Category: Blog Posts

I got word from the biome that it would be beneficial for us to attend the Horse Prairie Guard Station for another weekend. We were directed to attend as soon as possible. So that is why we made a night push to ski into the cabin.

The next day the sun was brilliant. Since we all know that our small biome is just a part of the larger one, perhaps the universe and beyond, the sun inclusion made sense. And the direction to take skis really paid off. No surprise though. I mean we just happen to let the higher order drive and keep the communication open.

That is why gut feelings always pan out for the better. It is the entity that literally drives the shell we call self. Just listen right? So whatever the reason, we think it is because we all knew that sun is good and we needed to get plenty of it, all was pleased.

The reward for listening and reaping the benefits of much needed sun was a relaxing and memorable ski weekend at the Horse Prairie Guard Station. Can’t wait to get the next memorandium.

Our winter life involves fat biking and skiing to cabins. In the summer bike packing and other interesting stuff. But not always. In between we have to work. Self sponsored adventure requires a income. So we do mundane bullshit work in between the weekends.

I wonder though … I wonder. What if we quite those bullshit jobs and keep adventuring. Can that be done? I mean my partner IS a media professional. Couldn’t we share what we like, make some cash on the inter-webs, and keep the adventure going?

While we contemplate that we still do the bullshit … squeezing in bike rides to and from work.

No sunrise this morning. No options to recreate since it was too deep to hike and no solidity to ride fat. Enter the Clue Epic. A epic series of 12 Clue games to determine just who was the best sleuth in the Beaverheads.

Today was our last day and we contemplated just staying. I mean who would be renting this cabin on a Tuesday night? But since there was a 30% off sale at the Patagonia Outlet we needed to get back out. Well … and we did have to work the next day as well.

After a lengthy chore session, chopping wood and cleaning the cabin, we were off. It should be easier then walking up the hill through drifts. And maybe our tracks up would hold us.

Not the case. I mean the tracks were solid but narrow … unless you were Hans Ray. Walking past the sign to the cabin I wondered if we could ride our loaded bikes like a strider. You know those little bikes that children have.

After riding the top tube and falling twice it suddenly hit me. Duh!  I buried my seat post into the frame and tried again. Sweet victory. I rode at least 30 yards before crashing off the narrow track. With the snow being deep it was sort of fun. Kind of like falling off a log while trying to ride along it.

We got pretty good at the manual dropper post and by the time we arrived at the car we were carving turns in the snow. I thought dropper posts were gimmicks.

We had hiked our bikes up here. Through drifts and deep snow. And it was hard enough for me to give up on the idea that we were going to be able to do any biking this weekend. Previous plans were dependent on snowmobiles but there were none up here. In fact there was no one. Just us. And lots of wind blown snow.

“I know …”, I waited for my partner’s attention. “Lets just walk through the snow and try to gain that ridge”. I motioned out the back window.

“OK”

First order of business was to explore around the Guard Station.

But we never made the ridge. The best we could do was use some recent moose tracks to go up the road a pace.

On the way back we got a chance to get a overview of the valley. The cabin sitting about 600 feet from the valley floor was just enough to give it great commanding views over it.

We imagined the old days when native americans picked their way through these parts trying to avoid the murderous calvary. What has changed really? I fear for the people at Standing Rock.

It is ever increasingly hard to live in a place and watch the injustices. These retreats bring it all to a different perspective. Could we break free and find a place like this to live. Get off the grid. Be free. And just watch every sunrise and set? Would’t that be nice.

The darkness is upon us but there is still time. We just need to find shelter. There are obstacles sure enough. But keep struggling. When you fall down get back up and struggle against the oppression. Its cold and it will be dark soon. Keep going. Keep going.

And when you crest the hill you still may not be safe. You must keep going. Keep going. Find shelter and wait for a new day.

It will come …o/o

Yesterday marked the end of an era for many of us. We said goodbye to someone who wasn’t just special, he was extraordinary. Ben Parsons. In the wake of his passing, I’ve found myself lost in a sea of memories and articles, searching for photographs that capture the essence of who he was. It’s in moments like these that we question the cosmic fairness – why do we lose the good ones early?

Ben was one of those rare souls who made the world undeniably better. He was a human dynamo, an energy cell in the vast battery of life. His presence was a positive charge, electrifying everyone around him. It’s tough, isn’t it? When the world loses someone like Ben, we’re left grappling with the why. But in this loss, there’s a lesson, a call to action for all of us.

The best way to honor Ben is to embody the qualities he exemplified. His infectious smile, his unwavering positivity, the way he was a beacon of hope and inspiration as a father, a husband, a teacher, and a friend. Imagine if each of us, touched by Ben’s life, could replicate even a fraction of the impact he had. Pick one of his many admirable traits and make it your mission. Be it his kindness, his zest for life, or his commitment to helping those in need.

This is how we transform a negative into a positive, how we make sense of a tragic loss. It’s about taking the essence of Ben’s spirit and weaving it into the fabric of our own lives. So, next time you see me smiling on the trail, know that there’s a piece of Ben in that smile, a reminder of a great man who taught us how to live better.

In Ben’s honor, a GoFundMe campaign has been set up to support his family through this difficult time. For those who wish to contribute, you can find more details here.

Resources to Enhance Your Day:

1. Ben Parsons’ Legacy: A GoFundMe page dedicated to supporting Ben’s family and keeping his memory alive.
2. Coping with Loss: Helpful resources from Psychology Today on dealing with grief and loss.
3. Random Acts of Kindness Foundation: Be inspired by stories of kindness and learn how to bring positivity into the lives of others.
4. Mindful Living: Discover ways to incorporate mindfulness and positivity into your daily routine.
5. Trail Running Tips: Embrace Ben’s love for the trails with expert advice on trail running and connecting with nature.

We are team MoBill as in Mobile … on the move … get it. Cheesy of course and in the Duo CoEd division. (Note: The live tracking tab shows once the race starts) Official Tracking Web Site Here!

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Gosh how we develop routines or the more comfy term ‘traditions’. Like our Thanksgivings at Twin lakes … 5 going on 6 now. One of my favorite places to go race is Frog Hollow and in the beginning it seemed it would become routine. #1 it is in the desert and warm. #2 One last time to ride my bike as much as I want to close out the mountain bike season. And #3 I used to have good luck at that venue. And it seemed that that would of been a good tradition … to go to Utah every fall for a big mountain bike blowout. I have come up short though, missing out in 2012 and not since the BIG FAIL in 2013. Let’s see:

2010 (Showdown in Frogtown ) was the first time I had been to Utah. I was hooked at beautiful sunrise on Zion. I had a blast racing with my friend Jill who raced on team Swiss Miss with Beat. They also doubled as my pit crew. Good times and one of my best memories. Long drive …well, yea. The drive back to Missoula was a bit of a task but who else would take Jill’s bike back home?

2011 a come from behind victory in my second year to impress my now partner Mo. This is when I discovered she had a knack for pit crewing as she is probably the worlds best investigative agent. I knew who was hurting and when they were hurting. I knew where I was and had all the intelligence at my fingertips. Did I mention she also helped Jill take on her solo race too. Being a sounding board to ideas like … “I think I will have tuna and a Pepsi”, to which Mo’s reaction was, “Is that really such a good idea”. Turns out NOT.

2013 did not end so well  although the days after the race were epic. But that race ended so badly and with so many misfortunes I just never went back. I just remember walking through cactus and sage in the middle of the night for hours with exploded rear wheels and ripped sidewalls. My friend Jill, now in her 4th consecutive year, still hanging onto traditions, was even having a bad race including a bloody knee lap. Just a bad year all around. Still though we all  left with smiles. Such a great event.

So even though it is not tradition it it something that I always look back on with a warm smile. All the laps and nights of the frog hollow. I cant wait to go back. We leave this Thursday.

Slow and steady wins the race, right? With my heart rate well below 133 bpm I set a PR on both climbing and descending. On a fatty! Doesn’t make sense. Is there a conspiracy here? You know like at work when someone sabotages you even though it makes themselves and their company look bad. I think others say, “cut off your toe to despite your foot” … or something like that. What does this have to do with unexplainable efforts?

Shoot!  I don’t really know. Maybe one of the many performance factors. Like a bike platform or a training idea. One of those. Despite turning cells over until your telomeres are so short you die you follow the “recommended” plan. A plan, probably, that someone is making bank. Like a bike company suggesting a $4000 bike will take you to the podium. Well they made money. You … well, no podium.

So I went faster on a fatty without any prior training or chronic cardio blasphemy. Whatever, and what about bike shorts being a scam? …o/o

It was 2011. My new job, I figured, was working out well. I was settling into Bozeman and looking forward to my new life. Gone are the days of adventure and now a new focus on a legit career in software. Time to take a real effort towards it anyway, specially after the Sikorsky debacle. This time I would focus and not play. Even though my heart was still aching about leaving Missoula and a potential new friendship.

Then I received a email from Norman. But really it might have been Lydia’s idea. Because he mentioned that she mentioned … well, you get the picture. Anyway, someone had a idea to let me know that they were going on a back pack trip AND to mention that Mo was going with them. Of course they said this knowing I had a huge crush on her and that I might be prompted to go. Bribing me maybe so that I would just join them for an adventure. Who knows the motivation.

I was in! Late Thursday night I prepared to show up out of the blue and crash the back pack weekend trip party. With intel from my friends I left after work Friday. The sun was setting over Browns Lake somewhere near Helmsville as I sped along highway 141. I was heading to a Holland Lake parking lot to set forth to find a hiking party of 3.

What was I doing? Knowing someone would be in a adventure group in the Swan Range. And without them knowing it I would just show up and be like, “Oh … Hey”. Was this stocking? And what about my life agreement to finally buckle down and work. Giving up on so adventure? And focusing?

Well … I really have not looked back and have been adventuring every weekend since. that job never really worked out anyway. Happy stalkaversary …o/o

Again the 40 hour work week sucks in such a big way. We do the best we can to battle the propaganda-america-is-great bullshit in every way we can. One way is to make a simple weekend seem like a big holiday. Adventure right after work on a Friday and just not show up for work on Monday citing sickness or mishap. And then take sick days to keep ourselves from hanging ourselves. Right? By the time you show up to pretend to be doing something it seems like coming off of a big holiday. Or in other countries a simple time off.

We left work and went right to the trail and proceeded to climb over a thousand feet into the wilds before giving up the ghost to plop down a camp. The sun set over Lone Peak and we enjoyed a little hot dinner. A quick food hang over a pile of griz shit and we were off to our new tent to break it in.

Had some intervals to do anyway. Um, longevity intervals,  maintenance of cardiovascular fitness. And we are gone every weekend so we must get out. A shame to live by some great trails and not get to do them. It is so hard in the 40 hour work week to squeeze out a ride. But we did. And Mo collected berries while I went for the saddle. On the way down we met another couple doing the same.

We just got back from a trip back from the homeland.  It was a new baby trip so while my partner held down the “baby time” front I snuck away for some trail revisits. All in all about 50 miles worth of smooth groomed butter soft trail. Really fun. We even got out to the Blackfoot with the kids. Miss this place.

Spent a nice summer afternoon with some friends at this place

My idea this morning is what I call globally positioned information or GPI for short. So we have Google right? Why is all the information on Google servers not cataloged (or tagged???) with a position on the planet? Every piece of information should be tagged with a position. Like Tom Sawyer’s book, where it was written, where HE was born, maybe even a GPS track/ map of his life. So when you search for information on Google you should get a map along with the results, right?

I think this would enhance our conception of the data further than we have ever in history, really.