What is Mountain Belles all about? Mountain Belles is an all volunteer, women's outdoor recreational group that provides a wide variety of opportunities for women over 21 to learn and engage in healthy activities. We schedule a minimum of one event each month and welcome adult women of all ages (21 and up) and abilities. In the past, our members have learned to fly fish, shoot with a bow and arrows, paddle-board, skeet shoot, XC ski, curl, rock climb, and more. We've also organized informal events such as day hikes, snowshoe trips, beer tasting, clothing swaps, and hot springs soaks. We like participating in charity events, such as Huffing for Stuffing, the Bozeman Clean Up Day, the MS Walk, and many other worthy causes.

Who are the Belles? Our members are young and young-at-heart, single and married, Moms and not-Moms. We are new to the area and residents of long standing. We want to make new friends, try new things, be active and remain active, and we love the outdoors.

Why only women? Mountain Belles believes women should have some “me” time with others who identify as women in a supportive and friendly environment. We provide a way for you to meet and connect with other active like-minded women in a social atmosphere, while learning new or improving on old skills.

Why do the members have to be 21 or older? Foremost, we wanted to give women the ability to get together with other adult women without the distraction of childcare duties. From a secondary and legal standpoint, we sometimes have events at which alcoholic beverages are served. By restricting the membership age to 21 and over, we do not need to worry about carding members at these events.

​Does it cost anything to join? Annual membership dues are $25, which allows us to offer most of our events free to members. Occasionally, the event is not free, but highly discounted. In addition to lowering the cost of some events, your dues cover administrative fees for things such as website operation, accounting and legal advice, offsetting instructor costs, etc. Your membership starts on the day you pay your dues. As of January 2021, annual dues must be paid by January 15.

What do I get for my membership fee? You get to attend a highly-organized event once a month that you don't have to even worry about! You get an updated website and timely social media communication about events and announcements via MailChimp with event details and upcoming events. 
Our board members are always on the lookout for new and exciting activities that promote a healthy, active lifestyle in a fun and social environment and we are always open for input! Many of our events require expert instructors and/or special facilities and quite a bit of coordination. But you don't have to worry about any of that! Our event hosts plan and lead these events, so all you need to do is show up!  Most events are held outdoors, but occasionally indoor facilities are necessary. Most events are free or less than $10 and many larger events are highly discounted. Announcements via Facebook and email (if you are a paid member) will clearly state everything you need to know about the event. 

Be sure to check out our Spring Fling and the Fall Fling. These are semi-potluck dinners for those who want to learn more about the organization, upcoming events, and contribute ideas for future events. Mountain Belles provides alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and some of the food.

How do I become a member? You can join the Mountain Belles as a member at any time by mailing your dues to the address below. If you want to "try on" things first, if there is space available (members have priority), you can join at a formal event. If a board member is organizing an informal event, you may also be able to join at that time (contact the event coordinator to see if joining at their event is possible).
If you know you want to join, you can send a check (including your name and email address) to the following address:

Mountain Belles
Attn: Membership
PO Box 6333
Bozeman, MT 59771
Please include your phone number and e-mail address.

How do I find out about upcoming Mountain Belle events? We post all of our upcoming events to the Mountain Belles website, Facebook Group page, and send out automated email announcements via MailChimp. The  Facebook Group is a private group, which we do for your privacy. To join the group, click the "Join" button and one of our Facebook Admins will process your request within a day. To sign up for our email announcements, send in your dues (address above) and you will be added to the membership list. We send out about 1 - 2 emails a month. We will not SPAM you. It doesn't cost anything to join the Facebook group but only paid members receive MailChimp event announcements. 

Do I need to sign up for events? Do I need to be a member before I RSVP?
Yes, but a qualified yes. Most clinic events have an attendance cap, usually due to instructor and venue restrictions, so signing up is first come, first served and members have priority. By signing up, your spot is guaranteed and the event host can plan accordingly. This is the case for most events but there are some very rare exceptions.

Some events are very popular (such as the white water rafting) and fill up very quickly. In these cases, current (paid) members are given preference over non-members. If your membership is not current or you are new to the group, your name goes on the waitlist. Most of the time, non-members make the final list but not always.

The best way to assure yourself a spot is to make sure you are a member prior to the event.

Is the necessary equipment supplied for each clinic? Sometimes yes and sometimes no, it depends on the clinic. If the necessary equipment is highly specialized such as bows and arrows for archery clinic, guns for shooting, or stones for curling then it will be supplied (although we encourage you to bring your own). But for many of our other clinics, you will need to supply your own. Many times you can rent at the venue or at places around town. The event notices will tell you if equipment will be supplied or not.

Can I connect with other Belles outside of events? Yes, our Facebook Group was created with this in mind and anyone in the group can post to the Group page. In the past, members have posted announcements for other events they think the Belles would be interested in, looked for hiking or biking partners, and requested or gave input on equipment sources and repairs. We ask that you keep posts relevant to the group and no political or religious posting is allowed. Posts that the admins deem inappropriate will be deleted.

I have a great idea for an event. Who do I talk to? We are always looking for new activities and there are a few ways to let us know your idea. You can post your idea to our Facebook group page or contact us via the contact link on this site.
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I'd like to donate/give a presentation to Mountain Belles/sponsor or lead an event, what do I need to do? We love new sponsors, although we like to call them Friends of Mountain Belles. To get the ball rolling, contact one of our board members either at an event or Fling, through Facebook or email: MtnBelles406@gmail.com and a board member will respond.

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*Mountain Belles organization, Mountain Belles board members, Mountain Belles event hosts, and Mountain Belles organizers are not liable for personal injury or loss incurred while attending or participating in Mountain Belles sponsored formal and/or informal events. Participants and Mountain Belles membership recognize that outdoor recreational activities carry inherent risk and agree they are responsible for themselves and participate at their own risk.
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