This country is freakin' huge... I'm always amazed at how long you can barrel down the highway, zooming through all kinds of landscape and small towns - for hours upon hours - without ever seeing a state line. Driving home from Mazama, WA was probably the longest solo drive I've ever embarked upon, and somewhere around the 11 hour mark I started going a little crazy. I think I listened to country music radio for nearly 2 hours straight through Southern Montana. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a few country tunes when I'm cruising through the wild west, but 2 hours? I was stoked to discover that my stopping point - Billings, MT - was experiencing record levels of tourism due to a fun filled weekend of war reenactments, monster truck rallies and car shows. After searching for an available room after midnight, I paid way too much for a sub-par hotel. Thankfully before too long I was back on the road, polishing off another 9 hours early in the morning... arriving back to Boulder just in time for a quick gym session and an evening at Sherpas Restaurant.
Before my epic drive, I spent a few days hanging out with a few of the Arcteryx crew, capturing some video and stills around Seattle and checking out the Rockfest in Mazama, WA. I did a couple new to me 5.13's at Equinox and at the Fire wall in Mazama... a beautiful spot on the east side of the Cascades.
I contemplated sticking around the NorthWest for another few days, but given that I'm off to Wyoming this coming Saturday, I figured I better visit Boulder - work a couple days, finish moving out of my place and share a few beers with some friends I might not see in a while. I'm planning to pack some training in too, although I might end up poolside considering the back-to-back 90 degree forecasts. Excited to be on the road again.
