Escaping the Everyday

I cannot believe it’s July already!

We’ve been in Bozeman for about 3 months now. If we were still pressing forward with our original plan we’ve be preparing to take off to our next location! It feels really good that we decided to pivot and make a life here as things feel like they’re starting to fall into place with jobs, finances, Cassie and Ella’s happiness, and our happiness.

The travel lifestyle is certainly something that people love and can do but Jake and I realized quickly that we need stability and routine in our lives. Having a home base and being able to travel to other destinations is so much better for us.

Anyone’s journey is about finding out what works and is best for them!

Anyways, Jake and I had the 4th of July off! Can you guess how we spent our day off?

Sypes Cannon Trail Run

8.9 miles | out and back | 3,139 ft Elevation gain

Every time I write about a trail run; I always feel like I’m saying “this trail was beautiful” but seriously all these trails really are BEAUTIFUL!

Jake and I signed up for a race at the end of July, but we are doing difference distances, so our training is looking a little different.

What I love about this trail is that I only did 5 miles out of the 8.9 and you can still get spectacular views. The full trail actually brings you up to Bridger Ridge and then you come back down. I’ve also heard before you reach Bridger Ridge, it gets VERY steep. So, be aware if you’re running this trail for the full length.

Cassie is also getting really good at trail running. Of course, she has no issues with her endurance, but it’s been all about teaching her to stay on the trail, saying hi to other dogs but keep on going and staying with me.

It was very important for us to teach Cassie to stay on the trail because we honestly do not know what’s lurking in the woods off the trail. The last thing we want her to do is see a chipmunk and dash off into the woods.

When she gets really excited, she’ll start sprinting down the path but will turn right around and sprint back towards me because she knows she can’t go out of my sight. It’s funny because I’ll tell her “Cass, you realize you’re just putting in extra miles with all the running back and forth”.

Jake has been doing amazing with his training and has made a lot of progress! I’m telling you, anything this guy puts his mind to he achieves it!

Fairgrounds Fireworks

Of course, we needed to see fireworks on the 4th of July! The sun doesn’t set until about 9:45pm here so the fireworks show wasn’t until 10pm. Talk about past my bedtime!

It was a great show though! We actually noticed helicopters in the sky, and we are guessing it’s to regulate any forest fires that potentially could start from the fireworks.

Foothills Trail Run

The foothills trail is part of Mount M and it’s a grueling trail! You start out by taking trail no’ 534 to Mount M summit but halfway the trail will fork off to continue along in the foothills.

You wouldn’t think this trail would have so much elevation because you’re not exactly climbing to the top of a peak. The trail has a ton of elevation though as you’re running through the Bridger Mountain range but further down instead of running along the range at the top.

There’s still breaks in the path where you can see really pretty views. Jake clocked in 8 miles with 2,600 feet of elevation gain! I did about 4 miles with 1,100 feet of elevation gain.

When we first started trail running, we assumed that people would run the entire time, but we’ve realized that’s not always the case. There’re times where you’re actually doing a fast walk through very steep sections and it really all comes down to pacing yourself. Going through steep sections you’re going to be going slower but when you’re on flat sections or going down you can pick up speed.

It’s so much different than round running and it’s been a pretty good challenge for us!

What’s coming up!

A little personal update on my blog: it’s been getting a lot of traction and I’ve received some great feedback, so I’ve decided to take the next step in trying to monetize my blog. It will certainly take some time to build this, but I wanted to thank everyone for the continued support!

I’m going to be continuing to write blogs on our adventures but I’m also going to write blogs to provide fellow friends, hikers, or adventure enthusiasts advice on travel topics.

I’m really excited to take this next step as I truly enjoy blogging and writing.