Montana Meanderings

no room for doubt

2011-11-17T19:31:00.001-07:00

Lianne La Havas | No Room For Doubt | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

rustic apple galette

2011-11-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

How many acres, how much light

Tucked in the woods and out of sight

Talk to the neighbors and tip my cap

On a little road barely on the map

Old dirt road

Knee deep snow

Watching the fire as we grow old

The Moment

2011-10-31T23:49:00.001-06:00

Oh, the coming-out-of-nowhere moment
when, nothing
happens
no what-have-I-to-do-today-list
maybe half a moment
the rush of traffic stops.
The whir of I should be, I should be, I should be
slows to silence,
the white cotton curtains hanging still.

-Marie Howe

Long distance call

2011-10-29T12:06:00.000-06:00

Take Away Show: PHOENIX part3 from Vincent Moon / Petites Planètes on Vimeo.

Kale Chips

2011-10-29T10:50:00.000-06:00

Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet. It's full of antioxidants, phytonutrients and vitamins. Found some kale chips in a natural food store in Bozeman about a month ago. I'd never seen them before, but they were so delicious. They were also really expensive. Almost $8.00 for a 2 oz bag! So, I decided to experiment with making my own. Between three of us, two large baking sheets didn't last more than 24 hours. So, I'd say they turned out well!

Gather: ♥ 1 bunch kale ♥ 1 c cashews ♥ 1/2 red pepper ♥ garlic ♥ lemon juice ♥ sea salt

1. tear up the kale intocute bite-sized pieces 2. combine everything else in a food processor and blend3. in a large bowl massage cashew mixture into kale 4. arrange kale in singlelayer on olive oil coated baking sheets 5. bake at 175-200 degrees untilcrispy (took almost 2 hours)

Next time I'd like to try some different toppings like basil pesto, coconut curry or sweet cinnamon sugar kale chips.

Yum!

Ke Ao Nani (The Beautiful World)

2011-10-23T00:14:00.002-06:00

Today while I was digging through a desk drawer, I found some old photos from a biking trip that I did around the Big Island of Hawaii around this time six years ago. That trip's memorable for lots of reasons: it was my first time back on the island in 20 years after living there as a kid.

Kona Ironman was going on. We got some strange looks from training Ironman athletes speeding by in aero position as we trudged along on mountain bikes hauling 100 lbs of totally unnecessary gear in bike trailers and panniers. We actually ended up throwing things out along the way to ditch weight.

Snorkeling at Mahukona, camping at Spencer Beach Park, Mauna Kea Observatory, hiking the floor of the Pu'u O'o Crater, visiting the old ranch, Hilo rain, paniolo music, hiking into Waipio Valley.

I've realized that my favorite trips are ones where life is simplified down to the basics like pedaling your bike, finding a camp spot, eating simple food, and doing it again the next day and the next.

Wild Geese

2011-10-22T19:02:00.000-06:00

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting --
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

-Mary Oliver

home sweet home

2011-10-22T17:37:00.000-06:00

hello home. it's been awhile..

wise old owl

2011-08-15T23:27:00.000-06:00

via carouselinparis

Little Things

2011-08-04T16:17:00.000-06:00

Forgive us all our trespasses,
Little creatures, everywhere.

--James Stephens

Recent rides

2011-07-27T00:02:00.001-06:00

Life has been all about biking lately in frantic preparation for the Butte 50 coming up this weekend. Here's hoping I can dig deep to finish in one piece... and have some fun in the process!

basin creek

tribute to the wulfman

"8 miles of hell"

scenic overlook - continental divide trail south of homestake

indian paintbrush and aspen trees

butte sunset

Good morning

2011-07-26T23:46:00.000-06:00

Plain organic yogurt with wheat berry cereal, banana, dried cranberries and almonds. My favorite breakfast!

il quattro Iuglio

2011-07-22T13:43:00.001-06:00

1.whitefish lake 2.kayaking 3.paddleboarding 4.wakesurf attempting 5.champagne in the middle of the day

6.sleeping on the deck under the stars 7.ironman inspiration 8.firework reflections from the boat

9.copa di vino 10. lakeside sunset dinners

Gatekeeper

2011-07-22T12:05:00.001-06:00

Fresh

2011-07-18T12:23:00.000-06:00

To move
cleanly.
Needing to be
nowhere else.
Wanting nothing
from any store.
To lift something
you already had
and set it down in
a new place.
Awakened eye
seeing freshly.
What does that do to
the old blood moving through
its channels?

--Naomi Shihab Nye

Tour of the Bitterroot

2011-07-17T21:58:00.005-06:00

Beautiful ride today organized by Red Barn Bicycles and the Bitterroot Land Trust in Hamilton. This is my longest mountain bike ride to date and training for the Butte 50 coming up in a couple weeks. Basically confirmation that the Butte 50 is going to kick my ass, but that doesn't take away from today's green rolling hills, the red dirt road, the bright blue sky and the view of snowy Trapper Peak as we descended back into the valley.

Distance: 48.08 Miles

Time: 4:22:18

Avg Speed: 11.0 mph

Highlight: View of the Bitterroot Range from the top of the climb, floating cotton in the morning sun, beargrass, 23 miles of downhill

Map and Elevation Profile: Tour of the Bitterroot

and then the sun came out

2011-07-13T17:50:00.001-06:00

Yesterday's road ride

Monument Peak

2011-06-12T18:24:00.004-06:00

I've looked at this peak in the Highlands from the top of Red Mountain for a few years now imagining how amazing it would be to ski off the top. Finally got the chance a few weeks ago!

Rustic bread baking

2011-06-12T18:08:00.001-06:00

Really proud of this beautiful crusty bread! Check out the easy recipe here at Mother Earth News.

Sunset Hammers

2011-06-12T17:40:00.001-06:00

When the phone rings in your office, receive the news
as calmly as you would another memo. Another inventory
sheet detailing cost and value. The price of the goods
we have in stock is fluctuating. The physical integrity
of the materials is of concern. And as calmly as you
would write an answer (then stabilize the prices; restate
our faith in the processes and manufacture), get your
coat and get out the door. Your colleagues will remain

at their stations: behind the business of blue eyes the
phone will go on ringing and must be answered. Even
with faith, with planning, there is just no other way
And so. Go into the city of tunnels. Of bridges, of
elevated light. Go as a writer, a sailor. Go up the
Mekong, up the Congo, go up the lines of distance
that are laid out like a summons. Go as a visitor,
because in the future, you will be the patient. Go,

because time is getting short, because your dreams
may be prophetic; go because you need to, because
you want to. Go quickly, go now. Already, sunset
hammers at the windows on Mt. Eden Avenue; the
panes burst into red and that vibrato is what you have
begun to hear. Go, because every day there is someplace
you have to be. Work with that feeling. In the end,
nothing else (Get it? Nada) may turn out to be true

by Eleanor Lerman

Homemade Queso Fresco

2011-06-12T16:14:00.001-06:00

Ingredients

1 gallon whole organic milk
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
salt to taste
chives
paprika

Pour milk into a large heavy pot. Heat until almost boiling (about 30 minutes) on medium heat stirring constantly to keep milk from scorching.

When milk begins to boil, turn down heat and stir in lemon juice. Milk will begin to curdle, with curds sinking to bottom of pot and whey settling to the top. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Line a colander with cheesecloth and pour in contents of pot. Tie up cloth around cheese and let drain for 1 hour.

Add salt, chives or other fresh herbs to cheese mixture and press into ramekin. Chill for 1-2 hours. Garnish with paprkia and voila!

Desert excursions

2011-05-07T01:33:00.002-06:00

Nostalgia

2011-05-06T21:05:00.000-06:00

Escape

2011-04-28T01:14:00.002-06:00

Slot canyons, narrows, petroglyphs, washes. Campfires, flip flops, sunshine and sandstone. Tomorrow I leave for a quick jaunt to Canyonlands... Maybe I should start packing.

Wabi Sabi

2011-04-10T15:42:00.002-06:00

"Wabi-sabi is the quintessential Japanese aesthetic. It is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is a beauty of things modest and humble. It is a beauty of things unconventional.."

I took this photo of my mom's Japanese tea cups back in high school. It's one of the few photos that I've developed and processed myself. It's imperfect and simple, which is why I think it's still one of my favorites.

12 Ways to Wabi-Sabi (from Mother Earth News)
1. Cultivate Slowness. Rebel against the machines. Hand a towel to a loved one and ask him or her to dry dishes while you rinse. Take 10 minutes to sweep the floor with a real broomcorn broom rather than filling your space with the roar of the vacuum.

2. Cultivate Vision. Start with the container you use to hold your morning beverage. Treat yourself to pottery that feels solid and heavy in your hand. Admire your mug’s shape, textures and colors every morning to strengthen your ability to find beauty in the rest of the day.
3. Cultivate Craft. Making and growing things yourself is a gentle rebellion against globalized mass production. Spinning wool, making pottery and weaving baskets provides a tactile meditation almost impossible to experience by any other means.
4. Cultivate Cleanliness. An ancient tea master described wabi-sabi as “putting one’s whole heart to cleaning and repeating it several times.” Every time we sweep, dust or wash, we’re creating clean, sacred space.
5. Cultivate Solitude. Find a space in the attic or a spare bedroom that you can dedicate to solitude and meditation. In tight quarters, designate a quiet corner in your bedroom or even living room as your meditation space.
6. Cultivate Space. Clutter smudges clarity, physically and psychologically. In wabi-sabi, space and light are the most desirable ornaments.
7. Cultivate Silence. To cultivate what Quakers call the “still, small voice within,” slowly reduce the noise sources in your life. Less is more.

Leave the television off for one night each week.
Turn off the radio during your morning or evening commute.
Practice a few moments of silence before eating a shared meal.
Make time in the afternoon for a quiet cup of tea.

8. Cultivate Sabi (the beauty that comes with age). Antique doorknobs and radiator grates give your home soul. Building with salvaged materials gives a new house depth and history it couldn’t otherwise have.
9. Cultivate Soul. A piece made by hand holds the steady, solid vibrations of its maker rather than those of the jarring, impersonal machine. Surrounding yourself with things made by real people invites a tiny piece of each craftsman into your space.
10. Cultivate Imperfection. Real people leave mail piled in the entry, let the flowers go a little too long in the vase (if they have them at all), allow the dog on the bed and have unpredictable cats. Wabi-sabi embraces these flaws.
11. Cultivate Hospitality. Give every room in your house a soft seat, a blanket to curl up with, gentle lighting and a deep, delicious rug. Invite people to stay, curled up in afghans and sipping tea.
12. Cultivate Simplicity. Less stuff means more time to spend with family, friends and nature — a philosophy simple enough for even the most complicated lives.

Cactus Tree

2011-04-10T14:44:00.001-06:00

Imperfection

2011-03-22T15:47:00.000-06:00

"Give up on yourself. Begin taking action now, while being neurotic or imperfect, or a procrastinator or unhealthy or lazy or any other label by which you inaccurately describe yourself. Go ahead and be the best imperfect person you can be and get started on those things you want to accomplish before you die." -- Shoma Morita

Feels Like Spring

2011-03-17T14:13:00.001-06:00

First outdoor ride of the year! Last week Jerry and I took advantage of 50 degree weather on the other side of the Divide and did an out and back on our road bikes along the Jefferson river.

Even though it only got put to use a couple of times over the winter, it felt good to free my bike from the trainer and I have no intention of putting it back on!

I've been trying not to think about it too much yet.. but I finally decided this was the year to stop talking about it and actually ride the Butte 50. I'm registered. That means lots of biking to look forward to over the next several months!

Date: March 9, 2011

Location: Highway 2 East, Lewis and Clark Caverns

Distance: 24.72 Miles

Time: 1:31:23

Avg Speed:16.2 mph

Highlight: 50 degrees in March, cresting the final hill for an amazing distant view of the Bridgers

Running Through the Cold

2011-03-17T00:57:00.001-06:00

The last weekend of February I ran the Snowjoke Half Marathon for the second time. (Last year Amanda and I ran this together as our first half marathon). This was my third (and slowest) race of this distance. It was slow because 1) it was freezing - below zero at the start and 2) I didn't train at all. I was torn about driving all the way to Seeley for a run I hadn't trained for but since I am signed up to run a marathon at the end of May, I figured it would be a good training run and maybe give me some inspiration to get in gear.

When I woke up Saturday morning it was -25 degrees in Butte. It seemed ridiculous but I had made up my mind that I was running, so I got my things together, loaded up Sula and we started the 2.5 hour drive. Now this sounds unbelievable, but until about 3 days ago, the heater in my car hasn't worked all winter, including during this frigid drive to Seeley. I'd gotten acclimated to driving my car to work or even to Bozeman or Big Sky without heat in normal winter temps of 15-20 degrees. I just kept a down coat and a sleeping bag nearby to wrap up in. But in -25 degrees and after driving for 2.5 hours, even the sleeping bag was no use. By the time I got to Seeley, I was actually glad to start running to warm up!

Apparently Sula was glad too - she basically pulled me the entire way. Unfortunately her pulling resulted mainly in me getting a sideache instead of running faster. Cold temps and sideaches aside, I like the low-key friendly, quirky atmosphere of this race. And the dogs! Chloe the pug was there again. I figured if she could do it so could I.

10 minutes slower than last year and 2 minutes slower than my half-ironman run, I finished in 1:58:30. Average pace of 9:02 min/mile. Of course there's always more to it than time and pace - that day it was anxious chatty fellow runners jumping around trying to stay warm at the starting line, strangers cheering Sula on, the relief in knowing there's just one more mile, warm soup when it's all done and sunshine finally bringing warmth back into the world. Here's the results and a link to map and elevation profile.

Snow Joke Half Marathon

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Montana

Little Saint Joe

2011-03-15T23:57:00.005-06:00

Spent Saturday backcountry skiing in the Bitterroot with Lindsay Pilon. Our destination was the summit of Little Saint Joe's peak. We set out at an elevation of 3,700' from the Bass Creek Trailhead, which I last visited two summers ago on a trip into Bass Lake.

We spent several miles happily skinning along Bass Creek, enjoying the sunshine and warm weather.

Although we'd both been to Bass Lake, neither of us had climbed Little Saint Joe.. or knew which peak it was exactly. Luckily we had a map.

Despite our excellent map reading skills.. we were still confused. First we thought this was it:

We thought the peak on the left must be Big Saint Joe and the one on the right Little Saint Joe. We continued to think this was it all morning. We wondered how we'd ski down once we got to the top (if we got to the top). But we were determined, so we crossed the creek.

It was so warm and the snow was so soft, I had major issues with snow clods attaching to my skins. It would start with a small layer of snow and ice, then it would grow and grow so that I was balancing on top of a foot of wet snow and my ski would get so heavy I could barely move, then all at once it would pop off and I'd be so relieved.. for 30 seconds until it happened again.

Once we crossed the creek, we came around a bend and suddenly it was all clear. We saw our destination, it made sense with the map, and it looked much more skiable than the rocky crags in the photo above. So we crossed the creek again. Hard to tell in this photo, but the summit is the snowy peak in the distance at 9,033'. We realized we had quite a ways to go.

We decided to skin up the main couloir. There was one set of tracks and it looked like it had been skied the previous day.

It was steep and slow going.

Around 3:30 the snow started firming up. We had only one final dog leg to the top, but it was a 2,000' climb. We decided to play it safe and turn around before it got too late in the day and the snow got too hard.

The top - next time.

Heading back down.

As expected for a south facing bowl, the conditions were a bit variable and sun baked in spots, but overall it was a fun ski out. Here's a link to the map and profile of the trip.

Bass Creek

Snow Bridge

After 9 hours on our skis and over 9,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain, we were glad to see the car and take our boots off. But all the way back to Missoula we talked about coming back again and reaching the top. And other peaks yet to climb.

At the end of the day - Cold Smoke and Biga hit the spot!

Magic

2011-03-04T12:25:00.001-07:00

I have always loved Andy Goldsworthy. Now I love Andy Goldsworthy and Barry Underwood.

Wish I Was the Moon

2011-02-25T14:21:00.002-07:00

Mount Emerine

2011-02-24T07:48:00.001-07:00

February 11, 2011. First backcountry trip of the season into Mount Emerine with Phil, Paul and Scott. Towed in about 3 miles by snowmobile then skinned 3 laps of about 900' vertical.

Nordic Surprise

2011-02-10T22:00:00.003-07:00

I never thought I'd say it, but I love cross country skiing. I remember as a kid when there was lots of snow in the yard, my mom was always suggesting we pull out the old nordic skis and tour around the yard. We'd look at each other and roll our eyes. Bo-ring. We were a bit spoiled by riding chairlifts at an early age I suppose.

Finally, 20 years later, I decided to heed my mom's advice and give it a try. For the past three years, I've joined a group of women each Thursday night during the winters up at Homestake Lodge and learned to skate ski. What a new discovery. And what a workout! Last week Mandy made us do interval loops. I don't remember working so hard (or feeling so awful) since track workouts in high school. (Okay that might not be entirely true.)

Anyway, that's one of the things I love about it is working hard with a group of women. Kind of reminds me of running cross country. I also love that I can take Sula and not feel guilty about leaving her at home. She loves it. I also love that you can do something outside after work in winter when it gets dark at 4:30 in the afternoon. They even have a 2k loop that's lit up (Light Me Up) or you can ski by the light of a headlamp or by the light of the moon.

I also love moments like this.

And moments like this. Tonight the trails were all drifted from lots of recent wind, so we all kept catching our tips and face planting. Really, every one of us went down at least once tonight. Twice for me. Which is the final thing that I love about cross country skiing is laughing so much my cheeks hurt.

So Long Birdie

2011-02-09T21:53:00.003-07:00

Sad news of the kestrel this morning.

"Holly sorry to inform you our bird buddy didn`t make it he hung on for about a week then a blood clot let loose and killed him sorry Rick"

The Last Word of a Blue Bird by Robert Frost

As told to a child

As I went out a Crow
In a low voice said, "Oh,
I was looking for you.
How do you do?
I just came to tell you
To tell Lesley (will you?)
That her little Bluebird
Wanted me to bring word
That the north wind last night
That made the stars bright
And made ice on the trough
Almost made him cough
His tail feathers off.
He just had to fly!
But he sent her Good-by,
And said to be good,
And wear her red hood,
And look for the skunk tracks
In the snow with an ax-
And do everything!
And perhaps in the spring
He would come back and sing."

Indoor Narcissus Blooms in February

2011-02-08T06:30:00.007-07:00

Some sunshine for a snowy day.

In My Kitchen Lately

2011-02-07T22:05:00.005-07:00

Breakfast: Oatmeal with walnuts, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds and molasses

Lunch: Tomato soup with yellow squash, kidney beans and rosemary

Afternoon Snack: Clementines

Dinner: Somen noodles with broccoli, tomato and soy

Iowa: Land of Transcendental Meditation and Kestrel Hawks

2011-01-30T22:50:00.016-07:00

Last week I went to Iowa for work to launch our Iowa Energy Corps program. I can't think of another reason I would visit Iowa in the middle of January. I have to admit though, despite it being Iowa and January and battling a lingering ear infection, I enjoyed myself. I was surrounded by kindly folks, was introduced to wild edible plants, experienced the philosophy of Maharishi Yogi, and witnessed a beautiful Iowa farmscape sunset.

We spent a couple days at Prairiewoods, a Franciscan Spirituality Center in Hiawatha where we toured their large solar PV array, organic gardens and straw bale hermitages. The new Energy Corps group spent an afternoon insulating the Iowa Renewable Energy Association Training Center and clearing invasive honeysuckle from the surrounding woods. We were treated to delicious homemade soups and bread made each morning by the Sisters.

Prairiewoods Solar PV Array - Second largest in Iowa

The last day we went to Fairfield to tour an off-grid Eco-village and large CSA greenhouse. Fairfield is the home of Maharishi University and the associated Golden Domes, where University students and staff (or "floaters" I learned they're called) gather twice a day to meditate. The University was founded back in the '70s by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who was the founder of Transcendental Meditation and served as the spiritual guru for the Beatles. It all seemed fairly bizarre at first, but as we met several of the students and professors and shared a slow-food meal together, it was clear there's something big and good happening there. From their commitment to green building, to providing whole organic vegetarian food, to encouraging yoga and mindfulness, I began to wonder if our conventional universities are missing out on some core basics.

The Golden Domes of Pure Knowledge

On the final day, while driving back to Cedar Rapids with a big friendly guy named Rick (who works with the DNR Trails Program) we saw a bird collide with an oncoming car, cartwheel to the ground and then lie in the middle of the road with traffic straddling it. We decided to turn around to see if it was still alive and found the most beautiful male Kestrel Hawk injured but breathing.

Rick had attended a nearby community college that had a raptor center so we scooped him up and drove (rather frantically) the 20 or so miles to the center, the Kestrel chirping occasionally, which we took to be a good sign. When we got to the center, there was a woman there doing surgery on a huge red tailed hawk. She put the Kestrel in a box with a towel and said she'd doctor him, give him x-rays, and let us know the outcome. They had a whole slew of resident injured birds including 3 more Kestrels, a Harris' Hawk and several owls including the cutest tiny Screech Owl. Screech Owl aside, my thoughts are with this little birdie and hoping he'll live to fly another day.

Then I found my head one day..

2011-01-30T01:02:00.002-07:00

Vegetarian Posole

2011-01-15T12:20:00.006-07:00

Each Christmas Eve growing up my family would brave driving through snowstorms in the dark and cold to attend a Christmas party at the home of friends in Butte. The first order of tradition was always assembling and lighting (what seemed like) hundreds of luminarias and placing them along the edges of their flat roof, patio, sidewalk and yard.

Then we'd assemble inside, admire Gretchen's wondrous collection of miniatures that she'd collected from around the world, and warm up over multiple bowls of Mexican posole. Since I stopped eating meat a few years ago, I was sad to miss out on this dish in particular, so I decided to try out a vegetarian version.

Gretchen always used authentic dried maize and soaked it for days before preparing the stew. I cheated and used canned hominy that I found at the new Hennessy Market uptown. I had trouble finding recipes for vegetarian posole, so (like the majority of my cooking) it was a bit of any experiment. The result was pretty decent and I'm excited to try it again with a few adjustments. Next time I'll try adding garlic, red onion and cilantro and top it off with some sour cream and radishes.

Vegetarian Posole

a can of hominy

a few cups of vegetable broth

diced tomato

fresh spinach

juice of a lime

cumin

chili powder

Combine everything. Simmer. Season to taste.

Best of 2010

2010-12-31T11:14:00.001-07:00

Fruita and Moab Bike Trip

2010-11-30T18:39:00.006-07:00

In mid-November I tagged along on a five day mountain biking trip to Fruita and Moab with Sean and Alison. We met up with Matt and Krista in Fruita and spent several days camping out, exploring the desert on our bikes and enjoying the sunshine.

southbound, we passed through salt lake right at sunset, the golden hour. we hadn't seen the sun all day until that moment. pink alpenglow on the snowcapped peaks of the wasatch range. pink reflecting off the great salt lake. i often think that if i had just one wish it might be to freeze this time of the day for eternal perfect sky light. who in the world could be unhappy under a sky like that? i craned my neck to see slivers of it from my cushy bench seat in the back of the '76 toyota mini motorhome. unsatisfied i moved forward for a better view and settled down on the floor between my traveling companions, sula's chin resting on my knee. we shared a bottle of beer or two and talked about the lake effect, ski trips had and ski trips to come. conversation comes easy with old friends. watching the glow of the headlights passing us by, the thousands of strangers sharing the same splendorous view, i wondered about all those people and what they thought about as they drove to wherever it was they were headed. it was one of those moments where you wish the whole world were as lucky as you.

we awoke to frost on tent fly awnings in a strange, harsh landscape. the bookcliffs of the north fruita desert in colorado. everywhere were thorns, spines and prickly pears threatening bare skin and dog paws. sharp sticky burs found their way into tents, socks and sleeping bags. i've never seen so many shades of brown, interrupted only by the occasional silver-green juniper or pinyon pine. i struggled for memories from college geology lectures searching for some insight into the formation of the surrounding sandstone mesas and benches jutting from the earth in unexpected configurations. it felt as though we had stepped into an era where dinosaurs were surely roaming just beyond the next sandy butte, munching on sage. i wished for a ride from a friendly brontosaurus, sweet sagebrush on his breath.

Fruita, Colorado

our mission was experiencing the topography by bike. we explored trails like chutes and ladders, zippidy do da and horse thief bench, riding each day til dark. there's a sensation that occurs when you haven't been on a bicycle in a while, whether you're pedaling across town or across the colorado desert. the breeze in your hair, your legs swift, a smile on your face. the sensation is enhanced by sunshine, crisp air, friends and singletrack. the dogs even feel it. when the feeling wanes a bit and you find yourself struggling to climb a hill or navigate a technical spot, there's your buddy at the top rooting you on. if you're out front, you stop and root them on. you stop and you look around and you notice that beyond the brown rocks and sand and spiny thorns, there are tiny beautiful desert plants and wildflowers, a hawk soars overhead. you take a deep breath, get back on your bike, worries long gone and you keep on pedaling.

Sula was in Heaven

Zippidy Do Dah Trail

The Chalet

View of Castle Valley from Porcupine Rim Trail, Moab

The crew minus Sean and me

Sawtooth Lake

2010-08-07T22:27:00.010-06:00

Took a trip today up the beautiful green Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway to the Sawtooth Trailhead where Jerry and Sula and I proceeded to ride our bikes up to Sawtooth Lake.

The trail meanders along Clark Creek through forests of Lodgepole Pine and thick pockets of tall pink wildflowers. I've been spotting these flowers on other rides lately and have wondered what they're called, so I just looked it up and learned that it's Fireweed, which makes sense because several of the spots where I've seen them are in old burn areas.

The trail climbs 1600 feet over 3.5 miles to Sawtooth Lake which is surrounded by jagged rocky peaks. As in previous trips into this area, I've noticed that up close, the Pioneers aren't especially inviting and are really pretty rugged.

What was inviting was the cool lake after a hot, muggy climb. So I convinced Jerry we should jump in. Cool was a bit of an understatement. It was actually painfully cold!

We saw a few groups of hikers setting up camp for the evening, and I was sad we couldn't stay, but the buzzing mosquitoes and distant lightening urged us to reluctantly get on our bikes and head back down.

Luckily the storm held off until we made it back down the through the mosquitoes, the switchbacks, the smell of horses. There's so much exploring yet to do! Look forward to the next destination ride.

First Trip to Canada

2010-06-15T20:55:00.028-06:00

Back in June, I took a solo trip to Canada, my first despite living in a bordering state my whole life! My destination was the Oliver Half-Ironman triathlon, beyond that I had no plan but to see what I could see. I kept a post-it note journal while I was there. A few highlights:

Friday, June 4th, Somewhere in North Central Washington

"Headed North and the sky started to clear and holy it was gorgeous - green green rolling fields of I don't know what for as far as you could see except for an occasional farm with big old houses and barns and grain bins and signs for fresh fruit.

Crossed the border right as the sun was setting and drove into the swanky town of Osoyoos to the Desert Surfside on Osoyoos Lake. Vineyards everywhere."

Welcome to British Columbia

Sunset Greeting

Saturday, June 5th, Oliver B.C., Day before the race

"Today was all business and went by in a blink. Spent the morning getting my bike tuned up. Rode 5 miles of the bike course. Put on wetsuits and swam in the lake. Dropped bikes off in transition and spent quite a while admiring and photographing everyone else's fancy tri bikes. Loads of spaghetti and water. Racers meeting at 5pm. Think I started to feel a bit nervous here."

My Bike Among the 1000's in Transition Area

Desert Surfside on the Shores of Osoyoos Lake

Sunday, June 6th, Race Day

1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run

5 hours, 58 minutes, 15 seconds

Finished with a smile and 30 minutes faster than my goal time.

Results

Race Report

Womens Swim Start

Smiling on the Bike

Done!

"Around 6pm, Jerry and I parted ways. I headed North. Arrived at Okanagan Lake Provincial Park as the sun was setting and found a perfect spot to camp right next to the lake. And I slept."

Mother Duck and Ducklings Watching the Sunrise over Okanagan Lake

Monday, June 7th, Sander Lake Campground

"This morning I woke up at the shores of Okanagan Lake - which is huge by the way. Expected to sleep til noon, but when I got up and look at my watch it wasn't yet 7am.

Started driving. Drove through Peachland and Summerland. The landscape changed from lakeside green hills to mountain peaks. Finally made it to Revelstoke where I got tons of maps and info and decided that you could spend a whole summer just exploring one spot.

Canyon Hot Springs - a short stop between Glacier and Revelstoke Parks. Rainbows and tunnels. Snowy Rogers Pass - amazing and powerful. I will ski here one day.

Now eating delicious hot spinach and cheese tortellini with a view of the pink sunset clouds through the trees surrounding my campsite at Sander Lake Campground just south of Golden, B.C. Birds chirping. Friendly German Shepherd wandering.

Sander Lake

Hard to believe that just yesterday I completed a half-ironman. It feels so long ago already. Proud of myself. I thought I could do it when I signed up but towards the end of training time I started having doubts. Makes me feel like you could do almost anything if you really wanted to. Amazing to see the number of top notch athletes there. And inspiring. Won't forget this.

I think I just heard an owl."

Tuesday, June 8, Beneath Chancellor Peak in Yoho National Park

"Wow what a view I have out my tent door as the last rays of sun disappear off the snowy jagged peaks and emerald river running by 20 feet from my pillow. Trains are rolling by. I want to be in the sun on those snowy peaks.

Chancellor Peak

Camping on Kicking Horse River

Today I explored some of the Moonraker mountain bike trails and rode by two beautiful lakes - Cedar Lakes. Trails were well maintained with a few little fun wooden bridges.

Moonraker Singletrack

Drove into Golden where I found a perfect little corner bookstore and sandwich shop. Bacchus.

Headed east into Yoho National Park. Emerald Lake and Natural Bridge. Sights to treasure."

Wednesday, June 9, Swan Lake Provincial Park

"Camped next to yet another beautiful lake beneath another impressive snowy peak in Swan Lake Provincial park. Today was the first day of bad weather. Woke up at the base of Mt. Chancellor to cloudy skies. Drove into Lake Louise and Lake Morraine. Fog, tourists and raincoats. Most of the peaks were hidden in the clouds - tried to imagine what it might look like on a clear day.

Lake Louise

Lake Morraine

Pushed on to Banff via Bow Valley Parkway where I caught glimpses of some peaks along the way. Castle Mountain. Banff reminded me a bit of Geneva. It was raining hard. No point in wasting time sitting in coffee shops.

Drove into Kootenay Park. Numa Falls, turquoise Vermillion River, nice hike into Dog Lake. The sun peeked out for a couple of minutes and I found some nice flowers to photograph.

Dog Lake

Fairy slipper orchid

Shooting Star

Felt sad leaving the park. Back to power lines and billboard advertisements. Real life. Drove past Radium, Invermere, Fairmont Hot Springs, Canal Flats and began heading up a windy 22km gravel road towards Lussier Hot Springs and White Swan camping. Soaked for 20 minutes or so with a family from Invermere - blond children playing with rocks. Started raining again so packed up and drove the final couple km to Lake Alces.

Lussier Hot Springs

Lake Alces

Sitting on the lake shore, drinking my last Kokanee, hoping my sleeping bag is dry and warm. My last night in Canada."

Peaks to Prairie

2010-04-26T23:13:00.020-06:00

Yesterday I competed in the Peaks to Prairie Duathlon in Red Lodge. The course starts with an 8.8 mile run down the Beartooth Highway through downtown Red Lodge where I got on my road bike and rode 43 miles to Laurel. Though I chose to do just the duathlon, the majority of people finished a third section, a 23 mile float down the Yellowstone to Billings. Most people participate in teams. Apparently, this race is notorious for bad weather, but I could not believe it when we woke up to 3 inches of snow the morning of the race!

Luckily, the sun was out and the road was clear. Caught the shuttle up to the run start and started running back down to town. The best part about this race is that it's all downhill. The run and bike portion combined drop over 2500 vertical feet! With help from the downhill I had the fastest run time I've ever had. Ended up averaging 7:32 minute miles over the 8.8 mile course and enjoyed the blue skies, sparkling snow and views of the valley below. During the last mile through town there was a decent headwind and I started to worry that the bike portion wouldn't be as easy as I had hoped.

This was the longest road ride I've ever done. For the first 20 miles the wind was absolutely brutal. Gusting up to 30 mph. It turned into more of a crosswind toward the middle of the ride where I felt like I may get blown off the road several times. Tried to enjoy the scenery, but the wind made it impossible to enjoy much and I found myself swearing on occasion. :) Felt a bit of solace when other riders around me had good natured complaints of their own about the wind. Despite the wind and thanks to the steady downhill, I was still able to average 19.7 mph on the biking section.

The finish for me was the transition area for the kayakers. Suddenly the weather changed, the sun disappeared and it was cold. I was so so grateful that it wasn't me getting into the river to paddle down the Yellowstone for another several hours! Alex and the dogs were my shuttle support crew and retrieved me and my bike from Riverside Park in Laurel. Got a delicious, warm latte and made the trip back to Big Timber where we spent the afternoon napping. Another beautiful evening sunset behind the Crazies while walking through ranch pastures to check on horses.

This morning, out of curiosity I checked the website for race results and was shocked to find that I won the women's solo duathlon! Granted the duathlon isn't the focus of this race and there were only 15 women racing, I'm still happy! Race Results. Final time was 3:17:11. I was using this race as training for a big triathlon coming up in June, the Oliver Half-Ironman in BC so it was a good confidence booster!

West Yellowstone, Rain and Frozen Fingers

2010-04-17T21:23:00.008-06:00

All week they've been calling for beautiful weather this weekend. And it appears as though it was beautiful weather. Everywhere except West Yellowstone that is. John McDermott, Jerry Campbell and I departed from Butte this morning with road bikes in tow expecting a long, sunny ride through the park today. As we got closer we watched the temperature gauge in John's car drop and continue dropping. From 50 to 45 to 36. The sky grew dark and the rain began to fall.

We decided to wait it out a bit in a little cafe where we drank tea and chatted with the friendly waitress. After we drank all the tea we could stand and came to terms with the fact that the rain wasn't going to stop, we reluctantly started changing into bike clothes. And rain jackets.

We were off. The original destination was Old Faithful - 60 miles round trip - but our wet, numb feet weren't up for the task. 12.5 miles in and we were soaked to the bone and cold. We turned around. A bit disappointing but a wise decision in the end. When I wasn't wiping spattering rain and mud from John's rear tire off of my glasses, I was able to see a few things. Bison (one a bit too close for comfort), lots of elk, a big eagle's nest and a beautiful white swan.

Lots of riding adventures yet to take place!

Once back at the car, the super nice staff at the Freeheel and Wheel bike shop let us change our dripping wet clothes and warm up over coffee. Warmth.

The drive down through the Madison Valley was beautiful. Snow in the mountains, the Madison River rolling along, baby calves everywhere. Stopped for lunch in Ennis on the way home and made our way back towards the sun and warm temps. Ended the day with a tangerine shade of sidelight walk along the M Hill single track trail with Sula.

Happy Sula in the sun on the M Hill

Resurfacing

2010-01-22T13:22:00.005-07:00

New list:

1) Uptown Butte (again)

2) skate skiing

3) HIM training

4) Venus Rising lattes

5) new running partners

6) ymca pool

7) gingersnaps

8) Sula (of course)

9) piano reunion

10) Crazies

Spring Backcountry

2009-04-27T21:18:00.014-06:00

Finally had the opportunity to ski some backcountry spots that I've been thinking about for years. Hitched a ride with some friends with snowmobiles last weekend into Storm Lake and skied Rainbow and Mt. Tiny on Saturday and then into the Highlands on Sunday and skied Red Mountain. The snow was soft, the company good and the landscape beautiful.

Looks as though more skiing could be in our future. The snow doesn't seem to want to quit. Not that I'm complaining, but I wouldn't mind a little sunshine and warm weather to start drying out some trails for mountain biking.

Sean and Matt with Mt Tiny backdrop

Rainbow Mountain - First run, we skied lookers left main chute

Top (almost) of Mt Tiny

Day 1, Run 2, Mt Tiny

Day 2 - View from the top of Red Mountain

Gearing up to ski Red Mountain

Bootpacking up to do it again!

End of Ski Season 2009

2009-04-26T20:51:00.013-06:00

Final week at Big Sky. Camping in the Mini Mirage, mud, sunshine, Big Couloir, North Summit Snowfield, pond skim, Glen Plake, bonfires, hot tub poaching, overall good times!

Camping out in the parking lot

Home sweet home for a few days

View of the couloir from the tram

Closeup of the Big Couloir

Waiting to ski the North Summit Snowfield

Earth Day

2009-04-22T11:03:00.004-06:00

Bridger Ridge

2009-03-03T18:23:00.010-07:00

Took a trip to Bridger for the first time in a decade. Some things have changed since then including the new Schlasman lift making easy access to ridge terrain and out of bounds skiing.

We hit it on an unseasonably warm, sunny day, but there was a breeze on the ridge making the hike pleasant.

Three runs was all it took to wear us out. Spent the evening soaking in Norris Hot Springs and listening to Bluegrass.

Looks like spring ski season is here.

Beehive Backcountry

2009-02-17T20:38:00.010-07:00

Spent a bluebird sunny day in the backcountry at Beehive Basin last week. Made the mistake of straying away from the main skin track and ended up skinning up steep, icy side-hills. We were rewarded with some nice turns, however.

At the bottom of a first run, we were welcomed with familiar faces, Hans and Cory, old Big Sky ski school acquaintances, who kindly shared their knowledge. At the top of a second steep, switchbacky climb, we saw our future Big Sky backcountry excursion, what's called Middle Basin, just east of Beehive.

Sula came along and was amazing. She's relatively small for deep snowy adventures, but has mastered some sort of dolphin dive technique and kept up the whole time. I love my dog!

Another adventure logged and hopefully many more to come...

Long Mountain Longing

2009-02-05T16:23:00.017-07:00

Took a much-needed brief spell away from the real world over Josh's birthday to the Tobacco Root backcountry.

We earned our turns!

We kept ourselves entertained at night too.

The moon and the stars from the dome of the yurt were a sight to behold!

A trip not soon to be forgotten...

Soaking in Renova Hot Springs at the end of the trip.

Introducing Sula

2008-12-29T10:23:00.003-07:00

Sula is my new puppy. She is supposedly full Heeler, but she's black and tan. I've never seen a black and tan Heeler. And she has floppy ears. Her birthday is June 29th. Today is her 6 month birthday!

She has a habit of hoarding clothes in her bed like socks and eating things she's not supposed to eat like nails, dimes and the balls of stocking caps. She tends to howl when she gets bored or wants attention.

She likes sitting on top of my feet, especially when I'm washing dishes, brushing my teeth or sitting in one spot for longer than 30 seconds. She's laying on my left foot now. Wherever I go, she's right there. I think we make a good pair.

2008 Recap and Eras Gone By

2008-12-23T11:26:00.005-07:00

I remember as a kid how painfully slow time seemed to drag on. An hour-long nap lasted an eternity. Summer days on the tire swing picking lilacs and winter nights ice skating at the Commons under the stars were never-ending. These days time slips by. Months and years. Since I last wrote, another era has passed and a new one begun. Annie the hounddog is gone and Sula the adorable troublemaker has arrived. The fall was spent in Missoula with Annie, bikes, and leaves.

Now back in Anaconda for the winter, time has slowed down again. It's been cold. Finally though, the snow is here and with it, ski season. Christmas will be spent, as always, in the warm, colorful sanctuary of home with family. Really, there's so much to celebrate. As usual, I continue to add to my list of plans and resolutions, but this year, perhaps I can arrive at a focus to value the precious moments as time slips past and remember to keep smiling.

A Little Birdie Told Me

2008-11-17T14:26:00.009-07:00

Today sees a dramatic turnaround to what had been a disorganized mess. Someone who cares will help. Take note; this person could play a bigger role in your life in the near future.

Searching for Snow

2008-11-09T20:13:00.016-07:00

Josh and I spent the day yesterday searching for snow. We drove 8 miles up Mormon Peak Road just outside of Lolo, parked at the trailhead at 6,000ft and proceeded to hike up Carleton Ridge carrying our heavy ski equipment. It was hard work, for me anyway. The pictures don't accurately portray the agony.

After 2 hours of hiking through green spring-like forest, in 45 degrees, we finally hit some slushy snow and put our skis on and skinned to an overlook where we had a nice view of the top of Carleton Ridge, which we had originally intended to ski off of. Fortunately, my camera battery died so there is no documentation of all of the exposed rocks and lack of snow. We ended up turning around and made a dozen turns or so before we had to take our skis off again and hike out.

This is a cool map and elevation graph of our trip. You can click on "full" or on the map to zoom in.

Carleton Ridge

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Montana

We had wished for more snow, but all in all it was good to get out. The day ended in some excitement when Josh's car died as we were driving back down Mormon Creek Road and we coasted all the way back to the highway. After spending an hour or so filing through the Haynes manual, talking on the phone with Dad and wiggling all sorts of wires, we got a jump from a passerby and made it ALMOST home, when the car died again.

This time Amanda came to the rescue, picked us up and then came over for dinner of Cauliflower Carrot Curry and Jasmine Rice. We spent the rest of the night bowling for Laura's birthday. It was a long good day. We slept well.

This is me - hot and mad that my skis weigh so much. Note the orb on my shoulder in this picture.

Tribute to Annie the Hounddog

2008-11-07T22:44:00.014-07:00

YOU ARE MISSED

The End of an Era

2008-08-04T22:40:00.009-06:00

My time living in Butte is coming to a bittersweet end. Things I'm going to miss:

1) Running around the M Hill with the sunset behind Mt. Haggin
2) The little birds that live in the rafters of my balcony

3) Continental Divide Trail

4) My cheery, sunny, huge, cheap apartment

5) My small mountain biking friend circle

6) The YMCA pool

7) The Highlands

8) Lattes from Mountain Coffee

9) Fran Doran's flowers

10) My huge, high ceiling, colorful, walk in closet, perfect apartment

Relax

2008-07-24T17:01:00.002-06:00

XTERRA - - - Check

2008-07-24T14:34:00.008-06:00

I finished. The photos show the pain. But it's done. It's a strange thing the change in attitude from "what on earth was i thinking" a few days before the race to "that was awesome, i can't wait to do it again" which is where I'm at now.

This is the "what on earth was I thinking" stage.

After nearly a year of anticipation and preparation for one specific thing, I'm realizing that it's kind of depressing when that thing comes to an end. I expected that once it was over, I'd just want to laze around watching movies and eating bonbons. I did spend one day after the race lazing around eating Fig Newmans. But, this was due to the fact that I had some sort of salsa eating induced food poisoning from Melaque and was too sick to go to work. 4 Fig Newmans were all that remained in my house that was edible.

You can almost hear the gasping.

But that same evening, the salmonella passed, the sun came out and I didn't know what else to do with myself, so I went for a run. Now I'm back to obsessively reading beginnertriathlete.com and scanning trifind.com for other triathlons in Montana... and there's lots! Including another xterra in Idaho at the end of August.

Desperation

I have a sort of guilt attached to all of this that I don't completely understand. I think it's a combination of feeling selfish with my time and worrying about obsessing, but I think that I would probably feel the same way whether or not I was doing triathlons. I just need to manage my time better and not worry so much and remember to have fun.

I finished 4th in my age group out of 7 25-29 year old women. I was 11th out of 26 overall. Results

Freedom

2008-07-06T00:09:00.007-06:00

This fourth of July was spent backpacking through the Bitterroot Range south of Missoula. Josh and I arrived at Bass Lake on the evening of July 2nd just in time to see a small avalanche rumbling down one of the steep chutes of the surrounding peaks. There was still ice on the lake, which discouraged much anticipated swimming.

We met new friends along the way, father and son duo, Tom and Mike who just moved to Montana from Ohio. Mike just got a job at Pipestone Mountaineering and was espeically interested in talking to Josh about his gear. This was fairly entertaining.

We slept beneath a canopy of sparkling stars to the sound of water rushing down from the peaks above.

Day 2 began with scaling the snow-covered pass into the Kootenai drainage. In some places the snow must have been 12-15 feet deep. At the top of the pass, around 7,000 feet, we were rewarded with breathtaking views, wildflowers, and waterfalls flowing from the melting snow.

The lingering snow led to difficulty finding the trail to Twin Lakes, our destination for the day. After several hours of bushwhacking through tick infested brush and deadfall we found a deer trail that led us up onto a hillside where we were able to see that we had missed the trail to the lakes and were far below where we needed to be.

After some deliberation, we decided to continue on rather than backtrack towards Twin Lakes. At sundown after many painful miles we finally arrived at the trailhead to Kootenai Creek where we caught a ride back to the car and proceeded to drink cold beverages. We covered 20 miles in 2 days and although barely able to walk, wouldn't trade it for the world.

Swim, Bike, Run

2008-06-18T16:11:00.008-06:00

For some reason unbeknownst to me, I started swimming last summer. Lap swimming. At the pool in the Butte YMCA. The only memorable swimming I'd done before that was gym class in elementary school. They are not pretty memories. I remember having a near drowning panic attack in 4th grade and trying to get out of the water by climbing on top of Julie Smith and pulling her under. Another memory is getting blasted in the nose by a flying kickboard.
I suppose, subconsciously, perhaps a need to overcome my fear of the water led me to start going to the pool. Maybe it was the dream of one day learning how to surf. Maybe it was just that the summer was hot and the water was refreshing. What kept me going back though was sheer stubbornness. I remember the first few months, well probably the first six months, not being able to swim more than one length of the pool without stopping. Old geezers swimming the elementary back stoke were flying by me trying to do a meager freestyle.

A year's gone by and I just finished two triathlons, swimming and all. And surprisingly, I did better than I ever would have expected. My first triathlon in Helena, I actually won my age group and placed 5th overall, granted there were only 8 people in my age group and 20 women total. Results
My second triathlon in Kalispell added a whole new challenge - open water swimming. But, somehow I managed to get through it and even had some fun in the process. Ended up 6th in my age group out of 21 and 16th overall out of 79 women total. Results

Beyond the results though is a feeling of overall satisfaction. The realization that we are capable of doing more, capable of doing better, capable of learning new things. Really the biggest challenge is convincing your head. It seems, however, that I may have some sort of narcissistic habit.
In a moment of complete stupidity, I signed myself up for the Wild Horse Creek XTERRA triathlon at Hyalite Canyon next month. It consists of a 1200 yd lake swim, 15 mile mountain bike and 6 mile trail run. If it doesn't kill me, I don't know what will.

Superfoods

2008-05-20T13:43:00.008-06:00

Apples

Avocado

Beans

Blueberries

Broccoli

Cinnamon

Dark Chocolate

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Garlic

Honey

Kiwi

Low Fat Yogurt

Oats

Onions

Oranges

Pomegranates

Pumpkin

Soy

Spinach

Tea

Tomatoes

Walnuts

Wild Salmon

Taking Roots

2008-04-24T00:18:00.003-06:00

"Wonderful how completely everything in wild nature fits into us, as if truly part and parent of us. The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. The trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well as our souls, and every bird song, wind song, and tremendous storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains is our song, our very own, and sings our love." John Muir

Backcountry Ski Trips 2008

2008-04-22T17:03:00.009-06:00

April 20, 2008
Discovery - 6-8 inch storm at the end of April. Josh, Sean, Phil, Jeff and Jim. Hiking marathon. Final run down Sluice Box will not be forgotten.

March 29, 2008
Lolo Pass - With Josh and Bob. Deep powder face shots. Followed by Lochsa Lodge camping and Weir hotsprings.

March 23, 2008
Grassy Mountain - Whipping wind nearly blew me off the ridge. Sweet sugar turns were worth it.

February 24, 2008
Lolo Pass - First time ever in the backcountry with Josh using his equipment. New discovery.

Earth Day Resolutions

2008-04-22T15:32:00.003-06:00

1. Ride my bike to work
2. Recycle everything
3. Compost
4. Drive less, consolidate trips
5. Buy local, organic, fair trade
6. Start a container garden

While on this earth...

2007-10-19T20:30:00.028-06:00

In no particular order.

1. Run a marathon
2. Dog companionship Done 9/08
3. Go skydiving
4. Finish an Ironman
5. South America
6. Learn to play the guitar
7. Sing karaoke
8. Bike the Continental Divide Trail
9. Finish a century Done 6/11
10. Have a darkroom
11. Learn to surf
12. Read regularly
13. Hike the Grand Canyon
14. Plant trees
15. Teach
16. Learn to identify Montana flora/fauna
17. Japan
18. Speak fluent Spanish
19. Finish a triathlon Done 5/08
20. Finish a half-marathon Done 2/10
21. Bike to Mexico
22. Keep a photo journal
23. Learn to sew
24. Heliski
25. Grow a garden

26. Finish a Half-Ironman Done 6/10

27. Simplify

28. Qualify for Boston

29. Learn to skate ski Done 1/09

30. Curly Lake bike ride

31. Ski Teton Pass

32. Finish a 25k skate ski race

33. Swiss Alpine Bike Route

34. Alaska

35. Ski Silverton
36. Africa
37. Bike the Kokopelli Trail
38. Ski Beartooth Pass
39. Maah Daah Hey Trail