Author: Bill

Shafthouse is a loop that Bozeminites do on the east side of the Bridger Range. This past weekend I tried out my new skis. And now my mind thinks back to the ride we did Set 22nd. Now I can not wait to try this area with my new fatties (skis).

Usually one leaves the traditional parking area at the end of Seitz Road. Then does the loop clockwise. The hardest part is turning left on the correct logging road to ride over to the Fairy Lake Road. But now I am wondering if I can not just ski directly up the part that we bombed down. So much terrain in there.

When we rode it my partner was totally freezing to death and as I waited up for her on one of many fabulous switchbacks I wondered if the area wouldn’t be kick ass slider terrain.

I suppose that a moose encounter is what cleared my brain until now. When a moose charges you it somehow clears your mind. But as the snow flies outside I am totally remembering the slopes. And now comes the time to try it out.

The creature was going against all rules and regulations of the weed, the convenient of truths to follow. The weed was something that was never tested. And it was for good reason. For centuries no human has ever seen a lurk. But this afternoon Jo crossed the line. Rule 6 … never leave the underground before sunset. He felt he had to. But now laying there and solidifying into a rock, last breaths of life expelling out of his lungs, he realized that his decision was fatal. Never test the weed.

As the shutter opened for a long exposure I laid back into the moss to relax. I had busted up here for an evening shot of the falls and now just needed to let the camera do the work. A long 3 minute exposure should work. To capture things that was now too hard to see. It was getting dark fast. Everything was in focus. Except for one item. A rock it seems. Seeming to move, just a little. And the photos would show a smudge, a rock maybe toppling down the falls.

I enjoy my life. I am pretty vocal about it on my blog, tweets, and FaceCrack posts. But that is where I draw the line. Otherwise I don’t push my personal policies and habits upon others. At least from my perspective. This was on my mind as I stopped to cross a creek. Before crossing I paused for photos and to wait up for my partner. Some things I do are appealing and others come along for the ride quite often. Some even call me their friend. Amazing isn’t it?

I found myself gazing into the creek and appreciating the colorful leaves floating downstream. My mind drifts too. And then there are these people. I am not saying dishonest. I also don’t want to speculate too much. But it seems that some things I do offends them or intrigues them. Take my diet. It is as far away from what you consider traditional as possible. And I am not doing it to be weird or different. I am doing it because I feel satisfied with what I learn to be healthy. So then out of nowhere some people start to question me and before long I always find myself in a all out interrogation.

My partner arrives and starts to cross the creek. I look up and she immediately sees my anguish. I explain that I was thinking of some conversations I have had with friends recently. Not knowing what to do to help she jumps bak on her bike and pedals off. I follow. It is so nice she does not question everything and just lets me be me.

As the trail winds higher and higher the views increasingly pull my attention away from my troublesome thoughts. The earth has never judged. Just imposed its massive truth. And the truth is that it is beautiful. And I start to realize that the very humans I am wondering about do the same thing to our planet. Question it. Label it. Demand explanation.

We finally reach our destination and the ride has done therapeutic things to me. I am no longer sad that I feel like a outcast sometimes. Like a alien being dissected. My partner and I take a moment to gaze around and take in the familiar beauty that we just spent the afternoon biking to.

But it is obvious to me that the planet I inhabit needs no explanation, at least to me. It is just beautiful. No questions asked. I wish I was beautiful too.

That’s the great thing about pizza. You can pick off the things you don’t like. So why isn’t life-like that? Or is it? Like could you go skiing and pick off the cold element?  You can’t. Tomorrow’s forecasted high temperature at Lolo Pass is 8 below zero. So maybe skiing … NOT.  No, I would rather sit here indoors and look at times gone by. Beautiful waterfall photos.

Good Bye Old Friend

On day 3 we packed up and left Twin Lakes in a raging blizzard. A real epic story could of come out of the situation but it didn’t. We got wet, a little, and was initially scared, a little. But all in all we got down in record time and was eating burgers before the night fell.

In the morning however I needed some “Bill Time” to say good bye to an old friend. My bike “Larry”. It was for sale so that I could obtain a carbon mistress.

Larry has been a good ol fat bike but the time has come to update myself to something that has evolved. Lighter, better geometry, and more performance. Yes, I am going to call it “evolve”

We all must evolve. But we must keep in mind that evolving takes the very things you leave behind to bring you through the journey of evolving. One can not get to the peak without the mountain itself being there.

Goodbye Old friend. Thanks for the ride … “Larry”.

Day 1 | Day 2

Open Ice

More views

Across the lake

Reds

Larry

Expansive Possibilities

I woke to a bright sunny day. I was sipping my morning coffee when I felt someone walk up behind me. It was my partner who just recently started waking up earlier which cuts into “Bill Time”.

“What should we do today”?

“Well, X marks the spot”, I motioned to the sky over Twin Lakes. She looked over and immediately noticed to what I was referring to. Then her eyes dropped to the lake and a grin spread across her face.

“Let’s go exploring”.

“On the bikes”?

“Yea, let’s go around the lake”.

So that is what we did. And more. It pays to poke around the edges of a lake. Specially on fat bikes. Unless you have a water craft in the summer it is hard to access the shore the way a fat bike can. Sure you can snow shoe or ski. But really, that takes so much work. And it is slow and arduous. This way, on a fat bike, is a truly cool experience. And in the winter a water craft will get you didly-squat.

And it was this “poking around” that lead to a ride up a tributary to the lake. Probably the coolest experience I have had. Darn I love fat bikes.

Who would of though that you could ride up a creek that contributed to a lake? That kind of unexpected “find” sparks new optimism for explorations.

“Let’s go down the road we came up … and find other places to explore, like that one turn off …”

We returned to the cabin totally wiped and ready for some brats and possibly a porter or two. Which may I add only led to a night criterium around the camp ground on our fat bikes sporting booties and pajamas.

Day 1 | Day 3

Up the triarybut

On the ice

Creek

Tracks

Twin jet streams

Arrived

Up another Valley

Poking around

Across Twin Lakes

Golden

Tracks

Sunset

Going In

Larry was the name of the fat bike I sold just after Thanksgiving. I sold it so I could purchase my new fat bike who’s name is Ruby. This adventure was it’s last. An adventure that my partner and I have done for three years now. The annual trip to Twin lakes to stay in the forest service cabin. The last two years have been … “interesting” with the extreme ski the first time and the big end to our fat bike respite last year. This year would be no different.

So we packed our bikes not knowing what to expect ahead. Two years ago it was an all day ski where my partner succumb to a huge bonk and meltdown 5 miles from the cabin. That followed by us searching around in the dark for a cabin that we had never been to. Then last year we biked 50 some miles from Hogan Cabin to this one in a huge blizzard. So that was pretty tough as well. Would we encounter the huge snows of last year or would the trail be packed.

Enter packed … and very rideable. In fact we got up the first road section in record time. And thank goodness too because we did the usual “late start”. My partner was on her first fat bike and it was it’s first adventure. It seemed they were hitting it off just fine. By the way her fat bike is named Abba.

I stopped right where it started to climb, about 5 miles from the cabin. I just had to take in the glorious sun shine and wait for my partner. Even if we walked from here the day was a huge success. After three years we finally were rewarded with a “normal” style adventure. And the cabin, well it was right were we left it. All snuggled against the lake. As the sun left the horizon we sipped hot tea and relaxed in our favorite respite.

Day 2 | Day 3

Getting ready

Starting out

Heading up

The End

Gold Fish

“That looks like a goldfish”, I shouted back to my partner in crime. She looked up and seemed mesmerized for a moment.

Blooded Wall

Wall of many colors

Yellow Wall

Red Path

The rest of our 2013 Trans Zion went down much like a movie. I mean we all know how it ends as one anticipates the final chapter. And just like a hollywood movie we all know how it may end. All we needed to do was hike to Angles Landing and then down to the valley floor. Since I have been to Angels landing I knew how this trip would end … or did I? As we hiked I looked up at the walls, or as in a theater the big screen.

Sand World

Yellow

Two Colors

Obviously the big characters in this show were the rocks and all their colors. As expected the smaller characters were a big part of the show too. Even the fall colors piped in to add something to the end.

Mo dowhikes

Presenting

The major drama for the show was all the damn downhill hiking. I found it difficult but managed. My partner on the other hand, carrying her weight on her back almost succumb to a ride down instead. She was absolutely thrashed after all of the final decent. And I might add … all on pavement from Angles Landing to the floor.

Valley Floor

Valley Wall

Zion Panorama

Angles Landing

Angles Landing

Chasm

The end was also a thriller. With all the massive drop offs I almost peed my pants. Once I gasped for air and fell backwards almost passing out. The massive gap in reality and space between me and the floor so far away and was just too much.

Winding Down

Traverse

The Fridge

Forever Downward

Ribbon

Garden of Color

The plot in the end had a couple twists as well. Which is cool.

Pine Glow

Evening Glow

Floor

Virgin River

Just before the curtain dropped a crescendo of beauty made the entire show worth the effort. As the colors danced up the walls of the canyon we craned our necks to take it all in. A spectacular end to our day. To the show. And to the Journey.

Valley Floor Road

THE END

Edge Of The World

Heaps Canyon

Heaps Canyon

Ridge to Castle Dome

Getting off the West Rim was still in question. Sure one could look at a map and try to gain a decent view of how the trail descended from Horse Pasture Plateau to the bottom of Telephone Canyon. But in Zion really a map just does not give the terrain justice. After morning coffee and another stop for a follow up breakfast we were at the last spring before our decent all the way to the Floor of the Valley. Well at least the map suggested so.

Mount Magestic

Majestic Wall

At first I was enamored by the adjacent walls and the fortress of stone. There were like other worlds cut off from the rest of the world by huge sand stone walls. Small and large ecosystems thrust up towards the heavens and isolated. And I wondered if there were herds of deer or other animals that have never known anything but the little chunk of earth high op on the pedestal of stone. And then we dropped off the edge.

West Rim

Weird as it seems the trail literally dropped off the edge of a huge sandstone cliff. I mean where did it go? I followed a ribbon of path as it hugged the side of the cliff. Surely this didn’t continue. I fully expected to find a top rope where we would have to repel off the top. I was thinking of a way to break it to my partner that was not going to happen. I would walk back 40 miles if I had to. No way was I going to repel off this thing.

Mo comming down the West Rim Trail

Vista

West Rim Trail

West Rim Trail

Bill on West Rim Trail

Lucky for me the path continued. The most amazing thing about Zion Park is how they built the trails. This one chiseled out of the side of a cliff. Then cement mut of been packed up and poured to make the path. Truly a amazing down-hike. And no top ropes.

Arch

Switch backs

We reached the bottom of the canyon believing that we had just walked down a path in Middle Earth from books like the Hobbit. All the while walking down this thing I wondered what would happen if someone suddenly slipped and fell the wrong way. My questions were answered as we walked along the base of the large cliff. A deer had fallen, probably from the spring far above. It was a pile of guts and blood. Every bone pulverized into the mash of caracas. What a gory way to escape one of the heavenly ecosystems from above.

Cliffs

After a lunch in the sun we set fourth towards Angels Landing. The last stop of our Trans Zion.

The Morning Show

Maze

I woke up and snuck out to the ridge. Looking at my GPS I had 1 minute before the sun would be up. I wanted to be at the theater for the morning show.

Rise

I didn’t have much time to think because I was scrambling through the brush and into a decent position for picture taking. Wen I arrived at the edge of Horse Pasture Plateau I had about 10 seconds. But my positioning was not optimal and the shrubbery blocked any attempts at photos. With the show about to begin I basically threw myself down the slope until I broke out into a open view.

Sunset Over The Narrows

Then it came, the sun. Peaking over the Plateau ridge to my left. My mind raced back to my hasty path down the scree slope. At one point it could give way to a thousand foot sandstone cliff. One must be careful getting to the morning show.

Ivan’s Morning

To my right the new rays started to warm distant castle like mountains. With the sun’s warmth not hitting me yet I looked up the slope. The sunlight line progressing down towards me. Then it hit me. I could see the sunrise again.

Sediment

Zion Layering System

So I ran down farther, closer and closer to the edge. With every step I plunged down in time. Sedimentary layer by sedimentary layer. I was running away from the sun and going back in time.

Dashboard

I came upon a level place. And while it seemed as though I could go down even farther this was such a good level spot to set up the tripod. I got off a few shots but he sun started to catch up to me. Before I could get things set up the sun came over the ridge again. I grabbed the camera and bolted down even further into the depths.

New Light

As I ran I glanced over to my right to see how much farther the sun had progressed over the distant mountains. The show was still on and it looked as though I still had time for more sunrises. More acts.

Castles

Suddenly I emerged out onto a rock outcropping. On a tree at the edge was some old safety ropes probably left by some climbers. I knew I had reached the end. I looked up and saw that I had lots of time and began to set up my camera again.

Peek

Glancing right the ridge was now glowing and ready to burst with light. And it came with such great intensity the my entire surroundings lit up with fierce colors and differing depth of distant blue, orange, and pink haze.

Narrow Forshadow

Bacon Layer

And just like that the sun was up and I started to enjoy the final part of this mornings show. The canyons lit up and my newly discovered vantage point I could gather some great shots of what Zion was all about.

Ledge With A View

Just then I hear some rustling behind me. I braced myself and realized I was backed up against a thousand foot cliff … well it seems like it could be a thousand. And then she emerged. My partner.

Spirit Climber

Safety First Zion Later

“Good morning”

“Morning”

“What a show”

“I knoooowwww, right?”

Castles

We sat there in silence holding hands and taking it all in. As if we were staying late at the theater watching the credits.

Finally Some Views

Hiking Zion

I woke up several times that night. Once I got up and ran up a hill to warm up. So sleep was not optimal; so it was no surprise when the morning produced two cranky campers.

Horse Pasture Plateau

Breaking down camp was quiet and without discussion. Back on the trail not a word. We were both sleep deprived and really too cranky to deal with anything that could set any one off. I just focused on hiking.

Right Fork

… And more hiking.  After a couple hours I had hiked out my grogginess and started feeling a little like company. The trail was starting to swing towards a great vista. I set up a breakfast picnic like area complete with coffee, snacks, and maps.  Then waited.

Looking North West From Horse pasture Plateau

The sun was fully out and for the first time took off some of my layers. My partner finally caught up to me and my impromptu coffee break proposal was good enough to clear up all the morning crank-fog. It was a nice relaxing time … and finally some views. And warmth.

Zion Foothills

Inclined temple

Castle Dome

Sunset on Zion Foothills

After that we hiked together. And stopped way to many times to take way to many photos. After being view deprived for a day it was nice to be hiking along a  smorgasbord of great vistas.

Left of Phantom Valley

Blue on Bacon layer

Sunset on Ivins

Inclined Temple Sunset

Sunset

That evening we again fell short of our planned campsite. Which meant negotiating with a small group and asking to rent a small spot in theirs. It all worked out and we got the tent up in time to go out on the plateau edge and watch the sunset. And eat pea soup with jerky. A sunset date.

Long Day on Wildcat

Perfect

You can tell a section, or a day, is long when you run out of water. Specially when you carry about 60 ounces a piece. The Wildcat trail was a long day. In the afternoon we found ourselves searching for a spring in the hillside before we even got to our next trail, the West Rim Trail. It was mostly just hiking along a scrub brush trail. To be honest I found this day the most boring. I mean it looked a lot like where I grew up. I had to search long and hard to find things to take photos of.

Lava Point

Finally Lava Point came into view. I sat down and pulled out the map. Moments later my partner came along and we discussed the evenings activities. Number one, where to camp, and number two what did we have left in our tanks. Myself, I was grumpy because the long day did not produce results like I had hoped. After a heated battle she won out with checking the next campsite and asking it’s inhabitants if we could stay. We could never get to our planned destination unless we wanted to hike until 1 AM. Our plan was to NOT hike until 1 PM.

Vantage

Lucky for us the Sawmill Springs site was unoccupied. We set our things down and had some time to kill. Through hikers could still come and we needed to talk them into letting us stay. So we hiked out on this vista that overlooked the Narrows in the distance. Finally some sights that warranted me to turn on the camera. I started snapping.

Towards The Narrows

The sun started to set and we hiked the ridge back to camp. Again no one around. We set up our tent and agreed to eat inside. It was getting so cold out the water already had a thin layer if ice. We snuggled up and had dinner and started a new tradition.

Natural Orange

I have some country music on my phone. And we never listen to country … at least I don’t. But for some reason we had a great time. Dinning while our souls danced and partied under the star filled Zion sky.