Weatherman's Draw Mountain Biking

Spent another weekend in Billings biking. This time we decided to ride Weatherman's Draw. This was a very cool and interesting trail. It didn't feel like Montana at all.....it felt more like Vernal, UT or Fruita, CO to be honest. Its close to Bridger, MT with lots of camping and solitude.

This trail had lots to offer including fun singletrack....


(Claire decided to walk this section. Its hard to tell but the trail narrows to less than a foot with a long fall on her left.)

...great views at the top....


...some fun "chunk" to play on....

...and a great pub close by. We found the beer to be cold and the free ribs (on football Sunday's) to be delicious.

There is also lots of old Indian paintings out on the trail on random rock walls. This is really an amazing place and one of my new favorites in Montana. Mix it up with Zimmerman Trail (I, II) in Billings for a perfect weekend.

Lewis and Clark Caverns Halloween 2009

The Caverns have been riding great. A few from Saturday of last week. We had it all to ourselves though we did run into an old friend in the parking lot gearing up. Fun Halloween day.

Biking Zimmerman Trail Billings, MT (Part Deux)

Lewis and Clark Caverns has been packed lately, so we decided to blow town and head on over to Billings. This turned out to be a fantastic idea. We haven't been here since Spring.

We rode Zimmerman Trail Saturday for quite a few hours in between short rain storms. I love this trail....simple as that. I can bike here for hours and never get tired. It has so much fun terrain and you can jump back and forth between single track, chunky rock, and slickrock anytime you want. The place has trails everywhere and you can just rip it as there is almost no climbing. This is one of the most fun trails in Montana period.

We found a cheap hotel within walking distance of downtown last time we were here and stayed again. Its close to the trailhead and allows bikes and dogs in the room. They're also clean, super friendly, and have a great biking breakfast included.

While some say the night life in Billings leaves allot to be desired....I beg to differ. They have a ton of microbreweries all within a few blocks of each other. Carters, Angry Hanks, Yellowstone Valley Brewing, and one or two more. All were full of cool, down to earth people and some even had live music......yea nice.

We really wanted to try out the riding at Weatherman's Draw this time, but I'll be damned if Zimmerman is just too much fun. We did it again Sunday and enjoyed amazing weather.


The road home.....

Mountain Biking Lionshead (Sheep Creek Trail 218)

Last Saturday we headed off to do a nice fall ride up trail 218 in Lionshead just SW of Hebgen Lake. It was a beautiful fall day and the ride turned out to be one of the best I've done in a while.

Its a nice climb...not too bad. Mostly middle ring with some granny spots here and there. The view of Sheep Lake is great and the decent is perfect. It reminds me a bit of Emerald Lake minus any people.

We only ran into a small group of horse riders and a old guy hiking alone (remember this is a beautiful Saturday).

We had a great short conversation with both users and found them to be great company. Its a shame that my favorite form of recreation is getting "kicked" out of this area soon due to wilderness designation.

Cheers to Sheep Creek.....ride it while you can!!!!

Shafthouse Trail 540

We've been riding trail 540 (shafthouse) a bit more this season.

Its a great trail with gorgeous views, fun gnarly rocky sections, and some smooth single track for good measure. You can either shuttle it from just before Fairy Lake making it a mile climb with a 4+ mile decent or do what we usually do and ride it as an in and out from the Ranch which happens to be right at the trailhead.

Its pretty nice to be able to crack a beer, fire-up the BBQ and get a bonfire going at the end of a ride....plus all that driving to the trailhead goes out the door. The Bangtail Divide is just a couple miles away too.

Sorta like heaven really......

Post ride Mexican Train anyone?

Sun Valley Mountain Biking 2009 (and Stanley)

Claire and I spent five days biking in Ketchum, ID and Stanley, ID last week. This was my second time there (last trip) in the summer and Claire's first time in the summer.

Blah...blah...blah....it was a killer trip with perfect weather, great company, good food, and lovely biking.

Mmmm.....liquid ibuprofen.

Redfish Lake is one my favorite spots on earth. We rode around the lake then finished with burgers and beer....killer!!!!


Nothing says Idaho local like a speedo and a mullet.

Spanish Peak's Backpacking

This wasn't no sissy ass backpacking trip.

We ran into bears on the trail, had people sleep in 100% soaked gear from hiking in rain all day, got snowed on, climbed mountain passes, bagged peaks, drank whiskey, laughed, listened, feasted, and gulped from the cup of life.

Yogi was just walking down the trail when we met each other around a corner. Yogi climbed this tree so fast it was nuts. Sorry buddy!!!

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood..." R. Frost

The A-Team on the summit of Beacon at 10,224 ft. That's Gallatin Peak(11,015 ft) behind us and Thompson Lake our second nights camping spot at the valley floor.

Way too many flowers for August. Wet summer indeed.

Sedan Ranch & Curly Lake Highline Mountain Biking

The weekend before last we decided to blow town on Friday and head up to the Sedan Springs Ranch that we've been ignoring. We had a wonderful evening watching a storm roll through that provided a great evening show for us....it even hailed a bit! An evening of cards, cocktails, and steaks was just what the doctor ordered.

We woke to a beautiful morning Saturday and had a nice breakfast of french toast with bacon. We had planned on riding some of the Bangtail Divide Trail just down the road for an afternoon ride and a warm up for Sunday. Sorry no pictures of the ride as I forgot the camera in the car.

We spent Sunday doing my favorite ride period.......Curly Lake Highline. We met up with a biking friend who also drove there so we could shuttle the road. We have ridden this trail quite a few times but have never shuttled the road.....what a good idea. It saved miles of road riding and dropped over 2000 vertical feet from our ride.

It was a good day!!!

Zoo Town.......and misadventures of mountain biking around Missoula.

Life's tough sometimes.......

So we were trying to think of someplace we haven't been lately that is semi-close to Bozeman has good camping, food, and of coarse mountain biking.

Then it hit us.....Missoula. We haven't biked there in a few years so we took off Friday a bit early and headed out.

We found a nice secluded spot in Warm Springs Campground near Sula, MT. We both went to sleep right after setting up camp. We slept great with the creek roaring in the near distance.

We awoke early and drove a couple miles to the Sula Country Store. Part gas station, part local breakfast place it was definitely the center of the universe here. The food was very inexpensive and fantastic. May I suggest the full order of biscuits and gravy....superber and great bike fuel.

We did a 16.5 mile loop called Fire Creek. We started near our camp up warm springs road. It was a nice ride that reminded me of Ketchum, ID. It had a long dirt road ride that goes by fast, plus its a nice warm up. Then you have a few miles of switchbacks that follow with a great ridge line decent. It got super hot towards the end of the ride and really the whole weekend was crazy hot in the 90's. Missoula hasn't been getting the nice afternoon rains we have and it showed.......really brown and burned.

We brought Kona's water bottle, bowel, and most importantly her Swamp Cooler Vest. This thing is amazing for hot days! It keeps her skin cool for an hour and a half plus in the 95 degree heat. We recharge it with what she doesn't drink from the water bowel. This is our second season running it and its the best buy ever.

We then headed north to Missoula where we stayed for the night. I always enjoyed downtown Missoula with the river and the great architecture. Here's some random shots.


Claire knows the owner of the James Bar and is quite fond of it so we stopped in for a drink. It reminds me of Plonk which is just a few blocks from my house. It was very hip and cool on the inside almost too much for me, but they make a killer cocktail. They also have a great quote from H.S.T. on the front. I'd like to give it a shot this fall.

It was just too damn hot out for their menu so we went to Sushi Hana. It was OK and honestly Dave's Sushi here blows its doors off. It wasn't bad though, we had a good time and a reasonably prices dinner. Anyway, it was a great warm summer night in Missoula. We walked more downtown and along the river........'twas grand.

We ended up riding the next day at the Rattlesnake Recreation Area just north of town which I have never ridden. The ride we did was only around 10 miles but it was fun, smooth, and waaaaay to mellow. Still a nice area, but not really worth the drive. It would be a great after work ride to Missoula Locals though.

We hung around a bit and watched the Zoo Town Throwdown criterium bike race from a great table outside. They shut down downtown and race road bikes through it. Nachos and bike racing right in front of you....not a bad way to end the day.

Cheers!

Summertime and the livin's easy....

Bradley's on the microphone with Ras-MG...

all the people in the dance will agree that...

we're well qualified to...

represent...

the LBC. -Sublime

Its been an amazing summer so far. Had dinner at our favorite place Saturday night in Big Sky (Rainbow Ranch). This place burnt down this fall and was rebuilt almost exactly how it looked. The food and service was just how we remembered it...perfect in every way.

The flowers have been amazing this year. What a great time to be alive in Montana.

Slide Creek Mountain Bike and Big Sky Brewfest

Spent yesterday around the Big Sky area. We rode an old favorite up Taylor Fork just south of Big Sky. This ride, Little Wapiti to Sage Creek Loop (map) aka Slide Creek, has a few miles of flat road riding along the river towards the Wapiti Trailhead. Then it climbs some double track (oil can?) to the top of the ridge. The single track decent is most definitely excellent, as was the beer and food post ride.


The last few miles get heavy horse use. While they do turn the trail into a freeway here, they also expose lots of rocks that make for a fun decent. This is steeper than it looks.

After the ride Kona helped sniff out some local brews and live music at the Big Sky Beerfest. We ran into some friends and enjoyed another spectacular Summer evening drinking localish beer and listening to the jams. It was a nice break from the normal stop at Half Moon Saloon or The Corral which are down along the river and highway 191.

Me getting getting a foursome. Cheers!!!

Jackson Hole Mountain Biking (4th of July)

Man I've been slacking.....but its been an amazing summer so far. Been riding a ton around Bozeman during the week and road tripping on the weekends. Not too shabby when you can get on the local trails at 2:00 and be done before the hoards show.

Anyway, spent last weekend in Jackson biking and camping. I did an internship here last year and spent 12 weeks riding almost everyday. It was a blast to run into old friends and get to hit up my favorite food spots.....we hit them all and here they are........D.O.G. for a breakfast burrito before riding, Billy's for THE BEST post ride burger and beer. We also ate at Nikai for sushi which is the best sushi in town and I got to give it up to Teton Thai.....its B.O.B. and they had a DJ spinning outside Friday night...they throw down the best Thai around. We also did Sunday breakfast at Shades. They have great outdoor seating, good coffee and killer eggs benny. I also love a beer and some fish tacos from Pica's at the Wilson bar, but it didn't happen this trip. They are in town too, but the feel of the pass location is tough to beat (bottom of pass).

We rode the old classic of Town-Hagen-Game- West Game- Wilson-Snow King (good view bring quarters for the glasses and a cold pop)-back down to Ferrins-back to town. This was a post work classic for me. We also did Black Canyon on the pass and an in and out on the new stuff the 1,000+ Boy Scouts built last year. Got a great camping spot close to town with a pretty amazing view and no one around on 4th of July weekend. Claire also got to try out her new 08 Turner Spot I built for her. 2010 Fox Float RLC 15QR, Thompson post and stem, the 2010 Sram XO drivetrain in pink, blah, blah, blah.....its nuts and stiff as hell.

Ain't life grand!!???!!

Kona lovin' the 4th parade. We also watched the fireworks this year @ the brewery again. She loved the fireworks and didn't get scared in the least. She was mesmerized like us!!!!

Claire coming down Game Creek. We got hailed on later that Saturday.

Me.

Claire's new bike....."Tina" Turner.

Mountain Biking Helena and Bozeman

Spent last weekend in Helena again. Claire ran the Governors Cup and I drank beer because of the rain and snow. Sunday was decent weather, so all wasn't lost. We even went up to the ranch and got to see a rainbow that Sunday night. We stuck around Bozeman the weekend before that and rode around here.

Anyway, so far the summer has been great. I get off work around 1-2 everyday so I've been riding all over Bozeman a ton. Lots of trails have been drying out. I can't believe its finally here!!! These are some random pics from the last couple weeks.

Helena, MT Memorial Weekend 2009

Spent last weekend in Helena again riding. Nice change from the desert....I love Montana.

Utah Mountain Biking Adventure (Part 2) Vernal, UT

Vernal was a blast by the way. The whole trip was great and I was very tired when I got back. It was a good trip and I got to ride some old favorites and some new. Anyway, here are some random shots from around Utah.


Mountain Biker heaven is a Roach Coach close to a trail...mmmmmm.....

Utah Mountain Biking Adventure (Part 1) Thunder Mountain

I'm sitting in a hotel in Vernal, UT. Spent the last week all over Utah.....Hurricane, Red Canyon (Outside Bryce), Moab, and some other places mountain biking. Its been just what the doctor ordered.

I'll throw up a few from Thunder Mountain now. Probably my favorite trail ever. Can't wait to see what Vernal has to offer.

Mountain Biking Helena Solo

Spent the last few days in Helena, MT biking with just Kailua Kona and myself. Great times! Camping on the lake, riding perfectly packed singletrack, and eating like a king at the York Bar and drinking at the Blackfoot Brewery. I did forget my camera's battery so all I had was my cell phone...sorry about the crappy pictures, but it was great weather.

Had to come back today for a job interview (I got it). Now I have two weeks before I start. I'm feeling desertish......but where? Moab and Fruita have been popular with me, but I need someplace new. I'm thinking of heading to St. George, UT area......its been about four years since I biked there. Maybe some Vernal, UT or Thunder Mountain on the way. Who knows.....stay tuned.

School's out for Summer....

and I got lots of time on my hands. I think a road trip is in order. Hmmm...where to? The picture above is from the Caverns today.

Mountain Biking Lewis and Clark Caverns Early Spring

Got a window with some decent weather last Saturday. What's a guy to do? Grab the dog and lady friend and go hit some dirt is what I said.

Great riding and even ran into some friends. What a nice break from the snow this past week. While I'm ready for some sunshine and warmer weather, spending 14+ hour days on campus is allot easier with 8"+ of fresh sloppy snow outside....two more weeks.

Can't wait for the 2009 season to get into full swing.

Zimmerman Trail (The Rims) Billings, MT

With the snow around Bozeman last week we decided to escape it. We went up to the ranch Friday night for an evening of fire and cocktails. Then left early for a couple days in Billings.

We rode Zimmerman trail Saturday and it was so fun that we did it again the next day instead of Weatherman Draw. This trail is just too much fun. It has it all.....slickrock, flowy singletrack, and a fun view. It even has some long wooden ladders (skinnies) to play on. The whole trail is along the rims over looking town. Billings might have to start replacing Lewis & Clark Caverns and Helena for new spring and fall riding.


Part II Here