snow... Snow... SNOW

I'll let ya in on another secret, I love snow.  Not much of one I am sure.  No where near as dramatic as my last confession.  But hey, they can't all me that important.  And hardly too shocking cause I am from the glorious state of Minnesota and I spent 2 winters in the interior of Yellowstone at Snow Lodge and I've been skiing since I could walk.  So, yeah, one of those open secret things.  Well, I digress, it snow around the beginning of the month.  I don't remember the actual date but it was just wonderful!

Alberta Falls... Alberta Falls...

That Thursday, the other hike I did was to Alberta Falls.  I left from the Glacier Gorge trailhead; not far from Bear Lake.  I was warned by the park service (volunteer??) that the whole trail was still covered in snow.  I wasn't too concerned as it a short hike only .6 miles in and .6 miles out... actually I think it was closer to .9 in and out.  Their signs were sending me mixed messages.  The first .3 miles was pretty dry, and as I came to a bridge over a raging stream I noticed it was snow covered.

Bear Lake

I had Thursday off and I got up early and did some easy hiking.  I first went to Bear Lake, and then to Alberta Falls.  So June in Rocky Mountain is still pretty snowy.  And in some places it hasn't melted yet, and both of my destinations were such places.  Bear Lake was mostly frozen still and the path still covered in snow.  It made for some unique hiking.

Bear Lake is an incredibly short nature walk, though due to the snow, I only walked around half of the lake and went back the way I had come.  I just wasn't feeling to secure in snow.  I am not always the graceful sort and the last thing I wanted on my day off was to tumble into freezing cold waters.  But it was such a pretty day that it was totally worth it.  I love the drive to the lake and the walk was so much fun, and it was gorgeous anyways.  Win-Win!

Digout: Days 1&2

As I am sure I’ve mentioned, I am spending the summer working in a gift shop in Rocky Mountain National Park.  Well, it’s a pretty tall mountain, somewhere around 12 thousand feet.  And you’d better believe that there is a bunch of snow up there.  It like many places in the mountains is a seasonal spot, and in the winter, they just let it snow.  The road is closed for several months and they plow it out each spring.  And this year was no different.  And while the road is being plowed out we dig out the gift shop.

Fare the Well Winer!

Procrastination time!  I am having a hell of a time with my comprehensive accounting problem and I need to distract myself from it. So I figured I'd get a blog post done.  It is no longer winter, yet it has been lingering on here in Minnesota.  I love the snow, but let me tell you, I am not a fan of it this far into the spring.  I am a rain girl.  Weird I know!

But I figured I'd give it a bit of a homage or a goodbye if you will.  Snow!!!  I love the stuff, honestly I do.  I've been skiing literally my whole life.  My cross country skiing not as good as my downhill.  But I try.  I am sure I mentioned it previously.  The skiing is a lifelong love.  It will never go away, I hope.  I learned the sport in Michigan and have been lucky enough to get to ski in the western mountains, including a great spring skiing trip to New Mexico.  Exciting I know. 

The skiing is different in the Midwest.  For one thing the hills are a heck of a lot smaller! And it is a bit icier, not a lot of powder.  That's ok by me though, I grew up with it.  Honestly it was much harder for me to adjust to powder than I expected.  Kinda like moguls.  I know how to ski moguls, I just don't like it.  I feel like I don't have enough control.






So New Mexico, I went in the spring, I won the New Mexico fight! I didn't get sick!!!! Yay, I am not a New Mexico fan (for reasons I've previously mentioned).  But I put it aside for the joys of the snow!  We (my parents and I) had been up in the Colorado Mountains.  It was great fun!  Gorgeous weather! Gorgeous Mountains! Amazing skiing!  New Mexico was a different horse all together.  The weather was great, although much warmer.  This led to slicker skiing.  A bit more work and a lot more speed.  I have a need for speed, always have- always will.




Don't get me wrong as spoiled as I've gotten I still love Minnesota and Michigan skiing!  The problem is that the hills are so short in comparison and while you get a ton more runs in.  But they are short and quick!  Not always the most fun.  Oh and if you fall, the ice is a bit more painful!
 



I am not actually sure what this blog is about today.  It is kinda a rambling of my winter/skiing thoughts! Golly!

Polar Bear Plunge!

So my sister and cousin did a Polar Bear Plunge over the weekend up in Minneapolis.  Crazy, I know, but hey it was for a good cause, and they did get to meet and plunge with Cam Barker (a Minnesota Wild Defenseman).  Like I said it was for a good cause, it would have to be, seeing as how my sister is not a water person.  So the proceeds benefit the Special Olympics.  Which is a worthy cause, and a special side note, my cousin Susie is a Special Olympian.  So it was extra special for both her and my sister, personally knowing who will benefit from this!

Susie

Blocks of ice taken from the lake

Kevin Gorg and my gorgeous sister Agnes!

Susie, Cam Barker, Agnes (Team Barker)

Barker and Nordy

Did I mention Cam Barker (name drop) was a part of this years plunge.  He was team captain for Team Barker Go Wild!  This was the team that Agnes and Susie were on.  Barker (who by the ways is so nice & way adorable) and FSNorth personalities Mike Greenlay and Kevin Gorg led plunge teams.  Team Barker was pitted against Team Greenlay and Gorg (or Team Frozen 5 Hole).  Friendly competition to see who could raise the most money.  Team Frozen 5 Hole was the larger of the two teams (probably about twice the size) but Barker's team was plucky!  Oh and Cam was matching all donations made to his team!   Not to mention his team had the adorable (yet unidentifiable) MN Wild mascot Nordy plunging too. (I have to think that all that fur would be awfully heavy when wet)

Waitin' to Plunge

Greenlay interviews Barker and Nordy

Frozen 5 Holes

So where was I when all this was going down.  Well, not plunging that's for sure.  Yeah, it is a good cause and all, but seriously I am not crazy!  Anyhoo someone (me) had to document this for posterity.  That's right I was taking pictures and of course live tweeting the event.  Seriously you can check out the hashtag FrigidBrigid for all the exciting updates.  Yep, that was me freezing my butt off on aluminum bleachers in 27F weather just for pictures.  And I had primo seats cause I got out there early enough, while everyone else was in the VIP tent warm and probably swilling soda and eating chili (or that is what I imagine at least) while my toes and fingers were freezing as I documented this for your enjoyment. (whine, whine, whine)

Team Barker!

And they plunge

Me and Cam Barker

Then it happened, the plunge, a bit of an interview of Barker by Greenlay and then they plunged!  It actually looked kinda fun, in that shock and awe sorta way.  And they got to chill in a hot tub, while I (and my mom who did the video- she joined me right before the plunge as she was with the other two right before) bolted to the VIP tent, where I warmed up and had some soda and chili.  Oh and did I mention that this is when I met Cam Barker (no big deal).  Yeah, he was handing out and signing shirts (Team Barker) and autographs.  Got a picture with him.  Somewhere in that search of #FrigidBrigid there is a pic of Susie, Agnes and Cam Barker.   And finally here is some video of the excitement!

Twisty Turns: Me and the Beartooth

The Beartooth!

In an effort to blog a bit.  I am gonna try to write a touch on some of the places I've been.  So as I might have mentioned ad nauseum I lived for 5ish years in Yellowstone National Park.  While in the park I had the privileged of visiting many of the country's gorgeous places.  Once of which is not that far from the Northeast entrance of Yellowstone.  The Beartooth Pass.

The beartooth pass links Yellowstone (Via Cooke City MT) to Red Lodge/Billings area MT.  It is only open from late May to ate October and is often called "the most beautiful drive in America".  It winds through Montana and Wyoming at an elevation of 10,947 ft.  (Really, really, really freakin high)

 

I've been on it several times over the course of my life, but have only driven it twice.  I must have been around age 10 when we first crossed it.  We camped a lot and my dad loves to drive through the mountains.  I am a little bit afraid of heights (and by a little bit I mean a lot).  I can't say I enjoyed the ride.  My siblings tried to scare the tar out of me.  My dad didn't help cause he kinda liked to freak us all out driving with out his hands on the wheel and whatnot.
 

   

But it was beautiful and there is almost always snow.  So even though it scares me silly, I love it.  Once you are up then it is the best place in the world, it's getting there that is the challenge.  The Red Lodge side is the scary side in my opinion.  Switchbacks galore.  Pretty much the entire way down.  The Yellowstone side is a little more sloped- less up and down..  It might be just my perception, but it works for me.  There is a little gas station and gift shop on the top, closer to the Yellowstone side called the Top of the World. It is pretty true, there are places on the top of the range that you feel like you are higher than anything else.

 

I drove it the first time in 2007 with my brother Bobby.  We didn't go all the way down the Red Lodge side, just as far as the overlook, because it is a days drive from where we lived in Yellowstone.  It was nerve racking, it is a fast road, even if you are trying to stay slow.  The nature of the beast an all. I felt good afterwards, I had conquered the Beartooth.

 

Two years later my friend Silke and I drove it.  She had never been over it.  We went to the overlook and back.  I could drive anything at this point.  The Beartooth was a stepping stone.  Hell, Yellowstone was, there are tons of mountains there that I once couldn't drive.  I've driven steeper, higher, twister roads since then.  I love them, I crave them, but for the most part, only if I am driving... it is a control issue.

Snow! Glorious and Wonderful

 So we've finally got our first real snowfall here in SE Minnesota.  Those lucky peeps up in the twins cities and even further north got theirs earlier.  But we waited patiently and the snow gods rewarded us.  And it was beautiful and I had this strange urge to go barefoot in it...so I did and it was cold.

My mom and I were talking about a week ago, after the first itty bitty snowfall.  How a tiny snow is not pretty.  Sure the flurries are fun, and you feel like snow globe people.  But it highlights everything wrong with you lawn... how ugly it looks.  And trust me there is a big difference when the whole lawn is blanketed instead of the patchy look.  But needless to say, one good 6 or so inch fall and it looks like December has arrived in Minnesota!!!!!!