Days spent exploring mountain trails are always more enjoyable with a copilot.
nearby. I look out at the mountains northeast of town, some still speckled with stubborn patches of snow. I’ll be back for that epic hike someday. I jump in with Jeff and Marjorie again for the drive back. The return route proves just as scenic, but we’re treated this time with sweeping pan- oramas of Lake Pend Orielle, its sap- phire surface wind-pocked and edged in lush shades of green. Jeff and Mar- jorie tell me about a rest stop and ho- tel off one of these trails where the employees have to take a boat to get to work. We aren’t able to go by them today due to time, but they say the group sometimes visits the tiny town of Lakeview right down on the lake and Gold Creek Lodge up Gold Creek a bit when they do this ride. They explain that the club does this ride to Clark Fork every couple years
because it’s a popular one, but their rides usually average 50-60 miles. They go out almost every weekend during the warmer months, and fre- quent areas like Fourth of July Pass, Cataldo, Wallace and Harrison. Jeff says there were about 50 members at the last meeting, but the Club cur- rently sits at about 175 members. As we near the end of our ven- ture, I feel unperturbed by the layer of dust I’m wearing, lulled into con- tentedness by the smells of sunblock, sun, and summer-warmed forest. It’s about 5:30 p.m. when we reach the Bunco parking lot, and although the energy levels are much different than they were about 10 hours earlier, the smiles and laughs are still genuine. I’m impressed by the sense of fami- ly and camaraderie among the mem- bers of this group, and how quick they
are to let new people in. I say good- bye to some of those I chatted with, shake hands with Bret and Nancy, and especially thank Jeff and Mar- jorie for their hospitality all day. Driving UTVs is a thrilling activi- ty in itself, but doing so with a great group of people through gorgeous ter- rain makes for a truly lasting experi- ence. Whether one is young in body or young at heart, UTVs offer an ad- dicting avenue for escaping the chaos of civilization, discovering new des- tinations without ever using a high- way, and filling one’s soul with the profound beauty we are blessed with here in the Inland Northwest. N ~In memory of Marjorie Heintz~
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