We arrived at the summit of Sheep Mountain late in the afternoon. The essence of this entire effort, the RMVQ, is to celebrate Marcy’s spirit. Staying up there to post a photo and searching for the remnants of ashes I spread two years ago left us with no light as we began our descent from…

Rarely do I (yup, Mo is guest blogging) summit mountains; I’m often just shy of the top. Maybe it’s the noon or 3 PM starts that lead to these turn-arounds? But this time, we summited. For me, the joy of being outside isn’t usually about the destination but the process and the journey. And, yes,…

Top Ten Tips for Climbing Sheep Mountain Backwards: Honorable mention by Mo: “Biking is good training for roller derby (see photo).”

Mo had succumbed to walking entirely, abandoning any pretense of enduring further climbing. My own burden was beginning to weigh heavily upon me as well, but as you know, I’m one to suffer until I drop. And so, I continued my slow, arduous ascent, while Mo followed behind at a leisurely pace. We were now…

Sometimes, in the grand scheme of things, you find yourself waiting for landmarks. It’s like playing a game of mental hopscotch where each small goal becomes a stepping stone to endure the bigger picture. So there I was, fixated on reaching the “creek crossing.” It was more than just a point on the map; it…

Finally, we’re on “the climb,” and it’s time for our first breather. Mo reports that the climb is tough. For me, it’s super tough. The large bike, burdened with our load, is succumbing to gravity. I don’t have the heart to tell Mo how much further we have to go…

So it has been decided that we should stop for lunch before the big climb. I just bide my time until we are on “the climb.” It is there I will be at home. I wonder how hard it will be on my body?

Finally, at Franklin Bridge, we have stopped to filter water. Lollygagging usually uses up the day’s water supply. For me, it’s a chance to take some photos. Still, a big day lies ahead…

Mountain biking in the beautiful trails around Missoula, Montana, in the fall. The scenery is amazing, with vibrant fall colors and a cool, crisp air. I took my time to enjoy the ride and appreciate the beauty of nature. I faced a dilemma when I realized that we were moving slower than usual. I didn’t…

Fall colors in the Rattlesnake are superb. We are finally moving towards the start of the climb up Sheep Mountain. It is slightly late because we felt that we needed to take a small break from yesterday’s push. So a great lazy morning at the tent felt great. It’s going to be a big day…

We used to call them “Bitches” but she does not like that term. And at first she really didn’t understand why. But as she pushed her fully loaded bike up the last of the three “Bitches”, a term a group of friends and I coined after our first Grave Range Growler, she let out a…

Continuing on with trying to make Day 1 of the RMVQ video I have run into some issues.  Not necessarily with the video itself but fun stuff in life.  Not to mention that I spent all last night traveling from Bozeman to Missoula in a freaking white out blizzard. Today I was in Hamilton at…

Diving into the edit for the RMVQ video, I’ve got the visuals down. The challenge now? The soundtrack. Mainstream royalty-free sites are coming up short—nothing there hits the right note. So, what’s the plan?I’m toying with a unique idea—collaborating with a buddy of mine. He’s a drummer, and I’m thinking, why not tailor-make the beats?…