ATVConnection.com ATV Enthusiast Community

ATVConnection.com ATV Enthusiast Community (https://atvconnection.com/forums/)

- ATV Expeditions (https://atvconnection.com/forums/atv-expeditions/)

- - South West Montana (https://atvconnection.com/forums/atv-expeditions/377406-south-west-montana.html)

South West Montana

Well been a while since I posted last don't know why, got busy, been posting on other forums. I think the last time I posted we had a couple of Honda Ranchers, we have since changed brands of machines. We were able to upgrade to some machines that have Independent rear suspension, automatic transmissions, and power steering, also one that is two person legal. We now have a 2018 Can Am Outlander 570 and a 2016 Can Am Outlander 570 2-up. We have really enjoyed riding this summer, it has been way more pleasant for my wife when we ride double and when she is driving her own machine. Waaaaaay smoother ride and all around easier for her to steer and not have to worry about down shifting going up or down the mountain trails. Did some night rides this year which added to the fun and also took our first ride with some snow on the trails as we got some of the white stuff earlier than expected this year.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...b891f616eb.jpg
Here's the two new machines, found both on Craigslist. Green one in Boise, Idaho Red one in Loveland Colorado. Green one was delivered to me, Red one I had to go get.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...4dafe8f09d.jpg
This machine made this ride much more pleasant.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...a121e23b15.jpg
This was the beginning of our first night ride with some pretty special friends, Our friend Julie is dealing with stage 4 appendiceal cancer. We try to get out as often as we can to be with them.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...043e91f0ab.jpg
Our destination was this rock that overlooks a beautiful view. She brought sparkling cider this evening to toast our friendship and to share with us that she has decided to stop her chemo treatments.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...24b514b6bf.jpg
This was a very sobering evening, we were rejoicing in our friendship but very sad to hear of her decision to stop with the treatments. She is just worn out and tired of all the invasive treatments to her system
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...f421841d9e.jpg
This has become a very special place for us, to enjoy the view, eat lunches and late picnic dinners.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...9bd2cd4b24.jpg
We have witnessed multiple amazing sunsets from this spot, not only with Julie and her husband Ray but with other friends we now share this spot with.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...497dab3958.jpg
This will be one of those times that won't soon be forgotten, she is an incredible witness to her faith in God. She fortunately has been feeling well enough to be able to get with us on multiple rides and is talking about snowmobiling as the winter snow comes.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...0ead460bd9.jpg
My wife cherishes this friendship dearly.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...769aa10b08.jpg
This is one of many sunsets we enjoyed over the summer

night ride continued

As the sun set it added a whole new aspect to trail riding here, we would often stop and shut the machines off just to be in the kind of darkness that is not polluted by the city. It is amazing how many more stars you can see and how much more the black of the sky shows without the exposure of man made light.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...a4392ceceb.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...24cd849ac0.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...2e9651a81d.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...1116cc920d.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...c687f46583.jpg
We got back to the truck around Midnight, it was still in the High 50's so very pleasant
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...05734ef9e2.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...085e223ae9.jpg
This was the completion of a perfect evening of riding and the start of many night rides to come for us. We will probably only do this on trails we have been on multiple times as we don't want to miss the possible beautiful scenery of new trails we might explore.

I'm glad you all had a great ride. Nothing like great friend's taking in God's beautiful creation together. If you don't mind my asking, did they remove her appendix? I don't have one any more and only have minor issues with things I can't eat. Just grasping for straws here. I hate cancer.... One way or another, it sounds like I'll get to meet her on that day we all go to a better home whose builder and maker is God.

It was a great day, and we were able to have a few other rides over the summer. Not as many as we would've liked as their schedule was very busy, it was their 30th anniversary this year and they took a trip up into Canada to Banff and had a phenomenal time, they also went to the Noah's Ark Replica in Kentucky and various other trips but as always, we were glad to ride with them when we could.
Will post more pics of recent rides this summer.

It's good hearing about the new ATVs, but really sad to hear about your friend's cancer. Having good friends to share the time she has left must to be a great comfort to her. I like the scenery there, and I see you have wine glasses for the toast. Nice. When my friends and I had to trailer our ATVs to a trailhead it was far enough from the city top be very dark at night. A time or two we all laid on the trailer looking up at the sky before we loaded up to leave. There were more stars visible than I've seen in a long time. We saw some satellites, and if you happened to be looking the right direction there were a few meteors too. The clearing in that one pic might be a good place to put a tarp or blanket down and lay there watching the sky.

P.S. One of my friends wonders if there are aliens out there doing the same thing, looking our way and wondering if there's anyone here.

Frank,
Thank you for the kind words, although we had wine glasses, we just shared a toast to our friendship with some Martinelli's sparkling cider, a memory we will cherish always. We are truly blessed to have these people in our life, to watch this woman live out her faith in the face of this adversity is truly amazing. And yes I know we do encourage her as well, they have told us so on many occasions, but we consider the time shared with them as equally valuable. We are very fortunate live where we live and be able to be at a trail head literally within 30 min or less. This one particular trail pictured above is the only one we've had the opportunity to do the night rides on, partly because we know it so well. Our plan is to do more night rides on other trails we do know next year. There's just something about watching the sun setting on these glorious mountains. I would really like to watch one from this point, would also love to see where you all ride.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...5c32bcf799.jpg
The sun would drop directly over the Mountains between the 2 machines. If my wife wasn't so afraid of tent camping it would be great to camp right around this spot.

You're welcome. I saw that you said sparkling cider, and I'll take that or sparkling juice over wine any day. I really like sparkling apple juice, and had some sparkling pink Catawba grape juice that I liked better than red or white, but those are good too. I don't think I've had any wine in about 34-35 years. What a beautiful view in that in that picture. It must be awesome to see it in person.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...8eb441d8b1.jpg
The trail on this ride is one of our favorite rides, the forest service extended this trail by about 2 miles so the end of the line is the picture posted above.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...191e207cc6.jpg
It was at this spot 1 week previous to this ride that we were coming down with a different group and a grizzly bear that we had seen further up the trail came out of the trees to our left, the right side of the this picture. My wife and I had already gone around the corner behind us and our friends in the pics above came face to face with this scary beast.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...b207fa2b63.jpg
The couple with us on this ride generally ride their own machines so when they do we do as well.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...a26570efbd.jpg
Believe it or not it was a bit cool this morning but warmed up nicely by that afternoon.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...5f6a153977.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/atvconn...d8ff0fc8e5.jpg
It opens up on the way up to the top to an area that becomes a huge playground for snow machines in winter, the big rock in the middle of the picture is actually a good sized rocky peak called the sphinx.