Big sky, bigger plans.
Where tech workers land when they leave the coasts for the mountains. A university town, a real startup scene, and Yellowstone down the road.
The story is still ahead.
Montana is mostly in my future. An old friend from high school lives in Missoula, and Yellowstone and the outdoors are a big part of the pull. I'm really excited about this one.
Big sky gives you space to think.
Build where you want to live. And remote doesn't mean alone: find your people wherever you land.
The Bozeman career landscape.
Bozeman is Montana's biggest tech hub, home to about a third of the Montana High Tech Business Alliance's members, with Montana State University at the center.
Oracle
Oracle bought Bozeman's RightNow Technologies for $1.8 billion and still runs a large office here.
Zoot Enterprises
Founded in 1990, with more than 250 employees in Bozeman.
onX and the outdoor builders
Mapping, gear and recreation technology built by people who use it.
Montana State University
Montana's largest university, and the source of a lot of local talent and startups.
Plenty of people here work remotely for coastal companies. Decide early whether you want a local role or a remote one, because the search looks different.
Networking in Bozeman, done the long way.
Show up more than once. The second visit is where the real conversations start.
Cost of living and housing.
Housing is the pressure point in the Gallatin Valley. Local pay and remote coastal pay sit side by side, so know which one you're negotiating.
Bozeman proper, Belgrade or further out: more space usually means more drive time in winter.
Numbers change fast, so we link the live sources instead of printing figures that go stale.
Where to clear your head.
Custer Gallatin National Forest
Over 1.8 million acres. Carry bear spray and check closures.
Plan it →Hyalite Canyon
About 10 miles south: ice climbing, hiking and the reservoir.
Plan it →Yellowstone National Park
About 90 miles south.
Plan it →Basecamp Bozeman on the map.
Coaching runs by video. When Coach Leighty is in town, in-person conversations happen over coffee or on a trail. Book a call first.
Protect it. Live it. Visit it.
Protect it
Listed as local resources, not partners or sponsors. Something closed or missing? Email mike@longgamelife.live.
Your long game has its own map.
Every Basecamp starts with the same trail markers. Yours might need a fabric store, a card shop, a maker space, a climbing gym or a quiet place to write. Tell us what belongs on this page and Coach Leighty adds the ones that fit.
What's open right now.
Go see it for real.
Wildlife, landmarks, trees and flowers and night sky. Find one, tap it, and it gets a stamp.
Sandhill crane
Antigone canadensisWhere to lookSpring and summer in the Gallatin Valley fields. Listen for the rattle.
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Osprey
Pandion haliaetusWhere to lookFishing the rivers all summer.
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Mountain bluebird
Sialia currucoidesWhere to lookBright blue on fence posts in spring.
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Trumpeter swan
Cygnus buccinatorWhere to lookIn and around Yellowstone.
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Grizzly and black bears
Ursus arctos horribilisWhere to lookCarry bear spray and know how to use it.
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Gray wolf
Canis lupusWhere to lookLamar Valley in Yellowstone, at dawn with a spotting scope. Stay 100 yards from wolves and bears.
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Moose
Alces alcesWhere to lookWillows along creeks. Give them lots of room.
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Museum of the Rockies
BozemanGetting thereDinosaurs, including a giant T. rex, plus a planetarium.
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The M Trail
Bridger Range, north of townGetting thereClimb to the big white M above Bozeman.
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Palisade Falls
Hyalite Canyon, about 40 minGetting thereShort paved trail to a waterfall over basalt columns.
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Mammoth Hot Springs
Yellowstone, about 1.5 hrGetting thereSteaming stair-step terraces. Stay on the boardwalks.
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Old Faithful
Yellowstone, about 2.5 hrGetting thereThe famous geyser erupts many times a day. Roads close in winter, so check first.
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Lewis and Clark Caverns
About 1 hr westGetting thereGuided cave tours with stalactites and bats. Seasonal, so check first.
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Lodgepole pine
Pinus contortaWhere to lookTall, straight pines. Some cones only open after a fire.
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Quaking aspen
Populus tremuloidesWhere to lookGold leaves in fall that tremble in the wind.
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Bitterroot
Lewisia redivivaWhere to lookMontana's state flower. Pink blooms on rocky ground in late spring.
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Arrowleaf balsamroot
Balsamorhiza sagittataWhere to lookHillsides of big yellow sunflowers in spring.
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Silky lupine
Lupinus sericeusWhere to lookPurple flower spikes in mountain meadows.
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Fireweed
Chamaenerion angustifoliumWhere to lookBright pink flowers that grow back first after wildfires.
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Big Dipper and North Star
Ursa Major and PolarisWhere to lookFind the dipper, then follow the two stars at the end of its cup up to the North Star.
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Orion the Hunter
Winter constellationWhere to lookLook south after dark for three bright stars in a row: Orion's belt.
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Perseid meteors
Meteor shower, mid-August peakWhere to lookLie back after midnight around Aug 11 to 13. No telescope needed.
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Geminid meteors
Meteor shower, mid-December peakWhere to lookOften the year's best shower. Bundle up around Dec 13 to 14.
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Milky Way
Our home galaxyWhere to lookNeeds a moonless night away from town lights. Summer shows the brightest part. Montana skies get very dark. Hyalite and the Bridger foothills are great spots.
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Space Station flyover
International Space StationWhere to lookA bright, steady dot crossing the sky in a few minutes. NASA's Spot the Station app lists times.
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Northern lights
Aurora borealisWhere to lookOn strong solar-storm nights, look low to the north away from town lights.
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Never feed wildlife, stay on trail, and follow posted closures. Hours, permits and seasons change, so check before you go. Months are a guide. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under the free licenses shown. Stamps stay on this device only.
Everybody has a long game. Some need more sky.
Moving here, building here or working remote from here: start with a free 20-minute call.
Or email mike@longgamelife.live