My First Time

“So, is bping just an activity? I'm not queen of the physically fit or anything, but it did not feel like just an activity. I wasn't about to kick the bucket, but I broke a fierce sweat. If sweating qualifies as sport then sex is a sport. I will agree w/ that one Violin.”

“Backpacking is a way of life.

Baseball and chess are games.

Gymnastics, cheerleading, figure skating, weight lifting, ski jumping, bobsled racing, marching band, high jumping, diving and shot-put are not sports either.”

“Ken, ROFLMFAO! You want to do my bio next?”

“Okay, Violin, I grant you the authority to decide. I don't participate in many of the things you mentioned, so I'll have to take your word for it. Tell me how you came to consider it a way of life. I honestly want to know. Right now I just think it is a nice thing to do once a month or so, but maybe I don't understand the zen.”

“Newgirl, don't take the opinions expressed here too seriously. Everybody has one and they differ greatly. " Hike your own hike" is the key!

By the way, welcome to the funny farm.”

“newly -
Idaho? Freaking DO TELL ALREADY!
(You know - what we around here call a TRAIL REPORT).
Pweeeeeeze?

My main layover during my roadtrip will be with my bro in Challis, ID. I prolly won't do any trips from there cuz I'd rather spend my time with him. I'll prolly depart from Challis for the Sawtooths and Northern CA - where I'll resume bp'ing.

Idaho? GOD'S COUNTRY!
I have been perusing my maps of The Church and Challis NF (Lemhi, Lost River, and White Cloud Ranges) the last couple of nights. Man! I LOVE that country...”

“Thanks Pam! I?m afraid that you?re not controversial enough to make a good story. At least not that you?ve revealed here. There?s one I could do, but it wouldn?t be appreciated, and my name is already Mud in The Gem State.”

“A sport involves a winner and a loser. Golf as a sport involves others competeing for the lowest score, tennis is along the same lines. The way I hike is for me, not others. It is not a fashion contest, nor a race. Also, sports have very specific rules of play. Hiking is the opposite: if you want to stop - stop, if you want to haul ass - more power to ya. Hike your own hike. You can turn anything into a sport if you want to, but for me it's a way to get away from all the competition. For me, it is not a sport.

I will let mtn gal disect the sex/sport issue.”

“My first time was great, but a bit scary
I don`t kiss and tell so, lets call her Marry
Marry took me places I`d never been to before
it left me breathless and even a tiny bit sore
I went right to love and forgot all about like
well, that`s how it was for me on my first hike”

“Ken- Me, not controversial? Oh, you have wounded me to the core. Oh god I am getting old! And boring! *sob* I used to be the Jell-O Queen around here! *sniff*”

“If sex is a sport, I am going pro.”

“don't feel bad, pam. i'm not controversial, either.”

“Pam, I?ll review that thread if it's still around. I left Trail Talk for a while and then came back. The Jello Party was mostly while I was gone.

Bigfoot, loved that poem.”

“Thanks Ken,...I just wanted to play too......”

“Gojo-
Lemhi, Lemhi, Lemhi! Can't say enough, it was really pretty. I don't know anything about the other two ranges. I saw two bald eagles. The tiny town of Gibbonsville (which is first town across the MT border) has a really good restuarant. Nice place to stop and eat before hitting the trail. I think the lady serves dinner from 5 - 9 and it is all freshly made. My friends took us through the town of Salmon, along the highway is a sign for "Warmsprings" (my buds called it Goldbug, don't know what the deal is there). Park your vehicle and hike in to the hotspring. The last part of the hike was really killer (at least for the newbie), but the hotsprings are super beautiful and super warm. Also, check out the "Twelvemile" National Forest access. We found the premium camp site up that access. That is the best I can do for Idaho info. When will you be in MT? What route are you taking thru my fine state? Let me know and I will fill you in on some nice spots here. I haven't bped here yet, but I know what is nice to see and when.”

“If you need a winner and a loser to be a sport, then sex is a sport because the guy wins and the girl loses everytime.”

“Hiking Bear, you're going pro? You are just adorable! Last night in the dumps, today a new sexually compulsive man! Where's that sex talk, anyway? I said I'd be happy to talk related or unrelated to backpacking.”

“Sounds like a great trip.

Now if we could get back to the topic, pleeease.

Let's reveal golf for what it truly is.

Dictionary.com defines sport as "An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively." It is the first part of the definition that precludes golf from being a sport: "An activity involving physical exertion..."

Unfortunately, I don't think there's a whole lot of physical exertion going on at the local golf club. Every time I drive by a club I see plenty of less than fit human specimens making the rounds. Golf carts, caddies, and the golf bag carriers that people roll behind them remove the majority of the physical (i.e. lugging a heavy bag for several miles) side of golf. In my books, if you can get off the couch after several years of inactivity and complete a round without breaking a sweat, it's a game.

Finally, Violin.com adds that any sport must involve physical contact. Golf involves none. Hence, it is not a sport. newgirl has already granted me the authority to decide. So there.

Oh, and I left out NASCAR, bowling and curling too ? all not sports.”

“Tarp Rat, I think that only the girls you know lose. Violin, great job. You were very thorough and I can see that I made a good decision when I granted you the authority to decide. There are no rules for backpacking, so you are right and I am wrong. From this date forward I will not refer to bping as a sport.”

“Violin --

At Ilovebacon.com, in the flashing section, there is a picture of a naked woman in a golf cart with two of the "less than fit human specimins" you reference.

If they all have sex, does THAT make golf a sport??”

“Good one lee! Violin, being the authority on sport, needs a good challenge once in awhile.”

“For that matter . . .there also picutres of flashing hking/tenting women . . .does THAT make backpacking a sport??

If MtnMormon gets naked every chance she gets and humps hubby (but no one else!!!!) in the hot springs of Idaho . . .does THAT count as a sport??

Oh yah . . .newgirl . . .uhmmmm.... be careful in those hot springs, mtn gal may have been there before you”

“eeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwww”

“I'll have to get back to you lee. I'm still in shock that there actually is an Ilovebacon.com!”

“Ilovebacon.com can be pretty funny. It seems right up the aley of lots of folks here . . .not that I am thinking of Radagast/lounge lizard and Kleent specifically . . .”

“Ilovebacon.com can be pretty funny. It seems right up the alley of lots of folks here . . .not that I am thinking of Radagast/lounge lizard and Kleent specifically . . .”

“Cool I hit "stop" in the middle of sending my message, made a spelling correction and hit "submit" again, and both messages posted.

And for $5.00 . . .what was the correction I made?”

“I dunno, but ya managed to mangle my name in both posts.

And saying Pamster is non-controversial? Sheesh, I guess he ain't seen yer camp loungewear modelling pictures, eh, Pammy? Ahhh, remember the days of the Daily Weasel?”

“aley
alley”

“Lee, you'll have to explain what the deal is w/ mtngal. I'm new . . . remember?”

“I still can't believe my baseball and NASCAR classifications didn't stir anyone up.”

“Goldbug?
Get outta town, you ho!

Lessee...
US 93 south, about one hour below Salmon.
At Elk Bend, look for sign on the left. Drive a "short piece" to dead-end near a private residence. Go through gate (don't forget to close it! - we don't wanna piss-off the land owner) and follow trail up and to the left thru sagebrush. Follow trail until it reaches a *beautiful* creek - at which time the trail gets downright vertical. Follow creek until you reach a series (2-3... 4?) of hot pools.

My bro took me there in '96. Kinda crowded, and not much for camping (no flat spots), but an EXCELLENT hot spring(s). I like the way it bubbles up adjacent to the creek, which makes it easy to adjust pot temps by damming and mixing the two waters...

Sweeeeet place!

Challis, where my bro lives, is about 1/2 hour farther south on 93.

I'll be driving thru MT around early/mid July.
I'll be coming from Little Missouri Natl Grassland, and driving to Missoula - where I'll be visiting some friends that'll be living there by then. From Missoula, I'll take 93 to Challis.

I haven't planned a route across MT, but it'll be on secondary (hell, tertiary!) roads, tho - that's fer shur.

Frankly, I'll be buzzing right along in an effort to reach Challis, and won't likely do any hikes after that grassy place until after Challis.

BTW - Have you been around TT long enough to learn that "ho" is a term of endearment?
do;”

“Newgirl --

For recent mtngal check out the Dr Laura and Mormon threads.

For old mtngal . . .not sure what threads exactly (some were specific to hot springs in ID), but in general, she likes to pop up, be all naked and come hither like, then, once she gets folks interested, she slaps on a black leather overcoat and jackboots and preaches from the good book of conversative republicanism. Right now she is contemplating becoming a devoted Dr. Laura fan AND a mormon in the same week.

She's a hoot!


Tarp -- I put a five spot in the mail box for ya.

Kleetn --I can never remember the order of the "n" and the "t"”

“SOME OF THESE TT MOTHER!$%&ERS IS BITCH!”

“Newgirl, Mountain Gal is my ex wife. We met working on the McGovern campaign.

I bet that changes my odds in the death pool...”

“You need hard trails to hot springs in order to keep the rif raf out. I went to a hot springs in Idaho one time and there was a guy there who had been in the hot spring for two weeks.

Idaho is blessed with hot springs. My kids think camping means "camping next to a hot springs".”

“Lee, address it to
Tarp LLoyd Rat
C/O Saint Elizabeth's Mental Hospital
Washington, DC 20032”

“Bob-a-ho -
Mtn gal did a link to a hot springs website - but I lost it. Doh! Anyhoo, there was one that is 100 miles up a dirt road from Stanley, plus another 20 miles of hiking. Now THAT'S isolation!

It, along with several others mentioned at the site, is in the Middle Fork Salmon area. Lots of others are in the Yellowstone area, too.”

“Nooobody goes by land to that hot springs, but lots of rafters stop there while on their river trip. In my winter survival class at BSU we ski/snowshoe out to a hotsprings, where we make snow shelters and spend the night. Man, having a hot springs when winter camping is the way to go!”

“Gojo-
That's the spot, baby! Down right vertical doesn't do it justice. I felt like I was on frickin' Everest. My legs were burnin'! Have you ever been in the bar in Elk Bend? A scene right out of "Deliverance." It was kinda' crowded (my buds said it wouldn't be) and we did have to camp in "Little Peru," but the springs were nice. Nice because you can control the temp. pretty well w/ the creek. The winter melt had turned the creek in to a big gusher, though, so we didn't do much temp. control. Didn't want to drown. Missoula is a great little hippie city. The scenic route is definitely the secondary highways, but some of them can get very slim. Be sure to check out some of little towns (even just for a few minutes to stretch). They have treasures, like the Mexican restuarant in Gibbonsville. Have fun!”

“Mtngal sounds . . . very . . . nice. Thanks everyone for explaining it to the newbie.”

“Newly -
I know what you mean about the slim roads. I drove my brother from Challis to the airport in Missoula. From there, I drove to Jackson, WY to meet the Friendly Ranger for lunch on the next day. I selected a route from my atlas that included about 30 miles on a dirt road (yes, it was on the map) that I woulda used 4-wheel drive in several spots - if I had had it. The Mighty Tacoma hung tuff, tho. The road disected open range, and Sarabelle got a hoot out of driving amongst the cows.

I travelled 100+ miles of dirt roads in KS and AZ on a couple of trips.

Back roads are the ONLY way to go - west of the Mississip, anyway. I get a real kick out of driving through the small towns that boast the "Worlds Widest Main Street" or "Home of the Rutabegga Festival". Eating in the small town diners is a cool cultural experience, too. Then, at night, I like to stop at local bars just short of my planned rest stop (read: crash site) - though I've done that only a few times.

Getting there is TRULY half the fun.

BTW - the trail up to Goldbug ain't THAT bad - I was just bein' polite - YA WEENIE! LOL!

God Bless America!”

“Weenie! Thanks for the "you can do it" boost. We practically needed oxygen. Just kidding, I just like to whine now and again. It was a challenge for a first timer, though. I agree that small town America is (in it's own special way) fasicinating. My hometown is a coal mining/cattle ranching town, so you can imagine the "colorful" folks. Another very small city I lived in is home to America's second largest St. Pat's Day celebration. Talk about a drunken brawl. If you happen to take the scenic route through MT to Challis, stop in Wise River, MT at the only restuarant. They make great milkshakes. Wise River is in an amazingly beautiful valley.”

“HEY! Savannah, GA is the largest St. Patty's celebration outside NYC! 30,000,000 (or so) peeps in the parade alone...

I'll hafta be sure to highlight Wise River on my atlas...

The hike up to Goldbug was my first trip, too. I was too enthralled to notice the punishment...
Then, a few weeks later, I went on a three-niter in the Lemhis with a guy that uses pack goats - now THAT was a treat!”

“30,000,000! What in god's name for? That kind of a crowd would turn me into a weeping mess. I'm just a small town MT girl, I guess. I've been to L.A. That was just sad. I lived in Amsterdam. Crowded, but much more "peaceful." Where ya' from Gojo?”

“Milkshakes? Austin's #1 Ice Cream on E. Broadway in Tucson has ruled since 1958, with no end to its reign in sight! You can still sit at the counter and watch the teenage soda jerks make some irresistible concoctions. The milkshakes are sublime, served in a glass with the tall frosty stainless-steel mixing cup on the side so you can pour your own refill. You can choose from the traditional flavors or invent your own combinations like mango-ginger and chocolate cherry pumpkin supreme.”

“When the still sea conspires an armor
And her sullen and aborted
Currents breed tiny monsters
True sailing is dead
Awkward instant
And the first animal is jettisoned
Legs furiously pumping
Their stiff green gallop
And heads bob up
Poise
Delicate
Pause
Consent
In mute nostril agony
Carefully refined
And sealed over”

“When the still sea conspires an armor
And her sullen and aborted
Currents breed tiny monsters
True sailing is dead
Awkward instant
And the first animal is jettisoned
Legs furiously pumping
Their stiff green gallop
And heads bob up
Poise
Delicate
Pause
Consent
In mute nostril agony
Carefully refined
And sealed over”

“When the still sea conspires an armor
And her sullen and aborted
Currents breed tiny monsters
True sailing is dead
Awkward instant
And the first animal is jettisoned
Legs furiously pumping
Their stiff green gallop
And heads bob up
Poise
Delicate
Pause
Consent
In mute nostril agony
Carefully refined
And sealed over”