Let the battle begin

This past week was summer vacation time for the founding members of the H7HT.  As all of you know summer vacation means one thing and one thing only, the fight for the Blue Jacket.  Along the way we had some other fun with Clider but golf was the main attraction for this trip.  Fred G traveled to the great state of Idaho and I picked him up at the airport then was off to work while he was able to get in a few practice rounds at Galena Ridge.  The practice was important as I was not giving him any strokes this year.  Last year the 17 strokes I gave him cost me the Blue Jacket and a little thing I like to call pride.  Beaten on my home golf course is no way to survive a winter lay off from the sport. 

 

The first day we played a solid round of 18+ at the most spectacular mountain golf course in the region, Galena Ridge. (find us on facebook or at www.silvermt.com) Then it was off to the cabin for some home cookin' on the Sportsman's grill and not one, not two, not three but several delicious beverages.  The next morning sporting clays were on the schedule and we met Clider at his house bright and early.  After a quick stop at McDeath I had a teriffic plan to keep me out of jail.  I let Clider drive.  We made it to the range where I miraculously shot 73 out of 100 clays to win the day.  Clider was right behind me and Fred G had problems with a bent and misfiring gun and was only able to come in 3rd out of 3.  Fortunately the club had a big cooler of water for all to have which kept me from further dehydration and almost certain death.  Did I mention it was hot?  142 degrees in the shade that day and more heat to come.  We droped off Clider after a tour of his deccoy collection.  (There are no pictures of the collection because pictures can not do it justice.  Suffice to say, when Clider brings all his decoys we will need two trucks to get wherever we are going.)  Then it was back to the cabin where I waited to die and took a nap.

 

 

The next morning it was bright and early again as we drove to the world famous Coeur d'Alene Resort Course and their amazing floating green.  Our Golf Pro for the day was none other than Mr. Andy Warburton, a friend from the winter months and the only way we could play this expensive and beautiful course.  Kyle, our caddy, had his hands full tracking down the occasional errant shot and being our #1 cheerleader for 18 holes.  Oh, to be young and dependant on tips.  After crushing the course like none before we stoped on the way back for another quick 9 holes at Galena.  The Flat Iron steak Fred G. made that night was delicious.  Did I mention he had been crushing me at Ducey the whole time?  THE WHOLE TIME!

 

The next morning was another hot one as we walked the 9 holes at the Shoshone Counrty Club and destroyed records at yet another golf course.  That afternoon I had been planning a trip up to Clider's summertime domain, the Silver Mt. bike park,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLrZFHsT8rM but Clider would not be able to join us as he was off to Glacier Ntl Park for some well deserved time out of the valley.  Fred and I were only able to get our hands on size medium XC bikes rather than the XL full downhill bikes I had planned on but even with that disadvantage we made it alive through a warm up run and an unintended 3,400 vertical feet of singletrack back to town.  Fred G absolutely shredded the trail despite not having been on a real mountain bike since I tried to kill him in Breckenridge years ago. That night however, I went 6 to 0 to stage the most amazing ducey comeback in the history of the world.  I was in fuego.

 

Our vacation came to a close the next day after more golf at Galena Ridge and another close round.  In the end I was awarded the Blue Jacket in a ceremony not unlike the pros.  The former champion presented the jacket to me in a luxury cabin while several insiders looked on in awe.  Shortly after I went back to work and Fred G went home to get on with the business of being a former champ.  Giggitty.

 

Thanks to all that made this years golf outing great, and only a few short months before the shooting starts!

 
 GBCH