Smokey August •

There are wildfires raging throughout the western states… Montana, Idaho, Washington, California, etc. In MT we've had bad fires close to home, & lots of smelly smoke from Idaho has been blowing in - it's been obscuring the mountain views for days…

Tonight I took a drive (with visiting family) up into the Beartooth Mountains to try & escape the smoke - it turns out it's just as thick at 10,000'ft as it is down in the valley. Normally (as I'm sure you've noticed if you've even been in high country) mountain air is the coolest, purest & clearest there is. So it was disappointing that there was so much smoke in the atmosphere… . but it made the sunset look pretty awesome.

If you haven't driven over the Beartooth Highway - you NEED to put it on your bucket list! It's been dubbed "America's most scenic highway" - & I vouch  for it 100%. I've driven the highway 7 or 8 times this summer, & will probably be up a few more times before it closes for the season, usually in October, when the snow starts falling…

 al•pen•glow 

'alpen, glo/

noun

"the rosy light of the setting or rising sun seen on high mountains" 

Pictured above left: feeding the chipmunks! On the way up to the top, there is a lovely vista point / road side pull off - & there are LOTS of greedy little rodents who beg for food. right: my 6yr old cousin, & my 11yr old brother dancing (on the edge of a cliff). Love these weirdos.

I had fun exploring — I'm up in these mountains so often, but I always talk lots of pictures whenever I'm there. It was extra special tonight, because my family went! We spent the afternoon in Red Lodge, ate a Bogarts, drove the Beartooth Highway, stopped at Beartooth Basin, went to the "top of the world" store & visited the fire tower… From the firepower we could see Pilot & Index peaks & a herd of elk down below… The views are AMAZING. I'm so thankful for & blessed by family. Thankful that we can talk, laugh, live & explore together for a few days.

ALSO - very thankful that "my" mountains aren't burning up, that the smoke is from elsewhere - & very thankful for all the hard working firemen & women who have fought hard, & are still fighting to preserve our wild lands!

-GB 

Glacier Lake, Beartooth Mountains, MT

 • NEVER STOP EXPLORING •

Today I hiked a moderately strenuous, but short hike to Glacier Lake! Total roundtrip was about 5 miles. The trailhead elevation is 8,680ft & the lake is at 9,702ft, but the hiking trail actually climbs more then the difference (1,022ft) in the 2ish miles to Glacier Lake. There's a ridge in the middle thats about 800ft higher then the lake. So at the peak of the hike the elevation is about 10,500ft, then you descend to the lake from that point.

Hiking was a breeze, & the landscape was beautiful. You could almost always hear the sound of Moon Creek gushing in the drainage to your left as you hike up to the lake. There is also a nice bridge about 1/2 mile into the trail where you cross over the creek. Once at Glacier Lake, you inevitably will cross over the state line of Montana into Wyoming. This sorta "no man's land" I (& other locals) like to call Wymont.  

The hardest part of this hike & getting to this lake, is actually getting to the trailhead. A high-clearance vehicle (truck or jeep) is needed. The 7.6 mile dirt road is very rough. I wasn't keeping track of time, but I'm guessing it took us about 50min to drive it. A long, slow, bumpy drive, but totally worth it.

 

Even though the lake sits at 9,702ft (above the timberline), there are some large trees along the shoreline, & around the trials near & below the lake. There were large wind-blown dead trees, & some very hardy pines. When we hiked, we veered off the trail & explored quite a bit of the surrounding areas just before reaching the lake. There are amazing views & vista points along the way. It's totally worth it to hike off trail once you are at the high point & boulder field. 

The mosquitoes were not bad, but be sure to take bug repellent just in case!
There were many pools of still water along the trail closer to the lake.  

Ok, now that you've read & looked at the pictures, take another look at the top picture. On the island, there is a human! My friend SWAM out to the island. This would not be recommended for everyone to do. The tempature of the water is around 43ºf. I took of my shoes & dipped my feet in the lake & nearly froze. I can't imagine making the long (55 yards) swim out to the island. Go look at the pic! Small human standing on the right side, atop a rock. ^^ 

This would be a fairly easy trail for kids. We passed a couple hiking with kiddos in backpacks. My 11 year old brother had a blast hiking up to the lake. He is not an experienced hiker, & did have to take a few little "breather" breaks along the way, but overall did great. 

Allllllrighty! Summer is gonna be over soon. In the past 2ish weeks, I've hiked 40+ miles in the Beartooth Mountains - The Beaten Path, Mystic Lake, & Glacier Lake. It's been super fun & I'm hoping to pack in the miles before school starts later this month.  Mountains are awesome & summer is going by too fast!!!!!! Wanna go hiking with me?! 

-GB 

The Beaten Path, Montana, 2015

Elk Lake, elevation 6800'ft. 

Busy is a choice. Stress is a choice. Joy is a choice. Choose well. 

JUST GO HIKING. 

It has become a yearly tradition to hike "The Beaten Path" once every summer. I hiked it last year - you can read a detailed post about that experience here. 

AHHHHH! I love hiking - getting up into the mountains & total wilderness — feeling like a little ant walking on the earth — the size of these rocks is awesome! Creation is amazing, & God is good. I'm super blessed & thankful to have the health & life that I have. I'm trying to make the most of summer while it lasts!

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. - Colossians 1:16 


This year I hiked The Beaten Path with 2 friends - We started at the Clarks Fork Trailhead, just past the Chief Joseph Campground on July 16th & finished on the 18th at East Rosebud Lake.

This hike is "approximately" 26 miles long, not counting any side trips off trail. It is a strenuous hike, but not technically difficult or dangerous. It is also a well-traveled path, & perhaps the best way to experience the diversity & beauty of the Beartooths.

If starting at the Clarks Fork trailhead the elevation is 8000'ft - the peak elevation on the trail is just over 10000'ft, & finishing elevation is 6000'ft. You get more downhill hiking starting on the side we did. You hike uphill 90% of the first 10 miles, then from there its like 85% downhill  for the remaining 16 miles. (As opposed to starting at East Rosebud, where you hike a steep long uphill for the first 16 miles.)

In a nutshell: We hiked The Beaten Path in 3 days, 2 nights. The first day (starting at  the Clarks Fork Trailhead, 9:40am), it took us about 9 hours to hike 12 miles to Dewey Lake, our camp site for the night. (10 of the 12 miles were uphill. We hiked about 2mph the first 7 miles, & also took numerous little breaks along the way. Stopped at Russell Lake for about 30min too.) The next morning, it was an easy  7 miles downhill (9am-1pm) to Rainbow Lake & our camp site. The 3rd day we hiked 7 more downhill miles, finishing the hike by 12pm at East Rosebud Lake. We rested for about 40min at Elk Lake on the way.

Impasse Falls - around 300ft tall. 

When hiking the Beaten Path -you will get rained on, no matter what the forecast says. The forecast is hard to predict in the mountains. Two of the 3 days I was hiking were supposed to be "50% chance of rain"; but both those days were sunny. The "20% chance of morning rain" day turned into a wild afternoon thunder storm… The last 2 of the 12 miles we hiked the first day, we were hiking in a hail/sleet thunderstorm. The temperature dropped from mid 60s to low 40s.

Honestly, no one likes hiking in the rain, things get slick! Bring good rain gear so you stay dry & warm! Also, make sure you know what to do if caught on the plateau in a storm. Don't make yourself a lighting target! 

The mosquitoes are bad. Take strong bug repellent.  I brought repellent that was 25% deet, it seemed to work ok, but I still got more bites then I liked. The bugs are blood thirsty up there! They only seemed worse on the higher lakes, near the plateau. The lower we got, towards Rainbow Lake, the fewer they become. (At least during this time of year.)


All around the trailhead (Cooke City side) the bugs were bad. East Rosebud side, no bugs.

Obviously is grizzly country - proper food storage, bear spray & guns are a really good idea, & safety precaution. When I hike, I'm packing a .357 & bear spray. (Better to be safe then sorry!!!) I hang my food at night too.

Last year when I hiked in July - there were still HUGE snow drifts we had to hike over. This year there wasn't ANY snow we had to hike over. (Dryer winter….) Having a walking pole could be helpful for some people. There are 3 major water crossings, & depending on the snowmelt, the water could be over knee deep or you could "rock-hop" across with shoes left on. Hiking in "convertible" short/pants works great, & keeps you dry.

This year water levels were very low, so nothing was very hard to get across. Last year however, the water was almost thigh deep in places, so it was much harder getting across the "rivers" as the current was swift. 

I found it interesting when reading about The Beaten Path in hiking books, "river/lake" crossings were NOT mentioned…. Make sure you pack some water shoes!

There are countless beautiful lakes, several note-worthy waterfalls, endless views & wildflowers galore on this trail. I would suggest taking a longer time to hike The Beaten Path - & setting a camp somewhere near Fossil Lake - from there, there are numerous day hikes & other lakes to hike to.

Here are some pics for you to enjoy!

The trail between Elk Lake & East Rosebud - 3 miles from the finish.

Ouzel Lake, elevation 9445'ft. 

Twin Outlets Lake, elevation 9200'ft.

A well-traveled trail — Saw a good number of other hikers throughout the entire trail, & two horses & some mules along the way. The Beaten Path is a very popular trail, but everyone spreads out on it, so you seldom see other hikers, even though there could be dozens of hikers on the trail. 

My hiking buddies JohnRoss & Jessica! 

Hiking on the beautiful plateau, just past Fossil Lake (elev. 10,000+ft) 

- With storm clouds chasing us! We got stormed on (thunder / hail / rain / sleet) the last 2mi of the 12 miles we hiked the first day. The temperature got down to 42'F. 

Camp site 2nd night at Rainbow Lake.

 We hung our damp clothes out to dry at our camp site.  The storm soaked us pretty good the night before. There are many great camp sites by Rainbow Lake. 

Rainbow Lake, elevation 7700'ft. 

Rainbow lake displays a beautiful blue-green color (often called "glacier milk") indicative of a glacier-fed lake. The water felt wonderful on my tired feet & sore knee. :) 

Hiking around Fossil Lake, elevation 10000'ft. 

If ya have any questions, lemme know in comments below & I'll do my best to answer! 

Some good resources for hiking in or around the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness:

• www.beartoothguides.com — guided backcountry summit climbing / skiing / backpacking 
• http://www.beartoothtrails.org — general information 
• The Silvan Peak backpack/hike shop in Red Lodge would have info: (406) 446-1770 to talk to someone at the shop.

Happy hiking,
GB 

En Plein Air

"EVERY DAY I DISCOVER MORE & MORE BEAUTIFUL THINGS. I HAVE SUCH A DESIRE TO DO EVERYTHING. IT'S ENOUGH TO DRIVE ONE MAD, MY HEAD IS BURSTING WITH IT." — CLAUDE MONET 

For the past 3 days I've been in Red Lodge, MT - participating in a painting workshop! I learned some, but mostly reviewed what I knew - & got some good painting hours in! Lately I've been SO busy with LIFE - that I haven't done any painting… This workshop was really good for me. It was refreshing to get out 'en plein air' & be challenged to study the ever-changing light, values, & compositions of landscapes.

It was fun workshop… Each day we met at 9am at Montana Gallery, on Main Street in Red Lodge. From there we'd drive out to the painting location & paint for a few hours, then break for lunch, & resume in the afternoon, & paint till the light faded. There were 7 artists (myself included) attending the workshop that was headed up & taught by Tyler Murphy. I loved meeting the other artists, it was inspiring for me to see other people's views on art & life — I met a lady (& her sweet dog, Panda Bear) who were from Texas. Another man & woman from Billings MT,  a lady from the Bitterroot Valley, & a lady from up state New York. Then there was myself (basically a local) & a guy from Joliet. 

Make sure you check out Montana Gallery — there is some crazy good art there. If you ever find yourself in Red Lodge, make sure you stop by! There's good art, good vibes & good people to be found at Montana Gallery. I've known Tyler for a few years, & have taken painting classes from him several times. They never disappoint, & are always lots of fun! 

Below are some pictures of my painting endeavors —

Quick studies of Mount Maurice, a flower, & distant Beartooth Mountains — 

This is me — painting a view of a distant Red Lodge Mountain. 

9x12 oil "Where The Creek Goes" …I was happy with this picture.

"Artist At Work" 9x12 oil on linen. 

A quick sketch at 10,000'ft atop the Beartooth Highway
The ever-changing lighting made it difficult to capture the colors…

-GB 

watercolor eye

WIDE OPEN. Slightly dramatized sketch of my eye…

Boy eyes are soooooo amazing. The depth, colors, & details are all so intricate, precise, delicate… Go look in a mirror at your eyes. Seriously. Really look, don't just glance. Check out the different flecks of color, the pupil, the blood vessels in the sclera, & the tiny muscles embedded in the iris. Eyes are so crazy awesome!! I'm thankful for the gift of sight, & the ability to see, & create art. ;)

-GB 

garden 406

RADISHES - my hand, & my brother's hand. 

Gardening is about enjoying the smell 

of things growing in the soil,

marveling at God's creation & preservation of young plants,

about patience; working hard, being eaten by mosquitoes & getting dirty — 

feeling the sun's warmth on your bent back,

& generally taking the time to 

soak up a little peace & serenity. 

( go, dig in the dirt, it'll do you good )

-GB 

j u s t • w o r d s —

AMAZING GRACE,

how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found,

was blind, but now I see. 

Let love & 

faithfulness 

never leave you;

bind them

around your neck,

write them

on the tablet

of your heart.

Proverbs 3:3 

(WOW. Think about that.)

{ TUNE IN }

You may not see it today or tomorrow, 

but you will look back in a few years and be

absolutely perplexed and awed by how every little

thing added up and brought you somewhere 

wonderful - or where you always wanted to be. 

You will be grateful that things didn't work out 

the way you once wanted them to.

I admire people 

who choose 

to shine

even after

all the storms

they've been through. 

To pray is to let go & let God take over. 

Rest in Jesus, 

trust in His unfailing love.

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.