Ten things everyone from the Hi-Line knows to be true

Ah, the Hi-Line, that stretch of Highway 2 from the North Dakota border to Glacier National Park. To the people who live there, it's a beautiful mistress, with sparse beauty, open vistas and mile-long views. For the folks who aren't from the Hi-Line, however, it may seem a little, unrefined.

1. "High winds" anywhere else is a light breeze to you.

Because you come from a place where the wind blows paint off houses.

2. Towns are judged by whether they have an overpass, but even if yours did, you did a lot of waiting for trains.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I was waiting for a train!" is an acceptable excuse for being late for school.

3. The girls look for boys in big cities — such as Havre.

Havre — it's the beefcake capital of the West.

4. Winter is horrible, but there is basketball.

Is there something in the water that makes northern kids better basketball players? Yes, there is. It's called dirt.

5. Water restrictions every August are normal.

And when you're in a town with a more abundant water supply, you get angry that they are so profligately watering their sidewalks while watering their lawns.

6. Yes, you are related to the family five towns over with the same last name, but you pronounce it completely differently.

It all started with a dispute over a hog in 1927 ...

7. You judge other schools by the size and relative newness of their gym.

Hint: Cut Bank's is the best. Always.

8. If it's mosquitoes, it must be Fort Belknap.

Pro-tip: Mow your lawn while wearing a winter coat and hood.

9. You are militant about your definition of what exactly the "Hi-Line" is.

Is it only the towns on Highway 2? What about north of Highway 2? What about south of Highway 2 but agrarian-based? We may never know the answer.

10. They may be a little rough around the edges, but the folks there are the nicest and most genuine in the state.

And they throw the best lutefisk dinners.

Briana Wipf grew up in Cut Bank and discovered the Hi-Line is an actual region of Montana when she went to college in Helena. She also calls that doughnut with maple frosting a maple stick. She is not sorry if you are offended by the content of any of this listicle, because it is all in good fun.