Four Wheelin' In Montana Mountains - Clouds, Beaver Slides and Cows

Our fifty mile trip through the mountains on a Polaris RZR began shortly after noon on a beautiful, sunny Montana Sunday afternoon.
Grace and I were passengers in the four passenger vehicle operated by her son Greg with navigation assistance from his wife Janelle.
The trip began with a ride up a steep, rough mountain trail.
Geared down for the uphill run the RZR could go anywhere and the ride was rough but fast.





Reaching the top of the ridge line the distant mountains and beautiful clouds came into view.

The unique cloud formation showed the effects of high winds in the upper air and caused ripples to form in clouds across nearly the entire sky. We were fortunate to see these rugged clouds from high above the treeline and between trees at lower levels.

It was windy and the face shield on the helmet Grace was wearing provided some protection from both the wind and the occasional mud splatter as we moved past mud puddles from the recent rains.

The Lodge pole pine grow to great heights in the high country and provide some spectacular pictures as we worked our way up the side of the mountain. The trail had many twists, turns, and mud holes so travel through the area was slow.

 Remains of hundred year old mines were found while moving through some of the back country trails. With sides made of poured concrete this shell of an old mining building has stood the test of time and while wooden parts of the building have
crumbled, the concrete stands firm against the ravages of time. The smaller picture shows remains of a building that had several smaller rooms and passages. The origin of the structures has faded through history.
Following a trail past the buildings we find a fence made of branches from Lodge Pole pines.
Inside the fence is a small tomb stone marking a grave which has become known to local hikers and mountain travelers as Baby Bertha.
The small stone marking the final resting place of the three month old baby also tells the tale of a grief stricken miner and his wife who suffered a heart breaking loss.
The birth date on the small stone is Oct. 2, 1890.
Death came about three months later.
Robert and Letha Hunter somehow found someone to carve the stone marker and built the fence around the grave.
The grave sits alone on the mountainside with no other graves or structures nearby.
Through the years, area residents have rebuilt the crumbling fence, adding steel fence posts to bolster the old pine branches which had been used to protect their babies grave.
Those were hard times and the grave reminds those who find their way up the side of this rugged mountain of the strength and dignity of the men and women who worked so hard to build a community, a state and a nation.

Leaving the high country we headed toward Avon, Montana and a great little restaurant for lunch.
Driving now through Montana Ranching country we found a real working Montana ranch.
In a beautiful valley with a view that seemed to go on forever, the ranch provided a glimpse into ranching life as it is today.
There were cattle in the fields, plenty of hay in large round bales and a picture perfect modern ranch.
A short distance down the road we found a contraption that gave us a look at what an old fashioned rancher used for hay making, instead of the big hay balers used today.




A genuine Beaver Slide sat by the side of the road and through the valley were large stacks of hay inside fences, evidence that this machine was still in use today.

The Beaver Slide was invented in the early 1900's by two Montana ranchers, Herbert S. Armitage and David J. Stephens. The two ranchers were from Beaverhead Country Montana and when they obtained a patent on the rig it was called the  Beaverhead County Slide Stacker. The name was quickly shortened to "beaverslide," and it became a fixture on many Montana ranches. A few ranchers still use the labor intensive hay maker instead of the expensive balers that create the large round bales of today. The intrepid four wheelers are pictured in front of the rig.

This picture was taken shortly before I attempted to lean out and take a picture of cows that had been blocking the road but were now hurrying to get out of our way.

Unfortunately, as I snapped the picture of the cows fleeing the four wheel monster which had invaded their territory, I dropped my Iphone6 and watched as it slipped out of my hands and landed glass side down on the gravel road.
The Selfie Stick which should have been holding the phone securely in it's grasp was on the back seat of my car where I had forgotten it when we began our ride.

I'll be visiting Verizon in the morning.
Here is one last look at the fabulous Montana back country which has made our ride so pleasant and enjoyable.





My next Iron Butt ride is coming up fast. On September 30th I will be riding a SaddleSore 1000 Mile ride from Helena, Montana to San Jose CA. After a short visit with Janis, Mike and the kids I will head to San Diego where Shareef AsSadiq has offered to be my Start Witness for the 50 hour coast to coast ride from San Diego to Jacksonville, Florida. On that same ride I will be attempting the BBG1500 which is 1500 miles in 24 hours. This ride is labled "extreme" and will be the toughest part of the entire ride. Diana and Ilidio have offered to be my End Of Ride Witnesses and I will be spending much of the winter with them in Lake Mary, FL.
I'll be doing the Ray King RTE (Ride To Eat) in Flagler Beach Florida in October and the Florida west coast to east coast ride in November.
Great winter riding coming up.

Watch for me, I'll be in the Right Lane America.
Del "Lonnie" Lonnquist