Now back in the cold devil dusted place one calls Montana I cower behind a double pane window and yearn to be back in the desert. To be free. To Explore. And to be worshiping the sun. And to … ride.
Mo riding along a rim
One can see the backside of Snow Canyon in the distance
Whoaaaaaa
Found another route to explore through the canyon below
Interesting rocks to ride around
The only way to tell that it is winter is that the trees don’t have leaves.
As the sun goes closer to the horizon we must return to the trailhead
You know how on that one holiday you wake up early to see what that spirit everyone calls Santa has left you? Well, maybe it was because someone told me the lie was untrue. Or just maybe I plane just forgot. I tend to think it is what I do when my eyes come open in the morning. I want to go riding.
Your mind view of St George
And now that we were in a place that allows riding. As opposed to the hell of the North where it was below zero and 3 feet of snow. No, here it was in the 50s and the sun was coming up. No snow … just dirt. I’m riding damn it.
Climbing up Owens Trail
I pulled my bike out of the car and gave it a once-over. It had not been ridden for three months. Not since that devil dust started to fall up north. It looked good so I swung a leg over and started to pedal up the hill.
Sun coming up over St George
Soon I found a fitness path … and off of that, a single track called Owens Trail. As the trial unfolded before my eyes a grin also started to spread.
Probably the best self-portrait I have done
I am not saying it was all glee. Well, maybe it was. But I was soon educated on how my skills had gone to the wayside living up north. But that is okay.
Owens Trail
So maybe I walked a couple of sections. But overall this experience fit like a glove.
OK, skills check …. not there
I topped out on a high point and figured I had better turn around. I would save the rest for the days to come. I had to get back. Because it was that one holiday everyone wakes up to see what Santa, that devious devil, would bring everyone “stuff”.
Some cool features of Owens Trail
I bombed back down the trail excited to begin our vacation. Soon my wings got strong and the wind lifted me off the ground. I was flying. Finally after so long. And I flew off to the horizon.
We left M. R. McBear to watch the Ogden vacation home and we bolted to St George. The place that the Mormons created to grow cotton because of its ability to provide summer-like conditions; while the rest of the country is in a deep freeze. Upon arrival, we went for a walk. In the green grass. To see the lights of St George. Tomorrow we open presents.
Owly and M. R. McBear wait for thier friend to present gifts
A peacock out of a pear tree
Downtown
Puppy pusher
Well Red Dragon
I’ll have a blue christmas …
Preview
Ever Green
Leap frog red
Big pine lights
Red Square
Holiday Plaza
Palm Holiday
Red Town Square
Holiday Fan
Red Tree
Even the bathrooms in the park had a sense of christmas
St George Town Square
Lights to space
Christmas ride
Holiday family portrait
And the stocking were hung by the do not disturb sign
We are outta here. Thanks Montana for the 2017 adventures. It was a great year of exploring and discovery. And now that you are frozen over with a blanket of devil powder we are going south the bring in the new year. We are taking our stockings filled with gifts and bailing. See you in 2018.
Our tree with our ninja bear M. R. McBear
Mo made the most extraordinary sugar cookies … without sugar, mostly almond flour, butter, and coconut butter … amazing
We are gearing up for a week-long vacation to southern Utah. Hopefully to ride our bikes. For some reason, I can not revel in that or look forward to it. One must understand how I work. I am a planner. I can’t just do stuff last-minute. And I am used to swallowing this outlook as we prepare for a vacation. Where we don’t start packing until the last day and it’s super stressful … for at least myself.
But, I am used to that and I know we will eventually get going. Sometimes late, but we pull it off… always. This time, however, I am freaking out that once we get back the goal was to downsize and move into a poverty situation so I can pay off my student loan.
The hope is that without overhanging dept we can just start vagabonding and will eventually be free. Free from the shackles of working for others and the burden of doing that to buy crap. Just to have to manage it all. Working. Sleeping, Paying the bills just to warehouse crap. Then buy more.
No, I think freedom is to have a bike, food, and a place to sleep. To do a passion that others will find valuable. Do what we want. Freedom.
First though we have to start downsizing. And it seems silly to me that we are going on a vacation, a lavish vacation when we havent prepared for the work we need to do when we return.
On a commute to work
“Breath”, snuggles says, “Breath”. And as the oxygen saturates my brain it unfreezes. Yes, we need to be free from this. And in time we will get there. It’s an adventure. Don’t they always work out? Wow, am I thankful for an adventure partner.
I often go out fat biking around the neighborhood. This year I do what I like to call the Lollipop Guild. It’s a series of three out and back routes that at the end have a small loop. So it looks like a lollipop on a map.
I also always offer my tiny excursions to my partner. If she is in town or not busy she will sometimes indulge in my insane route. For her, one should ride, loop around, and then make it home. Most importantly the most direct way. To me, I want to savor the fat bike experience and go long. Which may mean snaking my way along every town trail. It can get quite complex.
“Time to head home cuddles”
Tonight she indulged me and followed my senseless twists and turns eventually ending up at the ‘Pop’ of the largest ‘Lolli’ route. After an hour we went around a mile as the crow flies, but my route was 6. She had enough.
“Stay out and have fun, I am just going to ride home”
The sun sets on a section of trail nearing what we call Spooky Woods
And that was it. She bee-lined it. I finished my routes and joined her home a couple of hours later.
The holiday season is just about over. In a week we jet off to St George. And now I finish up the Thanksgiving photos. Let’s reflect. Lots of seasonably warm weather with bouts of winter snow storms. Fat bikes filling in the gaps of course. This all capping off 2017 and our Bozeman adventures. In 2018 we sell everything and move. For now a ride from Twin Lakes Cabin back to the car for the lengthy drive home. Anyone want some furniture?
Twin Lakes
Breakfast anyone … so we don’t have to curry it out 🙂
The cabin, woodshed, and outhouse
FatBike Packing Family portrait
Almost back to the car it was better to ride in the mud then on the ice
We just got back from Billings and holidays with mom and dad. We attempted a traditional feast. Big turkey complete with stuffing and a rather stressful winter travel to and fro. This morning I am thinking about the contrast. Our, meaning team MoBill Thanksgiving, and the one we enjoyed yesterday. We did pull off the same sourdough stuffing but instead of turkey, we bike-packed up a set of big juicy pork chops. So which day of the feast was better. Don’t know. I guess we will have to cook up some chops today, check out the photos from Twin Lakes, and get more data.
Morning on the lake
Contrasts
Forest
The past … preserved … for now
Interesting suspension
Woodie
Protrude
Above it all
The traditional prove that I am not as keen as I promote game ending in the belief that I am a sourpuss.
Today we are cooking the turkey for our annual holiday at mom and dads. But first I want to give thanks for being able to do things like fatbiking into twin lakes for Thanksgiving and going into the desert on christmas. Thanks to mom and dad for understanding as we combine these two dates into one Billings visit. And now onto the show.
Morning scene
Cold morning
Probably the driest conditions ever but fat biking must go on
Photo by Mo … who has a good eye for all things cool
The Quake of 1840
Story board
The next day it was cold enough to set up the snow and we could get out to explore
The one thing we can say about our annual Thanksgiving trip to Twin Lakes is that it is always different. I mean really different. We have never had two trips into that cabin that were the same. And this year did not disappoint.
Fat Biking the Big Hole
The first year we skied in, taking us just shy of 12 hours and almost killed snuggles. Since then we have fat-bike-packed our way. Once in deep snow with truck ruts, a 50 plus ride from another cabin in a freak blizzard, once the packed snow allowed us to fly up the hill, one in a rainstorm, sometimes walking the bike in deep powder, and then last year we drove up to the place. This year we got a ton of snow but to only have a heat wave keep temperatures in the 60s at night. 2017 is officially the year of the slush fest.
The mud was easier than the glare ice
We were able to drive about a mile or two from the traditional corner that we park but from there on it was ice ruts and mud bogs. We decided to ride that part.
Mo making the transition from mud to snow.
But soon enough as we gained elevation we reached snow. I was elated with expectations of riding the rest of the way. About 6 miles. And right there you should sense a problem. Never expect … right?
I’m trying to keep it in the rut
The sunset appeared in front of us as we were walking our bikes. We rode on snow for about a mile then I started to sink through the snow. With temps in the 50s I started to shed layers. Our tracks burned through to the ground and produced a 3-inch deep layer of slush water. And I can say this much. Pushing in slush is really tough. Snuggles rode past me because she was light and could float. About 2 hours later I got a message on the radio.
“I made it to the cabin … had to walk”, then some breathing sounds, “don’t follow my tracks”, more breathing, “I went the wrong way”.
I am still hanging onto summer. But facts are facts and the reality is that we are in the middle of winter. Time to bike … ah, I mean to bite the bullet. Load those damn fat bikes and go into Hyalite.
Ruby takes a break
As I waited for snuggles I rested my brain and stepped off the bike. This after about 1/4 mile and 20 minutes of hard work. No fat biking isn’t physically tough. I mean you have extremely low gears. But it IS mentally tough.
Mo is all smiles as she tries to keep it on the track
It is like the balance beam. Easy to walk but tough to stay balanced. You have to will yourself to stay upright and holy shit if you sway to the side a couple inches. You see all you have is like maybe 4 inches of the path. Depends on where one goes I guess …
Winter is here but one last weekend to camp out. Last October we did just that. To do a campfire and go on mountain bike rides. And go to cool places. Like Crow Creek Falls. Sitting here watching snow fall I harken back … and miss those times.
Working from home. It affords us so much but at the same time seems to make us busier. Well, there is feeling socially deprived too. But the best part is that there is no commute. Which affords us time to go hiking and after work extracurriculars.
A fall hike
But then I get focused without office distractions and although I do get more done I forget to go on that 15-minute walking break or stretch. I feel curmudgeon and cant get my personal stuff done. Maybe it is time to set an alarm and take a break once in a while.
Working from home
Just like life and just going along focused on making money and paying the rent. We buy stuff to get us in a place to think that we are making money to afford them.
Some little creatures gathering on our porch
Are we focused and missing out? Is it time to get rid of all our stiff and try to work less. No, not be poor but have more freedom?
Boneshakerbike 