There’s too much to do and too little time to do it!!!!
This afternoon we went on a jeep ride up into the Ninemile mountains. It was so much fun! The road wound back and forth up the mountain with one side looking over a steep drop off. I only gasped out of fear two or three times 😊. (ED. NOTE – It was pretty funny!!!) The road was pretty skinny and thankfully we only met one other vehicle going the opposite direction.
We could see through the stands of pine and feel the air change the further up we went. Eventually, the road was straddling state land and the Flathead Reservation. I was hoping we’d see some wildlife but they were off somewhere else. The views were stunning!
It’s like the cavalry but different!!!
Our drive took us to the Ninemile Remount Depot and Historic Ranger Station in the Lolo National Forest. There we received a personal tour! The Ninemile Remount Depot was built in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps after a summer of particularly terrible fires. It provided packers and animals for fighting fires and other back country projects. Mules are used to carry the equipment needed to fight fires and other projects, such as crosscut saws, chainsaws (today), food, camping equipment, and any other items needed where roads are not an option. The pack string train consisted of 9 mules, a horse and several hundred pounds of equipment. During a fire call, the animals and equipment could be loaded onto a stock wagon and ready to go within 8 minutes of the fire bell ringing.
They designed it to look like a horse ranch back East – of course, nobody had any idea what a horse ranch back East looked like!!!!
The campus consists of the main building which houses administrative offices, a Visitor’s Center, a black smith shop, tack area, a big barn with the most beautiful wood beam ceiling and corrals for the mules and horses. There are also a couple of residences for firefighters. You can take a self guided tour from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
The smithy could tell his handiwork from others in an instant!!!!
The black smith shop holds the forge where horse shoes were made many years ago and there is a barrel that holds some of them still. Now, the shoes are shipped in – BOXES full, some for mules, others for horses (mules hooves are narrower than horses). They are still brought to the shop to be shoe’d every couple of months during the winter season.
Still using them today!!!!
The Ninemile Ranger Station is one of two regional specialty pack strings serving Montana, Northern Idaho, North Dakota and northwestern South Dakota. The Rocky Mountain Region Specialty Pack String serves Colorado, Eastern Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas and South Dakota. The station is still a working ranch and winters over 200 mules and horses, grows hay, inoculates and worms the animals along with replacing their shoes. The corrals feed into a maze of runs leading the horses to stations to receive shots, worming medication and shaving of their manes when needed. Apparently, the worse part of this for the animals is receiving medication for the strangles. The mules are smart enough to remember and try to avoid having this administered! (ED. NOTE – You would too if someone shoved a syringe up your nose and injected a liquid into it!!!!)
The Ninemile Wildlands Training Center is also located here. They offer hands-on courses to the public, such as tack repair, a packing clinic and advanced packing clinic, horse handling, defensive horsemanship, crosscut saw maintenance, dutch oven cooking and more. The course schedule is on the website.
Zen and the Art of…
The next day, the hubs and I visited the Ewam and Garden of One Thousand Buddhas in Arlee, Montana. According to their website, “The location and architecture of the garden was a prophetic treasure vision that Sang-ngag Rinpoche had while a child and was discovered while on a trip to teach the dharma in Montana.” It is a beautiful location in the Jocko Valley about 30 minutes north of Missoula. As you pull through the arch way, the parking lot is directly to the right. Visitors then may walk beside fields on a pathway to the Garden of One Thousand Buddhas. (ED. NOTE – Those fields are active hay fields and if you come at the right time you will get wet from the sprinklers – don’t say we didn’t warn you!!!) The Garden is set in a circle based on the eight-spoked Dharma wheel symbolizing the awakening of the enlightened qualities of selflessness and wisdom. (ED. NOTE – So, not so much a Zen Buddhism thing as an Indian Buddhism thing!!) On the outside of the circle are one thousand stupas which are representations of the enlightened mind.
One thousand hand-cast Buddha statues line the inner spokes of the circle.
The spokes lead to a central statue and a prayer flag tent is set in the background up on a hill.
There is also a lovely, peaceful garden surrounding a Koi pond with trees and flowers that offer sweet smells and shade.
I believe it doesn’t matter what religion you practice or how spiritual you may be, spending time in a beautiful space meant for peace can only do your heart good. (ED. NOTE – Yep!!)
No man ever steps twice in the same river!!!
Our final adventure of Missoula was a float trip down the Clark Fork River for the hubs and friends. I was the shuttle driver – dropped them and the boat off and headed down the river for pick up! (Not a huge fan of being on the water!!) I have to admit, driving the manual transmission jeep with windows off and only the bimini on while pulling a small trailer was FUN! It’d been a while but it just comes back to you! (ED. NOTE – Well, it does if you have a good teacher!!!) I dropped the boys, stopped for some yummy potato skins and headed down the road. I ended up taking the long route (meaning I missed the turn) and headed down an old two lane road. Luckily, I found a small turn around and no one else was around, so no harm done. I drove right down to the rocky river bank to wait. It seems to be a popular place for swimmers, rafters, canoers, fishing and families for swimming! It was pretty late in the day, so there were very few people there. (ED. NOTE – The sun was still up, but that didn’t mean that it wasn’t late!!!) I set up a chair, had a little drink and before I knew it – there they came!
And now, the race back East!!!
We’re heading to Buffalo, Wyoming next. Looking forward to it but sorry to leave old friends and new! (ED. NOTE – Me too! I can promise it won’t be 30 years before seeing them again!!!)