This was our big adventure day and Thomas and Grandma Billie both did something that we hadn’t tried before. First we did a 3 1/2 hour trail ride that took us into the mountains above the Gallatin River. This was Thomas’ first time on horseback and he did really well. We both ended up on great sure-footed mules named Sis and Rhonda. Other than the guy from Kansas who started whining 15 minutes into the ride about how his backside hurt, it was a wonderful experience. I expected to be sore the next day, but that wasn’t the case. Thank heaven for Zumba!
Next we headed down the road apiece (Montana term for a quarter mile…or any other distance) to go ziplining. The hardest part of the adventure was getting to the platforms! First there was this ramp, then an 18-foot ladder, and finally a rope bridge that was the scariest of all. Fortunately we were hooked to safety lines the entire time so there wasn’t any real danger. Otherwise I might have had second thoughts!
The ziplining itself was great fun. We had one mishap thanks to the weather turning mean while we were on the course. A storm rolled in and it got windy first and then rained on us. As Thomas was crossing the second line he got slowed down by a gust of wind and his lighter weight and got stuck in the middle of the line. We saw it happen to the group ahead of us so we knew it wasn’t too bad, but it did mean one of our guides rode the line out to hook up to Thomas and bring him over the rest of the way. In the end, he got more time on the line (hanging over the Gallatin River) so he really got his money’s worth!
The last zip was back over the river and that one went without any problems. All in all it was great fun and I’m glad we got a chance to do both adventures. In the end we agreed that we liked the trail ride best-being out on the mountains with the horses was beautiful and relaxing, and the horses and mules were fun to be around.
By the time we got back to Josh’s house in Blegrade we were famished, so a trip to McKenzie River Pizza was a welcome finish to the day!
Travels with Billie 