Bill – Page 84 – Boneshakerbike

WNA #15 – Moose Run

on October 14th a fantastic group of 2 showed up for the inageral Moose Run. Named so because before we turned around we saw a moose. But really just wanted to post that we rode and what number it is and the map …. bla bla. Over and Out!

October 14, 2015

Why I don’t own a fat bike anymore

Reason number one. My stupidity. I could of owned a Ventana El Gordo. But I wanted to go with the light weight salsa carbon bear grease. It was my fantasy bike and just is all fantasies should always remain a Fantasy.

Reason number to. I trusted Salsa. Any other bike, even a Motobecane, would have never broke in the way that the carbon beargrease broke. I over shot a turn and laid the bike down jumping off and rolling off the side of the trail. The bike came to rest against a log with the back tire spinning. I have dumped many bikes in much more severe crashes. I have seen my mukluk bouncing down a scree slope head over heels for 600 feet. It never broke. This bike should have never broken and in that vein should have been warrantied.

Reason number three. I didn’t want to cause any waves and ruin any bonds. I wanted to get back on my fat bike as soon as possible. So what did I do? I sent it off to spider composites to have it repaired. But now the bike has not returned. It had been repaired 2 weeks ago but has been lost in transit. No shipping insurance nothing, poof. Vanished into thin air. Now I don’t have a fat bike. I can’t afford to put another one underneath me right now.

And now I just want to get to sleep. So I’m writing this blog to export my frustrations out there. I will move on and figure out a way. May be out of the blue the bike will show up one day. But what a run of bad luck, right?

October 10, 2015

WNA #14 – Truman

As we approach the end of the mountain-bike-in-the-daylight portion of the Wednesday Night Adventures the photos of each event has dwindled. Not only because it is getting dark so soon but because unruly weather starts to rear its hooves as we plummet into winter around these parts. As such there are no photos for the Truman Ride as it was raining and so slippery we couldn’t ride on top of the bikes let alone get some pictures. Along with a sever health issue, I tried to have a carbohydrate before the ride, one rider of the massive field of two was alone out front. Mo claimed the ruler of the 1000 foot climb before turning around and riding back to the vehicle in the darkness. next week we break out the night light gear.

October 9, 2015

WNA #13 – Moser

It is that time of year when the evenings get shorter. So now it is time for the shorter rides. The classic short ride around these parts is Moser. I like to call it Missoula because it reminds me of the greeat trails in Zootown. The ride tied a record attendance with 2 strong riders.

October 6, 2015

Hyalite Scout Trip

Ok, time to come clean. We are scouting out the GVQ route for 2016. A trip over the Hyalite and into Castle Rock. After this weekend I can say this WILL be added. So epic.

2015 Hyalite Bikepack

October 5, 2015

Hyalite Bikepack 2015

It was my partner’s idea. To do a bikepack trip to Hyalite lake. This time of year the timeshare is no longer in effect and we can bike up there on any evening. Little did we know that you can’t bike all the way to the lake. We discovered a sign that said no biking to the lake. So we had to hike the last mile. After sending up tent we discovered the area little bit better than we ever have. And then we had some brats and watched the sunset. Just like our first date.

Hyalite Bikepack 2015

October 3, 2015

WNA #12 – Middle Cottonwood

Last week we took a week off to do a cyclocross race. Enough of that sillyness. Due to a family emergency we were not set up to leave work and go directly to a trail head. So we made our way back home, after a recycling run of course, and threw on some adventure clothes. then we proceeded to get lost and finally find the Middle Cottonwood trailhead. Thankfully the large group, um no one, waited up for us. It was a short 4 mile ride. Welcome back the the Gallatin, where rides are short and the trail unforgiving. A record tying number showed up in the form of 2 great riders. The massave fun ended in the dark. Maybe we will be prepaired next week.

Mo climbs up the Middle Cottenwood drainiage

The sun sets on Baldy Mountain

Mo climbs through the autumn colors

A night crossing of the Middle Cottonwood

Sun setting lit up the under belly of the clouds

September 24, 2015

Rattlesnake Ride

Norman just crossing the creek from the Wallman climb in the rattlesnake

I got a answer to my Face Book post and so this ride was born out of a last minute plan to meet up in the Rattlesnake. We covered much of the best riding which in the end was kind of a tour of whats new since I left Missoula. The new stuff on the Wallman and the exclusion of Kench Meadows. The re-working of the Turkey Run. And the new Sawmill Gulch stuff. All great editions. I especially like the new berms. It has been so long since I got to ride without white knucle death gripping the break lever. Now I am homesick as the two days of riding was stress free and recharging. If I lived in Missoula I would ride my bike more.

September 21, 2015

September Missoula trip 2015

My partner and I decided to hit up Missoula to visit friends. I can only handle so much social so I escaped for a little bike ride. Then I fell asleep on University mountain. So nice to be home.

September 20, 2015

Blackmore Lake Hike

It was time to take a break from biking. That usually means hiking … right? So it is what we did. Our hike of choice was to make it up Blackmore. Instead of reaching that lofty goal we made it to the lake. A whopping 3 or 4 miles. We started out OK but soon realized that we were just to tired from a week of work and also comming off of a 5 day bike packing trip. So it was a day to recognize the new visitor in town, Autumn.

The colors of the season was boutiful on today’s hike

Emerging into a clearing that is suppossed to be Blackmore Lake

Mo hikes around Blackmore Lake

Panoramic view of what is left of the lake

Free hiking in the Blackmore Lake wetland looking for bear prints, didnt find any

Sun hitting grass

September 17, 2015

Gallatin Vision Quest Day 5

Today was all about getting back home. We left out of the Little Bear Cabin access routes and trailhead. After one of the biggest downhills ever we set off to and crossed the valley floor, on pavement. Long hot day down at 6,000 ft. We arrived in town, grabbed some groceries, and went home to host a huge celibration dinner. Our first real food for 5 days. We fell asleep under a roof to sounds of the city. Not good to be home. I dreamed of being back out THERE. Although the shower was NICE.

I set up my hammock to watch the sun come up.

Looking off towards the Gallatin Gateway from camp.

My morning view.

We had to nivigate some FS roads, some closed, some not closed, to find our way back to the road down to Little Bear.

Emergin onto the road to Little Bear Cabin

We woke up without water so we gathered up camp and stopped at the first stream to have our coffees.

The long decent to the valley floor we just aimed out bikes at the “M”

After 4 days we found pavement again.

We left adventure behind

The trouble with pavement is that yo must share it with people that want to just run your ass over.

Stopping off at Town and Country for some comfort food.

September 16, 2015

Gallatin Vision Quest Day 4

Day 4 I awoke to a horrible sound. At first I thought it was a elk … but a real sick elk. All came clear when I headed out on the bike to find some water. I ran into two hunters just down the trail. I am sure they were trying to sound like a elk. I did find water and after the traditional coffee and sunrise morning with my partner we were off to new unexplored regions of the Gallatin. Well, at lest for us. Over the high point of the trip at 9,200 ft. overlooking the Storm Castle drainage. Then swinging North again to ride back to the Gallatin Valley overlooking the homeland. We definitely need another two days to pull off what we had in mind before heading back north.

Around 8,000 near a huge meadow above the Cottonwood Drainiage

Climbing up out of Big Bear Creek

Mo finishes the Moose Jaw Climb

Mo and I pose for a shot on top of the Moose Jaw

Riding the ridge trail on the north side of Storm Castle

9,200

We have one day left and we need to swing North towards home.

We got all the way back to the Gallatin Valley before the sun started to signal us to stop

The last night gave us the best sunset colors

September 15, 2015

Gallatin Vision Quest Day 3

It froze hard during night 2. I broke the ice off the fly and emerged into brilliant sunlight. The rain storms were over. The morning was relaxing and we spent our time drying everything out and hanging in the hammock. The second half of the day included two huge climbs, great ridge views, epic single-track, and even a forging of a stream. Brilliant days come with a cost. A late surge to find a spot on top of Wheeler and fumbling around to set up camp combating the feeling of exhaustion. Sleep came fast as the calls of Elk on the ridge sang us to sleep.

Heavy frost is melted off with the sun shinning through the trees.

While things were drying out I decided to hang myself out to dry.

My bike awaits travel after a frost night

Where the langhor Climb meets the Window Rock Trail

Past the Langhor climb merging into the Window Rock Trail breaks out to a view over the Cottonwood Drainage.

Mo breaks out into the CottonWood Drainiage

Mo decends toward the Fox Creek Cabin

Mo takes her time to walk down the loose and sketchy Fox Creek Trail decent.

The trail along Cottonwood Creek

Mo rips down the Cottonwood Trail

The Cottonwood Trail

going down the Cottenwood plumbing showing off my backside

Crossing on of many Cottonwood bridges with a loaded bike takes some sort of skill

Scaring Mo with some antics

Mo crosses CottonWood Creek to head up the Wheeler Trail

September 14, 2015

Gallatin Vision Quest Day 2

We woke up to sun … for about 6 minutes. Then it started to cloud up. We had camped on a side road off the trail to Bear Lakes, our original planned camp. After good coffee and a high five we headed to Bear Lakes. We then braved the massive climb to the top of a ridge on our way to Mystic Lake. The single track is outstanding and in contention for my favorite part of the week. Once in the next valley it started to rain. So we opted for the Moser Trail to the Hyalite Valley. The rain poured harder and we pedaled on with abandon. When the sun came out so did the shooters. I had to yell, “don’t shoot” numerous times. Once near Langhor we hid ourselves from the road and dried everything out. Camp 2 of the GVQ we had enough time for a brat and pea soup, something worm after a long day of riding in the rain. We fell asleep to the sound of the wind through the lodge poles.

My bike awaits as I scan the area for anything left.

Stopping for a water break on the way to Bear lakes

Mo rides past a wooded pond on the way to Bear Lakes

Following the signs to Mystic Lake

Mo rides over Bear Lake Pass

Navigating the wonderfull Bear Lake Pass downhill trail

Forgoing the hidden meadow ride and heading down to Mystic lake

Given the rain we decided to go to the Moser Climb and forgo the Wildhorse Trail

September 11, 2015

Gallatin Vision Quest Day 1

2015 Gallatin Vision Quest

On Friday September 4th we embarked on our yearly bike pack. We left after work and made our way from our front door to the Gallatin. We found riding the roads stressful but soon found ourselves alone in the forest. We headed up the Bear Canyon access and camped out before the climb to the Bear Lakes. That night laying in the tent we decided to call our journey the Gallatin Vision Quest. The GVQ!

September 10, 2015

Boulder Plateau

Well not quite to the Boulder Plateau but we tried. We were on foot Sunday because, well, it felt like we needed to do something diffrent for a change. And since I lost my fat bike I havent been the same on a bike. The romance of biking is gone. So what does every couple do … go hiking. Take a break from stupid biking.

Boulder Plateau

September 2, 2015

Elk Creek Ride

We wanted to camp out and explore the East fork of the Boulder but the campground there touts only two sites. And the road dead ends at a mine. Absolutely no roadside camping opportunities. So we stayed on the Boulder River and commuted to the East Fork. Of the two possable rides we opted for the Elk Creek Ride.