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Posts from the ‘States’ Category

Jun 22

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Going To The Sun Road

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Here at Glacier National Park, the infamous Going To The Sun Road remains closed.

Crews have recently finished plowing huge amounts of winter snow, but many road surface and guardrail repairs remain to be completed before opening the pass to automobile traffic.

During this road closure period, park visitors are allowed access to bike or walk the famous alpine highway.  Yesterday afternoon Kelly and I laced our sneakers, grabbed the binoculars, and set off for a walk to Logan Pass in hopes of spotting Big Horn Sheep or Mountain Goats high on a ridge.  If we were lucky, maybe we would see a few bears in one of many valley meadows far below.

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We didn’t see any animal activity off in the distance, but you’ll understand our surprise to round a bend and effectively walk into a pack of sheep quietly grazing at the side of the road.

If you have never been to Glacier, it must be added to your list.  This place is simply magnificent.

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Jun 3

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Galena Grinder

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With our time in Ketchum (Idaho) winding down, I’m scrambling to find (new-to-me) high alpine riding areas that are open for the season; many locations remain buried in snow/mud or are temporarily off-limits due to seasonal closures aimed at protecting mothering elks and their newly born calves.

Hmm … now what?

Enter the #galenatrails, or more specifically the #galenagrinder mountain bike course, to the rescue.

One of Idaho’s longest running races, the course is steeped in history and hits most of the trail network over a 25 mile effort.

Checking off multiple boxes (mixed terrain, hills, beautiful scenery, etc.), it was a no-brainer to download the course to my GPS, drive 30 minutes to the trailhead, and under deep blue skies get lost in the backcountry for a few a hours.

While places like Moab and Sedona routinely get all the MTB love (and deservingly so) these big mountain trails will always be my preferred scene.

May 25

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Casual Friday

 

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Increasingly, enjoying scenes like these are becoming my preferred version of Casual Friday.

Today, on the eve of Memorial Day weekend, atop two wheels I enjoyed the sweet smell of Spring.  As I whooshed along smooth trails, marveling at the wild flowers basking in their own glory, I couldn’t believe I had the trails all to myself.

A good thing to as the scenery invoked movie memories resulting in my singing aloud to myself “the hills are alive …”.

Despite what must have been me being woefully out of tune, I still think the Von Trapp family would appreciate my carefree spirit and approve.

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May 23

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Fits Like A Glove

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You know the feeling – how slipping into you favorite pair of jeans feels so right, natural.

We rolled into Ketchum (Idaho) this afternoon and let me tell you, doing so was easy.

Arriving felt good.  Familiar and comfortable.

Another mountain town Spring season is underway around these parts and it’s simply a glorious time to be here.

A full slate of hiking and trail riding, followed by visits to our favorite breweries and restaurants lies ahead.

Definitely one of our happy places, we are thrilled to be back, even if only for a few days.

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