Mastering the Morrison Monster

Ever since we bought our first ATV four years ago, we have heard the legend of Morrison Jeep Trail. In fact, when we took our "safe rider" course shortly after we bought the machine, one of the "this is what you must never do" examples was a story about an ATV tumbling down the switchbacks on Morrison Jeep Trail. Despite its reputation, we knew that we would one day ride that trail. Someday... when we had more experience... 

When we started planning a ride for this weekend, we thought we would just go down to the Pryors again. But then a friend texted to suggest Morrison Jeep Trail. Well, if 3600 miles in four years isn't experience enough, we might as well just forget ever riding it! So we made our plans.

However, when Friday morning came around and I was still feeling apprehensive, I turned to the internet. The first video I found was a TV series episode in which the crew took a couple of Toyotas -- one with a trailer, no less -- and a BMW street bike up the road. Well then! If they made it with THAT set-up, riding it on ATV's should be a walk in the park!

We were up really early on Saturday morning, and we "circled the wagons" at McDonald's. There were six of us, with one more meeting us at the trailhead. The weather was perfect, albeit windy, as we unloaded and started up the trail. Come to find out, our new friend Karhu had been up the trail before, so we were no longer riding completely blind. The first four or five miles of the trail followed the Clark's Fork River and we were pleasantly surprised to spot a small family of mountain goats on the cliffs above the river. 

Then we turned toward the mountain side and started up. And up, and UP! We gained about 2000 ft in just two miles of swithbacks. We all made it to the top without incident and took a few minutes to catch our breath (as much as the surrounding scenery could have taken it all away again). Then it was on to the next set of steeper, but not so tight, switchbacks.

About half-way up the first set of swichbacks. 

Near the top, three very nice mule deer bucks crossed the road in front of the group. We followed them a little way before they gave us the slip. Dan had a clear view of them through the trees, but unfortunately, I did not, and I had the camera. We came back to the machines to discover that Dan had a flat tire. We pumped it up and set off again. We caught up to the rest of the group at a creek crossing. Dan's tire was already going flat again, so most of us ate lunch while Dan and Grif found the puncture in the tire, plugged it, and pumped up the tire again. 

Lunch time. Pastor Jeff House, Mike, and Karhu (aka Fearless Leader)

Storm clouds were gathering as we finished our lunch, but we pushed on a little farther. Eventually though, we decided it was time to turn back. None of us really wanted to come back down the switchbacks in the rain, let alone in the dark! We dodged raindrops all the way down. As we regrouped at the base of the switchbacks, a clap of thunder and a flash of lightning motivated us to hurry for the trucks! Alas, there was now no dodging the raindrops! We got back to the trucks soaked! (Thanks a lot, Black Cloud!) We loaded up, and as we were leaving the parking lot, we noticed a complete double rainbow stretched across the road. It was the perfect ending to another wonderful day in God's great outdoors.