MISSOULA – Viewers will travel from Main Street to the mountains – with stops at a legendary larch tree and a roadside saloon – when the newest episode of "Backroads of Montana" debuted on Montana PBS at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5.
Longtime producer John Twiggs hosts the episode, "Gathering & Hunting," from the Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning.
The annual Big Sandy chili feed is always a chance to come together, but it takes on a deeper meaning for a local ranching family. Shane and Erica Chauvet share why they have a new appreciation for their neighbors as we learn the importance of rural volunteerism.
And deciduous pines show splendor through all seasons. We'll magnify the effect when we meet 1,000-year-old "Gus," the largest known western larch tree in the world, rooted near Seeley Lake.
After we meet "Gus," we'll stop by a St. Regis saloon to meet "George," who has been a mainstay behind the bar for 60 years. See why locals and tourists alike have something to say about the saloon staple.
Finally, we'll follow Craig Falcon, a Blackfeet traditionalist, on a bow hunt deep into the Badger-Two Medicine area near East Glacier. The area is sacred to the Blackfeet, and it turns out the trip provides more discoveries than just wild game.
In addition to tuning in on TV, Montanans can watch the broadcast on PBS Passport or online at https://www.montanapbs.org/live/. The program will also stream live on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/montanapbs and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BackroadsMT.
This episode's story producers include Twiggs, Breanna McCabe and Anna Rau. The University of Montana Broadcast Media Center produces the program for Montana PBS. Montana PBS is a joint service of UM and Montana State University.
Now in its 31st year of production, "Backroads of Montana" is made possible with support from the Greater Montana Foundation, a Big Sky Film grant and UM. The program has received multiple awards, including being named the Montana Broadcasters Association noncommercial television program of the year numerous times. To watch previous episodes, visit https://www.montanapbs.org/backroadsofmontana/.
