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Dearborn River micro-guide
The Dearborn River can, for the purposes of floating, be divided into five distinct sections. All of them are worthwhile destinations, with short seasons relative to neighboring streams. Some parts of some of the sections are exceptional for their respective genre, and I make a point to float one or two every year. The only…
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Bedrock clogs; the hipster death shoe I love
Prior to 2008 or so I lived in Chaco sandals, like many others. They were comfy, good for most things so long as they weren’t too technical (in any direction), and exceptionally durable. When I got into backpacking in earnest and moved to relatively minimalist shoes, arch support quickly became intolerable, something that has remained…
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West Grand loop; debrief and video
Planning post here, whose plan I followed pretty much dead on. Day one took me from Pearce Ferry, up Pearce Canyon, out the north fork of the south arm, and to a camp on the upper Sanup (where I found water, rain/snow puddles in sheltered slickrock). Day two went up the western wall of Fort…
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Stooge Speedbomb; the best of mountain biking
It is easy to dislike mountain biking these days. The industry has gentrified in un-environmental and increasingly, un-human directions, with trail development (or at least, the popular portrayal of it) following accordingly. The 21st century does not need more flow (read; easy) trails, bike parks, or skill and dedication obviating technology. In my opinion.…
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West Grand loop; conception and planning
Back in December I drew a Grand Canyon river permit. I’d been trying for three years, putting in for the annual lottery, as well as for the winter cancellation permits, and after around 10 total applications (including three waves of cancellations permits in late 2023) luck was on my side. I’ve been planning for this…
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2023 Bob Open report
The 2023 Open ran from lower Holland Lake to Marias Pass, under overall kind conditions. A late spring led to a sunny May, with snow levels tapering northwards, and the foothills of Glacier having a drastically lower than normal snowpack. Moderate temps in the week leading to Memorial Day kept both the Middle and South Forks low…
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Cold crack repair, round 2
I wasn’t exactly looking for this boat, but I was keen to have a solo/smaller version of the Revelation; a canoe that would be as versatile downriver but not be quite so unwieldy, both paddled lightly loaded and especially when moving it around out of the water. I got something close in the form of a…
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The monster table
Top is locust burl and epoxy, the sides finished with slow cure epoxy to seal the pokies, the face sanded to 1500 grit and finished with linseed oil. Legs are pieces of a spalted maple slab that started in my care as a cutting board, but had shakes that just wouldn’t behave themselves, so it…
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Marin San Quentin last thoughts, and replacement
The question I had three years ago when I bought and then changed up the San Quention was easy to answer; a new bike with modern geometry was absolutely worth it. I’ve enjoyed the bike immensely, and between the joy of riding, our exceptional network of backyard trails in Helena, and a schedule with more…
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South Fork November debrief
I’ve long wanted to float the South Fork of the Flathead in all 9 months I reckon it is ever floatable, read not frozen, those being March through November, with both March and November not providing good conditions every year. This year was obviously a good year for November, and November was the last month…