Escape Reality — Boulder, Round Three – Mud Mountains and Memories

It was beyond time. Three weeks is far too long to go without getting back out camping and escaping reality, but when family needs you, then you have to do what you gotta do to take care of those that we love.

Papa Bear left early Thursday morning since I had to work, so he and the pups loaded up and hit the road for another camping weekend adventure. He got to where we would call home for the next three days and got everything set up. While he was doing that, he was visiting with a couple that he had been talking with, as he is always networking and finding folks that camp and SxS like we do and enjoy just exploring.

Once camp was set up, Papa Bear was visiting with our new friends, Sharon and Bill, who ended up being from Great Falls just like us, waiting for me to get to camp after having to work a full Thursday.

I finally got off work and had a few chores that I still needed to do before heading to camp, along with needing to grab a few things I had forgotten to pack. As I finished my house chores, I kept walking into my bedroom knowing I was forgetting something, but I could never figure out what it was that I needed. So off I went, hitting the pavement on my way to camp.

I stopped and got fuel, and holy macaroni, gas prices had gone up ten cents overnight. Then I looked at what diesel was. $6.30 right then and there. I felt so bad for Papa Bear. With him towing the camper, my gas bill would be way cheaper than what he had to pay.

At one time in life, camping used to be so cheap to do. You could get out, explore, and enjoy nature without feeling like you were spending a small fortune. Well, not so much anymore. You damn near have to take out a mortgage to camp all summer long. But hey, we only live once, so what better way to enjoy our hard-earned money than to invest in ourselves and do the things we enjoy most?

I finally made it to camp, got everything brought into the camper, loved on my girls and Papa Bear, and sat down to visit the rest of the evening with our new friends.

Thursday night, as we were all nestled into bed, we started hearing the elk bugling not far from us. It is always so cool to hear wildlife right in the comfort of your own home. It reminds you that you are in their habitat and that we are just visitors enjoying their world for a little while.

Friday morning came, as always, bright and early. And of course, guess who didn’t turn off their alarm again? Yep, Mama Bear.

I hurried to turn it off, only to be bombarded by Whitty and Kiyea so they could have their morning moments outside. As soon as they were done, they sure reminded me that it was breakfast time.

Chop, chop, Mama Bear. We are starving!

I started the coffee pot and right then it popped a breaker because Papa Bear had an additional heater going to make sure that he kept me warm. So I had to wake Papa Bear up to find out what I needed to do to get us coffee brewing again. Papa Bear quickly spouted exactly what I needed to do before his eyes and ears closed again so he could get a few more hours of rest before we started our Friday adventure.

Once Papa Bear got moving, we were packing lunch and getting our showers done so we could start our Friday morning exploring.

When I got out of the shower, I soon realized that I had forgotten my extra panties. I had an extra pair in the camper, but nothing else to get me through. I just started laughing thinking I was in for it, but I quickly remembered that the good old Family Dollar was in town and we would be headed that way to get ice, so I wasn’t completely shit out of luck.

This year I seem to never be prepared. I am always forgetting something and having to go without. By the time this camping season is over with, I will maybe have my shit in a group.

Maybe.

So on to our journey of being in nature. Papa Bear decided the route, and it was a wide variety of terrain, from flats to slate rock to big-ass boulders we were climbing over. Exactly the kind of terrain we love to explore.

There was a ton of range cattle around, and oh, our cow dogs get so excited to see them. They just wish they could work them. These cows were nice-looking animals, and they were doing a very good job of keeping the ground cleaned up, especially since things have really dried up.

We had lunch and then were back on the road checking things out. We ended up putting on just under 60 miles before making our way back to camp.

We got back right before the storm was coming in and managed to get dinner cooked, as Papa Bear is perfecting his burger concoction. As we were eating, the rain started. It was the perfect evening to enjoy some relaxation while catching up watching a show with the pups, while Papa Bear went next door to visit.

Saturday came, as usual, early.

It rained all night long and didn’t let up until mid-morning, which gave us the opportunity to have a very slow-moving morning, enjoying coffee and myself some journal time.

Sharon came over to visit for a while as her husband, Bill, had a terrible migraine he was struggling with. She was giving him the quiet time he needed to recover while he was letting his medication do its work.

Soon we were eating lunch and packing snacks so we could head back out in the SxS, and off we went.

It was still raining a little, but nothing we couldn’t deal with. As we explored through the mountains, the fall colors were starting to happen, which was beyond beautiful. Seeing all the yellows, oranges, and reds showing that all changes are good brought so much beauty and reminded us that change is good and it is a new season full of new beginnings.

Once we got back to camp, Papa Bear went to clean the SxS as we were full of mud, while I was getting prepared to get everything ready for Papa Bear to cook us some delicious steaks. I got the salads ready and some pasta cooking.

Soon we were devouring our steaks, and then it was time to sit back and relax our fat and happy selves.

Soon Sharon and Bill came over to socialize for the rest of the evening. Before we knew it, it was the wee hours of the morning when we realized how late it had gotten, so off to bed we all went.

Sunday morning came, and Bluey and I got up early. I woke up Whitty so she could take a quick walk with us, enjoying the beauty of a fall morning and sipping on coffee while taking in everything around us.

We got back to the camper and fed the girls before I got myself all cozy on the couch, enjoying a quiet morning. Sage and Whitty thought it was way too damn early to be up, so off to bed they went to curl up next to Papa Bear, while Bluey and I chilled and did our thing.

Before you know it, Papa Bear will be getting up to start the day, and we will be packing up to get right back to reality.

But for these few days, we got exactly what we needed.

We got our mountains.