SW MT OPRC whitehouse overnight

South West		Montana Chapter
PO BOX 10394, Bozeman, MT 59719	(406) 587-4377	lazybow@montanadsl.net

Overnight at Whitehouse Campground

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recap - Overnight, Whitehouse Campground, Deer Lodge National Park
23 - 25 August 2002, Friday evening to Sunday afternoon
Five of us arrived in camp at 7:40 in the evening and proceeded to set up camp. Part of the campground had been recently improved and was off-limits to horses, but the un-improved portion amongst the trees was lovely and suited us much better. The Bohannan's high-lined their horses, and the Lessley's used a portable electric corral. Everything went really smoothly, and we all slept well. In the morning, we took an easy six mile ride to Cottonwood Lake ---- which was a little marshy drainage in a lovely meadow. We didn't stop to fish, but kept right on going up the trail after stopping to admire the scenery, as the day was yet young, and the horses weren't tired. We were amazed to pass a basin of destruction on our way up to the lake. All of the trees were down. The scene looked like pictures from Siberia after that meteor hit in the 1800's. When Gary had a chance to talk to the ranger, he said that the destruction had been caused by a "down blast" --- basically a tornado on its side, rather than going vertically up and down it seemed to have rolled horizontally around the natural bowl. As we climbed up past the lake, there were trails that split off to different destinations, that we didn't have time to investigate. Definitely worth a return trip.

In the evening, after we'd fed and watered the horses and put them away for the night, we sat around a great campfire, courtesy of Mickey and Zach, and dined on beef stew, garden fresh vegetable salad, and fresh bread, until it started to drizzle.

In the morning we pulled out the apple pie we'd been too stuffed to eat the night before and resumed our positions around the fire and continued with story swapping. What a great way to break the morning chill! This time we concentrated on the Saavy Method of Natural horse training. Then four of us took off for a quick morning ride, and Gary stayed to read and visit with the Park Ranger.

Home in Bozeman by 3:30pm to finish off a great outing.

(photos)

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