r/Montana

I was out for a fun 4th of July MTB ride and I left from my house, which had about 5 miles of public road (3.5 mi being gravel) before getting to the trailhead.

Anyways, on my return from the trail I am back on the gravel road and have a mile or so left of gravel when I encounter a group of horseback riders. I’m on a decent, I know this trail/road and there is an outfitter that gives tourists a guide-led ride on this road. So I figure it’s one of them or maybe a family for a ride. I let the back of the group know I’m there, approach slowly and am on the opposite side of the road.

I’ve grown up in Montana and know horses, I spooked one a bit and said sorry , but the guide stops me a bit aggressively, he rides on and I’m like why isn’t he halting? I know a ride like this just needs the leader to stop and boom the rest would to.

Anyways, it’s all on the video, that’s how I felt when it happened. I was shook by this guy and I literally ran high school track exercises up this hill as a kid (I’m 36 now).

What do y’all think? Was I in the wrong? Should I talk to someone about this? There’s a local Facebook group I could always add it too.

Thanks y’all for your thoughts.

Happy fourth and happy riding!!!

Edit: wow this blew up!! Thanks for all your comments and feedback. Yes, I could have announced better, but on a road, not legally required.

I know the company this guy works for. I’m going to do the considerate thing and contact his employers and explain the situation. If they are willing to listen and reprimand him—okay. But if they ignore me or are just straight up rude, I think I’ll report the incident to the police and post on local Facebook pages.

Thanks again y’all.

Ride safe, have fun, and put out the positive vibes.

We love to drive up Hogback (Beaver Creek up past Refrigerator Canyon) around the 4th to see all the flowers. This year we went to escape the heat. It was a gloriously beautiful day, birds and butterflies and at least a dozen different wildflowers blooming.

266 Montanan's never returned home from Vietnam. These 266 flags stand in their memory as a part of The Wall That Heals which is in Billings through tomorrow.

Aurora borealis with fireworks!

A little bit full. There was a small dam in the river that I don't think was a beavers. Though, I admittedly have not seen a beaver dam in person.

I hope everyone got to enjoy the lights tonight ✨️

When we glance back and consider what has been, it is easy to look with regret upon what has occurred in the past. Thoughts like, “If I had only done this”, or “If I had not done that, things would be so different” come easily. 

I think about the past when I am wandering around in places like this. I wonder how tall the mountains used to be before the ice. I think about what it looked like when this land was covered in glaciers. Then, after the ice had finished its work of carving this work of art, how different did it look than before the ice appeared? How tall were the waterfalls? How deep were the canyons? I love to imagine this wild place eons ago when Native People viewed these majestic scenes. Did it look the same as it does now? Do you know what I think? I think mountains like Palace Butte and Maid of the Mist Mountain have endured some difficult times. I imagine that if they could talk, they might express some regret at what had happened. Think about it though, if the Ice Age had not left its mark here, things  would look much different. This unmatchable landscape would likely not be nearly as rugged and interesting. 

I think life is like that for all of us. Most of us have endured pain and difficult circumstances. To be sure, some of you have faced a more difficult journey than others. On the other side of that though, there can be a beauty that is difficult to comprehend. Be patient, stay strong when you can, lean on each other when you can’t, and embrace the journey. The passing of time leaves its mark on all of us, and it is a beautiful thing. 

To mark the passing of time, I have used a very long exposure to create this image. 433 seconds long to be precise. It has a magical way of capturing the movement in the clouds and really adds a sense of richness to the image. 

Montana btw