Mountains, Elk, And Sprawl

Western writer Richard Manning knows he lives a life of great privilege. The Montana house he built with his own hands sits a 20-minute scramble down a steep slope that elk graze. Yet Mr. Manning's mountainside retreat also is in view of a brand new house atop a ridge a mile away. At such moments --and they are increasingly frequent --the author considers his state's quickly-changing countryside, including his own contribution.