Beartooth Mountains: Skiing in May

This is me! Standing at the top - about to drop in. 

This is steeper then it looks! Here's a pic of my skiing buddy Jonathan -
making summer turns down the Gardner Headwall, Beartooth Mountains, Wymont.
Gardner Lake still frozen down below……  

Starting point elevation: 10,852' & finishing el. roughly 9,985' — After skiing down, we had to hike back up other side, gaining about a thousand feet. It was 37 degrees & it rained / sleeted on us while we were hiking back up. The hike out isn't too bad - only takes about 15 − 20 minutes. It's very steep though. 

There was much less snow this year. A lot more rock was exposed. The Beartooth Basin was unfortunately unable to open, due to lack of snow. But I still had a blast skiing the Gardner Headwall! If your interested in summer backcountry skiing — Here's a blogpost (with more & better pictures!!) from 2014 with my summer skiing adventures. Check it out skiing in July: http://gracierb.blogspot.com/2014/07/flying-by-skiing-in-july.html  
& skiing in June: http://gracierb.blogspot.com/2014/06/skiing-in-june.html 

Skiing at Big Sky, Montana

Me:…ok, I really should get to bed.  It's getting late. I've gotta get up early tomorrow.
brain: Nah, too excited to sleep. Pfttt. Who needs sleep anyways? Can't wait to ski.
brain: Let's reorganize the dresser, bake cookies, draw, paint your nails, & braid your hair.
Me: I'm exhausted. Need sleep. *finishes organizing, drawing, baking, painting & braiding*
brain: No way, we don't need sleep!
Me: I've been getting nothing done. I'm just sitting on a heaping pile of clothes in a chair.
brain: worries about clothes & food & stuff.
Me: This needs to stop. *climbs in bed, lights out*
brain: wait, did you put those wet clothes in the dryer?
Me: Uuuuggg. *gets out of bed* It's 12am.  I'm only gonna get 4hrs sleep.
brain: who cares? You get to ski.
Me: Your right. I know, that's why I can't sleep. I'm excited! Shut up!
brain: never. mwahaha. *gets back in bed*
Me: My head feels so heavy, lights hurt. I'm getting a migraine. Noooo. ahhhh. finally. *lights out*
brain: starts reflecting on life.

Me: *static sound* zombie eyes* frazzled feelings* headache*
brain: ….. sleep, at last. ahhhhhhh. I actually wanted this from the start, just couldn't admit to it!
Me: I know, brain. Let's sleep. Zzzzzz.
alarm: beep! beep!! Beep!! BEEP! BBEEEEEPPP!!!

My bloodshot eyes opened. The day started at 4:15am,  I excitedly jumped out of bed, got dressed hurriedly, grabbed my gear, (2 pairs of skis, helmet, poles, boots, & backpack), hopped in the car, literally sped down the interstate, met up with a friend, (I stopped at the gas station & bought $15 worth of cliff bars, kind bars, & those waxy chocolate doughnuts that come in a big white bag. Breakfast & lunch. Check.) & drove 3hrs to Big Sky Montana. Got there just after 8am. The stoked was high, the skies were blue, air was nippy, but not too cold, & the mountains were calling.

Here's some pictures from my day at Big Ski Resort. "The biggest skiing in America" Despite only getting 4 (or less) hours of sleep the night before - I had an amazing day skiing at Big Sky! I was blown away by the size of the ski resort - the beauty of the mountain … So thankful for the gift of traveling & skiing & good health & eyes to see this beautiful world with. I had a rad day!

Lone Mountain. 

There's something so incredibly awesome about being on a mountain. I feel like so many people don't know what they are missing out on if they don't ski or like the cold. I love the cold, the snow, the colors  of winter - the sheer size of the snow covered mountains - the breathtaking views… Being on the mountain puts things into perspective, makes my problems seem small, helps me think. Wither its skiing down mountains in the winter, or hiking up them in the summer — I will never lose my sense of wonder. Creation is so amazing - I'm super thankful for being able to ski as much as I do, thankful for good health, thankful for where I live - this rugged & beautiful country - thankful for friends to hang with…. Thankful for all the snow. God is so good. He has blessed me beyond measure. 

Skiing is a mode of living in the moment: heart pounding, legs burning, lungs gulping down pine scented air. Flying down the mountain, with a vast expanse of earth stretched out below, you become one with your equipment. Skis are like wings on my feet. :) 

View from Lone Peak Tram. Gettin' high. Elevation 11,166'

See the blue line? That's the rout we took down the mountain. Gullies 3 and 1 to the Bowl. 

This is me skiing down Gullies 3 & 1. Pretty extreme steep skiing, on heavy spring snow. This is actually a lot steeper then it looks. No room for mistakes on these off piste chutes. You fall you basically die, because its about 1,000ft down. These rad photos are by Jade Flanagan. Jade managed snowboard down the mountain, & take some pictures, & not fall or die. Bravo! I took a couple pics, but holding ski poles, taking off my glove, while trying to keep an edge proved to be too challenging for me. 

Had a blast skiing at Big Sky! Never stop exploring His earth. Chase Winter. Stay rad. Keep the wonder. 

-GB 

Winter Carnival 2015

Red Lodge Mountain knows how to throw a good party! This year's Winter Carnival was a blast!

I skied like usual on Saturday - I skied hard all day long… Skied with friends, found stashes of untouched pow back in the beautiful Headwaters, basked on the lift in the sun, enjoyed the calm air… It was a really nice day. It was super busy - there were (I'm totally guessing) about 3,500+ people at the mountain. But the nice thing about RLM is that even though it's a smaller mountain, its big enough for everyone to spread out - I skied a ton of double-black, & single black runs - & usually had the entire run to myself! The snow was really good, fresh & powdery. Sunny skies & warm temps.

Last chair up Grizzly Peak. (elevation 9,416')
This was at about 7pm. See the sunset's afterglow lingering in the west along the horizon. 

Torches lit! Ready to descend! This was the COOLEST thing ever. About 100 people skied in the dark, down the mountain on ungroomed runs. Onlookers below got a show of glowing torches winding down the mountainside. As we (the torch holders) made it to the base of the mountain, there was a FANTASTIC fireworks show! So much stinkin' fun! 

Be sure to check out this video below - a friend made it; capturing parts of the Rail Jam, & the Torchlight Parade down the mountain. Enjoy! 

Look for the Winter Carnival in 2016! It's a lot of fun, a party ya don't wanna miss! Ski hard, have fun, & never stop exploring! See you on the mountain!

-GB 

Red Lodge Mountain 2015

Wide Open Spaces - Groomers at Red Lodge Mountain 12/26/14

…It's the end of February now, time is flying. This year's ski season started pretty slow, but has now accelerated to full speed.  So, let's rewind…. It snowed 3 times in December: total snowfall  26". January wasn't much better. It was a very bleak time for skiers - it only snowed 17" the entire month! We were "plagued" with lots of sunshine & unusually warm temps.

But during January (& part of Feb) I skied in the Town Series races - a 6 week timed team & solo GS race for skiers, snowboarders, & telemark skiers. All ages, & skill levels were welcome. The competition is pretty dang tough if you are fast! Town Series is hosted by Red Lodge Mountain, its workers, & amazing "volunteers" who help organize, set up courses, timers, take pictures - & keep things going.

This is me. I've been training with Silver Run Ski Foundation's  professional 
instructors. I paid $150 for 5 training sessions. I've learned a LOT about 
slalom & GS skiing techniques! Still have lots to learn…Totally worth it! 
With the bit I have learned & done, I have sooo much more respect for GS 
racers. It's a  challenging & dangerous sport! 2/13/15 

If you live in Red Lodge, Billings, or anywhere remotely nearby, you should join the Town Series fun! It's a great excuse to skip work, & get some fresh mountain air into your lungs. There's never a dull moment on the mountain. It's a great way to make friends or rivals (just joking!) of local skiers, hone your racing techniques, & explore Red Lodge's many little bars & restaurants. There's a party every Friday night at 6pm with announcements, results & awards from the day's race. You get free food & drink, a T-shirt & there's live music too. 

I had a good fast team this year "Snag & Browns" - we managed to get 2nd place overall; & one of the guys from my team, & myself, received the "fastest overall" men's & woman's skier prize! That was exciting! Training with Silver Run has been great too; it presented a challenge, & something for me to work on — groomers were the only thing really worth skiing early season, as there wasn't hardly any snow. Off piste was out of the question, unless you wanted to scrape your skis on rock. It was a "Rock Dodge" type season early on.

>>>>>>>>>>> Eventually my prayers & snow dancing paid off —  February came with cold winds & lots of moisture! I LOVE snow. In fact, its dumping right now - even as I type this, I'm excited for the mountain! I'm always looking forward to the weekends or whenever I can get up there.

It snowed 77 inches during the month! Powder skiing is fantastic. All that snow has been keeping my knee constantly sore, mountain workers on their toes, & lifts turning busily. Stoke level: high. Very high. The entire mountain opened up, including the beautiful Palisades! I've been skiing hard. Temps have now been consistently cold, & the skiing AMAZING.

"Coal Chute" with a fresh 26" dump on 2/19/15

Totally sickkkkkkk! 

The view from "Big Bear Gulch" Double-black. 2/20/15

  

There's something so incredibly awesome about being on a mountain. The cold, the snow, the colors - the sheer size of everything - the breathtaking views… Being on the mountain puts things into perspective, makes my problems seem small. I will never lose my sense of wonder. Creation is amazing - I'm super thankful for being able to ski as much as I do, thankful for good health, thankful for where I live - this rugged & beautiful country - thankful for friends to hang with (you know who you are!!) …thankful for all the snow. God is good. 

Skiing is a mode of living in the moment: heart pounding, legs burning, lungs gulping down pine scented air. Flying down the mountain, with a vast expanse of earth stretched out below, you become one with your equipment. Skis are like wings on my feet. It's more then sport. It's a passion. Hope you are enjoying all the snow - be safe, keep the wonder, & ride hard!  

See ya up there!

-GB

Note: Snow measurements from www.onthesnow.com & from RLM's emailed snow reports. 

Hot Laps in November

Red Lodge Mountain

"What good is the warmth of summer,
without the cold of winter to give it its sweetness." ~John Steinbeck

The first day of the 14-15 ski season has arrived! Waahooo! Its felt like winter for quite sometime, with snowstorms, icy roads, & sub zero temps - but now it truly feels like winter - because the lifts have started turning! Winter is the best! I am SO excited for ski season to finally be here & STOKED to be back on the mountain! Good people, good mountain vibes - fun snowy days - got my November shred in! (I skied 8 out of 12 months this year, was trying to get all 12 months in, but due to traveling it didn't work. Oh well, always next year, right?)

The snow is sparse this season (as of November 28th, the 1st day open; only lower mountain lifts are operating), & the weather forecast is not looking promising - EVERYONE: Pray for snow, okay?!! But, snow or not, I still love going up to the mountain & skiing. Early season is fun; you ski because you've been counting down the weeks, days, & hours till the season starts - Oh, & don't forget how you've been checking weather reports every chance you get, hoping for a snowy forecast. You ski when conditions aren't the greatest, because you love the sport. You ski to say you ski. You ski to hang out with friends & catch up how everyone's summers went. You ski to earn that drink at the end of the day. ;)

(To all of my rad snowboarding friends, you are okay too, I guess. hehe.) Early season skiing is like the hot laps of a nascar race - Everyone's stoke is getting built up, we're all getting ready, toned, & super excited. We can ski the off piste in the trees where there might be pow hiding. We can find bumps & give them a try. We can enjoy the sunshine & fresh air. We can work on improving our ski technique. Take a ski class or two - who's ready for Town Series?! Mostly, I'm just glad to be back on the mountain & have skis on my feet!

See ya on the mountain, & here's to a hopefully snowy season! Cheers!

-GB

Flying by - Skiing in July:

Summer is FLYING by! I cannot believe that its July. Wow. Where has time gone? There's still SO much I want to do - places to go, people to see, I'm afraid I'm gonna run out of summer before I'm able to do everything!

But I have been having a wonderfully fun summer so far (hence the lack of blogging). My summer has been busy. Work (teaching) has majorly slowed down, giving me lots of free time to do fun stuff. My summer has been filled with family, out of state friends, gardening, skiing, personal art projects, kayaking, hiking, backyard bbqs parties with family & friends. I've been on the road a lot, always seem to be going somewhere. Nowhere very far from home, but when you live in a state that is as big, open and spread out as Montana, hoping into the car to drive 2hrs one way is nothin'.

In-between all the fun & action, there have been some wonderful lazy dog days…. Stay up half the night, sleep till 11am. Clean house. Watch tv on Amazon Prime. Work in the garden. Go on long bike rides. Watch the sunset from the roof. Cook good food, drink good drinks. I think its those stay-at-home days that make the "go-go" days all the more better, & vise versa, dontchya think?

Eventually I'll get some more photos up (because I just know that you are dying to hear more about my summer) and actually write something better then this chatty small talk. - haha. In the meantime enjoy these pics from a trip a recent July ski trip at Beartooth Basin! I've gone skiing 4 times (so far) this summer. Here's another post from another ski trip, with more information.

Beartooths and the highway snaking its way up the mountains side.

I don't think you could ever get enough of nature. To be surrounded by it is to be stilled. The mountains, the trees, the endless plains, the big sky. It salves the heart. Soothes the soul. Makes me think of how mighty God is - Close your eyes & just stand still for a moment. Take a deep breath & fill your lungs with cool mountain air. Mmm.

Skis on my feet make me happy!

Snow is frozen hard & gnarly in the morning. Later in the day, its was heavy & wet.
(And yes, I know the tip of my skis don't match, it drives me crazy.)

Awkward thumbs-up for selfies & skiing in July! 

30 foot cornice. I didn't ski off this, came down beside it on the edge  - but there were some amazing skiers who would take the drop. It was awesome to watch!

Below are some photos I found from last years' Beartooth Summer Session! 

This is the view when standing down below, looking up at a skier dropping off.
Photo by: Gavin Gibson

View from standing near the top - Photo by: Gavin Gibson

Skiing in June / Beartooth Basin

Beartooth Basin, summer ski area.  
Can't get enough of this mountain air in my lungs! 

So recently I went skiing! Can you believe it? Ya can't beat June in Montana. I enjoy getting out, & having adventures, & I absolutely love skiing. I went with a friend this past Thursday & Saturday - skied Beartooth Basin & Gardener Headwall. Here's some iPod photos! 

Beartooth Basin. 600 acres of skiing terrain that varies in pitch from 15 to 50 degrees. (That's pretty dang steep!) 
Top elevation is 10,900ft. with 1,000ft. of vertical lift serviced terrain. Two high-speed puma lifts & quick laps make for legit leg burn. 

I skied trails 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, & 9 multiple times.

This is a ticket office for Beartooth Basin. Parked just off the road, up top. $45 for a full day lift ticket. $35 for half day. $20 power hour. There is no shelter out here, other then this, & an outhouse.  It's basically backcountry skiing, with lifts. At 10,900ft. the weather can change in an instant! While I was out here, the temperature was around 45'f, but later it dropped to 34'f & started spitting snow. (This pic by Jamie Schectman)

Shreddin' the gnar, at Gardner Headwall. Ski down, hike out.

The cornices were anywhere from 15ft. to 30ft. tall! 
This ski area has some amazing steep headwall & cornice skiing - 
Check it out at http://www.beartoothbasin.com/about.html 

I spy a skier, do you?  

Gardener Headwall. Ski down, hike out. It was actually pretty sweet - we parked the vehicle up near the top, hiked a short distance to the snow.. Skied down & hiked for about 20 minutes out the other side. When you have to hike out, (backcountry style) you really savor skiing down, by taking in the views & making each turn count. After we hiked out, we would hitch a ride with whoever had room & was driving our way, back around towards the top.

This is me skiing down. The snow was so cool; heavy & soft, but totally fast. Gardener Headwall.

I had a fantastic time, & am hoping to get back up there at least a time or two more, before the lift operated area closes mid July.  The Beartooth Mountains are so amazing.

Here are more links to other blog posts on summer skiing:

http://gracierb.blogspot.com/2014/07/flying-by-skiing-in-july.html July 2014 

http://gracierb.blogspot.com/2015/05/beartooth-mountains-skiing-in-may.html  May 2015

-GB

Last run of the season —

Pooooof.  

Today was my last day for the season. It was an amazing snow-filled year for Red Lodge Mountain. I'm sad that the season is nearly over - it ends on the 13th. But I'm really thankful that I was able to ski as much as I did. Skiing made the winter fly by. Can you believe it's April?!

My last day on the mountain was spent skiing all my favorite runs, skiing hard and having fun, taking in the views I've grown so fond of, chatting with lifty workers & the locals that are always skiing. I took lots of pictures, & hung out at the Bierstube after the day was finished.

It was a fun day. This season I skied all the named runs (with the exception of one run called Jones Park, that I kinda forgot all about!) …And got in some really good skiing on the "unnamed" runs that are scattered throughout the mountain. The cliffs off of Boomerang, the Kitchen, trials through the trees above Hellroaring Traverse, shoots off of Upper Limited that go down the Drainage - there was some good unmarked powder hotspots in Palisades too. There were other favorite places, but they shall remain a secret.

I've already bought my season pass for next year, while its on sale. Better get yours. ;)

——————————————————————————————————————————————

A SIDE NOTE: If you ski at RLM you had better check out the Turn, Petal & Burn Race. (If you haven't already!) It's an amazingly fun race that is about 12 miles long. A sort of triathlon adventure race, where you ski part way down the mountain, bike the rest of the way down, then run on foot to the finish line. This is the 4th year the race has been held. It was previously called "Grizzly Peak Adventure Race".  I competed solo in the past 3 races; getting 2nd place (in my age group) the first year, 5th place the next year, & 3rd place last year! Here's a link to something I wrote last year, about this race.

I had been planning to race again this year, but I'm going to be out of town… actually overseas, so I'm breaking a three year tradition! You had better go & race in my place. Not only is it an amazing race - it's the last chance to ride the lift up Grizzly Peak - on April 19th!

If you race, let me know how it goes!

Farewell Winter… Hello Spring

Ski days aren't like other holidays or sports. Once you've tried it, its hard to stop. Who would've thought that strapping planks of laminated wood, metal & fiberglass to your feet & diving downhill, could become an addiction? Ha! I love skiing. The Rocky Mountains are among the most awe-inspiring places you'll probably ever visit. When you are on the mountain skiing, you don't just stand & gawk at them, (or the amazing view), you engage with them; learning their many moods, testing your strength, & you develop a respect for the sheer power the mountains have…

A wonderful snow-filled winter has just ended. And an equally snowy spring has begun. Since January, 148" inches have fallen on Red Lodge Mountain. 38" of those inches fell since March 20th - the first day of spring. 15" of the 38" fell this past Sunday!

Bright & early, 5:58am Monday morning, my alarm started screaming at me. Most people dislike the startling "bbeeep! bbeeep!" noise the alarm clock makes. But I was glad to hear it. There was one thought on my mind: skiing! I was wide awake,  rolled out of bed, eager to start the day & excited to be skiing (& not working)! I got dressed, searched the pantry & raided fridge for food, grabbed my gear, hit the road, & got to the mountain around 8:45am… Skied all day long.

15" inches fresh pow followed by a bluebirdish day & 19 degrees is perfect.  

First tracks. 

Above the Palisades & clouds. 

Good 'ole E-4, back in Headwaters. 

This is me, from a different ski day. Photo taken by my friend Hannah. Thanks girl!

Dropping down into some pow.

By the end of the day, half my face & neck was sunburnt, my lips were chapped, my legs were generally tired, my bad knee was a little sore. Ha! 15" of powder is hard on the knees. I had skied hard all day Friday & Saturday. By Monday I was worn out. But it was totally worth it. ;)

All photos taken w/ 5th gen iPod. Edited on Snapseed. 

Observations made during ski season:

● Your hair never looks good on the weekends.
● The highway snow-plowers don't plow the road I live on.
● No friends on a powder day.
● Ski socks are a fashion statement.
● It's only cold if you are standing still - ski hard all day long.
● I don't always make a fool of myself, but when I do, it's under the chair lift.
● Always look one gate ahead of where you are, keep your upper body pointed downhill.
● All the good songs play while you are on the lift.
● Duct Tape can "fix" just about anything, but won't look very good.
● All my friends think I'm crazy because I spend all my free time outside in the cold.
● Hand warmers are like the most awesome thing ever.
● Getting sunburn while skiing is worse then burning in the summer.
● Double black diamonds are a girl's best friend.
● Snowboarders aren't cool when they're sitting on their bums in the middle of the run.
● My knees will be like those of a 80 year olds by the time I'm 30.
● Stairs & ski boots don't go together.
● The Thermos is an amazing invention. Keep it hot. Keep it cold.
● A simple hello can lead to a thousand things.

Ages 10 &  9 - my little brother & his friends were my skiing buddies for the day.