Blown off at Strawberry

Went to Strawberry Saturday with Mac and the day started out beautiful calm and sunny.  We took off in his Rhino and got to a point and decided we didn't want to have to push it back due to breaking through the crust and into the underlying layer of water.  So we headed back toward the marina arm and got stuck anyways.  Right there we decided this is a great place to fish...haha.  So we through out the fishing gear cut a few holes and started to fish seeing nothing on the finder and getting nothing on hits we decided to move closer to the shore.  We did manage to get the Rhino free from its bondage and moved it to solid ice.  We moved closer got things set up again and then all hell broke loose.  The wind came in without warning and at gale forces.  We set up the tent sled and it was getting blown across the lake, not as bad as the poor souls who lost their 2 man tent to the wind.  Seriously it went flying over the top of our tent and down lake, last we seen they were chasing it on snowmobiles trying to catch it.  We packed up and headed home.  It was better than sitting at home.  No fish but good company.  til next time keep smilin.

Yellowstone Snowmobiling 2012

Went to Yellowstone with Bob and Mary this weekend for a retreat.  We left Saturday morning and drove to West Yellowstone the weather cooperated until we got to St. Anthony and it started to snow by the time we reached the top of Targhee Pass the roads were covered.  One poor soul got 2 flat tires on the way up the pass.  We asked if he needed help but he just waved us on.  We arrived in West Yellowstone around 4 pm got in our rooms and went to dinner at Pete's Pizza it was a good pizza, talked with some local city council members who shared our table with us, that was interesting.  We headed back to the hotel and got in the Hot tub for a bit and then down for the night.
Woke at 6 and got breakfast biscuits and gravy and then off to get our snowmobiles.  We went with a group from Travelers station and Bron Hansen was our guide a local young man who guided there in the winter and flew scenic flights over the grand Canyon in the summer.  He made it fun and had lots of home town information for us.  We spent the day in the park.  It was a blue bird day in the park with a fresh coat of snow on the trails.  We did the lower loop to Old Faithful and back.  Bron gave us a great tour through the park.  We seen elk, eagles, trumpeter swans, and of course Bison up close and personal a couple times.  Loads of fun.  We got back to the hotel and went to sit in the hot tub but was late getting in there and they were full and didn't empty the entire night and no one was for giving up their spot.  So we went to eat at the Three Bear Restaurant it was good, but like the old boys in the city council said "if we don't get you with the price of gas we will with the price of food".
Woke up Monday morning and got breakfast loaded up and headed for home.  It wasn't nearly as nice of a day on the way out but by the time we reached St. Anthony it was clearing off.   til next time keep smilin'!

Morning Powder runs and Afternoon Ripples and Fins

It was Alright! 3 runs of first tracks and then the ants showed up. Made 10 runs had to wait in line 3 times. Legs noodled out on me and then knee started to be funky so I called it a day. Blue Bird and Fluff!!!!! It was Alright :)





The afternoon was absolutely great with sunny, blue skies. I had to get out and play a little more. Legs were still fried so I went to a close by stream and decided to go LOAH style. It worked tossed a couple blue fox's and caught a couple pretty little natives not too far from the front door.





It was a good day of vacation and a well needed one.  Blue Bird day with all the right components skiing and fishing.  til next time keep smilin'

Ski days of 2011-12

Day 4 - Sundance
A Blue Bird day again, both happy and sad to say those words right now.  We need snow badly!!  Went to Sundance in hopes of running into a good friend Mark Allen.  He posted a picture of fresh tracks on Wildflower and I thought alright Mark is on the mtn and they have had a freak storm roll through and dump a few inches.  Got dressed and loaded up and on the mtn in about 30 minutes from seeing the post.  Surprise no freak storm, but worse yet no Mark Allen called him and found out he was making reindeer food and spreading out in front of his house for Santa's reindeer, yep he is a good father.  Anyhow I put in few runs and decided skiing through man made ice crystals that kinda stung and all stuck to everything wasn't the same as the real stuff and headed to front mtn and seen Shan at the top of Ray's and talked to her for a bit then headed home.  Good day on the mtn just not OKAY.....lol.  til next time keep smiling.

Day 3 - Sundance
A Blue Bird day at Sundance!  It was cold and over cast to begin with but turned into a beautiful day at the Dance.  Still need tons of snow but for the groomers it was an okay day.  Just high speed cruising I was by myself.  Made for some fast loads and unloads.


Day 2 - Alta
Went up for a couple hours with Sally for our anniversary ski trip.  It was nice to have Sally with me on the slopes.  She is a trooper and puts up with me, has done so now for 27 married years.  The snow was not great and the off groomed trails were, in my book, unrunable at this point.  We desperately need some big dumpage. Just figures the year I get back on my boards it doesn't snow.  It was still nice to ride the man made stuff for little outside time with my love.


Day 1 - Alta
Well after a year off the slopes due to back surgery today went pretty good.  The back did very well.  The legs and feet did okay, the legs noodled on me after about 3 runs but pushed on and got in a few more.  The knee was tender but held up okay.  Didn't go anywhere out standing stayed on the groomers today to ensure all was working okay.  It started to snow as I pulled in the parking lot and snowed the rest of the time I was on the mtn.  I had a good time.  The new coat worked fabulously!  The meat chili at the lodge is good and they give free refills on your drinks which is a bonus.  So day 1 in the books.  Next season will buy pass to Alta and night pass to Sundance for weekly skiing times.  Til next time keep smilin' :)

A day of Hog hunting on Strawberry!

Craig and I met up early in the canyon, loaded up went to Heber and stopped for last minute supplies...donuts, chocolate milk you know, oh ya and caffeine.  We made it to Strawberry by 7:30 on the lake in his Rhino, yes I said Rhino it is the only way to go ice fishing!! It made life tons easier to move around and to get to areas others can't.  That is precisely what we did, went to areas other's couldn't access.  We got to our first area just North of Renegade and had holes cut and the first fish on the deck in 15 minutes, the second in 20 minutes.  The 2nd fish was the beginning of the hog hunt it was nice male cutt with great colors about 18 inches and 3 lbs.  We stayed and I got my first fish on the ice in about 30 minutes and it was a nice 2-3 lb bow.  We stayed for another hour or so and left for new ice.  We caught a good dozen at the spot and had a good start to the day.  We headed out of the bay to the old dam, set up camp there for an hour or so.  Within 10 minutes of cutting our first hole Craig landed the Hog of the day 20 inches of football size rainbow, it weighed in just under 4lbs but the scale was very sticky due to being cold ;)  We stayed there and caught another half dozen or so nice fish.  Loaded up and went back toward the marina on the way in we stopped to help out some other fishers and heard they were having a slow day, glad we were able to get away from the crowds in Craig's Rhino.
Great day on the hard deck! We caught 15 fish in the 3-4 lb range. Most were cuts so we returned them but Craig landed the Hog of the day. Rhino is definitley the way to travel on the ice. Thanks Craig for a great day on the ice!!