Jackson Hole

I was super excited in the morning to ski Jackson Hole. Car thermometer flirted with -18C, which is below Cindy's temperature range for feet and hands. But once we payed our American sized day parking fee and got lift tickets, the gondola proved the valley was cloud covered with the peaks in the sun, and a temperature inversion to accompany it. Top was like spring skiing - we shed layers and stayed up.

Snow is fine, but the need more. Anything off runs would be hitting rocks and stumps. It's a steep hill overall with lots of veritcal. We tried all the "top left" lifts when looking at a map, but the tram wasn't open. Scenery is just spectacular. No line ups all day at all.

Wyoming

From Helena we drove to Bozeman to visit Carl Strong (and Loretta too!). Beautiful tidy shop in a nice building he owns. Talked bikes, tourism, bike riders and life. Carl has a great wall photo of Tejay van Garderen with a Strong bike - he worked at his shop for years in Bozeman while working his way up the American scene. Visiting the shop and the craftsman was wonderful, it's quite an art to build frames of such excellence.

When we left, he asked if we had lunch plans. None yet... So he recommended stopping in Big Sky at Broken Spoke which is a Texas BBQ place run by a guy named Anderson who rides a couple of Strong frames.

Bozeman to Big Sky is a beautiful drive. We found Broken Spoke, but it looked closed, some dog barked and smashed the door when I peeked in. Hard to explain from the perspective of the building how that worked, but we accidentally went to back. Anderson opened the door, dog was some friendly yellow lab that loved being pet, and we ordered what he described as the two best things on the menu - pulled pork and brisket sandwiches. And man was he right... just too much meat. He told us stories of him and a buddy trying to ride the length of the Mississippi and all the people you meet along the way being extra-interesting. No doubt. Sounded like a lot of catfish too.

Big Sky is beautiful, mountain looked great. Not much snow, and not much population near by made it feel desolate, even before the economic landscape tempering people's desire to spend on lift tickets.

The next several hundred miles south were Targahee forest, which must be a native word for "high horsepower snowmobile". I should have stopped to take a picture - every gas station had half a dozen sleds filling up, with 6 more ripping around. The ones in fields had big dirt piles covered with snow for jumps. Seemed like a couple hundred mile stretch where you could go motel to motel and just tour via sled.

We made our way south by sunset and approached the Tetons from the west. Beautiful.

Checked in to lovely little cabins, then walked to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. Can't beat that.

Montana

Border asked if we (I) was moving "back" to US, I said we just don't pack light, have a few activities in mind for holidays. Asked if I was going to work here, said my goal was to get away from work for the holidays, but my blackberry probably wouldn't let it happen till next week. Asked if I was a pro bike racer coming down for a race - too bad I wasn't. But probably wouldn't be driving that car if I was. So for whatever reason, a bunch of work questions were the theme this time.

We ate dinner in Great Falls at Applebees, actually a nice one on the river. Montana football game on tv had everyone riled up, quite the deal in the place when any points scored. We ordered from the "low cal" section of the menu, girl did a double take and asked again what I ordered, said "I haven't heard anyone order from there since I've been here". Mine was a shrimp with asian style ginger sauce and all kinds of veggies on rice. Entirely tasty normal size meal (menu said they were guaranteed at 550 cal). Cindy's was chicken with portabello mushrooms. Comical how that reinforced the big meal stereotype on our first sit down meal in country.

Slept in Helena. Called in advance for hotel, guy said don't bother with reservations, they've got lots of space. I guess so far that confirms that road tripping in the western US during a "depression" shouldn't pose too many logistical challenges. Beautiful new one downtown (best western, like, surprisingly beautiful) in a downtown redevelopment of theatre, shops, walking streets, etc. to make a pedestrian friendly cute district. I asked they guy where to park, he motioned for right across the street in a lot. Any security concerns? Here, never. Nice town, seems to be doing right things to keep itself as a nice place.

Next morning we made some hotel home made waffles and headed out. Morning staff was friendly. Went to a coffee place where everyone was beaming with energy and seemed happy. Then stopped at a gas station, and I accidentally pulled up wrong side of car to pump. I backed up and slid over to the other side. Car was as empty as I've ever had. Other pumps were full serve. Kid came out, then what I'd guess was his brother and his dad. They hand wiped all the windows and lights. One checked all tires' pressure. One vacuumed the floor mats. They were upbeat, friendly and helpful. I went in to pay, and the station had model cars along the walls from 50's to present. Locally authored books about Black Hills settlers, bandits, animals, etc. Christmas ornaments ship shape. Their shop looked like a model shop - tidy, well arranged, full for vintage motor oil and gasoline ads on the walls. Probably the most memorable gas station experience I've had.

Diet time at work

Christmas 2011

Fortunately I'm employed by a group that knows how to throw a party. I hear every year about stuffy, dreaded, golf and country club type Christmas parties with anyone having more than 2 drinks being talked about at the office for the next week as a lush. We're not so much like that. This year's theme was Mad Men. Everyone looked great... and let it rip. We had some DJ from LA which I guess is cool, but I'm guessing he doesn't do many white people office parties. I missed by about a decade on the outfit, but considering last night at 7:45 I had no costume, and by 8:45 we left town, it did me well. I'm disappointed I couldn't find my white belt to match the shoes. Regardless, even Mad Men had to go casual after work sometimes...

Lake Louise

Nicest room I've had at the hotel is proof random assignment occasionally works out, beautiful day skiing, and work at night in a cruddy business center before the party.

Ridge of Death

Craig, Kate, Thomas and I did about six and a half hours of fun today, but it spanned about 8:45-5:45 - proving once again that I need lights when riding with Craig.

Cadence out to the singletrack along the river which was great, then the ridge of death by the reservoir (see Craig and Kate in the photo, and the telephone poles - that ridge is a long way down), then to Cochrane. My bb undid itself so I had the opportunity to walk more. Bike Bros fixed that before our lunch stop.

We were going to do the Cochrane Ranch single track then head home on TWP 262, but we were lured to Big Hill Springs through the valley by prime conditions. After fixing Kate's fender it was spin home time. Big storm came through right at end and pelted us with snow in the dark, but it wasn't too cold.

So fun to be out, and felt good too.