The sports page.

If your newspaper is like mine, the sports page is probably full of stories about college basketball, Nascar, and American Legion ball leagues. As a former reporter of 14 years, I know that a lot of what ends up in the newspaper is there for convenience sake – it’s easy news to get. While I don’t subscribe to the current fad of criticizing newspapers, I do think the sports page has room for improvement; what’s there generally appeals to a very narrow range of readers and has questionable news value.

(A clear day descent from Lindy Peak, June 16)

This is too bad, especially in a place like Montana where on any given Sunday there are hordes of people engaged in pursuits that would leave your average ball player begging for mercy, but they are doing it alone, or in a small team using bikes, boards, boots, or boats. Many of these are significant achievements but never make it into news unless someone dies, sets a record, or writes a book.

(East face of the Mission.)

This guy from down the valley does a lot of awesome stuff, including this one-day traverse of the Rattlesnake Mountains

(You have a baby! In a bar!)

I used to work with Jill, and have to say I was surprised when I saw she was doing things like 400-mile unsupported desert mountain bike rides and 100-mile Arctic rides on specially-made fat bikes.

This guy from Revelstoke last year climbed 2,000,000 vertical feet – then skied down it all, too. When he got to thinking about his impact on the environment, he decided to bike, not drive , to the trailheads.

The Bob Marshall in Montana is America’s second largest wilderness area. Chenault designed a race where contestants start on one side of the wilderness and finish on the other. How they navigate the 150 or so miles in between is up to them.

(Father's Day ride to Garnet ghost town.)

This guy climbed and skied Abiathar in Yellowstone National Park. Nuff said.

I found this blog this spring looking for information on a peak in the Bitterroot. This guy climbed and skied Sky Pilot in 4 hours roundtrip. Not a big deal until you know that guidebooks say it’s a two-day outing.

I guess the Alaskans will always put us to shame; this account of a recent crossing of a range on the Alaska-Canada border, from sea-level to summit, is gripping if for nothing else than its nonchalance.

Heck, and those are just the ones who blog about it.