Get Outside for the Holidays

Enjoying the great scenery of Blacktail Mountain

Subject: The Effortless Sky, Blacktail Mountain, Flathead Valley

When I was a kid we had several holiday traditions I loved. Besides the homemade cinnamon rolls (extra cream cheese frosting, please!) and carols with my dad playing the piano, the other tradition I looked forward to was getting outside.

I grew up in the Sacramento Valley in California, so for us, that meant wandering the granite shores of Folsom Lake. Most Christmas Days were exceptionally clear, and we could see Desolation Wilderness and sometimes snow-capped Mt. Shasta, which was always a treat. 

Now that I am all grown up with a family of my own, I continue all of those traditions, except now I am the one making the cinnamon rolls, playing the carols on the piano, and gathering the family to head outside. Nearby is Blacktail Mountain; from the top on a clear day you can see all of the Flathead Valley, and, if you're lucky, off in the distance, the snow-capped mountains of Glacier National Park. Go outside, enjoy the day. Happy holidays!