Lone Peak Brewery

While vacationing in Big Sky, MT, I had the privilege of frequenting Lone Peak Brewery on a few occasions. After everyone arrived on Saturday and got settled, Sunday we made the treacherous (not so much) 2 mile drive to the local microbrewery and took over the place. When our crew of 14 people entered the quaint brewpub, we immediately felt at home. The locals were friendly, the servers were attentive, and the beer was delicious!

Hippy highway Oatmeal Stout : A very thick, tasty stout. The roasted oats and barley are front and center in this delicious brew. This beer lingers in your mouth, and the oat flavor stays on your tongue.

Wit's End Belgian Ale: An enjoyable Belgian ale that is easy drinking, especially on a warm day. Think: Blue Moon, with a kick. A slight citrus flavor that is offset by a bit of coriander, this beer was a favorite of the women in our group.

Steep 'N' Deep Winter Ale: A dark, strong beer that is as tasty as it is potent. this quickly became a favorite of Tim and I as it was on special the entire time we were in Big Sky. Although out of season, this beer was very complex, with both sweet and hoppy flavor that was offset by the roasted grains that rounded out the flavor.

Tim and I made a final visit to the brewery the day before we left and had the pleasure of hanging out with the head brewer's wife. She waited on us, and shared the journey that they went through to open the brewery after brewing beer at home for nearly 20 years. The more we talked to the co-owner, the more I was inspired to aim towards the day when I can open my own microbrewry!

Beehive Basin: Big Sky, Montana

In the midst of the heat of the midwest summer and the "monsoon season" in Southwest Colorado, the Erickson/Thrasher/Sinak/Uelhof clan headed north to Big Sky, Montana a couple weeks back. We stayed in a huge house that had been featured on HGTV as a mountain get-a-way. The experience itself was amazing, but the hike that we took to Beehive Basin was the peak (literally and figuratively) of the whole trip.

Although we went to the trail-head later than anticipated (the perils of having a group of 14!), the experience was nonetheless breathtaking! The trail-head  was situated within view of Big Sky Ski Resort and provided views that were indescribable. During the drive up to the trail-head, Tim Sinak shouted "Gooooo! Goooo Bear!" and our cars came to a screeching halt. There is a neighborhood situated just beneath the beginning of the trail, and a mama grizzly and her two cubs were rummaging around the backyard of a home. We sat in our cars at a safe distance and took WAAAAY too many pictures, along with a few videos, of the bear trio frolicking in the backyard of an unsuspecting local. 

After gawking at the creatures we had previously only seen in captivity for what seemed like an eternity, we finally finished the drive to start our hike. There was a sign at the trail-head warning of the dangers of back country hiking and camping, but we came prepared with plenty of water, snacks, and even more importantly...BEAR SPRAY! Although we knew better from previous high county hiking, we hit the trail later morning and we were treated to a heart pounding hike, a bit of snow, and spectacular views. The trail itself is a 3 mile hike in, but definitely felt like much more due to the elevation gain of around 1,000 ft. This made for a slightly difficult hike up, and a fast, but treacherous ramble back down. There were several times along the hike up the mountain that we had to stop off to the side and catch our breaths, but we all persevered and continued on the path to our destination, which always seemed to be "right around the bend." 

When we finally reached the pinnacle, the ten hikers enjoyed the views with a quick bite to eat. Our lunchtime enjoyment was shortened by the intimidating clouds that approached from the west. Being a town above 8,000 feet, Big Sky is accustomed to receiving afternoon showers on a regular basis, and this day was no exception. The beauty of digital camera is that you can delete pictures if they don't turn out the way that you want them to, at no cost to you. However, I have yet to delete a picture taken the day of this hike because every picture has a piece of the hike that I just don't want to forget! 

The trip back to the trail-head was much faster as the trail slopes in that direction almost the entire trip. If memory serves me, it took our crew roughly two and a half hours to reach our dining spot just above the basin, but a mere hour and a half to rumble back down the trail and get back to our cars. During most of the trip down, all of the trekkers resembled a duck waddling down the hills as it was near impossible to remain completely upright as you journeyed back to the beginning of the trail.

If you are ever fortunate enough to find yourself in Big Sky, do yourself a favor and check out Beehive Basin...It is DEFINITELY worth the time and effort to trek to the cliffs above the basin and take it all in!

The Piedra River Trail

Over Father's Day weekend, my wife, her father, and I traveled to Pagosa Springs to take a hike that none of us had ever heard of. It seems to me that sometimes the road less traveled is often the road most worth taking! We ventured to the Piedra River Trail to the north of Pagosa Springs, and it was most definitely worth the journey! After wandering around off highway 160, we came to Piedra road and traveled north on a road that was quite the opposite of smooth. However, once the drive was complete, we were rewarded by the gem that is the trailhead of the Piedra River trail.

When we started up the trail, we veered to the right and followed a well marked trail which led to a beautiful overlook of the trail beneath us and the valley below. We came to find out after taking in the breath taking views that we had actually hiked the "wrong" path, and had reached a dead end at the cliff's edge. The views from our vantage point were well worth the strenuous hike to the top. It became clear that the road less traveled by the numerous hiker before us had led us to some of the best views any of us had ever seen! We snapped some quick photos, and then went back down to the path that the majority of the hikers had gone down before us.

Even though the second path we took was more engaging and easier to traverse, the reward we received after reaching a stopping point was less satisfying, albeit beautiful.We found, like most things in life, the more difficult the journey, the most gratifying the reward received.

Homebrewing....I have the ITCH!

So, I made my first batch of beer in March, and my supply on hand is dwindling quickly...I am down to two bottles of my Belgian Harvest Ale, and I am ITCHING to make my second batch. I am trying to obtain the equipment so that I can brew two batches at the same time, but right now, I will settle for one new batch! If you haven't had the satisfaction of drinking your own home made beer, I highly suggest it! If you can follow a recipe, you can make beer!

Steamworks:Durango

My family and I dined at the Durango Steamworks and as usual, I was pleased with both the service and the brews. I ordered the Conductor Imperial IPA, and I was greeted by a fruity/hoppy aroma. I was pleasantly surprised to sip on a delicious beer that was very hoppy, but very drinkable. At 9.1% ABV, I was expecting a strong alcohol flavor, but it was not there! This was a delicious beer that paired very well with my Rico Burger and Cajun Fries. Steamworks Brewing Co. has begun using a new menu, with slightly elevated prices, but the food, beer, and service were just as good as previous experiences in the brewpub. As usual, I had no complaints with my experience at Steamworks!