Category: Galleries

I woke up the next morning to discover that I had left our coffee grinder at home. An adventure without fresh coffee in the morning? Unacceptable and the worst part is that it affected everyone. I was the loser of the day. The outcast. The numb-skull. Luckily my partner solved the crises by borrowing some ground coffee from a nearby camp of fellow mountain bikers.

The decision, I think, was to do the ever popular Curly Lake Trail. Medium in length but dramatic in every sense of the word.  Not really too hard but lots of loose rock. We all went at our own pace with my partner charging up the first climb. We all gathered at strategic locations, Westphal Park, Curly Lake, and the such.  After a bit of a rest, or a  … what … nap, we would head out again to breath as much air as we could.

Right at the saddle before the high point I caught up to Mo and together we climbed to 10,080 to soaked up the panorama. Back down on the saddle near a cairn we spotted Paul. We shouted. He raised a fist … later we think it was the finger. Then he collapsed. We went down to his aid trying not to act to concerned. Seemed he was due for another nap maybe, right?

“We are doing it again” Mo said, “We are killing Paul.

“I know … shit, just like last year”

Acclimatization to high altitude is not simple folks, Paul is from New York, and there are a bunch of effects. It is not all fun and games. An increase in red blood cells and thicker blood. This can decrease the amount of oxygen getting to where it is needed. The biggest thing is that you can not just exercise at a high level day after day. Mo and I live here and don’t realize it as much. Actually I know I cant hammer around every single day.

All was well with a little rest every now and then. For me the downhill so much fun. It did become apparent to us though that we were running out of day and light. And so we cut the journey short and came out just shy of the full loop. Once on the road I gladly rode up to drive back a sag wagon. Still an epic day?  Damn right.

Paul rockets down the other side of Westphal Park

The group rests and meets other trail racketeers

Paul coming up #159

Looking back to Curly Lake

Mo on top of the world

Killimanjaro what?

Us

Ruby on top of the world

Coming off of the unnamed 10,059 foot summit

Ouch!

Break on through the other side I think is the phrase

Paul drafting Snuggles

Crossing McGovern Creek

Ruby on vacation

It took a day to get out there and set up camp. Soon enough with little time remaining we were awarded the chance to go mountain biking. The group, well, was not particularly into this activity as much as I. Evidence being some peeling off from the “lets just take a look up this road’ ride. Down to 2 I scammed my way into what I really wanted. To see how far we could ride towards Sailor Lake.  I knew that if I suggested it from the outset ‘we’ would be an ‘I’, alone.

So that is why I was glad ‘I’ were a ‘we’ when a bear appeared on the trail. And after that some teen punks shooting over our heads as a response to, “hey there are bikers down here”. After ducking down in an old abandon building until the gun fire calmed we skirted by the punks and rode up to the lake. Festivities followed including a snack in the evening sun.

And then the bomb back to camp to rejoin the group for a first night camp fire complete with stew-lash and beer.

An old miners cabin on the way to Sailor Lake

Sailor Lake

Ruby in the flowers

Us

Warming

Night’s festivities

Paul Bardis

Snuggles

Eeek! Sparks … My coat, my coat!

We came out the same way we went in. Some differences though. It was dark for one. A real surprise there. And even though one could not see our hands they were stained dark purple. What ensues the days after reflected our journey’s bounty. Muffins … pancakes … and iced cream of beef gelatin (our ice cream).

I stopped half way up to lift the bike over a log. We were making good time but needed to keep up the pace to make the Pass before sunset. Then I spotted them. Little decorative balls hanging from familiar branches. Huckleberry branches. Then my senses kicked in and the smell of delightful berries lofted my way.

Mo found me gathering and quickly joined me. We still made the pass. But the sun was setting when we gained it. And going back was a little dim. But in our bikepacking bags were loads of tiny little nutrient pills.

Another route and another spectacular adventure with a twist … a huckleberry twist.

She’ll be coming round the trail marker when she comes, she’ll be coming round the corner when she comes, she’ll be coming around the…

Ross pass is just around the corner

The hills are alive with the sound of fat tires

End of the trail

Us

A trail runs through it; yeah I know I am really wearing that phrase out

I got up and a storm chased me in. Then I got up and made a quick coffee … then a storm chased me in. Then I made Mo a coffee … and a storm chased me in. This went on for the majority of the morning. But by noon the skies had cleared. And so did all the people. Again we were the last ones out. The good news is that I recovered all the things I lost on the way up two days prior. The nuts at the first nights camp spot. And the Kind bar someone found and left on our car window. But that is not the best part. Oh yea … and then there was the ripping downhill to the parking lot. Still not the best part. The best part is that we found a big patch of raspberries in which was included in out home made frozen cream of olive oil last night.

The new tent

Morning view of our camp site

This dragonfly did not make it through the storm

Morning sun gave way to storms for the rest of the evening

The back yard of our camp site

Our camp to the right and the rest of the scene

Storms putting out the sun

Us

The decent down from the upper lakes was a little trickey

… I could of rode that … but I didn’t

Trail just above the parking area

We woke up to a half coffee due to our lack of water. Camping on a ridge has it’s drawbacks. As we packed up hikers started to walk by. And then I remembered the parking lot. It was full of cars. Could this really be a big destination? With the roughest road to a trail head ever? Yea, all that expansion of Big Sky and all the people hired to run things. This is now visited often. Great! other people. we feared that we wouldn’t find a spot to camp.

At first it looked like we would have to settle for a sub par camp site tucked away in the woods. But then a walk to the farthest of the lakes proved to be fruitful. After scoring a massively cool tent spot on a rock ledge overlooking the lake I took a preparation nap for a evening adventure. We hiked the rim above our lake. The usual walk about. Took some photos. And then retreated back to camp for a quickie supper.

The rains came and the thunder rolled. I went to bed early without knowing that I would be stuck in the new tent for 14 hours. But we had the coolest camp site this year. Strikes and gutters … right?

Climbing around the rim of the ridge above the lake

Did anyone see Lewis or Clark?

Hiking the ridge-line and looking down on camp

Can you see the skull?

Left work but realized I forgot my butter. No worries right? Just stop by Big Sky. Holy Shit! Unbelievable! The place has exploded. There’s like a Main Street and even in Ace Hardware. Movie theaters and the lot. I would say almost 50 to 100 new places. Has it been that long? So that is why we got to the trail-head late. And why only 45 minutes up the trail we stopped to set up camp. Just in time too. The sun set and we hung our food in the dark. Which is why I fell down a slope and cut my hand.

Interestingly enough all the while I kept thinking that I would rather be at home. Is that what happens when you adventure too much? Come home and before you unpack it is time to repack. Getting to the trail-heads late. Working 40 hours in a stress tank. Is this what happens? You start to wish you were home. An unusual feeling for me.

The next morning I was glad to be right where I was and all the end of week work slog bull crap was gone. Ahead lay an adventure.

As the sun sets we decide to camp along the trail.

Mo stands in the middle of our set up for the night with a setting sun behind.

… did not end well

Remember Sheryl Crow’s song “A Change Will Do You Good”? How about “Time to Change” which I remember from the Brady Bunch show.  Yes, I AM that old. My partner will always lean to her man Micheal Jackson who sang “Man in the Mirror” … something like if you want change in the world you must first change yourself. What ever! Will I change into a gravel path bike rider? No. Will I enjoy the afternoon scenery along the Hyalite sports path … well, YEA. But I am always going to miss the single track.

I will miss the singletrack

The 213 has been taken out in favor of a gravel path

Dropping into Hyalite via the 436

Removing oneself from the wilds of the Gallatin is hard. Hard because no one wants to leave. You carved a life for yourself out there. And you come to terms with the hardships or in my case FUN. And even though you lost your water filter and killed a baby bird by accident … well … you feel lucky. No one wants to admit what waits for them when they return to the valley and finally home base. Yep, the 40 hour work week.

So we savored every last part of the day long decent past Fortress Peak and down Porcupine Creek. I actually ripped a sidewall and had to endure barbarian horse flies on a trail side fix. But even then I felt lucky and happy. I just did not want it to end. But finally it did and we hauled our asses and bikes back to home base. And back to reality. Until next weekend folks … to Hidden Lakes.

Sunday morning camp

Part of Fortress Peak

Packing Out

The good luck day. We woke up expecting to pack up all our gear and ride until we found water. This is what you get when camping up on a ridge and needing tons of water for last nights dinner and the new day’s coffee party. I wandered off into the trees and there was a spring. Score!

So after a coffee party high on a ridge we set forth for Ramshorn Lake. Descending, climbing another ridge called Blizzard and resting. Then another big decent, and steep too. We ran into a retreating horse person who said she was turned back by a grizzly mother and two cubs. Maybe our luck has run out.

Likely story … we continued. The day was spent climbing in the sunshine. No doubt the valley, our home, would be melting in heat. We were comfy except for the relentless climb. OK, I enjoyed it, I will admit that. Today I am a lucky person.

We arrived at the lake with time to spare. Another adventure maybe. But not yet. The thunder rolled and the rains started to fall. Spent the evening in the new tent listening to podcasts. That night we fell asleep to boulders being rolled off towering cliffs around us. Either a bear digging a den or rolling rocks looking for grub. Maybe a pirate trying to scare us away from their treasure high up on Ramshorn Peak. In any case we are lucky to live this life.

Looking across the valley to Big Sky and Lone Peak

Mo follows the recharge wagon

Blizzard Ridge

The setup

Ramshorn Peak

Ramshorn Lake with Ramshorn and Fortress Peaks

Tomorrow we leave for Casper WY. Doin the 8 hour race don’t cha know! Objectives are to have fun and ride a lot. Lets hope this comes to fruition. Wouldn’t you know it I came down with vertigo today. Shoot. After all the preparations might have to say home. Guess Instagram will tell from here.

On a Wednesday Night Adventure

There is a ride around this lake

Just about there

Returning back to camp

This weekend is the Casper Mountain Bike Challenge 2016! Plenty of spots available people. Okay … so the question is, can we ride for 8 hours in a day and not look like total old people? That was it like three weeks ago as we continued to bolster our constitutions at Chico Hot Springs. A ride … a hike. Training camp complete.

And now … question still remains. And not look like old people.

Up Emigrant Creek Road

Riding down Emigrant Creek Road

Hiking up the ridge above the hot springs

After seeing bear sign we decided to skidattle off the ridge.

The pose

Hiking … I know weird … right?

I think we have climbed enough for one day