Summer Highlights

Days are becoming shorter, temperature cooling.  School is in session, along with a twenty - hour a week job, and I have begun to relocated myself out of my '98 Subaru Outback into a downtown Missoula house on Front Street... summer is coming to an end.  May sound like I am settling down - this is far from the case, only preparing myself for the winter.  I promised myself and others that once I had a computer I would create some sort of blog to keep track of my adventures and provide inspiration to others.  So here it is.  I am mainly using this post to figure out how this whole blog thing works, here are just a few of this summers highlights...

Trapper Peak summit, Bitterroot range Montana

Usual highlights of my summer would include quite a bit of mountain biking, this year not the case.  My mountain bike got stolen the night after Missoula XC race.  I had two options in early June what to make of my summer.  Option one:  get a job (witch would most likely involve relocating in Msla), save cash, buy a new bike, and continue on with a normal summer.  Option two:  continue harvesting enough Morrell mushrooms to feed myself, by gas for my Subrau filled with, two pairs of skis, crampons, climbing gear, hiking shoes, lots of maps, and a lot of beer, that would take me wherever I like.  The choice was easy, option two it was...  the bike thieves may have took my bike but they could not stop my adventures

First stop, Warren Peak with Brian and Leah on an early June day.  Despite what I thought was a long approatch we managed to summit in good time and ski a sick line!

Warren Peak, Pintlar mountains Montana

Next to the Big Hole... Homer Youngs peak with Jake.  Most (maybe all) of our approach here was in hiking shoes.  Snow was soft, I set off a nice wet sluff that ran down the north face like a waterfall and we continued to safely ski some fine June corn only to get lost for a few hours on our exit.

Dropping in the north face Homer Younger Peak, Big Hole valley Montana

Next thing I knew I was standing on top of the tallest volcano in the lower 48 with Ben and Chris, Mt. Rainier.  What a highlight this was.  Two days of perfect weather spent skiing with friends on the tallest mountain I have been on yet, 14,409' above sea level.  9,000 vertical feet of June skiing from summit to car.  The descent took us hours.  Ski conditions included hard pack, ice, wind slab, corn, porn (powder on corn), and some soft soft snow.

Summit Mt. Rainier

Ben and Chris skiing off the summit of Mt. Rainier 

Spent a lot of time alone driving this summer. A lot.  Here was a last miniute inpulse decision to ski Mt Adams.  I could not round up any friend to join me when I decided to go the night before, but away I went.  Hiking alone and motivated by the good news that I would have a loaner bike to race this years Butte 100,  I decided to bring the lightweight race skis and little gear.  Made it to the summit in good time and had high aspirations to take advantage of the 15 hours of daylight and ski multiple laps.  So I ripped my skins, threw on my shell, snapped a few photos, and.....

More driving.  Somewhere in Washington / Oregon

Summit of Mt. Adams

. . . Not even ten turns off the summit and my left Dynafit SR ski took a deep dip in a suncup, snapping the tip off.  Driving nine hours to walk down the mountain with a broken ski did not sound very fun to me, so I stuck to the plan and made hop turns all the way down the SW chute with the one and a half skis.  One lap was all I needed before finding myself back on the Round - the - Mountain - Trail and eventually back to my car where cold beer and food awaited.  

Broken ski still managed to hop down all 5000' of the SW chutes on Adams

Fortunately, unlike my mountain bike, I do have two pairs of skis.  Three, actually, or four.  So the ski season continues.    Enjoying the 4th of July freedom on top of Mt. Siyeh in Glacier and more.

Enjoying the summit of Mt. Siyeh, Glacier NP

Exhausted on top of Mt. Jackson, Glacier NP

There is my summer in a nutshell, or at least what I had photos of. 

Expect more detailed trip reports related not only to skiing in posts to come.  For years I have used a mix of friends blogs, google maps, guide books, and topo maps to fuel my adventures and I hope you will find this blog useful when you do the same.