Back From Squaw, Week in Review

Mom’s computer hummed back to life last week, a testament to the power of a screwdriver and a prayer. The culprit? A dust-choked symphony conductor masquerading as a CPU fan. New fan, new heat sink, a sprinkle of thermal paste, and presto! Burning CDs in under an hour, proving you don’t need fancy gadgets to outsmart tech gremlins.

My town bike, on the other hand, adopted the spirit of a balky mule. Cross tires ordered, delivered, promptly refused to fit the rims. Back they went, a UPS receipt mirroring the weight of defeat. Talk about sticker shock! Did you know the US Postal Service, bless their snail-paced souls, can ship a four-pound tire package for the same price as UPS charges for a 20-pound, $500-insured computer? Take note, tech-heads! Brown is fancy, but blue delivers (pun intended).

Eight days, eight hikes, and counting. From Blue Mountain’s granite whispers to Sentinel Ridge’s sky-high tightrope, my boots have become prayer flags on the altar of Montana wilderness. Waterworks, aptly renamed the “Quick and Dirty,” has earned its double ascent badge. Yesterday, Squaw Peak surrendered its snowy crown, and the photos, oh the photos, are coming soon.

Next week? The bike roars back to asphalt, tires permitting. Flats, ice, and the vague menace of the “beetle” (more on that later) have kept it sidelined. But with the right rubber and a hefty dose of wrench therapy, Missoula’s streets will tremble under my two-wheeled victory lap.

So, buckle up, friends, because the saga of grease-stained triumphs and flat-tire follies is far from over. Stay tuned for updates, breathtaking vistas, and maybe, just maybe, the taming of a very stubborn beetle.

What an adventure you’ve been on! From reviving a computer to wrestling with bike tires and exploring the beautiful trails of Montana, you’ve certainly kept busy.

If you need any help with your future endeavors, here are some resources that might be useful:

Computer Fan Repair:

• You can fix a noisy PC fan by applying some oil or grease to the spindle inside the fan¹.
• There are also video tutorials available that show how to fix a noisy PC fan²³⁴.

Bike Tire Fitting:

• There are video tutorials that show how to fit any difficult bike tyre⁵⁶⁷.
• You can also find advice on how to choose the right bike tire size⁸.

Bike Repair:

• There are guides available that cover basic bike maintenance and repair tasks¹⁹¹⁰¹¹.

Hiking in Montana:

• Montana has a diverse range of hiking trails. You can find hand-curated trail maps, along with reviews and photos from nature lovers^12131415.