Sometimes, even when you are so busy that a break seems like a bad idea, it’s good to get away. That is precisely how I went into our trip up to the Gravelly Mountain range near Ennis, MT that weekend. We headed out after work on Friday, making just a short stop at the grocery store. The trip takes nearly 3 hours, almost half of that on the winding, narrow gravel road that leads to the top of the range. The weather flittered between sun and rain, a bit out of season for July in Montana. Once on the main road that traverses the range, it’s still a 30+ minute drive to the main campground, Clover Meadows.
Now if this all sounds familiar, we have done this trip before, about four years ago, taking some friends along. That was the same summer we also ran a half-marathon (Madison Marathon) up along the same road. We didn’t deviate from the template we set from the previous trip. Once we arrived at our campsite, we (poorly) started a fire and set up our tent. We failed to remember that higher altitude fires need to be set up with a bit more deliberation than at home, or at our typical camping haunts. Needless to say, it took a while to get the fire ready for cooking. Our meal was simple, just a couple polish sausages. As we finally started to chow down, rain poured down and we scrambled to put under cover all the exposed camping gear. The downpour was quick, but nearly enough to put out our hard earned fire. After finally eating, we decided to turn in for the night, treated by a spectacular sunset (sorry, no pictures, I kept that one for myself).
The night was cool and the dog was shaking at our feet. We never know if it’s because he’s cold, or that he is just too excited to get outside (you should see him before we go on a run). To make sure if it’s not the former, I covered him up with a spare blanket and he seemed to settle in. As far as a restful night’s sleep camping, I’d rate it at a 4 of 5 star night. The only things waking me up were the dog (he decided to sleep on my feet) and then the moon (thought someone was shining a light on our tent).
Our first plan for the day was a short run. I had a bit more distance to cover, so I left earlier than Jess. I wanted to get in at least 6 miles, knowing that the elevation would require more from me. I headed on up the road, eventually taking an ATV trail that forked off the main road. This led me to a beautiful bluff where I could see the valley below slowly illuminated by the rising sun. I couldn’t help but stop for a moment, just to enjoy the sight that lay before me, and just me (and maybe some cows). It was at this point where I realized why you don’t see too many professional photographer/runners or professional runner/photographers, the two interfere because they overlap. I know (and actively use) the technology advancements in camera technology and notably cell phone based photography allow us to take some amazing photographs, but I’m referring to professional photography. I once ran a 10k with a DSLR, just so I could get some unique shots, but you can’t run your best, and take great photos. Lately, I’ve also been enjoying going on runs untethered to my phone, but I’ll comment more on that in another post. I’m glad for it though, it makes me enjoy the scenery before me.
On my way back, I still had some extra mileage to get in, so rather than head back to camp once I hit the road, I jogged up the road further. With this little jaunt I came past a set of corners, and anyone who has followed us for some time, might remember a story about a near-accident driving the last time we spent time in the Gravelly Range. Long Story short, rallied the car too much, overheated the brakes, went into two consecutive corners too fast and nearly flipped the car. After looking at the corner again, I had to take pause, noting the protruding rocks and boulders and the impossibility of the outcome. Once again affirmed that God wants me alive. It was a moment of both levity and joy.
I ran my way back to camp, noting some pretty slow miles as my watch showed me the stats for the run. Jess had started getting the fire rolling for breakfast. With the dog searching for small creatures to flush out of the nearby trees, I enjoyed my staple coffee and we set off to explore the range.
Typically when we explore, it involves a trail, but there aren’t trails as much as just endless winding roads. So we drove around for a few hours, taking pictures whenever we noticed something that looked beautiful or interesting. The result you’ll see below and in whatever Jess posts about this as well. At this point we were practically alone, only a dozen or so vehicles had been seen, a sheep herder and someone out on a horse. It was quiet, just what we needed. We eventually made it back to camp as a storm rolled in, giving us just enough time to pack up camp for the journey home. Hopefully we can make it back to this place again, sooner than later.
