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  • Single Speed TNR

    My bike suddenly left the pavement and started rolling along a dirt surface. It was dark and my only existence was a ten foot wide beam of light. I stopped and drank my last bit of Carbo Rocket. I swung my light around to get a bearing. All I saw was a fence, some kind…

  • Missoula

    Missoula holds a special place in my heart. It hit me when a friend shared why she loves it here – it mirrored my own feelings. Especially the part about endless rides under stunning sunsets. I truly adore this place. But recently, my heart’s been tugging me westward, towards Seattle. Where you live shapes you,…

  • 2010 M.E.S.S.S.

    Missoula to Elk Summit Shit Show is a very misleading label for a ultra endurance event. It starts out self explanatory but ends in a way that gives one a feeling that this is an unusually messy event. I just did the M.E.S.S.S. and it was not messy but now understand the “shit show” part.…

  • Happiness Is

    Last night was the Missoula Thursday Night Ride and it is quite possible more then a dozen people showed up. I don’t know the exact numbers but we seemed more like a peloton going out to Deer Creek Road then a small band of mountain bikers. It was a quant ride around the Deer Creek…

  • Borah Adventure

    My alarm went off and I fumbled around to find my iPhone which doubles as an alarm clock. As I stumbled into the kitchen I became aware that my place was a mess. To my left was my back pack still packed up from last weekend and to my right my camel back that need…

  • Solo

    I texted my friend to see if we could meet for a mountain bike ride but received nothing in return. I shrugged it off and went out alone for a ride at Blue Mountain Recreation Area. It has been three days since I swung my leg over Turner. The suspension had leaked air and the…

  • Friendships

    I attempted Borah Peak this last weekend. I wouldn’t of had this opportunity without knowing and having the chance to get to know some good people. People that one can only refer to as friends. I needed to go down to Pokatello to say goodbye to Zephanie and Chad before they moved to Tuscon AZ.…

  • Interlude

    It is hump day and I have made plans with some friends to go hike Borah Peak. And to make the weekend more fun to go see more friends in Pokafello. Another weekend with friends is at hand. So now I transition from recovery from last weekend to ramping up for another. But first ……

  • I Bike MSLA

    It seemed as though I was doing something against the grain. I was headed to Caras Park alone for the Missoula Brew Fest. Why against the grain? Because it seemed like all my friends were out of town and I was going alone. For some reason alone out in public is too scary for me.…

  • Big Win At Friends Fest

    Thursday I was gearing up for a trip to Seattle to visit someone when it was pointed out that I would be traveling much more then I thought, somewhere in the neighborhood of 8ish hours. It would go like this … drive my ass off followed by a brief day of hanging out to a…

  • Recovery Day

    So, me and the gang—Erik, Julie, Sten, Christy—set off for what I swore was a quick dip in the hot springs near Whitehall, Montana. I was pretty chill about the whole fuel situation, thinking, “Eh, I’ll just gas up afterwards.” Famous last words, right? Turns out, our little adventure was anything but close. Every time…

  • Rainy Day Ride

    The day after the 8 Hours of Labor we went into Butte to enjoy a rather large breakfast. When we got back I discovered all our stuff was on the way out of the lodge. Chris and Mandy were busy preparing the lodge for some new clients. I had to dig my food out of…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Trapper Peak Triumph: Snowy Summits and Epic Fail-tures

    August 30th, 2010. Everyone was “floating the Missoula Sewer System” while I craved something a little…sturdier. Finally, Lydia agreed to tackle the elusive Trapper Peak with me. Confidence inflated, I volunteered for a race in Bozeman, only to be hit with Saturday night blues. Ditching the trip seemed tempting, but Lydia’s unwavering spirit reignited mine.…

  • Transition

    The rain lashes against the windshield, a cold symphony mimicking the tremor in my hands. Trapper Peak looms ahead, shrouded in mist and promising an icy welcome. It’s August 29th, and instead of sun-drenched summits, I’m facing a gauntlet of hypothermia. But hey, what’s a little discomfort when a mountain whispers your name? Yesterday, I…

  • Pushing Away Into The Weekend

    Here I sit on a nicely made bed in Bozeman Montana. My friends have put me up in my 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.…

  • Blue Joint

    Earlier this month my brother in life joined me on a mountain bike journey. 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.…