hey!!! indian summer arrived yesterday. just in time for the two bear marathon. although i did not run, i have been a volunteer the last few years, it was a perfect day to run. starting out in clear, cool dawn, by the time most of the competitors were through, it was still not much over 65 degrees. and certainly, everyone was out of the woods, the hardest part, before the sun began to really heat up the earth.
kudos to a couple of local runners. jonathon for winning his age group, and coming in 8th overall in the long race, and richard, another over 40 runner, who won the overall half marathon. i saw both of these guys at the party in the parking lot, and both looked fine, not much worse for wear. obviously, well trained.
saturday brought some a new sport to my world. windsurfing. this is a difficult sport, to say the least. we had planned on trying lake mcdonald, as the forecast was calling for winds in the low to high teens. perfect for beginners and novices, and okay for our more experienced rider, since he has many sails to adjust to different winds. if you think skiing or biking or climbing is gear intensive, they have nothing. in this sport you need a board (duh!), mast, boom, multiple sails, wetsuit. lots of warm clothes for after getting your ass kicked in butt cold water. oh, and a mental edge that accepts falling and failure like you probably do not remember as an early skier. as you get better, there is more gear.
unfortunately, there was ZERO wind at lake mcdonald, and although i was willing to head back and gather biking gear, we made a run for the east side. at logan pass there was a bit of wind, and then as we descended into the saint mary valley, it quickly became obvious that there would be enough wind.
white caps and two foot swells had even jim nervous, as he had not brought his smallest sails, suitable for high winds. it was no doubt, well over my head. i prepared to hunker down out of the wind somewhere and read, and watch the carnage. instead, foiled again in my thoughts of getting out of a humbling experience, we went to check out lower saint mary's, to see if the wind were calmer and less gusty. indeed they were.
there was not much now to do, but watch as kevin and jim geared up, and put on my own wetsuit and cross my fingers.
the problem with beginning windsurfing, especially in cold water, is that one spends more time in the water than surfing above it. and slowly at first, and then more quickly after 30 minutes, the cold water overtakes the warm body. try to get out before hypothermia sets in.
but it was not completely futile. i was able to get up on the board, (better than i have in my brief surfing forays), steady myself and pull up the mast, and even take control of the boom, and thereby the sail. but then things would get untilted, and back into the water i went. by this time, kevin and jim had entered on their own boards,and were sailing out and about the lake. for them, the winds were perfect. and i will also say, that now, as an experienced novice, kevin too spends considerable time in the water, and he too came out after an hour or so, with a smile on his face, and nearly blue lips as well. that east side water just does not warm up.
finally, i got a shot on jim's new board. a much wider, lighter, more comfortable version of his old board. after giving kevin a shot, while i remained in the truck shaking off the last of the chill, it was my turn again. i knew it would be brief, as it would only be three or four attempts before the severe chill would return, but i had to give it a go. using this board, it was easier to stand up, more stable, and i was actually able to sail. okay, almost. i cannot say 5 feet is sailing, and neither of my companions even noticed i had done so; but it felt good, and gave me some confidence to try again. indeed, to look forward to trying again. in warmer water. with the sun shining. and hot!!
so now it is back to work and biking. at least one of these is something i love.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
labor day weekend
once again, Ovando proved a great spot to hang out for a long weekend. we were lucky enough to make our three day weekend into a five day event. so south we headed, with a great forecast before us.
of course the best weather was the first two days, that we spent working on house projects there, and some last minute shopping for self proclaimed necessities. finally on saturday, we headed to the blackfoot river for a four hour float on some mellow to class two waters. i hoped to even cast my line a few times.
about 30 minutes into the float, we noticed some very dark clouds approaching, then some lightening, then of course, some rain. it did not rain too hard, but the wind came up strong, and i struggled to keep the boat moving forward. eventually i gave up and just pulled to shore to wait it out. and luckily it only lasted about 2 minutes. we considered asking some of the river side occupents if we could come off on their property, but quite honestly, when i see a shady house in that area, i don't really like to approach the owners. there are many a story of unwelcoming hosts. plus the weather improved dramatically, so we just stayed on the river to our original destination. four hours later we finally pulled over for good at the sunset hill take-out, and with help of a couple boaters also taking out there, we were able to pull the boat up without much issue. after an hour long bike shuttle, we had the boat loaded before dusk had turned to dark. although i did not get myline in the water, it was still a fine day.
once again we happened to be in the vicinity of trixie's , a truly great bar, located on hwy 200 in ovando, when Russ and the Revelators were playing. they always bring in a crowd from out of nowhere, and the dancing put on by the locals is well above what can be seen in any bars in this zip code. sometimes it is hard to get out and dance, as we feel overwhelmed, but after a few adult beveages, we dropped our guard and made it onto the dance floor. another good night at trixie's. (i haven't had a bad one there)
we also made it to the annual rodeo in helmville, just down the road. this is a real rodeo, in a real western town, without all the fancy hoopla of a big town fair. just cowboys and girls, and broncos, bulls, horse riding and cow milking. despite the early november weather (okay,it just felt that way on september 5th) we had a great time and many a laugh. if you ever have a chance to go to one of these small town affairs, jump on it. it is cheap, fun and full of real people. and you won't feel too far from home, as the announcer is the same one that comes to the fair here, as well as skijouring. the man can just flatout talk.
finally, we had a full day of fishing on the blackfoot. it could not have started out much slower, but after a few hours of mostly casting, we finally hit a few good holes and made it into a very enjoyable day. and again, we found ourselves pulling boats up steep banks at dusk, this time without beating the darkness barrier. this is where it was nice having a place to go to nearby, with a roof and a kitchen. too late for any restaurant, we were still able to stoke a fire, take off the chill, bbq some burgers, and relax into a card game.
hopefully we will get some indian summer along this early fall, as real summer was far too short, and winter, as much fun as it is, is far enough away that it is best to still have some nice sunny weather first.
of course the best weather was the first two days, that we spent working on house projects there, and some last minute shopping for self proclaimed necessities. finally on saturday, we headed to the blackfoot river for a four hour float on some mellow to class two waters. i hoped to even cast my line a few times.
about 30 minutes into the float, we noticed some very dark clouds approaching, then some lightening, then of course, some rain. it did not rain too hard, but the wind came up strong, and i struggled to keep the boat moving forward. eventually i gave up and just pulled to shore to wait it out. and luckily it only lasted about 2 minutes. we considered asking some of the river side occupents if we could come off on their property, but quite honestly, when i see a shady house in that area, i don't really like to approach the owners. there are many a story of unwelcoming hosts. plus the weather improved dramatically, so we just stayed on the river to our original destination. four hours later we finally pulled over for good at the sunset hill take-out, and with help of a couple boaters also taking out there, we were able to pull the boat up without much issue. after an hour long bike shuttle, we had the boat loaded before dusk had turned to dark. although i did not get myline in the water, it was still a fine day.
once again we happened to be in the vicinity of trixie's , a truly great bar, located on hwy 200 in ovando, when Russ and the Revelators were playing. they always bring in a crowd from out of nowhere, and the dancing put on by the locals is well above what can be seen in any bars in this zip code. sometimes it is hard to get out and dance, as we feel overwhelmed, but after a few adult beveages, we dropped our guard and made it onto the dance floor. another good night at trixie's. (i haven't had a bad one there)
we also made it to the annual rodeo in helmville, just down the road. this is a real rodeo, in a real western town, without all the fancy hoopla of a big town fair. just cowboys and girls, and broncos, bulls, horse riding and cow milking. despite the early november weather (okay,it just felt that way on september 5th) we had a great time and many a laugh. if you ever have a chance to go to one of these small town affairs, jump on it. it is cheap, fun and full of real people. and you won't feel too far from home, as the announcer is the same one that comes to the fair here, as well as skijouring. the man can just flatout talk.
finally, we had a full day of fishing on the blackfoot. it could not have started out much slower, but after a few hours of mostly casting, we finally hit a few good holes and made it into a very enjoyable day. and again, we found ourselves pulling boats up steep banks at dusk, this time without beating the darkness barrier. this is where it was nice having a place to go to nearby, with a roof and a kitchen. too late for any restaurant, we were still able to stoke a fire, take off the chill, bbq some burgers, and relax into a card game.
hopefully we will get some indian summer along this early fall, as real summer was far too short, and winter, as much fun as it is, is far enough away that it is best to still have some nice sunny weather first.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
autumn
yep, it sure seems like fall is here. dark until nearly 7am, cooler days, some moisture is back. it was a short summer, but it is montana. i am sure we will have some hot weather still this year, but it is best to accept the autumn season and all it has to offer.
if you have not already begun, and have a garden in place, start watching for frost. i always look for night time lows below 38 before i worry. at that point, cover the fragile plants, like tomatoes, the squash family, basil. if you miss it, but wake up early, you can water the garden just before the sun comes up to wash the frost off. this fends off the killing of the plant.
is it too early to start thinking about winter? some parts of the country are already looking toward a mild winter. fortunately, for what i know, these are areas that desire just that. like urban and city dwellings. personally, i am hoping for a normal winter, or even some la nina to bring on the goods. since we might be looking at snow up high (and is some places already have), it is never too early to think winter.
if you have not already begun, and have a garden in place, start watching for frost. i always look for night time lows below 38 before i worry. at that point, cover the fragile plants, like tomatoes, the squash family, basil. if you miss it, but wake up early, you can water the garden just before the sun comes up to wash the frost off. this fends off the killing of the plant.
is it too early to start thinking about winter? some parts of the country are already looking toward a mild winter. fortunately, for what i know, these are areas that desire just that. like urban and city dwellings. personally, i am hoping for a normal winter, or even some la nina to bring on the goods. since we might be looking at snow up high (and is some places already have), it is never too early to think winter.
Friday, August 27, 2010
darker
as great as the weather has been, summer is indeed winding down. i don't really even like to think about it, but the other night, as i read out on the deck until i had to use artificial light. i came in and started to get ready for bed, looked at the clock and it was barely 9:30! and it was dark. oh, the longest of the summer days are once again behind us as we begin to look forward to the fall colors and brisk mornings.
the garden, though filled with weeds, continues to produce greatly. at this time, there really is no need to weed, except for athsetics (sp?). clean up of the entire mess is just around the corner with all the other pre-winter chores, so why hasten to them. i am trying to squeeze as much summer out of summer as possible.
and this weekend looks more like a late september weekend of weather than late august. cool, cloudy and some wet. i am hoping it is just saving up for a fabulous labor day stretch of perfect weather. warm, clear and bright night lights sparkling.
our weather here remains a source of humor, if you look at it correctly. on sunday we went to the fair and watched the ponies. with only a rain jacket, and foolishly wearing shorts, i found myself not just cool, but cold. only raggie had the foresite to bring a cap. i could have used pants, sweater and hat. then it heats up thru thursday, maybe the hottest day of summer, and then back into the 60's for the weekend. what else can one do but laugh and shake our heads and remark "montana weather!"
still, there are endless arenas of fun at this time. all the trails are clear, all the water warm, the fish are rising, the flowers are still blooming (a true blessing of a cool, moderately moist summer)and hopefully we are all in mid summer shape for whatever strokes our hearts fancies the most.
and this just in, bow hunting season starts in just over a week, for those that live the better part of the year waiting for just that. oh, and football season begins too. it must be fall on the horizon.
the garden, though filled with weeds, continues to produce greatly. at this time, there really is no need to weed, except for athsetics (sp?). clean up of the entire mess is just around the corner with all the other pre-winter chores, so why hasten to them. i am trying to squeeze as much summer out of summer as possible.
and this weekend looks more like a late september weekend of weather than late august. cool, cloudy and some wet. i am hoping it is just saving up for a fabulous labor day stretch of perfect weather. warm, clear and bright night lights sparkling.
our weather here remains a source of humor, if you look at it correctly. on sunday we went to the fair and watched the ponies. with only a rain jacket, and foolishly wearing shorts, i found myself not just cool, but cold. only raggie had the foresite to bring a cap. i could have used pants, sweater and hat. then it heats up thru thursday, maybe the hottest day of summer, and then back into the 60's for the weekend. what else can one do but laugh and shake our heads and remark "montana weather!"
still, there are endless arenas of fun at this time. all the trails are clear, all the water warm, the fish are rising, the flowers are still blooming (a true blessing of a cool, moderately moist summer)and hopefully we are all in mid summer shape for whatever strokes our hearts fancies the most.
and this just in, bow hunting season starts in just over a week, for those that live the better part of the year waiting for just that. oh, and football season begins too. it must be fall on the horizon.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, August 9, 2010
hailstorm
anyone get caught out in that huge storm on friday? i was lucky and was in transit from seeley lake where i spend two days at the Big Larch campground swimming and boating, and missed the storm entirely. but it sounds like it was a doozy. and a few people got their gardens messed up, but mine seemed to fair just fine. and this has been a great summer for the garden. after a slow start in april, may and june, things have been great with plenty of water and sun.
going back to seeley lake, that campground is pretty much on the beach and very clean and comfortable. a great spot for kids, as there were tons in this group i joined. it was even pretty dog friendly, as far as usfs campgrounds go. they were allowed off leash in your own site and within voice command, and at the beach they had to stay away from the main swimming area, but otherwise were fine. of course there were the typical grouchy people who have never let their dogs or their own minds off a leash, and if they had another dog come within 10 feet were nervous nelly's, but i tried to not get too sarcastic, and keep my pets away. staying there really made me wonder about owning my own place on the water somewhere. anyone know of a decent lake with quasi affordable property. i mean, something less than $100k/acre or $300k for a small cabin? okay, i didn't think so, but if you ever see anything, let me know.
not much else to report, just life in august, when the temps are staying in the low 80's is about as good as it can be.
going back to seeley lake, that campground is pretty much on the beach and very clean and comfortable. a great spot for kids, as there were tons in this group i joined. it was even pretty dog friendly, as far as usfs campgrounds go. they were allowed off leash in your own site and within voice command, and at the beach they had to stay away from the main swimming area, but otherwise were fine. of course there were the typical grouchy people who have never let their dogs or their own minds off a leash, and if they had another dog come within 10 feet were nervous nelly's, but i tried to not get too sarcastic, and keep my pets away. staying there really made me wonder about owning my own place on the water somewhere. anyone know of a decent lake with quasi affordable property. i mean, something less than $100k/acre or $300k for a small cabin? okay, i didn't think so, but if you ever see anything, let me know.
not much else to report, just life in august, when the temps are staying in the low 80's is about as good as it can be.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
great wx
wx. shorthand for weather.
and it has been great. unless you are someone who actually loves the super hot. right now it is midday, slight breeze, high 70's. the waters are all warm enough to swim in, the trails are all dry but not dusty, the produce is now more local or regional and not californian. in short, summer is in full swing, and the living is easy. (except of course for work, which is what we all do too much of in the summer, because we can).
keeping this one brief, as i have an unexpected day off and need to go enjoy this nearly perfect weather. hope you are all having tonsoffun.
and it has been great. unless you are someone who actually loves the super hot. right now it is midday, slight breeze, high 70's. the waters are all warm enough to swim in, the trails are all dry but not dusty, the produce is now more local or regional and not californian. in short, summer is in full swing, and the living is easy. (except of course for work, which is what we all do too much of in the summer, because we can).
keeping this one brief, as i have an unexpected day off and need to go enjoy this nearly perfect weather. hope you are all having tonsoffun.
Friday, July 30, 2010
i'm back
well, it has been a month, so most of you are probably not even looking. but i am going to get back on it, as things are starting to happen in life. well, you know, summer is in full swing, so there is more to talk about.
i did my first race in the Big Mountain summer series last night. first race up there ever. and first bike race of any kind in over 20 years. and i got my butt kicked. i tried not to go out too hard, but got caught between those i wanted to pass and those i did not want to pass me, on the initial climb right out of the box. and immediately i got into severe lung burn, that did not go away completely until this am. i guess i am not in race shape. but i finished in under an hour, (two laps) and likely was first (and only) in my over 50 age group, but that is no longer a group. it is only "veterans" of over 40. i will never even make it into the top three in this group. but it was fun and i hope to continue, perhaps a it smarter next time. and better warmed up.
MA and i went to the Calgary Folk Music Festival last weekend. a lot of driving for 2 1/2 days, but fun and worth it. a really well run affair, with lots of good food, beer and music. 7 different tents with all kinds of music. NOT just folk. raggae, ska, rock, roots, blues, gospel (don't knock gospel, it can be the best music of any show), etc. the worst for us though, was that roberta flack was the final act, sunday night at 9pm and we had to leave the same night at 6. or not go to work on monday, which was not an option.. two really cool things at this fest. first, they were very lax on what you could bring in. we brought in some premade cocktails, and easily got some ice here and there to cool them off. you can bring in your own food, cooler, sodas, etc. you are not supposed to have alcohol outside of the beer garden, but if you kept it mellow. (come on, it was a folk festival. how roudy are a middle age couple going to get anyway?) Two, they were recycling or composting almost everything. cutlery, glasses and paper were all compostible, plates were real. you paid a $2 deposit and got it back with the return. but the one thing i thought was weird. they were not recycling plastics. something about the garbage and recycling contract did not include plastics. come on! even here in the anti-environment capital of Flathead county, we can recycle plastic 1&2. which also broght to me the question. which is better.
Recycling or
Composting
so i amazingly have still not been out fishing, boating or on any epic bike rides. august and september are my months to change all that. the time has come and summer is short.
i did my first race in the Big Mountain summer series last night. first race up there ever. and first bike race of any kind in over 20 years. and i got my butt kicked. i tried not to go out too hard, but got caught between those i wanted to pass and those i did not want to pass me, on the initial climb right out of the box. and immediately i got into severe lung burn, that did not go away completely until this am. i guess i am not in race shape. but i finished in under an hour, (two laps) and likely was first (and only) in my over 50 age group, but that is no longer a group. it is only "veterans" of over 40. i will never even make it into the top three in this group. but it was fun and i hope to continue, perhaps a it smarter next time. and better warmed up.
MA and i went to the Calgary Folk Music Festival last weekend. a lot of driving for 2 1/2 days, but fun and worth it. a really well run affair, with lots of good food, beer and music. 7 different tents with all kinds of music. NOT just folk. raggae, ska, rock, roots, blues, gospel (don't knock gospel, it can be the best music of any show), etc. the worst for us though, was that roberta flack was the final act, sunday night at 9pm and we had to leave the same night at 6. or not go to work on monday, which was not an option.. two really cool things at this fest. first, they were very lax on what you could bring in. we brought in some premade cocktails, and easily got some ice here and there to cool them off. you can bring in your own food, cooler, sodas, etc. you are not supposed to have alcohol outside of the beer garden, but if you kept it mellow. (come on, it was a folk festival. how roudy are a middle age couple going to get anyway?) Two, they were recycling or composting almost everything. cutlery, glasses and paper were all compostible, plates were real. you paid a $2 deposit and got it back with the return. but the one thing i thought was weird. they were not recycling plastics. something about the garbage and recycling contract did not include plastics. come on! even here in the anti-environment capital of Flathead county, we can recycle plastic 1&2. which also broght to me the question. which is better.
Recycling or
Composting
so i amazingly have still not been out fishing, boating or on any epic bike rides. august and september are my months to change all that. the time has come and summer is short.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
more on swan 100
although the swancrest is not going to be run as an official race, it is still going on as a non-organized event, with the plan of making it official next year, or soon. so my idea of lots of people showing up is to be ignored for the time being. maybe we can do something later in the summer to raise money and help this event become official. for now, let's hope that a good crowd of the serious ultra-marathon folks still show up to run, and hope they have great weather.
well, after a very wet 3-4 weeks, and spring in general, summer has come in with abondon. warm and sunny, although the next few days look a bit cooler. and remember, once we get thru july 4th, it is all guaranteed great weather. okay, maybe not, but usually july and august get pretty hot and dry. should be another great summer.
well, after a very wet 3-4 weeks, and spring in general, summer has come in with abondon. warm and sunny, although the next few days look a bit cooler. and remember, once we get thru july 4th, it is all guaranteed great weather. okay, maybe not, but usually july and august get pretty hot and dry. should be another great summer.
Monday, June 28, 2010
sunny and warm
now this is some good weather. even as it cools off later this week, it is still going to be great. even if we have a few thunderstorms. nothing wrong with that, and right now lightening is not too much of a threat.
so mountain biking continues to be great, and the rivers are slowing down, for more boating and fishing should be getting better all the time. i have not been on any great adventures of yet, but they are not too far away. althought the word is that there is still lots of snow up around 7000' and less on northern aspects. so if you were really into it, i am sure there is some skiing to be had, beyond just the Going to the Sun Road and Logan Pass.
the TRail Runs Thru It, now officially the Whitefish Trail, is set to officially open on July 17, with events in town and on the trail that day. of course, it is open for daily use right now, but there are not signs up as yet. sounds like some last loops closer to the main trailhead at Lion Mtn. Loop are just about done, and super fun.
unfortunately, if you have not read a paper in weeks and had not heard, brad lamson has officially decided NOT to run his 100 mile Swan Crest race as an official race. but it is still going on as a non-sanctioned, no charge event. so anyone feeling it should continue training. but if 100 miles seems too much, i am trying to get some folks to go down and do lesser rides or runs and maybe throw some support to brad and Montana Conservation Corps, which is set to reap any proceeds. Unfortunately Keith Hammer (aka: ASSHOLE with nothing better to do) has forced the issue to where it was likely to cost race organizers and the USFS money in EA's and litigation. so i am trying to set up some support so that maybe this can become an event on the Swan. please post some comments and thoughts about this entire soap opera.
okay, summer is short. time to get outside.
so mountain biking continues to be great, and the rivers are slowing down, for more boating and fishing should be getting better all the time. i have not been on any great adventures of yet, but they are not too far away. althought the word is that there is still lots of snow up around 7000' and less on northern aspects. so if you were really into it, i am sure there is some skiing to be had, beyond just the Going to the Sun Road and Logan Pass.
the TRail Runs Thru It, now officially the Whitefish Trail, is set to officially open on July 17, with events in town and on the trail that day. of course, it is open for daily use right now, but there are not signs up as yet. sounds like some last loops closer to the main trailhead at Lion Mtn. Loop are just about done, and super fun.
unfortunately, if you have not read a paper in weeks and had not heard, brad lamson has officially decided NOT to run his 100 mile Swan Crest race as an official race. but it is still going on as a non-sanctioned, no charge event. so anyone feeling it should continue training. but if 100 miles seems too much, i am trying to get some folks to go down and do lesser rides or runs and maybe throw some support to brad and Montana Conservation Corps, which is set to reap any proceeds. Unfortunately Keith Hammer (aka: ASSHOLE with nothing better to do) has forced the issue to where it was likely to cost race organizers and the USFS money in EA's and litigation. so i am trying to set up some support so that maybe this can become an event on the Swan. please post some comments and thoughts about this entire soap opera.
okay, summer is short. time to get outside.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
more rain
went to seattle for the weekend. sounds like there was less rain there than here. since it happened to be the weekend before the solstice, and we were able to catch the 27th annual Fremont Solstice Parade. somewhere along the way, this festive parade was joined in by a group of byclists who i believe did so unofficially. they are now the higlight of the parade, as they ride loop after loop, NAKED! before the official start. in fact, they have brought in a naked mentallity to the entire affair, that sounds like it was for a while quite wild and crazy. now it is just a fun parade with a bit of debauchery, but mostly mild.
now we are back, and it sounds like it rained all weekend. yesterday was huge. and as wet as it has been, i have been informed by a fire and forestry expert, that in three or so short weeks of dry and hot, we will be back into fire territory. our soils are just so porous and weather so dry and non-humid, things change quickly. but at least for now i am assured our chances of a crown fire (the worst) are zero.
so, what is going on out there. what rivers are still providing good fishing, boating or viewing? of course, trail riding is okay if you don't mind getting wet and muddy. i am sure there is some good skiing, again, if you don't mind being wet, and likely cold.
i went to the DNRC's tour of the spencer trails system and advisory to upcoming logging. they are trying hard to sound positive towards recreation, and i believe them. i have been in several conversations towards making some of the trails "official". i am hoping for this to happen as early as this fall. at worst, it seems the state will allow heavy flagging of trails, so loggers can more easily avoid trails with their skidders and slash. i will try to keep this progress posted.
with all this water, i just have not been out doing much, so don't have much to report. so, as usual, hope others will join in with stories and input.
now we are back, and it sounds like it rained all weekend. yesterday was huge. and as wet as it has been, i have been informed by a fire and forestry expert, that in three or so short weeks of dry and hot, we will be back into fire territory. our soils are just so porous and weather so dry and non-humid, things change quickly. but at least for now i am assured our chances of a crown fire (the worst) are zero.
so, what is going on out there. what rivers are still providing good fishing, boating or viewing? of course, trail riding is okay if you don't mind getting wet and muddy. i am sure there is some good skiing, again, if you don't mind being wet, and likely cold.
i went to the DNRC's tour of the spencer trails system and advisory to upcoming logging. they are trying hard to sound positive towards recreation, and i believe them. i have been in several conversations towards making some of the trails "official". i am hoping for this to happen as early as this fall. at worst, it seems the state will allow heavy flagging of trails, so loggers can more easily avoid trails with their skidders and slash. i will try to keep this progress posted.
with all this water, i just have not been out doing much, so don't have much to report. so, as usual, hope others will join in with stories and input.
Monday, June 14, 2010
great weekend
well, the weather certainly came thru, and so everyone should have been busy. we certainly were over here in millerland. lots of biking, beer and relaxing. some time in the garden and yard. the days are about as long as they are going to get, so the time is now to be outdoors for more time than less.
bikefish week went well, but inclement weather took away from participants in our many guided rides. NO one showed up friday night, so pete and i just went out to pig farms and rode until dark. we did have a group of 11 yesterday out at pig farms, and showed some new folks some good times. it seems to me that that area gets more and more use. we had a few young adults, and a couple of young kids. the kids did well, but you really have to cater to their abilities.
it always seems funny to me to, to see the bikes people ride. not everyone has a tricked out, full suspension, disk brake machine. and it shows in their riding. but youth prevails, and they are able to counter bad bikes with energy.
the bike races went well this weekend. saturday's criterium had a big turnout of spectators and participants. and the kids race was huge. possibly one hundred 8 and unders rode one lap of the crit. one ringer, who was hundreds of yards in front of the rest. but they all had fun, and it was great to watch. hope for even more activities and attendance next year.
anyone watching the World Cup? it has been fantastic. US got a bit lucky to tie england, but we'll take it. if we continue to play as well, the second round should happen. then, who knows.
bikefish week went well, but inclement weather took away from participants in our many guided rides. NO one showed up friday night, so pete and i just went out to pig farms and rode until dark. we did have a group of 11 yesterday out at pig farms, and showed some new folks some good times. it seems to me that that area gets more and more use. we had a few young adults, and a couple of young kids. the kids did well, but you really have to cater to their abilities.
it always seems funny to me to, to see the bikes people ride. not everyone has a tricked out, full suspension, disk brake machine. and it shows in their riding. but youth prevails, and they are able to counter bad bikes with energy.
the bike races went well this weekend. saturday's criterium had a big turnout of spectators and participants. and the kids race was huge. possibly one hundred 8 and unders rode one lap of the crit. one ringer, who was hundreds of yards in front of the rest. but they all had fun, and it was great to watch. hope for even more activities and attendance next year.
anyone watching the World Cup? it has been fantastic. US got a bit lucky to tie england, but we'll take it. if we continue to play as well, the second round should happen. then, who knows.
Friday, June 11, 2010
rainy!
Man, has it been wet. but this weekend looks great, so time to get out there for a longer day.
still, the riding at least has been good. i imagine the boating is a bit washed out, at least the middle fork, but sounds like the swan is GREAT. anyone been on the Stillwater? And fishing? sounds like people are out there. anyone want to share a good river or two. not the section, just the river.
the new "Whitefish Trail" (was the trail runs thru it) is in great shape. and pete is working 6 days a week to get more open. but, pete and i learned the other day, as simple as it seems, one can get misplaced.
we led a group of six along the trail on wednesday evening, as part of Bikefish. we went from the Lion Mtn Loop trailhead, went up past Gogan's "driveway" which is near his new gate (this gate probably cost what many of us have into our homes. oh to be a billionaire). we decided as a group, to continue up to the next vantage point, about 10 minutes away. we had one novice rider, and a few minutes from the road, he decided he had had enough, and turned around. i should have gone with him, but the rest of the group was several minutes ahead, and i wanted to let them know, and he said, repeatedly, he was fine. so i tried to make sure he knew what trails NOT to go down, and he reiterated he was fine. so i joined the rest of the group. when we returned to the grouse mountain tennis courts from where we had started, his car was gone, so we were sure he was fine. after a bit more conversation, we all went our separate ways. only as i got into my car did he ride by. he waved hello and said he was fine, and i never saw him again. so, not sure what happened, but as he had been tired and ready to quit, i am pretty sure he did not purposely add to his ride. but somehow he had extended his ride, considerably.
maybe i should not be a guide? tonight, pete and i are leading another ride on the WFT. tonight, we are bringing cell phones and asking individuals their riding levels and experience. better safe than sorry.
let's hope for great weather, riding, boating, fishing, skiing, climbing or just hanging out with cold beverages.
still, the riding at least has been good. i imagine the boating is a bit washed out, at least the middle fork, but sounds like the swan is GREAT. anyone been on the Stillwater? And fishing? sounds like people are out there. anyone want to share a good river or two. not the section, just the river.
the new "Whitefish Trail" (was the trail runs thru it) is in great shape. and pete is working 6 days a week to get more open. but, pete and i learned the other day, as simple as it seems, one can get misplaced.
we led a group of six along the trail on wednesday evening, as part of Bikefish. we went from the Lion Mtn Loop trailhead, went up past Gogan's "driveway" which is near his new gate (this gate probably cost what many of us have into our homes. oh to be a billionaire). we decided as a group, to continue up to the next vantage point, about 10 minutes away. we had one novice rider, and a few minutes from the road, he decided he had had enough, and turned around. i should have gone with him, but the rest of the group was several minutes ahead, and i wanted to let them know, and he said, repeatedly, he was fine. so i tried to make sure he knew what trails NOT to go down, and he reiterated he was fine. so i joined the rest of the group. when we returned to the grouse mountain tennis courts from where we had started, his car was gone, so we were sure he was fine. after a bit more conversation, we all went our separate ways. only as i got into my car did he ride by. he waved hello and said he was fine, and i never saw him again. so, not sure what happened, but as he had been tired and ready to quit, i am pretty sure he did not purposely add to his ride. but somehow he had extended his ride, considerably.
maybe i should not be a guide? tonight, pete and i are leading another ride on the WFT. tonight, we are bringing cell phones and asking individuals their riding levels and experience. better safe than sorry.
let's hope for great weather, riding, boating, fishing, skiing, climbing or just hanging out with cold beverages.
Monday, June 7, 2010
http://swancrest100.blogspot.com/
http://www.swancrest100.blogspot.com/
here is the official spot to see what is going on and to link to comment to the usfs. please get on board on this. this should be a super cool event, and have little to no impact on the trail, bears, or land. the biggest impact is on the sickos that are running this race.
here is the official spot to see what is going on and to link to comment to the usfs. please get on board on this. this should be a super cool event, and have little to no impact on the trail, bears, or land. the biggest impact is on the sickos that are running this race.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
summer is getting busy
even if the weather does not cooperate, there is a ton of fun stuff going on in the next few weeks. and a few opportunities to lend a helping hand.
take a look at these websites for tons of info. the next two weeks are chock full of fun and opportunities to help and support the community.
http://www.flatheadfattires.com/
http://www.trailrunsthroughit.org/
http://www.bikefish.org/
i will be leading, with pete, the tours on the TRTI, now officially called the "whitefish trail", as well as sunday's ride at the pig farms. come join us.
come see the film on sunday, june 13.
come watch some pro bikers in their criterium, in town.
but just check out the websites for more info.
hope to see you,
take a look at these websites for tons of info. the next two weeks are chock full of fun and opportunities to help and support the community.
http://www.flatheadfattires.com/
http://www.trailrunsthroughit.org/
http://www.bikefish.org/
i will be leading, with pete, the tours on the TRTI, now officially called the "whitefish trail", as well as sunday's ride at the pig farms. come join us.
come see the film on sunday, june 13.
come watch some pro bikers in their criterium, in town.
but just check out the websites for more info.
hope to see you,
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
june 1
it sure looks like a wet start to the rainy season, and as usual, we need the moisture. of course, we all want a sunny day or three, but just remember, each day of rain puts off summer fires just a little bit more. and since this was looking like a catacylmic fire season just a month ago, i am not ready to complain, yet.
i still like to think that every day at this time of year offers some openings when you can get out and play. it seems like once you get started riding, hiking or fishing, a bit of rain is not horrendous. an example. we were in ovando this long weekend, and the weather there was not much better than here. but we waited for our window, and got in two good hikes and a great ride in helena yesterday. we woke on monday to rain, but called a couple of shops in helena, and got word that it had remained mostly dry, with on brief showers forecast for memorial day. so we loaded up bikes and dogs, a few beers and snacks, and headed south. sure, we did get some rain, and a bit of mud, but overall, a great ride. in fact, it made the weekend. so no regrets.
today is the first farmers market downtown. not the best weather, but sure to be fun. time to get the rest of the garden done, get the flowers in, all that make summer so wonderful. so zip up the raincoat, carry some rain pants, and head on out.
i still like to think that every day at this time of year offers some openings when you can get out and play. it seems like once you get started riding, hiking or fishing, a bit of rain is not horrendous. an example. we were in ovando this long weekend, and the weather there was not much better than here. but we waited for our window, and got in two good hikes and a great ride in helena yesterday. we woke on monday to rain, but called a couple of shops in helena, and got word that it had remained mostly dry, with on brief showers forecast for memorial day. so we loaded up bikes and dogs, a few beers and snacks, and headed south. sure, we did get some rain, and a bit of mud, but overall, a great ride. in fact, it made the weekend. so no regrets.
today is the first farmers market downtown. not the best weather, but sure to be fun. time to get the rest of the garden done, get the flowers in, all that make summer so wonderful. so zip up the raincoat, carry some rain pants, and head on out.
Friday, May 28, 2010
rainy end of may
so, this is the beginning of summer season? well, at least it will help in keeping rivers flowing, snow from melting, grass and gardens and flowers growing. but it is not the best for seeing how many outdoor endeavors you can do in one day. but remember, in these days, there is always an opening of pleasant weather. and once you are out moving, a squall or rain is not likely to go forever, and it is not that cold, so keep moving and make a memory.
or just stay inside and whine.
off to ovando. weather does not look too much better there, or anywhere in the state. let's review on tuesday.
or just stay inside and whine.
off to ovando. weather does not look too much better there, or anywhere in the state. let's review on tuesday.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
check this out
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_5e919e1a-669c-11df-8218-001cc4c002e0.html
go ahead and highlight this and put into your browser. this article brings light to an upcoming race this summer, and how one man, has too much time without enough to do. ( perhaps like my time spending writing blogs, but he does this full time). anyway, read the article, then the comments, which are quite humorous, unless you feel sorry for keith. then stay up to date on the issue and write some comments to the usfs when the time comes. i will keep that up to date as well. this could be a signiture event in the area. these ultra marathons are never going to attract thousands of participants, likely not even hundreds. they are brutal events, for the fittest of the endurance athletes. and unlike a road event, if you quit somewhere along the line, your day is not done. you still have to get out. only the strongest (and perhaps most feeble of mind) enter such events. best to support it, read about it, then enjoy a nice day hike or multi-day trip, with tents, bags, food and even a drop or two.
go ahead and highlight this and put into your browser. this article brings light to an upcoming race this summer, and how one man, has too much time without enough to do. ( perhaps like my time spending writing blogs, but he does this full time). anyway, read the article, then the comments, which are quite humorous, unless you feel sorry for keith. then stay up to date on the issue and write some comments to the usfs when the time comes. i will keep that up to date as well. this could be a signiture event in the area. these ultra marathons are never going to attract thousands of participants, likely not even hundreds. they are brutal events, for the fittest of the endurance athletes. and unlike a road event, if you quit somewhere along the line, your day is not done. you still have to get out. only the strongest (and perhaps most feeble of mind) enter such events. best to support it, read about it, then enjoy a nice day hike or multi-day trip, with tents, bags, food and even a drop or two.
Monday, May 24, 2010
short weekend
weekends always seem too quick. even the long ones. they are mini-vacations, but like all vacations, they are just too short.
the weather was not great this past weekend, but like so many days in the spring in montana, there is always enough good weather to have some fun.
so there we were, sitting at the base of all the roadside climbs at stone hill, when the rain started. we had hoped to go to one of the more off road locations, to allow the dogs and kids to run around a bit, but the weather just did not cooperate. so instead, we hung out and waited. and finally, it stopped, the sun came out enough to dry the rock and we were all able to climb multiple pitches. as per usual, i flailed mightily on a 5-8 face climb. small foot and hand holds are my nemesis. for better or worse, i perform better in large cracks and off widths.
after about 5 hours, we called it a day, as we were camping nearby and hoped the next day would bring more clear weather. so, after a mellow morning, and an hour on our mountain bikes, the weather looked, well, worse. so my wife and i decided to go the other way, back to the flathead, with stop for the dogs to swim and us to walk. there is a day use area on the south side of dickey lake that is really nice. super low key. clean. plenty of space to bbq, play horseshoes, and hangout. very kid friendly.
so now we are already looking forward to the long weekend coming up. we are going to make it a four day weekend,and head to ovando and hope to get some warm sunny weather, drop our lines in the river, ride our bikes somewhere nearby and visit the local institution.
the weather was not great this past weekend, but like so many days in the spring in montana, there is always enough good weather to have some fun.
so there we were, sitting at the base of all the roadside climbs at stone hill, when the rain started. we had hoped to go to one of the more off road locations, to allow the dogs and kids to run around a bit, but the weather just did not cooperate. so instead, we hung out and waited. and finally, it stopped, the sun came out enough to dry the rock and we were all able to climb multiple pitches. as per usual, i flailed mightily on a 5-8 face climb. small foot and hand holds are my nemesis. for better or worse, i perform better in large cracks and off widths.
after about 5 hours, we called it a day, as we were camping nearby and hoped the next day would bring more clear weather. so, after a mellow morning, and an hour on our mountain bikes, the weather looked, well, worse. so my wife and i decided to go the other way, back to the flathead, with stop for the dogs to swim and us to walk. there is a day use area on the south side of dickey lake that is really nice. super low key. clean. plenty of space to bbq, play horseshoes, and hangout. very kid friendly.
so now we are already looking forward to the long weekend coming up. we are going to make it a four day weekend,and head to ovando and hope to get some warm sunny weather, drop our lines in the river, ride our bikes somewhere nearby and visit the local institution.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
riding
for those of you who do not know, there is a whole bunch of new trail completed on the Whitefish Trail, (the name just recently and officially changed from "the trail runs thru it"). you can start at two locations near town. one is off the Lion Mtn Loop road. drive as if going to state park off hwy 93 north. go past the golf course, veer right on State Park rd., then go straight thru the stop sign (but do stop first, at least periferrally). then go onto the dirt road, for about a mile. there is a new dirt road about 1/4 mile before this road gets back to the highway. you can see a metal gate. there is a large parking lot. go around the gate and up the road 1/2 mile or more, and eventually you will see a trail on the right. if you run into the beat up car, then you are close. look around. yes, that car is mine. i tried to go under the gate. perhaps i thought i was still on that four wheeler in mexico. anyway, from this trail, it is only about 10 minutes until you summit above the rock band with a nice view down to skyles lake, and the mccarthy residence. there is a small loop at the top, but instead of this, continue on the main trail, down under the cliff band, the best section so far. the trail weaves and wags for a few miles, intersects with a dirt road (not sure where this goes), stay on the trail. it intersects with the trail that goes to the skyles parking lot (more on that route tomorrow). keep on going. soon the trail intersects with the Gogan road (or driveway, depending on your deposition). you can cross this road and continue onthe trail down almost to beaver lake. you can easily get to the lake. take a deep breath, and plunge into the water. hop back on your bike and return to you car. estimated round trip, 2 hours. or do a shorter version.
this is a nice intermediate trail, with some good climbing and great fast sections. it is not very difficult, and certainly NOT a Freeride. it is a great start that will continue to grow and improve thru the summer and years into the future.
ron at glacier cyclery is starting a challenge to all local businesses to ride to work. contact him for more info, but it is always a good idea.
the www.bikefish.org website is up and running. take a look for info on trails week, starting with a 5 km run on sunday, june 6th.
should be a great summer.
this is a nice intermediate trail, with some good climbing and great fast sections. it is not very difficult, and certainly NOT a Freeride. it is a great start that will continue to grow and improve thru the summer and years into the future.
ron at glacier cyclery is starting a challenge to all local businesses to ride to work. contact him for more info, but it is always a good idea.
the www.bikefish.org website is up and running. take a look for info on trails week, starting with a 5 km run on sunday, june 6th.
should be a great summer.
Monday, May 17, 2010
flathead valley rules
yep, though back to work, which is never great, even for those who say they truly love what they do; life back home is pretty great. this place just affords us everything. this weekend included time in the yard and garden, on the bike, on a very fun run/walk, for the dog park and WAG, and at the beach, while it is still uncrowded and dogs can run around and swim and have fun.
the fun run included a 15km run, a four mile walk or run,and a 1.5 miles walk or run. dogs were invited, although they had to be on leash, which really is not that fun for most dogs. but they all got along. this event was a fundraiser for WAG, the dog park in whitefish. it was well organized, with tons of food, beer, water and prizes. i don't know the number, but it seems there were well over 100 people entered in all. unfortunately, i did not take any pictures.
besides the show sponsored by don and rmo at wf lake lodge, pete and FFT are sponsoring a bike movie at grouse mtn. lodge. unfortunately, both are on thursday night. pick you poison, or join me at both. they should both be great.
other upcoming events. there is a week of fun bike rides, both mountain biking and on the new bike paths around wf, starting with a 5 mile run on sunday june 6. then strting on wed. there will be nightly guided rides on the bike paths as well as on several sections of the new "trail runs thru it". please go to www.bikefish.org for exact info and details. right now this site is under construction, but should be complete any day.
below are some more pictures from mexico.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
last from mexico
okay, so there we are in mexico. Los Barriles to be exact. just an hour north of the cabo airport, on the sea of cortez side. this is a beautiful part of mexico. the waters are calm, for the most part, but it is known for good and steady winds for much of the winter, that brings many people down to windsurf. (something we hope to learn this summer) it is also home to many US transplants, tired of the working world. they have found a relatively cheap place to live, with great weather 10+ months of the year (there is the hurricane season, from late july into sept). this sector of people, is for better or worse, at least half the population of the area.
on a slight digression, on our way to the airport, we had some time and money to kill, so went for an early lunch into a town called miraflores. this is not right on the coast. it is a small town, but surprisingly clean and well kept. this to me was very refreshing and unusual. i am not sure what the economy is, but it was NOT a tourist town. it was sooo clean. more so than even most tourist towns. very refreshing.
anyway, many of the people who have chosen to live in the los barriles area, as i am sure with much of mexico coastal towns, are a bit different than the tourist or traveler looking for water adventure. they are mostly an older segment, 50+. MA calls them the Extreme Senior Partiers. what do they do for fun? Four Wheeling, baby!!! and since we happened to be there on Cinco de Mayo, there was a big rally of the local gringo population going on.
by the way, cinco de mayo is not a traditional mexican holiday. down there it is considered a "Pacifico" holiday. much like our various "hallmark" holidays. and it is not celebrated by the mexicans at all. only by the gringos in mexico. their actual independence day is sept 16, this year being number 200 i believe. so if you want to go for a big "Mexican" celebration, look into this fall, when they are planning many huge festivities.
but we were in gringoville, and since our landlords were the typical retired americans, they were aware of this upcoming "poker run". with four stops to pick up playing cards, and then the final one at the end, each person or team (MA and i rode together, but we each entered the run, so we each got our own hand) gets five cards, and the best poker hand wins. half the entry fee to the overall winner, about 2500 pesos (presently about $210 US). our landlords not only told us of this event,but offered us their four wheeler to ride. if we had rented one, it would have been $100 US. not that we would have rented one at that cost, but to show you that not everything there is cheap. like so much else, they have figured out how to get the most out of the gringos. so off we went, into the desert, mostly following the dust and tracks of those in front. and although we had been given pretty descent directions, and we were never way in front or behind, somehow, we got lost. or misplaced. fortunately another couple came along right behind us, also confused. ends up we had to ride about a mile on a secondary highway, about the size of highway 40, but with no traffic, and get back onto a dirt road there. about 10 of us got confused at this point, so we did not feel too bad, and felt fortunate to find others, or we might still be out there, out of gas and water, walking like Chevy Chase in the original Vacation movie. once back on track, we made the rest of the trip without incident.
so the long and short of all this. i am looking at selling my house, skis, boats, bikes, etc, renting a uhaul or something like that, calling it a career and moving to mexico and taking up four wheeling, going to the sea only to wash off. yes, it was that fun!!
okay, maybe not yet, but it was way more fun than would have expected. a great group of people, looking for something to do. not that environmentally friendly, but fun all the same. (an example of the Extreme Senior Partyers, an early quotefrom an approximately 70 year old Gal about 10 minutes before the start, when asked what the purpose of the day was, "to get drunk on beer, fall off your four wheeler, and pick up your best friends husband!"
i mean, who doesn't want to be 20 again?
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
back home
well, we are back. heard we missed some fine mt. weather. i sure did miss out on that. believe me, 80 degrees, sunny and on the beach with warm pacific water got boring. NOT!
so, things are shaping up here. one thing great about coming home is the greenery. man, it is bright and beautiful. and that is something missing in mexico at this time.
biking in and around the valley is great right now. the trail runs thru it is shaping up, if you are interested in checking it out. plus, all the valley trails are dry and for the most part, clear. it should not be too long before we can explore some of the bigger rides around.
heard the boating has been good, and with this warm weather (yes, it was us that brought it home to you, because, we love you all so much, and wanted everyone to be happy) the water levels should be on the rise. with a small upper snowpack, the peak season could be short, so might be good to find some time to get on the rivers. myself, the first sunny, warm weekend day, should find me flailing in my canoe, trying desperately to not swim,. for that water is surely still quite cold (say, 32.1 degrees?).
climbing up at kookanusa is in prime form. not too hot yet,but always plenty of sun and warm rock. and great camping sites on both sides, to make a weekend or two day trip.
i have no idea how the fishing is. anyone want to comment? i will try to find someone who is willing to share some info without giving up their trademark secret spots.
hiking is starting to shape up, but obviously not likely to get up too high without finding snow. however, i did come across a guy who was running laps up the initial 1.5 miles uphill section of columbia mountain. great workout and way to be ready as snow fades away.
that's about it for now. but i promise a few pictures and story or two from mexico that should bring a smile or two.
lastly, please look at the recent post from RMO. sounds like a great event coming up on may 20th, at WF lake lodge. getting psyched for summer fun.
so, things are shaping up here. one thing great about coming home is the greenery. man, it is bright and beautiful. and that is something missing in mexico at this time.
biking in and around the valley is great right now. the trail runs thru it is shaping up, if you are interested in checking it out. plus, all the valley trails are dry and for the most part, clear. it should not be too long before we can explore some of the bigger rides around.
heard the boating has been good, and with this warm weather (yes, it was us that brought it home to you, because, we love you all so much, and wanted everyone to be happy) the water levels should be on the rise. with a small upper snowpack, the peak season could be short, so might be good to find some time to get on the rivers. myself, the first sunny, warm weekend day, should find me flailing in my canoe, trying desperately to not swim,. for that water is surely still quite cold (say, 32.1 degrees?).
climbing up at kookanusa is in prime form. not too hot yet,but always plenty of sun and warm rock. and great camping sites on both sides, to make a weekend or two day trip.
i have no idea how the fishing is. anyone want to comment? i will try to find someone who is willing to share some info without giving up their trademark secret spots.
hiking is starting to shape up, but obviously not likely to get up too high without finding snow. however, i did come across a guy who was running laps up the initial 1.5 miles uphill section of columbia mountain. great workout and way to be ready as snow fades away.
that's about it for now. but i promise a few pictures and story or two from mexico that should bring a smile or two.
lastly, please look at the recent post from RMO. sounds like a great event coming up on may 20th, at WF lake lodge. getting psyched for summer fun.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Steve House Book Signing & Slideshow
Rocky Mountain Outfitter, Glacier Mountaineering Society and Crested Butte Outdoors are sponsoring an evening with Steve House, Alpinist.
"The best high-altitude climber in the world today" according to Reinhold Messner. Steve's climbing accomplishments include SW Face of K7, NF Mt Alberta, Mt Robson Emperor Face, Central Pillar of the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat & plenty more!
He will be selling his new book "Beyond the Mountain" also.
There will be a $5.00/ person charge.
Whitefish Lake Lodge
May 20, 2010
7pm - 9pm
"The best high-altitude climber in the world today" according to Reinhold Messner. Steve's climbing accomplishments include SW Face of K7, NF Mt Alberta, Mt Robson Emperor Face, Central Pillar of the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat & plenty more!
He will be selling his new book "Beyond the Mountain" also.
There will be a $5.00/ person charge.
Whitefish Lake Lodge
May 20, 2010
7pm - 9pm
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
east cape, mexico
east cape, or the area north of san jose del cabo, all the way to los barriles, is where we have been for the past 2 days, and will be the last two days of our trip. it is really nice here. although pretty much all gringo and little culture, especially compared to todos santos, but the water is warm and calm (mostly) and still plenty of good food. by nine am today, we had gotten in a walk on the beach, a swim and a kayak session (more later on that). convenient.
we are heading to try to get in some high quality snorkeling at cabo pulmos. yesterday afternoon brought really high winds ( i did say mostly, concerning calm winds), so the water is a bit churned up.
our worst experience on the trip occured two nights ago. we went to a restaurant that seemed popular. i ordered a marguarita that was the worst marg of my life! i kid you not. one of the worst drinks of my life, and that includes college. it had a lot of orange juice and soda water in it. fortunately we had not ordered dinner yet, and we high tailed it out of there.
there are some cool old hotels around here. although they cater entirely to fairly affluent american clientele, they are beautiful buildings with tons of character, and right on the beaches.
yesterday went "ocean" kayaking, for our first time. an ocean kayak is like a white water boat, but open on top. extremely stable and able to ride swells and waves with ease. pretty good in calm water too.
okay, sorry i do not have pictures to post. i forgot my usb cable. will put some up when we get home. heard it has been snowing and cool. i am looknig forward to warm spring weather and green landscape (no green to be had here). but for now, it is off to the beach, for sun and sand.
we are heading to try to get in some high quality snorkeling at cabo pulmos. yesterday afternoon brought really high winds ( i did say mostly, concerning calm winds), so the water is a bit churned up.
our worst experience on the trip occured two nights ago. we went to a restaurant that seemed popular. i ordered a marguarita that was the worst marg of my life! i kid you not. one of the worst drinks of my life, and that includes college. it had a lot of orange juice and soda water in it. fortunately we had not ordered dinner yet, and we high tailed it out of there.
there are some cool old hotels around here. although they cater entirely to fairly affluent american clientele, they are beautiful buildings with tons of character, and right on the beaches.
yesterday went "ocean" kayaking, for our first time. an ocean kayak is like a white water boat, but open on top. extremely stable and able to ride swells and waves with ease. pretty good in calm water too.
okay, sorry i do not have pictures to post. i forgot my usb cable. will put some up when we get home. heard it has been snowing and cool. i am looknig forward to warm spring weather and green landscape (no green to be had here). but for now, it is off to the beach, for sun and sand.
Friday, April 30, 2010
mexico
well, it has been a bit breezy and cool, so it has not been all lying on the beach and getting burnt. but there has been enough of that. plenty of great food and margs. wish i could send some great surfing stories and pictures, but i am not a surfer. that would be like snowboarding. (which is to say i am not coordinated enough to do it).
on wednesday we happened by a local surf bar, probably 3/4 gringos, but not all. it is owned by a cool young guy from san diego, who speaks as easily with the true locals as he does with all the transplants. todos santos is not too gringo that one feels like they are in southern california, but overall, there are alot. some comfort in that, and sometimes i wish i could blend in better. anyway, at the "sandbar" bar, not unlike the Bierstube in appearance and feel, there came along a special guest. turns out G-Love is doing a documentary, along with a few surfer pro buddies of his, sponsored by Pacifico, on the making and inspiration of his upcoming album. this brought in a massive crowd of perhaps 150. yep. it was hopping. of course, all the best looking gals were there, trying to catch his eye. which had been caught just a few days earlier by likely the hottest girl about. he played for about 45 minutes, and it was quite fun. not great. not sure if it was the sound or just that his music does not turn me on, but it was fun. we had two of the best bar seats in the place, as we had gotten there around 7pm to try their "all you can eat pizza" for 80 pesos (about $7us right now). and it was quite good. not second street pizza quality, but better than any US chain, and way better than we expected.
while we were sitting at the bar, oh, around 9 pm, a gal getting a drink about two people away said out of nowhere "chris miller?". i did not recognize her at first, so she asked, "are you chris miller?". i could not deny who i am, so i said yes. turns out is is Caroline Mcentire, ex of whitefish, from the mid 90's. she has recently bought a place here and loves it. seems like she is not missing the ski lifestyle at all.
i have always loved the small world feeling that when lucky, occurs wherever you are.
so, i hope i haven't lost too many readers with a lack of posts, but it is off season. soon there will be tons, as i once again return to the flathead and try to get out somewhere everyday. and please, please, send this along to friends, write in comments or posts and get out and have some fun, you hogs. time to get to the beach.
on wednesday we happened by a local surf bar, probably 3/4 gringos, but not all. it is owned by a cool young guy from san diego, who speaks as easily with the true locals as he does with all the transplants. todos santos is not too gringo that one feels like they are in southern california, but overall, there are alot. some comfort in that, and sometimes i wish i could blend in better. anyway, at the "sandbar" bar, not unlike the Bierstube in appearance and feel, there came along a special guest. turns out G-Love is doing a documentary, along with a few surfer pro buddies of his, sponsored by Pacifico, on the making and inspiration of his upcoming album. this brought in a massive crowd of perhaps 150. yep. it was hopping. of course, all the best looking gals were there, trying to catch his eye. which had been caught just a few days earlier by likely the hottest girl about. he played for about 45 minutes, and it was quite fun. not great. not sure if it was the sound or just that his music does not turn me on, but it was fun. we had two of the best bar seats in the place, as we had gotten there around 7pm to try their "all you can eat pizza" for 80 pesos (about $7us right now). and it was quite good. not second street pizza quality, but better than any US chain, and way better than we expected.
while we were sitting at the bar, oh, around 9 pm, a gal getting a drink about two people away said out of nowhere "chris miller?". i did not recognize her at first, so she asked, "are you chris miller?". i could not deny who i am, so i said yes. turns out is is Caroline Mcentire, ex of whitefish, from the mid 90's. she has recently bought a place here and loves it. seems like she is not missing the ski lifestyle at all.
i have always loved the small world feeling that when lucky, occurs wherever you are.
so, i hope i haven't lost too many readers with a lack of posts, but it is off season. soon there will be tons, as i once again return to the flathead and try to get out somewhere everyday. and please, please, send this along to friends, write in comments or posts and get out and have some fun, you hogs. time to get to the beach.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
tick season.
climbing season at stone hill means tick season. yes they are out. not in immense numbers. only two on six people, but still, need to watch out. but the climbing is in great shape. yesterday was mid 70's, no wind. perfect. today looks great too. heard the early season boating is good, but the water might be up. fishing i think is okay, but not dry fly season yet. unless anyone wants to divulge some more info. today is biking day, oh, and continuing to get ready for a wedding. i can see why people go to vegas and get it over with. way less work. but we are going to have, that's right, a TON OF FUN!!!, and then be hogs with 10 days in mexico. life is GREAT.
Friday, April 16, 2010
spring is back!
not too much going on at this time of year. trail use took a two day hiatus with the super wet tuesday rain and snow. but things are drying quickly, and should be in great shape this weekend.
in the meantime, did anyone get in some powder turns? sure, it was heavy and some wind affect, but it was softer and deeper than much of anything for a couple of months. unless you have been smart to follow some more localized storms. the middle fork and east side have been getting some good snowfall in late march and early april.
but it is time, really to put the skis away and accept what mother nature has given us. fishing, boating, climbing, biking, running, all await.
in the meantime, did anyone get in some powder turns? sure, it was heavy and some wind affect, but it was softer and deeper than much of anything for a couple of months. unless you have been smart to follow some more localized storms. the middle fork and east side have been getting some good snowfall in late march and early april.
but it is time, really to put the skis away and accept what mother nature has given us. fishing, boating, climbing, biking, running, all await.
Friday, April 9, 2010
week after blues?
two of our local snow gurus have posted a full incident report on the avalanche fatality on "little shields" on the GCAC website. no, neither of these guys are the USFS forecasters (i would not have used "gurus" then, now would I.) it is vivid and indeed sad in the account of what transpired. and most importantly, it showed the power of wind load, and small amounts of buried weak layers. it also,to my surprise talked about a significant amount of new snow in the area, that i was not aware had fallen. it pays to do your research of local weather obs, remote weather stations, and forecasts (when they are relevant. if they are not, then try calling anyone you know who might have a better idea). although the victim was very knowledgeable of the area he went to, the conditions were consideable above 6000'. this was an unfortunate event that almost seems like a timebomb waiting to go off. i least that is my feeling after reading the full report.
as for the rest of us continuing to have some fun.
well, the weather has not been great, cold, windy and trying to snow. maybe a few inches up on the hill, and in the mountains. those few inches can be trouble with the winds that have come with the snow.
the mountain biking is shaping up at our local trails. spencer trails are in good shape, but lower roads are muddy.
pig farms are also fine, with some mud on road sections, but mostly dry.
happy valley, though small, is dry throughout.
i am sure there is some fine riding out of kalispell, i just do not really know the trails down there.
work on the Trail Runs Thru It is set to begin as early as next week. significant progress should be made by early june. there will be some early june group rides and walks to show the progress. i believe in mid july there will be a grand opening.
okay, how about fishing. any of you fisherheads out there want to pitch in on what is going on? i bet there is something happening, on the warm sunny days.
and climbing. this is a great time to head up to eureka and Stone Hill.
so there is plenty to do. no reason to have the blues over the end of ski season. get out there for some other fun.
as for the rest of us continuing to have some fun.
well, the weather has not been great, cold, windy and trying to snow. maybe a few inches up on the hill, and in the mountains. those few inches can be trouble with the winds that have come with the snow.
the mountain biking is shaping up at our local trails. spencer trails are in good shape, but lower roads are muddy.
pig farms are also fine, with some mud on road sections, but mostly dry.
happy valley, though small, is dry throughout.
i am sure there is some fine riding out of kalispell, i just do not really know the trails down there.
work on the Trail Runs Thru It is set to begin as early as next week. significant progress should be made by early june. there will be some early june group rides and walks to show the progress. i believe in mid july there will be a grand opening.
okay, how about fishing. any of you fisherheads out there want to pitch in on what is going on? i bet there is something happening, on the warm sunny days.
and climbing. this is a great time to head up to eureka and Stone Hill.
so there is plenty to do. no reason to have the blues over the end of ski season. get out there for some other fun.
Monday, April 5, 2010
uphill
here is an adjustment to the uphill policy for after the season ends, which of course was yesterday.
There is a lot of confusion over the post-season policy. After we close April 4, uphill traffic should follow a designated route along Toni Matt between 8am and 5pm. However, before 8am and after 5pm, you can go wherever you want, although we don’t recommend it for safety reasons and you’re out there at your own risk.
so those of us who want to go after work, can. we are just on our own. as usual and previously accepted. hope to see some of you in the next few weeks.
There is a lot of confusion over the post-season policy. After we close April 4, uphill traffic should follow a designated route along Toni Matt between 8am and 5pm. However, before 8am and after 5pm, you can go wherever you want, although we don’t recommend it for safety reasons and you’re out there at your own risk.
so those of us who want to go after work, can. we are just on our own. as usual and previously accepted. hope to see some of you in the next few weeks.
Friday, April 2, 2010
avalanche fatality
i am not sure who this skier was. he was alone, which of course is an issue. but it is likely the mistakes he made in his snow analysis that led to the incident. anyone out there with more info, please pass it on. it sounds like we have some layered facets in the upper parts of the snowpack that are causing some trouble. not sure why this has not been reported by our friends on their avalanche advisory on the GCAC sight, nor why they are not going to do an incident report. a serious shortcoming, if you ask me.
The body of a Whitefish skier was found in Glacier National Park Thursday.
Authorities located the 37-year-old man’s body at the base of Mount Shields at the end of an avalanche slide Thursday afternoon.
Flathead County Sheriff Mike Meehan said authorities were unsure how long the skier had been missing or when the avalanche occurred.
Around 2 p.m., Glacier National Park rangers received a call from the victim’s friend, who found the man during a search of the area.
Rangers were on scene by 5:45 p.m. and confirmed the man’s death. Safety concerns stemming from the dangerous conditions caused a bit of a delay, according to Glacier National Park spokesman Wade Muehlhof.
Flathead County Sheriff’s Office dispatched Sgt. Ernie Freebury as coroner.
Muehlhof said there is no reason to believe the avalanche claimed any other victims. Authorities were still on scene, investigating, at press time.
The skier’s name has not been released. He was a part-time Whitefish resident.
Mount Shields is located on the southeast side of Glacier Park, a few miles from U.S. 2.
The body of a Whitefish skier was found in Glacier National Park Thursday.
Authorities located the 37-year-old man’s body at the base of Mount Shields at the end of an avalanche slide Thursday afternoon.
Flathead County Sheriff Mike Meehan said authorities were unsure how long the skier had been missing or when the avalanche occurred.
Around 2 p.m., Glacier National Park rangers received a call from the victim’s friend, who found the man during a search of the area.
Rangers were on scene by 5:45 p.m. and confirmed the man’s death. Safety concerns stemming from the dangerous conditions caused a bit of a delay, according to Glacier National Park spokesman Wade Muehlhof.
Flathead County Sheriff’s Office dispatched Sgt. Ernie Freebury as coroner.
Muehlhof said there is no reason to believe the avalanche claimed any other victims. Authorities were still on scene, investigating, at press time.
The skier’s name has not been released. He was a part-time Whitefish resident.
Mount Shields is located on the southeast side of Glacier Park, a few miles from U.S. 2.
3 days left
yep, just 3 more days, then it is all man powered skiing, unless you rode trip somewhere which is always fun. for me, with a wedding and honeymoon to mexico, my ski days are numbered. but it has been fun, despite the lack of snow. what a solid el nino effect it has been.
the skiing continues to hold up alright. not amazing, but it really has only been BAD a few times.
for something to do besides ski some corn and drink some beer, there is a really fun hockey tournament this weekend, at the stumptown ice den (the rink, duh). it is called the "Monty" in memory of one of our favorites on the ice and beyond, who passed away a few years ago in a work accident. we all still miss him. so now we (we-the many that play hockey throughout the winter months, plus some) get together for a final tourny to honor him with an all-inclusive round of games. men, women, good, bad, young old, all get to play. it is so fun, i will not be making any turns until sunday afternoon. and if you are worried that hanging out at the rink might curtail your late season beer responsibilities, don't. hockey viewing is greatly enhanced by beer. hope to see you.
the skiing continues to hold up alright. not amazing, but it really has only been BAD a few times.
for something to do besides ski some corn and drink some beer, there is a really fun hockey tournament this weekend, at the stumptown ice den (the rink, duh). it is called the "Monty" in memory of one of our favorites on the ice and beyond, who passed away a few years ago in a work accident. we all still miss him. so now we (we-the many that play hockey throughout the winter months, plus some) get together for a final tourny to honor him with an all-inclusive round of games. men, women, good, bad, young old, all get to play. it is so fun, i will not be making any turns until sunday afternoon. and if you are worried that hanging out at the rink might curtail your late season beer responsibilities, don't. hockey viewing is greatly enhanced by beer. hope to see you.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
uphill policy
public comments are still being accepted until april 4th. last chance to let the people in charge know how we feel. try to make comments constructive and positive. that is what they will listen to. thanks.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
sticky or windy
or both. some of the strangest conditions i have seen. the wind was coming right up the front of the mountain. fortunately it was not cold, or it would have been brutal. the snow was spring like soft, but had a cohesiveness to your skis that was different. it was not like the "herky-jerky" of super wet spring snow. skis just did not slide on it. it actually took effort to get some momentum down the hill.
and while everyone, and i mean EVERYONE concurred about these conditions, there was RB saying how great it had been. if that guy were in a tornado, he would call it fun. it reminded me of a time some 15 years ago, when an old buddy who now resides in Jackson Hole, said "that was the best blue ice i've skied in over 10 years" to describe some of the worst, harder than a table top ice conditions we have seen here. oh, to be an optimist.
it keeps trying to snow, but it just is not in the cards. an inch or two, a short burst of snow and grapple, but the reality of winter 2010 is that it is spring.
and while everyone, and i mean EVERYONE concurred about these conditions, there was RB saying how great it had been. if that guy were in a tornado, he would call it fun. it reminded me of a time some 15 years ago, when an old buddy who now resides in Jackson Hole, said "that was the best blue ice i've skied in over 10 years" to describe some of the worst, harder than a table top ice conditions we have seen here. oh, to be an optimist.
it keeps trying to snow, but it just is not in the cards. an inch or two, a short burst of snow and grapple, but the reality of winter 2010 is that it is spring.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
cool and cloudy
yep, the weather turned cool and cloudy, and today the skiing stayed stiff. especially the top half of the hill. the bottom half was better, but far from the spring slush we have been enjoying. and unfortunately, the forecast is for more of the same, although we might get lucky with an inch or two.
i am hoping for some nice weather for the final weekend.
one nice thing about this poor winter is biking and boating are already getting close. yep, i have been out a couple of times on the mountain bike and some trails are starting to be pretty ridable. what is still snow covered are the access roads to the trails, like at spencer mountain. i have not been out to the pig farms, but bet there is some riding to be done there. i will be checking that out as soon as th hill closes.
and fishing? anyone been getting on the rivers at all? most lakes still have ice on them, but i have seen a couple boats on flathead river, on the warm, sunny days. should be a good early season on that front as well.
also, it is going to be green way before the norm here. oh, not like seattle or anything, where i imagine many flowers are already in bloom, but still we should see grass starting to grow, trees starting to bloom, and before too long, the first tulips and other bulbs should be pushing their way to the surface.
of course, if the weather persists with this lack of snow, we could all be shut indoors by july, as smoke would likely fill the valley. lets hope for some good spring storms and june rains.
i am hoping for some nice weather for the final weekend.
one nice thing about this poor winter is biking and boating are already getting close. yep, i have been out a couple of times on the mountain bike and some trails are starting to be pretty ridable. what is still snow covered are the access roads to the trails, like at spencer mountain. i have not been out to the pig farms, but bet there is some riding to be done there. i will be checking that out as soon as th hill closes.
and fishing? anyone been getting on the rivers at all? most lakes still have ice on them, but i have seen a couple boats on flathead river, on the warm, sunny days. should be a good early season on that front as well.
also, it is going to be green way before the norm here. oh, not like seattle or anything, where i imagine many flowers are already in bloom, but still we should see grass starting to grow, trees starting to bloom, and before too long, the first tulips and other bulbs should be pushing their way to the surface.
of course, if the weather persists with this lack of snow, we could all be shut indoors by july, as smoke would likely fill the valley. lets hope for some good spring storms and june rains.
Friday, March 26, 2010
new incident report, crystal mountain
follows is a long but interesting story. one very lucky guy. as we know locally from the incident in december on hellroaring, skiing alone has its dangers. but they can be limited with some thoughts and precautions. but mostly, if you are on your own, you really have to realize the danger and accept what be the end result.
but read just how incredible a job the patrol did! then think of our own patrol. remember the canyon creek incident of a couple years ago? yes, they were out there on that one, as were many of our friends on nordic ski patrol. doing very difficult and dangerous work, calmly, professionally. i am thankful for all you folks! hope i never put myself in that position, but it is part of the life we live, which is why we need to continue our education, correspondence and communication, and decision making protocols.
Dear Family and Friends,
Erin and I have been overwhelmed with the amount of love and prayers that have been showered over me this past 2 + weeks. The support has been very moving and buoyed my spirits immensely. I am sure that my surprising rate of recovery so far has been the result of all of your positive energy and thoughts. I truly feel blessed by your friendships and lucky to be able to write this thank you.
I felt it was important to give an update on my current status as well as an explanation of the events that led to my accident. The official Northwest Avalanche Control Incident report prepared by the Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol was also released earlier this week which includes a very detailed overview with pictures of the site and a full analysis. I will add some of the pictures and the link to the report at the bottom for anyone interested in reading the full report. I encourage you to read it. It is very impressive and shows the high level of knowledge and skill that resides in the Crystal Patrol.
I was airlifted from Crystal Mountain late on Sunday evening February 28th to Harborview Medical Center. My initial injuries were a dislocated right hip, broken hip, broken pelvis, broken fibula and a few lacerations to my liver. They were able to relocate my hip after several hours and drove a pin through my lower femur to keep me in traction until they could perform surgery. The liver issues sent me to ICU for two days. On Wednesday, they performed a seven hour surgery placing two long screws on the front of my hip to hold the femur in the socket and then two plates on my pelvis. I have an attractive 14" long scar (42 staples) on my right upper thigh around to my back and got a free butt lift out of the deal. I felt good enough on Thursday to test a walker and then graduated to crutches after a little pleading. I was discharged thankfully on Friday afternoon.
I must add that the whole experience at Harborview was way beyond my expectations. We are very fortunate to have this highly rated trauma center right in our back yard.
There has been a lot of discussion about the decisions I made that led to my predicament. First of all, I take full responsibility for my actions. I felt an explanation to you all about how the chain of events that took place that day would illustrate better how I let my judgment lapse. For those of you who I ski with regularly, you know that this was a rare exception to the way I approach skiing off piste at Crystal. The worst part is that I was I had no plans on going into Southback that afternoon.
On Sunday, I had skied all morning and went into have lunch at my condo at Silver Skis to watch the Canada USA Hockey game. I took off my avalanche beacon, my helmet and my jacket. After the game I looked outside and it was sunny and warm. It was 3:15pm and I thought I could catch one last run up Rex and ski the soft front side. I figured that for just one run I would wear my hat, glasses, a vest and heavy underlayer. On my way to the lift, I saw a good friend who was coming in and said he had just had a "Heli-type " run down "Joe's Badass Shoulder". 100 yards later I saw another friend who zipped by saying he had a similar amazing run in Southback.
On Saturday, the day before, 4 of us waited at the "Throne" gate entrance to Southback for 30 minutes with over 50 people while the patrol finished bombing and controlling "A" basin and Silver Basin. Our wait was rewarded by the first set of tracks in Southback down SE right(north of boxcar) the snow was 8-10" deep, wind condensed but stable all the way down. Since it was an eastern aspect I figured it was a good overall test of the stability in Southback.
Back to Sunday, if I rushed to Chair 6 - High Campbell Basin instead of Rex, maybe I could make it before the lift closes at 3:30. I got there at 3:28. I thought I could hook up with someone on the trail as I have done several times in the past. The trail was packed hard and fast. I passed 5 people on the trail, 3 that were headed out towards 3 Way Peak. I got out to 3 Way in almost 25 minutes. I slipped under the "leaving controlled area boundary" ropeline and continued on the traverse to Joe's (Also known as "Sparkle Party"). This would have been the time to make the decision that since I hadn't hooked up with anyone to stay in bounds and just ski down the 3 Way chute,.. but... As I looked at the bootpack up to Joe's I saw a couple people. When I arrived, about halfway up the bootpack there was an old family friend's son, Blair who is a professional snowboarder. He was climbing up to be filmed coming down the western Chute of Joe's. The photographer kindly stepped off the trail and let me pass. At the top of the trail Blair went right "west" up 40 feet to the top and I went left "east" to the 3rd chute of Joes's.
As I walked under the "Joe's" sign I could see my friend's 5 tracks down the run as it sweeps to the right. Better call would have been to ski among those tracks since they were already cut or better yet to alert Blair that I would ski down his chute after his filming. Instead I pushed out about 30 yards on the ridgeline to the 2nd of 4 chutes that was untracked. This chute has a grove of about 10 trees 200 feet below the top of the chute. You typically ski left or right of the trees to join back in with the main run that had the tracks. The chute is 60 feet across at the top and at its narrowest spot is about 20 feet wide. Before I jumped in I looked over and could see Blair setting up for his ride giving instructions to his photographer. This gave me a false sense of security that I was close to other skiers.
As I launched in off a small cornice, the first turn felt a little crunchy. I made 6 tight turns and when I reached the narrowest part of the chute the snow "puzzled" under my feet into 2 to 3 foot sections. Normally, you would try and ski off to the side, (I have been in several "slough" slides that break below your feet and have been able to ski out) but as I tried, it felt like a carpet was pulled out from underneath me. What I hadn't realized is that the chute had collapsed at the very top. There was an 18" fracture line all the way across the top. What still amazes me is how quickly the snow accelerated as it funneled down. As it raced down around me, the snow was moving faster than I was so it swept my skis right out from underneath me. I found myself moving at an accelerating speed right towards the trees. I was rudderless. I had no way to affect my direction left or right. In less than 2 seconds, I slammed into a 2 foot round tree. I had enough time to know how screwed I was and how this was probably it for me.
I hit the tree horizontally on top of the snow. I wrapped around it like a pair of pants draped over a hanger folded right at my waist. My head and feet were below my waist with the slope of the hill. I knew upon impact that I had injured my hip because of how hard I hit. Then the rest of the snow proceeded to sweep in behind, around and over me, pinning me to the tree. I had kept my hands raised over my head trying to preserve a pocket. Fortunately this saved my right arm from being crushed between me and the tree. It bounced off the side (it is very bruised and swollen) and remained over my head. Suddenly everything stopped. I could see light up by my hand and feel it was free above my wrist. I quickly flailed like a swimming paddle to clear the snow. Because the slope was so steep next the trees, the snow around my head fell away with ease. The snow behind me was another story. It set like concrete right away and prevented me from pulling away from the tree.
I suspected that I had at least broken my hip or pelvis because of how hard I hit, but in the beginning there was no pain. I figured it was the shock and adrenalin. After a few deep breaths, I tried to wriggle my toes and ankles. When they moved freely I was greatly relieved. I reached up with my right arm around the tree towards my leg and found a broken branch that was about 8 inches above my waist. It allowed me to pull my body up level to my waist. I stuffed snow under my waist for support and it allowed me to access my lower left pocket for my iPhone. I didn't even check for a signal, funny given AT&T's spotty coverage. I had the Crystal Ski Patrol emergency number in my contacts from when Sid broke his hand in a race 2 years ago. My direct call was a little shocking to the female patrol who answered the phone. According to the report, the time was 4:09. I told her I had been in an avalanche in the 2nd chute of Joe's Badass Shoulder and was pinned around a tree at the base of the chute. After some questions about my general condition I asked them to call my neighbor at Silver Skis to keep an eye out for Sid and Greg when they came in from training.
The whole discussion was surprisingly calm and matter of fact. I was told that the ski patrol had just begun their sweep of Southback and would be there in about 30 minutes. I was then asked to hang up the phone to preserve my battery and wait. I thought about calling Erin and other famiIy members but I figured that describing my situation would cause more fear of the unknown. I then thought about Blair and the photographer just one chute away. I yelled "help" for about 5 minutes but after no response I figured they couldn't hear me over the ridge. This would have been a great time to blow a loud whistle if I had one attached to my pass.
While waiting for the patrol, I tried to dig out the snow covering my waist and behind me. The snow was so hard that I had difficultly making much headway. After 15 minutes of digging I was able to use the branch to lever my upper body up some more but that was when the pain started. I knew for sure at that point that some part of my hip was broken. At 4:34, the first patrol arrived. Ben Bowen arrived at the top of the chute and established voice contact. He skied down to me and after taking my vitals he began digging around me to stage for my extraction. I remember my first words were apologizing to him for being so foolish and thanking him for getting there so quickly. I was starting to get cold so he took off his Patrol coat and wrapped it around me. Wearing only a vest and non insulated ski pants I was starting to shake pretty violently.
Over the next 30 minutes the hypothermia set in and the pain increased significantly as I shook more violently. At this point it was a beehive of activity as more patrol arrived on the scene and performed various tasks and tests. I am still amazed at how well trained and prepared they were. They all seemed to each know what their responsibility was. The sun had gone down behind the ridge and the wind picked up. They jammed a couple of heat packs in my shirt which provided temporary relief from the cold. Another couple patrol jackets were stuffed around me. I was asked repeatedly what my pain level was on a scale from 1-10. I stated that I felt like I was at a constant 9. The shaking was so severe that I was just focusing on breathing steady with my eyes slammed shut. I consumed 3 bottles of Oxygen.
The patrol had to winch the toboggan and backboard up the hill by hand from the bottom of the run. By the time they got the backboard into position behind me, 1 1/2 hours had passed. It was almost dark, and I just remember seeing a bunch of head lamps dancing around as they rolled me back from the tree and cinched me down on the board. For a couple of brief moments when they straightened me out on the board, my pain spiked way past 10 before settling back to that constant 9. They put a C collar on my neck and duck taped my chin and forehead to the board. I was given an inhalant pain killer at this time, but I couldn't feel any effect. They then placed me in the toboggan and proceeded to carefully lower me down the hill.
I am still so impressed with the control and precision with which the patrol handled me. They never rushed or got excited. Every move seemed very deliberate. When I reached the bottom of the slope I was attached to the back of snowmobile and towed out of Silver Basin, down Quicksilver (Chair 4) to the Ski Patrol Emergency Room at the base of the mountain. I arrived at 6:48. For the last hour I was so overcome with cold that it trumped my hip pain. The violent shaking with the dislocated hip kept me very focused. Arriving in the warm patrol room with hot wool blankets fresh out of the dryer was like heaven. A good friend Gary Bamesberger was waiting for me and let me know that my boys had been taken down the hill by a friend. I then proceeded to squeeze the blood out of his hand for the next 10 minutes while they prepped me for the ambulance. They cut off all of my clothes with a razor, wrapped me in a fresh blanket and taped my driver's license to my forehead. Nice visual! Bear ass naked with my ID taped to my forehead. Before leaving I remember thanking the whole team and promising Paul Baugher the director of the Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol that I would fulfill his request to help spread the word about safety in the backcountry.
Immediately upon entering the ambulance, I was given an IV with a heavy pain med. Unfortunately, we had to wait in the parking lot for 45 minutes before the helicopter arrived. I remember hearing the helicopter arrive and being loaded in. From that point on, everything is fuzzy with spotty recollections from the emergency room at Harborview.
I want to close with a few lessons that I take away from this whole experience:
1.First and foremost, Never ski the back country alone. I can honestly say in over 20 years of skiing Crystal back country, I have done it twice. Never again
2.Let someone else know if you are skiing in the backcountry, even if it is a phone call or you have to leave a message.
3.Ask the patrol what the conditions are in the backcountry. They have knowledge of current conditions and risks and are happy to share it with you.
4.Check the NWAC report on Crystal's website located on the left column. It is updated daily and has very detailed info about snow conditions and the risk of avalanche from Mt Hood to Mt Baker.
5.Wear a whistle. I have one in my backpack which I wasn't wearing. Attach one to your pass or at least have one in your pocket. Blair or the last ski patrol sweeping 3 Way Peak might have heard a whistle.
6.Carry your cell phone. Add the Crystal Ski Patrol emergency number (360) 663-3064 to your contacts. Coverage is getting better and better each year.
7.Finally, avoid making intellectual shortcuts. There were a series of decisions that led me to the top of that chute by myself. Having skied Joe's many times in the past, having skied Silver Basin on Saturday, no new snow since Friday, 5 ski tracks on the run, 2 skiers 150 feet away. Because I felt so comfortable in this area, I let my guard down. If I had stopped and analyzed each one of these independently with the discipline of a pilot on the preflight checklist, it would have raised enough alarms to alter my final decision. Using this checklist approach, by itself the skiing alone issue would have led me to communicate with the last person I saw (Blair) to ask if I could ski the run with them instead.
Again, Erin and I want to thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. We couldn't have done it without you. All the flowers, notes, emails and dinners have been greatly appreciated. We can definitely feel the love around us. Also, we will keep you posted on a fundraiser for the Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol that we have tentatively scheduled for sometime in May. We hope you can join us to show our appreciation for the very well trained and talented team that keeps Crystal a safer place for all of us.
Please follow this link to the Crystal Ski Patrol incident report that is posted on the Northwest Avalanche Control site. I copied a couple pictures from the report below, but the overlayed
http://www.nwac.us/media/uploads/pdfs/CMT_BC_Sparkle_Party_Avalanche_Report_2-28-10.pdf
but read just how incredible a job the patrol did! then think of our own patrol. remember the canyon creek incident of a couple years ago? yes, they were out there on that one, as were many of our friends on nordic ski patrol. doing very difficult and dangerous work, calmly, professionally. i am thankful for all you folks! hope i never put myself in that position, but it is part of the life we live, which is why we need to continue our education, correspondence and communication, and decision making protocols.
Dear Family and Friends,
Erin and I have been overwhelmed with the amount of love and prayers that have been showered over me this past 2 + weeks. The support has been very moving and buoyed my spirits immensely. I am sure that my surprising rate of recovery so far has been the result of all of your positive energy and thoughts. I truly feel blessed by your friendships and lucky to be able to write this thank you.
I felt it was important to give an update on my current status as well as an explanation of the events that led to my accident. The official Northwest Avalanche Control Incident report prepared by the Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol was also released earlier this week which includes a very detailed overview with pictures of the site and a full analysis. I will add some of the pictures and the link to the report at the bottom for anyone interested in reading the full report. I encourage you to read it. It is very impressive and shows the high level of knowledge and skill that resides in the Crystal Patrol.
I was airlifted from Crystal Mountain late on Sunday evening February 28th to Harborview Medical Center. My initial injuries were a dislocated right hip, broken hip, broken pelvis, broken fibula and a few lacerations to my liver. They were able to relocate my hip after several hours and drove a pin through my lower femur to keep me in traction until they could perform surgery. The liver issues sent me to ICU for two days. On Wednesday, they performed a seven hour surgery placing two long screws on the front of my hip to hold the femur in the socket and then two plates on my pelvis. I have an attractive 14" long scar (42 staples) on my right upper thigh around to my back and got a free butt lift out of the deal. I felt good enough on Thursday to test a walker and then graduated to crutches after a little pleading. I was discharged thankfully on Friday afternoon.
I must add that the whole experience at Harborview was way beyond my expectations. We are very fortunate to have this highly rated trauma center right in our back yard.
There has been a lot of discussion about the decisions I made that led to my predicament. First of all, I take full responsibility for my actions. I felt an explanation to you all about how the chain of events that took place that day would illustrate better how I let my judgment lapse. For those of you who I ski with regularly, you know that this was a rare exception to the way I approach skiing off piste at Crystal. The worst part is that I was I had no plans on going into Southback that afternoon.
On Sunday, I had skied all morning and went into have lunch at my condo at Silver Skis to watch the Canada USA Hockey game. I took off my avalanche beacon, my helmet and my jacket. After the game I looked outside and it was sunny and warm. It was 3:15pm and I thought I could catch one last run up Rex and ski the soft front side. I figured that for just one run I would wear my hat, glasses, a vest and heavy underlayer. On my way to the lift, I saw a good friend who was coming in and said he had just had a "Heli-type " run down "Joe's Badass Shoulder". 100 yards later I saw another friend who zipped by saying he had a similar amazing run in Southback.
On Saturday, the day before, 4 of us waited at the "Throne" gate entrance to Southback for 30 minutes with over 50 people while the patrol finished bombing and controlling "A" basin and Silver Basin. Our wait was rewarded by the first set of tracks in Southback down SE right(north of boxcar) the snow was 8-10" deep, wind condensed but stable all the way down. Since it was an eastern aspect I figured it was a good overall test of the stability in Southback.
Back to Sunday, if I rushed to Chair 6 - High Campbell Basin instead of Rex, maybe I could make it before the lift closes at 3:30. I got there at 3:28. I thought I could hook up with someone on the trail as I have done several times in the past. The trail was packed hard and fast. I passed 5 people on the trail, 3 that were headed out towards 3 Way Peak. I got out to 3 Way in almost 25 minutes. I slipped under the "leaving controlled area boundary" ropeline and continued on the traverse to Joe's (Also known as "Sparkle Party"). This would have been the time to make the decision that since I hadn't hooked up with anyone to stay in bounds and just ski down the 3 Way chute,.. but... As I looked at the bootpack up to Joe's I saw a couple people. When I arrived, about halfway up the bootpack there was an old family friend's son, Blair who is a professional snowboarder. He was climbing up to be filmed coming down the western Chute of Joe's. The photographer kindly stepped off the trail and let me pass. At the top of the trail Blair went right "west" up 40 feet to the top and I went left "east" to the 3rd chute of Joes's.
As I walked under the "Joe's" sign I could see my friend's 5 tracks down the run as it sweeps to the right. Better call would have been to ski among those tracks since they were already cut or better yet to alert Blair that I would ski down his chute after his filming. Instead I pushed out about 30 yards on the ridgeline to the 2nd of 4 chutes that was untracked. This chute has a grove of about 10 trees 200 feet below the top of the chute. You typically ski left or right of the trees to join back in with the main run that had the tracks. The chute is 60 feet across at the top and at its narrowest spot is about 20 feet wide. Before I jumped in I looked over and could see Blair setting up for his ride giving instructions to his photographer. This gave me a false sense of security that I was close to other skiers.
As I launched in off a small cornice, the first turn felt a little crunchy. I made 6 tight turns and when I reached the narrowest part of the chute the snow "puzzled" under my feet into 2 to 3 foot sections. Normally, you would try and ski off to the side, (I have been in several "slough" slides that break below your feet and have been able to ski out) but as I tried, it felt like a carpet was pulled out from underneath me. What I hadn't realized is that the chute had collapsed at the very top. There was an 18" fracture line all the way across the top. What still amazes me is how quickly the snow accelerated as it funneled down. As it raced down around me, the snow was moving faster than I was so it swept my skis right out from underneath me. I found myself moving at an accelerating speed right towards the trees. I was rudderless. I had no way to affect my direction left or right. In less than 2 seconds, I slammed into a 2 foot round tree. I had enough time to know how screwed I was and how this was probably it for me.
I hit the tree horizontally on top of the snow. I wrapped around it like a pair of pants draped over a hanger folded right at my waist. My head and feet were below my waist with the slope of the hill. I knew upon impact that I had injured my hip because of how hard I hit. Then the rest of the snow proceeded to sweep in behind, around and over me, pinning me to the tree. I had kept my hands raised over my head trying to preserve a pocket. Fortunately this saved my right arm from being crushed between me and the tree. It bounced off the side (it is very bruised and swollen) and remained over my head. Suddenly everything stopped. I could see light up by my hand and feel it was free above my wrist. I quickly flailed like a swimming paddle to clear the snow. Because the slope was so steep next the trees, the snow around my head fell away with ease. The snow behind me was another story. It set like concrete right away and prevented me from pulling away from the tree.
I suspected that I had at least broken my hip or pelvis because of how hard I hit, but in the beginning there was no pain. I figured it was the shock and adrenalin. After a few deep breaths, I tried to wriggle my toes and ankles. When they moved freely I was greatly relieved. I reached up with my right arm around the tree towards my leg and found a broken branch that was about 8 inches above my waist. It allowed me to pull my body up level to my waist. I stuffed snow under my waist for support and it allowed me to access my lower left pocket for my iPhone. I didn't even check for a signal, funny given AT&T's spotty coverage. I had the Crystal Ski Patrol emergency number in my contacts from when Sid broke his hand in a race 2 years ago. My direct call was a little shocking to the female patrol who answered the phone. According to the report, the time was 4:09. I told her I had been in an avalanche in the 2nd chute of Joe's Badass Shoulder and was pinned around a tree at the base of the chute. After some questions about my general condition I asked them to call my neighbor at Silver Skis to keep an eye out for Sid and Greg when they came in from training.
The whole discussion was surprisingly calm and matter of fact. I was told that the ski patrol had just begun their sweep of Southback and would be there in about 30 minutes. I was then asked to hang up the phone to preserve my battery and wait. I thought about calling Erin and other famiIy members but I figured that describing my situation would cause more fear of the unknown. I then thought about Blair and the photographer just one chute away. I yelled "help" for about 5 minutes but after no response I figured they couldn't hear me over the ridge. This would have been a great time to blow a loud whistle if I had one attached to my pass.
While waiting for the patrol, I tried to dig out the snow covering my waist and behind me. The snow was so hard that I had difficultly making much headway. After 15 minutes of digging I was able to use the branch to lever my upper body up some more but that was when the pain started. I knew for sure at that point that some part of my hip was broken. At 4:34, the first patrol arrived. Ben Bowen arrived at the top of the chute and established voice contact. He skied down to me and after taking my vitals he began digging around me to stage for my extraction. I remember my first words were apologizing to him for being so foolish and thanking him for getting there so quickly. I was starting to get cold so he took off his Patrol coat and wrapped it around me. Wearing only a vest and non insulated ski pants I was starting to shake pretty violently.
Over the next 30 minutes the hypothermia set in and the pain increased significantly as I shook more violently. At this point it was a beehive of activity as more patrol arrived on the scene and performed various tasks and tests. I am still amazed at how well trained and prepared they were. They all seemed to each know what their responsibility was. The sun had gone down behind the ridge and the wind picked up. They jammed a couple of heat packs in my shirt which provided temporary relief from the cold. Another couple patrol jackets were stuffed around me. I was asked repeatedly what my pain level was on a scale from 1-10. I stated that I felt like I was at a constant 9. The shaking was so severe that I was just focusing on breathing steady with my eyes slammed shut. I consumed 3 bottles of Oxygen.
The patrol had to winch the toboggan and backboard up the hill by hand from the bottom of the run. By the time they got the backboard into position behind me, 1 1/2 hours had passed. It was almost dark, and I just remember seeing a bunch of head lamps dancing around as they rolled me back from the tree and cinched me down on the board. For a couple of brief moments when they straightened me out on the board, my pain spiked way past 10 before settling back to that constant 9. They put a C collar on my neck and duck taped my chin and forehead to the board. I was given an inhalant pain killer at this time, but I couldn't feel any effect. They then placed me in the toboggan and proceeded to carefully lower me down the hill.
I am still so impressed with the control and precision with which the patrol handled me. They never rushed or got excited. Every move seemed very deliberate. When I reached the bottom of the slope I was attached to the back of snowmobile and towed out of Silver Basin, down Quicksilver (Chair 4) to the Ski Patrol Emergency Room at the base of the mountain. I arrived at 6:48. For the last hour I was so overcome with cold that it trumped my hip pain. The violent shaking with the dislocated hip kept me very focused. Arriving in the warm patrol room with hot wool blankets fresh out of the dryer was like heaven. A good friend Gary Bamesberger was waiting for me and let me know that my boys had been taken down the hill by a friend. I then proceeded to squeeze the blood out of his hand for the next 10 minutes while they prepped me for the ambulance. They cut off all of my clothes with a razor, wrapped me in a fresh blanket and taped my driver's license to my forehead. Nice visual! Bear ass naked with my ID taped to my forehead. Before leaving I remember thanking the whole team and promising Paul Baugher the director of the Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol that I would fulfill his request to help spread the word about safety in the backcountry.
Immediately upon entering the ambulance, I was given an IV with a heavy pain med. Unfortunately, we had to wait in the parking lot for 45 minutes before the helicopter arrived. I remember hearing the helicopter arrive and being loaded in. From that point on, everything is fuzzy with spotty recollections from the emergency room at Harborview.
I want to close with a few lessons that I take away from this whole experience:
1.First and foremost, Never ski the back country alone. I can honestly say in over 20 years of skiing Crystal back country, I have done it twice. Never again
2.Let someone else know if you are skiing in the backcountry, even if it is a phone call or you have to leave a message.
3.Ask the patrol what the conditions are in the backcountry. They have knowledge of current conditions and risks and are happy to share it with you.
4.Check the NWAC report on Crystal's website located on the left column. It is updated daily and has very detailed info about snow conditions and the risk of avalanche from Mt Hood to Mt Baker.
5.Wear a whistle. I have one in my backpack which I wasn't wearing. Attach one to your pass or at least have one in your pocket. Blair or the last ski patrol sweeping 3 Way Peak might have heard a whistle.
6.Carry your cell phone. Add the Crystal Ski Patrol emergency number (360) 663-3064 to your contacts. Coverage is getting better and better each year.
7.Finally, avoid making intellectual shortcuts. There were a series of decisions that led me to the top of that chute by myself. Having skied Joe's many times in the past, having skied Silver Basin on Saturday, no new snow since Friday, 5 ski tracks on the run, 2 skiers 150 feet away. Because I felt so comfortable in this area, I let my guard down. If I had stopped and analyzed each one of these independently with the discipline of a pilot on the preflight checklist, it would have raised enough alarms to alter my final decision. Using this checklist approach, by itself the skiing alone issue would have led me to communicate with the last person I saw (Blair) to ask if I could ski the run with them instead.
Again, Erin and I want to thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. We couldn't have done it without you. All the flowers, notes, emails and dinners have been greatly appreciated. We can definitely feel the love around us. Also, we will keep you posted on a fundraiser for the Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol that we have tentatively scheduled for sometime in May. We hope you can join us to show our appreciation for the very well trained and talented team that keeps Crystal a safer place for all of us.
Please follow this link to the Crystal Ski Patrol incident report that is posted on the Northwest Avalanche Control site. I copied a couple pictures from the report below, but the overlayed
http://www.nwac.us/media/uploads/pdfs/CMT_BC_Sparkle_Party_Avalanche_Report_2-28-10.pdf
Monday, March 22, 2010
it is official, spring
spring started out about perfect, if you are ready for spring. 50 degrees and total sunshine.
hopefully, if you had a day to pick to ski, you took saturday, with all the sun and warm weather. because sunday was overcast and cool, and nothing, i mean nothing! softened up. i skinned up again, trying to do something to keep up the interest, and found it quite difficult, as the run was frozen and slick. many hikers, including myself, did not even go to the top, as the steep pitch on super slick snow made for tough travel. leads me to continue to believe we need another route to supplement skiers right of toni matt.
with two weeks left, is it time for the late season snow storms? weather service is actually calling for 3-5 today, but with high winds. a few inches will certainly help, and mostly cool, overcast weather should ensure another two weeks of lift operations. but man, some lower mountain runs are certainly thin.
hopefully, if you had a day to pick to ski, you took saturday, with all the sun and warm weather. because sunday was overcast and cool, and nothing, i mean nothing! softened up. i skinned up again, trying to do something to keep up the interest, and found it quite difficult, as the run was frozen and slick. many hikers, including myself, did not even go to the top, as the steep pitch on super slick snow made for tough travel. leads me to continue to believe we need another route to supplement skiers right of toni matt.
with two weeks left, is it time for the late season snow storms? weather service is actually calling for 3-5 today, but with high winds. a few inches will certainly help, and mostly cool, overcast weather should ensure another two weeks of lift operations. but man, some lower mountain runs are certainly thin.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
no new snow
nope, nothing new to shout out about.
more sun, but the snow is holding up. it will be very thin at the end of the season, but we should make it.
just hiked up via the new uphill route. not as easy as taking it thru the benches. at least we have that much though, and hopefully more come this spring and next season. keep those comments going to the resort and the USFS.
did have the lucky opportunity to run into old todd williams at day's end yesterday. i missed him last time he came thru. always fun to catch up with old friends. wish some of them would move back to town, but that is just a part of life.
i did just learn that an old high school friend died of a heart attack just 9 days after turning 50. man, life can be fleeting. having just turned that age myself, it makes it just a bit more real that i am no longer a young man.
more sun, but the snow is holding up. it will be very thin at the end of the season, but we should make it.
just hiked up via the new uphill route. not as easy as taking it thru the benches. at least we have that much though, and hopefully more come this spring and next season. keep those comments going to the resort and the USFS.
did have the lucky opportunity to run into old todd williams at day's end yesterday. i missed him last time he came thru. always fun to catch up with old friends. wish some of them would move back to town, but that is just a part of life.
i did just learn that an old high school friend died of a heart attack just 9 days after turning 50. man, life can be fleeting. having just turned that age myself, it makes it just a bit more real that i am no longer a young man.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
sunny
hard to complain about sunshine. and actually yesterday, as nice as it was, it did not get too soft. it is spring skiing, and it is what we have for now, so may as well enjoy it.
some snow is expected this week, but likely to be another 2" storm, at best. but at least some cooler temps and clouds should help keep the snow around and the season going.
frabert on a st. patrick's day! that can only be fun.
i really wish i had more to input here, but there just is not. i have not been out on any great tours. i am sure some others have, but maybe nothing epic or funny. perhaps as we get into more avy cycles with warm spring temps we might hear some interesting stories. i did hear there was a big avalanche in revelstoke, with a couple dead, but not much about it.
wear sunscreen.
beer is your friend.
some snow is expected this week, but likely to be another 2" storm, at best. but at least some cooler temps and clouds should help keep the snow around and the season going.
frabert on a st. patrick's day! that can only be fun.
i really wish i had more to input here, but there just is not. i have not been out on any great tours. i am sure some others have, but maybe nothing epic or funny. perhaps as we get into more avy cycles with warm spring temps we might hear some interesting stories. i did hear there was a big avalanche in revelstoke, with a couple dead, but not much about it.
wear sunscreen.
beer is your friend.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
new snow, really
yes, we did get some new snow. 2". "the year of the 2" storm" was spoken last night at frabert. it helped, but really, that stiff snow still lurks underneath. this was obviously not a powder day, as i skied a completely untracked line near chair four at four. i would say it was C+.
as i read big dave's reports, and watch some people just ski enthusiastically every day, i admire their consistency. but i just cannot match it. perhaps for me it is just because i can no longer take some non prescription meds that make skiing less mundane, even when it is just groomers. (do i need better drugs?) or perhaps i am not young enough in mind. (perhaps i should grow a mustache, (see post from last week) or even better, a scruffy beard preferred by the under 25 crowd). or maybe, just maybe, we need more snow. like 10". and a week of it. but it is 2010, the year of the 2" storm.
is anyone else starting to think about mountain biking, hiking, fishing and boating?
as i read big dave's reports, and watch some people just ski enthusiastically every day, i admire their consistency. but i just cannot match it. perhaps for me it is just because i can no longer take some non prescription meds that make skiing less mundane, even when it is just groomers. (do i need better drugs?) or perhaps i am not young enough in mind. (perhaps i should grow a mustache, (see post from last week) or even better, a scruffy beard preferred by the under 25 crowd). or maybe, just maybe, we need more snow. like 10". and a week of it. but it is 2010, the year of the 2" storm.
is anyone else starting to think about mountain biking, hiking, fishing and boating?
Monday, March 8, 2010
is it april?
yep, this weekend felt like the last weekend of ski season. beautiful blue skies and super warm temperatures. a fun hockey tourny, a beer fest, a fun and crazy event(the dummy derby, which should be during the last weekend)crowded decks at the stube and hellroaring. just a ton of fun. and we are, after all, ton of fun hogs!!! but it is early march, and the snow is melting fast. i hope we actually make it to the last weekend. but, if spring is going to continue its path, then the trails should begin to clear for some early season biking, hiking and running. the gardens can get an earlier start and maybe my tomatoes will ripen before the frost of fall take their toll. soon trees will be blooming, flowers will be coming out and grass will turn green. i guess that is not the worst of all things, really. but i sure hope we get one more powder day!
during this weekend i also had the chance to turn 50. and no, my life did not end. or change. but my head did hurt some.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
spring has sprung
yep, it is official. at least until it is not. spring is here. super warm sunny days sunday -wed. made for great spring bump skiing on the hill, and likely some good southern and eastern descents in the BC. but was it too warm? not just because the meltdown has begun and is already too fast, but because the skiing was just getting sloppy.
i skied until 4pm yesterday, and runs that were totally packed out, with bumps or grooming were fine all afternoon, some other areas were getting too soft. chair four trees were sloppy, sticky and sketchy, as was anything lower mountain that wasn't totally skier packed. this is something we can see mid winter, if we have some rain events, but rarely see this early due to warm temps and sunshine. as the snow throughout the valley quickly fades, and lower mountain snowpacks begin to add to river run-off, i wonder how much longer the resort can hold up.
after catching a late chair, i skied by a group of folks hanging on for the last run of the day. most of this group of 10 or so were over 40 year old males. and many of them had mustaches. do we guys, as a group, think this is a feature to ensure our youthfulness? or do so many of us want to look like cops? i don't know, but am glad i still can only grow peach fuzz, even as i near 50, and don't have to make that decision.
so then i went down to ski the abandoned nordic course. a few people continue to get in some skiing or snowshoeing, but again, by 4:30, it was too soft. there was no kicking, gliding or skiing to be had. it was a mushy walk on skis. even the dogs were troubled.
and now with the golf course done, and stillwater just about done, even nordic skiing is limited. sounds like blacktail is holding up well, and i imagine issak walton is as well, but they have reported in to the glacier nordic website in some time. besides some snow, we could just use some cold weather.
i skied until 4pm yesterday, and runs that were totally packed out, with bumps or grooming were fine all afternoon, some other areas were getting too soft. chair four trees were sloppy, sticky and sketchy, as was anything lower mountain that wasn't totally skier packed. this is something we can see mid winter, if we have some rain events, but rarely see this early due to warm temps and sunshine. as the snow throughout the valley quickly fades, and lower mountain snowpacks begin to add to river run-off, i wonder how much longer the resort can hold up.
after catching a late chair, i skied by a group of folks hanging on for the last run of the day. most of this group of 10 or so were over 40 year old males. and many of them had mustaches. do we guys, as a group, think this is a feature to ensure our youthfulness? or do so many of us want to look like cops? i don't know, but am glad i still can only grow peach fuzz, even as i near 50, and don't have to make that decision.
so then i went down to ski the abandoned nordic course. a few people continue to get in some skiing or snowshoeing, but again, by 4:30, it was too soft. there was no kicking, gliding or skiing to be had. it was a mushy walk on skis. even the dogs were troubled.
and now with the golf course done, and stillwater just about done, even nordic skiing is limited. sounds like blacktail is holding up well, and i imagine issak walton is as well, but they have reported in to the glacier nordic website in some time. besides some snow, we could just use some cold weather.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Skiing Marias Pass
The powder is getting harder to find and the forecast for Marias Pass was "6-8 mph south winds" so we thought we'd go explore Little Dog since it has such a cute name. "LD" sits east of Elk Mtn and west of Summit just north of the pass. Winds, of course, were 30 mph gusting to 40 out of the north. We climbed from the Autumn Ck. trail up the SW ridge to the westerly basin and then skied the NE face of LD, then back up the ridge and down the south face from the saddle between LD and Summit. Very little snow - maybe 18" at the pass and anywhere from none to enough to ski above 8000 feet.
Good front pointing up the SW ridge.
Cruising up the west ridge of LD on some of the only soft snow of the day.
Jess finding a rare pocket of soft snow on the wind hammered NE face.
Awesome view of Brave Dog from the backside of Little Dog. Are they related?
Making sure the skis don't blow away. That's the NE face we skied in the background. It would be great turns if one could find soft snow - probably a rarity up here.
We returned from the low point on the saddle. Much more skiable than it looks. The narrowest point is about 30 feet wide. At noon when we descended the south facing snow was pretty good, but much later and it would have been sketchy. A combination of softening crust, heavy powder and fresh corn. You never know 'til you go.
Good front pointing up the SW ridge.
Cruising up the west ridge of LD on some of the only soft snow of the day.
Jess finding a rare pocket of soft snow on the wind hammered NE face.
Awesome view of Brave Dog from the backside of Little Dog. Are they related?
Making sure the skis don't blow away. That's the NE face we skied in the background. It would be great turns if one could find soft snow - probably a rarity up here.
We returned from the low point on the saddle. Much more skiable than it looks. The narrowest point is about 30 feet wide. At noon when we descended the south facing snow was pretty good, but much later and it would have been sketchy. A combination of softening crust, heavy powder and fresh corn. You never know 'til you go.wx guru
please read the post by erich from febuary 25th. great info and graphics on our weather and el nino and ENSO, etc. and keep track of the uphill ongoings. apparently, the mountain management and USFS are now taking comments.
Monday, March 1, 2010
spring skiing
well, it is officially spring skiing now. cold, clear nights,and warm, sunny days. it is fun and beautiful, and enjoy it while we can. if this weather persists, our season will be short lived.
nordic skiing is HURTING. still fun and fast early in the day, but all areas are showing exceptional amounts of dirt, grass and ice. sketchy. except for blacktail. i have not been there this year, but reports are outstanding.
a good hike up last night, although not as many people as i thought there would be. but it was warm and wonderful on the way up. and as soon as the sun descended, it was cold and the snow refroze. so the skiing down was not going to be great. but who cared?
the moon rise was EXCEPTIONAL. and then the descent i agreed to with birthday boy, down inspiration, had incredible lighting, but very bad conditions, as it had not yet been groomed, and was refrozen ruts and grooves. when we got to places without moonlight, well, i could almost say dangerous, but let's just say difficult, so the mountain management does not find more reasons to take away our rights.
great efforts by the youth last night as well. parkin easily ascending the mountain, on trekkers (not the lightest or easiest gear), and the youngest, aiden, on some tele gear. we did not see him at the top, but he was having fun when we last saw him.
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