River Rats abd Giant Cedars

More River Shots

GNP Rivers

It was worth the drive to GNP just to see the rivers. Even though it was cold, it didn't seem like it as long as I was standing by a water fall or crystal clear river. I could have stayed....well, duty calls.
I have discovered though that it pays to always keep your balance and be prepared, you just never know who is behind you....
The water is such a stunning color, it's almost unreal looking.

Glacier National Park

This place is awesome. We got there late in the day so we didn't have time to see a lot, but what we did see was totally awesome. There is already a bunch of snow there and all the trees on the edge of the tree line were all covered in snow and looked like white ghosts. The peaks were stunning. Logan Pass was closed due to snow fall, but we could drive almost up to it.

Montana is Pretty Cool

We drove through Montana. Very pretty. Stopped and saw cousins in Colestrip.

North Dakota

This is North Dakota at it's best.

North Dakota

We stopped at Theodore Ro. National Park. It was kind of like a baby Badlands NP. We hiked down into a valley, past the barriers and that was kind of cool. Saw some cool sand stone formations down there.

Having Fun in the Mountains

10 miles, 8 Up

7Up is good, but 8Up is hard work. We hiked 8 miles, all up, until we couldn't hike any farther. Some people refuse to eat and drink enough when they are in elevation, so they have to sit by a log and suffer. Of course, eating and drinking at any time is the cure, but some refuse to eat supper and drink Powerade. Oh well, others enjoy a gorgeous river, a peaceful campfire, a wonderful morning, great food, and of course, Powerade. The morning especially was so beautiful, alone in the wilderness, the sun beginning to creep down the edge of the mountain, the warmeth of the camp fire, a sound of the river racing past, it was a Kodak moment for sure.

Special time with Jen

We hiked up to the Blue Lakes. They were so pretty. When you stand near them they look like regular lakes, but when you get above them, they look the bluest blue you can ever imagine.

Can we be full time backpackers?

If only we could go out for 2 weeks every month...........

Why go?

Some people wonder why anyone would strap 35 pounds on their back and go walk up a mountain in wind, rain, snow, bugs, sleep on the ground, drink river water, etc. etc. There are no words to describe such an awesome experience. The people you are with, the moments shared, the man-made world has nothing to offer that produces such bonding and awe.

Hiking and Crossing Rivers

The water was especially cold, it was melting right out of the snow pack. It was fun to cross the rivers. We saw one group of day hikers that had two little girls and they crossed an old miners bridge that had slid out over a water fall and it was all slippery and very unstable. We had to leave because we couldn't stand to see the girls go across with probably an 100' water fall dropping beneath them.

Black Canyon

We climbed down the Black Canyon, 1800 feet vertical to the bottom. They said it would take 1.5 hrs to get down and at least 3 hrs to get up. We made it down in 1.75 hrs and we made it up in 1.5 hrs. We couldn't believe it. It seemed easier going up than it did slipping and sliding down the loose rock. For 80' there was a chain, you had to lower yourself down the chain, part of it was over my head so I had to put my arms up in order to reach it. It was my favorite part.

Colorado, 1st of July

It was so pretty hiking in Colorado earlier in the summer. There was so much snow. It was really pretty. The first night out it was really cold because we pitched the tent at the top of a water fall. We put on all our extra clothes and the next day it warmed up. There were lots of mosquitos too. The new JetBoil worked great except for the one really cold night.

Jen, who has the better tan???

Jaymin and I have always had a slightly competitive side, and he has always bragged about being more tan than i am. Well, you decide. Although i'm part Indian, part German, and part English, I always seem to get an orangish kind of tan, and my palms are almost always orange. No, I don't drink a lot of carrot juice.

Motherboards and Mothers

Jaymin turned 20 yesterday and he build himself a new computer. I was his assistant. It was a lot of fun until the moment of truth came....turned on the switch and nothing happened. No problem, disconnect a thingy, reconnect the whatchamajig, flick a switch inside, plug it back in, hold your breath, say a prayer, and YIPPEE.....
It doubles as a night lite, air conditioner, prop for space movies, birthing center for cables and connectors, and if there is a power failure, we can turn off the heat sink fan and roast hotdogs over the processor plate.

Oh, Did You Say Hair Cut???

With all other prices going up, why not hair cuts too! I could have dropped over and hit my wet, unfinished hair on the floor when they told me the price. $40 more than last time I went there........What gives! I guess shampoo is made with gas now too.

Bob said we just all need to shave our heads and then we won't have to worry about it at all.

Then and Now - No Words Necessary

Queen for a Decade

There are some spoiled pets, and then there is Weezer. She jumps from the floor into our arms when we are standing, whether we want her to or not. We play hide and seek and if she can't find us, she screams like a girlie dog. I got a new brush to get the winter fluff out of her fur and all i have to do is show it to her and she starts to cry and whine. She has whining down to perfection. She can really poor on the pathetic dog act as well. When I came home from church and was changing my clothes, I looked out the window and someone had tired her up out back. She was playing with a stick and when she saw me she got all mournful and seemed to say, "don't you feel sorry for me, out here all alone."

Flashing Pictures for Fun

Weezer won this round. She is so proud of her wrestling skills. She can't stand for me to hug Bob or Jaymin. She starts whining and pitching a fit. As far as she is concerned they belong to her.

Our back yard

We had visitors yesterday. They spent quite a while with me and didn't seem to mind that Weezer and I were watching them out the window.

Jaymin's Fox Fur

Simple Beauty

No paints a picture as gorgeous as God does. With the ice sparkling on the trees in the sun, and the beauty of the birch tree, we could not resist bringing home some desktop pics for our computers since we have to look at them all day. There is just something relaxing and wonderful about being out in God's creation.

Dangerous Snacks

If you are ever snowshoeing and you stop for a snack when it is zero degrees, then you should listen to that still small voice just outside your head, which might happen to be your wife. The voice will say, "Don't try to cut that frozen power bar with your extremely sharp knife, you might cut yourself." But if you chose to ignore "the voice", your friends will be there to take bloody pictures, and practice their rusty first aide skills on your limbs. And next time, maybe make sure you rent adult snowshoes instead of kids.......Do you think he sunk in the snow in those kiddy snowshoes???

Snowshoeing in the Ice

Here is what snowshoeing in the ice is like:

1. Step, drop through the crusted snow with cheap rented snowshoes, unless you are Bob and have Dad's good ones.
2. Step again, drop through crusted snow, foot catches.
3. Begin the fall downward.
4. Land on hard crusted ice pack with a thud.
5. Hear someone yell, "Man Down"
6. Play like a bowl of spaghetti until you get your footing and then get up.
Repeat.