morning turns

Backcountry day #2 for the season, finally found a little snow... the ear to ear grin kind. 

MIA

This is my 'adventure blog'... and from the looks of it, a little starved for input - but I have had some. Here's the latest update. It's been a good season considering how busy I've been with school and social commitments.  I should soon have a link on the sidebar to the blog I am doing for my Nutrition and Society class. Hopefully I will have some content there relevant to my life.  I am beginning to realize that some dreams of mine will not happen unless I set some intermediate goals and train toward them - hopefully technology can help motivate me and organize my effort.

On the eve of the new year, December 31st 2011, I set out with Spencer and went exploring.
Driving to and fro and going in and out with a heavy pack (or a sled in Spencer's case) ate up four days. The grunt work was travel nine miles over a pass. It was kind of challenging.  We had to circumnavigate questionable snowpack in a couple places.

The trail wasn't always obvious, or necessarily the safest place to travel...

 On the one day off without the heavy loads we explored five miles or so up a drainage and it was almost blissful.  I found out that I am not the most bad-ass bushwacking son-of-a-gun that ever was... I actually whined about it. But I did get some nice pictures of the scenery:

The climbing was more challenging than I thought it was going to be. By the time I got to where Spencer is in this picture my nerves had calmed a little and climbing through the overhanging section was quite fun. However it was pretty unsettling when the whole climb creaked and groaned while I was following.  The bulk of the climb is essentially a large shell detached from the rock, because of the water running underneath.  I'm grateful for the experience, and glad that we found the climb 'in shape', because in the summer-time this is actually a fairly large volume waterfall.

Chronologically missing: a long walk in the Crazies with Ron to climb a couple pitches up Rock Creek.

Winter is almost here!

It's finally groppling and not hailing!

baby steps toward a real post... I enjoyed possibly the last rockclimb of the season with my friend Mel this past weekend. We went and car-camped down at Pipestone. I got on what the guidebook calls "the most sandbagged route", 'Pipeline', on the King formation - grudge match because it had humbled me previously. I'm pretty sure I got off route; I sort of ended up migrating back into the water streak, but it was fun.

The next day we hiked back to Roof Rock a little further up the valley and climbed 'Montana Road' a 5star classic 5.8.  It didn't take me long to remember... Stars means scary, and Butte 5.8 kicks my butt. It was a unique experience, I placed all my smallest protection including 3 Ball-nuts, and I slung a couple chicken heads and horn. I probably whined a little more than I should have, but I think I worked through some things in my head. Yippee for real climbing... good to get in the right mindset for ice - pro ain't always where you want it or as good as you'd like. Climbing is good, talk to God on the way up and hopefully you won't have to on the fast way down... Cheers!

skiing

got out with Loren (wandering climbing monk) skiing and looking at ice. It's tough times to do anything in the mountains, lots of opportunities to make bad decisions. Among the many good decisions we made was drinking beer for charity at the Red Lodge Brewery. Remember the children!

Saw one of the biggest cornices I've ever seen hanging off the side of Mt. Reargaurds(?) plateau edge, from the cooke/redlodge road. It must be hanging out 30ft from the edge - I'd like to see that thing rip!

I declare

So, the news is out: so n' so is no more.

This hasn't changed my feelings, I've felt this way for a while when I hear people ranting in hate about so n' so that did such n' such to whomever, where-ever; that is I want to reject hate and I have a heaviness that people not rejoice over another souls death. Consider David not rejoicing over Sauls demise - but in fact mourning it (2nd Samuel chpt 1). Proverbs 12:28 says: In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death. (We're not totally there yet) and Proverbs 24:17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and dont let your heart be glad when he stumbles Or the Lord will see it and be displeased and turn His anger away from him.

Reconciling personal behavior and government actions is tricky. Romans 12 & 13 give some good guidance. God is in control.

fire and ice

whilst leading an ice climb the other day in the wee hours of the morning (by headlight) I swung for another stick and the ice lit up with a glow as I struck a rock underneath...neato... now I'm packing for another trip to explore the farther reaches of places ice grows within daytrip distance from Bozeman town.

smiles

Got out with Dylan and got on the first ice of the season last weekend. Gran Carambano was thin so we bypassed it and took the gully above all the way to the plateau. It was the "Froze to Death experience" in ideal conditions. Someday I'll have to do the link up. A couple pictures at http://montanaice.com/node/1399