Tag: Glacier

What’s in your shed?

unusual mountain clouds
From our Cabin’s back porch deck.
12-second video: Spotted on drive to trail head.

What’s your relationship with peace?

Peace requires shedding things, people, and beliefs that do not bring peace.

Shedding things, people, and beliefs brings discomfort.

And you love discomfort, don’t you?

You love discomfort because you love to grow.

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This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.

How can you not

Mountains
What it looks like hours later on the descent.

How can you not?

What?

How can you not count down to Glacier?

You can’t.

So count down.

Okay.

12 days.

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This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.

Scariest animal encounter

Video context:

  • First and foremost, safety takes a back seat to nothing. Never get this close to wild animals.
  • Spent nearly five hours hiking to Mountain Pass (7,600′), enjoying lunch, relaxing
  • Sun will soon be out of sight
  • Car is five miles away
  • Been hiking in Grizzly Bear country for 50 years
  • We are alone on the mountain Pass, late September
  • i miraculously spot a bear 800 meters from the Pass
  • The bear is 10-15 meters from trail
  • Trail is the only way to safely pass the bear to return to car
  • As we hike down, we become blind to Bear’s location
  • We clear small forrest and see the Bear
  • Without hesitation, our only choice is obvious to me
  • We must get past the bear or risk being trapped
  • Once Sun disappears behind Continental Divide, it gets cold quickly
  • There is no safe way to pass if we attempt off-trail route
  • Trusted my gut from 50 years of wilderness experience
  • We talk loud so the Bear knows we are coming, to avoid surprise
  • Bear is foraging in a hole it dug, eyes “buried”, we quickly pass
  • We walk (never run) far down the trail, peering back often
  • We pause, grateful to be on the car side of trail
  • In this moment, i sense something for first time in half a century
  • Bear is focused on eating, not us
  • We observe Bear is a surreal encounter
  • Scariest animal encounter ever, and also the most incredible
  • Finally, this is absolutely the most dangerous position to be in. NEVER think for a moment that you can safely do what we just did
  • i know i will be a fool to think this would ever be safe in the future. You should too.

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This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.

Back in the day (reprise)

Jeff noel on Continental divide on a bicycle
2019.

Biking Going-to-the-Sun Road one year solo and another year with our son slays any regret.

Would i love to do it with Cheryl?

Guess.

Can you imagine folks pushing 70 doing this?

i can.

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This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.

No, we don’t wanna get stuck

mountain trail signage at trail head
Piegan Pass to Many Glacier has yet to be completed.

Weather: In a word, unpredictable. Plan for freezing to scorching temps. Plan on 45 mph winds. Plan for wet clothes and shoes. Plan on rain, hail, snow.

Clothes: Merino wool is best. Layers are best. i take seven layers of t-shirt thickness tee-shirts. Also take a nylon windbreaker, nylon vest, hat, tech-touch gloves, a neck gaiter, two bandanas, extra eye glasses, one belt, pocket poncho. Also take one bright yellow/lime t-shirt in case you need to be easily spotted by helicopter.

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This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.