Day 14: 320 Guest Ranch to Missoula, MT

Just as the horses were being herded into the barn for the day, the crew was loading up the bus. We had a wonderful 3 night stay at the 320 Guest Ranch but it was time to mosey on to our next destination, Missoula, Montana. 

It was an early morning departure, so the bus was quiet with sleepy passengers for most of the ride. About midday, we took a break from traveling for a picnic lunch. The chefs at the ranch never let us go hungry and these bagged lunches were no exception. 

Once in Missoula, we stopped by a Walmart to get water shoes for whitewater rafting. Some of the crew got creative with their footwear choices. A few had regular water shoes but others bought Sanuk lookalikes, sneakers, and my favorite, the slip-on shoes. Those with the slip-ons, also bought fabric markers to customize their shoe design. After going to Walmart, the anticipation of our afternoon activity was in full swing.

The main feature of our day was whitewater rafting in Polson, Montana. There were definitely mixed emotions about this adventure. Some of the crew was nervous but others were excited! The guides of the Flathead Raft Company calmed our fears with reassuring words and safety instructions.

The sun was out and the water was warm. We had perfect conditions for a whitewater rafting trip! The crew had fun splashing each other with their paddles and water guns and they jumped into the river at the first opportunity. There were 5 major Rapids in the Lower Flathead River. The most famous and challenging, called Buffalo, was a level "3 plus" rapid. The entire crew made it through the trip all in one piece even though there were up to 12 people in a raft!

For dinner, we went to East Shore Smoke House and had a delicious dinner of chicken, ribs, baked beans, rolls, and pasta salad. The patio was beautifully decorated with flowers and a cherry tree. It was a relaxing meal after a whirlwind of a day. 

Next stop, Seattle, Washington, for the 4th of July!

Day 13: A Day at the Ranch

Our last day here on the ranch has been full of activity. After eating a hearty, home-cooked breakfast, the crew was divided into two groups for the day.  One group went hiking while the other group saddled up to ride horses. The horseback ride was led by the ranch hands from the 320 Guest Ranch stables.  After brief directions on how to ride and handle a horse, the ranch hands helped the students fit helmets and mount the horses. We had a few students in the group who previously said they were afraid of horses, but even those students looked like natural once they were saddled-up. When all were ready the line of horses followed each other out of the stables, along the pasture, and onto the trail. The ride lasted about two hours; all groups returned just in time for lunch. 

After lunch and some time to change, the two groups switched activities. The hiking group headed to the barn, and the horseback riders filled up their water bottles and hit the trail. The hike was about 6 miles round trip to a high meadow called cow flats. Both groups hiked through green meadows, along bubbling brooks, across rocky ridges, and passed lines of horse riders to their destination. After a few pictures, we turned the group around and headed back to the ranch. 

Upon returning to the ranch all groups got some free time. Some students spent their time doing laundry or fishing in the pond, but the majority were tuckered out and resorted to relaxing in their cabins. 

Dinner consisted of salad, homemade pizza, and fresh made chocolate cake for dessert. Once again we had a lot of clean platers and many who went back for seconds. I have heard a lot of students say the food here has been the best so far. I believe that has something to do with its homecooked flavor that reminds us all of the normal lives we have left behind for these 33 days.

After dinner we were greeted with more free time and an early curfew to pack and rest up from our long day on the ranch. Tomorrow will also be active with  whitewater rafting as we continue northwest.

Day 12: 320 Guest Ranch, Big Sky, Montana

The day began with a delicious breakfast at the 320 Guest Ranch. The spread was much more impressive than a normal continental breakfast. 

This morning, we headed back to West Yellowstone to visit the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. On our tour, we saw grizzly bears, Eagles, ground squirrels, and wolves. All of the animals were at the center for rehabilitation reasons and can never be released back into the wild. 

After the Discovery Center, the crew saw an IMAX movie called "Yellowstone". The movie was about the park's history.  Yellowstone was the first national park in the world and is home to the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest supervolcano in North America. The movie also provided an amazing birds eye view of the canyons, lakes, mountain ranges, geysers, and wild animals in the park. 

After a filling lunch of hamburgers and bratwurst, the crew got ready for the Grand Western Tour's annual volleyball tournament. There were 8 teams and each team name started with one of the first 8 letters of the alphabet. Each team had a creative uniform and they battled round robin-style until we had the winner, the Dream Killers. Below are the volleyball teams!

Ankle Breakers

Batman

Crazy Cool Cats

Dream Killers

EMTs

Flying Cats

Golden Gangsters

Happy Patties

Later in the afternoon, the crew dressed in their Grand Western Tour t-shirts and jeans and a photographer took our official group picture! I'm sure everyone is looking forward to receiving a copy of their own!

We ate dinner by the river, with the other guests at the ranch. We indulged in steak, chicken, corn, baked beans, and corn bread. A cookout is never complete without s'mores, so that's exactly what we had! Yum! The evening ended with more volleyball, horseshoe  games, and fishing. Ranch living is such a treat!