12 Months 12 photogs: 2011 in Review.

January. Ranch chores in central Montana. Looking out to the Crazies.


February. The family pooch, on a a hike though the Billings table country.


March. The pretty views and perpetual boredom of being a lifty.


April. Sunset on Flathead with a PBR.


May. Griz tracks near Bowman. GNP.


June. High water and a .44 on the way to Grace Lake. GNP.


July. Bonfire near the trailhead, on the Blackfeet Reservation.


August. Getting out ass kicked on gable pass. No smiles.


September. Summit beers on Hollowtop.


October. The opening day of hunting season in the Whitefish range.


November. My 2by2. Near Lavina.


December. Old growth up Bass creek in the Bitteroot. Find Sarah on the trail to get some idea of the size.

Merry Xmas Missoulian Pebble Wranglers.

Here is what I got you for Christmas...


...The Muskox.


...and she's featured.


Sarah in awe.


Another look, and another potential line.


The steep side, good looking holds all the way up. The frozen creek adds a certain x factor..


Zoomed out.


...And if your into this kind of thing.

Located up Bass Creek, which makes its even closer to Missoula than Kooter (though the hike is comparable to Sweathouse). Take a left when the trail forks. Sure I this was the only worthwhile pebble I saw, but, I am very confident it'll be worth your time. I'd guess between 5-6 problems. The steep side might only be climbable when the creek is frozen ...or some landscaping may be required.

Crow peak fail fest.

With the prospect of two weeks locked in the library ahead of me (god damn finals), I decided I was going to spend saturday in the mountains by hell or high water. I've had my eye on doing a snowshoe up Crow Peak, the high point of the Elkhorns for some time, and figured an early december solo mission would be a good send off before a descent into academic hell. 10 degrees and 30 mph swirling winds, however, ensured that this respite would make 5 hour chem study sessions sound cozy. Sure I'd read the weather report.... but sometimes its worth just trying to get out.

While the majority of the blame goes to myself... I'd like to extend a little of it to Cedron James, author of the new book, "Peakbagging Montana: A guide to Montana's major peaks." This book is worthwhile for preliminary ideas for a trip, but should not, I repeat not, be counted on for route info on the ascent. See the above photo of my jaunt through ankle-break-alley, the recommended route for marginal snow conditions for a reference.

I plan on doing some ski touring in the area later in the season. Or perhaps just relocating to the badass ghost town of Elkhorn. Wish I'd snapped a picture, but my hands were too cold to operate the camera.