Bench Roundup: July 2025

But can you out-dog the day?

Aug 01, 2025

Howdy,

It’s crispy out here. The grass has dehydrated to straw1 in the high country. The Riviera shows plenty of waterfront as the Clark gets lower and lower. At the right light, the hills are gold. At the wrong light, it’s all cooked. Of course, as it is written in the almanacs of yore, we’re in the dog days.

July was a rumble. At times, sweaty. At times, sweet. High temps, but the dew point didn’t get you down. Sufficient and necessary, there were laps, floats, and dips all month. July was fireworks from the rooftop, last-minute festival tickets, and the thrill of a last-minute send. It was a drive through a valley to a municipal airport where you smushed into a bush plane that took you into the wilderness. And then you kayaked out of said wilderness. Intoxicating lifestyles and stellar scenes. July was sharing the places you love with the people you love. It was Thursdays that feel like Fridays and Sundays that feel like Saturdays. It was walking the 150 steps from the gate of your backyard to the grocery store two doors down, and serendipitously running into a group of friends who also just serendipitously ran into each other minutes ago. A month you are content to experience.

July was allowing yourself to get slightly carried away with the enthusiasm of every day, because you know what it will feel like six months from now when you haven’t seen the sun in four days and there are multiple months left of winter.

The Benches of July

Katie O’Keefe’s

Missoula, MT

In the strip mall garden-level labyrinth that is Katie O’Keefes2, an elevated sitter awaits. There are laminate walls draped with thematically ambivalent decor and a carpet that you don’t want to think about. But, if you did want to spend time ruminating between the ATM and the bathroom hallway, Katie O’Keefes has a bench perfectly positioned for you. A deep shade of green. Springy-lookin’. If you’re vertically challenged, your feet might dangle. However, fortunate for all patrons, this might be the least desired seat in the house, a testament to the comfort of all other parking spots in this bar.

Nearly two years ago, my first night in Missoula after driving across the northern plains, I attended a rodeo, and then after the rodeo, we found ourselves at Katie O’s. Nearly two years later, after a music festival on the same grounds as the rodeo, I found myself in the same bar with mostly the same people. Time is a marvel.

Points North

Rollins, MT

On the western rim of Flathead Lake, which is so ripe this time of year, a multi-hyphenate might be able to help you out. Points North, as it is referred to on Google Maps, is a jack of all trades but a master of none. You could fill up on gas, but each station seemed out of order. You could get coffee, but all they had was a pre-Biden era Keurig that seemed towards the end of its life3. You only get a restroom if you’re lucky. You could take a seat outside the post office section of the building, but then you’d have to spend more time there than you should. Latticed, floral, and rusted, the framed lumbar is good for a minute or two, but it’s best to stay on the road.

Kalispell City Airport

Kalispell, MT

Park your car and walk right onto the airstrip; you have a bush plane to catch. Drop your gear off next to the plane, let them weigh it to see if your group’s weight threshold falls below the legal limit. Stumble into the Cessna 206 Stationair II, a craft comfier than you expected, only to sit there for 15 minutes before being ordered to exit. There was a wing malfunction. So then you walk along the manicured yard where a wavy stone bench rests with runway views, heavy in the late afternoon sun. You eat popcorn from the aviation company’s lobby, fiddle, and joke around until the “all clear” comes from a pilot (name: Canyon). Thankfully, the on-site mechanic freaked it. You reenter the plane, less clumsily this time, and hope for the best. 30 minutes later, the ride of the summer, and you’re in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

Schafer Meadows Ranger Station

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, MT

More specifically, you’re at Schafer Meadows, a backcountry ranger outpost in the Great Bear Wilderness of the Flathead National Forest. Which is all part of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex? Not the point. You land on a grass airstrip, rediscover your proprioception, and take in the surroundings. Horses and mules, quiet land, a pathway that leads you to the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, where you’ll spend the weekend kayaking. Outside of the charming and badass ranger station, a green plank is below the information boards. A testament to time.

Joe Blogz

Lakeside, MT

Benches is pleased to provide an exclusive announcement from Joe Blogz himself:

“Ayyeeeeo it’s your homie Joe Blogz here. Take a look at this new editiiioon. In between our jumbo firewood bundle bin and the main entrance, feast your eyes on this piece! A new bench for all the Blogz fans of Flathead Lake. Its for real, guys, for real. You see the elk on the lumbar system? Shoutout to my elk guy Jerry, a real prize, a true gem. Smooches, Jerry, smoooches. It is a fabulous day it takes a fool not see it. To the Lakeside community: why don’t you grab a newsie from the magazine machine that sits next to the jumbo packaged ice bin and rest your buns, huh? Its crooked out there as much as it is fabulous, take a seat on our bench and relax awhile. And while you’re at it, buy one get one Slim Jims inside. Hell, smokes too ya clowns! Just kidding! lighten up, take a joooooke. Have a great summer and remember: Joe Blogz is the place to be!

Thank you, Joe.

Freecycles

Missoula, MT

Here you will find Freecycles, a perennially mentioned Missoula institution, once again showcasing an inspiring range of seating arrangements. On a fateful mid-July Saturday, as a golden sunset evolved between sets of bluegrass, a probably impromptu log situation played outfield to a league of concertgoers ahead. Bootlegged Spotted Cow in one hand, a fabulous homemade batch of basil-mint-cucumber water in the other, and enough bluegrass for the month.