STONY LAKE HIKE

Connie and I hiked along divide trail between Ravalli and Granite Counties yesterday off of Skalkaho Pass then dropped down into Stony Lake on the Granite County side.  Steep trail down to the lake and it was even steeper when we came out of there!  Pretty little lake that was worth the hike.  We had ridden along the divide trail back in 1992 when we did a pack trip from the east fork of the Bitterroot to Willow Creek.  I think we were gone a nearly a week.  The area has changed a lot since then.  Many fires in recent years has made it look a lot different.  The fires of 2000 were in this area as well as fires from last fall very near the lake.  So we got to see how the forest is recovering.

This is Skalkaho Falls going up to the top of the pass.

Some of last years fire.

And an area where no fire have been for many many years.

The trail was crisscrossed with lots of spider webs - more than usual in my opinion.  This was one of the largest spiders we saw.  Click to enlarge.

Stony Lake from the divide trail.  You can see all the area that is burned behind the lake.  I think that area is from the fires of 2000.

We were amazed to see this one green tree among all the dead ones.  Makes one wonder how things like this happen.

Lots of little trees starting on top of this old stump in the lake.

Pretty bouquet on top of this rock.

FLOATING THE BITTERROOT

Connie and I joined Ike and Brenda and their friends Carl and Julie and their two kids to float the Bitterroot from Stevensville to Florence Saturday afternoon.  It was a hot day and being on the river was a great place to escape the heat.  Had a great time although Connie and Brenda were in the kayak on a 90 degree bend and got hung up on a root ball for a minute or two.  They had to stop and bail out the kayak!  Other than that, it was a pretty lazy day of floating the river.

Brenda is still trying to get Ike to catch a fish.  

Harrison and his Dad Carl are pretty intent on catching a fish.

On Osprey watching us float under it.

Milly and Harrison practicing on floating the  river.

We have these insects we call "cranes" that catch other flying insects like this bee and suck them dry.  This one landed on my wrist watch band to have it's lunch.

A lazy day floating the Bitterroot.

Carl trying a little fly fishing.

Mussigbrod Lake Kayaking

Connie and I have been hearing what a pretty little lake Mussigbrod is over in the Big Hole Valley.  So we decided to take our kayak over there and check it out.  An early morning get up and we were on our way.  It certainly is a pretty lake and we got to see some of the Big Hole Valley that we have never seen before.  Some really nice ranches on the west side of the valley.  Had a great day and the bugs were not that bad.  The Big Hole has a reputation of some of the most aggressive mosquitoes and horse flies in Montana.

Ready to launch.

Pond lilies.

Pretty flowers floating in the water.

We had a little lunch and coffee in the EMPTY campground.  

Our stock waters are used by lots of birds and critters around here. These toms just came in to drink and then left.  While mowing the lawn the other day,  a doe ran into the corral and drank.  She just looked up at me a couple of times until she finished then left.

Connie and Gary by an old ponderosa pine that has died of old age.

A northern owl spotted on a morning walk.

MOVING COWS TO SUMMER PASTURE

Went over to the ranch and helped the Martinells move their cows from the Mayberry cow camp up to the Gobel cow camp where they will stay until the middle of October.   Some really early morning get ups and a long day or two, but we got them there.  I was surprised at how dry it was over in the Centennial and how little water there is running out of the springs and creeks.  The grass is not as tall as it usually is either.  Had a good time as we always do helping them move their cows and caught up on a lot of the news of their family and the area.

The horses had lots of "horse flies" to contend with so there were lots of tail swishing and shaking of their heads.

Headstalls on the fence posts.

Trailing the cows.

That is the Gobel barn in the background.  The barn is falling down now, but Connie and I used it to store salt and mineral a number of years ago.

Some of the cowboys and cowgirls watching the cows spread out.

When strange horses get together there is always the pecking order to get straightened out which is what is happening here.

The kids spent some time cooling off in the creek that runs through the Monte Kent cow camp that we stage out of.

Jack, Joe, and Peg catching a nap.

Where we put them into the Gobel cow camp and most of us having a cup of coffee.

Macy, Cassidy, Calen, and Kiley.

This little cowboy was pretty tired and decided to catch a little nap.

Calen petting his cow dog Darla.

HOT SUMMER

We are having a very hot summer with very little rain.  We did have a pretty good thunderstorm last night that dropped .3 of an inch of rain which we really needed, but that has been it since the middle of last month.  We are seeing more hummingbirds this summer though.  They have been a real treat in the morning while having my tea sitting outside.  We will be headed over to the ranch next week to move cows up to the upper cow camp where they will stay until October.  So we are getting ready for that.  Not much else been going on except irrigating and spraying weeds.

The turkeys are starting to show up with their babies around the house now.

The lilies are in bloom.

Click to enlarge to see the hummingbirds coming into the feeders.

HUFF COUSINS REUNION

My mother's maiden name was Huff and she came from a large family - 11 children.  For the past 12 years or so we have been having a cousins reunion every 2 years.  This year was the Mason cousins time to host it.  We rented the group site at Como Lake for three days.  Had a great time catching up on all that has happened since we last met.  Some of the cousins came a little early and spent some quality time exploring what our little Bitterroot Valley has to offer.  These cousins had been on a trip up to Alaska for more than a month.  They had lots of tales to tell.  It was a great reunion and all are looking forward to the next one in 2014.

All were impressed with how the turkeys and horses get along here on our place.

Paul on Jack doing a little riding.

The fire pit got used also.

A deer and a turkey below the cabin.

Ben and Cheryl at the "church".

Diane getting a little riding in also.

Cheryl.

Ben.

Connie took Diane and Cheryl for a nice ride up by the powerlines.

I think Diane enjoyed riding a horse again.

Some of the peaks by Lake Como.

Paul and Ben taking a break for lunch.

Paul trying to capture the perfect picture.

An Osprey in her nest along the trail.

Paul out on a kayak.

I took this group on a hike to the falls at the head of Como Lake.

Bushes in bloom.

Como Lake from the Dam.

Sister Mary Ann, Ben, and Cheryl on the bridge above the falls.

Ben cooking hamburgers while Bob makes sure the guy from Missouri does it right!

The cousins with Uncle Don.