Group Therapy

 Hi, my name is Tammi, and I am addicted to ATV's.

I guess you can blame my daddy for my addiction. He is the one that introduced me to "off-roading" and "two-tracking." One of my earliest childhood memories is going straight up a steep hill in the back of a jeep. And in time, as so often happens, I married a man just like my daddy. Guess what? He came with a big, green Chevy pickup and an everlasting curiosity for "Where does this road go?" Time and a move to Montana have not changed my love for getting out. In fact, it has only introduced me to more like-minded people. 

This weekend was no exception. On Friday, we hauled the camper down to the Pryors. We got it set up, and then unloaded the four-wheelers. Despite clouds and spitting rain, we headed out. We ended up running main roads for most of the afternoon, but late in the day, we came to Burnt Timber Road. There was a large sign warning that this is NOT a road for cars. NOW you're talking! After a quick, exploratory foray, we decided to save it for another day when we have more time. 

Saturday morning, we were joined by some friends, and we hit the trail again. One of our favorite ways to get from where we camp to the canyon on the other side of the mountain is over a series of switchbacks. Starting down, we quickly concluded that we were the first group down the road this spring. The road was littered with downed snags. Fortunately, a couple of axes and a "few good men" made it fun to do our civic duty in clearing the trail for all of our fellow riders. 

We were actually planning to ride to the Big Ice Cave, but the road was still barred. Oh well... We continued up the trail the other direction until we were stopped by a snowbank. No worries, we just went another way. All in all, Dan and I rode more than 100 miles over the two days. 

You know, now that I think about it, nevermind... I don't want to get over this addiction. If you need me, I'll be out on a back road somewhere. Catch me if you can! 

Lovin' my Friday

After a couple of rough nights at work this week, I was so ready for it to be Friday! Since Dan is playing a tournament on Monday, we had to start the day at the golf course. It was a beautiful morning, and I played okay, so it wasn't too much of a trial. I was eager, though, to get done, because we also had plans for the afternoon. 

As the weather has improved, I have been impatient to get back into the mountains. Since the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway is kept open all winter, it was a sure bet. But we also got a bonus ~ the road between the highway and Cooke City opened for the season this week, so we went right on through into Yellowstone. 

My main objective for this trip was wildlife pictures. While it is still a few weeks too soon for babies, I expected that the adult animals were going to have spring fever just as badly as I do. We have seen moose and bears on the Chief Joseph before, so we were on high alert. But we saw nothing but a goose and a few ducks. 

However, our luck was about to change as we came into the park. We were only a mile or two past the entrance when I spotted a small canine walking along the road. It was not a small coyote, as I first thought, but rather a large fox. It even paused a couple of times to pose for us. And we were just getting started! We added a black bear and big horn sheep, then a moose, and finally an elk.

As daylight started to fade, the nearly-full moon rose over the mountains and made for a picturesque drive home.