Old Year, great times; New Year, threats

Katie and I doing tele on Big Mountain

Katie's Christmas snowshoes on Apgar Mountain trail

The flocked trees on Deadman Ridge

The year's at an end.
What a good year for playing in the hills.
Above are a few photos from the last couple of weeks ---- Kings Hill, Big Mountain, Glacier National Park, Deadman backcountry and Silvercrest cross country ski areas. These were taken during my Christmas break.
There were many good trips this year. I think my favorite was climbing Heaven's Peak in Glacier Park. The skiing was good in the first part of 2006, and fairly mediocre at the beginning of this new season.
I look forward to a great 2007.
What could have been better than the last minute victory to preserve the Rocky Mountain Front from oil and gas development.
As Bill Schneider, in his New West column reminds us, now is not the time to let our guard down about the Front.
There are the specters of out of control off road vehicle use (particularly in the Marias Pass area of the Badger Two Medicine) and what is certain to become a rural subdivision boom between Rogers Pass and Marias Pass.
I hope the new year brings consideration of wilderness preservation for the Front.
In the meantime I hope to be there often enjoying its wild nature!