|
A Letter Submitted to AERC by Dorothy Sue Phillips, Powell, Wyoming Having lived near the area of the 30 Mile Stage Stop ride and riding some of the trails, I was not prepared for the challenge and beauty of this ride. Riders and crew gathered August 24th to ride a very challenging course among the hills, open fields and bluffs above the Yellowstone River near Billings, Montana. Base camp was an area used by the Motorcycle Hill Climb Club, lots of excellent parking and only a mile from the city.
Cindy Wagner, ride manager, and her crew have been working on this ride since 2005. Last year it was scheduled to happen thirty miles north of Billings, but fire danger was extreme and the ride was cancelled. A great deal of time, energy and money has gone into getting a new ride in this area and the past few years fire danger has plagued Montana and Wyoming. Over 400,000 acres had burned by this date and everyone was on edge because of fire danger. Maureen Jewell, trail manager, informed a group of 50 riders about the challenge of the next days ride. Surprised riders discovered the trail was a difficult and technical course. One experienced rider compared this ride to the Tevis Cup Ride. Thirty-three riders began the 50-mile course at 6 am on August 25th. Ten 30-mile riders rode the same course into the first vet check seventeen miles out. Two junior riders entered; Bryla Jones, riding a 23 year old gelding who completed the Big Horn 100 this year, and Lauren Cetrone doing the 30. Maureen explained the trail in detail telling everyone they would have to be alert and watch for flags as the course wound around, onto and over steep hills. It was very well marked, but difficult to find flags in the sage and tall grass. As the riders ventured out onto the trails, one could feel the history surrounding the area of the Bitter Creek Valley. In the late 1800's, a daily stagecoach ran between Billings and Coburn, Montana. By 1896, the road was a major route connecting Billings’ markets for cattle and sheep drives and the now forgotten rails in the Pryor Creek area. It was also known as the Reservation Road since the Crow Indians and others used the route to access most destinations to the southeast including Crow Reservation, Hardin and Sheridan, Wyoming. Bitter Creek water is now mineralized and bitter, but in the 1980's it provided potable drinking water for travelers and stock.
One of the oldest rocks in the cave area, called Black Turtle, has been dated back more than 2,045 years. Large boulders look like they have been suspended into the cliff called concretions. Formation of these concretions started as small ocean shellfish and plants died, leaving a mineral compound in the sand. This sand gradually hardened around the different chemical compositions. The morning of the ride started off cool but quickly warmed into the 80's and going was cautious and beautiful. Riders encountered huge rock outcroppings, long climbs on bluffs above Billings, and the Yellowstone River. It was breathtaking all day!
Riders pass nearby Pictograph Cave State Park. Named for the drawings left by prehistoric dwellers and travelers, the caves were inhabited as early as 7,000 years ago and only prior to the existence of horses and firearms. One of the many caves in the park, Ghost Cave, reported as being haunted, shows no evidence of humans living in this cave, as it is shallow and steep. The first vet check was fifteen miles out near corrals and large herds of Angus cattle. Ray Randall, the head vet, assisted by Sarah Schreiber, Mark Francis, and Sue Knighton, were very busy as riders came into the check in small groups. Out of the first vet check, we traversed beautiful trails, rocky bluffs, and tall dry grasses back into camp. Comments from other riders were, "This is not an easy ride, but what beautiful scenery!"
As we topped a high ridge, following along a steep bluff, I saw smoke in the distance. Off to our right a wildfire had started, moving fast. Three of us together picked up the pace into our second vet check which was to be a trot by. Only one crewmember, Jim Weiper, was there to meet us. The Vets, crewmembers, and everyone else had left to fight the fire. As the fire was reported to base camp, helicopters and an air bomber were dispatched, as well as ground fire fighters. The fire was under control within an hour, thanks to help on the scene. Just over 60 acres were charred, but it could have been far worse, as riders on the trails needed to be routed around the fire. And earlier this summer, several homes around Billings were destroyed because of wildfires. Everyone was on the scene quickly to prevent any further loss. Evening found us tired from the heat and tough trails. At the awards ceremony, we were advised that Sunday’s rides were cancelled because of the wild fire danger. It was just too great. And even though disappointed, all riders and crew understood the seriousness of today’s incident and the potential for further problems.
A special thanks to the many wonderful people who helped Cindy and Paul Wagner with this ride. Our thanks go out to Patti and Scott Rickard for handling the water. Teddy and Vern Blinco for tending the entrance gate. Viki and Jim Weiper for their never-ending assistance in Base Camp and at the vet checks. Terry Casey, Milt Stringer, Jim and Loyann Kimmery, Lisa and Mark Cetrone, Donna Horton, and Doyle Patrick were instrumental in providing help at vet checks, hauling supplies, food preparation, and setting up panels for horse pens. Winn Horton did a fantastic job of handling entries and recording results. Even the Montana National Guard pitched in to provide and set up four tents! This was quite a feat on some tough trails and a very hot August day, but everyone enjoyed a lovely dinner in the shade of National Guard tents. A huge thanks to the ranch owner, Steve Kuhlman, and a tremendous effort by Cindy Wagner and her crew.
Dorothy Sue Phillips Powell, Wyoming Return to Main Page |
||||||||||||
