Montana and Sunshine

And by 'Sunshine' I don't mean:

 This kind is just as good and loves ice way more:

Right now I'm at Will's house in Whitefish MT. Despite the Northerlyness of it here its actually not as cold as it was in Wyoming. 

But first I think I'll just say a few words of where I've been. I must admit that the last post was a bit premature. Directly after writing I went off to watch a play on Hesston's campus. 'Green Card' is a moving play about the melting pot of America. It emphasized the incredible hardships that many people have gone through in order to come to this country and the subsequent hardships faced once they arrive.  I'd like to write more on the matter as it was a moving show that covered a wide variety of people's experiences.

Leaving Hesston and my good friend and great host Solomon, I then traveled north and west until I met up with Doug Henderson in Fort Collins CO. Luckily I arrived earlier than expected and managed to squeeze in a quick hike before dinner. Despite the subfreezing temperatures I still had a great time. Beautiful scenery combined with interesting conversation about being Ramblin Men, politics, and the nature of college town and demographics. The chance to stretch my legs after 8 long hours of driving was also quite nice.

That night I drove till I began to get drowsy. Sleeping in the back of the car was a bit different than the first time around. Seeing as I was bedding down in the middle of nowhere Wyoming the winds were particularly rough and the cold was quite biting. I didn't dare open a door to take my bike out so we just got cozy. 

The rest of the driving adventure was quite adventurous. The first signs of snow were incredibly beautiful and was the cause of much picture taking.

 

As I continued, however, I only continued to see increasingly mindblowing landscapes and beauty. I don't think the web is big enough to hold all the pictures I took so I'll only put a few of the highlights.

At points the roads also began to get a bit treacherous. 

Between ice on the roads and winds whipping across the path I at times thought I was going to slide right off. but never did. 

I finally arrived in Missoula MT where I met up with Abi and Dietrich, had a great dinner and fun evening over Rummy. 

The next day the car finally left my hands and I was back to biking. 

Good ol' Will then picked me and we cruised on up to Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp, where Will worked for several years. Hanging out with some camp buddies and then going kayaking on the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi was a great way to spend an afternoon and could've only been topped by a film festival! Some of my faves were: Last of the Great Unknown, The Wide Boyz, and finally The First Afghan Ski Competition in which some skiers went to a pristine Afghan village and taught some local folks to ski. In the end they managed to start a ski rental and there are hopes of getting a legit ski industry going!

Well, I think that covers all the interesting things of my past four days, more to come!