Spring Kayaking

No, not the crazy whitewater-type of kayaking. This was early May when Ghetto-C (Chris) and I decided to take our new (ok, used) touring kayaks out for a spin on Cliff Lake to catch some early season trout.

The down side was we got to Cliff Lake and it was still semi-frozen over. Fortunately Wade Lake is only 1/4 mile over and was wide open so we put in there.

Here is the new kayak rigged and ready to put out at Wade Lake on its maiden voyage:

Cliff and Wade Lakes are really cool lakes in SW Montana. They are pretty decent size but not huge, and are fully surrounded by National Forest land so there are no Dave Letterman-style "summer homes" dotting the shore. In fact, they are kind of remote and out of the way. Nonetheless the fishing is good, and they feature many bays and coves where the water becomes shallow and crazy tropical-colored. It's almost like flats fishing as you hang tiny chironomid patterns below an indicator on these flats and wait for the spooky fish to strike.

And strike they did! After a couple of strikes and fish landed (including a 15" rainbow I caught) we took a break for lunch. Here I am digging out a beer, you can see the crazy water color in the background:

It was rather cool (50 degrees) and becoming kind of breezy and cloudy, so after a few more hours of circling the entire lake and Chris catching more trout, we decided to head back to shore. Here Chris paddles across the middle of Wade Lake, the dock is on the far shore almost directly behind him:

All that was left to do was to get the kayaks on the Canyonero and start the drive home. Good times!

Spanish Creek Cabin XC Ski

As usual this is somewhat late, but while the adventures are great doing stuff on the computer is terminally boring. So, almost a month after the fact here is what we did for my birthday - a cross-country ski adventure to the Spanish Creek Cabin!

Here is our crew (minus me - Marilyn, and Shelley and Colter) getting our packs together at the trailhead, which is just past Communist sympathizer Ted Turner's ranch. The Spanish Peaks tower in the background. In the summer (and sometimes spring) you can drive on this road up to the cabin and trailhead:


The warm spring sun had started to melt off the snow in some south-facing spots, but there was plenty on the road for skiing:

Here I am looking for a lunch spot for us to stop at:

The road continued on, with once again just enough snow for us to ski on:

A few miles further on in a section with more southern exposure there was no snow at all on the road, and we had to do about a half mile of extreme cross-country skiing. Here my beautiful wife ably navigates the ribbon of snow left on the shoulder of the road:

After some more skiing (about 4 miles total) we finally came to the Spanish Creek Forest Service Cabin, nestled next to Spanish Creek at the foot of the Spanish Peaks Wilderness. There was plenty of snow up there:

After a good day of xc skiing we were ready for some porch time at the cabin with some crackers, cheese, sausage, and of course some red wine and single malt scotch:

That night we feasted on some excellent burgers and veggies cooked on the wood stove, and finished off with some outrageous chocolate and peanut butter pies (courtesy of Shelley). And of course some Guinness:




After a great evening of extreme Yahtzee action (and more scotch), it was off to bed. In the morning we had a great breakfast and of course some backcountry espresso:


Finally it was time to pack up and make the 4 mile ski back to the car. Fortunately it was mostly downhill now and some good times were had making tracks in the snow off the side of the road.

One last pic as we leave the cabin, me and my beautiful wife with the Spanish Peaks in the background. I'll see them close up this July when I backpack up there to some lakes to catch some cutthroat trout:


Good times and a great birthday weekend!

XC Skiing Fan Creek (YNP)

Yesterday Chris had another Saturday off, so we decided to head down and xc ski Fan Creek in Yellowstone Natl Park. This is just across the road from the Bacon Rind Creek ski we did a few weeks ago.

The trail starts off crossing a large meadow and the Upper Gallatin River just off the road, then goes into the forest beyond:

While there was plenty of fresh snow from the night before, it was surpisingly wet and sticky. This caused it to clump on the bottom of the skis, slowing us down. Eventually we decided to stop and put on some of the snowboard wax I had stuffed in my pack to help us out:

After a little while we came to the trail junction (Fan Creek/Fawn Pass). Chris heads off to the left up Fan Creek:

Soon the trail pretty much petered out, meaning we were breaking trail in the fresh deep snow:

This was cool except for the fact that it was often collapsing underneath us, sinking us to our waist or deeper. It became quite a slog. Here is Fan Creek, not frozen but often covered by snow:

After switchbacking up some hills we came to a nice spot to dig a snow bench (with my handy new shovel) and have some lunch and a few beers. We hung out for 45 minutes or so, waiting to see some sign of critter but we never did. Looking east towards Fawn Pass (kinda):

Looking back the way we had come from (that's our track in the immediate foreground):

Finally it was time to cover the mileage back to the car. At least this time we had our own tracks to follow and so it was a little easier getting through the deep snow. I also bombed back down a big hill through knee deep powder - good times!

One last look back where we had been, you can see our trail snaking off to the left and then back across and eventually up into the trees. Our lunch spot was beyond that tree covered hill:


No critters (except for the squirrel Chris saw, which doesn't count), but a good time was had for sure. I was tired from slogging through the deep snow, but not too tired to hit up some good runs snowboarding at Bridger this morning. Montana, so excellent.

XC Skiing Bear Creek (Jan 31, 2010)

The next weekend we went out to Ennis Lake to visit our neighbors Cindy and Terry who have a lake house out there. The plan was to play some quality Yahtzee on Sat night and then go for a cross-country skiventure on Sunday.

Before we left, we did a test to see if maybe there was a way that Poochie could go on a lengthy ski trip and we could carry him when he got cold:

But it was not to be - his short coat and lack of body fat make it tough for him (and us) if he is out in the snow for more than an hour, and this was going to be an all-day trip.

Terry came up with an excellent plan, courtesy of the neighbor, to try skiing up Bear Creek up towards the base of The Sphinx. This was very cool because I had not yet been into the Taylor-Hilgard unit of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness so new scenery was guaranteed. We got a couple inches of new snow overnight so the ski counditions were great, and the trail was just enough of a challenge.

Here I am entering the wilderness on the foot (ski) bridge. Don't fall!:

The trail crossed the crick several times, which meant there was alot of taking the skis off and then putting them back on:

This made for some equipment problems with ice getting into the bindings and then the binding wouldn't close (ie, ski won't stay on). Fortunately I had a pocket knife with me and could pick the ice out each time it happened.

The trail itself was very scenic and followed the crick up a small canyon:

And then through some forest:

Ultimately we came across a great place for lunch, in a big meadow at what would be almost the base of the Sphinx. Unfortunately, it's lost in the clouds:

After that we went a little farther, and then turned back for a great downhill the several miles all the way back to the trailhead. A few spills were had, but nothing serious! A great time was had by all.

XC Skiing Bacon Rind Creek (Jan 23,2010)

Better late than never, here is an account of our excellent cross-country skiing adventure along Bacon Rind Creek in Yellowstone Natl Park.

Chris finally got a Saturday off so he, my beautiful wife, and I decided to head down to XC ski Bacon Rind Creek in YNP, something we had been meaning to do for a long time. After the almost hour long drive, Chris is ready to get going:

With fresh snowfall the night before, the trail immediately was greeted with some beautiful scenery. The forest was full of whiteness:

That fresh snow and scenery came with a price, however. The most extensive avalanche cycle in years was plaguing the southern Madison Range due to the cold temps from late October and early December producing weak layers of sugary facets near the base of the snowpack. As we skiied we heard lots of whumphing and collapsing sounds. We kept to the flat terrain in the middle of the valley where things were safe. Being prepared for the conditions with the new shovel my bro got me for Christmas also meant I was prepared to shovel out a nice seating area for lunch, a cold beer, and some hot chocolate. Mmmm what a combo!:

Our lonely tracks show just how quiet and full of solitude it was out there:

Finally we headed back to towards the car, passing through more beautiful forest:

It was a great time and most importantly, we stayed safe. Mad props go to the folks from the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center whose daily updates on the condition of the snowpack keep everyone aware of what's going on. This beer's for you!

Snow Pooching

Another day, another excellent poochventure. Today I took Poochie on a short hike up Cottonwood in the snow. The temps were warm (30F) but there was still lots of snow clinging to the trees from Tuesday's dump. Poochie sniffs for critter:

After a short hike, Poochie makes his way down to the gate that marks the first creek crossing coming up:

Almost to the creek, Poochie senses critter:

But they were just some other dogs. Here is Cottonwood Creek at the first bridge crossing:

It was a good time. Cottonwood Road is always a great way to get anywhere, and on the way back I got a nice pic that shows where we live. The heavy clouds above the Bridgers mean maybe tomorrow would be a good day to go snowboarding:


And I think I will.

New Year's Skiing With Otie and Ted

Yay, we finally got a new camera! A Nikon P90 CoolPix with a 25x optical zoom. It will be great for taking pics of critters in the Park, once we figure out how to use all the cool features. On New Year's Eve we decided it would be a great time to get out there and test it out. Poochie's brother Otis was staying with us for the holidays since his owner went off to California to visit her family. So, we decided to take them both up to Hyalite for some cross country skiing!

Here are Marilyn and Poochie on the Lakeshore Trail:

After a while the skinny and hilly trail started to get a little over our cross-country skiing ability, so we struck off across the frozen lake. Here I am skiing with Poochie and Otie:

The dogs had a great time running around on the lake. Otie found an old ice fishing hole by which someone had left one of their catch. He and Poochie proceeded to feast on fresh frozen rainbow trout:

After a while the dogs were getting cold so we returned to the car and had some tasty hot chocolate and then drove back to the house.

The next day, New Years Day 2010, we decided to go for another cross-country ski without the dogs. We went up Spanish Creek into the wilderness, up behind media mogul and VietCong sympathizer Ted Turner's ranch. Along the road to the trailhead there is an old homestead type building, with some of the Spanish Peaks in the background:

Pretty much all of the land in the foreground belongs to Ted and is part of his vast 10K+ acre buffalo ranch. You must stay on the road! Fortunately at the trailhead, the road is no longer plowed and becomes a fine cross-country ski route all the way up to the Spanish Creek Forest Service cabin at the summer trailhead, about 4 miles.

Eff you, Ted, and the commies you rode in with!:

Just kidding. Actually the road is quite a delightful ski route and there's really nothing to be missed by staying on it. Except maybe getting shot. At least El Ted is kind enough to leave the road open to the public to access the National Forest beyond. Maybe that's the commie in him.

We went almost halfway to the Nat'l Forest boundary, almost 2 miles, and then stopped and had some snacks and hot chocolate and practiced taking more pics with the camera. Here is my beautful wife in the Montana winter:

After the snacks we headed back to the car, which was a gentle downhill most of the way so it took half the time it did to get out there. Back near the car there were some drifts along the side of the road allowing for some extreme cross-country skiing!

Extreme for me anyway. I managed to not bust my arse.

At last our excellent day had to come to an end:

But it was a good time and a great start to another great year in Montana, the Last Best Place!