Man, this breakfast is hitting just right. And let me tell you, we more than deserve it after this morning’s heroics. Yeah, you heard that right—heroes. And by ‘we,’ I mean my fearless dog Marcy and yours truly.
So, there we were, hitting the trails, when Marcy suddenly goes into full alert mode over some deer, which was totally out of character for her. These deer were booking it like I’ve never seen before. Turns out, Marcy had spotted a massive coyote on the prowl, sneaking up on a young deer. The moment Marcy lost her cool, it was like a scene out of a wildlife chase—coyote bolts, deer darts off. Now, without me, that coyote might’ve had Marcy for breakfast, but let’s not kid ourselves; it was her guts and sharp instincts that saved the day and the deer family. Absolute legend, that dog.
News from ROBERT STRUCKMAN of the Missoulian. The new Missoula Starbucks branch opened its doors to business last Thursday. The coffee shop is located off the Reserve Street exit on Interstate 90. [blockquote]Until last August, Montana was one of the only states without a stand-alone store. The first opened in Helena and another followed, as well as a pair in Billings.[/blockquote] While I lived in CT this was the only place I would frequent. the reasons were that I liked the fireplace in the CT cold humid days, I liked the Scones (I havent found any like it since), and most of all I liked the coffee. But now I am in turmoil. Missoula is a great city and would I sell out and start going to my old haunt. I am thinking not. [blockquote] The arrival of Starbucks in Montana has caused tremors in the coffee market, independent shop owners in Missoula and around the state say, but most are confident that healthy stores will survive.[/blockquote] But I currently sell out and go to liquid Planet (free Internet). I love downtown Missoula and their shops. I think I will pass on the new opening. [blockquote]Katie Harper, a University of Montana law student and coffee drinker seated Friday afternoon outside Catalyst Espresso on Higgins Avenue, called the coffee chain “gross.” “It”s that anti-mega corporation, anti-franchise thing,” said Scott Laisy, owner of Butterfly Herbs in downtown Missoula. On the register at his coffee bar is a sticker that says, “Friends Don”t Let Friends Drink Starbucks.”[/blockquote]
I sit here with smoothie in hand and must get into the shower. I am running down to the Liquid Planet for friends and Family Online. I think a glass of wine and some online chatting will be filling out the rest of my night.
I just did the Treasure Ride tonight. I didn’t time it but I have done the route as planned today, taking the trail to the right at the junction in the first wooded area. On top there was hand gliders taking off and some were already flying. What a great sight, I wish I had my camera.
On the way down the access road I noticed some single track to the left. It is just a quarter mile before the Crazy Canyon Road turns left and you go right onto the logging road for the decent into the wooded gully.
The trail was good but short and at the junction I went right and it came out back on Crazy Canyon Road. So its an extension to the loop. I did not take the junction to the left. I imagine it goes straight over towards the Folf course.
Dive into Missoula’s art scene every first Friday monthly, showcasing new gallery exhibits and receptions. A must-see! For gallery info, reach out to the Missoula Downtown Association.
Today’s plan is for a moderately adventurous outing. While 32 miles might sound intense, it’s a comfortable challenge for someone who’s won the VT 50 twice. This journey promises to be both enjoyable and scenic. I’m setting off around 2PM, racing against the daylight – a late start was the reason for this timing.
I’ll begin at the main trailhead in the Rattlesnake Recreation Area. The plan is to bike up the corridor (you can get a visual by clicking on the maps), and secure my bike at the wilderness boundary. I estimate the bike leg to take about 1.5 hours. From there, I’ll switch to running shoes for the remaining 5-mile stretch to the peak’s summit. The return journey will be a bit slower, as I intend to take photos. Once back on my bike, it should be a quick hour’s ride to the car.
The final stop? Taco DeSoul – definitely something to look forward to after such a day. Yum!
Today’s adventure, while labeled as moderate, is quite the challenge at a total of 32 miles. This might seem daunting to some, but as a two-time VT 50 winner, it’s a thrilling prospect for me.
Adventure Overview:
Terrain Distance (approx): 18.96 miles (one way)
Climbing Distance: 5,117 feet
Highest Altitude: 8,057 feet
Trip Time: Approximately 8 hours
Average Grade: 5
Difficulty: Moderate
I’m planning to start around 2 PM, primarily because I overslept. The plan is to head to the main trailhead at the Rattlesnake Recreation Area. I’ll bike up the corridor, aiming to reach the wilderness boundary in about 1.5 hours, where I’ll lock up my bike.
Then, it’s on to the next phase: changing into my sneakers to run the remaining 5 miles to the peak’s summit. The return journey might be slower as I plan to capture some scenic photos. Once I’m back on my bike, I expect it to take an hour to reach my car.
And the best part? Ending the day at Taco DeSoul – a perfect way to replenish and relax after such an expedition!
I must go to bed. Damn I have been spending way to much time in front of the computer. In a way it is good because I am getting some time in with PHP and databases while I work on my site. This is what I want to do in the professional world. So in a way this is good exercise. Tomorrow I MUST pay the bills if there is enough money to go around. I want to explore the Brew Pub part of Missoula tomorrow also and then maybe a back pack trip into the Rattlesnake this weekend.
Calling Nashbar was like phoning the Bermuda Triangle – my order vanished without a trace, again. Second time’s the charm for lost packages, right? Not in Nashbarland. So, I decided to channel my inner bike whisperer and embark on a shop tour, the kind that leaves your legs quivering and wallet trembling.
Big Sky Bikes was first. $200 for an XT wheel? Nah, I could practically hear my bank account sobbing. “Nope, gotta piecemeal this bad boy together,” I muttered, channeling my inner McGyver. Sportsman’s Surplus was next, but their wheels were as dusty as a forgotten attic.
By the time I reached Bicycle Hanger, my new Frankenstein-bike was practically a done deal. But then, like a beacon of hope in a sea of spokes, Open Road emerged. There, nestled in a corner, sat a beauty: an old Rolof hub laced to a brand new rim. This wasn’t just any wheel, it was a unicorn – rare, majestic, and probably priced like a small dragon.
I braced myself for the inevitable $300 price tag, but the owner, a wiry dude with a handlebar mustache, just chuckled. “Hmm, this ol’ fella needs a good home,” he mused, clearly itching to get rid of it. After a quick chat (and maybe a sob story about my missing Nashbar order), he hit me with a price that made my jaw drop: seventy bucks.
Seventy. Dollars. I swear, I saw angels singing and unicorns frolicking in the background. Before you could say “spoke wrench,” that wheel was mine. Sold!
This bike may be a Frankensteinian patchwork of parts, but thanks to a stroke of luck (and maybe a touch of desperation), it’s got a heart (or should I say, hub?) of gold. And who knows, maybe this adventure will be the first chapter in a beautiful, albeit slightly wobbly, cycling journey.
Good morning. I awoke to find mom on the web and chatting with her as I speak. My plans to act like I have a job are falling through. I get up whenever and now I am playing on the web. I planned to get out for a hike early and get some stuff done. Mainly call Bike Nashbar as they lost my order again. Fuck, I hate Nashbar and Performance. I will never use their service again. Well I will start now by signing off and getting on the ball!
The Missoula Cyclocross Series, proudly sponsored by Big Sky Brewing, officially dubbed the Big Sky Brewing Wednesday Cyclocross Series, will take place at the brewery on Missoula’s west edge. Races kick off on September 15 and will run for 5 weeks, starting at 5:45 PM. The tap room wraps up at 6:30 PM, just in time for spectators to catch the race’s climax. Big Sky promises beer at the finish line after each race, alongside the usual array of goodies—bagels, brownies, and cookies. Open Road and Missoula Bicycle Works are also contributing to the series. Challenging 100-foot run-ups are expected to test even the fastest, like Jamul. Entry fees are set at $5 per race or $20 for the whole series, with Shaun Fulmer leading as this year’s series czar. The finale will feature a Big Sky BBQ celebration.
Series scoring is as follows:
1st place gets 20 points, plus an additional point for each competitor beaten within their class.
2nd place earns 12 points, plus a bonus point per competitor beaten.
3rd place receives 8 points, plus a point for each beat.
4th place is awarded 5 points, plus a point per competitor outpaced.
5th place secures 2 points, plus a bonus point for each beat.
All other finishers gain a point for each competitor they surpass, while DNFs score zero but count towards others’ scores.
Good morning. I have a headache but it is slight and I will try and get a handle early. I ordered a wheel last night and it was $150.00 (my rear wheel on my mountain bike is toast). I cant afford it and maybe I will not be able to fix my car's turn lens right away. I cant believe it is already a junker.
Today is laundry and clean day and hopefully I can jump on that and then get online later at the Liquid or the Library. Mostly the Library so I can get more audio books. I have to get a handle on my hike logs and pictures in the picture gallery.
No one has visited my site to see the new theme yet and that bugs me. I cant expect everyone to though and must get over it. Well I have to run for now … I am thinking of changing my blogger theme as well. All this customization … I must be on the edge of depression.
3:20 AM: The reception was great and the food … well was great too. Why do I hesitate? I ate too much and almost ruined my ability to go drinking the rest of the night. After the reception a faction of us went to the Wild Wild West dancing. Very cool place and it was packed. It was a good time.
11:20 AM: This morning I went to breakfast with Pat and Mandy (cousins of mine). We had some good food at Applebes and discussed the way grandma manipulates everyone. we love our grandma but she has this ability to make you dread visiting with her. She has to be in control and is ridged to a point where nothing else is excepted but her own view. I want to go home.
7:30 PM: Yea, I am home. Marcy and I are going to go hike Mount Sentinel. Cheri o!
11:26 PM: I got back today from a wedding in Billings Montana. I am wiped out so details are hard to come by. I did make it home and am glad to be here. I went hiking up Sentinel Ridge to the top tonight with Marcy. On the way down I fell and bruised my hand. The visit in Billings was great except for the job and eating lectures I got from grandma. Well I must get to bed or make a story about this whole ordeal. Good Night all!
Grandma stands in front of the cafe she started in my childhood
August 28, 2004, might just go down in history as the day of the unplanned adventure—courtesy of Grandma’s well-meaning but slightly overreaching hospitality. She had promised a friend we’d escort her to Billings, setting the stage for a day filled with unexpected turns and, let’s say, memorable moments.
There’s an unwritten rule in the book of life: one should volunteer for duties, not be volunteered. But there I was, learning a vital lesson in patience and the art of being volunteered by Grandma. It made me think, half-jokingly, that living with Grandma might be the perfect prep for married life, with its myriad of shared decisions and surprises.
The journey to Billings was an event in itself. Our new acquaintance began to cough so fiercely that Aunt Paula and I exchanged worried glances, half-expecting a medical emergency right there in the car. The word “arrgh” barely covers the mix of concern and disbelief that filled the vehicle.
Arriving at the Sheridan in Billings, our expectations hit a new low. The promise of adjoining rooms vanished into thin air, much like our hopes for a smooth stay. The room we were eventually given seemed to have been hastily abandoned by its previous occupant—unmade bed, lingering cigarette smoke, and all. The bathroom was a saga of its own: no ventilation, questionable cleanliness, and then, as fate would have it, the loss of power to our wall outlets. The irony of trying to iron my shirt in the bathroom, only to drop it into the toilet, was not lost on me. If anything, it added a comedic twist to the series of unfortunate events.
Despite the chaos, there’s a strange charm to these unplanned adventures. They’re the stories that stick, the ones that get passed down through generations. Yes, even the part about the toilet-bound shirt finds its place in the narrative. Because in the end, it’s these shared experiences, these unexpected detours, that weave the fabric of our family stories.
So, from a dive in Billings to a lesson in the unpredictable nature of life, this day at Grandma’s house turned into an adventure I never asked for but somehow needed. It’s a reminder that life, much like family, is full of surprises. And sometimes, just sometimes, the journey is all the richer for it.
I am heading to my grandmas house in Roundup Montana. I am going on the high line through Helena Montana. I expect to do this in 5 hours … I am hoping even less.
UPDATE: I just hit my second animal. The first was just over the pass from Helena. I hit an owl and now my front right turn signal has been broken. bummer, this will cost some big money. The second was a deer that just had been hit by the car in front of me. I tried to go over it and it hit the bottom of the car pretty hard. I am hoping for no damage. I can not believe the amount of deer that seem to need to stand right on the highway.
I’m packing up and hitting the road, pronto. The rain’s been non-stop, and now, to top it off, it’s started snowing. Seems like the universe’s way of telling me it’s high time to skedaddle back to the car. Spent the entire day, from sunup to sundown, with my ears glued to an audiobook on MP3 — a silver lining to this relentless downpour. Not gonna lie, it was a pretty sweet setup. The tent? Oh, it was the MVP, standing strong through 16 hours of relentless rain at a lofty 7,900 feet. Not a single leak or whimper from the wind. It’s like it shrugged off Mother Nature’s temper tantrum with a yawn.
I have just set up camp. The hike was ok but not very exciting. Nothing to see because of the weather. The views are so . I actually don't know what I was thinking but I just kept going until I finally ended up on the submit of Triangle Peak. It is flat up here and I decided after an hour of trudging through wet terrain to set up camp in the middle of the submit which was protected by its flat top nature (and lots of trees). I am soaked to the bone. It started to rain as I attempted to find a place to put the tent. I was previously soaked because of bush whacking through wet terrain. The only reward is beautiful lake to the North of this long ridge.
Hey, explorers! Buckled up for a drizzle-dashed adventure at West Fork Gold Creek trailhead. Planned to conquer the peak, but rain had other plans.
Geared up, heavens opened, downpour began. Took shelter in my ride, waited for rain to ease. It did, and I started my descent, not ascent.
West Fork Gold Creek trailhead? More like an off-road obstacle course. But challenges make adventures exciting, right?
Not summiting today, but still soaking in the day. Fresh air, rain pattering on leaves, mud squelching under tires – all part of the experience. Who knows, might find hidden waterfalls or squirrel stashes of trail mix.
Stay tuned! I’ll keep you posted on my West Fork Gold Creek escapade, rain or shine. Remember, the best adventures don’t always go as planned. Now, excuse me, I have a date with a muddy trail and a sense of adventure! ️
Yesterday, I had a blast in Butte with my friends Carla, Corey, and Julie. We hit the drive-in and spent the night in a swanky spot. Hey Paul, I discovered a really cool food store in Butte – I’ve got to show it to you.
Today, I’m catching up on things, and tomorrow, I’m off for a three-day adventure in the Rattlesnake Wilderness. Hope everyone has a great few days. Sending peace and kindness to all my friends!
Boneshakerbike 