Thursday was perfect and felt much like spring. So I left work with mountain bike in car to go mountain biking before the Thursday Night Group hike. I did three sets of intervals and made sure I met the group totally wasted.
We hiked parallel to the Blue Mountain Road and once we gained enough elevation to satisfy our nightly appetite we gathered in the moonlight for some photos. We then returned via the horse trail a trail that is off limits to mountain bikers. But this was winter and we were hiking. Yea!
Great views of town and I had never seen Missoula from that direction. It was great! When I finally got back to my car I yearned to ride in the moonlight for a couple more hours but my hunger drove me home. Next week we are thinking Woods Gulch to the larches
This morning, my eyelids fight a losing battle against the sunrise. Why? Job stress from last week, a persistent gremlin in my brain, gnawed away at my weekend sleep, leaving me with Monday Blues that could rival the deepest shade of indigo.
Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t a total slouch. Two glorious bike rides, culminating in yesterday’s Pattee Canyon sunburst, helped mask the gnawing anxiety. I zipped past countless others basking in the outdoors, all seemingly escaping their own anxieties. But guess who was the only one tackling trails with knobby tires, looking like a cartoon villain escaping on a runaway shopping cart? Yep, yours truly.
So, here I am, embarking on the workday battlefield, armed with shaky coffee and a heart rate that could power a small generator. The real kicker? I’m not just stressed about my own Monday blues, but also the stress contagion that’s bound to ripple through everyone else with their own cases of the Monday mope. It’s like walking into a room full of hangry toddlers demanding juice boxes.
But, hey, maybe the camaraderie of shared misery will be a bonding experience. We can commiserate over coffee spills, groan in unison at overflowing inboxes, and maybe even find some twisted humor in the whole mess. After all, what’s better than knowing you’re not alone in the Monday madness?
So, fellow warriors of the workday, here’s to us. May our coffee be strong, our deadlines manageable, and our laughter echo through the cubicles, drowning out the Monday blues symphony. Onward, to whatever adventures (or misadventures) this day may bring!
Night rides scream adventure, and last night was no exception. I geared up my “screw bike” (yep, it’s as tough as it sounds) for a 3-hour mock race in Patte Canyon. The loop? A challenging 6.3 miles with icy trails and 1,500 feet of climbing per lap, all in the dark.
Spinning through snow, my bike’s screws kicked up a storm. It was like being in an adrenaline-filled snow globe. By the end, I covered 20 miles and nearly 4,000 feet of climbing.
More than training, it was an epic night adventure. The cold air, crunch of snow, and conquering the night – it was thrilling. As I packed up, victorious and tasting a bit of snow, I knew this wouldn’t be my last night treasure hunt.
Last night’s chat turned to cannibalism, of all things. Glad we didn’t actually get lost – who’d want that? I joked about Larry being our “survival option.”
I wanted us to split up in Marshall Canyon for a hide and seek adventure. No takers. Guess my fam’s not too wild.
We ended up just hiking back. Weird talks aside, it was a fun family night outdoors. There’s something about the stars that brings out our quirky sides. Wouldn’t change it for the world.
Outdoor Safety Tips: The National Park Service offers excellent guidelines for staying safe while enjoying outdoor activities. This includes tips on preparation, wildlife encounters, and navigating different terrains. National Park Service – Outdoor Safety
Navigation Skills: Learning basic navigation skills can make hiking more enjoyable and safer. REI Co-op offers a guide on map and compass basics that could be a fun and educational activity for the whole family. REI Co-op – Map and Compass Basics
Family Hiking Guides: “Families on Foot” by Jennifer Pharr Davis and Brew Davis is a great book that offers practical advice on hiking with family, including engaging children and ensuring everyone has a good time. Families on Foot on Amazon
Team Building Activities: If you’re looking for group activities that promote teamwork and are fun, there are guides available online with creative ideas that can be adapted for family outings. Team Building Activities
Local Hiking Groups and Events: Sometimes, joining a local hiking group can introduce you to new trails and like-minded outdoor enthusiasts. Websites like Meetup can help you find local hiking groups. Meetup – Hiking Groups
Got tired of waiting around for someone to take me tele-skiing so I decided to to turn my back on winter and I am so glad I did. Click photos to make them larger 🙂
I screwed my tires and headed out to Blue Mountain to ride my mountain bike.
It was awesome and I rode for 4 hours. The tired gripped the ice like it was pavement and the inversion in the valley made for some great views.
It must of really sucked to be in town watching football on a sofa
Last night marked the inaugural Missoula Thursday Night Hike of 2010, and it seemed everyone brought their New Year’s resolutions along. As I joined eleven other enthusiastic hikers, the air was crisp with the promise of adventure and the fresh start of a new decade.
Under a canopy of stars, we embarked on our journey, each step crunching the frost beneath us. The trail, newly blanketed with winter’s touch, beckoned us forward. It wasn’t just a hike; it was a declaration of intent for the year ahead. Resolutions hung in the air as palpably as our breaths, forming clouds of determination and hope.
There’s something about the first hike of the season that ignites a spark within. Maybe it’s the shared camaraderie, or perhaps the primal connection to nature. As we ascended, conversation ebbed and flowed like the trail before us. Laughter mingled with the rustling leaves, creating a symphony of human connection and natural beauty.
The hike wasn’t just about reaching the summit; it was about the journey. Each of us, in our own way, was marching not just up a hill, but towards our goals for the year. Some resolved to get fitter, others to find more time for nature, and for a few, it was about embracing the community spirit of Missoula.
As we reached the crest, the city lights below twinkled like a carpet of stars, mirroring the night sky. We stood in awe, a moment of collective triumph. It was a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us and the strength we find in each other.
Returning down the trail, the energy was electric. We were no longer just a group of hikers; we were a team, bonded by the shared experience of a cold night turned warm by friendship and exercise.
I woke up around 6:42 Sunday morning and still no word from ‘potential victims’ so I assumed I would be going solo on a ski trip up Stewart Peak. “Great”, I thought, “I can do something entirely new or wacko or even go the long way”. After a morning of digging deep for a spiritual sense of where to go I decided on a plan and left the Rattlesnake parking lot at 11:05. The route, Wallman, then up the ridge to Stewart.
I hiked my ass off and started up Wallman Trail around 12. I left the trail at the highpoint around 5,000 ft and started trekking straight up the ridge. It was nice out but way to hot. Nothing but mud and slush. The climb went from lolly-gag to serious business and I only skinned about .6 mile in the next hour. I gained another thousand feet.
Around 3:45pm I broke out on a high point along the ridge and for the first time saw my destiny. It appeared I would be going home without summiting Stewart. Maybe another day.
So I decided to keep to the ridge plan and turn around in the next hour or so. I turned around about 25 minutes later after falling off a cliff and injuring my elbow. It took me about 5 minutes to get my head out of a snow drift. Awkward fall and even tore my boot out of the binding. So I enjoyed the sunset’s reddish golden glow on my checks as I ‘tried’ to ski back down (I suck at this part).
Finally pushed out of the “Snake” and headed immediately to The Bridge Pizza for a pint of Double Haul and a slice of sausage artichoke on white. Final stats are 13.75 miles with 4,300 elevation gain for the day. I was out for 7:47 hours and only managed to put out a whopping 1.9 mph.
The Pengally Ridge Trail from the “tanks” is about 4.5 miles long round trip (up then down) and has 1,946 feet of elevation gain.
Perfect for some running intervals and great views. Yesterday I rode my bike to the propane tanks on Patte Canyon Drive and did some running intervals up to the
Again, not so much a ride as we hiked South Sentinel. Then it was back to Julie and Ron’s place for some festive cheer. The evening was filled with warmth, laughter, and the glow of holiday lights. We swapped stories of past adventures, toasted to future rides, and enjoyed Julie’s famous holiday treats. It was a night that reminded us all of the true spirit of the season—community, friendship, and the joy of sharing the outdoors, even in the chill of winter.
Guess what happens when you swap bikes for boots? Magic, that’s what! Last Thursday, we traded our usual “Thursday Night Ride” for something a tad more frosty and a lot more slippery. Welcome to our Thursday Night Recreation – Hiking edition!
Our adventure began at the Rattlesnake Recreation Area’s lower parking lot. Imagine this: A crisp, icy evening with the moon casting a silvery glow over the snow-laden paths. There’s Julie, bundled up like an Arctic explorer, Laurie with her ever-ready thermos of hot cocoa, Larry and Aaron cracking jokes to keep the cold at bay, Alden, Dave, Jon Garvin, and yours truly, stepping cautiously but excitedly into the winter wonderland. Only Mr. Cymbals Ed, our usual trip coordinator, was missing. We missed his quirky route ideas and signature cymbal-claps that echoed through the trails.
Despite the icy conditions making it nearly impossible to ride, we weren’t deterred. We hiked, slipping and sliding, laughing at our clumsy attempts to stay upright. It’s one thing to ride through these trails, quite another to hike them under a starry sky. Each frozen branch and snow-covered rock seemed like part of a winter fairy tale, and we were the characters braving the unknown.
We shared stories, marveled at the serene beauty of the Rattlesnake Recreation Area under its icy veil, and even had an impromptu snowball fight. Laurie, with her sniper-like precision, managed to land a snowball right on Larry’s beanie. Payback for his endless dad jokes, maybe?
As the night deepened and our laughter echoed through the cold air, we realized something. It didn’t matter whether we were on bikes or on foot. What mattered was the camaraderie, the shared experience, the joy of being out in nature, no matter the conditions.
We returned to the parking lot with cold toes, rosy cheeks, and warm hearts. This might have been a deviation from our usual Thursday night routine, but it was a reminder that sometimes, the best adventures are the unexpected ones. And as for Mr. Cymbals Ed? We’re sure he would have loved every icy, hilarious moment of it.
Yea, it’s a little dark. I went hiking last night to battle “the funk.” Unfortunately, it didn’t work as expected. Instead, I discovered that I’m out of shape.
Been busy. Though I’m focused on work, I’ve been riding a lot. Yesterday I put in a good 25 miles in the frigid temps. The Clark Fork River looks cool, like waves instantly frozen. Actually, it’s ice being pushed up on shore by the force of the unfrozen water behind it. It’s about 10 below zero right now, and the river is totally frozen this morning. Kind of how I feel.
Boneshakerbike 