MULE DAYS IN HAMILTON, MT

June 12

Yes, indeed, they have mule days in Montana (Suzanne Brooks would love this). I didn't know exactly what Mule Days would be, but it is a 3 day horse (or should I say, Mule) show. The competitors and owners ride the mules just like a horse.

When I arrived at the Ravalli Counti Fairgrounds, there was a "trail class" going on. I used to do these when I showed western as a kid. There are obstacles the mules must go through, by, over, etc., in two minutes. First, they have to open a gate and go through, then back around a tree, then weave through a group of trees, then past 2 barrels with elk skins on them (this seemed to freak out the mules more than anything). The next thing was different -- it was a pole on the ground where the mule stradled the rail (front feet on one side, back on the other), and then the mule had to go sideways down the rail -- like a leg yield, but no forward movement. After the mule completed this, there were evergreen branches on the ground that they had to walk through. In any trail class, there is always something that is suppose to represent a bridge and water. So there was like a long wooden pallet with a blue tarp underneath. Not many of the mules liked this obstacle very much.

Not many of the mules did the course very well -- they seemed to be scared of everything. Since most trail classes have the same type of obstacles, I was amazed the competitors couldn't have trailed the mules over these types of obstacles.

I'm including a picture of one mule who was the biggest mule I have ever seen. He was huge, and he would be a huge horse as well.

I know people ride and compete mules -- in Ohio there was a mule who evented, and someone just told me about a mule who won ribbons at a dressage competition in Canada (remember, you are not far from Canada in Montana). But it was unusual to see riders warming up miles for an English equitation class -- with jumping saddles and draw reins.

My next stop was Blodgett Canyon -- a 2.8 mile round trip to the canyon overlook. This was one of the "10 Perfect Views" in Montana. And it was a hike that was well worth it. It was 1.4 miles up, but not so steep as some of my previous hikes because the trail traversed across the mountain with lots of switchbacks. It was steep enough to make me stop a couple of times to catch my breath, and so I felt I was getting some good exercise, but one that I think most anyone could make. There were some beautiful views from the mountain looking down into the Bitterroot Valley and the town of Hamilton, as well as views of the snow capped mountain.

The canyon is one of more than two dozen scenic canyons deeply carved into the eastern flanks of the Bitterroot Range. I could see a river way, way down below, but it didn't even show up on the pictures. In 2000, the forest in the lower section of Blodgett Canyon was extensively burned, and I could see this on a good bit of the trail. This fire burned 11,000 acres of federal, state, and private land, and is listed as Montana's 13th largest fire -- and it was man-started.

The trail gives you a good education on how natures starts to take back a forest after a fire. Most of the underbrush was back, and you could see some small evergreen trees starting to grow, most between 1-2 feet. As I learned from Yellowstone, it will be 20 years before the mountain is re-forested again.

When I reached the overlook, there was a lady eating her lunch, and apparently this is when the small wildlife comes out. There was a squirrel and chipmunk who looked like they were her best friends. When I left, I was talking to her, and she mentioned that once the food was gone so were the "friends". Here is a picture of a "golden mantel ground squirrel" (bet you wonder how I know that!!). You'll note that he looks like a large chipmunk with the stripes on his back, but a chipmunk also has stripes on his face where the squirrel does not. The squirrel made me laugh when he came out on the rock, and just flopped down -- like he was going to take a sun bath. Very cute.

Again, the trip down the trail was very easy, although the trail is pretty rocky at some points, so you do spend most of the time looking down to make sure you don't trip (which is the fast way down the mountain). It was another good day -- and again I am tired, but a very good tired.