Bench Roundup: February 2024
Feathers in my cap
Friends —
Good afternoon. We’ve been cruising around Montana on weekends of late, popping in to check out the state’s ski fare and playing in volleyball tournaments that take years off my life (hyperbole). I hope your Friday’s glow.
If you asked me mid-month how this recap was shaping up, I would have said: bleak. Nothing particularly spectacular, as I perceived in those singular moments, was entering my airspace. But as I flipped through the month’s catalog and pieced the days together, all discontent dissipated. Only in the aggregate, in the stillness of the grand review, was clarity found. It was a pleasant month of benches after all.
The Benches of February
And the pleasantries of February will be in order of experience. In pictures south of this introduction you’ll see a rare blue February Missoula sky, an oft-traveled basement of a coffee shop, Abraham Lincoln, ski hills, and more.
Waterworks Hill Bench
How much did I enjoy my time sitting on this bench, which sits on a lower ridge of Waterworks Hill in Missoula? How much, you ask? Well, hear me: I thought about gatekeeping this bench’s location. On one of the lower ridges of Waterworks Hill, you’ll find this south-facing situation about as good of a location for a bench within a 5-mile radius of downtown Missoula. The bench itself is simple, plain wood, but what it lacks in artistic embellishment it makes up for ergonomics. The angle of the lumbar system to the resting piece is stellar. Agreeable for the back, personally. Partial valley views when visibility allows. This bench is a must-stop
The Butterfly Herbs & Espresso Basement Bathroom Bench
Shockingly, it took us many monthly roundups to come across our first bench which used to be a church pew. Or, more accurately, I very much hope this bench used to be a church pew, because if someone within their agency fashioned out of raw materials a bench that looks like this, they are a real sicko. Jail, immediately. I have zero concerns about not gatekeeping this bench. But readers, do know, that if you choose to sit on this old pew, you will be sitting outside of two single-use restrooms in a woefully lit basement corridor. In the series of micro and macro choices we make throughout each day, I’d urge you to reconsider the choice to sit on this bench. This bench is all skips
Maybe move back upstairs and wait for bodies to ascend the staircase. Because upstairs, you’ll find the booths within the cafe a great place to sit on a weekend early morning. Low decibel levels as the shop slowly comes to life and some of the finer pastries in town (low bar, unfortunately).
Chair 4 at Lost Trail Ski Area
What is a chair lift if not a moving bench? A bench suspended rather than stationary. Today, we return our attention to Lost Trail Ski Area, specifically their fourth chair. On account of the historically low snowpack in Montana, it took a while to get this bench ready for action. But once moving, it sends you up to the top of Saddle Mountain, where, on a good day, you’ll drop into some marvelous runs. The design of Chair 4 is standard fare. Unadorned save for the stray stickers slapped on the seats by proud patrons. Lost Trail continues to deliver
The Southgate Scheel’s Abraham Lincoln Bench
A side quest took me to the Missoula Scheel’s, where I set my sights on the sister bench of Ronald Reagan’s. It was a quant night, and I was returning to town from a hike at Blue Mountain. The sky was big. Abe sits petrified with a trout (assuming) and fishermin too petrified over his shoulder. He is a statue, after all. Personally, I prefer my benches without statues.
Montana Snowbowl Lodge Benches
I’ve heard the stories, I’ve heard the lore. I’ve heard about Snowbowl. About its elevation, disposition, and general ability to let you down the more you believe in it. So it was high time, a few weeks ago, to get my boots on location. Another Benches investigation. And after a day on the mountain, exploring the scenes, the lifts, the warming huts, and choo-chooing my way down the final, challenging runs, I celebrated the day with the finest bloody mary that exists in my memory. A true feather in my cap.
As for the benches, fabulous execution. No notes.
Folklore Coffee Sidewalk Bench
In the town of Whitefish, MT, outside of Folklore Coffee, rests this bench. Classicly arched lumbar design. A little worn but I’ve seen them worse for wear. The coffee shop was found on a search for mid-volleyball-tournament caffeine. Something to take the edge off, truly. This bench was the last bench I saw over my weekend in Whitefish, a town that, honestly, was rather bench-poor. Meaning, I did not agree with the town’s holistic bench strategy. This goes for downtown Whitefish as well as Whitefish Mountain Resort. In town, benches indeed existed, but from a fundamental level, the details were off. The depth, consistency, spacing, orientation, etc never quite clicked. Never quite found you when you needed them. Up on the mountain, inventory was scarce. Besides the chair lifts (re: suspended benches), no lodge I wandered into prioritized benches as a seating construct. And you know what they say: benches speak louder than words.
Have a great time if you go to Whitefish. Their bloody marys looked mid.
Until next time.
— Markus