Electric Ski Life (the video)

Posted by Chris Bangs

Electric Peak and route 89

Being blown off the road on my bike and turned around near the top of the mountain in fowl weather conditions. This is the essence of HPM Inc. These days are the ones that challenge, making the sunny days a reward; where everything goes right, and bagging the summit is easy.

Electric Peak, #4 in the Project

[posted by Chris Bangs]

Making the most out of winter, Paradise Valley, MT.
Awesome campsite on the Yellowstone River.

Captain Hard-Hat on duty Sir!

Celebrating the end of winter and the power of manhood. Sounds like a nice thing to do, with a bit of a catchy title, eh!
That's what I thought as I looked at the weather forecast before getting on my bike for the long ride to Gardner. Don't worry though, I spilt up the 90 mile ride into two days with a long stop-over at Chico Hot Springs.
No use being in hurry, and missing out on all the fun.  Sure this is work, peddling around on a bicycle and soaking in hot springs. But it is all in the training manual; How To Be A Human-Powered Mountaineer.

Step One: Pack everything you own on a bike. √ check.
Step Two: Ignore the weather forecast. √ check.
Step Three: Kiss the Misses goodbye and lie about how many days the trip will take. √ check.
Step Four: Plan route to the nearest hot springs. √ check.
Step Five: Stay at the hot springs and tell everyone you climbed a mountain. √ check.
Steps Six and Seven have something to do with drinking beer and camping on someone's front lawn.

As you can see, the manual is an Idiots Guide to Ruffing It, and comes with a 5 page disclaimer covering personal injury claims and trespassing. But this is the cost of freedom, and the rights to manhood.

After riding for two days, these Antelope wanted to race across La Playa.

I love Bison!
Have you ever looked a Bison in the eye?
What did you see?

Me little tent is down there somewhere.
The Peak of Electric is up there, somewhere.

Add caption

The insides of Bison are less attractive and not
nearly as majestic as the real thing.
Let the Bison run free!

Bison are not allowed to roam free out of Yellowstone NP. and this is what happens to them when they do. A major bummer for them and a little eye-opening for me on this trip. I knew that this has been happening for over a hundred years, but until you meet a Bison and camp with them for multiple days, and say hi to them, and ride a bike past them, and tell them that you love them, and then come down from the mountain to see their gut piles and back-bones,,, well it's hard to imagine why? Why would 'civilized' people do such a thing?

The science and the politics behind why Bison are not allowed to roam free (like deer or elk or moose) is as false and smelly as a giant gut pile!!!!  Puke!

9,000 feet and alone. John Muir would be proud.

Wet avalanche from a few days before.

Olie the River Otter on the rocks.
Sounds like a new drink from Cancun.

Go meet Dale Sexton at Timber Trails.
Great Sale Going On Now.

Root Top

Posted by Chris Bangs

Jon Wareham of Spark R and D, the splitboard company, helps run
The Bozeman Bike Kitchen

Last month, sometime in February, Jon Wareham and myself rode out to Pony, MT. to the Tobacco Root Mountains. There we climbed and skied Hollowtop Peak, the highest peak in the Tobacco Roots, then we rode home. Covering 125 miles in 3 days, by bike, foot, and skis!

 Here's the (video) stoke!
Let us know if you like it,
and get your friends together and scrounge up twenty bucks and donate today!

Tobacco ON my ROOTS

by Chris Bangs

Hello from the Tobacco Root Mountains in S.W. Montana. On Friday the 15th of February, Jon Wareham and myself rode our bicycles out to the po-dunk little town of Pony Montana. There we pitched camp just on the outskirts of town on a perfect winter day. The temperatures where in the mid 40s and made for a great day of cycling along the Madison River, over the grass fields of Norris, and into the western most mountain range in the Bozeman area.

For the love of winter camping, there is fire.

Our plan for the weekend was to climb and ski Hollowtop Peak (10,604 ft), the highest peak in the Tobacco Root Mountains. Named after the distinctive volcanic like bowl on the summit. This is Peak #3 in my 7 Summits of Bozeman Project. Human-Powered, Vegan, and obviously out of my mind.

We find perfection in individual moments of clear consciousness.

Riding 55 miles on a bicycle in one day, in the middle of winter in Montana,,,, to go skiing on a mountain with nobody else around.... Hell yes! I've wanted to do this for years. The idea has been there floating around in my head like a swollen hot air ballon for the past decade.

Still Life with Christopher

Of course people tell me all the time that I'm crazy. Or that I've lost my mind. My response is to laugh a lot, like I maybe didn't hear them correctly. I tell them I live by two mottos; Safety 3rd, and No brains No headaches. No really,,,, complete strangers tell me I'm nuts, and that I've lost my marbles. It happened at least twice on this trip, by people that were not having near as much fun as Jon here (pictured below) with his bike chain stuck in his cogs.

Yes,,,, this sucks! And No,,, Triple AAA won't help.

After a couple of minor breakdowns on the highway, and 10 miles of headwinds in the canyon on the Madison River. We made it to Norris, and sat down at the convenience store for a little break. As usual I survey all the poisonous food-like substances for sale at the counter and wonder to myself how it ever got this way. Then I pull out a rice cake from my pocket, covered in organic nut butter and coconut oil. Mmm, true whole food rocket fuel.

Jon Wareham, action figure and professional hair model.

The climb to the summit had its full share of winter values. Brutal wind, cold temps, dense styrofoam snow, and no powder.... This is the stuff that weird people like myself enjoy.  Stuff that only mindless heroes would attempt conquer; in mindless human-powered ways. Mindlessly saving the planet one rice cake at a time.

Haven't felt wind like that since I jumped out of an airplane!

All fun and games aside. We did ski off the summit without being blown into North Dakota. The only big crash of the weekend came on day 3 when I wiped out on my bike over frozen mud. Me, my bike, and all my gear came crashing to a halt, just after I uttered the famous last words, "slow speed crashes never really hurt that bad." A little blood on my knee and a sore left hand, heck I'm just getting started. This is going to be a hoot after all.

Tobacco Roots

Schools, Farms, and Skis

I learned how to be a great person because of skiing.
And because of skiing I learned how to live a great life.

Ski Mountaineering in Alaska; 2003

For me skiing took patience and it taught me to enjoy my life in new and different ways.
Today skiing is still teaching me how to live properly.

Getting ready to ski Little Rainbow in the Pintlars; 2004

Little Rainbow above Storm Lake, Pintlar Mountains Montana.

I love skiing,,, and because of skiing I have a message when I go into a school. 

I'm enthusiastic about life....

And I realize how important these next generation are to making a positive,

and greener future.

Captain Green Man w/ bicycle and skis.

Because of skiing, I've learned how to value life differently.

To value my food and my family above profit and material things.

Is it ok to show summer pictures in the winter?

I remember crashing a lot when I learned how to ski.

Being cold and wondering why I was having so much fun at the same time.

I remember the day I realized the truth about skiing.

The exact moment when I knew what it is about skiing that makes it so perfect.

And makes people feel so free.

It's everything!

Everything mountains and earth,

snow crystals and air,

everything magical and real,

all at once

with no barriers between life, love, snow, and mountains

Everything about my relationships with love, 

and how this relationship can catalyst my future.

Sacajawea Peak, Bridger Mountains Montana

Super freekin' stoked....!!!!

I love being the mountains in Winter! 

It's so amazing what you can see out there. 

The majestic Bridger Mountains in Montana! 

For a relatively short mountain range 

the Bridgers are have sharp 

jagged peaks, long elegant ridge lined, and perfect powder snow! 

Skiing into the Mountains. Sacajawea on far right.

The surreal adventure of solo winter mountaineering. 

I froze my ass off a few times. 

Lost the use of my right hand for about an hour,

had to jump around in my big puffy down jacket

while setting up camp. 

Bridge Mountain Majesty. So beautiful in full winter gown.

Not sure if I bruised my big toe or if this is partially due to 

frostbite.

Had to question everything;

where to camp,

where to stash the bike,

how fast to move,

what layers to where,

am I too cold or can I keep going?

Ice climbing boots work well for winter bicycle riding!!!

Yes, keep moving.

When your almost there,

It feels like perfection.

"The Great One" on Naya Nuki.

All my fears and doubts were replaced by sheer joy on the ski up to the top 

of Sacajawea. 

The mountains are so peaceful, soft, and quite in winter. 

How much stuff can you fit on a BOB Trailer?

The 7 Summits of Bozeman

Project...

My goal is to climb and ski the highest peak in each of the 7 mountain ranges the surround Bozeman in the next 5 months. All 100% Human-Powered! This is a fund-raising climb-a-thon to raise money for our organic farming networks, (that include School presentations on fitness, farming, and a plant-based diet to support a better you and better community, and our BIKE TO FARM summer group rides). Pledge by the mile or vertical foot! Donate today! (find the donate button on the right and make a contribution to support Human-Powered Mountaineers Inc.)

Because food is the most important issue we face in the world today.  Buy local, support organic, and make a difference!

Old Rad Dog Rio

Rio "Old Dog" 1992-2006

Old Dog turned grey at two years.

He held an air of authority and intelligence beyond that of any dog.

My companion, gardian, and best friend.

Rio saved my life more times than I will ever know.

(And a few times that I do.)

We skied off hundreds of Peaks together, from Montana, Wyoming, Alaska, and Colorado.

Hitch-hiked thousands of miles in every type of weather possible.

And he never complained once.

Animal companions are a special part of our lives.

I keep this photo of Rio framed in my house

from one of our last adventures together,

rock climbing at Stone Hill near Eureka, MT.