B Bar Gazette – August 2025
| B Bar Gazette |
| Issue #27 August 2025 |
| A Surprise Arrival in Tom Miner On the last day of July, a calf was born on the road near the ice house in Tom Miner. None of us knew it was coming. It was the smallest calf any of us had ever seen - likely a twin. Its hide was still damp and steaming in the cool morning air, and its unsteady legs trembled as it tried to stand. Geraldine (there’s a story there), a heifer calf, was lucky she was found just in time. The other curious yearlings had surrounded her, keeping her from her mother’s milk, which is critical for immune system health. Colostrum, the first milk produced after birth, is a nutrient-rich fluid that delivers essential antibodies, growth factors, and other beneficial components to the newborn calf. We found her in the nick of time, and now she’s at our Big Timber ranch for extra care and safety from predators. |
| Geraldine's mom stands watch over her new calf. |
| The Night the Trees Came Home Just a day earlier, the Basin offered a different kind of magic. Our first Echoes in the Basin concert filled the pasture with music from the Lake String Quartet. The air was warm and still, holding that electric charge before a storm. Thunder rolled in the distance, but the rain never came. Overhead, a sandhill crane cut across the sky, and in the pasture beyond, the horses began to move - trotting and loping with what felt like delight in the music. You could hear the soft drum of their hooves syncing, almost by accident, with the rhythm of the quartet. Colleen, one of the quartet members, said afterward: “The trees were united with the forest.” She was speaking about their instruments crafted from wood long ago felled, now resonating again in open air, surrounded by living trees. It felt exactly right. |
| The Styers II pasture as a venue for the Lake String Quartet. |
| Restoring the Riparian System That same week, we wrapped up another kind of symphony, this one built with earth and water. In partnership with Trout Unlimited and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Taylor and the crew completed five new beaver dam analogs along Tom Miner Creek. These human-made structures mimic the work of beavers: raising the water table, slowing erosion, capturing sediment, and, hopefully, encouraging actual beavers to return. Each dam used as many as 70 posts, woven through with willows, and the hydraulic post pounder was the unsung hero of the week. The fresh-cut branches filled the air with the green, sharp scent of sap and creekbank. Our work was muddy, satisfying, and a little backbreaking. If you hop over to the @bbarranchmt Instagram, you’ll see a short video of the build in action. |
| Teamwork on the second of five BDA installations. |
| Bear Season in Tom Miner Meanwhile, the grizzlies are back in force, entering their hyperphagia season, eating nearly nonstop in preparation for winter. The Basin is full of them right now, and sightings from Tom Miner Creek Road have been frequent. A reminder for anyone visiting: please keep your distance and enjoy bears responsibly. That means no grills, no drones, no crowding. The wildlife here deserves peace and space. From the road, you can still watch them move across the meadows and dig through the hillsides - it’s one of the great privileges of this sacred place. |
| Ramshorn Peak sandwiched between orange and green. If All This Sounds Like Fun… …join us to experience it for yourself. In just a few weeks, we’ll welcome guests for our Equinox Signature Stay (September 17–21) a rare, all-inclusive retreat timed with the turning of the seasons. Over five days, you’ll explore the land with our team, share seasonal meals, and settle into the rhythms of ranch life. September here brings golden light, crisp mornings, and a sense that the Basin is taking a long, deep breath before winter. Space is limited, but there’s still time to reserve your spot. Until next month, may your August be full of small surprises, good company, and the quiet rhythms that keep us connected to the land. Warmly, Jackson |
| Our B Bar Family Maryanne Mott- General Manager and Owner Matthew Tousignant- Guest Ranch Manager Annie Statham- Assistant Guest Ranch Manager Cory Dragone- Chef Amy Berndt- Administrative Assistant Kenney Berndt- Maintenance Foreman Troy Lerwill- Maintenance Technician Collin Layng- Maintenance Technician Mark Rose- Land & Livestock Manager Naomi McCormack- Horticulture Lead El Stone- Bookkeeper Mary Malley- Tom Miner Office Assistant Jackson Stewart- Marketing & Sales Manager Mihail Kennedy- Production Manager Shea Kennedy- Cattle & Grazing Coordinator Randy Mesce- Maintenance Technician Kristian Mesce- Big Timber Office Assistant Esme Wessel- Big Timber Ranch Hand |