I am back in school

..and it feels kind of weird.  I'm glad to be back though.  The class I had today was really good.  There were tons of people on campus.  It seems really cliquey.  Lots of people know each other from high school, or if they are juniors like me most of them did their first two years here.  Oh well, there are probably one or two cool people hidden here somewhere.  

Tomorrow I have three classes, two of which are full and I'm sitting in on hoping to get on the roster.  So wish me luck with those.  The bike ride to school is not too bad.  I have been going on pretty long ones in my spare time to make my commute seem shorter.  It is working.  I rode southwest of Kelly Island yesterday through the hills to Blue Mountain Recreational Area.  That was about eight miles, then I hiked in the Lolo Forest about nine miles.  The southwest view of the town is the best I have seen yet, but of course I forgot my camera yesterday.  I might go back this weekend.  Another eight miles back home and the ride to school this morning felt like nothing.  

I know you are sick of pictures of the Clark Fork River but I have lots.  I found another cool spot by my house on Saturday.

--I built myself a little chair and watched the floaters and kayakers and osprey for most of the afternoon.

Mt Sentinel

     

It has been rain and thunderstorms for the past two days.  I tried to go out a few times, but lightning would usually bring me back in.  Yesterday was really nice though, so I decided to hike up Mt. Sentinel.  The first part is the famous "M trail".  It is nice because it brings you up in elevation pretty quick for a switchbacks and there is a really good view of the town.  It is really really crowded though.  Most people are content with arriving at the M.  So, after that point there is hardly anyone.  The trail goes up a little more directly (straight line up) the rest of the way to the peak at 5,185 feet.  It's a really amazing view and there was only a few people up there.  Geography and forestry majors not surprisingly.  Then I went over the other side and there was no one except for deer and squirrels. Oh, I actually got circled by vultures.  Awesome! The way back was a couple miles through Hellgate canyon which was actually forested.  I was surprised to see how dense it was.  It was kind of like home.  Except it was all pine.  It was a nice hike right behind campus.  My legs were pretty sore afterwords, and then I had to go ride eight miles to the middle of nowhere UPS station and then eight miles back to the apartment all because there is construction in front of my street and they wont deliver.  Oh well, at least it wasn't raining.  

--This was the first shady spot I found. It was like 100 degrees.  The sun burned my face and shoulders pretty bad.  

--Up and up

--This is at the top.  I don't know who these people are but they help add perspective. 
--Starting down the other side. Those hills seriously go on forever.  
I was not expecting this kind of scenery.  There is even moss.  

Exploring the town

Yesterday I finished with all my school things and random errands earlier than expected.  I decided to go explore my nieghborhood on bike.  I only went about one block before I found this trail:

--This is looking the other direction at the same spot.  I live  close to the Clark Fork River.  It braids up a bunch by my house until it meets the Bitterroot River.  
--The trail followed along the southern braid and it goes all the way to the Bitterroot.
--I didn't know that while I was riding, so I ended up going down a nice country road with a good bike path until I got to Kelly Island.
I saw a bunch of white tail deer there.  In between the braids there are islands that look like oak praries.  There are tons of animals in them and the trails go all over the place.  
--A happy bike...

More Missoula stuff

Here is the entrance to my department

--A crappy picture of the campus.  It was over 100 degrees and I had been riding my bike for awhile.  I was ready to get inside.
--Crossing one of the bridges going back into downtown.  I don't know if you can see them, but there are a bunch of innertubers in the river.
--Another crappy shot.  This one of my apartment.  Behind the lamp is a fireplace.  Behind me is the kitchen.  Behind the guitar is a whole other room with a huge desk for homeworking.  
--the view out my window

I am a Missoulian

So, I made it.  I am all moved in to my new place and busy working out all the kinks at school.  Things are good so far.  Missoula is a really cool town.  My apartment is pretty cool too.  I am going to put up seperate posts for posts for every five or six pictures because it is way easier that way.

--This is my front yard.  Yep that is a labrynth with a hand seat in the middle.

--This is the back yard.  It is sweet. There aren't a lot of green trees in the Missoula Valley so I am stoked that all these trees are here.  It is kind of like home.  

--More of the back yard.  It is on an acre or so.  And yes..that is another labrynth.  It's a really cool place for being just outside downtown. 
--More of the backyard view...

--Like home...
--They like Buddha. 

Muir Snowfield

My friend Chris is from Hong Kong.  He said that he wanted to see Mt. Rainier, so I thought we would go there.  We went to Paradise and we were planning on hiking as far up the Muir Snowfield as time allowed.   Te weather was mostly clear so I was pretty sure it was the perfect day for it.  Chris had class though.  So, we didn't get to head out until 1 PM.  Which means we didn't even get to the trailhead until 3:30-ish.  I figured we could still make it a ways up.  I forgot that Chris is a smoker.  The first picture illustrates this phenomenon nicely.  It's a small picture, but yep, on the knees.  Pretty good motivation to quit smoking.

--"Mountains out"
--Chris enjoying a well deserved view
--We decided to call it good at Panorama Pt.  It was already around 6 o'clock and the clouds were rolling back in.  I decided to head up towards McClure Rock while Chris rested.  I ran up to where the trail gave way to the snowfield, and saw this cool rock here.
--after I walked around the edge of this rock to take a few shots, I found the rock that most closely resembled a chair and enjoyed view in the pic below by myself for awhile.
--Hesitantly, I got up to turn back.  I was sad until I saw the view that I would be enjoying on the way back down.
--I gotta put at least one cheeser pic in here
--Marmots have it made

--I had to give this one a dollar so he would let me pass

--Tatoosh and the way home.  Why is this blue?

Lake Melakwa

Last Thursday I went on a pretty good hike with Brian and Joel.  We hiked to Lake Melakwa.  It means 'mosquito'.  They name makes it out to be worse than it is.  There were quite a few bugs, but I've seen worse.  I got awesome bites on my face.  The water was so cold it was ridiculous.  I got in to just above my knees.  It felt ok if I didn't move, but when I did it felt like vices were clamping down on all my leg muscles.  

--Brian taking the official pose

-- J-double-dot at the destinaysh

--Melakwa Mirror

--A sweet cairn

Moving to Missoula Montana

Before I typed the first 'B' at the beginning of this sentence, I had never made a blog.  It's all over now.  There is no going back.  I have officially betrayed my ways, become a hypocrite.  But nothing is more human than hypocrisy, so I suppose it's ok. 

I am moving here: 

...in one week from today.  (That is Samantha and Bella in the pic).  Missoula.  Nice view, right?  You can hike up there after a class and be back down in time to make your next one!  

So, I had a few requests for starting a blog so that I could keep everyone up to date.  I gave in to the presh.  I'll try and keep it nice and dry so as not to bore you with too many of my "feelings" and "emotions".

The goal here is to make you my socks--that is, to know what it is like to walk in my shoes.  You will smell and be dirty and maybe even torn, but I will refuse to replace you even though a new bunch of you is only like $4.99.  

So, if you care enough to be reading this, thanks.  Hope my adventures for the next four years or so live up to everyone's anticipations, including my own.