Jeff Schmerker
Down and Dirty
A good percentage of Montana’s eccentric characters live in the Yaak, and a fair number of them seem to frequent the Dirty Shame. This is not the sort of place you’ll stumble into by chance: Yaak is on the road to nowhere and for half the year is just about at the end of a long dead-end road. This is not quite an outlaw bar, however – you can get civilized Montana micro-brews, and kids are welcome. The Dirty Shame is not the only game in town, but just about – Yaak also features a mercantile, a school, a community center, and a very expensive gas pump. There’s also camping in the summer and cabins year-round.
The Dirty Shame is quiet during the week, but on weekends fills up with hikers, snowmobilers, explorers, and anyone else who happens to find themselves stuck in Yaak and looking for a brew.
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