Wednesday, October 19, 7:00PM

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Ken Sinay, presenter

Ken Sinay tells stories and shares his guiding philosophy from his career as a professional wildlife guide in Yellowstone and the surrounding ecosystem for over 30 years. He created one of the first wildlife touring companies in Yellowstone and Montana in 1990 and designed an array of year-round outdoor services for clients to experience wildlife in secure and respectful formats. In 2020 he sold that business. With the formation of his new business, Yellowstone Now, Sinay specializes in river trips, wildlife observation, educational opportunities and programs, presentations (including wildlife and cultural history), social media wildlife and nature video productions, and information to help people experience a shared natural heritage.

Sinay’s bachelors and graduate studies focused on Wildlife Biology and Natural Resource Management. His professional and technical environmental career includes a variety of natural resource management agencies, non-profit conservation organizations, private industry and wilderness outfitters.

Wednesday, October 26, 7:00PM

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Norm Miller, presenter

Norm Miller shares stories of guiding on the Yellowstone, Madison, Jefferson and Headwaters of the Missouri River. He has guided river, hiking and ski trips throughout the west in Montana, Wyoming, and Utah. He has published stories and photos for Canoe & Kayak, Paddler, and several other regional magazines. Canoe & Kayak dubbed him as, “the Source,” for all his knowledge and assistance he’s given to the many paddlers who’ve descended and ascended the entire length of the Missouri River. 

Norm Miller is a native of Northern Michigan where he began paddling on the famed AuSable River at an early age. After graduating from Lake Superior State University in 1985, he moved to the Yellowstone region to explore, ski, hike, paddle and be closer to the rich history of the region. Combining his passion for history and paddling led him to retracing the 1789 route of Alexander Mackenzie through Canada to the Arctic Ocean solo in 1998, and the Lewis and Clark trail during the Bicentennial of that expedition in 2004. 

During this latter journey he paddled up the Missouri River to Three Forks from St. Louis over a 16-week period, then backpacked for a month over the continental divide of western Montana and eastern Idaho. Once he reached the Clearwater River, he paddled down the Snake and Columbia rivers to the Pacific to complete his solo 6-month expedition. He has been extensively immersed in Lewis & Clark history ever since.

In 2006, Miller was on the committee to erect the only statue of Sacagawea and child astride a horse in the world. This statue can be seen along the Yellowstone River in Livingston, Montana, where he resides.

Wednesday, November 2, 7:00PM

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Reed Youngbar, presenter

Reed Youngbar has worked for Beartooth Powder Guides in Cooke City, MT since 2017 as guide, avalanche educator, and backcountry hut operator. He became co-owner in 2021. The Beartooth Powder Guides offer guided backcountry skiing options for all abilities, fitness levels, and conditions. From scenic tours in Yellowstone National Park to Cooke City’s classic powder and alpine terrain, they guide throughout the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness, the Lamar Valley, and Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone National Park, as well as south of Big Sky. Beartooth Powder Guides also offers a wide variety of Avalanche, Skills and Ski Mountaineering courses in the mountains that surround Cooke City.

Youngbar started backcountry skiing in 1999. In 2001 he got hypothermia while training to earn his Wilderness EMT from NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School). His formal avalanche training began in 2002 when he began work as a ski patroller at Mammoth Mountain in California, where he developed a strong appreciation for mitigating and managing avalanche terrain. Youngbar has also written and photographed for the Outdoor Project as a backcountry skiing educator.

Youngbar graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Forest Management in 2009. He made his living in the trades to support his passion for splitboarding and surfing during the winters. After 20 years of ski bumming in the Cascade, Sierra, and Beartooth Mountains he began to pursue a career in guiding and avalanche education to share his love of the mountains with others.

Youngbar moved with his wife to Cooke City in 2017. He is a member of Park County Search and Rescue.

Wednesday, November 9, 7:00PM

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Dan Vermillion, presenter

Dan Vermillion grew up on the Yellowstone River and has guided on the Yellowstone since 1989. After graduating from American University, Washington, D.C., and managing lodges overseas and in Montana, Dan returned to get his law degree from the University of Montana. His stint as an attorney in Billings ended with an epiphany as a flock of geese passed his window on a particularly fine fall day. Weeks later he retired from law and joined his younger brothers, Pat and Jeff, and Ron Meek to help build Sweetwater Travel Company. During that time, Dan and his brothers formed Sweetwater Travel Company and now operate and/or manage lodges in Alaska, Bahamas, Brazil, British Columbia, England, Mongolia, and Montana. When not guiding, Dan served as chairman of Montana’s Fish and Wildlife Commission under Governors Schweitzer and Bullock from 2007 to 2019.

As a guide and Montanan, Dan has always tried to make his days about more than just fishing, striving to make sure guests leave with a better understanding of the history of this area while marveling at our fishing and natural surroundings. Join us as Dan as he tells stories about how the Yellowstone River helped build their company, its identity, and led to a lifetime of adventures to some of the world’s best fisheries.

Dan grew up in Billings as well as on the family ranch in Greycliff. He is married to Lynn Donaldson and has three kids, Charlie, Ben and Chase.