Author: Bill

My favorite lake loop in all the west is the one around Swan Lake. Sometimes it is hard for me to put a figure on what I like. I knew this place was special when I ran into it.

I was out ahead of snuggles and flowing the momentum trail when I stopped dead in my tracks. A pine martin stood upon my path, and I came to a stop. We stared at each other.

After a moment, it just walked down the trail. I waited impatiently for Snuggles to catch up. When she did, I told her to ride around the corner and look for a creature. I was sure it would be just walking down the trail.

She did just what I said, and I waited. After a few moments, I rode ahead to catch up.

“Well?”

“What I saw nothing.”

I took out my phone and scrolled to the photos I took. I handed it to her.

“Oh wow, your namesake”

Well, that’s it. It was good while it lasted. I need to wipe up some tears. Hold on …

Ok, where was I? This fall has been great. And it appeared we were getting along even better than ever.

But eventually we saw the signs of change. I kept putting it into the back of my mind. But we can no longer deny the issue.

One last ride. One last downhill adventure. It was time to come to terms with our biggest issue.

As beautiful as it seems, there is always change.

I am standing at the edge of a cliff, and for one moment I feel like jumping. I mean, can life go on?

When times are good and you are having fun, you never see the issues coming. Maybe we just don’t stop and wait, even investigate what is there.

“what are you doing?”

“Just savoring this moment, I do not want it to end.”

I walk away from the edge and follow her back down the path. One last run. This is it. The end of the bike park season.

Have you ever been torn? It must have been gross. I mean, to be torn apart. Yuk!

I can not exactly say I have been physically torn and am ashamed of the stupid joke I just made. What I mean is emotionally torn. Take something beautiful. As beautiful as it seems, there is a downside.

Take fall, the season fall. It’s beautiful, no? But it is fall folks. Moments from Winter. I mean, holy shit.

We cannot ignore fall colors. Everything sings out and puts their stamp on the season. Everything must die, sure. But before we switch seasons, we get to appreciate the good things before we move on.

Times are changing. Well, I hope they are. Anyway, I want to take a moment and appreciate what we had. Even in the bleakest of times. Which we are in … there are great things to appreciate. Like RGB, who left us with such beautiful hope.

So before I take that last lift into the sky. I appreciate the world. The one I found. The one that surprises me. The world that has given me so much.

2020 has been a year of disaster. One can not deny it has been the worst in recent memory. Everything feels fractured. It would be so easy to crack and fall apart.

There is one glimmer of hope. The season of change. Maybe things will come back together. Maybe we can all fix the things that separate us. As we jump in our van to move to the next adventure, it is this hope that keeps the wheels turning.

Just remember the beauty. When times were bleak. The things that kept you going.

Remember the beauty.

It took a while. Like … 3 hours sitting in a traffic jam while still stuck in “The Park”. Then a midnight emergency camping spot in Island Park. But the next day it finally happened.

We grabbed our spot in the parking lot and immediately headed out for a ride.

Inst life grand?

I was disgruntled when she came home.

I stayed instead of going for a ride and fixed supper.

While we were eating supper. I disclosed that I felt angry. I didn’t get to my bike ride today.

She recommended that we go riding together. And she recommended that she could get me into the park and we can go up old gardener road.

This turned out to be a great recommendation. And really, it was a godsend I waited to ride. We took off early evening. And the sun started to set.

The smoke in the air is so thick that it felt like we were on Mars.

As the sun sank behind the mountains, I took some extraordinary pictures.

And the ride was fantastic. I even ran into an elk. Then bombed down into Mammoth Hot Springs where I did a loop and then back up to a waiting snuggles.

That was a great ride? Thanks snuggles.

Mr. Bear, what are you doing? Oh yeah, that reality show where this guy gets people unstuck. I like that show too. But I’m working, so why don’t you beat make yourself useful?

Oh no mr. bear, what the hell? You can’t install new LED headlights. That’s my job. Oh boy, taking care of a stuffed bear has such hard work.

Smoky reflections. What were you doing on this day in the past?

2018 found me reflecting, again, in Yellowstone.

In 2016, we were doing big adventures to celebrate our anniversary.

2015 we seemed to biting off something big.

2010 living in Missoula … gosh, I miss Missoula. Now I wonder. IS life getting better. Or are we going smaller and moving away from the ones we love.

Nothing new with Buttons and this weekend confirming that we can travel with a third bike, although very pain-in-the-ass.

The wildfire smoke is creeping into our area so van camping is kind of blah situation.

Well, see you at the next camp.

It’s so easy to get out and ride in Gardiner, Montana. I am not saying it is a nice place to live. Lots of eccentric folks that would rather shoot you then talk. My point is coming from my perspective now that I have been back in Livingston for two days. I haven’t ridden since I left Gardiner. Sure, there is great gravel riding in Livingston, but I can bring myself to get out. I don’t know what it is, but Livingston is definitely not a cycling destination. I came here to go visit someone in need … but … I can’t do it. I need to go for a ride. I am going back to the mountains. Sorry, selfish wins out.