Our monthly meetings are on the second Monday, starting at 7pm and held at the Plains/Paradise Senior Citizens Center, 205 W. Meany, Plains MT.
Wild Horse Plains BCH is centered on the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest, with lots of short trails and a few trunk trails all left from the network built through this heavily-timbered area in the 1920’s and ’30’s.
The Wild Horse Chapter has worked a variety of projects since its 2006 reincarnation from an earlier Sanders County chapter. Currently we are working on a Challenge Cost Share Agreement with the USFS to maintain about eight miles of trail and provide 4 days of packing support throughout the summer. Additionally, in 2018 we added two new Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant projects. One project aimed to restore the Weeksville-Tepee Divide Trail #366W utilizing Montana Youth Conservation Corp (MCC), the local district Youth Conservation Corp (YCC) and our Chapter volunteers. We successfully completed the Trail #366 restoration project in July of 2019. The second project was to clear additional trails across the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District. From the execution of the grant we completed the trails under the grant agreement at least one time and several each year from 2018-2020. These available funds provided volunteers reimbursement for mileage, meals, stock and trailer use while clearing trails.
In May each year we host a poker ride which has drawn 150 riders from all over Montana, Idaho, and Washington as well as other states. We are privileged to be able to base the ride at the scenic and historic Jones Ranch (now owned by Jim and Barb Shallenberger). For 2024 the Poker Ride is planned for May 18th…..mark your calendars and get your pre-registrations in early 2024 (March)…150 rider limit.
Every year we participated in the Plains 6th grade campout at the Bend Guard Station and conducted a packing clinic for the local Youth Conservation Corps.
In 2013 we became involved with the Big Hole Lookout restoration project which continued into 2014, 2015, 2016 and was completed in 2017. During the lookout restoration project we pack materials and supplies for the Passport-In-Time volunteers during their two week long work periods at the lookout. In 2019 we donated close to $1000 worth of furnishings (cots, lanterns, chairs, pots, pans, etc) to ready the lookout for its introduction to the Cabin Rental program in 2021. We continue our commitment to Big Hole Lookout each year by opening and cleaning it in the spring to get it ready for the rental season, perform maintenance such as touching up the paint over the course of the summer, then closing and winterizing it in October.
In 2014 the local District added a trail sign installation project to our Challenge Cost Share agreement for 114 signs across the entire half million acres on the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District. This fun project, that took us to places we had never planned to visit, was completed in the summer of 2015.
Other projects over the years have included pulling and bagging Blue Weed, helping the Forest Service with White Bark pine cone collections, noxious weed surveys and of course club rides, some of which involved overnight campouts.
As you see we are an active bunch with something for everyone, come check us out!
Follow these You Tube links to see the Big Hole Lookout Restoration Videos from 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1GeSi8KPaY , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqG3BF4iqzY , http://youtu.be/dHbRE47ZaS0 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM5SSSP8hao and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_NdG1amsA4&feature=youtu.be
You can also visit us on Facebook @ https://m.facebook.com/WildHorsePlainsBCH
President and contact person: Kelsie Blevins 406-274-2563