montanapalooza 2002

“Crazy Mike= Davey Berkowitz”

“Great pictures everyone. Thanks for sharing the trip. That is a great shot of the lighting strike Geezer... See you at Mineral King in Sept.”

“Hodge, I don't know how to add my link to the one's you created on your web page, but here is the link to my album:

Tex's Link

Enjoy All!!”

“Great pix. The rainbows are cool.”

“I still have two rolls to upload and then have to rearrange the order of the pictures...but you get the general idea!!”

“Very nice Tex!”

“I"m not that crazy!

8)”

“I added the links to my page, Tex.

I like the one of Sarabelle and Gizmo at the fire scene”

“Thanks for the link and I like your selection of photos of each of us for our links. You picked very flattering shots of each of us!

Now, How cool is that??

Tex”

“No problem, Tex.

Don't think I wasn't tempted to go the other way , on the head shots, though.... He He He

I glad I don't have to pick one of myself. There was a serious 'bad hair day' goin' on, there.... must be that total lack of humidity. It was like the 80's all over again LOL”

“Roflmbo...

I could just "picture" the shot you could use of Jerber if he ever posts his link..course you wouldn't be able to see his FACE though....*evil grin*”

“I finished all the cleanup work on my webshots page VERY early this morning.

It was great re-living special moments of the trip!!

Tex”

“Hi Tx - loved your pictures. Hope you are doing well. If you are anything like me you are suffering from severe Montanapalooza withdrawls. Curable only by going back!!! Who needs work?”

“I'm with ya, on that.... I just can't get back, to the mountains, fast enough!!”

“Mooontaaannnnaaaaaa......Mooontaaannnnaaaaaa......must have Mooontaaannnnaaaaaa!


No!!! I'm not hooked, I can quit any time I want!”

“Only 8 or 9 more workin' days, and I'm off to the Rockies! But, I wanna take all my Palooza pals with me......”

“You bastard!
You really don't have to rub it in you know.”

“Hodgeman - you just said that to rub it in that you get to go and we don't. Navi - don't let him get to you. And why would you want to break that particular addiction? I can think of other addictions you might want to break....”

“Man, y'all are so right on with that Montana wihdrawl stuff..

I've been in a majoy funk all week :-( since I came back.

I was just saying, in a few weeks, I could swing another plane ticket and do another trip just like that one or in similar terrain with no problem.

Hodge, when are you going? I hope it rains everyday and the mosquitos are unmerciful - worse than at Montanapalooza!!

Miss y'all - well, back to work again!

:-(

Tex”

“Man I need a Montana fix right now!

8o”

“Did you take your meds, Mike?”

“Do you have to ask? CMB will give us times, pharmacological names, doses, side effects, etc etc...”

“Ya I took them but I am drinking some very nice 12 year old scotch right now and smokeing a very nice cigar.

And I am going backpacking this weekend life is good what can I say!

8P”

“Okay, a little gloat factor, there. But I really would like to take my Palooza Pals

"Palooza Pals".... He He He Sounds like some kinda tub toy, or something”

“Wrong link. Back to the drawing board.”

“Great Pics Ya'll, I have often said Montana is one of the prettiest places I have ever been to. I love the open sky.

BAMA”

“Geezr - Where is that picture of?”

“You are too funny Geezer!

8)”

“CMB, is there a reason you're not out hiking with the Michigan Mountaineers? GRIN”

“8|”

“CMB, how ya doin' man?”

“I feel great!!!!I am smoking a nice cigar and drinking 12 year old scotch and packing my backpack for the weekend.

Wow about you?

8D”

“I leave leave for two weeks in the Bridger-Teton National Forest on Sunday so packing things up and getting the truck ready. Can't wait to hit the trail.”

“I bet live to backpack live to be free!

8)”

“I shure wish I was back in Montana right now!

Most of all I wish Evergreen was with me man she would love it out there!

8D”

“I just spent the last cople of hours reading the last 6 days of Montana posts here. Y'all did a fantastic job of sharing who you are--can't help liking you all. Great trip--beautiful country. Grinning here...Mary”

“wow...i have just spent about two hours reading the posts and looking at everyones trip photos!!

I am still riding the ecstatic wavelength of the whole experience and gazing on the so far posted pics has carried me back into the scene. Once you experience a thing like that.....well, you don't have to touch a thing to know a thing...heh....

I will be trying to scan om's views of the journey later today or tomorrow.....

Aero.......you are a prince! Cannot thank you enough for all you did....it was all PERFECT! all of it , including the adventures of the fire and rescue...nice touch....heh Sorry, I woke you up from sleep 2 nights in a row...;).........i bet you were thinking...."this old woman is gonna be trouble" after my arrival incident...i couldnt believe it....get out to gaze up at a magnificent montana starlit sky and the staggering force of gravity forces the car door shut and locked! my apology to your neighbor for the lights shining in on his bedroom...but THANKs to the briar (who must have been a former car theif) and ALL the guys who awakened to help get the situation resolved in no time, i was snug and sleeping a happy sleep out on the deck under the starry dome...ahh!

and of course, I even "bagged a cowboy experience" on the trail......two cowboys even....heh

Geezr and Newgirl.....thanks so much for all you did to help get this journey of epic proportions together..it was an honor to have met you and share the path....

in fact, it was an honor to have shared the path with everyone...those i already knew....Tex, Pepperdog, Naviguesser, Gojo and Jerbare.....and meeting Briar Rabbit and his cool Goretex socks, Hodgeman the french pirate from canada ..(how bout Canapalooza?), that loud and rambunctious SB/Gforce ( grin), Geezr, who ain't no geezer at all, Newgirl....the lithe spirit with a lot of good shakti ...u keep getting out there girl....stay strong of will and on the track kiddo..., that Crazy Mike ...who is OK.....and a very deep thinking being.....i lovecrazymikewholuvsbackpacking.....hee...just remember to drop your shoulders and breathe every once in a while! heh..., Snow Nymph and Dude, they are awesome.....we had a great couple of days after palooza....love them to death...

(Chief, I am sorry that my flight was delayed by seven hours, I did not get to meet you and that way cool cowboy friend of yours) Jerbare told me all about him and maybe i am glad i missed him, i would have missed the hike...:)....

also, thanks to the GPV G4 pack...really lightened the load and cut packing time a lot...folds up to the size of an large envelope eliminating hanging or covering pack after unloading and setting up gear. i loved it.


What a beauty of a trip.......the granite, the endless power of the water, the vibrant carpets of wildflowers, the open sky, the landscape carved by glaciers, experiencing the hail and lightening and thunderstorms snuggled up under the security of a thin sheet of nylon..heh...it was a joy divine every blissful inch....people , places and things........

I will let my photos be my "trip report" and hope to have them up on webshots soon......i came home thursday to some major renovations on my money pit and am having to dig thru construction tools and such to find my scanner...heh...i can see it.....buried over there....:)

oh yeah, by the way, after palooza, Snow Nymph and Dude and I spent a lovely night back at Aeros cabin (thank so much again Aero) and headed to Cody for resupply, where i bought a great cowboy/cowgirl hat! We spent the nite in our cars at the GreenRiver camp trailhead since we got there (i at midnite and they at 2:30 am, the first time I got to a meeting place first!..heh....and then i shuttled them to the Big Sandy trailhead where they are spending
12 days in the wind river range walking about 90 miles back to their truck...they are awesome people i was jealous....but know they are going to have some awesome photos to share.....

I headed back to Trail end camp up in Elkhart Park, and took a 2 mile hike down to Long lake for the night and did a loop day hike thru Pine Creek Canyon....it was cool, but montana was still on my mind....

ok, now i have spent two hours writing this .......
Montanapalooza.....will go down in hiss sto ree like rudolph....
om shanti om~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~”

“Om, thank you! That was one of the best trip reports I've ever read.”

“Tex, why don't you get up a trip out West in Sept. or Oct. and see who can go? I could probably swing it. Montana, Utah, Washington, Colorado. The possibilities are endless. :)”

“OM, sooooooo glad you are home safely. Thanks for walking with me!”

“Om - French pirate???? English pirate, maybe.... no Fresnch blood here, I assure you ;-)

Welcome home! It sounds like you enjoyed the rest of your journey. And thanks for the update, on the Snows. Those two just can't get enough!!

I'll look forward to seeing your pics, and will add a link for them, to the group page, when they're ready.”

“Welcome home, om - although I know you don't want to be there. We have all been suffering from palooza withdrawl - you just got to delay onset by staying out longer. It should be hitting full force on your first day back at work. Was that the greatest trip ever, or what? I loved sharing the trail with you again and look forward to more hikes together.”

“my apology hodgester..........english pirate!......

i left out meeting Prowler, Kym and kids......really beautiful family...i felt pretty useless up there, but hope the blanket and snacks and miso soup helped some.

pepper....yup.....

my goodness, i just noticed a montanapalooza 2003 thread.....ya'll have been busy....! sheesh, it would take me a week to catch up on this place!!”

“It was great to meet you OM. Lets do another trip together, soon.”

“Hodgeman that photo is of Glacier National Park. I can't remember what lake that is though.”

“Jgeils -

Me, put together a trip out West?? Yeah, sure, you're joking, right? LOL

I have a better idea, why don't YOU put together a trip, Pizza Man, then you will be forced to come!! ;-)

Om, you sweetheart of a person you! I'm so glad you made it back safely to your money pit. I would love to hear a "renovation report" on the house. Sounds like a great title for a new post, eh?

Keep a weekend clear in Sept or October for us so we can hike and kayak. I know Flatlander started suffering from withdrawls when he saw our shiny faces in the Montana pictures. Oh well, life is Good!

Thanks again for a great hike! You're a wonderful woman with a gentle spirit, guided by your love for this earth and its beings. I always feel like such a better person for having been around you!

Miss you Om!

Tex”

“Hi Om good to hear from ya I hope you had a good time in Montana becuase I know I did so much that I am going to planning a club trip for there next year.

8D”

“been outa touch here lately. Three thugs were kind enough to escort my daughter (and grandaughter)to her apartment and rob her at gunpoint. Everyone's ok, thank god! So I've been helping her move.

Hodge: if I had a little more notice, I'd be tagging along on that trip. Please keep me in mind for upcoming trips . . . when ya have room for an extra tent. :)

Tex: I've been in a MAJOR funk all week too. Think I finally snapped out of it this afternoon. BTW, I'm sure you could put together a tt trip out west . . . the wild, wild, wild, west trip!

OM: sure glad ya made it home ok. We sure could have used your sweetness to settle things down here on tt last weekend! I'll try not to be so loud next time we hike together.

Hoping everyone else finds their way home safely too!”