Does your family have that special person that is the unofficial record keeper? In our family it has always been my mother. Grandma Jean was that person that took pictures documenting all of those special events happening in the family, and then creating picture albums for keepsakes. Imagine the work involved with this, these were the days before camera phones and saving to the cloud. She spent countless hours sifting through the proper pictures to create albums that were frequently for the benefit of someone else. She was also the individual that kept up with extended family activities. Aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends received correspondence frequently from grandma Jean. Jean kept in contact with so many in a time that doing so required effort, not just a simple text or social media message. Yes, Jean was exceptional at maintaining family/friends contacts. She was also very gifted at crafting, a hobby she just loved to do. In her later years she was creating these special holiday cards that she would send out. We actually had to caution her about it, because she would mail them with a 1st class stamp and the recipient would end up paying a couple dollars postage due!

My mother (Jean) was born in 1927. She was one of 3 children, with a sister and a brother. This was a difficult time for everyone back then. WWI was over and the depression was coming. This was before the days of social welfare and rural families all worked very hard to survive. I remember a quarter of land that my grandfather owned that had two massive shelter belts on it. This was in a beautiful location and when Connie and I started our lives in ND was always one of my favorite places to do field work. One day I was commenting to my uncle about the reasons for my affection and he responded with a story of himself and my mother. He said when they were little my grandfather planted all of the trees in those shelterbelts. Grandpa would haul out my mom and uncle and drop them off for the day. They were to pick all the weeds between the young trees by hand. Now this wasn’t just a one time affair but numerous days per summer and multiple summer’s until the trees were large enough to compete. My uncle expressed no love for these shelterbelts even though they were beautiful. My mother on the other hand had never told me of these laborious events. She admitted to their happening when questioned, but she was not forthcoming with a lot of stories of the trials of growing up in this time period. 

Young women in those days took a back seat to their male counterparts. More often than not they did not attend secondary education. They took jobs where they could in retail, secretarial, or bookkeeping occupations. They were the primary keepers of the household and child rearing. This was how it was for my mother after she married my father and they had my sister and myself. I remember vividly how when we were to go on a family outing it was up to her to have all the necessary items in place. Groceries, sleeping bags, other camping equipment were her responsibility to prepare. It seemed so meaningless at the time, but after I started a family of my own and experienced a little of what was involved, you realize just how important the details of running the household can be. Women today search for accomplishments in business, politics or other occupations, but those women of previous generations were just as accomplished and important in my opinion. My mother withstood many difficult trials during those years and most of her efforts went without accolades or even notice for that matter. 

In later years after my fathers passing, Jean remarried to a widower. She completely embraced his children and grandchildren, and significantly increased her work load as the record keeper. Still not computer literate, she manually corresponded with his side of the family and her own, remembering birthdays or scheduling holiday get-togethers. She was constantly crafting gifts of cards or ornaments or some other trinket. Most of us had no idea of the effort or the love she put into creating these gifts. Truthfully I frequently scoffed at something I received “now what am I going to do with that”. But as time goes on you come to realize and appreciate the efforts put forth and the love she put into her labors. She needed nothing more than a thank-you call or note to make her feel appreciated. I know we will always treasure the many picture albums she created for keepsakes.

When I look back on my mothers life I am very proud of her. I wish I would have told her this more often. She was so considerate of other people’s lives and problems, often forgoing any of her own. As I write this for my blog site I can’t help but think of those special cards she used to make. We would often have to make a trip to the post office to retrieve them, or place funds in an envelope for our postal carrier to collect for the extra postage. I wish I would have never cautioned her about sending these out. I wish I would have just paid the dam postage and called her to tell her thank you!

Grandma Jean is 95 years old now and close to going to God. She is presently in the hospital and we feel it will not be long. We are praying that she passes peacefully and painless. We also pray for my sister who has been Jeans caregiver for so many years.  May she find some comfort knowing that moms struggle will end and she will be with her Maker.

Cody flew in for a couple of backcountry ski days. After a rain event that settled the snow, we then received 6 to 12 inches of fresh stuff that has created awesome conditions for this early in the season.

We started the first day heading up in the tranquil basin drainage. This is a great little area that I have skied many times, but was Cody’s first winter trip. Although we’ve had significant snows this drainage was still pretty brushy. A very enjoyable ski day, but would be better with a few more feet of snow.

When we were leaving the trailhead that morning we visited with 3 skiers that were obviously very experienced. They were planning a trip up the drainage separating snowslip and running rabbit mountains. This is an area neither of us had any knowledge of, so for our second day we elected to follow their tracks for finding the route up the mountain.

As with most of the drainages in this area we were greeted with steep inclines and heavy woods for the 1st half of the route in. When we emerged from the trees we were in some awesome snow conditions and open terrain.

Cody wanted to make it to the very top of this drainage which would have landed us on running rabbit mountain, but we ascended into heavy clouds and visibility wasn’t great for our first trip up here. Coupled with the fact that his old, out of shape dad would have been struggling severely to reach the summit, we elected to stop about 600’ short of the ridge line.

After a lunch break and admiring the views we made our plans for the descent. Cody wanted to continue up a short distance and then catch a contour line that would allow him to cross over to the snowslip side of the drainage. I would ski down the area we ascended and meet him a few hundred feet below. We figured about 1/2 hour additional for Cody to join me at our meeting point.

This is where our lessons learned came to play. As Cody started his descent, he popped his bindings after a hard turn. He lost both skis on the steep downhill. He didn’t see them get carried down with the snow wake and assumed they were buried where he fell. He spent the next hour and half digging with his avalanche shovel attempting to find them buried deep in the heavy snow. Meanwhile I’m waiting at our meeting spot with thoughts of my youngest injured or worse lying up on the mountain. Cody could actually see me waiting, but I could not see him. After much internal debate I felt I had to attempt to make another ascent up the mountain. I reapplied ski skins and headed up the switch backs, which when Cody realized what I was going to do, panicked him. He knew his old dad was in no shape to make another trip up the mountain. I made it close to our lunch spot elevation when I realized that there was no way I was going to be successful in following Cody’s route without exhausting myself and risking both of us being in danger on this mountain. Common sense told me to return to our meeting spot and give him till dark before calling for help. I reached our meet point and was greeted by a woohoo hollering up the mountain. As Cody saw me descending the 2nd time he gave up his search and was attempting to hike down. I’m not sure if his woohoo exhilaration was his happiness of seeing his dad return or the fact that he found his skis stuck in a tree a few hundred feet downslope! I got some nice video of the rest of his descent while cursing him under my breathe for removing some of the color from my hair.

We still had a long ski descent to make before dark so we headed out, both of us thankful that tragedy had been averted. As we visited on the way down Cody was adamant this would not happen again. Next outing we will have radios and ski tethers! He had the items on order before we even arrived home, lessons learned for sure.

Although we had a little scare this ski outing was fabulous. Terrific snow conditions with very little avalanche danger allowed us to ski some very vertical terrain. We are both dreaming of returning to this drainage for future outings, and maybe with some cooperative weather (and me being in better shape) we will make the trip to the top!

We’ve had a cold spell the past few weeks. I’m usually out feeding horses early in the mornings, dark and chilly for sure. When I come back to the house I am greeted by a warm fire burning in the stove in the foyer. One morning I sat on a bench near the fire reflecting on how fortunate we are to experience this lifestyle.

I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, and hope that your lifestyle choice gives you the warm loving feeling such as the heat from a wood-stove.

This fall has been most incredible. We have been blessed with beautiful sunshine days stretching well into October. Riding opportunities in perfect 70 degree weather don’t come along often so we took advantage whenever possible. Brisk mornings turned into balmy warm afternoons.

The fall colors were awesome this year. So many shades of green, yellow and red.

We found a few new trailheads that we definitely have to explore.

River levels are lower and much easier to cross this time of year.

We are blessed to get these opportunities.

Billed as Ranch Camp 2022, this summer we had the fortune of having the oldest 6 of our 12 grandkids stay on the mountain. Days were filled with horseback riding, target shooting, lake or waterslide afternoons, numerous games and fireside s’mores in the evening.

Each morning after breakfast started with horse riding. The kids went in pairs and worked with their special horse for about an hour and a half. They progressed quickly and were soon trotting around the arena

These kids get so attached to their horses, it is hard for them to quit when grandpa say ok it’s time for the next pairs turn.

The hot afternoons we spent on Hungry Horse reservoir or at the big sky waterslide. Bluebird sunny hot days had everyone ready for swimming.

A stop at the Huckleberry Hut for ice cream is always a hit.

The days passed quickly and soon it was time for them to return home.Skylee and Decker flew out first after a 10 day stay. Mady had couple more days and then she boarded a plane for home. Then Steve, Leah and Gavin drove out for a short visit and picked up Bella, Sophia and Jalen.

These are such special times that we have with these kids. Everyone is hoping for a repeat in 2023!

Another day ride we take each summer is to the top of standard peak. Many times we’ve attempted this ride only to be turned back by storms or deadfall, but this year both the trail and the weather were great.

You can access this trailhead quite high on the mountain resulting in a short somewhat steep 3 mile ride, or you can opt for a longer route following a old FS road that requires a short bushwhack up to the main trail. Connie doesn’t like the bushwhack so we took the main trail on this trip.

The views from up on this peak are spectacular. Not the massive peaks that you have in glacier, but 360 degree views that you can attain with a short day ride or hike.

A little off the beaten path and not the popular glacier park area, but these mountains in the whitefish range have their own special beauty.

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A busy summer has prevented us from taking any overnight backcountry trips this season. Elk Lake is a beautiful little spot that we enjoy visiting. With the extremely hot temps we elected to take a quick trip up here rather than subject the horses to an extended trip.

One beautiful lake

Views from the pass

During the spring months we take most of our horse riding outings up in the North Fork (of Flathead River). This country is inundated with old logging and FS roads that are off limits to motorized vehicles. While most trails in the Flathead are still snow covered, these trails are open and the North Fork scenery is tremendous. This area is great for getting our stock acclimated to mountain riding again.

We enjoy this area because of its proximity to home and very seldom do we encounter others. If you’re looking for a little trafficked, wonderfully scenic area be sure to check it out.

If you live and recreate in western Montana you will undoubtably be drawn into Grizzly conversations at some time. This great bear has been a topic of controversy since it was given federal protection back in the middle 70’s. Most of the conversations I’ve been privy too, take place with people who have little to no personal experience with the bears. These folks get most of their information from internet articles (like this one) that have an obvious bias. Although many articles are written with factual information, the bias they contain frequently distorts or misrepresents the facts in order to further the writers narrative. I’m certainly no expert, but because of personal experiences and what I love to do, I have developed a opinion that many times contradicts the internet experts.

I was born and raised in western Montana and spent most of my childhood recreating in grizzly country. This was a time when bears were considered a predator. Often when there was a human encounter, the bear was simply shot. Grizzly numbers had declined and a sighting was a rarity. With all the outings I spent in grizzly country as a youth, I never once had a close encounter.

I remember on a float trip out of Schafer meadows my father and I had stopped at an old elk hunting camp site to have lunch. This was before the advent of bear spray and because we were on a float trip we did not pack a firearm. While having lunch we were harassed by a bear. This bear had no fear of us and circled our campsite repeatedly. With no form of protection and a somewhat aggressive bear, we gathered up camp and headed downriver. This was my first experience with a nuisance type bear and illustrated to me the dangers when they become somewhat habituated to humans. 30 years later I was on a backpacking trip with my boys in the same area, and we encountered 3 grizzlies in one day. All 3 were good incidents where the bears moved on immediately posing no threat.

I’ve since had hundreds of miles and countless nights spent in grizzly country. I have had so many encounters it’s hard to remember them all. I have not had any that were threatening. All of my sightings have been on horseback which probably was a factor in the bears desire to move on. One observation that I feel quite comfortable stating as fact is, there are a significant number of grizzlies inhabiting the forests of western Montana.

Although my experiences have all been non-threatening encounters, many backcountry users have not been so fortunate. Each year we seem to have growing number of incidents involving a mauling or even death. It’s inevitable that these incidents will increase. The time has come for federal protection to be taken away from these great bears. Their numbers have increased to a point where they repeatedly vacate the forests. Numerous times they are spotted out on the plains to the east, areas that were once part of their native range. There are many opinions as to why these bears are out in the wheat fields, but the most logical is simply their elevated numbers. Grizzlies need room to roam and source of food, both easy to find out on the plains. Many argue against revoking the protection of the threatened and endangered species act. I do not know how many grizzlies would satisfy these peoples romantic notions of true wilderness in the west. I do know the human population will continue to grow. More homes will be built and more people will come. I wish this wouldn’t happen, but it is inevitable. The west is a beautiful place. Most of the newcomers will not have the knowledge of what it takes to live with bears and there will be more and more bear incidents. My argument for removal of protections for grizzlies has not been to advocate hunting or harming the bears. I believe the state of Montana is in the best position to manage and control the bear population. The state employs specialists that deal with bear incidents on a regular basis. Also state officials are more responsive to the needs of their electorate. The people of Montana will have a direct say in how the bears are managed in their state. This is the best way to ensure a safe environment for bears and people. The experts live here!

The pandemic chased many people out of populated cities of the U.S. and sent them seeking more rural areas of our country. Many areas of Montana were dealing with growth prior to corona, but this event exasperated an already changing population base. For those native to the state these changes can be very disturbing.

In the past Montana was a vacation destination for families wishing to enjoy nature in its finest. They came, they spent money, and they went home. With new technology and the ability to work remotely, they no longer go home. Instead they search for their own little bit of paradise right here. Many counties in Montana have had unprecedented population growth these last 2 years. This growth has been challenging for our communities to deal with, but the most distressing changes are happening in our rural landscape.

Montana historically has had numerous farms and cattle ranches. These ranches helped give this state the magical “step back in time” appeal that draws so many. Today though, these ranches get gobbled up by wealthy out of state investors. It’s easy to see the rational, as the ranch owners age and the next generation chooses not to continue with the family business, the inherently valuable ranches are sold off for enormous prices. Many of the buyers are not interested in a working ranch, but rather a private vacation retreat. Previously assessable properties for hunting, fishing or recreating are now off limits to the general public. One of the largest problems with this new wave of ranch owners is the loss of access to public land. This has been a growing issue across the west. Many thousands of acres of public lands are only accessible through private lands. Landowners have been shutting down that access for years now. Some have leased to outfitters, or outfitting themselves. Others are just shutting down all access through their property.

This population explosion has also resulted in a enormous increase in the use of front country recreation. Campgrounds have expanded and new areas have been created, but they do not seem to keep up with demand. As a result we are seeing some very distressing scenes on this pristine landscape. Close to our home there was a small primitive site where a handful of locals would camp and recreate along the Flathead River. This is not a developed site with parking spots, tables and fire pits, rather this is primitive camping where people pull in and park anywhere on the river bank. For the last couple of years this site has been inundated with newcomers. We have heard of as many as 70 units parked on the small gravel bar near the blankenship bridge. Consider the ramifications of this activity. All these vehicles parked on a high water area of the river, vehicles that are sometimes leaking fluids or other contamination that inevitably will be absorbed into the river as soon as a rain event occurs. In addition to the vehicle contamination, there are hundreds of people inhabiting this area now. All these people spreading their human waste throughout the shoreline. These situations are atrocious.an old bus repurposed for camping stuck trying to access a gravel bar

One of the most popular summer recreation activities is rafting the Flathead River. The river access sites are packed with enthusiastic floaters almost every summer day. In addition to the normal populace enjoying an outing on the river, you have numerous commercial outfitters offering raft trips. These businesses cater to the many tourists and newcomers to our state. Often in groups of six large rafts at a time, these groups create a continuous river parade coming down the river. Blue, green, yellow and red are the most often seen colors distinguishing the different commercial groups as their customers shriek with glee making their way through the white water. Members of our family enjoying a commercial rafting trip

The point of this writing is to question what is to be done to protect the most valuable resource in Montana, our public lands. Our government agencies are tasked with providing access to public lands and balancing use to prevent degradation. In so many instances these agencies (primarily the USFS) fall drastically short. The front country (areas accessable by vehicle) seems to be overwhelmed with activity. In my opinion the USFS needs to be proactive in addressing the use of these areas. These popular sites should be developed and maintained. This would allow for controlling the number of users and also would minimize contamination of the resource. Rather than allow for unlimited commercial use, the outfitters profiting from exploiting this resource should have their permit (usage) numbers capped. Outfitters provide a valuable service, but we have reached a point where the commercial aspect of this service is diminishing the appeal of this pristine river system.

Most of our activities take place in the backcountry. What I observe in these areas is equally disturbing. Our forests used to have a trail system in almost every drainage. Lack of funding for trail work has led to USFS focusing on primary routes into the backcountry and allowing secondary routes to become overgrown and impassable. With the increase of population comes an increase in backcountry use, so what we see is these primary routes getting enormous pressure. Rather than close or restrict access, our backcountry could be improved by the USFS putting additional emphasis on improving access to secondary trails. Also in many instances our public lands are completely inaccessible because of private ownership changes. In these situations our USFS should be in the forefront of the legal battle to maintain public access. Our public lands should be available for all who want to enjoy.

Although our landscape is becoming more populated, this country is still very beautiful. It’s up to us to keep it for our children to enjoy. Not to be locked out and not to be exploited by commercialism.