Author: Bill

Whats up everyone? I am feeling recovered from last week-ends scramble up Saint Joseph Peak. Special hello goes out to my lodge hommies Pablo and Pologra! Last night I got a phone call about doing a trip to Glacier park for some camping and hiking. If I can get a dog-sitter, I will definately be there.

Work has been screwy. It seems like they dont have enough for me to do so they have me running around setting up computers. Oh well, I need to get off my ass and get a real job. I bet if you look back to last years blog I said thee same things.

Today it is more of the same with 1 exception … after work I am going mountain biking. Got to get back into the swing if you know what I mean.

I have been laying in bed trying to get to sleep but too many things on my mind. Another contributing factor is that I am so sore and exhausted from Sunday's climb that I cant sleep. It may be hard to believe but I am to sore to fall asleep. I got home from work and crashed hard on the floor to wake up later unable to move around fluidly.

I want to go camping with the Rocky Mountaineers this weekend but I cant figure out what to do with Marcy. First I have to get her shots up to date. After that I have to find a dog sitter. I think I may have the sitter thing figured out but need to email my aunt first to see if she will dog-sit.

What I am going to do now is try to implement some code for my front page and maybe after that I can get to sleep. Boy, work tomorrow will be a bitch without any sleep.

Just a quick note that I did indeed make it back from Saint Joseph Peak last night around 11 PM. The Peak is 9586 feet high and I hiked it from the valley floor on the Bass Creek Trail. The trip up and back was around 16 miles in length and the climbing elevation according to my map program was a little over 6,000 feet. Stay tunes for some great pictures!

Today is real nice. The temperature is about 50 degrees and today will only get into the 70 or 80 range. The sun is out and all the smoke has cleared. It is definitely a beautiful day. I am going to park at the Bass Creek Trail Head and will hike up the drainage. Today’s mini-excursion (if you want to call it that) is up Saint Joseph Peak. To achieve this I will have to gain and use the ridge off the South side of St Joe. Its the long gradual one South East that reaches into Bass Creek Drainage.

If that does not happen I will at the very least find some photographic opportunities at some waterfalls in the valley that I had spotted two weeks ago on my hike up Little Saint Joe.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday and I hope to be posting some pictures of weeks past soon, stay tuned!

The sun is shining this morning and the wind has shifted to the East. The air quality really improved last night and I was able to really ride well on the Trail of Tears. Tonight I hope to ride Point 6 and Snow Bowl but what happened last night might prohibit that. In any case my car has the bike on the back and after work I am ready to go on another good ride.

Last night I took my sheets off and comforter from my bed to discover a spider. To make things worse I found another shortly after. I sprayed the bedroom top to bottom with the only thing I have that sprays, Lysol. With the bedroom fumigated I sat up and watched TV until the room cleared out. When I could go into the room I could not sleep. I was up till 5 AM and after two hours of sleep I am at work.

Boundaries come to mind all of a sudden. Having and setting good limits is connected to all aspects of regaining control over well being … growing in self-esteem, learning to really love, and self-value.

Boundaries emerge from inside our own minds. They are connected to being able to letting go of unhealthy items like guilt, shame, and deprivation of needs. As my thinking this morning about this is put down here in my blog, this all becomes clearer and so will my boundaries I hope.

I believe boundaries are connected to a higher power and when I set a limit, Ill do it when I am ready. Let go let “higher Power”, right? And … so will everyone else.

So I am hoping for some kind of magic about reaching this point of realization about setting limits. I should stick to it too so that every one else will know that I mean what I say and will take me seriously. I think this may be an issue of importance to me. Things will change, not because I am controlling others, but because I will control myself with some healthy limits.

Ok now I am getting lost in my ramblings. For today I am going to trust that I will learn, grow, and set the limits I need in my life at my own pace. When I am ready, at my own pace.

Today let us talk about saying yes. If you are like me you punish yourself buy not saying yes to what feels good and what you want.

Today I want to go on a trip with the Rocky Mountaineers in Glacier Park. I am excited about it yes and it sounds like great fun. Just a few moments after feeling this I began to think about why I should not go. No gas money, no equipment, and no camping fee money. This kind of thinking is wrong and we have to get some freaking control over it.

Say yes to fun, what a novel idea. Other examples are saying yes to meetings, calling friends, asking for help, relationships, people, and activities. I feel like instinctively I want to say yes to certain things; maybe it is a nudge from my higher power. This trip feels good and right. It sounds like a whole lot of fun. I am going!

What is the benefit of this decision? Well as I plan to do it I realize that they are camping at a free campsite for two nights so all I have to come up with is gas. If I can go with someone from here I may be able to split that expense. Wow, now I am excited. From now on I want to remember to say yes to all that feels good and right.

It's another sunny day here in Missoula but a lot cooler that last week. That is why today's outing to Caras Park was delightful. First on the agenda though, was a side trip for my friend Lucy Limberis. She wanted pictures of the warrior sculpture in front of the Adams Center.

I got numerous shots of the warrior and I must say, that sculpture would of made a great Iron Maiden or Judas Priest cover. I got a closer look at the beautifully colored iron icon. I think it is top ten for the sculptures that are my favorite. After the shoot it was off to the Park.

The band was Salsa Loca and they were fantastic. I felt like doing a little salsa out on the grass in front of the stage. I met up with another friend Julie Huck and we discussed tomorrows mountain bike ride. The pizza today (what I had anyway) was the one with bacon and ricotta cheese, I think it is called the Broadway.

After a little fun in the sun I headed back to work. It is hump day folks, time to look forward to the weekend. Get out and mountain bike kiddies before they shut down the trails due to fire danger.

We had a earthquake last night.
(CNN) A magnitude-5.6 earthquake struck southwestern Montana on Monday night, rattling windows and shaking buildings, but there were no immediate reports of any serious damage or injuries … The USGS categorized the earthquake as “moderate,” saying initial reports showed it occurred about 25 miles underground.

I was sitting at my computer at home and everything started to sway. I figured it was a huge gust of wind but soon realized that I live in a basement.

• Cool Earthquake Site

It is called the ”Case of the Mondays“ and I got it full bore. I cannot say that I am confused at how I ended up like this. This last weekend was a perfect one to just sleep and get some rest. None of my friends were doing anything that I could participate in so I had the perfect opportunity to just swing in a hammock. But did I? NO!

Saturday started out as a rest day until out of the blue I got an inspiration. Maybe it was because I had a friend that was climbing a big mountain. I don't know what it was but at around 12 noon I decided I was going to do McLeod in the Rattlesnake. And that is what I did. I stumbled out of the woods (well, more like ride my bike) to finish that bright idea a little after 9 hours from when I started. I even got home before ten.

Well then the next thing I knew it was Sunday. I knew that I was going to get some rest on Sunday. I was supposed to go with some friends to Glacier Park for a Sunday drive. I great opportunity to rest up and be with friends … right? That was not to be as I got word that I was not going to go on the trip. I was so jealous that I decided to go on my own trip. So I went to Skalkaho Pass and Skalkaho Falls. I barely made it home on the gas that I had. Well, not entirely … I spent my lunch money for gas.

So now here I sit at work not lunch money and tired as hell. I know I will make it through and I will. But for now I am feeling overwhelmed and confused.

Dont read further: A debugging tool ini_set(“display_errors”,”1″);

Montana isn’t just about the grind; we get our fair share of fun, too. This weekend, Paul and I tackled Sweeney Peak in the Bitterroots. It’s a solid climb, but nothing too taxing. On the descent, I got a bit creative and used my old tent fly for a bit of snow sledding.

I’ll try to share some pics of the escapade tomorrow. But for now, it’s all about prepping the bike for a mountain ride tomorrow. The big question is, where to? Night, everyone!

Just returned from a weekend at Thompson Lake near Happy’s Inn with Aunt Wanda and Uncle Jerry. Beautiful spot, and we had our camp ready by Friday night, even watched “Meet The Fockers” on my laptop.

Saturday was windy. After breakfast, decided to tackle Meadow Peak. It’s a tough climb, reminiscent of Mineral Peak, but the view and bear grass fields were worth it. A storm hit in the evening, but it left behind stunning sunset scenes. Attempted “National Treasure,” but our laptop died mid-movie.

Sunday, I biked the Lost Prairie loop while the others fished. Captured shots of red wildflowers and prairies. We relaxed that evening, took turns in the hammock, and watched “The Day After Tomorrow.”

Monday, we headed home early. Had plans in Missoula, but ended up biking alone and wrecked my tire. Ended the weekend with ice cream and sleep.

• Thompson Lake: Thompson Lake
• Happy’s Inn: Happy’s Inn
• “Meet The Fockers”: Meet The Fockers
• Meadow Peak: Meadow Peak
• Mineral Peak: Mineral Peak
• “National Treasure”: National Treasure
• “The Day After Tomorrow”: The Day After Tomorrow
• Missoula: Missoula Map

Got a long weekend up your sleeve? Don’t let it slip through your fingers! I’m on the hunt for some camping, biking, and hiking action, but looks like my usual gang’s skipped town. So, here’s the deal: I’m eyeing Duffy Lake and Sweeny Peak in the majestic Bitterroots. Think leaving Saturday morn and rolling back into town by Monday. If you’re up for it or wouldn’t mind an extra buddy on your trip, hit me up. Had a few plans tank, so I’m pretty much game for whatever.

Also, heads up: the Rattlesnake and McLeod hike is on pause till August. Waiting on Larry and maybe Alden to free up.

This morning is a little rainy but it is nice. It is nice that it is summer. I ponder this morning … I have no money … the car is out of gas. Then it comes to me, I will use my CITI card to get $5.00 in gas then use it to just drive downtown and back. Then I can pretend that everything is normal, heck Ill even stop into Bernice's for a goodie and coffee. Oh, wait! No money … sure, ok! Well … I could stop by the bank, if I try to take out $10.00 and it denies me, no harm done. However, if it gives me $10.00, the sky is the limit. Yahoo, so I am off to do normal things this morning. Even if it is just for this morning! This morning is a little rainy but it is nice. It is nice that it is summer. I ponder this morning … I have no money … the car is out of gas. Then it comes to me, I will use my CITI card to get $5.00 in gas then use it to just drive downtown and back. Then I can pretend that everything is normal, heck Ill even stop into Bernice's for a goodie and coffee. Oh, wait! No money … sure, ok! Well … I could stop by the bank, if I try to take out $10.00 and it denies me, no harm done. However, if it gives me $10.00, the sky is the limit. Yahoo, so I am off to do normal things this morning. Even if it is just for this morning!

So now, I have coffee, Danish, and the Missoula Indy. I am happy! There are a few things though. I bet you did not think I would let you off the hook this easy. Lets get this out in the open early on this weekend so I can ease through the rest, or at least till the next big bike ride.

This is my blog so I choose to use Connecticut as a representation of all things bad the closer you get to DC. I lived in Connecticut and liked it there.

I remember living in CT and it seemed like if you had a dog or children you were not the norm. Most of the population was more interested in Money and possessions. Fancy cars were allowed in parking lots but dogs were banned from certain communities. Well it seems a little bit of CT has tried to peek into Montana.

Darby's pit bulls may soon find themselves in the peculiar position of being both in and out of the doghouse after the Town Council voted June 15 to ban the beasts from city limits. Though the ordinance, which would ban pit bulls and other breeds with aggressive reputations, passed 3