snowboarding, meeting family

so i was able to get another chance at Stevens pass. it was amazing. the hill was huge. i never even saw the back side the first time i was there. brains room mate had a season pass that and asked if i wanted to go again. he has gone there a few times and knew the better runs, so it was nice to go with him. last night i went out to met up with the yanasaks living out here. i met up with Kerry and his daughter Erica. we went out to eat and did a little goodwill hunting. Erica was looking for Christmas ties to use to make a Christmas tree skirt. then they showed me some sights around the city. they took me the the troll under the bridge, the people waiting for the bus, a nice over view of the city, and then to met another yanasak, Jeramey. before meeting him i never liked gin lol. we had a drink at his place, and he showed us the roof top. after that we went down the street to a local bar. we all got a drink and just hung out for awhile. it was cool to see people that are related to you but you don't really know, your just kinda friends right away. Kerry has 2 other sons; Curtis, who is a snowboard instructor at crystal mountain, and Chris, he lives down in San Francisco. i hope to get a chance to met these 2 guys too, Kerry made it sound like it would be a good time. unlike Milwaukee, Seattle has a lot of cool things to look at. its fun just to drive around and see all the little land marks. brian flew back into town, and it always nice to see a old friend.

 you can see the clouds creep through the mountains

 giant concrete troll under a bridge, there is a VW bug under his hand

 kerry said this was a seattle land mark. ive never heard of it but there kinda cool.

 thank you mr. hendricks

Jeramey, Kerry and Erica

helena, MT to glacier nat. park, lake mcdonald, drive to seattle, snowboarding, and downtown seattle

i drove up hwy 15 to hwy 2. i took that through glacier national park, and up the the entrance. it was Christmas and no one was really there. the McDonald lodge was closed for the season. i didn't get to do as much as i would like here but still a very interesting place. when i left i kept going on hwy 2 west, the most scenic drive i have ever taken. the road raps around mountains, you get to follow a river that slowly gains more and more water. the next day i went snowboarding at steven pass. the hill was amazing, very different then jackson hole area. larger hill, more compact snow, moguls through trees. the weather ended up turning for the worst. very cloudy at the top, and snowing heavily everywhere. lucky my friends roommate is going there tomorrow, so i will get a second chance at the hill. that night i made it to my friends, brians, house in seattle. brian isnt here yet, but still let me stay here. it is so nice to have a place to come to at night, and shower, and a kitchen to use. today i went downtown seattle to the pike place market, and the space needle. the market was a really cool place. the sold the usual crap, belt buckles, little glass figures, candles, hemp everything, but they also had a lot of very interesting stuff. the space needle looks cool but its really not that tall. the city its self is nice. it feels like a small chicago. lots of walking and public transportation. many different little shops next to each other. it felt nice to be around a city again.

 sun rise near glacier nat park

 ice water fall in glacier

 clouds/fog is almost everywhere

 mcdonald lodge, lake mcdonald, glacier nat park

 over looking lake mcdonald, the clouds just about the trees

 wind blown ice on all the trees

 the trees were so dense on that mountain

 the clouds swirled coming off the mountain

 ice coming out of the cracks in the rock

 HAHAHA!!

 even better

 snowboarding. couldnt see anything

 this is pike place market downtown seattle.

 they have just about anything you can think of

 that is a type of broccoli

 dig in

 someones bike

 space needle

inside a building near the space needle.

drive from jackson, wy to helena, mt

the weather was great, nice and sunny. i was finally able to really see the Tetons. a picture has no chance to represent what its like. i drove up and over the mountains into Idaho. that was mostly flat until the Montana border. then you run into the rocky mountains. the whole drive was great. by the way Montana has 20,000 more people then Milwaukee. theres are all pictures of the rocky mountains.

 

snowmobiling

last night i drove to Togwotee mountain lodge and slept in the parking lot. in the morning i thought i was there way to early, but i was really just on time for continental breakfast. then i was able to spend the whole day snowmobiling around the mountains. one of the most crazy things i have ever done. the main guide has been doing this for 15 years, so he knows everything about the area. he calls it his office. i was on an 800 cc polaris. its crazy to see the people better then me, everyone, to just clime these mountains like nothing. it took me a few trys but i was able to get the hang of it. when we got to the highest point i told him i have never driven a snowmobile before. they all got a laugh out of that one. the weather looked kinda crappy but through out the day its was pretty nice. the sun came out for awhile and the clouds lifted, so i could see most of the mountains.  dad if you talk to that guy from work again you can tell him we went through game creek up the crossover, into drag way hill and out manerik creek. the guide knows your friend.

 this was the highest point

 thats me trying to climb a huge hill. prob about 500 feet

 fail

finally made it up

eclipses, fishing, snowshoeing in teton, town square

Monday night there was an eclipses that i was able to see. it was a little cloudy so it wasn't that interesting. no luck fishing all day Tuesday, but it was fun to get out there. i would have to snowshoe from the road to the river, prob about 50 yards. it was surprisingly tough. earlier this morning i went snowshoeing in the teton mountains. it was an overcast day but still amazing. 

 moon before eclipses

 that is the light from the city of jackson. the eclipses already started a little.

 moon part way through

 the city when the eclipses was peaking

 big horn sheep 15 feet away. a while family of about 10 walked right by

 the fishing spot i thought would be a winner. wrong

 natural hot spring. no fish there either

 snowshoeing through the woods. they just cut down like a 4 foot path right through. there are trees everywhere

 i hiked up to a lake, that im standing on.

 elk antler arches, there one on each corner of the block

center of the block, memorial for people from Jackson who died in war.