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View from the top of Baldy It was a great season, it was a tough season, and it was all too short. Summer arrives late in the high country surrounding Bozeman. With about 17 hours of daylight at the summer solstice, the heat builds, the snow melts and the last of the passes open by mid-July. The melting snow floods mountain meadows releasing a nuisance of summertime bugs. So we get up as early as we can muster to head out running; cool early mornings and constant movement kee

Mounts Jefferson and Hollowtop As we reached the top of the peak the cloud mass that had already built to the north closed in on us: there would be no views. It was late summer 1984, Terry and I were out with Cindy and Peter, another couple of Bozemanite buddies. We had made it to Hollowtop Lake in the Tobacco Root Range the evening before. I remember the weather as having been stormy, so we never got a good view of peaks in the area; now that we were on top, we didn’t have a

Sperry Chalet with Lincoln Peak (center) “Look they stuffed another mountain in over there,” was a common refrain in the years I spent exploring the Glacier National Park backcountry with my buddy Huk. In the 1990s, Huk lived in Whitefish about an hour outside of Glacier, and he was in the park as much as possible during every short summer season; I visited for at least a few weeks each summer. We hiked many of the trails in the park: lots of day hikes and multiday backpackin

Outside Bozeman, Fall 2025. They changed the name--I prefer "Chasing John Colter," but they left the rest of the story pretty much as I...

Leaving Landmannalaugar As was often the case, Oolav was angry. He was the high priest of the elves living around Landmannalaugar in the heart of the Icelandic backcountry, and he was tired of all the human activity in the area. He had elves redirect rivers across the road, but the humans kept coming in buses and trucks big enough to manage the crossings. They came to bathe in the elves hot springs, they came to hike the Laugavegur Trail through elfen lands and to sleep in hu

Runners heading south down the shoulder of Naya-Nuki Early morning, August 9, 2025. Runners are making final preparations for the 40th running of the Ed Anacker Bridger Ridge Run put on by the Big Sky Wind Drinkers: Jonah is bouncing around holding his privates. “Man I miss the old days. Few runners, no lines at the John.” The young guy in front of him turns around. “Would you like that Jonah? Would you like to go back to the old days?” “Uh huh.” Jonah says as he continues bo

West ridge of Hyalite Canyon in early morning light The peak of summer is slow in coming and doesn’t last long in the Montana high...

I first ran the Devil’s Backbone Relay, an event put on by the Big Sky Wind Drinkers, in July 2021. I ran it north to south, from Hyalite trailhead along the Gallatin Crest to Windy Pass Cabin. At the pre-run meeting the evening before, the run director told us about a directional arrow and posts on the course.  At the time, I envisioned paint stirrers stuck in the ground, possibly with plastic pink ribbons tied at the top. What I found sparked my imagination. Summer, Circa 1

Pre-race instructions In a race like Old Gabe, put on by the Big Sky Wind Drinkers in mid-June each year, I have to believe that our psychological ids are in control.  Running an Old Gabe route satisfies cravings that few who aren't out there can understand.  You have two choices, 30K or 55K—pick your level of insanity. The start for both routes is at 6 AM and they trek 9.5 miles from the Middle Cottonwood Trailhead over Saddle Pass to the Truman Gulch Trailhead, then turn a

Atop Baldy with Forest This is more introspective and melancholier than what I usually write; just mixing it up a bit. I never wanted to...

Mount Baldy looms left of center in the background The Baldy Blitz, has a 30ish-year history.  The Blitz is a race up and back down Mount Baldy in the Bridger Range in mid-May each year.  It was started by a group of climbers.  Timing was basic the way timing was not too many years ago.  The “Race Director” would put his watch around the antennae of his car, and a clipboard on the hood.  He’d yell go to the 10 or so people that had gathered; he’d join the race to the top of B

February, in Bozeman, is my favorite time of winter.  It is cold; the chill is inescapable.  The world is white; the land is buried;...

Gallatin Peak from Summit Lake October 12, 2024: We grunted our way up to the high ridge on Gallatin Peak.  It was me, my son-in-law,...

The current was strong; I held onto the clothesline that had been strung across the river to aid our crossings.  The river got deeper...

Mt Brown lookout Ed and I stepped off the trail to let the mountain goat pass by.  We were high up on Mount Brown in Glacier National...

Is it for the long ride in pre-dawn darkness on a chill August morn?  Is it the anticipation as we wait for the start?  Is it the...

There are three approaches to Granite Peak, none of them are short, none of them are easy.  At 12,799 feet, Granite is Montana’s highest...

Every distance running race is intense in its own way.  I used to race half-marathons on city streets.  In those races I ran hard on...

Those who line up at one of the many trail races around here will notice the crowd of 20, 30, 40, and even 50-year-olds milling about at...

View looking down Hyalite Canyon The Hyalites have always been one of my favorite outdoor venues around Bozeman. I have long considered...