Girl vs. Mountain: Evening the Score

After two unsuccessful attempts last year, I was finally able to successfully traverse Chestnut Mountain on skis.

West Yellowstone, An Unexpected Backcountry Destination

Leaving our mark

With my ski bum days behind me for the time being, I find that I am eager to get in an extra day of skiing whenever the opportunity makes itself available. Sure, I get out for a short skate ski on the town trails two or three nights a week after work, but that's not the same as putting in a long day in the backcountry.

A-List Guide to Obtaining Dual Citizenship

Consolato Generale d'Italia
a San Francisco

It’s been over a year since I became a dual citizen and received my coveted EU passport. My dual citizenship with Italy was recognized in August 2014, and I went to San Francisco that November to get my passport. It is quite thrilling to find myself in this newfound status and all that it offers. Dual citizenship is a fortunate thing, but I wish I had thought of looking into it years ago when it would have been easier to actually “do” something with it. As it is, I often dream of living abroad and now I have the ability to do so in Italy and elsewhere in the EU with a lot less hassle.

And Now For Something Completely Different...Mixing It Up on My Radio Show

One of the joys of being a volunteer DJ at KGLT is sharing my favorite music with listeners.

The DJ Suggests...Musical Recommendations for 2016

It's year three for the holiday card (year one and year two) and once again I'm glad to share some photos and musical recommendations with family and friends.

The (Not-So) Great American Train Ride

At the train depot in Laramie

When I was younger, a growing sense of wanderlust found me longing to embark on a long distance train ride. Whether it was traveling from country to country in Europe or getting "a chance to see the real America" (as the cliche goes), it seemed like a good way to go.

"So This is Yale" Moments

Yes, it was all I expected it would be

As an undergraduate, I attended a university located in the same city as Yale University. To this day I can recall a t-shirt I saw for sale in the Yale Co-op . It featured Charles Schultz's Peanuts characters staring up at a big Gothic building on the Yale campus and included the caption "So This is Yale."

Mac Daddiez - A Delightful Treat for the Mountain Athlete

December is here but where is winter?! While weather in Bozeman was looking up for a while with a few small storms and cooler temperatures, it is now warmer and the long-term forecast (Ten day, according to the Weather Channel) isn't looking too good with temperatures in the 40s and questionable chances for snow. Despite the not so great start to the ski season, Mike and I have managed to get out for some skiing over the past few weekends. Nothing rave about and no great long days in the backcountry, but it was skiing none the less and that is always a good thing.

Calling It Quits on My Big Read

As for the big read a mentioned back in March, I have decided to abandon it about 100 pages from the end. I made steady progress from the time of the post until I left for a holiday in May (It was too big of a book to bring with me) and when I returned in early June I made some progress. Eventually summer moved along and other books made their way into my life. It became that I couldn't even make it through a simple ten page chapter of the big read. I tried for most of the fall but it was not to happen. I returned the book to the library yesterday. Perhaps I will pick it up for the third time in about another 20+ years but for now I am through with it.

Taking the Long Way Around - A Hiking Adventure on the Way to the Montenegrin Coast

I am realizing that while I included a brief write up on our three day walk in Montenegro in my previous post, the story would not be complete without going into detail about our last day of the trek.

Months have passed and I’m just getting around to writing about this but luckily I still have some emails sent shortly afterwards while the details were still fresh in our minds.

Backpacking Stats

Ladder of Kotor as seen from across the bay.

Last summer I compiled a list of hiking highlights in a post so I thought I'd do a similar post this year. This summer was another stellar time for outdoor adventures and Mike continues to be a good activity partner. Thanks to him, it was the most backpacking I had ever done in one summer.