These pictures were taken in December 2004 during a Christmas trip to Montana.
The outdoor speed skating rink below is a high altitude training center in Butte, Montana.
Read the journal entry about this skating experience.

What a beautiful place to skate with mountains in the background.
This is the view from the ice.
Notice the boardwalk around the skating surface.
The small figure on the bench in distance is my husband.

The warming shed offers relief from the cold, a snack bar, benches to lace skates, and restrooms.

The ice was not very good on this particular day, although the Zamboni had just cleaned it. The weather had been unseasonably warm, and the ice suffered. However, the speed skaters in their long-bladed clap-skates had considerably less trouble. They glided along while my shins tremored with every irregularity. Figure skates are made for absolutely smooth surfaces.

Not my best lunge, but we returned another day when the ice was in better condition, and I could enjoy more freestyle skating. All of the edge marks on the ice were created by me.