Oh, Canada – Nelson/Whitewater Ski Trip

February 2, 2012

The Alpine Motel was our base for the weekend. A short 10 blocks to Nelson's city core, it was a great spot.

One of my favorite reasons to live in NW Montana is the proximity to Canada. Before I moved to Whitefish, I had never been to our northern neighbor, but now I’m addicted. Having Fernie under 2 hours away fills the need for when I’m craving steep slopes and Indian/Thai food.

We ventured to Nelson, BC this past weekend for our first trip away from home with Lucy. Five hours to the Northwest, Nelson is a little creative hamlet in the Kootenays. Surrounded by lakes and mountains, it has a similar vibe to Whitefish. We came here a few years ago for a backcountry yurt trip, and I was excited to return and spend a bit more time in town.

Our ski destination was Whitewater, just a short drive from town. Dave and I split the weekend up so we each got to ski a day and babysit a day. I took my day to hang out in Nelson. I relaxed in the hotel watching TV (that alone is like a vacation!) and knit while Lucy napped and then we took a walk downtown and explored the shops and tastes of Nelson. The community is very ‘hippie’ and many of the restaurants have an organic or vegetarian leaning. I had lunch at the Kootenay Bakery & Cafe with a bowl of curry soup, a panini grilled cheese and a steaming cup of Matcha (a great alternative when I don’t want more coffee…paired with almond milk, it was delicious).

I couldn't decide what flavors to take back to the crew, so I got one of each!

A trip to NYC back in 2008 got us hooked on cupcakes (thanks Magnolia), and so I was delighted to find a local cupcake shop! Flavors like Dark Chocolate Raspberry and Espresso were tempting, but I had to go with the Chocolate with Salty Carmel frosting. And oh it didn’t disappoint. I bought a 6-pack of mini cupcakes to take back to the crew for a post skiing snack.

The finale of my culinary adventure on Saturday was dinner at Baba’s Indian Cuisine. Like I said, I have to go to Canada to get Indian food! The rest of the crew was exhausted from a full day of powder skiing, so we hit the sack early for day two and my turn to ski!

After a quick stop at Nelson favorite Oso Negro coffee in the morning, we headed to the hill. It snowed 7″ the night before, and there was a freestyle comp happening at the mountain, so the parking lot was full. Dave set up camp in the lodge with Lucy and the rest of us headed up the lift. The snow was great, and most of the ‘runs’ are tree skiing – not a lot of cut trails. The trees were nicely spaced and so it was fun to just rip through them! Unfortunately, since it had snowed so much, patrol was doing avy control on some of the more extreme terrain. But we got plenty of steep lines and long fall lines to satisfy. Whitewater still has the mom and pop resort feel, but it was bought a few years ago by a development company, and the plans in the lodge show a large development plan including high-speed lifts and lodging. So it was great to be able to experience the mountain as it is currently.

Coffee Break at Oso Negro

Looking forward to a return trip in the future with a longer stay to explore the side country and a visit to the hot springs north of town!

Lucy was at home hanging with Dad in the ski lodge

Addy (at 37 weeks pregnant) and I on the lift.

Adventures with Lucy

December 3, 2011

I spent all my twenties convinced I’d never have kids. I’ve never been a baby person, so the thought of having one I was responsible for wasn’t appealing. Well that thing called the biological clock started ticking when I hit 30, and while I still wasn’t into the baby thing, I do like older kids, and I figured when I got to be a real adult, it would be nice to have my own family.

So now at age 32, I have Lucy. Three months ago she entered our lives after 42 weeks of incubating. I’m smart enough to know that having a baby is drastically changing our lives, but determined not to let it steer. I’m counting down the days when I can put ski boots on her and get a Stryder bike. She already spends more time in the Chariot than she does the car seat; and a PeaPod seat for the Xtracycle is on the wish list.

And she has the added benefit of being born in Montana.

So while quick day trips to ski in Fernie may be far and few in between, there are still plenty of adventures to be had.

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Shuttle Babe

Adventures in Cooking from Scratch

July 28, 2011

We’ve been on a mission to reduce the amount of pre-packaged and processed food consumed at home, therefore making as much from scratch from possible. I also want to make all my own baby food when the little monster starts to eat solid food, so its been a good test of skill and time management…

This task seemed very daunting at first, but with a little creativity and this wonderful thing called the Internet to find recipes, it hasn’t been too terrible. First I started with making my own granola, which after burning a few batches in my 1970s oven, have finally almost mastered. Having a CSA this summer from the great people at Ten Lakes Farm in Eureka has also been an adventure in vegetables. How many ways can you use a head of cabbage?? We’ve also joined a chicken CSA and so get two locally raised full chickens each month (thankfully plucked and gutted). The meal I’ve been the most proud of? South Carolina Pulled Chicken sandwiches made with the local chicken, buns from Wheat Montana, and topped with a coleslaw made entirely from scratch with cabbage from the CSA and a homemade dressing. Delicious! Darned if I didn’t take a picture of it… Next time.

Tonight I tried out a black bean burger recipe I’ve had for awhile. Made crock-pot black beans over the weekend (once you make your own, canned beans are so gross), and made patties just like you would a hamburger with the addition of red onion, breadcrumbs (homemade!), eggs, and threw it in the broiler for a few minutes! Much easier than I thought. My goal is to make a pot of beans every weekend as they are so useful, and like always, quesadillas are my fall back meal.

The raspberry bushes in the yard are ripening, and rumor is the hucks are in too! Next up, foraging for berries. Huckleberry Rhubarb crisp may be the next thing on the menu.

The Unexpected side of Sub-par recycling

April 11, 2010

One of the few dissapointments I’ve had in Montana is the recycling available. I can recycle aluminum, plastic 1 & 2, newspaper and magazines, cardboard. Better than Carbondale 5 years ago, but the lack of glass and tin can recycling kind of drives me bonkers. I wanted to come to Montana because it’s “Colorado 10 years ago,” so not sure why I was expecting some state-of-the-art recycling systems.

But there is a flip side to this “issue.” I’ve been trying to become less dependant on packaged goods. And buying boxed wine is more Eco-friendly with its cardboard rather than glass, and not because I’m cheap….right? Our local grocery store has a fantastic bulk food selection. I’ve been getting dried beans to rehydrate, black pepper in ziplocs (refillable), and I’ve made a commitment to start chopping my own tomatos rather than the easy petite diced (although I don’t think I’ve ever diced anything “petite”). Ideally we’ll have our own house this summer to actually grow the tomatos! And I’ve learned how to make my own broth out of veggie scraps.

Today I baked my own bread with Wheat Montana flour, made granola, and we tried our hand at homemade mozerella (using milk from Victor, MT). So while it pains me to throw that can or glass beer bottle away (thank you New Belgium for making “Sunshine in a can,” now just need to find some up here), at least I can source many of my items locally. I can’t wait for the farmers market with the Flathead cherries, and getting some Farm-to-Market pork (next to my favorite local bike trails, Pig Farms), and growing our own peppers so I don’t have to have my mom keep sending up green chili from Colorado.

This is not to toot my own horn on sustainability, but I’m a bit excited with the challenge of massively reducing my waste. Now, to find that electric scooter to get me up the hill to work.

30 Days of Biking

April 5, 2010

Some dude named Ryan decided to do a Twitter challenge to ride your bike every day for 30 days, and then tweet about it with the hash tag of #30daysofbiking. I didn’t get wind of it until April 2nd, a day after the challenge started, and of course April 1 happened to be the only day I didn’t ride my bike after work due to a necessary trip to Costco (I am determined to do this on a bike at some point though…). But better late than never, right? So to help keep track of my 29 days (I’ll bike May 1st too to get to 30), I’m going to keep track of my days here as well as on Twitter. As well as what bike I rode to make sure all 5 get some sort of love…

April 1 – slacker
2nd: Recycling Center & Post office (Xtracycle)
3rd: Grocery Store for Easter Dinner prep (PowderGirl)
4th: Church for Easter (PowderGirl)
5th: 7-Mile Cross ride (Kona Jake)
6th: Yoga in the AM (PowderGirl); Cross Ride to Jake & Yvonne’s for bible study
7th: Met with mortgage lender (Xtra); Cruised downtown for shopping (PowderGirl) and friends house for a BBQ (Xtra)
8th: boo, no riding. at conference from 7am to 10pm
9th: Downtown on Powdergirl for errands
10th: Does going to Canada to ski count?
11th: PowderGirl to church; Xtra to store and gym (wow, this is kind of repetative….)
12th: Bowling! (Xtra)
13th: To Yoga in the AM (PowderGirl)
14th: Xtra to Super1, then to the gym (all these are under 1/2 mile, geez)
15th: Few miles on the Xtra today to the Chamber after hours event, and then downtown for Telluride MountainFilm! And the Xtra met some new friends.
16th: Xtra to yoga then an evening Fixie tour around Whitefish with margs, pizza, and impromptu hanging out
17th: Mountain bike ride finished with a cruiser ride to the brewery to fill up the growler
18th: exploring more mountain bike trails
19th: Cruiser ride for one
20th: 8 miles to work = 1:03. 8 miles home = 21 minutes.
21st: Took PowderGirl to meet a finacial planner to set up my 401k
22nd: 8 miles to work = 1:00:51! Home? Downpouring so caught a ride. But then Xtracycles to downtown for the World Indoor Golf Championships.
23rd: Got a haircut with PG
24th: Cleaned the ‘Fish with the Xtras in tow
25th: Xtras to brunch
26th: fixie to Dairy Queen for a butterscotch dipped cone
27th: Cold cross ride to work, and a wet ride home
28th: Xtra to the Northern for Jim’s going away party
29th: raining still – xtra to breakfast at Loulas
30th: and still raining. Biked to the gym to swim. Then to friends house for dinner on the Xtras
1st: rain rain go away – but did bike related things like trail work and bought fenders for my cross bike. I then I stuck a sewing needle through my finger so spent the rest of the evening on the couch… So we’re adding one more day:
2nd: cruiser ride to church and then an epic-style 30-mileish 3.5-hour mtn bike ride. Then cruiser bikes to dinner. Think I made up all those skipped days in 1!

Giving Kids a Little Hope

December 27, 2009

August was my third time as a volunteer for Big City Mountaineers, an organization that takes inner city youth on backpacking trips. I always explain it as a combination between Boys/Girls Club and Outward Bound. The kids are all part of a local youth organization – usually after school programs. But some of the kids are from group homes. One day I would like to be a foster parent, and so I’ve been delighted that two of my three trips were girls from group homes and most of them in the foster system.

From BCM – A Kidz Hope 2009

Now that I’m in Montana, and not near any regional programs, I’m not sure the next time I’ll get to go on a trip. But since the organization is one I’m passionate about, I’m helping where I still can, and I know there will be another Summit for Someone in my future. And even though I’m not on the PR team anymore, I will help where I can editorially. In December, Women’s Adventure magazine posted an article on its reader blog’s page of my experience:

The first day is always a bit intimidating. I’ve arrived at headquarters and met the trip leader and the other volunteers. We start sorting gear and loading a car. Then the van shows up. Five teenage girls tumble out (yes, tumble would be extremely accurate). After more sorting and passing out gear, we’re on the road to the Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming. And so starts one of the most rewarding weeks of my summers.
Keep Reading: http://www.womensadventuremagazine.com

"Thoughts on my Bike"

October 6, 2009

One of my favorite things about riding my bike is the time to look around and think. I dearly miss my daily bike commute, but now the chance to pick one of them out of the garage and go for a ride makes it just that much more special.

This video pretty much captures it exactly. The combination of the artwork and poetry is fantastic and makes me want to go ride my bike. It was made for the NY Bicycle Film Festival (which I hope to attend someday!) by Andrea Dorfman.

Cool things I've discovered in Whitefish

September 9, 2009

The last few weeks have been full of exploring. Few things I’ve discovered that are cool:
1. Whitefish River bike path. The paths randomly start and end here, but I found a cool stretch this evening that weaves through trees along the river. Very peaceful and beautiful
2. The bike commute to work. Totally sucks because its uphill for 7 miles at a 9% grade. But it only takes 1 hour from my house to my office. Totally doable once (maybe twice) a week. And since I start work at 9ish, I’m not getting up too early.
3. Glacier National Park. Finally went on Monday. Total tourist trap, but like all national parks, once you get on a trail that is more than 2 miles, no tourists to be found… Still fun to stop and point at nothing and see who looks.
4. Tuesday Night Farmers Market. $1 oversized (and organic) zucchinis anyone? ‘Nuf said.
5. And so far the local microbrews are pretty tasty, too!

Just another stop in life

August 28, 2009

I haven’t been much for writing recently. Too much going on could be my lame excuse, but really, I haven’t been inspired. Life took a drastic turn a few weeks ago when I accepted a job in northern Montana basically doing my dream job. Its been non-stop ever since, and the amount of thoughts and feelings going through my head should be great fodder for writing. But its been just a bit too overwhelming to even put it on paper (or the keyboard more like it). So here I am, 5 days into my new life in Whitefish, and realizing I’m still not inspired, but forcing myself to write anyway.

This is my second night alone since my mom left after driving with me. I’m in a  condo at the ski resort where I work for a few more days before the lease on my apartment starts up. Dave will show up mid-September with the Uhaul in tow. I know I’ll make friends eventually and probably get involved with way to many things like I have a habit of doing, but for now, I’m by myself with nothing but my computer and a glass of wine. But I’m not lonely. I’ve time to work on grad school, hopefully get the pink poncho finished for Selah before she’s 2 and read – I’m reading a novel for the first time in months! I’m completely content. I’m sure it will be weird when I move into the apartment with nothing but a camp box and air mattress. I didn’t even think to bring some hangers!

I’m excited to get on my bike once I’m in town and explore. The coffee shop downtown is supposedly awesome, and I’ve already experienced the City Beach. Water and mountains are my favorite combo, and I’ve got both here. I’ve got a list of promising sounding churches to start checking out on Sunday, and so far it seems the bike culture here is vibrant (but nowhere near Stompa-style…). I think I’ll like it here and hopefully have stories to tell.

Part of the Tribe

June 6, 2009

We all want to be a part of something. Something great if we had our way, but sometimes just something is sufficient. We are part of our jobs, families, social circles, volunteer networks. But sometimes that “Tribe” is a little less intimate.

I drive a Land Cruiser – a FJ62 to be exact. Kind of the Xtracycle of the car world really. FJ owners have an unofficial tribe: we wave at each other when driving by. But its the old FJs, not those fancy new plastic ones built on a 4Runner frame. Even though it is a gas hog, I have a sense of pride driving the Beast, as we’ve come to call it. We have plans to eventually get a diesel engine hopefully convert to Veggie, but for now its a standard SUV.

Now that I’m an Xtracycle owner, I have the same sense of pride and belong to another tribe. I pass Xtras on the street, and we wave – but with a much bigger smile than the FJ owners. I’m not sure what it is about it, but Xtra owners just seem happier when riding their bike – almost a defiance of not having to use a car to get stuff around.

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