The air conditioning hummed Monday at the local tire shop, the sound of impact wrenches buzzing in the garage.

It was a good place to relax on a hot spring day -- hot enough to see the paving crews sucking down water and the dust-covered mountain bikers stopping for beer at the Blackfoot River Brewery.

After a long winter, the spring weather seems well overdue. But then again, this time of year, it always does.

The first dose of skin-darkening sun is hard to resist. That first shoulder-sunburn is almost a pleasure.

Yet winter's aftermath lingers, hidden in the rising rivers and upon the drifts of snow that cling to the shadows on the Mount Helena ridge -- smack across the trail, no doubt.

Other bikers have been here before, their tire tracks cutting a deep, slick line through the snow. Riding in sand was never so much fun -- the cold snow a welcome reprieve on a hot spring day.

"Helena has some 0f the best trails in the state," said Chad Dexter, who works with Big Sky Cyclery. "Maybe even some of the best trails in the nation."

Its scenic backdrop isn't too shabby, either, much of it placed under protection by the Prickly Pear Land Trust, not to mention a long list of donors and volunteers.

The dry mountain gulches hold trickling streams. Along the Mount Helena ridge, the flowers rise in bloom: A botanical garden that will surely lose its color in the season ahead, just as that bubbling brook running down Grizzly Gulch may soon be reduced to a trickle.

From the ridge, on a clear day, you can almost see them -- the drift boats swaying on the distant Missouri River.

The general fishing season opened last Saturday and the boys down at Hatchopedia in Bozeman have been busy fielding incoming reports written by fishermen for fishermen.

If you trust the latest reports, the fish in the Bighorn are going nuts over pink scuds with glow-bug trailers. On the Missouri, it's the brown nymphs and red wire worms that are working well.

"People aren't out there giving away their secrets," said Nick Bennett, one of Hatchopedia's founders. "It's just helpful hints. It's not like giving up your best hunting spot."

On Sunday, while skiers hit Canyon Ferry (albeit in limited numbers), Big Sky Cyclery kicked off its summer season with the first ever Unravel the Scratchgravel mountain bike race.

Held off Birdseye Road, more than 40 adults and around 10 juniors showed up to ride on what turned out to be a sultry, if not hot, spring day.

"It's going to be a fast course," said state cyclocross champion Frank Gonzalez before Sunday's race. "You're hammering the whole time."

The springtime party continued all week. Birds and Beasley's hosted their weekly bird walk, and the gun dog shooters held their weekly practice for Sunday's national field tests.

Back on the mountain, more than a dozen children showed up at the Ambrose Trail to kick off Mount Helena Kids Day. Down at the grocery store -- not to be outdone -- bearded floaters bought a weekend's-worth of provisions; Sheppard's bread, meat, beans, beer and more meat.

With all that going on -- with the sun inching farther north every day -- boredom is surely a state of mind.

Martin Kidston: 447-4086 or mkidston@helenair.com