JJJ - High Country & Sing Along

July 30, 2008: More riding. While there is undeniable "pain in the a$$", by the third day, you have largely adapted. The Barkers trailered the horses to an area where we could ride into some high plains with views forever. If you were comfortable, they let you do some cantering & galloping in the open fields. We went to a high plateau at about 6,000 feet where we saw some sea shell fossils in the ground - fascinating. We were allowed some time to get off the horses and just relax and enjoy the views, but only for 15 or 20 minutes. You look around and want an hour or two, and a couple of beers.

On the way down, we stopped in a field of wildflowers for photos. In the evening, we were entertained by some of the wranglers without any shyness issues on their guitars and their singing. That was great. These were interspersed with stories from the family of the history of the ranch provided great entertainment and some stress-free downtime.

While you are there, forget about the cell phone and email. You are in a valley and it just does not work. They do have a wireless web connection, but it is for the ranch and they strongly discouraged us checking into work. At the end of the week, we were thankful for the separation and down time of a real vacation.

JJJ - Ride to Gibson Resevoir

July 29, 2008: The mornings are very cool here - even in late July. A sweatshirt is usually enough, but a couple of nights we did light the wood stove to warm the cabin. Afternoons are usually high 70s / low 80s. We had no rain - spectacular weather. No bugs. The wildflowers are in bloom EVERYWHERE. Wide open fields of color.

The ability to relax is everywhere - but rarely taken. Too many things to do / places to go. Never turn down a ride to a new area. I did turn down a chance to hike to the top of the range surrounding the valley.

Nights are cool, but more importantly, DARK! There is absolutely NO light polution. It was the first time I got to see the Milky Way in years! I would go out on the porch around midnight. Without a light, you got that feeling of being somewhere on the bottom of the food chain. I rarely lasted outside on the porch in the dark for long. Standing in this shade of dark, I quickly felt like the hunted, not the hunter. I retreated quickly to my cave....

We took a couple of rides today - one before lunch, then one after. Our morning ride was to the Gibson Resevoir. You pass the dam on the way to the Ranch.

We took a ride to the high country in the afternoon. You can see for miles over the Rockies. The views are spectacular. The ranch hands ("Wranglers") are incredibly helpful and know the area very well. They pace the ride to everyone's abilities and interests.

Travel from Glacier NP to JJJ Wilderness Ranch

July 27, 2008: We had breakfast at the Park Cafe - excellent food, but it is hard to justify hte wait. The pie is good any time of day. After breakfast, we drove the roughly 3 hours to Great Falls, MT where we were to meet up with the Triple J Wilderness Ranch folks. Along the way, we spied a lot of horses both on and off the road.

The anticipation of the horses kept the "are we there yet" to a minimum. Good for all!

The ranch is about a 2 hour drive from Great Falls. We were picked up by Max, who (with his wife Ann) first named the ranch in the mid-seventies. His son Ernie (and Ernie's wife Kim) run the ranch now. We did the one week vacation at the ranch in our own log cabin on the site. They also offer week-long back country trips that seem a long way from roughing it.

You can't help but be in awe of the wide open land, the views, the wildlife. What a way of life!

WHITEWATER RAFTING GLACIER NP

24 July 2008: West Glacier National Park: We flew in to Kalispell, MT shortly before noon. We arranged for a 1/2 day raft trip down the North Fork of the Flathead River with the Wild River Adventures Raft Company ( http://www.riverwild.com/) near the west entrance of the park. These guys did a great job - mostly class 2 and 3 on this short trip, but it was the kids first whitewater experience so we were gentle. The water is freezing since it was snow/ice a few miles up the river earlier that day. This was a great way to get the plane trip off our mind and get in the mood for 12 days of R&R.

The 21 year old guide played the stud role well, but he did know the river and give us options to avoid some of the more serious swells (for instance a Class IV rapids). We did avoid the worst of the river due to the small kids. In all, you just get going when the trip is over, so make time for a longer trip - especially in this area with such incredible scenery.

In late July 2008 we left for a few days in western Montana. Glacier National Park (http://www.nps.gov/glac/) for the first four days and then to a Montana Dude Ranch - The Triple J Wilderness Ranch (http://www.jjjranch.com/). This is one of many excellent dude ranches in Montana - find others at (http://www.montanadra.com/).

My wife and girls are veteran riders. My son and I took a couple of lessons at a local horse farm and decided that we are ready for a week in the saddle. I feel the stories of the a$$ pains from long days in the saddle are overblown and for other people.