Turkey hunting is a true passion of mine, one that developed from those long ago hunting camp relationships. An old friend introduced me to the “other” big game and my addiction has been consuming me ever since. So for me, spring brings the annual quest of the gobble. If you have ever participated in this sport then you know exactly what I mean.

However on this turkey hunt another familiar sound that is ringing through the Georgia pines is the often-enveloping song of the cicadas. I grew up calling these noisy little Hemiptera’s “locusts” and it was said that once you heard the cicadas, it was six weeks till first frost, both not true! These cicadas are droning so loudly with decibels greater than a jackhammer that they have turned this turkey hunt into the other song of spring.

Here in the south we rarely have a spring except on the calendar, it mostly just turns into a long hot summer. But the sounds I listen for in the natural world tell me the season…got to go it is time for the gobble!

Fly-fishing and boats just go together. For our mountain streams we have classic, beautiful drift boats, and for our lowland marshes and flats we have the flats skiff.  The only problem is that flats skiffs are very expensive, and that’s why a lot of anglers are now adopting “microskiffs.”

Microskiffs can be anything from an old bass boat to a tricked out canoe, so long as they are light and maneuverable in shallow water.  Probably the most popular is the Gheenoe—a special hybrid canoe invented by a NASA engineer back in the 1960s.

The best thing about Gheenoes is that they’re made of fiberglass, which means you can do anything with them.  I bought an old beater Gheenoe off of Craigslist and spent the back end of last winter tricking it out in my garage.

First I took all the bait bubba hardware out (and this boat had a lot!) then I removed the existing seats and stripped the boat down to the bare hull.  From there it got false floors and decks made of marine plywood, which themselves got fiberglassed in.  I designed rod holders for my fly rods and made sure the decks would work perfectly with my heavy coolers (which are perfect light poling platforms).

Finally I painted that boat inside and out, and the end result was a transformation that even my close friends can’t believe.  (I joked with them that I had used every power tool I owned, until I did a head count and realized I had actually used every power tool I owned!) Now my customized Gheenoe is ready for the flats; it’ll do twenty miles an hour and pole in less than four inches of water.  It’s perfect for Atlanta’s local carp fishery (a personal favorite), and it’ll make a mean cast-and-blast platform for redfish and ducks come this fall.

The worst thing about working with fiberglass is the amount of dust that gets in everything, and that’s why I was happy to have my Original Mountain Pants throughout this process.  The dense and rugged fabric resists penetration without making me sweat it out in a Tyvek suit.  Great pants for what was a really great project.

I originally planned to write a post about my recent skiing trip to Big Sky, Montana.  I thought I would share about our phenomenal skiing experience, but I realized that phenomenal for an east-coaster doesn’t compare to what most westerners have the fortune of experiencing the bulk of the year.  So, instead of boring you with that experience, or the experience of sitting in a car for 65+ hours for the trip to and from WV-MT, I thought I would share another experience we had on our “off” day from skiing.  We had the trip of a lifetime in Yellowstone Park.  The landscape may not contain beautiful flowers or greenery, and several of the roads may be closed this time of year, but what we were fortunate to see will stay with all of us for a lifetime….

We entered through the north entrance.  Our ultimate destination was Lamar Valley.  This trek would take us through the territories of the Blacktail, Agate, and Lamar Canyon packs.  Our hopes were minimal if existent at ALL to see wolves.  Lo and behold, the first place we come along we see ravens and a bald eagle on what we hoped was a kill.  We stop, get out to investigate with a TON of folks with spotting scopes etc.  This should have been our clue that something big was going down.  One of our group wanders over to one of the spotting scope groups, chats briefly, looks through the scope, and beckons me over.  He knew that my biggest goal for this Yellowstone trip was to see a wolf.

I look through the scope.

I see not one, but FIVE wolves lounging in the grass with full bellies – seemingly not a care in the world.  Two black and three greys/browns.  I nearly cried.  Seriously – tears came to my eyes because I could not believe this was happening.  I wanted to see ONE wolf.  Maybe from a distance of 2 – 3 miles, and here were FIVE less than a mile off.

These were the Blacktail pack.  We ended up seeing eight of them.  And the kill?  A drowned bison that two grizzlies had drug out of the lake a few days prior.  Ridiculous!

Growing tired – and cold – of standing and watching these wolves (only after witnessing multiple socializations among pack members including the stereotypical submissive gesture from betas & below to the alphas [the female was a beautifully marked brown/grey]) we headed down the road to the Agate territory with promising news of a kill in both their territory and the Lamar’s.

We enter the Agate’s to see a single truck with a spotting scope out (we learned quick) on a pull-out.  We stop.  We inquire.  Its NPS watching the Agate pack at a recent kill.  SERIOUSLY?! We bum off of their spotting scopes and our own.  We watch one of them chase a coyote, two of them eating at the kill (a cow bison from a day or two ago – they hadn’t had a kill for 2 weeks before this), and we watch the alphas lounging with other members on the hill.  The alpha female was a beautiful white, the male, black.  Beautiful, healthy individuals.  (Mange and distemper are really hurting the population here in the park.)

We chat with the rangers for awhile learning the history of this pack and others.  The black that was chasing the coyote and the two that were eating return to the alphas.  They rally (this is the proper term per the park ranger, for when a pack gets together to celebrate something).  They all stand for a few minutes, greeting and socializing with one another and break into excited yips, barks, and howls.  Too. Freaking. Phenomenal.  At this point I’m happier than a pig in shit.

We move on – yet again.

We arrive in the Lamar Canyon pack territory where we were told the recent kill was.  We were the only car.  Within a minute we spot a black wolf < 100 yards away.  We spot two more greys, as well.  One of the greys takes off upon the arrival of more people who let their appearance be distinguished from their car silhouettes (which the wolves are habituated to).  Chatting with a photographer and others we decide to head down the road to see if we can intersect or meet back up with the grey who’d taken off.

Less than a mile down the road it crosses in front of us.  We score amazing shots.  Uncertain whether this was the original splitter from the pack or a different wolf as this one seemed to have mange and was rather skinny.  We watch it for several minutes nonetheless.

Losing site of this one, we head back the way we came only to see ANOTHER grey crossing the road from the opposite side.  A wolf project gentlemen is on scene by this point and instructs us to please park and stay put until the wolf moves on.  We oblige.

The big female (<100 yards) crossed the road ahead of us (only after defecating in the middle of it).  She then borders us closely for awhile and we score several shots.  After a time the biologist allows us to proceed down the road (opposite direction) provided we do not stop.  We drive at an absurd 1 mph.  We score more photos of this female, watch her relieve herself a second time, and finally decide to proceed onward.

This brings us to a sum total of 19 wolves from 3 packs (Blacktail, Agate, Lamar Canyon (formerly the Druids)).  UNHEARD OF!  Absolutely ridiculous and beyond phenomenal.  My day has been made.  My trip has been made.  And my patience for viewing wildlife may be forever ruined because of this brilliant experience – haha.

Puppy’s chew. It is just a fact.

So when I let my latest fashion accessory help with the laundry she decided to add a bit of tailoring to the mud flaps of my favorite pair of Mountain Khakis.

Not that you would notice her addition to these well worn and beloved trousers but it is the thought that counts…

For most of my life my favorite jacket/coat was the old Army M65 Field Jacket. I wore the one my father gave me until it was thread bare. Not too long ago I contacted Mountain Khakis and suggested they make a jacket similar in design to the M65. Come to find out, they already had something in the works that they call the Americano Jacket. So I ordered one.

I wear it often because it is relatively light for the warmth it provides. I like the four front pockets like on the old M65. And, I really like the cell phone stash pocket and the rear cargo type pocket which is a great place to stuff gloves while keeping your pockets free. The Americano Jacket also drapes long enough to help you comply with concealed carry regulations.

Mountain Khakis continues to impress me with their craftsmanship and garment design. All of their gear gets a lot of use on my range.

The endless winter adventure continues as my 11th winter season in a row draws to a close.  Only four days remain in the regular ski season of southwest Montana.  It is already time for me to be looking ahead to winter down under again.  I remember a few years ago deciding to only spend two winters in New Zealand, and then get back to “normal” living again.  Now I have spent five winters in New Zealand, and I will be on my way south for number six this June.

It was a wild winter this season in Montana, and in my third year working as the Snow Safety Director at Moonlight Basin, it was definitely the most interesting one so far.  Early season snowfall created some poorly bonded areas in the snowpack, and by December everything we tested was avalanching to the ground.  I even accidentally triggered a small, but dangerous avalanche while checking terrain for a possible opening one day.  One minute I was on top of the 3 foot deep snowpack, the next I was swept off my feet and lying on the ground watching as a very large amount of snow sweep downhill and into some trees where it stopped.  We were on pins and needles most of the time this year, as large destructive avalanche cycles kept coming at us for the duration.

The only respite has been the superb snowfall we have had this March, and the skiing has finally been great.  When this season draws to a close I hope to do a lot of spring backcountry skiing around Montana and Wyoming before heading south.  It looks like I will be spending a couple of weeks in Port Douglas, Australia before starting back to work in New Zealand, and I am looking forward to some sunny tropical weather, swimming in the Tasman Sea, and general beach front relaxation. I’ve never been to Australia, so it should be a good time.

Just past half way 20 riders split off the front of the group. Neil, who had bridged to an earlier dangerous move made the decision to head to the front at what seemed just the right time to keep things from getting out of hand and helped to pull the large group back. His effort kept the guys in the running to take on the sprint with good numbers. With 5 laps to go the race kicked into another gear and it was time to get to the front. With one lap to go Neil buried himself yet again to bring Luke up to the front and left him on the back of the UnitedHealthcare train before pulling off, something that he has become very proficient at over the last few weeks and has contributed largely to the increase in top results for the team’s other sprinters. The last lap was fast. At 1:12 seconds it was nearly 8 full seconds faster than any other lap of the race. It was nearly a 35 miles per hour average the whole lap topping out over 45mph in the downhill drag race to the line. Luke came home a very respectable 6th surrounded by some of the country’s very best including the current NCC leader Hilton Clarke of United Healthcare and Ken Hanson of Jelly Belly.

We feel like the performances in Sandy Springs and Dana Point on Sunday have shown that we are on our way to accomplishing the goal of growing the program to the level where we can send two teams capable of delivering wins out on the road at the same time. This is a huge step forward for our program. The next step of course will be delivering more of those wins, but the way the guys are improving and competing it seems will only be a matter of time till the next big one comes along. Next week we will head off to The Tour of the Grove for races in both the USA Crits and NCC series, hoping for exactly that…another big win.

Special thanks to all the folks at SmartStop for making the trip such a blast.

Dana Point Grand Prix Results:
1 Brad Huff (Jelly Belly)
2 Justin Williams (Cash Call Mortgage)
3 Ben Swedberg (California Giant)
4 Hilton Clarke (United Healthcare)
5 Ken Hanson (Jelly Belly)
6 Luke Keough (Mountain Khakis/SmartStop)
8 Rahsaan Bahati (Bahati Foundation)
9 Sean Sullivan (Elbowz)
10 Karl Menzies (United Healthcare)

The guys with Joe Duarte a professional mixed martial artist who is sponsored by SmartStop. The guys figured they could use a little extra muscle for this event!

The HERA Women’s Cancer Foundation proudly celebrates 10 years of women’s health and empowerment in 2012!  Whether you rock climb, hike, run, or do triathlons, HERA offers lots of ways to challenge yourself to be healthy and active while helping a great cause.  We have a full calendar of events this year and there’s something for everyone.

HERA’s signature Climb4 Life^SM Series is up and running.  These events are truly unique – providing rock climbing, hiking, yoga, and much more – in beautiful settings with professional athletes and guides, as well as others like you who support ovarian cancer research and awareness initiatives.

The series kicks off with our first-ever Climb 4Life^SM Boston, April 28-29 at MetroRock; registration is $35 per person:  www.herafoundation.org/c4l-boston-2012. To launch the Boston event, pro climber, Sasha DiGiulian, will offer a free climbing clinic the week before on Friday, April 20.  Only a few spots are left!  Once you’ve registered for the Boston climb, e-mail c4lma@herafoundation.org to sign up for Sasha’s clinic.

Next up is Climb4Life^SM Colorado, held in the stunning setting of Boulder, CO on June 22-23.  Early registration is $65 per person through May 21; $75 thereafter.  To register:  www.herafoundation.org/c4l-colorado-2012/.  Registration will open soon for the Washington, DC Climb4Life^SM, July 14-15, at Carderock, MD and Great Falls, VA; registration is $50 per person.  The series wraps up with the HERA’s longest running event, Climb4Life^SM Utah, September 14-16; registration is $60 per person before August 17; $75 thereafter:  www.herafoundation.org/c4l-utah-2012/.  All Climb4Life^SM participants receive a goodie bag, a cool event shirt, and the chance to win some great prizes donated by our very generous sponsors.

How about running a Ragnar Relay with 12 of your closest friends?  These 200-mile running events are held all over the country.  To find one near you, check out:  www.herafoundation.org/events/ragnar-relay/.  If 200 miles is a bit much, how about a Run Like a Girl 5K or 8K:  www.herafoundation.org/events/run-like-a-girl/.  Are you into triathlons?  Don’t miss the “family-friendly” Fit to Fight Ovarian Cancer Triathlon Festival, featuring women’s events, men’s events, and kids’ events: http://fittofightoc.com/REGISTERandFAQs.html

Whether you are a newcomer or an experienced pro, join HERA as we bring together men and women of all ages to climb, hike, run, and raise funds to help fight ovarian cancer.  Established in 2002, the HERA Women’s Cancer Foundation is a nationally-recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to stop the loss of women from ovarian cancer by promoting Health, Empowerment, Research and Awareness.  Via its signature Climb4Life^SM and auxiliary fundraising events, coupled with funding from multiple other sources, HERA remains committed to investing at least 85% of the monies raised each year in programs that continue to provide research, awareness, education and community support.   HERA’s scientific research grants provide funding for cutting-edge research to scientists at respected medical institutions. In doing so, HERA promotes cross-disciplinary science and seeks to attract young researchers to expand the scientific understanding of ovarian cancer while improving the lives of those battling this disease. HERA also embraces projects related to raising awareness about ovarian cancer and its symptoms in different communities around the country. By stressing the concept of “community,” HERA supports and empowers those undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer, as well as women who are healthy.  For more information, visit:  www.herafoundation.org.

Sign up for one or more events to help HERA in 2012.  You’ll be glad you did.

I wanted to say thanks to the Mountain Khaki crew for providing raffle prizes for the Rocktown Concrete Classic Climbing Competition on March 31st in Oklahoma City. A fantastic crowd came out to compete and spectate at the event. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, no doubt inspiring those that won MK gift cards to want to order some shorts for what is likely to be a long, hot summer. I was happy to wear my MK hat and capris — love both!

Being a 100 year old grain silo, our gym boasts tall, vertical routes that can really test the endurance of climbers. And it just looks cool. We’re proud of our gym.