The Story Behind the "M"

The "M" is 620 feet above the Missoula Valley floor. It is 125' feet long and 100' feet wide. University of Montana forestry students cut the switchbacks into the side of the hill in the early 1900's. The first "M" was assembled out of whitewashed rocks in 1909, and given a fresh coat of paint by freshmen every year, until 1968, when all those rocks were cemented together with concrete.

Photo by Nelson Kenter, kenterphotography.com

Archive for the ‘Verina Palmer Martin’ Category

Buttercups of My Spring

By VERINA PALMER MARTIN. It seems like a lifetime since I’ve seen Montana during the renewal of spring, which may be because you never really know when spring is going to arrive. It takes Montana a little lo... more

From UM J-School to the Big Screen: A Writer Makes His Dream Come True

By VERINA PALMER MARTIN. I’m in awe of visionary souls who contribute to the world from the artful metaphors that float from their minds and through their fingertips to become a tangible opus. Carlos Pedraza... more

My Loyal Valentine

By VERINA PALMER MARTIN. I love Valentine’s Day. I always have – even when I wasn’t in love, even when my love was unrequited, even if I got the now-infamous skunk valentine. Because, without the hope of ... more

The Facts of Life

By VERINA PALMER MARTIN. If I were to name two things I learned during my college years that have resonated with me throughout my life, it would be these: 1. Always check your facts. 2. Never forget how little ... more

Yes, Verina, There is a Santa

By VERINA PALMER MARTIN. Every December I swear up and down I won’t get sucked into watching another marathon of sappy Hallmark Channel movies that end with snowflakes falling on cue in a freaking Christmas m... more

Confessions of a Desert Diva

11/12 Blog by Verina Palmer Martin. I really hate to admit it, but I’m not the same Montana girl my daddy raised. More precisely, I’m not the tomboy he took camping, hunting, fishing and competitive trapsho... more

Wish You Were Here

10/26 Blog by Verina Palmer Martin. It’s just another Saturday in October and we’re surrounded by the usual crowd of zealous Griz fans wearing a sea of maroon and talking up Montana football. We’ve got a ... more