good week

FINALLY!

a week that truly represents summer. two good rides, two days on the blackfoot with the legendary (wishes) clay, fishing for the mightly 24"!

rode from the bottom of haskill basin to the top of the Big. took a while, but felt great. good to get some serious vertical. not sure though if i am truly ready to tackle the toughest of rides, strawberry lake to columbia mtn. that is an endeavor i conquered 17 years ago, thought i would never want to do again, and now i am challenged, but unsure if i want to suffer that much.

so i went to climb standard peak instead. although not quite an epic, it is an ordeal. too many dirt road miles, but we were able to put them together in a way as to not see one car. why, because we travelled on roads closed to cars, and indeed had to cross one serious slump that even on foot was difficult.
of course, the trail needs lots of work, especially on the way down off the back side, but we found our way thru, with maps and old memories (i was the only one to have done it in the past, andthat was 10 years ago, at least). but it came together, and the beers were cold and sweet, if not of the highest quality. (according to some standard's being set by an aging ski bum population no longer interested in quantity, but instead, in quality. not sure if i agree, but someone in this house i believe does)

then the next day, down to the blackfoot and a night in the comfortable though unfinished digs in ovando. did not get to see the sunset off the porch, one of my favorite activities, as the fish were jumping, after a day when they did not. though we all love the sunshine, it is not always the best for sticking a fly on the water. but we did not get skunked, we did not get too stuck in the shallow waters, we did not drown, we did have a ton of fun, and of course, we drank a few beers, of both quality and quantity.

with plenty of time left in august, the best month of september and as much of october as we are lucky to get before the gray cold sets in, the rest of this season should be a fun one. any epics out there? let me know. thanks.