Distinctly Montana Magazine

NeeD MORE space? It���s important to carefully balance the load for the pack horses and mules. was no shelter so we kept moving. A tree crashed across the trail a couple of hundred yards ahead of us, blocking our way. There was no way around it. No problem. The wranglers tied their horses, unpacked two saws, and quickly sawed through the thick tree, dragging enough of it out of the way that we could ride through. The storm passed by in no more than 20 minutes, but it felt like forever. As we rode closer to camp, we were amazed to see large white hailstones the size of golf balls carpeting the forest floor. Cliff swore under his breath when he saw that the hailstorm had flattened the cook tent and scattered pots and pans across the meadow. Our sleeping tents sagged with hail, but none had collapsed. We unsaddled our wet horses, hung the tack and rain gear, then turned the horses out into the meadow, and helped the guides clean up. That night we huddled close to the blazing campfire for a long time. The next day would be the long, challenging ride over Electric Pass! But at dawn when we looked up at Electric Mountain, we were alarmed to see two fires burning on the mountainside, apparently sparked by lightning from yesterday���s storm. Jake galloped up the trail until he was high enough to call a ranger and report the fires. When he returned, he was shaking his head. ���Can���t take a chance,��� he said apologetically. ���There���s a free campsite a morning���s ride from here instead. Stay there a coupla nights and go back the way we came in. Shucks and darn.��� We were disappointed not to be able to ride over that high mountain pass, but soon we had a chance for a rare wildlife encounter. A ranger rode by our camp and told us that wolves had taken down an elk nearby and were feasting on it. Though some of the group were fearful of encountering the wolves, three of us rode out silently just before dawn the next day and found the elk kill in the river, with five wolves feeding on it. The wolves scattered into the timber. We let out our breath and looked at each other, astonished that we had been close enough to see their intense green eyes and rippling fur. One day Betsy, a woman from New York City with little wilderness experience, plunged impulsively into a creek to cool off. She dove into the clear water, surfaced, and came face to face with a large beaver! The beaver slapped its tail and fled underwater; Betsy scrambled out of the water, shrieking, and ran for camp. The rest of us laughed so hard we nearly cried. Too soon we had to head back to the trailhead, tired and happy. Had we missed our cell phones, TV, and all the news that���s fit to print? Not one of us. w w w. d i s t i n c t ly mo nt a na .co m Guest rooms are typically used two weeks out of the year -Think of the possibilities for your spare bedroom! We custom design, build and install! 2301 Palmer | Suite #1 | Missoula, MT 406-240-3927 www.MontanaMurphyBeds.com pamschultze@gmail.com Murphy Wall Bed Hardware dealer 23

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