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Jun 23

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Glacier Snow

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Initially, the trails were dry and free of snow as we ascended the mountain.  As we continued onward, small patches of snow and ice were easily avoided, until they were not.

At higher elevations, only the few trails with virtually no tree cover were free from snow, mud, and spring melt water crossings.  

While we had a GPS device aiding our navigation, the steep slopes and deep snow complicated things.  When it was time to navigate a descent through the dense network of trees, we were wet, regularly postholing to our knees, and were forced to backtrack multiple times before a final glissade to dry land. 

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All of this slowed our travels, but absolutely increased the fun factor.  And for a few hours, a group of us – all in our mid/upper 40’s, momentarily put our adult realities aside while childlessly reliving the joys of our youth.

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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 5

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Birthday Girl

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Monday was Kelly’s birthday and the gift she most wanted is to be carefree and happy. 

Tonight she is off to a good start and I could not be happier for her.

 

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.

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