My Page: Bill Schneider
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Beers and Gears: Day One, a Frigid Bust
It has to get better from here.
We woke up this morning hoping the weather forecaster had it wrong again, but no, just our luck, the forecast was spot on. Freezing rain and snow all day!
This might support the older-and-wiser theory. After much discussion down at the coffee shop early this morning, we decided the weather was beyond uncomfortable and clearly hypothermic, so we made the tough choice to skip the first day and start from Butte tomorrow morning.
Wiser or wimpy? You decide.
[more]Speical Blog
Beers and Gears: Day One, a Frigid Bust
It has to get better from here.
We woke up this morning hoping the weather forecaster had it wrong again, but no, just our luck, the forecast was spot on. Freezing rain and snow all day!
This might support the older-and-wiser theory. After much discussion down at the coffee shop early this morning, we decided the weather was beyond uncomfortable and clearly hypothermic, so we made the tough choice to skip the first day and start from Butte tomorrow morning.
Wiser or wimpy? You decide.
[more]Introduction
Welcome to Beers and Gears
This is Sunday, May 23, the day before the start of the first-ever attempt to ride the Great Divide Brewery Trail, which is part of the brand new Montana Brewery Trail website hosted by Travel Montana, www.visitmt.com. It’s one of nine routes around and through Montana with strategic stops at the state’s craft breweries, plus detailed information on each brewery and nearby eateries and lodging. Check it out.
[more]NEWS FROM MONTANA'S CRAFT BREWERIES
Back on the Beer Beat II
I’ve been off the beer beat for a while, and the brewers have been as busy as beavers. Here’s a brief wrap up on what’s been happening….
[more]EARTH TO FOREST SERVICE: YOUR PLAN CAN'T WORK
Make New Rail Trail Bicycle Only
The Forest Service (FS) still clings to the fallacy of ATVers and hikers/bikers peacefully and safely sharing the same trail. And that it can write a travel plan that pleases everybody when in reality it’s almost guaranteed to please nobody.
Case in point. The Superior Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest has just released a long-awaited “scoping notice” for a 30-mile rail trail in western Montana, running from Taft to St. Regis along the abandoned Milwaukee Road railbed. This proposed trail, tentatively named the Route of the Olympian after a historic train, could extend the extremely popular Route of the Hiawatha bicycle trail, which runs 17 miles on the same railbed, over 4 trestles and through 9 tunnels, from Taft, Montana to Pearson, Idaho. What a great idea. We could have a spectacular, 47-mile rail trail that would attract cyclists from all over the world, promote healthful outdoor activities and booster local travel-related businesses.
[more]WHICH LURES REALLY WORK
What Pike Want
Most anglers know how predacious northern pike can be. They’ve probably heard those wild stories about monster pike gobbling up a swimming squirrel or choking trying to swallow a fish slightly smaller than itself.
And it’s true--on some days, that is. When they’re hot, they’re hot; you can throw virtually any lure, any size, any color out there, and water wolf will attack it. Regrettably, though, that isn’t always the case--not even often the case. On certain days, even in the best pike water, those toothy predators can be quite picky, and you have to work at finding something they want.
[more]Fee Repeal and Expanded Access Act
Risch Joins Effort to Repeal the RAT
Now, it’s four out of four in Idaho and Montana.
On Friday, Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) joined Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Montana’s Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester, both Democrats, in co-sponsoring S. 868, the Fee Repeal and Expanded Access Act, which would repeal most provisions of the Federal Lands Recreational Enhancement Act (FLREA), the law federal agencies use to charge fees for accessing public lands.
[more]MORE ON THE NEVERENDING STORY
Elk Foundation, Pro-Wolf Groups Need to Walk the Talk
For about three years now, I’ve been wondering how something so easy to do just can’t seem to get done.
Pro-wolf and anti-wolf groups really aren’t that far apart on a compromise that could end the seemingly endless wolf debate and allow all of us to move forward. Yet, nobody, I guess, wants risk showing weakness by making the first move. So I will. I’m weak. I’m blinking. I’m saying let’s settle this now.
[more]HOPPY BIRTHDAY
The Political Party We Really Need
We’ve all heard about the Tea Party and its politically conservative approach that blames government in general and Democrats in particular for all the nation’s problems.
Now, in response, we have the Coffee Party emerging to applaud more liberal views, such as viewing government as merely an expression of our collective will, so it sort of seems like it should be named the Espresso Party. Anyway, it already has 350 coffee shops signed up in 44 states.
Now, I’m hearing rumblings of another new political party starting up, one that might really solve the many troubles that threaten to sink the greatest nation on earth, the Microbrew Party. It doesn’t have a website yet, or staff, promotional webcasts, offices, or anything formal, so lots more news to break in coming months, but here’s what I’ve heard so far.
[more]HE HAS A POINT, NOT UNDER HIS CAP, BUT ON HIS FLY
Standing Up for Northern Pike
Somebody has to stand up for the beleaguered northern pike, the amazing game fish we love to hate. It might as well be me.
My fellow NewWestie, Bob Wire, is a great writer, and I almost always applaud his aggressive views on whatever subject strikes his fancy at particular moment--guns, health clubs, football, whatever. I like it. But not this week when Bob wrote a lengthy condemnation of one of my favorite game fish, the northern pike. You might want to read it first (click here) and then come back for my pushback.
[more]
