Moonlight Basin, The Mint and A Move

After careful consideration, Steve and I decided to cut our stay in Bozeman short and make our way back to Chicago a bit earlier than planned. But not before we enjoyed a few more of Montana’s splendors.

Last week, we spent a full day at Moonlight Basin, a quaint ski resort located on the North side of Lone Peak in Big Sky. It was a beautiful day, perfect for skiing. We were impressed with ourselves for we managed to master the blues of the mountain, with minor spills. Check out some of the views:

Before we left, we wanted to enjoy some of Montana’s finest cuisine as well as take our wonderful hosts for a night out. During one of our many trips to Norris Hot Springs, we met a local named Timothy Tate, who is a Chicago native and has been in Bozeman since the 70’s. An extremely colorful character, psychoanalyst (of dreams), DJ and just general nice guy recommended the place to us.

The Mint has been a Montana staple since 1904 and specializes in some of the best meats Montana has to offer. And it did not disappoint. We all indulged on buffalo, prime rib, filet, NY strip, scallops and chipotle mash potatoes…it was delicious and the perfect meal to conclude our Montana adventure.

P.S. More stories to come.

Tatonka and Hot Springs

The weekends in Bozeman always seem to be an outdoor adventure for Steve and I, and this weekend was no exception. Our initial plan was to go to Chico Hot Springs located in Pray, MT and enjoy a nice soak (as they call it here) at the historic resort for the afternoon. However, Chico is only a short drive from Yellowstone so we decided to continue our drive a few more miles and check out Yellowstone in the winter.

Because of winter conditions, only the northern road is open to the public, which extends from Gardiner to Cooke City, Montana. Although only a small amount of the park is open, it is still breathtakingly beautiful and quiet and cold. We checked out Mammoth Hot Springs, a bunch of buffalo, deer and we were lucky to even see a wolf (which we found out is a sought after sight this time of year). And then the overall views just bring a sense of calm. Here’s some of our visual documentation:

We made it to Chico just as the sun was setting and enjoyed the springs for a few hours. The springs along with a few spirits warmed us after a chilly day…it was the perfect, relaxing ending.

Doggie Keg Pull

Kim and I celebrated a lovely Valentine's Day by spending a few hours at the Bozeman "Wild West Winter Fest," which was basically a small-scale, winter-time county fair. Some of the many activities included the "Working Horse and Driver Competition," "Cattle Sorting," the "Battle of the Breeds" (horse competition), and, of course, the "Doggie Keg Pull." It was this last event that was a main draw for me and Kim, as two of the three dogs in our household were active participants. Tonka competed in the 35-75 pound grand while Jackson competed in the Mighty Mini's division (under 11 pounds). Sponsored by Coors, Tonka pulled a keg while Jackson pulled a can. Unfortunately, Tonka became a little frustrated at first, when not able to pull the sled right away...so he did not place in the top 3. Jackson, however, managed to pull a solid second place...out of two! All dogs received at least a ribbon and some free doggie sausage, provided by the event sponsor.

In case you are wondering what a doggie keg pull looks like, check out these videos of "our boys."

Pull My Finger Chili Cook-off

Super Bowl weekend inducted the first annual Pull My Finger Chili Cook-off in Bozeman. The brainchild of our roommate John, the event was hosted at Pour House, a local watering hole, and included more than 15 chili culinary delights. The winner – Who Dat – rightfully deserved his first place standing and won the covetable plaque, $50 gift certificate to the Pour House and a nerf gun that was the envy of every male in the bar.

Although our chili – Chick-A-Wow Wow – did not win, Steve did manage to win a Pabst Blue Ribbon chair by successfully filling out a questionnaire of Super Bowl predictions prior to the game and accurately predicting the most. Who knew that Carrie Underwood would sing the national anthem in 1:45…

The Red Devil

Last week, we were able to get in a great afternoon of skiing. Where both of our skiing skills are improving, our ability to get on and off the ski lift is still a work in progress. I should rephrase and say my chair lift abilities are a work in progress.

To summarize, I fell off the ski-lift at the top of the mountain and almost got hit in the head by the chair resulting in losing a ski in the process. Then after that embarrassment and trying to pay better attention to mastering the lift, getting on the lift, I barely made it on, which resulted in losing my ski again while doing so. Luckily, a fellow skier who is more stable on the lift brought my lost ski with him to the top of the mountain so I didn’t have to ride the ski lift back down or somehow walk/ski down the mountain.

Now, let me say this…this is a small chair, only a two seater that whips around like a bat out of hell. You have about 1 second to get on. Plus the seats are pretty tiny (with a bar in the middle) so you need to have your tush in exactly the right position for the seat. I am wondering if the fact that the chair is red and could quite possibly kill you as you get on and off is a coincidence. However, I am determined to master this red devil just as I am mastering the mountain. And don't let the picture fool you, it's not a nice chair.

Doggies

This week was a bit more laid back considering I caught a horrible cold and was pretty much out of commission for 4 days. But it gave us a chance to bond with our new adoptive doggies. Since we got to Bozeman, we have had the luxury of spending time with Dexter (Labrador Retriever), Jackson (Toy Fox Terrier) and Tonka (Unidentified, Lovable Mutt). Being that Steve and I have wanted a dog for a few years now, we are loving the extra 12 legs running around the house (and sometimes pooping in our room: Jackson).

Here’s a video of some of the fun we have had with our new pets:

Blazin' Challenge

As we continue to get acclimated to the Bozeman lifestyle, we can safely say one thing has been crossed off the list and that’s the Blazin’ Challenge. Thanks to Steve, who is now an official Blazin’ Challenge champion, ate 12 of Buffalo Wild Wing’s Blazin’ chicken wings (their hottest wings) in under 6 minutes…3:53 to be exact. Now Steve’s picture is prominently displayed on Bozeman’s Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin’ Challenge Wall and he even got a t-shirt! Oh and a video to prove it: