Spring Maddness

Looks like spring doesn't it? Maybe back in Wisconsin, but here in Montana, we are getting the best snow this year! This storm happened the night before the downtown chaos of the explosion, giving us 10". The next day, 10" more. You know I was out there enjoying that! It was amazing!

Bozeman Creek

Montana running through the snow.

Sunday came along and my friend, Daniel, and I went to the Boiling River in Yellowstone bright and early. We called Bridger at 7am when we left, and they had 3" of fresh snow, so we still decided to go to Yellowstone. One hour later, we called again, just to be sure. In that hour, Bridger Bowl got 8" more! Now at 11" (which turned into 26" by the end of the day), Bridger got the most snow it's gotten all season. We still had a great soak in the Boiling river, but needless to say, we both knew we were in the wrong spot for the day! But don't worry, we indulged in that 26" on Monday. One word = Epic.

The Boiling River coming out of the ground. (Mammoth, Yellowstone)

Boiling River flowing into the Gallatin River...where you soak.

Daniel and I leaving the River after our soak.

Job Update = Finding out tomorrow (Friday, March 13) whether or not I have a second interview here in Bozeman.

Future Update = Still unknown :)

Snowboard, Ski & Soak...What a Weekend!

This weekend has been a busy one which started on Thursday. It started snowing Wednesday night, so I went up to Bridger Bowl to do some snowboarding Thursday. The morning was fun, though not as much new snow as I thought. I was starting to think it wasn't worth it when it started snowing at noon.......and kept snowing until Friday! If I was excited before for 8" of new snow, you can imagine how exciting +12" of powder was! So, snowboarding Thursday and Friday were amazing. On top of that, I had a job interview Friday morning, which may keep me in Bozeman for a bit. Tune in soon for more details!

Then Saturday was a ladies day. Four of us girls drove down to Yellowstone National Park to enjoy a day of cross counrty skiing and a nice soak in the Boiling River. Unfortunatley, we had a slight delay as the Yakima rack on top of my car broke and sent our skis flying off the car and into the road!!! Luckily, there was no one driving behind us, and no serious damage to the skis, so we could all still enjoy the rest of the day. We ended up skiing about 8 miles, half in groomed trails, half in the backcounrty and it was beautiful. All together, we saw bison, elk, and a lone wolf (all from a (safe) distance). After a nice long ski (and a hitch hike back to the car), we enjoyed a well deserved two hour soak in the Boiling River before our drive home.

Sunday...........REST DAY!

PS->Sorry for the lack of pictures, but my camera battery conveniently died...and recharging was forgotten for future use. Next time!

Hoo-freakin-Hah!

Hey there folks,

Arizona was a blast! And Ella Reese Day is just cute as a button! She needed some warming up to me (seeing as it was the first time we have ever met), but eventually, we got along just fine. I think she liked the curly hair and the funny faces we exchanged back and forth. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, but Tim and Nadia got a few pictures, so check out Ella's blog. On top of that, the bike race went well. Both Bozeman teams did awesome and had fun. All and all, Valentines day was amazing.

Today, I FINALLY got on my snowboard. I know, it's hard to believe it's taken me this long, but for those who know me, I like my powder. Bridger got 8" last night (not alot, but more than it's gotten since I've gotten out here) and Nicole and I took full advantage of it. She was testing out her tellies, while I reminded my body what mountain Moguls were all about. The snow was soft and I found a few spots here and there that weren't tracked out to bad. Especially when I started dipping in and out of the trees! Hoo-hah my calves and quads are sore! Not a whole lot of pictures to enjoy this time, but it's proof I was finally out riding.

For your enjoyment...

Here's some more picture for you all to enjoy. We're heading down to Tuscan, Arizona this weekend for the Old Pueblo 24-hour bike race. Stopping by Tim, Nadia, and Ella's house for lunch on our way down. Can't wait to meet the new addition to the family!

Sunset in Highlight...

Pete not realizing there's a twig on his head...

Nicole and Ashkee.

Crazy dog or ostrich?....

.....Crazy dog.

Cross country skiing in Highlight Canyon on a blue bird day.

Looking across the canyon with the telephoto lense...check out that falls!

Montana having just as much fun as we are... :)

Eric at Genesis.

First night climbing experience at Fat Chance.

Pete on Hangover

Nicole on Hangover

Night: The New Day

(check out Oryan chillin like a villin in the sky with the ice wall and the mountains all around. Pretty sweet.)

So as some of you may know, one of my new favorite winter sports is ice climbing. Snowboarding is still number one in my book, but ice climbing is climbing up in the ranking. We've been going nearly two times a week.

We all went night ice climbing Sunday night because the full moon was out. We all had a blast!

Who needs sunlight when you can have MOONLIGHT!

Check it out....

Luke rappelling with the moonlight in the background.

Nicole and Pete

Luke climbing (right)

Nicole rocking it...or icing it?

Sarah (left) dertermined to get to the top of the WI4.

The moon rising over the ridge.

Living Simply

So Ive joined the wonderful world of blogs. Ive realized its a great way to keep everyone informed of my endeavors.

Living in Bozeman, Montana is great. Ive been having a blast so far. Everything is amazing: the scenery, the atmosphere, the people...
Even with the unusually warm weather and the lack of snow, Ive found it easy to enjoy every day. Believe it or not, I still have yet to take my snowboards out of their bag!

Lately, Montana and I have been living simply in our new home. The dwindling job market has taken a toll here in Bozeman, and I, like so many others here, continue to look for work. In the meantime, we've been staying busy using the good old fashion fun....playing in the great outdoors. Here are some pictures of the last few weeks. Enjoy.

Fireman belaying Nicole as she takes some snapshots.

Drinking some hot tea and enjoying the puffy.

Eric in a chandelier spire.

"Base camp". Nicole belaying me as I take some snap shots.