Bill's Blog (Web Log)

Shakespeare In The Park

Julius Caesar played last night and endured some rain storms and through it all made for a tremendous experience. When Caesar was slain the clouds opened up and in the rain the play continued. It was really freaking cool.

I inquired among some friends who was going and there was a lot of maybe but no commitments. Reason being the weather which was cold and rainy. Julie finally made the plunge and started a movement that ended in three of us sitting in the rain.

Julie and I rode her tandem to the play and almost had a couple "incidents" so the night started out right. The skies cleared up for the play to start so we spread out our eats and "drinks".

Dave showed just in time for the start of the play. Julie made pesto spread which was so good.

"Take this dagger, I might stab myself on my ride".

You can not beat Missoula. Everyone who lives here on their own free will know which what I speak.

After the play our threesome turned into a foursome when Jill joined us and we took refuge at The Bridge Pizza for some hot tea and cookies. I have been to Shakespeare in the Park before and enjoyed both times. I am so glad we endured the weather to experience such moving a performance.

Side Trips

Last night I called up a new friend. A special fiend. This morning I think back to another friendship. One that has turned out to be as fulfilling and close as can be. One that has turned into a kind of a brothership.

A couple weeks ago while Paul and his family were visiting Missoula I made a trip down the Bitterroot to get my bike worked on. Paul came along with expectations to go mountain biking afterwards. We stopped in at the world famous Red Barn Bikes to find out that Chad was out on a date with his wife. So we chatted with his dad and got all juiced up for a mountain bike ride at the Coyote Coolie trails.

Before we went on our ride we took a side trip to Skalkaho Falls. Just a spur of the moment side trip. One that took a little more time then we expected but is another jewel in the timeline of my existence. The falls were beautiful and we even discovered a hidden rain forest like gully.

In the end we finally did get to go on our ride and it in itself turned out to be a fantastic time. After that we drank some brew and hung out at Lake Como Beach while the sun set.

On our way back home my phone finally regained its long lost cell connection from the mother ship. A voice mail was left on my account while I was out of range.

"Remember when I said I wanted to come hang out?", said the familiar voice on the other end. 

"I will be in town tomorrow evening and want to know if I can crash on your floor."

Paul and I replayed the message about 20 times to get her number right.

"Wow, that is exciting." "You just got called by a girl and she wants to stop by and see you", Paul suggested.

Maybe a beginning of another wonderful side trip. Who knows though. Some side trips turn into a full blown journey while others just dead end...o/o

Snowy Trapper Peak

"I am floating the Gnjeesha Death Rapids", said Dave.

"Were floating the Missoula Sewer System", Julie responded.

I might have misunderstood the water references. The bottom line is that everyone was either traveling out of town or going "floating".

Finally I got a, "Yea, I totally would like to do Trapper Peak", from Lydia.

So I finally suckered in a victim to go on a big hike Sunday. Later that week Julie started to back out of their float and was talking of possibly joining us. With confidence I had talked a small group into a peak that I always wanted to do I set off to Bozeman to volunteer for a race.

Saturday night I was feeling a little down and wanted to get out of my trip back to Missoula. I would not let any one down since I talked them into it. So I called Lydia to see if there was a way out.

"So I am looking at the weather and it looks really crappy", I told her in a worried tone.

"I don't see anything that would turn me back."

"Ok, that's all I needed to know" "See you tomorrow morning at 8".

So I drove home late that night. Hiking in cold rain sounded like fun. And to top it off I didn't receive any calls from anyone else. So it was just Lydia and I. Neither one of us ready to back down from a potential "epic".

Sure enough it was raining that morning. It rained all the way to Hamilton and to the access road. It rained all the way to the trail head and was still raining when we started out in earnest up the tail. Soon a thousand feet later ... SNOW. I had no confidence in our summit during a snow storm. We would end up at over 10,000 feet. Yea, no place in a snow storm.

At first it was flakes. Lydia asked if indeed that was snow and I lied and said that I didn't see anything. Maybe it was our pace going straight up the mountain and we were close to passing out. We even started to discuss the possibility that we would get "above all of this". It was August for christ sake.  

Then white patches started appearing on the ground. The trees were becoming snow laden. Soon we just accepted it and trudged on trying to embrace the white beauty.

We encountered a real young posse of Jobs Corp people. As we climbed up we started to hear sounds that were similar to a frat house. "ye haa", was yelled. I turned to my hiking partner and said, "GREAT".

"How long have you been hiking?"

"About an hour", we replied.

"Holy shit. No way. That's amazing".

We were rock stars. We stayed a minute to answer some questions and sign autographs. As we continued on we overheard them talk about how amazing we were. We showed good form as we disappeared into the snow storm.

Then we met up with a nice couple that had news from the last approach to the summit.

"You cant see a thing and the rocks were so slippery we just turned around." "No wind but we just couldn't see."

We headed the warning but showed a unified resolve. Today we would risk it all. We had failed before but today was our day. With no wind we had a chance.

We gained a saddle just before the trail ended into a car sized pile of rocks. I peered into the white darkness.

"I just assumed we would just hike to the summit." "How far up does it go?"

"I don't know", I replied still starring off the edge. "I got up the first of many false summits and gave up two years ago".

We started to pick our way up the rocks. I stayed to the ridge and my partner did the reasonable thing by skirting to the south on much easier terrain. I love hiking with females, they pick the best routes. Seriously! I just wanted to hang on the ridge. This gave me some additional down-climbing opportunities.

After about 4 or 5 false summits we saw the last big pile-o-rocks. Another 100 vertical feet later we were reading the marker at the top and doing the summit dance. We found a geo cache and I added to it an Action Wipe. Hey someone may need it.

The trip down seemed to take a little longer. Were were presented with clearer views at he saddle. The mountain finally accepted us as family. We had showed it that we could be trusted and were worthy. For split seconds the clouds cleared, the snow slowed down, and we got glimpses of the most beautiful terrain imaginable. Snow white trees on lower slopes of black scree. It was truly stunning.

At the car we agreed that it was a good day. Even thought it snowed on us pretty much all the time. Winter is here and it doesn't hurt to embrace it early.

Transition

Heading out right this moment to Trapper Peak in the South Bitterroot. The only problem is that is cold and raining. I sure hope the weather looks up as we travel down south.

Yesterday I helped out my friends put on the Leverich Canyon Crankup Mountain Bike Race. It was a great time and of course John Curry smoked it. It was good to catch up. I don't get to many events because I am recovering from 100 milers and 24 hour races.

I spent some great time with Sten and Kristy and after a great relaxing meal I set off for home arriving late last night. It was a rough journey as I was missing someone but I carried on. Now I am here. Now I must get going. Hypothermia awaits.

Pushing Away Into The Weekend

Here I sit on a nicely made bed in Bozeman Montana. My friends have put me up in my own room. The drive over was a blur.

The day started out as usual with a nice bike ride to work. Once at work I start up the ol computer. That was when the day went to shit. First I was hit by a truck. Yep. Came driving right through the office and plastered me all over the place. I looked over and saw my heart pumping next to me and wondered how I could put it back in.

Once I managed to get my heart back in place where it didn't seem the same the boss rolls in with some "goals" for the day. Needless to say I got out late.

I proceeded to drive to Bozeman with a deep daze on the road and a damaged heart. Just so you know. And now I must lay down an pretend to sleep.

Blue Joint

Earlier this month my brother in life joined me on a mountain bike journey. Photos! We went around a loop that I heard about in Bitterroot folk lore. A trail defined by maps and length to be long and challenging. I didn't know if we were up to it but as things turned out we were. We came out in the dark but completed the loop. It was one of my favorite journeys. Another chapter in the Bill and Paul's greatest adventures scrolls.

Half way up the Blue Joint is this great meadow. At this point we were feeling pretty good about completing at least the journey to the state line.

Paul rips it around a fallen log. This trail had everything. A terrain list too long for a blog.

After MUCH effort we reached the top of Razorback Ridge. It was Paul's first dabble into Perpeteum. We were feeling wore out but knew it was all downhill ... right.

After getting kind of lost it was mostly downhill but we didn't get out for quite some time. The last sections were in burn areas which had so much downfall it took us like an hour to travel a quarter of a mile. I do not recommend doing Little Blue Joint. Who is up for my next adventure.