local cartography

The Good Doctor has recently been putting some nice detail into a series of BPG/ USGS/ Cooke City composite maps.  Think:  Krummholz Alley, Rip Curl and the Ozarks; keeping Oly's Woods company.  (and laminated for the Yurt.)

I sure do enjoy contemplating the different ways we reference the landscape.  Take Fred Inabnit's Greater Yellowstone piece, with a portion shown above.  It's about the size of a Navajo rug, was modeled in the early 1900's (mountain top trigonometry anyone! :) with amazing attention to accuracy. He even cut and fit mirrors to represent lakes.  Check it out at the Museum of the Beartooths next time you are in Columbus.

In contrast to these crazy days, where there are folks strafing around in the field (driving 80mph down the hwy), GPS equipped software on their smart phones; and eyeballs glued to screens.. 

More info the merrier!

It was a breath of fresh air to be in the hills last week, Way off trail, trying to read ridgelines and potential routes.  Wondering how the local Indians felt while out and about.

It's also been cool to see discrepancies amongst modern day mapmakers' renditions o the Beartooths.  One particular, remote rock spire comes to mind.  :)  A Google Earth illusion perhaps.?  Only one way to find out.

for scale: try a diameter of about 6-7 feet.  Friday in Whirlpool Creek.

Still Lots to genuinely explore, even amongst the Beartoohs, yet alone the GYE.
Reason to celebrate.!

click poster to enlarge

Lichen

Thought to pass along a great photo and some interesting beta on our good friends:  the lichen.!
Courtesy of dear friend Sue Mills.   O to live for 4,500 years in the alpine tundra!

They're planting grass up at the McLaren Tailings Site, there's a 4wheeler hunting convention going on north of town.  folks are hitching their horses up at the Saloon, the museum is officially open, and Abiathar's north couloir held quite a bit of snow this summer.

And Jojo saw a mountain lion in Roscoe.

Lowepro

Great to collaborate with the exceptionally talented Kt Miller, on some fantastic photo shoots for Lowepro this summer.

If you have a minute, surf on through the Lowepro website (especially the Pro Trekker series lines), for a look at some amazing local image action.  And if you are interested, be sure to watch the embedded video, which has a couple marvelous East Bud canoe clips.  :)

Run the Rut

Omnibar photo

Ran the Rut last weekend.  A 50km foot race over in Big Sky.

A turned out to be a superb experience, on a wonderfully challenging course, with some of the strongest mtn. runners in the world.  Well exceeding expectations.

Though I am not quite sure what to think of the whole racing and competition scene, I definitely find it fascinating.  Sure, I would probably prefer to adventure and explore in remote Wilderness regions, away from crowds; but toeing the line- predawn, and running FAST through the forest (via headlamp) with 500+ super fit mtn. athletes form around the world, was nothing short of exhilarating.

To say nothing of what I learned from running at threshold for 7+ hrs, up and down and around a mountain I consider sacred.  :)

A big shout out to Omnibar for all their hard work and support, in making the experience happen.

MTbyDIRT

Linked up with some good buddies for a video series and some story telling for Nat Geo Adventure this summer --- They were road tripping across western Montana via dirt roads (in association with Toyota). We rendezvoused in Cooke, and were able to track down some nice turns.

If you are interested, here's a link to one of the short stories at the onset of their journey:

http://adventureblog.nationalgeographic.com/2014/08/21/montana-by-dirt-summer-skiing-in-the-beartooth-mountains/

(Keep your eyes peeled for Max Lowe's astounding astro photography)

photo by Brody Leven

It seems like only yesterday we were fighting off mosquitos and cramponing up nice névé ...

And now Old Man Winter is back at it ! with our third or fourth good snowstorm of the season.  Down to the valley floors this time, so they say.

Wouldn't mind another half dozen good mtn. snorkel sessions before the summer is all said and done though.  :)

brainstorming..