beer book author, Charlie Papazian. ... more

Greg Brown’s Self-Explanatory Life

By BRIAN D'AMBROSIO - Legendary folk singer and song writer,Greg Brown returns to Missoula on July 27. His connection to Montana stretches back some time and no doubt he'll be doing some fishing while he's here... more

Missoula Job Service Featured Jobs | Week of July 22

Make It Missoula posts local jobs from the Missoula Job Service. This week's jobs include: A Clinical Coordinator, CSCT Therapists, and a Receptionist/Data Entry Worker.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of July 22

Trail 103.3 DJs share what's happening in Missoula this week: Out to Lunch, Missoula Farmers' Market, Osprey Baseball, Downtown ToNight & more!... more

This Week’s Missoula News Highlights-Week of July 15

By TOM DIDDEL- A recap of the week’s most talked-about stories in Missoula: Wildfire Season Begins, Three People Hit by Lightning in Glacier Park, Historic Bannick hit by Damaging Flash Flood, & more!... more

Warm Flows Prompt “Hoot-Owl” Fishing on Dearborn, Smith and Sun Rivers

By BRUCE AUCHLY: Montana FWP has advised anglers on three central Montana rivers that all fishing will close daily from 2 pm to midnight until conditions improve.... more

Missoula Scientists Study Wind Flow and the Affects on Firelines

By MARK VOSBURGH - Researchers at the UM Flight Lab and the Missoula Fire Sciences Lab are analyzing birds in flight in order to understand wind flows and their affect on fire lines.... more

Scott Gragg’s New Title: Marathon Man

By JOEL CARLSON - All anybody really wants, when they are minutes away from starting a 26.2 mile marathon, is a moment of levity. Scott Gragg, UM Assistant Head Football Coach found his on Sunday.... more

Kidsfest 2013 Slated for July 30 at Caras Park

Hey Kids! Join Missoula Parks and Recreation for Kidsfest 2013, a free summer celebration for Missoula families at Caras Park on Tuesday, July 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ... more

Two Unique July Festivals Make Missoula Special

By LINDA McCARTHY- For a unique Missoula experience, don’t miss out on the International Choral Festival July 17-20 and the Missoula Celtic Festival July 26-28.... more

Inspiring Curious Learners with a Lesson on Hummingbirds

By BRANDON KENDALL - As a teacher, I don't have all answers. As I tell my students, I'm learning as well. I see myself as I life-long learner and I try to inspire that in my students.... more

Spend the Day (or Night) at Painted Rocks Reservoir

By DONNA HULL - Do you like to go exploring? My husband and I were curious about Painted Rocks Reservoir and decided to find out why friends and neighbors RAVE about it. All I can say is WOW!... more

UM Sports Trivia | Week of July 15

By CHRIS WALTERSKIRCHEN - Making Chris' top trivia mentions this week: Big Sky Preseason Poll, Missoula Osprey, the John Deere Classic, Bill Moos (former UM Athletic Director) and more!... more

Mount Sentinel: The Landmark of Missoula, Montana

By DAN SAXTON - The best way for me to get a feel for a new place is to climb the most prominent local mountains, and for Missoula, Mount Sentinel perfectly fits that bill. ... more

Tripp Named Preseason Big Sky Defensive MVP

By JOEL CARLSON - Montana senior linebacker Jordan Tripp was named the Big Sky Conference preseason Defensive MVP, the league announced Monday. Here are the rest of the All-Big Sky picks.... more

The Day After the Missoula Half Marathon

By BRIAN MARSH - It's the day after my son, Trevor, and I, along with four other dear friends, joined the almost 4000 runners and walkers for the 2012 Missoula Marathon. And what a day it was.... more

Volunteering for Fun and Employment

By CHERY SABOL - Stymied in your job search? A new study suggests a powerful way to help yourself find a job is to help your community first. Volunteering increases your likelihood of finding work by 27%.... more

Missoula Job Service Featured Jobs | Week of July 15

Make It Missoula posts local jobs from the Missoula Job Service. This week's jobs include: A Chief Executive Officer for a local non-profit and Oilfield Drivers.... more

Homemade Strawberry Jam

By ERIN TURNER - Yesterday I created some memories with my kids when we visited a nearby U-Pick strawberry patch and made homemade strawberry jam--pure magic!... more

UM’s Donated Soccer Balls Making a Global Difference

By JOEL CARLSON - One photo. One ball. How many lives changed for the better? But set one of those balls loose, see that it gets to Africa, and smiles break out all over. A Griz-sponsored epidemic. ... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of July 17

Trail 103.3 DJs share what's happening in Missoula this week: The International Choral Festival, Out to Lunch, Missoula Farmers' Market, Open Mic Night and More!... more

Liz Marchi on Making Room in Life: Less is More

By LIZ MARCHI - Every day I am living and learning, less IS more. I am learning to hit delete to meetings, events and information that don’t really matter. After all, I have a garden to grow.... more

What NOT to Buy Your Wife For Your Anniversary

By BOB WIRE - I'm told that the responsibility for celebrating wedding anniversaries falls completely on the husband and that a vacuum cleaner may NOT be the best choice in gifts.... more

The Day Before the Missoula Half Marathon

By BRIAN MARSH - This is my second Half Marathon and my last. Why, you ask? Because i'm not built to be a marathoner--but bring on the 5K and 10K!... more

Oh Deer

By BRUCE AUCHLY - It was great to see seven mule deer walk by the front of the house yesterday. Why? Because they passed by the newly fenced vegetable garden in the back of the house.... more

Missoula Marathon Festivities Bring Thousands to the Garden City

By LINDA McCARTHY-One of Montana’s largest events takes place this weekend (July 12-14, 2013) right here in the Garden City, as thousands of Montanans and out-of-staters flock to the Missoula Marathon.... more

Commissions, Collaborations, and the Workshop Life

By MONTE DOLACK - As a maker of paintings I am constantly thinking about images and concepts I want to create. Some of them have been put off for years and others have just come to light.... more

The Most Expensive, Stressful Thing On Your Desk

By MARK RIFFEY - Nothing destroys a work day like distractions. Clutter doesn't help - and I mean clutter of all kinds - physical as well as electronic. These things are waiting to distract you. Eliminate them.... more

My Unique Situation in Missoula, Montana

By DAN SAXTON - So far, Missoula has been an awesome place to get to know. However, as someone with a hearing disability, I do face some unique challenges as I settle down here.... more

The Easy and Frugal Way to Clean Your Shower Floor

By ERIN TURNER - With three boys who like to go barefoot in the summer, I struggle keeping the shower floor clean. Here's a little secret that is both easy and frugal.... more

Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

By CHEF JAMIE LIPHARDT - When I peered into my weekly food co-op box, I was thrilled to see a large, beautiful bundle of fresh rhubarb and so I went with the common pairing – strawberry rhubarb.... more

Knitters ‘Bomb’ the Flathead

By JUSTIN FRANZ - Kalispell’s Camus Creek Yarn is behind a growing trend in the Flathead: yarn bombing. The Main Street in Kalispell has been beautified with the intricacies of yarn.... more

My Guitar’s On Fire and That’s OK

By BOB WIRE - I love my guitar. And now that it's 'El Fuego' with a custom paint job, I love it even more! This functional piece of art allows me to play what I call 'Maximum Honky Tonk'.... more

UM Sports Trivia | July 8

By CHRIS WALTERSKIRCHEN - Making Chris' top trivia mentions this week: Brad Stevens and Rick Pitino, Cincinnati Reds pitcher, Homer Bailey, Johnny Callison of the Phillies and more!... more

Missoula Job Service Featured Jobs of the Week July 8

Make It Missoula posts local jobs from the Missoula Job Service. This week's jobs include: A Resource Specialist, an Entry Level Painter and a Training Coordinator / Data Manager.... more