800 Miles to Bozeman: The Drive to Record with Mark Twight

The first invitation went out in 2021. Mark Twight said yes, with one condition: in person, no remote recording. Then the border closed and neither of us was crossing it for anything. The idea went on a shelf, and it stayed there for five years.

It came down off the shelf because of John Barklow. During our conversation for the Silvercore Podcast, Mark's name came up, and I wrote to him again that week. His answer had not changed. In person or not at all. Late August worked for him. So Tiffany and I loaded the truck.

Leaving

I should be straight about the timing. I was discharged from hospital on the morning of August 24 with a heart that was still out of rhythm and a set of instructions that did not include an 800 mile road trip out of the country. An hour after discharge we were across the border. Mark had waited five years and his window was open. Some things you do while you can.

Idaho

We based ourselves in Wallace, Idaho, an old silver mining town in the Silver Valley, and fished the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene and the St. Joe. Both rivers were low and warm and the fishing was slow. One fish for two days on the water, which was fine. The deer made up the difference; we saw more whitetail in the river bottoms than we saw other anglers.

Montana

From Wallace we crossed into Montana and stayed in Philipsburg, another mining town, this one on the edge of the Rock Creek drainage. Rock Creek gave us bighorn sheep on the canyon walls, a moose in the willows, a fox, and both mule deer and whitetail. The fishing stayed slow. The country did not.

Bozeman was the destination. It is a small city with an outdoor culture that runs through everything, and we did the circuit: the Montana Knife Company shop to look at their new folder, the MeatEater store, the Sitka store. We stayed at the Wandering Buffalo. We had planned to meet John Barklow, who lives in the area, and the timing did not work out. Next trip.

For what it is worth, Idaho won the trip for both of us. Montana has the bigger name and the bigger scene. Idaho felt less commercial and closer to the reason we travel in the first place.

The recording

We recorded in the guest house at the back of Mark's place. Nothing about the conversation went where I expected, which is the point of doing them in person. He has written about it on his own Substack under the title "I wanted to ask but instead I was asked." He arrived with questions about Canada, firearms law, the Freedom Convoy, and Alberta, and instead we spent the time on climbing, writing, quitting alcohol, the film business, military cold weather clothing, hunting, conservation, groupthink, coaching, aging, and what success means past a certain age. His questions are saved for a part two.

He had looked into the business before we arrived and wrote afterward that Silvercore is education done in deep water rather than a quick tutorial. That is the bar we hold ourselves to, and he had no reason to say it unless he thought it was true. Read his full post here.

When we wrapped, Tiffany and I got back in the truck and drove straight for the border. We had pushed our luck as far as it needed to go.

Mark, in his own words

Mark sent these photographs after the episode, with his own captions. The photographers are credited on each one and the images are theirs.

Mark Twight on day two of the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat

Day two on the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat. The perfect weather drew us upward, and our skill and fitness allowed us to reach 25,400 feet on the fifth day, where a storm caught us and a rather epic descent ensued. Photo: Barry Blanchard

Mark Twight soloing on the Aiguille du Midi in the French Alps

Soloing on the Aiguille du Midi in the French Alps. Photo: René Robert

Mark Twight on thin ice on the lower east face of Longs Peak, the route later named Crazy Train

Failing to finish a new route on the lower east face of Longs Peak. I think my courage ran out around the place the ice became too thin to climb. I was not prepared to risk the fall onto a tied-off 10cm ice screw. The route was done later and named Crazy Train. Photo: Cathy Beloeil

Mark Twight racing Rebecca's Private Idaho gravel race in 2019

A bad day at Rebecca's Private Idaho, about mile 60 of 101, and I'd just ridden through about 20 miles of terrible hamstring cramps. It was my fault; I hadn't done enough volume in training but still raced, and I refuse to DNF. Photo: Linda Guerrette

Mark Twight speaking to Department of Energy security personnel at the INL nuclear facility

Speaking to Department of Energy security personnel at the INL nuclear facility. In that era I always wore a Gold Squadron shirt when I did public speaking gigs. It felt important to honour the Brotherhood, long may it live. Photo: INL

Mark Twight competing in a pistol match after returning to competitive shooting in 2024

After taking a 21 year break from competitive shooting I started again in 2024. After shooting a single stack for so long my mag changes were still smooth but I had lost some overall speed. Photo: Blair Speed

Mark Twight with a camera, from the years he carried one everywhere

There were many years when I carried a camera with me everywhere. Sometimes when people commented that this or that photo was incredible all I could say was that I had a camera with me, and used it. Photo: Blair Speed

Mark Twight in the Bridger Mountains with his Scottish Deerhound, Easton

In the Bridger Mountains with our Scottish Deerhound, Easton. Photo: Blair Speed

The episode

Silvercore Podcast Ep. 193: Mark Twight trained the 300 cast, then walked off Aquaman.

Mark Twight writes at Équipe Solitaire on Substack.

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