Setting up camp, the guides lift anything they don���t want bears to get into.
Connie with her horse, Bounty
took time to share their maps with us, too. And though we
knew where we were headed each day, we couldn���t have
anticipated the adventures that were in store.
One day we left our campsite in bright morning sunshine for a two-hour ride to a small lake, where we planned
to enjoy our sandwiches and a refreshing swim. We rode
through acres of standing dead trees that had burned in the
fires of 1988. The trail
was clear, the tall gray
trees quiet and ghostly.
The lake was lovely,
clear and cool, but Jake
pointed to dark clouds
roiling overhead.
���Gotta head back,
now���, he said urgently.
~ Kipp Saile; Rockin��� HK Outfitters
���That storm���s comin��� fast.���
Sure enough, we barely had time to don our rain gear,
Jake and Cliff fed and kept a careful eye on the horses
mount our horses, and head back up the trail before a
and pack mules and cooked surprisingly delicious meals.
severe thunderstorm hit us with drenching rain, thunder
They were fun, too. At night we sat around the campfire
and lightning, and the sound of dead trees falling. There
on logs, telling tales, singing familiar western songs. They
While we rode, our eyes searched the hills and forests for
a glimpse of a moose, a coyote, a bear. On one ride Cliff
stopped, pointed to a nearby hillside, and put a finger
to his lips. There stood a large cow moose with a small,
ungainly calf, still as statues. They stared at us, and we at
them, until they broke and trotted awkwardly away, disappearing into the forest.
���Most people really enjoy the scenery and the atmosphere the back
country brings.. the peace and tranquility. They always comment on
the stars, like they���ve never seen them before, and they���re surprised
they are so clear and bright.���
MADE with Pride
heirloom
quality
furniture
Affordable & Handcrafted
Locally Owned & Operated
20900 Frontage Road Belgrade, Montana 406.388.8300
www.blacktimberfurniture.com
22
D I ST I NCT LY M ONTANA ��� SPRI NG 2013
