Here Lies Italy

Though this granite marker looks like a head stone, here it is used to mark the border of Italy and France near the Col de la Seigne in the Alps. The "I" on the marker stands for Italy. On the other side, there's an "F" for France. It took me two hours to hike to the top of the pass. It was the most beautiful hike of my life!

The Great Life

Photo by Celine, my server

This is me having a Perrier at a cafe on the pedestrian street in the French Alps town of Bourg Saint Maurice. This is not the good life. This is the Great life. On assignment for Checkpoint Zero at the Mountain X Race.

Bourg Saint Maurice, Savoie, French Alps

My first morning in Europe delivered this view. That's the village of Bourg Saint Maurice, in the state of Savoie, in the French Alps. Five more days of this and I may never want to go home! I'm here on assignment for the adventure racing news website Checkpoint Zero. I'm told to expect more views like the one above in the days ahead. Click on the photo to see it large.

Mann of Primal Quest, Sisler of Zanfel Labs

At the Primal Quest Montana finish line this afternoon, Don Mann, left, handed the microphone over to Steve Sisler of Zanfel Labs. Sisler, who said he didn't even know about adventure racing until a few years ago, spoke of his family's close bond to Merrell/Zanfel Adventure Captain Robyn Benincasa."

"In our house, we call her Auntie Robyn," Steve said. In fact, Steve's 23-year-old daughter, Megan Sisler, has done an adventure race with Robyn.

Steve and his wife Heather arrived in Montana late last week from the family home in Clive, Iowa, to cheer on their team. While Megan couldn't make the trip, some other Sislers did. They include son Nick, 16; and daughters Laura and Julie, ages 13 and 9, respectively.

Gettin' My Kitch On

The zip tie I was using as a key chain here at Primal Quest failed me, so I had to replace it. I stopped by a gift shop in Big Timber, Montana, near the Super 8 where I'd been gaining Internet access, and snatched this kitchy key chain up for $2.99. Now I know where my car key is!

Phrozen Phantom Phlytyers

Today while I was happily speeding West along Interstate 90 toward Bozeman, I saw a freeway sign for Livingston, home to the Federation of Fly Fishers. Back when I was in middle school and high school, my dad was the editor of the Federation's quarterly magazine, The Flyfisher. Flyfishing sparked for me an interest in photography and writing that are still with me today. I stopped in Livingston, found the Federation headquarters, walked inside and found my dad is represented there. Back in the mid 1980s, he used to have a reunion with his fly fishing buddies each winter in, of all places, Minot, North Dakota. They called themselves the Phrozen Phantom Phlytyers. This framed collection of their hand-tied flies will forever serve as a reminder that crazy wasn't invented in the 21st century!

Bitton's Got a nuun active hydration Drinking Problem

Wow! That's a lot of empties! These dozen or so water bottles have been piling up on the floor of the passenger side of my Honda Civic since Monday. Now it's Thursday. I'm off the Diet Coke again, and onto nuun active hydration. That's the electrolyte replacement tablet made by folks in Seattle who don't care that proper nouns are usually capitalized. I love the product! Company founder Tim, who was in Montana for the start of Primal Quest, hooked me up with a few tubes of new flavors. Now I'm field testing them as fast as I can. I honestly feel more energy when I'm properly hydrated. That likely means I'm usually dehydrated. Something to think about.