You Don't Know What Hell is Until...

Alright, so yesterday Jeff and I made our first official full trip to the Post Office. By that, I mean we were unble to use a vehicle. We are definitely snowed in now. The car has been permanently parked for about a week and a half. We knew we had some mail and also had to pick up more filters for our water system, so we picked yesterday for the challenge. The temperature was just above twenty degrees and there was virtually no wind. In the morning we had a few flakes of snow float down from the sky, but by the afternoon the sun was shining again.

We left the cabin at 8:45 am. We have not had much wind this last week, so we new we would be able to ski the whole way. (When the wind blows, there are spots of bare road amongst the many snow drifts.) Let me remind you that Jeff and I are not exactly skilled cross-country skiers. It's a sad sight to see actually. So we left the cabin, passed a couple of rams on the way, then turned onto the road for the big adventure. Things started out ok. Jeff is a faster skier than I am, and everytime I rush to catch up I crash, hard. So, I prefer to take my time and stay on my two feet as much as possible. The thing that sucks about skiing (if you are no good at it) is that you (or atleast Jeff and I) have to stare at the skis to avoid falling. It sucks because we are outside and should be enjoying the beautiful sights of the Many Glacier valley. Instead we are thinking about our sore necks as we stare at the ground.

We made it to the ranger station by 10:00 am and stopped for a water break. (I think it's about four miles.) The other problem with skiing in below freezing weather is that the water freezes. I like to use a water reservoir so that I don't get dehydrated, but the tube freezes. So, the water must be kept inside the pack where its hard to access. After the quick break we reluctantly headed out for another three miles to the dam. It's a bummer because you can see the dam from so far away, so you think you are closer than you actualy are. I just couldn't wait to get to the dam so I could walk for a change. Well, we did make it to the dam, and skied down the hill past it to where the plow truck stops (or starts for us). We stuck our skis in the snow, grabbed some aqua and continued on, this time on foot. YAY! If there is one thing I can do well, it is walking. We each had a secret hope that some poor fool would come up the road and drive us the rest of the way to the Post Office, but no dice. We knew it was a long shot, but come on.

So, we hiked the four boring miles to the end of the road (in our ski boots), then headed to the Post Office. Our other secret hope was that the Firehorse Cafe would be open. We talked to the owner in the fall and she said that they would be open all winter long. The sign reads 7 am -7 pm daily. What a load of you know what. That place has never been open when we go to the Post Office. It is the only business in Babb in the wintertime, so it's our only shot at a hot meal. Firehorse Cafe, why do you hate us?

Well, our mail box called, so we headed in to the Post Office. We had FIVE packages! I guess we have been slacking on getting our mail. (And, now you know why.) We also had tons of cards, and Jeff's boss met us there with the filters. Here's where I will take a TIMEOUT from the story.

Thank you everyone for sending us mail. You are what keeps us going out here. By far, our favorite days are when we can get our mail and some relief from our solitude. The cards are all very beautiful. Thank you so much! Also, thanks for the pakages. Uncle Scott and Aunt Becky sent some AWESOME grub! And, mom sent cookies and candy and SOCKS! And, thanks Pattie for sending the game. We really appreciate everything. Just knowing a few people read this blog makes me happy, so thank you so much everyone. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

Ok, TIME IN. Babb is a very, very small town. Population: tiny. So, it amazes me that when we go to the Post Office in all of our gear, Jeff's beard frozen, and start loading all of our mail into our packs, people can't figure out what is going on. It is always a conversation piece. I would think that since it is such a small town that people would know there are winter keepers up at the Many Glacier Hotel. We always have a hard time getting out of there because people ask all kinds of questions. The funny thing is, no one ever offers to give us a ride back to the gate. Go figure. Luckily, this time around, Jeff's boss gave us a ride back to the gate. Our packs were so heavy from our slacking on going to the Post Office. Plus we had to pack in seven filters (we couldn't fit the last one). Paul, the boss, gave us a ride to the gate, shaving off four miles. We parted ways, Paul in his truck, Jeff and I on skis. It was 1:40 pm.

If there would have been any way to avoid skiing back in, I would have taken it. We were already pretty beat up before we started the seven mile ski home. I won't give you the details of the trip home. All it was was skiing in pure misery. We made it home about 4:45 pm, just as it was getting dark. Jeff and I collapsed immediately. There was just so much pain. Let me recount everything that hurt: my toes, bottoms of my feet, the tendons on the top of my feet, my knees, my back, my shoulders, my neck, and my hands. We weighed our packs when we got home. They each weighed a miserable 30 pounds! At the end of the day, we had skied 14 miles and hiked four. That's a total of eighteen miles. So, now you know what hell is. On the bright side, we were heavily rewarded with lots of great stuff. (Except those darn filters!)

Now, an exerpt from Jeff's mind. Scary, I know.

Hello everyone, this is Jeff. I just thought I would say something for once. Thank you for your Christmas wishes and gifts, also for making sure they were lightweight. Now, cross country skiing is either a terrible sport or we are doing something terribly wrong (I would like to think it is a combination of both). Today is beautiful and cold, about 5 degrees, so a little work at the lodge is in order but probably to cold to paint. I wish you all the best of the holiday season and please keep in touch, it warms our hearts. By the way, what a bummer of a performance by the OSU Beavers in their bowl game but what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! Take care, stay healthy and be happy. (This paragraph is all I got, I hunt and peck)

Oh, and one more thing. The thing about this trip is it is just like that old phrase your parents used to tell you. Here's my version: We had to ski uphill seven miles then hike four miles (barefoot of course), both ways, in the snow just to get our mail. By the way, it is uphill both ways. I swear.