I don’t usually do much downhill skiing anymore, but decided to accept a neighbors invite and ride along up to Big Mountain (I guess they have renamed it Whitefish Mountain resort nowadays).I have skied the mountain many times and never seen a more beautiful day on top.This was the view looking towards Glacier Park.

Looking down on Whitefish Lake.

There was a very small crowd on the Mtn. which made for a very fun unobstructed day. Like I say I rarely go anymore, but it was sure worth it this time.

We’ve been experiencing some wet cloudy weather for a few days now, but this morning the clouds moved out and made way for a beautiful day in Glacier Park. These were the views from Apgar Village.

These were the views looking back towards Apgar Village    

And then on the way back home I ran into this herd of elk trying to make their way across the highway.http://www.apgarviewranch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0404.mov

After a very mild winter here in the mountains of Montana it looks like we will also enjoy an early spring. Temps that hang in the mid to upper 40’s have sure made the snow disappear. We usually trailer horses to an arena once or twice a week, but now we have been able to ride up on the Mtn almost daily.

We have also been taking advantage of the weather to do a lot of work in the pasture, thinning trees and trimming branches. You can work for days and not make a dent in what needs to be done.

Here we’re enjoying a coffee break in the sunshine.

I always try to mix backcountry training for the horses into their daily routine. Here they have been tied to a highline for awhile. 

We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to live part time in such a beautiful area. The North Fork of the Flathead always has great views.

There seems to be quite a few elk showing up this spring. This is great to see after decades of wolf depredation on these animals.

You have to enjoy snow if you’re going to live on a Montana mountain. This year we have had very good snow conditions for backcountry skiing and snowshoeing. The peace and solitude you have when exploring this winter wonderland is awesome. The one drawback is sometimes you have many days without seeing the sunshine.

One evening the clouds moved out and made for a beautiful drive up the North Fork. 

When snowshoeing in high country you are frequently surrounded by ghosts

Sometimes Sam and Layla join me for a outing. They are fun to have along, but it’s a lot of work for them in the deep snow.

My neighbor and I took a short trip along McDonald creek in glacier park. This is a very easy and scenic ski or snowshoe outing. 

The deep snow makes it difficult to do any horse riding, but we still try to get them out a little bit. Freckles and I were having some fun in the upper pasture

We also trailer the boys to a local arena to keep them working through the winter. Connie finally got the doctors ok to ride after battling some health issues.

Christmas has always been a special time for our family. We have always attempted to have as much family as possible around. When our children were small we frequently traveled to Montana to celebrate the holidays with their grandparents. Now when they are grown we are fortunate that they wish to travel to celebrate with us. This year we were blessed to have all 3 of our children and their family’s make the trip to Teakettle Mtn. We were also joined by Connie’s folks, so we had a happy houseful. This picture is all 7 of our grandchildren. The oldest is 6.

We had a very white Xmas at Apgar View Ranch. We received about 3′ of snow on the Mtn in the last few days. This picture was taken in early morning when going out to feed horses. It is so serene and peaceful up on the Mtn.

The boys had their shoes removed and are enjoying a little time off. We will start arena riding probably next week. It sure helps to keep working them lightly through winter.

Hope all reading this enjoyed a very special Holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Are we having fun yet?  This was the question posed to John as we headed up the Elkhorn trail in search of the elusive big bull elk. But of course we were. It is always a fun time at elk camp. Traipsing all over the mtns, riding horse and hiking in Montana is an experience that can’t be beat. The days can change from snowstorms that make hunting very difficult to a blue bird day with mild temps.

We also experienced days were it was -20 when we hit the trail in the dark of the morning. This picture shows John on a high ridge overlook glassing for elk. Those clear cold days are just breathtakingly beautiful.

The wolves have taken a heavy toll on the elk that move through and live in the Gallatin. We’ve hunted this area for many years and have witnessed the decline in elk population. There does seem to be some stabilization taking place now though. Wolf numbers are now being addressed and hopefully will become controlled.

We only havested one elk this trip. It was a nice little 5×5 brush head that Jeff found. Of course every elk hunter knows the work really starts after the shot, as this picture depicts.Every big game hunter should take the opportunity to go on a back country elk hunt at some time. It’s not about killing an elk, it’s more about enduring the elements in beautiful scenery with the comradery of hunting buddies. It’s about being alone at times, just you and your horse on top of a mtn, and having a 5+ mile ride back after dark. Experiences like this make the thrill of chasing the elusive elk, harvesting one is just the cherry on top.

We’ve returned to Teakettle Mtn. now that harvest and fieldwork is over back in North Dakota. The horses love getting back to their pasture on the mountain. We purchased another big sorrel gelding late last summer and were supposed to pick him up the first week of November. He was a beautiful horse with a great temperment. Unfortunately he had a bad accident and broke a hind leg prior to us taking possession. We worked with the sellers as they wanted to try to replace Big Red for us. We first tried a big grulla gelding we called Shadow Shadow had a super nice build, but he was a very timid spooky horse. The type of riding we do in the mtns. requires a confident stable horse and we just didn’t feel he would work out. So we traded him for a super pretty little bay that is the total opposite. We call him BanjoWe have had rain and snow to beautiful sunshine days the last couple weeks. Working the horses has been the main focus because they will be heading to elk camp next week. Connie has also been able to ride a little bit again after her back surgery. It definately helps lift her spirits when she climbed back in the saddleTanner is the leader of our herd. He has matured into a very special guy that is just a joy to be around. Looking forward to elk hunting with this big boy.

I haven’t taken time to add to this blog for quite a while. We’ve been busy with harvest back in ND. The barley and wheat harvest is over and we have started pinto beans. This picture shows Connie back in the controls again. She used to run a combine years ago, and we were a little short handed one day so she jumped in and handled it fine.

The horses have been getting fat and spoiled. This is skylee cozying up to Tanner.

Had a couple of fun rides to close out the summer on the mountain. With the low rainfall we’ve been having Freckles and I were able to fjord the north fork of Flathead and climb up on the bluff to access the old flathead ranger station trail.

We did see a few elk over in the new growth area from the roberts fire and also had some great views of the river

This is a fun ride with nice views just have to be cautious with the fjord area to access the trail. The trail up the bluff is somewhat overgrown and is found on the north fork side of the point.

The next day neighbor Dan, his nephew, and I took a trip up McGinnis Creek. Another beautiful day and lots of nice scenery.

There are quite a few old logging roads and forest service roads that have been closed to motorized travel so there is some nice areas to explore up this drainage.  Pretty easy riding except for a few eroded areas. Tanner and I had a great day. One of those days when the horse is in a great mood, listening and watching you for direction, and just wants to please. It was sure a fun ride to close out the summer season.

Time has come to head back to ND. We were able to take one more ride up the mountain together. Bright sunshine day and great horses made for a super time.