I mentioned a few times during my weekly recaps that I had a friend volunteer to do whole30 with me. Um, yeah…I have pretty awesome friends. I mean, who willingly gives up cheese (especially living in Wisconsin)?
Mary, that’s who.
Here she is with her little girl, Sofia. Aren’t they beautiful? (Yes, Mary, I stole this off of Facebook. And you’re lucky I picked this one…I almost chose one that looked to be you singing karaoke in an 80’s outfit. You’re welcome.)
Mary and I met in high school and have been friends ever since, despite living in separate states for almost 20 years. She’s just one of those people who regardless of how long you go without talking to (which can definitely be too long sometimes!), the conversation is easy when you finally do. She’s honest. She’s creative. She’s thoughtful. And she’s also really loud, sarcastic and funny. Mary’s a straight-shooter who will tell you what she’s thinking (usually without sugar-coating it). Just the kind of friend that you want doing whole30 with you.
She also had some great results so I asked her to write a little recap of her experience and she agreed. I’ll be sharing my final update tomorrow, but today please enjoy this guest post from Mary.
It’s a wrap! (And I don’t mean a delicious sandwich.)
The day I told Janna I’d do Whole30 with her (‘cuz that’s how I roll with my longtime friends) I looked at my husband and said, “What the hell did I just agree to?” I immediately did what you’re NOT supposed to do – think about all the things I couldn’t have. No grains? My new bestie quinoa had to be put on the backburner for an entire month? No sugar? Not a single drop of it? Not even honey? What!!!? That just seemed like a torture technique. No cheese, or wine, or beer? I might as well just die right now. But then I read a ridiculous amount on the reasoning behind the program and came to the conclusion that I definitely could benefit from this as well. Anyone can do anything for 30 days, right? Heck, I spent 45 days in a cast and couldn’t walk for nearly 60 days just a few months back so this was nothing. That mindset got me through the beginning…and meal planning. Meal planning is a must if you do Whole30.
There were moments I thought I was going to lose it though. I’m talking to you Days 5 and 6. And then a couple nights where I woke up at 3 a.m. telling Rob about eating apple pie funnel cakes at a state fair around days 13 and 14. Not sure if that even exists, but I wanted one and the dream was so real it was like I could taste it. My brussel sprouts just didn’t taste like funnel cake though. Those were probably the toughest two days. But then something magical happened. The third week started and I felt like I was on top of the world. My energy levels were great. I loved every meal I made. I didn’t miss anything I normally craved. And the best thing ever: my Raynaud’s/pre-arthritic hands were completely back to normal. No joint inflammation (bye-bye “sausage fingers”!) and no horrible pain I had been experiencing since October. I, for the first time in three months, was able to wear my wedding ring again. This was BIG, people. And I took pictures to prove it.
The positives from the 30 days kept coming…no more fatigue, consistent high energy levels, no more carb or sugar cravings, more patience with Miss Diva (a.k.a. my daughter, Sofia), sleeping more soundly, awakening feeling refreshed, not a single mid-day nap and the aforementioned joint pain GONE! Thank you sweet baby Jesus. And thank you Janna for catching me at a weak moment and calling me out on your blog to ensure I’d follow through on doing this with you. It’s honestly been life changing.
So now what? Well, I have introduced dairy and wheat so far. Dairy was not my friend. My beloved cheese took on a new taste and it wasn’t good. I was depressed about it. I tried three different kinds and wasn’t a fan of any of them. Eeeek! I’m still gonna give her another chance though. She deserves it after all these years together. Yogurt gave me a stomachache. Oh well, I can try different non-dairy kinds of yogurt. No big deal. Wheat crackers tasted good, but I doubt I’ll have them nearly as much as before. I would much rather have bowls of gingered zucchini soup. I know, I’m a weirdo now. Or maybe just weirder than before. At least I’m a weirdo without giant inflamed man hands anymore.
Mary had her “apple fritter funnel cake” dream about the same time as I was lusting over chocolate cake. So we definitely had some good laughs about our weird sugar withdrawals. In a way it was just nice to know that I wasn’t crazy for feeling that way.
I’m so glad Mary came along on this journey with me. To hear her say that it has changed her life literally gets me a little choked up. I honestly think everyone should try a whole30…I mean, we went into this with totally different goals. And we both came out better from it. Doesn’t it make you wonder how it could change your life?
I’ll be back with my wrap up tomorrow along with my top five favorite recipes.
Somebody slept through the night last night – and it wasn’t me. I am trying not to get too excited about it, but holy cow….through. the. night! This is my biggest of wishes and wildest of dreams come true. Yeah, it’s a pretty exciting life we live over here, where wishes and dreams are in the form of zzzzzz’s.
It’s been a week since I was on the brink of despair, decided something needed to change, and embarked on a sleep-training journey. And oh. my. gawd. I am tired. So tired. But maybe, just maybe last night is a sign that it’s working? Who knows. If it is, I’ll be back to share all of my sleep wizardry with you, so that your wishes and dreams may also come true.
But that’s not what this is about (although sleep training must be the epitome of a mother’s love). No, instead, I’m sticking my head up above water for a few minutes to deliver a very special treat for you today: a guest post from my little sister Amy!
Ok, so she’s not so little anymore, but that’s how she’ll always be to me. You wouldn’t necessarily know that we were sisters by looking at us – she is a big-eyed, dark-haired, olive-skinned beauty. But we share the same roaring laugh, backwards-bending thumb, and sentimental heart. It’s the latter trait that brings her here today, to share with all of us a special tradition she’s starting for her daughter.
It brought a tear to my eye and instantly I began wondering how I could embark on something similar for Abby. I think you’ll like it too, so without further ado, read on!
Hello TWSST readers. If you are like me you have desperately missed Janna’s blog posts. I understand she is a bit busy these days so I thought I would help her out and write one of my own as a guest. I’m her sister Amy, but if Janna were to introduce me she would introduce me as her little sister Amy (although I am in my thirties I am still considered little).
As you may or may not know, our mother passed away when we were young. It happened a couple weeks after my sixth birthday. I have very few memories of my mother; so few that I can count them on one hand. Growing up I always thought about her. When my friends would talk about their mothers my own was never far from my thoughts. Some friends would complain that they were beginning to look like them or worry that they were actually becoming them.
What I wouldn’t give to share the same thoughts.
I would sit and quietly listen while they spoke of their mother. I always wished I knew more about mine; it wasn’t just the elaborate stuff I wanted to know, I wanted to know the simple things. What did her laugh sound like? What was her favorite flower? What was she like? Was she shy like me or was she outgoing?
It wasn’t until I became pregnant and a mother myself that I started to look at it differently. What if (god forbid) something happened to me? I am sure my daughter would have the same feelings. Would my daughter remember me, know who I really was? I sure hope so. But in a way to prevent that, I am taking action.
I plan to write in a journal for my daughter filling the pages with information about me, what I like and don’t like, the story of how her father and I fell in love, fill it with my favorite pictures, memories and quotes. My hope is someday that I will find the right time to give it to her and she will see the love that I have poured into it. I won’t stop at just one, I have way too much to share with her. I want her to know how much she is loved and how important she is. I want to encourage and inspire her with my words.
I saved some of my favorite cards from Ella’s first birthday and included them in the journal.
In addition, I’ve filled it with things I want my daughter to know:
Her father and I listened to ‘Death Cab for Cutie’ a lot when we were falling in love
Her father gave her the nickname Bean when she was only one day old and it fits her perfectly
This is one of my favorite pictures. It captures what I loved to do most with her when she was a newborn. I knew those days were short lived so I soaked up every minute I could get with her.
She was born to the song “Beautiful Day” by U2
My favorite color is pink but my favorite colors to decorate with are blue and white
I love Thai and Indian food
I don’t like meatloaf. Never have and probably never will
I won a perfect attendance award (more than once) and never went to the principal’s office
My sisters are my best friends. I laugh and cry with them. I confide in them without the worry of being judged.
I love to bake, especially on a rainy day
During a difficult part of my life I moved to Portland, Oregon with no job and nowhere to live. Crazy? Yes. However, it was the best thing I could have done for myself and I learned who I was. Never be scared to do something because of the unknown. Believe in yourself and go with confidence. I will always be right behind you being your biggest cheerleader.
One of my favorite places to travel is to Canon Beach, Oregon. I love to get up early and walk the beach with a cup of coffee in my hand searching for sand dollars.
Her father is terrible at taking directions. So much so that he took a four hour detour on our first date because he “knew where he was going,” yeah right. I should have known from the beginning that he was stubborn.
I will always be honest with her
It’s simple; treat others they way to you want to be treated
Don’t judge people, they may be having a bad day and need a little extra help
Always remember how much you are loved
At 19 months I already know her personality. Quiet and sweet. Always willing to share her favorite toys and give snuggles and kisses to her friends and family.
“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others: for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”
Call your Mother. Call me when you are happy, sad, sick or lonely. I will always be there wanting to go through those things with you.
I hope my Bean and I will someday discuss the journals and create our own memories. I am sure she will laugh at my expense (perfect attendance mom, really?) and learn a thing or two about life. All I know is that I love my little girl more and more each day. I find comfort in knowing that my mom must have felt the same way about me and my sisters…right?
Now don’t feel sad for me or my sisters. We have been very lucky in life. We have been blessed with a wonderful ‘earth’ mother. I can’t imagine my life without her, but it also doesn’t stop my mind from thinking of my mother.
I just love what Amy is doing for Ella Bean. It’s so thoughtful, loving and sweet. Something that she will surely cherish for the rest of her life.
Thank you Amy for sharing this wonderful, heartfelt idea! As much as we want to hope and pray that we will be around to watch our children grow up…you never know where life will take you.
We were certainly handed a bittersweet deck of cards, but it’s what has made us who we are today. And in some ways we are very lucky to have two wonderful mothers in our lives.
Since I haven’t been able to write much (ok, at all) these past two months, you can imagine how delighted I was to find a guest post in my email inbox from my sister!
I haven’t forgotten about ya’ll, I promise. I’m just taking some time to enjoy my little girl and adjust to our new lives together. It’s amazing how fast the days fly by anymore. Abby is doing great and growing like a little weed…don’t worry, her chubby cheeks haven’t gone anywhere yet.
So, for now, and with the promise of spring just around the corner…please enjoy this guest post from my sister Erin! And she knows what she’s talking about folks…with a degree in Horticulture and owner of a landscape design business…this chica knows her stuff.
Hello to all the loyal readers of Janna’s blog. It’s me again, Janna’s big sister, stopping by with a guest post. I bet you’re hoping for an update on baby Abigail, and as her Auntie, I’m here to tell you she’s pretty much perfect and absolutely adorable! However, today’s post is supposed to get you thinking about spring. Correction, I’m guessing that you’re already thinking about spring, so this post will hopefully get you ready to be a creative gardener.
You might remember Janna’s series of posts last spring on the Square Foot Garden that she and the Hubs researched, constructed, planted, tended to, watered and loved into success. I had fun watching their garden grow and I learned a lot about the SFG technique. I know lots of you probably have your own wonderful garden to tend to, but some of you, like me, don’t have a big space to grow salad fixin’s. Enter the container garden.
I’m here to show you that containers are not just for pretty flowers, although I DO love pretty flowers, and they can be used to grow all sorts of goodies, especially if you get creative with your containers. Last summer I grew a variety of vegetables and herbs in containers throughout my yard. I mixed these containers in with my flower pots and it not only looked great, but it worked! Take a look below but please note that the photos were taken in June so some of the plants are still small (especially the basil…it was waiting for some summer heat!)
This is my ‘kitchen garden’ pot that sits right outside the side door to my kitchen. It has chives (that overwinter outside in the same pot), parsley, and basil.
Here is a collection of containers; the wire basket is lined with a coir mat (available at most garden supply stores) that holds the soil in. The basket has snap peas climbing a bamboo tripod and red leaf lettuce around the base. The medium pot has spearmint growing for mojito night! Mint is an aggressive spreader so I recommend planting it in a large pot, ta-da problem solved! And the small pot has a sad looking basil plant that did eventually come to life and get larger!
A strawberry pot has pockets up and down the sides and is perfect for growing strawberry plants. You can rotate the pot so that the sun exposure is even and you don’t have to worry about strawberry runners taking over your garden. I bought strawberry starts at the farmer’s market and planted a cilantro plant in the top. YUM.
Here is another creative container. I had to beg, and I mean BEG my husband to keep this old fashioned claw foot bath tub for our yard. I attempted to do a quick spray paint job on the outside, which needs to be touched up, and I still don’t think he was happy about it, but look at how many things I can grow in here! We’ve got romaine lettuce, a cucumber plant, and three different types of tomatoes growing. I like the ‘Sweet 100’ cherry tomatoes, the’ Yellow Pear’ cherry tomato (looks just like it sounds), and we tried the ‘Early Girl’ standard tomato. All three produced, although the cucumber plant didn’t have quite as much luck.
I also couldn’t resist sharing a photo from two summers ago, when my little farmer was helping with the tomatoes in the tub.
The last photo is showing that you can incorporate garden and flowers in a group. I’ve got an old copper trough filled with green leaf lettuce as the backdrop, along with 2 pots of flowers. There’s a pink calibrachoa and a purple dahlia alongside. I think the green leaf lettuce really makes the pink and purple stand out. Fun.
So there you go. If you don’t have a SFG or a big garden plot, start looking around your house and garage for containers that you can convert into garden pots. Be sure all your containers have drainage holes in the bottom (you might have to get out the drill) and put a 1” layer of rocks or gravel on the bottom before you add soil. Get creative with color and texture and see what you can come up with! Happy Spring!
Happy Spring indeed! Doesn’t her edible container garden look amazing? And how awesome to just “step ouside” and snip some chives for your eggs, or mint for your mojito. I can’t wait to see what Erin plants this year with her little helper. Thanks so much for the post sissy!
Happy Thursday everyone! I’m so excited to share a guest post today from my sister Erin. She’s been blessed with some incredible baking skills and a HUGE rhubarb plant…so it’s only natural that she would combine the two, right? Right, because it usually works out to my benefit. And trust me, this recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is a-mazing. Full disclosure here: I don’t even like pie. But I like this. Read on:
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Hello fellow blog fans. If you’re reading this I’m sure you’re looking forward to another one of Janna’s informative and funny posts. Well, don’t be misled, this is her big sister checking in and although I’m not a blogger on my own, I jumped at the chance to dazzle you all with my own guest post.
So here we go. In my neck of the woods we’ve been waiting for summer for a long time. Spring has been long, rainy, and cold so I’ve been forced to start sampling some of my summer favorites without the sunshine. For example, an Arnold Palmer tastes much better when you can sit outside on the patio and sip your drink, but hasn’t stopped me from making batches of iced tea and lemonade!
This past weekend I made another one of my summer favorites, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. This sweet and tangy pie is a perfect combination of summertime flavors and is a cinch to make. (Especially if you use a store-bought pie crust like I did!) I like to use fresh rhubarb from my garden and fresh strawberries from the Farmers Market. I am trying to grow my own strawberries, but if you remember, the sun hasn’t been out much so I went to the store for the berries. At this time of year you can also buy rhubarb in the produce section at most grocery stores, if you don’t have a monster plant like I do or a neighbor that is willing to share.
This is the second round of stalks on my rhubarb plant
Cut rhubarb stalks at the base of the plant and then cut leaves from the top
Here’s the recipe, this is another one from home (our parents house), and I’m starting to wonder why the mastermind behind all these recipes doesn’t have 1) a cookbook (which I would buy!) or 2) a permanent guest post spot on this blog?! hint hint
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
1 Betty Crocker Pie crust-or make your own crust if you have time
2 cups rhubarb, sliced
1 cup strawberries, sliced
Strawberries and rhubarb prepped; don’t cut them up too small!
Mix fruit together and add:
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 egg
1 tsp Vanilla
Pour this into your prepared pie crust. To prepare crust, place room temperature pie crust into pie plate and attempt to make the edge look nice by pinching the extra crust with your fingers to make it wavy.
Pie crust with filling. Don’t worry too much about making the edge of the crust perfect; when it bakes most of the mistakes disappear, like magic! Why do you think I didn’t zoom in on it?!
Then sprinkle crumble topping on top!
1/3 cup cold butter
½ cup sugar
¾ cup flour
Cut butter into flour and sugar until butter is broken down into small crumbles. (about the size of a pea)
This old-fashioned pastry cutter is a life saver when making the topping!
Bake at 450 for 15 minutes and then lower temperature to 350 for another 30 minutes.
Pie Perfection!
Cool on wire rack and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Voila! A yummy taste of summer, enjoy!
Now let’s hope summer decides to come and stay for a while!
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I agree! It’s about time for some sunny days and Arnold Palmers (am I the only one who has trouble actually saying that name out loud?). And doesn’t that pie look just awesome? I can assure you: it is. So if any of you are looking for a tasty summer treat for this Holiday weekend consider a Strawberry Rhubarb pie. Just make sure to ask your neighbor before poaching their plant. Thanks for the great recipe and guest post sissy!
No, not me. I’m not lucky enough to be in a park yet this year. In fact I’ve been traveling a lot for work lately. June is a bit crazy for me this year as I’m working several weekends (which turns out to be 19 days straight with no days off). Truth be told: June can’t pass soon enough for me.
When I travel for work, people often ask me “how does The Hubs do while you’re away?” I usually just roll my eyes smile and say…”oh just fine.”
You’re all aware that he’s not one for staying home on the weekends, and me being gone doesn’t change that. He still embarks on amazing adventures and always has plenty of stories and pictures for me when I get home. This past weekend was particularly epic (as he would say) so we decided it was a good one to share with ya’ll. So for the second time this week, please enjoy a guest post. This time from non other than The Hubs.
And don’t mind me…I just had to interject at a few points along the way. You’ll notice those instances by the pink text.
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So it seems the “Hubs” has been given full access to the wheel house. In the past I’d suggested I do a guest post but finally Janna must have taken me seriously, plus she had to work all weekend while I went to Glacier National Park. I could at least capture some of the adventure in a post.
As the weekend approached those “full sunny icons” stayed on the National Weather Service page. I think it was Thursday and realizing I didn’t want the weekend to go by without a solid plan I emailed the usual crew to see if they wanted to ski Lolo Peak or Sheep Mountain. Don got back quickly and suggested we could pull off a trip to Glacier Park and Joe had some ideas of ski tours we could do. This is probably the latest I’ve made it into the spring without a camping trip, so with enthusiasm building, we planned a Friday departure. We finally settled on the west side of the park and planned a first day tour into Granite Chalet.
There were two “required” stops along the way due to past favorable experiences. First was dinner at El Topo where I had a smothered burrito the size of my arm. Next, just before entering the park we stopped at the iconic Frita’s Bar. Don and I discussed for some time why we called it that as the only name we see is the West Glacier Bar. No doubt what the locals probably call it or something.
The plan was to camp at Sprague campground along Lake McDonald. We rolled into a campsite with plenty of time to plan the next day’s adventures. The length of the days in June is amazing.
Still lots of light to setup and enjoy our camp.
I quickly realize why I can’t wait to get camping in the spring. We’ve got a fire going and as evening comes on the birds are going nuts. One bird in particular, the Varied Thrush, might be my favorite bird. Below is a picture as well as a short video of Lake McDonald. At the end of the video you can hear the high-pitched call of the Varied Thrush.
Its shrill erie call is common in the spring in Western Montana.
Video of Lake McDonald with call of the Varied Thrush.
In the past I’ve been accused of being a birder which I quickly deny. Basically when I hear or see something that is unfamiliar to me I tend to want to know more about it. Being tuned into your surroundings often allows you to experience much more of what is going on. On this trip I also heard several Ruffed grouse drumming. Later we were able to see a Blue grouse strutting and blowing up the red sack on the side of its neck. Wouldn’t want to forget the bush growing through the mushroom. Spring time is a good time to be out.
Crazy ass mushroom and bush.
The next morning we proceed to Avalanche Creek where the road is closed to vehicles. From there we gear up for the 7 mile ride to the Loop where we will hike/ski to Granite Chalet. We chose this tour to get in on some great views while assessing the snow conditions.
My setup with skis on the backpack.
Just as we pass the gate we see a sign indicating the road is closed 3 miles ahead. Having made it this far and a little late to attempt another tour we decide to ride up and see where we get. Maybe half way up Ranger Rick comes down the road and announced over the PA for the “skiers to stop” and “he would like to talk to us.” We pull over and he proceeds to tell us that there is construction going on and we won’t be able to get to our intended Loop. He then begins to say that it isn’t safe up there and he doesn’t like us being up there. Supposedly 6 skiers had already foiled him earlier that morning and he was looking to ticket them all as soon as they got down. It’s obvious now Ranger Rick isn’t so much concerned with the construction but rather his preconceived notions of what is safe and how others should enjoy the park. This isn’t the first time I’d thought about safety and risk. Both my mother and wife had expressed concern about “skiing in Glacier” but followed up by saying I probably knew what I was doing. So do I know what I’m doing?
Now Ranger Rick in in my face, Joe is not happy (the park website had mentioned nothing about the road closure) and Don is explaining to the Ranger how search and rescue takes safety into account first when doing any rescues. <<Eric is currently on Missoula Search and Rescue and Don has been involved in the past>> The discussion continues about the recent rescue on Stanton Peak just a few days earlier. A couple of park employees had climbed the peak and while glissading down one of them was unable to self-arrest went over a 30 foot cliff. Ranger Rick quickly explained how irresponsible it was to put the rescuers at risk. This is a common argument that often plays out after an accident has occurred in the backcountry. In an attempt to experience the backcountry you must accept some risk. Through experience and training you hope you can reduce the risk. Ultimately we are trying to experience some absolutely amazing places first hand. Skiing off peaks, bow hunting for a week in the wilderness and spending 7 days running whitewater are first hand experiences I feel fortunate and lucky to have experienced. Can things go wrong? Yes, but we manage that risk constantly and for most of us it’s worth it. My guess is Ranger Rick isn’t very educated on avalanches and doesn’t understand the specific risks. His retirement portfolio probably sucks too.
This topic of risk sparked several conversations throughout the weekend. I couldn’t help but think about the documentary 180 Degrees South. I’ll probably have to watch it for a 4th time. I’ve added a link to the trailer below. There are two quotes in here that I particularly like. The first is when Yvon Chouinard says, “Any mountain at certain times is safe and at other times its super dangerous.” The second is when one of the climbers yells that “finishing the climb doesn’t seem worth risking his life for.” The crew has already traveled thousands of miles sailing, climbing, and surfing and just a few hundred feet from summiting Corcovado the climber realizes the risk and decides it not worth it. I supposed some would have just said the whole trip was too dangerous and left it at that; I disagree.
After the ranger finally decided that he couldn’t tell us not to go up the Packer’s Roost trail (instead of our intended Loop) we proceeded on up the road. We figured the distance would be a bit far for carrying the skis, however no one would complain about just getting in a great hike. We stashed the bikes and skis and proceeded up the trail.
Don breaking the law.
Trail was covered with mountain lion, black bear, wolf and grizzly tracks.
<<This is where Janna would turn around>>
Lots of water.
Clouds broke to reveal Heaven's Peak
Towards Logan Pass
Road on the way back.
On the way out we played slalom with the hordes of tourists making their way up the road. Other than one flat tire, it was a smooth ride out. We finished with a stop at the Lake McDonald lodge for a Going to the Sun IPA and time at the lake. Back in camp I was able to pull off lasagna in the dutch oven for the first time (no you really don’t need to cook the noodles first). While I don’t have any pictures I can assure you that it was outstanding. I guess Ranger Rick did stop by to make sure we made it back to our campsite safe. It’s probably best he doesn’t know where we are headed tomorrow.
Sunday starts at 5:30 am as we load up the vehicle and head for the Trout Lake trailhead. Joe had decided the night before, after looking at Stanton Peak from the lakeshore, that it would be a hard hike and possibly not worth it. But we’d better give it an attempt anyway.
The Trout Lake trail climbed quickly but at least had been cut out this year. I knew I should enjoy the trail as we’d be off of it soon. We came to a large avalanche chute that would be our route. Still piled up at the bottom were huge piles of snow from avalanches during the winter. I certainly brought up the question of traveling up the avalanche chute but later realized just how far we were from the snow at that time. Wet avalanches had been sliding when we reached higher elevation and had not progressed far down the chute. The reason for leaving early in the morning was also to beat the wet slides with the heating of the snow pack later in the day. The plan was to make the summit around 11am.
Avalanche Debris
The climb to the top would be about 4000 vertical feet. After an eight mile hike and 6 miles on the bike the day before it certainly seemed steeper than it probably was. We reached snow around 9am where we starting skinning up the rest of the slope. We quickly found out that the snow was softer than expected. While we didn’t have substantial ski penetration we figured it probably hadn’t froze during the night. On the route up we saw some tracks that were most likely the where the group had glissaded down a few days earlier. We reached the ridge about 700 feet below the peak around 10 am and decided the snow had softened enough and we did not need to proceed any farther. Views in all directions were spectacular.
<<So, they were within 700 feet of the peak and decided that it wasn’t safe to continue if they wanted to get some skiing in. Do you know how hard it is to stop at that point? After working so hard to get that far? But it’s one of the things I truly admire and respect about the Hubs and his friends; they are constantly analyzing risk and making decisions based on the conditions around them. No they didn’t make it to the peak, but they made solid, safe decisions and probably had a good time out there sliding around. And that’s what it’s about>>
Stanton Peak behind me.
Lake McDonald
View over the ridge.
Skiing down, the snow conditions were better than expected and we got some outstanding turns. Ending right at dirt, we put the skis back on the packs and continued down slope.
Sweet spring turns!
I spent the afternoon back at the shore of Lake McDonald with another Going to the Sun IPA that was particularly tasty. Sitting on the shore you can look directly up at Stanton Peak where we had been earlier that morning.
Stanton Peak
It was unanimously decided that the steep hike was more than worth it for the turns and views from up top. My only interruption to a sunny afternoon was Don showing up saying we needed to go pick up Jenny. Turns out she was about 20 plus miles away and had broken her derailer on their road bike ride on the Camas road. After we “saved” Jenny we headed to the Garden Bar in Bigfork for cheeseburgers.
Sunny Weather Service icons were fully taken advantage of this weekend.
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So what do I think about all of this? Several things.
I think The Hubs is not your typical guy. Perhaps it’s fair to say he’s a bit more ambtious than most people.
I think he does a lot of cool shit.
I think I would have a minor panic attack after seeing Grizzly bear tracks “all over” in the snow where I was hiking.
I think everyone can be reassured after reading this, that much thought and anlysis is put into decisions when we’re out on trips. The Hubs has a lot of training and experience that help him mitigate risk (for himself and us).
I think the answer to his question…”So do I know what I am doing?” is “yes.”
I think “epic” surely is the word to describe his weekend. And did you know that when you text the name Eric in T9, the first choice that comes up is Epic? Coincidence?
I think I need to stop working so much so I can take part in these amazing adventures.
I think (at over 1600 words), The Hubs just surpassed my longest post.
Now do you understand why I say The Hubs gets along “just fine” while I’m away for work??
TWSST 