Just like the wild birds that migrate south for the winter, FHS students traveled to warmer - or at least different - corners of the world for spring break. Even though they were several months late escaping the most severe bouts of snow, many students eagerly awaited the chance to flee the snowy confines of the valley to seek that long-forgotten object called sun.
"The first night it was pouring down rain and we thought 'oh great,' but the rest of the time the weather was gorgeous," said junior Janalynn Doten, whose family traveled to Cancun, Mexico, for the duration of spring break. "My dad and I went snorkeling on a reef and through an underground river. It was a really great trip."
Further north from the sea turtles and beaches of Cancun, junior Jodi Hagestad and her family enjoyed the warm weather and abundant sunlight of Scottsdale, Arizona.
"I went to a Phoenix Suns game and that was pretty neat," said Hagestad. "It was kind of a laid back kind of trip, nothing too exciting. It was in the mid 80s all week and then I came back and I froze."
Others headed to the snow-free parking lots of sunny Southern California.
The best part about the trip was "probably Disneyland just because everything was put together so well," said senior Brittney Smith. "(It was) a fun place to go, to kind of act like a kid. When I came back I was surprised to find all the snow had melted."
Although some FHS alumni headed past the state's southern border, others remained within the snowy boundaries of Montana. Junior Aaron Ober spent part of his time traversing Southwestern Montana, although he would have preferred some time with his rod and reel fly fishing on the Madison River.
"(I went) to do all the hot springs down there," said Ober. "We like hopped in the car. We drove. We stopped to eat. We toured toured toured."
During the Ober family's trip, their '86 Volkswagon Jetta broke a radiator hose - which wasn't a particular problem since their traveling schedule followed no particular timetable.
"You get to take it at your own pace. You enjoy it as opposed having a tight schedule," said Ober, adding, "Why go overseas when Southern Montana is just as good?"