Just got back from an awesome weekend in Butte and Bozeman. Friday I left work and promptly drove to the Quarry Brewery in Butte to meet Bob for a TRP meetup.
The next day we hit the Mule Cross Race. Fantastic race put on by fellow mules and the first time I seen the course the big ol run-up said it all. Yea! A real cross race with a snott slippery run up. The race turned out to be real fun.
After we partied. After that we had some Thai food prepared by Erik and Julie
This morning’s run greeted me with a bright orange sunrise, the perfect wake-up call. The sun hit my face, warm and inviting, a reminder of how simple moments can feel so fulfilling.
Ever feel like everyone else has a more important, exciting life? Sometimes I do. But I have to remind myself that my life is real and valuable too, even if it doesn’t always feel that way. I read somewhere that this feeling is just a leftover belief from the past, a “self-defeating belief that is inaccurate.” I think that makes sense. Maybe I just need to jump back into my own life and fully live it, because it is real. Anyway, it’s too nice and sunny outside to spend time lost in the shadows of old thoughts. Time to step into the light.
Hello from a place that should not be named. As I sit here I thought it would be mice to post a little informational blog on what is up with the limited posting lately.
A couple weekends ago I did the RMVQ and had a blast. It was my intention to post a blog on how it went. I can’t come up with any good reasons why I have not done that yet although there are plenty.
I have been trying. Every time I fire up the laptop to process the photos, videos, and write a few words about each leg it seems the modern elecronic price of shit crashes and I spend my last valuable moments just trying to get it started again. Sony Vaio … FAIL.
And I guess this brings me to my last big reason for being a slack ass. Time management. I am suddenly bad at it. It seems that all I can get done in a day is feed myself and wipe my as when it comes out.
That reminds me. Better get back to work. Personal ass wiping time has expired.
Posted from iPhone…o/o
Hey, folks! I had quite the adventure last weekend. I set out to do some more mapping of the RMVQ course on Saturday evening. It was all going well until it got real cold – I mean, really cold. So, I decided to bail out 1/3 of the way up Point Six Road. I made my way down to Snow Bowl Lodge and then headed home.
It was a chilly one, let me tell you. But hey, I was just happy to be back under the warm lights of Missoula. Sometimes, you’ve just got to know when to call it a day, right?
So, that was my weekend – a bit cold, a bit adventurous, and a whole lot of fun. Can’t wait to see what the next one has in store!
I rode my Leader mountain bike out to Fort Missoula last night for the first installment of this years Missoula Wednesday Night CycloCross Series. I can say this, cross bike are faster and lighter (going over barriers is easier) BUT the mountain bike is WAY more fun. I had a blast and even went well enough for around 6th place. 6th place is only a guess as I saw a 3 man group at the front and two stragglers between us.
I spotted a team issue Fisher and knew Sam Shultz was there. This confirmed that I was to only have fun and not get all competitive, otherwise this guy would make me look like a snail. So we danced and I had a blast. It seemed that in the corners and technical stuff I was so much faster but on the open fields and road I was WAY slower. Big knobs on the pave is quite hard! At the end I caught up with Mike Longmire and my MTB friends the Thayers
Its that time of year when it is dark going to work and soon after I get off of work. Also the Missoula Wednesday Night Cyclocross Races start tonight. I really don’t want to do it but when I think of doing it on my mountain bike I get a little excited. So I will go on down to Fort Missoula after work to tossel in the fields with other bikers. I hope to see some friends. And of course tomorrow is the Thursday Night Ride. Not to many of those left
After work I got my CarboRocket on and headed to the Treasure Trail with Ed “Mr. SCymbols” Stalling. We climbed Sentinel in around 40 minutes and bombed back into town. What a great after work jaunt.
Upon landing at home base I quickly downed a TRP Recoverite and headed to the Kettlehouse. We gathered, shared, got all caught up on everyone’s summer, and learned we would not be seeing “Mr. SCymbols” do a set. Bummed out but not discouraged we all hoped upon our trusty steeds and headed to the Depot for some grub.
More stories and careful planning of the next two days and I put a great night in the books. We planned a Bitterroot ride today and then tomorrow we will be doing the Sheep Mountain Trail 10 AM from the Rattlesnake Parking Lot. Be there, all is welcome as is all abilities. This ride should not be missed.
Got to run, Larry is picking me up in 20 minutes
The Missoula Thursday Night Ride once again lived up to its potential. There was single track, beer, and Ice Cream. Doesn’t that cover all the bases?
Our route started at the Rattlesnake Rec Area Trailhead and we hit the Spring Gulch trails up to the top of Turkey Run. Mostly climbing I found myself pumping out frustrations of the currents events with my car and cancellation of Stone Temple 8. Once on top though I was basking the the sunset with friends planning our post ride activities.
We bombed down to the trail head and quickly gathered into small groups, some in cars, some riding. We headed to Rattlesnake Gardens where we put down some Double Hauls, Cold Smokes, and other assorted tall cans of beer.
Then it was of to Big Dipper to test out the latest Cold Smoke Ice Cream. I was overcome with the desire for a double scoop and opted for a Ginger scoop and a Double Haul scoop. I actually ended up taking the last bit of Ginger so my TNR mates were a little angered at me. I shared and ate most of it. Ginger is real strong but good none the less. The Cold Smoke was awesome. Not too strong like I thought but almost like a vanilla flavor with a overtone of hops
Hello from a cold Missoula morning. I just left my car at Four Season Motors the official Missoula Volkswagen dealer. This morning I tried my battery pack one last time and of course it failed. Luckily a friend dropped off a battery (deep cycle, whatever that means) for me to jump start off of. At first it did not do anything but I let it sit with the new battery hooked up and that gave me a couple cranks and the piece of shit finally started. I quickly ran it down to Four Seasons and abandon it.
Last night I tried my jump start idea three times … fail, fail, fail. I tried to push start it and that provided me with a dashboard light show and clicking sound that made me fear that I started a fire in the instrument panel.
I called my friend Sten to provide a excuse in case I was to bail on this weekends race plans in Laramie. He suggest to pull some fuses so I went to pulling until I had at least cut the throat to all the power sucking elements that I could see. This actually seems to help as I went to bed I gave the jump one more try and got three cranks out of it.
So now I sit at work and the race this weekend looks real bleak. I will await the phone call from the mechanic. I cant wait … should be, “um Mr Martin, your car … um …. better off dead”.
It is hard to tell what exactly wrong with my car. I do know the electrical system is messed up because I get locked out all the time and I need to make sure all the enterior lights are disconnected because they will not shut off. That is why I don’t just go get a new battery. I have to find the root cause or short in the electrical system or risk ruining another battery.
So I picked up this baby and I don’t know why I didn’t have one in the car already since they are way more inexpensive then I thought. I got this for $30 bucks at OReillys Auto. So now I am hopeful to make the Laramie trip this Thursday.
After that big acusition I was still left with grocery shopping to do and I couldn’t use the new contraption untill it charges up for 20 hours. So instead of taking a 3 hour mountin bike ride I went grocery biking. I had to do 1 load per store and did Good Food Store, Orange Street Market, and Patte Creek Market. All in all a 25 mile ride for 2 hours of ride time (including the OReillys trip).
That left me with a hour to work out so I decided to hit Orange Street Trail with my friend Ross who just happened to bump into me at the last market.
Today it is laundry day but first I try the new contraption. Cross your fingers
Yesterday I packed the car and was headed to Hamilton for a mountain bike ride. When I went to start it … Nothing.
The electrical elements of my car have been going out since last winter when I was stranded in Billings (broke down of course). Since then my car locks me out, all electrical gadgets stop working, and I have had to disconnect all interior lights.
So now the car’s battery is ruined and I am afraid to put a new one (like I can afford that) in it.
I went looking for a garage but the VW place is closed on Saturdays. I went looking for someone to help but all were gone or working/busy. So I went home and plopped down on the couch and have been there ever since.
Now the big project is figuring out bow to get groceries. Backpacking them home is what comes to mind first. As far a future races. All gone. Stranded.
Just stumbled upon a collection of images that whisk you away on a visual journey, each snapshot capturing a unique story, frozen in time. First up, a breathtaking view of Missoula, the landscape bathed in the soft light of dusk (or dawn), showcasing the tranquil beauty of this place we call home. It’s like the city’s saying, “Take a moment, breathe in, and let the worries of the day drift away.”
Then, there’s this charming photo of Julie and Laurie, caught in a moment of laughter or conversation, a testament to the joy of friendship and the stories shared between them. It’s those unplanned, candid captures that really tell the heartwarming tales of connection and camaraderie.
Moving on, we’ve got the squad, triumphantly perched atop a peak or maybe the end of a challenging hike, a symbol of collective achievement and the exhilarating rush of conquering goals together. There’s a sense of accomplishment, of reaching heights both literal and metaphorical, that comes through in this image.
And who could overlook the whimsical capture of a Dairy Queen visit? A sweet reminder of the simple pleasures, of sunny days spent indulging in icy treats and making memories over shared smiles and sticky fingers. It’s a universal snapshot of happiness, of finding delight in the little things that, in retrospect, feel pretty big.
Each image, from scenic vistas to intimate gatherings, from triumphant group shots to delightful dairy detours, weaves a narrative of adventure, friendship, and the simple joys of life. They’re a reminder to pause, to cherish the moments big and small, and to always keep an eye out for the beauty that surrounds us, waiting to be captured and remembered.
Saturday I procrastinated (not really, dealing with a dead car battery all day) my way into a bad situation that luckily worked itself out. I should have learned my lesson from last year when I walked out in the middle of the night sometimes on my hands and knees. Saturday I decided at around 5 PM that I would see how fast I could ride Sheep Mountain. So I set out to do it backwards at 5:37 PM.
After about an hour I had completed the prolog (ride to trailhead) and got up the Rattlesnake Corridor to the start of the climb.
As I approached the summit the sun was just hitting the horizon and I knew that I could bomb the decent to make it out before it got dark. Then my Kenda rear tire busted its liquid latex out all over the trail. I had cut a sidewall. So there I was at 8 PM on top of Sheep with a torn sidewall. I used a Velcro strap and a Otwalla Bar wrapper to boot the tire and pumped like a madman to get the tire up so I could try and descend as much as I could while I had final daylight now disappearing fast. Deja vu!
I had to ride gingerly and the going was slow. I found myself dreading the few climbs that remained on the ridge. Soon it was so dark I was trying to use my cell phone as a light. One wonders at this time why after all the times I have been out there I didn’t bring a headlamp. Somewhere on Wisherd Ridge I ran into some horsepersons camping. One of them loaned me his light so I could descend and get home. This made all the difference.
So around 9:25 I was descending Wood Gulch and left the light in their truck. I finished the official loop in 4 hours and 16 minutes a long way from the fast time I had in mind (sub 3 hrs). At 9:53 I was on Rattlesnake Drive heading home. I arrived in the comfort of modern living around 10:20 PM and fell fast asleep after a beer and the final moments of the Griz game.
Last night we attacked the Jumbo Saddle Area trails and at the beginning it looked like it was just Ross and I. He mentioned that he saw the other potential group riding to another location so we just headed up from the top of Lincoln Hills.
Soon enough I hear chatting in the valley far below so we waited. Along came a large group of souls enjoying perfect temperatures and I was glad to see some new faces as well/ So we hit Three Larch, Sidewinder, and Son of Sidewinder.
After we went to Alden
Ever had one of those weekends where you feel like you’ve been put through the wringer and then some? That was me, this past weekend at the “8 Hours of Labor” event. And let me tell you, it was more laborious than trying to find a decent cup of coffee in a tea-loving country. I spent a good chunk of it pushing myself so hard, I swear my legs were ready to unionize and go on strike. And amidst all this, I’m scratching my head, wondering why I’m feeling like a character out of a tragedy – you know, the kind that makes even Shakespeare go, “Dude, lighten up.”
So, I’m thinking, there’s got to be a reason for this misery that’s more profound than my apparent lack of common sense when it comes to self-preservation. Maybe Joe has a clue. That guy’s got more insights than a fortune cookie factory.
Boneshakerbike 