July 6, 2011
Road 5587 (2)
This set of photos was taken in the middle section of the trip, eight to nine miles from the gate. There were all kinds of signs of wildlife here. It’s quite wild country.
These are bear tracks that were made in some mud which has now dried. There was bear scat all over the whole extent of the road, especially after the first three miles from the gate. Upon arriving back home I thought it was pretty cool to have bear scat on my bike tires: that doesn’t happen every day!
It was here where I left the bike to hike the rest of the way. I just didn’t feel right running my tires over that beautiful green carpet!
The ridge top above the road just before the road ended. Not surprisingly, there was an animal trail going up the side of the clearing. I will revisit here come elk season!
I found it difficult to leave that ridge!
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Montana Outdoors 
I too would have found it difficult to leave. It always is when nature is this seductive.
LikeLike
Comment by anniespickns — July 7, 2011 @ 6:22 am
I lived away from Montana for many years but each year came back to visit my folks on summer vacation. Now then it was really hard to leave.
LikeLike
Comment by montucky — July 7, 2011 @ 9:30 pm
Grizzly bear, right? Do they run and hide when they hear humans come into their territory or is bumping into one (or a cat) something you are prepared for?
As you know, I love bears. I am comfortable with our very shy black bears here … grizzly bears, they have a different reputation that might put some fear in my while I was walking up that road.
Gorgeous place and the sky was so blue that day …. looks like a great time.
LikeLike
Comment by bearyweather — July 7, 2011 @ 7:23 am
The bear sign here was all Black bear. We rarely get a visit from a grizzly at this end of the Cabinet Mountains, although I have seen sign left by them in four different locations over the years. I love bears too and have had a problem with only a few black bears. Yes, I am always prepared for a bear or cat encounter: one has to be because they are here in abundance. Having a problem with a cat is many times more likely than with a bear. There were several cases last year in western Montana where hunters and hikers were attacked by cougars.
LikeLike
Comment by montucky — July 7, 2011 @ 9:36 pm
How do you prepare to met a cat?
LikeLike
Comment by bearyweather — July 8, 2011 @ 11:23 am
“meet”
LikeLike
Comment by bearyweather — July 8, 2011 @ 12:42 pm
It’s most important to be aware of everything around you because cougars prefer to hunt from ambush. I always carry a a pistol when in the back country, usually a .357 magnum or sometimes a 9mm. I seldom run into cats and when I have, they were taken off-guard and scrambled away as fast as they could; but there’s always the chance for other behavior.
LikeLike
Comment by montucky — July 8, 2011 @ 9:27 pm
I think the fact that there was bear scat enough to get on bike tires would have made me happy to leave the ridge! Tis beautiful scenery though… I bet you will be going back there before elk season!
LikeLike
Comment by kcjewel — July 7, 2011 @ 7:28 am
There are just a lot of bears in that area and I think there is probably something growing there that they eat this time of year before the berries come out. There is a lot of very lush vegetation there. Yes, I will go back soon: an old trail that I’ve long wanted to hike takes off from about the mid-point of that trip and I might stay a night at the beginning of the trail and hike it the next day.
LikeLike
Comment by montucky — July 7, 2011 @ 9:41 pm
Well, it’s official… I’M IN LOVE WITH MONTANA!!! =) It’s so extraordinarily beautiful there… I just can’t say that enough, but then, you already know that =)
LikeLike
Comment by Tricia — July 7, 2011 @ 7:53 am
Well, we certainly share that, Tricia! I was very fortunate to be born here and even more fortunate to have a Dad who spent a lot of time with me in the outdoors teaching me the ways of the land and the wildlife: he loved it just as much as I do.
LikeLike
Comment by montucky — July 7, 2011 @ 9:43 pm
It is beautiful for sure. The bear tracks and scat are kind of scary, though.
Yes, walking was best for the top of the mountain. Your hands are free for the camera. What are the yellow flowers?
LikeLike
Comment by sandy — July 7, 2011 @ 10:41 am
The yellow are mostly Arnica, although there are still a few arrow-leaf balsamroot in bloom up there. It’s still late spring at that elevation and another 1500 feet higher spring is just beginning.
LikeLike
Comment by montucky — July 7, 2011 @ 9:46 pm
Such beautiful country! And bear poo on your bike tires? Who could ask for more!! 😉
LikeLike
Comment by Barbara — July 7, 2011 @ 11:00 am
I couldn’t ask for much more, Barbara! Wild country, wildlife, cool clear clean air and streams that are pure enough to drink from freely. (And a little later, huckleberries to eat!)
LikeLike
Comment by montucky — July 7, 2011 @ 9:48 pm
Hi Montucky, I have never before read such an interesting little story – bear scat. How great is that? Glad no bear encounter though. I always wear bear bells when hiking in bear territory. Can’t be too safe even if a bit noisy. Have a super duper day.
LikeLike
Comment by wildlifewatcher — July 7, 2011 @ 11:43 am
Actually, I was hoping to see some bears, but I wasn’t early enough in the morning for them. By the way, they say here that you can tell Grizzly scat because it smells like pepper spray and has lots of little bells in it.
LikeLike
Comment by montucky — July 7, 2011 @ 9:51 pm
It would have been hard for me to leave, too…
Unless of course those bear tracks were, um, fresh. Then I’d be outta there! ;o)
LikeLike
Comment by Stacey Dawn — July 7, 2011 @ 3:57 pm
Outside of the Grizzlies, I don’t know how bears got such a reputation. They are usually very shy and non-aggressive toward humans. Here it’s considered very lucky to get a good look at one. I wish you could get to watch one for awhile as he foraged for his food. They are beautiful animals!
LikeLike
Comment by montucky — July 7, 2011 @ 9:54 pm
More great photos, I’ll bet it was hard to leave that ridge. About 15 years ago I nearly hit a black bear on a mountain bike. Crashed the bike and the bear jumped right over me. Now that would have made a great video.
LikeLike
Comment by Wild_Bill — July 7, 2011 @ 5:19 pm
Yes Bill, that would have been a great video! Probably scared the heck out of the bear too! I’ll think about that now every time I ride: it might not be a really good idea to run into one! In 1993 I missed a black bear on a highway by only about two feet while riding my Gold Wing: we were both very lucky!
LikeLike
Comment by montucky — July 7, 2011 @ 9:56 pm
I understand very well Your words: “I found it difficult to leave that ridge!” after admiring Your beautiful photos. Again the third photo from the bottom inspired me most of all. Thank You presenting these photos.
LikeLike
Comment by sartenada — July 7, 2011 @ 10:54 pm
I like that photo too. I know that beyond the scope of the photo is about 20 miles of old forest with no roads and no development at all, only several old Forest Service pack trails that were made in the 1930’s so pack strings of horses could take supplies to the fire lookouts.
LikeLike
Comment by montucky — July 7, 2011 @ 11:32 pm
Unreal beauty you live in. I’ve got to say I would be scared, though, with bears and cougars around. We had a bear attack up in Pinetop a couple weeks ago. It ventured into an area where there are a lot of cabins and attacked a woman walking her dog. The woman is still in a medically induced coma. But I felt horrible for the bear since Game and Fish tracked and killed it. Where are these poor animals supposed to go when we take over their land and with all the forest fires here, their territory gets smaller and smaller.
LikeLike
Comment by Candace — July 10, 2011 @ 1:24 pm
That’s a sad incident, Candace. A man was killed in Yellowstone a week ago too, by a Grizzly. I know the fires have been very hard on the wildlife there.
LikeLike
Comment by montucky — July 10, 2011 @ 9:42 pm
Love the wispy clouds in the first and third shots – you could do a whole thread on clouds!
LikeLike
Comment by Kim — July 11, 2011 @ 12:19 pm
(and 4th)
LikeLike
Comment by Kim — July 11, 2011 @ 12:20 pm
I love seeing the clouds from the higher elevations where they sweep over just above the mountains.
LikeLike
Comment by Montucky — July 11, 2011 @ 4:34 pm
Montana skies and scenery for sure do lift my spirits… lovely images and a nice way to document your adventure exploring on your mountain bike… I bet the ride down was fun and would have made a great video if you had mounted a camera to your handlebars!
LikeLike
Comment by Victoria — July 25, 2011 @ 6:06 am
That was a very good day for the trip. I wonder if a “bike cam” would work or whether it would be too bumpy. A video of the scenery as it unfolds would be really nice though!
LikeLike
Comment by Montucky — July 25, 2011 @ 9:49 pm
I’m guessing a helmet cam would be better than one affixed to the bike as your neck would absorb more shock than the handlebars ever could!
LikeLike
Comment by Kim — July 28, 2011 @ 8:55 pm
I’m sure someone knows how to do that, but I’m afraid it’s beyond me.
LikeLike
Comment by Montucky — July 28, 2011 @ 9:44 pm
I believe they are sold that way – I’ve seen skiers with helmet cams. Hands-free operation would make biking easier while filming.
LikeLike
Comment by Kim — August 2, 2011 @ 9:31 am