From hardcover.

To The Big Screen

*Snow Day*

A FINE ART ANIMATED FILM MADE IN MONTANA.
COMING WINTER 2024-25

Watch the new trailer!

BOOK & ANIMATED FILM

*Snow Day*—A Yellowstone Country Adventure is a middle-grade illustrated graphic novel and animated short film set in Montana's Yellowstone Country.

When a surprise snowstorm cuts the power to nine-year-old Torrey's family cabin, she becomes fearful and isolated from her family. To quell her anxiety about being alone in a remote Montana mountain range, she pulls a dusty "Snow Day" book off the shelf and becomes immersed in the mysterious book's imaginative realism. The wilderness isn't what she thought it was—and she is more resilient than she knows.  

Torrey must navigate many obstacles and self-doubt, crossing the harsh but beautiful Yellowstone in the winter to return to her family.

Will she return transformed or remain trapped in a beautiful but dangerous land?

This coming-of-age story of imagination, resilience, and determination is a unique blend of realism and fantasy, drawing inspiration from the imaginative storytelling style of Studio Ghibli. The author's hand-drawn illustrations, inspired by family explorations in Montana and Yellowstone National Park, bring this world to life.

Press

  • "It’s hard to imagine the sheer time and effort needed to create a comprehensive guide to southwest Montana’s hiking, biking, and ski trails. Luckily, you won’t ever have to take on such a monolithic task, because Bryan Schaeffer has done it for you."

    Gerald Ligotti, Outside Bozeman Magazine

  • "It seemed fitting to design a modern guide that captures the adventurous, exploratory nature of the place and the people who have inhabited it throughout the ages. The Schaeffer family spent six years (24 seasons) hiking, mountain biking, and skiing in the "Bozone." They explored hundreds of trails, GPS mapped them, and took photographs. The trails they kept returning to have made it into this three-sport book."

    Ella Kuntz for Bozeman City Lifestyle Magazine

  • "Beautifully illustrated. One of my favorite kinds of books because it gets to the point, it gives me the information I want."

    DJ Zepp 105.7 The Eagle Radio Station

  • “Aptly named for the gems it highlights, Bryan Schaeffer's book Discover Montana Treasures is an all-seasons enticement for families to discover the beauty and wonder of Bozeman and beyond.”

    Julie Kleine, Montana Parent Magazine

Follow Us To Adventure!

Follow Us To Adventure!

The Country Bookshelf -Bozeman, MT

Hike, Bike & Ski 100 Classic Trails in Montana’s Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

“Schaeffer’s guidebook should be a coffee-table mainstay for any Bozeman local, and an essential reference for visitors." - Outside Bozeman Magazine

2022 Bozeman’s Choice Award winner for best local book & author

MOUNTAIN BIKE MT

Discover Montana Treasures

"With this multimedia platform, Bryan created a new category of book.” 

- Julie Kiene
 Montana Parent Magazine

Upcoming events.

Differentiation Through Animation

Bryan Schaeffer, a seasoned author, illustrator, and lead animator, is the creative force behind The Last Best Trails illustrated guidebook series for Montana's Yellowstone Country. His work Has been recognized with numerous awards, including Bozeman Magazine's public choice awards for best local book and best local author. As a motion graphics designer and creative director for Studio SINTR®, he has won three regional Emmy Awards for television campaigns and advertising, and national live event awards for excellence in design.

Bryan's dedication to his craft and his love for adventure is evident in his work and his life in Bozeman with his wife, daughter, and Glen Doodle Loki.