Wild Horse Plains Back Country Horsemen

Continue to Prepare for Poker Ride - Ready to Ride @10am
2025-05-03 10:00 - 17:00 UTC | Jones Ranch
Description: Continue to clear and flag trail, clear roads of down material/rocks so EMS vehicles can access all card stations. Poker Ride will be held 5/17.
READY TO RIDE @10am
What to Bring/How to Help: Stock, hand loppers, hand pruners, hand saw, gloves, food, water, flagging, etc.
If for any reason we can’t work on May 3rd, May 10th are also scheduled.

Continue to Prepare for Poker Ride - Ready to Ride @10am
2025-05-10 10:00 - 17:00 | Jones Ranch
scription: Continue to clear and flag trail, clear roads of down material/rocks so EMS vehicles can access all card stations. Poker Ride will be held 5/17.
READY TO RIDE @10am
What to Bring/How to Help: Stock, hand loppers, hand pruners, hand saw, gloves, food, water, flagging, etc.

Monthly Meeting @ 7pm
2025-05-12 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-07-14 19:00 - 20:00 | Plains/Paradise Senior Citizen’s Center,, 205 W. Meany, Plains, MT
Our meetings are on the second Monday of each month. Visitors and potential new members are always welcome. Occasionally meetings ae held at alternative locations, such as a members’ home or other local public facilities and may be proceeded by a potluck meal.

Poker Ride: Pre-Ride, Ready to Ride @ 10am
2025-05-16 10:00 - 17:00 | Jones Ranch
Description: Ride Poker ride route to ensure flagging is still up and intervisible, install route arrow signs and paint arrows on ground with landscaping paint.
What to Bring/How to Help: Stock, flagging, signs, stakes, staples, landscaping paint, etc.

Wild Horse Plains BCH Poker Ride
2025-05-17 08:00 - 17:00 | Jones Ranch
To access registration form, click on event title above “Wild Horse Plains BCH Poker Ride” then click on the following link:https://bchmt.org/wp/plains/files/2025/04/2025-Poker-Ride-Registration.pdf
What to Bring/How to Help: Participants should bring all-weather gear. Chapter members can help by staffing registration table, card stations, setup tables, chairs, etc.
WHPBCH-Poker Ride Flyer

Big Hole Area Trail Clearing, Lookout Opening and Campout. Celebrate National Trails Day.
2025-06-06 15:00 - 2025-06-13 17:00 | Big Hole Lookout – Gravel Pit Trailhead
Participate one or multiple days from June 6th to June 13th as we campout at the gravel pit (also known as the new equine Big Hole Lookout trailhead) and clear area trails, open up the lookout and to get it ready for the rental season beginning June 10th.
Chapter provides weed seed free hay and 200 gallons of potable water (could use help 6/5 towing trailers (2) with hay and water to the gravel pit. Also, back down when we’re finished).
How to help: Clear the two roads behind the yearlong gate closures of woody debris and rocks using stock, ATVs, UTVs or pickups for access. Help with clearing the other several trails in the area. Help open and clean the lookout.
The work is directly related to our Challenge Cost Share agreement and the RAC grant we renewed the fall of 2023.

Monthly Meeting @ 7pm
2025-06-09 19:00 - 20:00 | MT

Monthly Meeting 7pm
2025-08-11 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-09-08 08:00 - 17:00, 2025-10-13 19:00, 2025-11-10 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-01-12 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-02-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Plains/Paradise Senior Citizen’s Center,, 205 W. Meany, Plains, MT

Monthly Meeting, 7pm
2025-08-11 19:00 - 20:30 | MT

Big Hole Lookout Maintenance Days
2025-08-15 08:00 - 2025-08-17 17:00 | MT
Several projects to complete including:
Scrape, sand and paint outside of the east and north shutters. 2 people for one day. White exterior paint, battery operated sander with sandpaper.
Scrape, sand and paint outside west facing gable end. 2 people for one day, battery operated sander, white exterior paint, 17′ collapsible ladder.
Touch up base logs (white exterior paint) all the way around the lookout.
Scrape, sand and paint inside of lookout. 2 people for one day. Green interior paint, battery operated sander with sandpaper.
Resize cut firewood pieces already at the lookout so they can be used in the woodstove inside the lookout. 2 people for one day, chainsaws, fuel, oil, PPE, etc.
Cut green trees near the lookout. Limb, skid and stack the cut green trees near the firewood cache where they can dry out and be cut to stove size in the future. After felling and limbing, buck the tree bole (log) into lengths that can be carried by two folks to the cache site.
Camping at the gravel pit or some may choose to stay at the lookout.

Before After

Touch up painting is never ending due to the harsh environment.

Sanders County Fair Parade - Saturday - August 30th
2025-08-30 09:45 - 13:00 | Plains High School Parking Lot
Meet at the Plains High School at 9:45am to participate (ride your stock) in the Sanders County Fair Parade in Plains. Contact Susan Walker (208-599-4305) or Cheryl Burt (406-360-4555) for more information.

Iron Mountain Horse Camp Improvements
2025-09-13 09:00 - 2025-09-14 17:00 | Cascade Campground
Install two stock pens at the future horse camp (Iron Mountain) located adjacent to Cascade Campground.

MCC/FS Cabin Lake Pack-in (Sept 24th)/Pack-out (Oct 1st)
2025-09-24 08:00 - 17:00 | Cabin Lake Trailhead
Pack in tools, project supplies, food, camping gear, etc for Forest Service and Montana Conservation Corp personnel for their work installing a pedestrian bridge across the outlet of Cabin Lake.

Pack-in: Sept 24th
Pack-out: Oct 1st
MCCs heading out after their 9 day hitch. BCH volunteers headed to Big Spring to pack out MCC camp.
MCC getting one of the pedestrian bridges installed on the Four Lakes – Cabin Lake trail loop in 2024.
Dave and John using a decker diamond hitch to secure a top load to the bear resistant boxes

Monthly Meeting, 7pm
2025-10-13 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-03-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Plains/Paradise Senior Citizen’s Center,, 205 W. Meany, Plains, MT

Big Hole Lookout Closure
2025-10-16 08:00 - 18:00 | Big Hole Lookout, Montana
Help with winterizing the lookout by removing freezable items (paint), closing shutters, wrapping the mattress, taking down the highline, installing storm door, pouring 20 gallons of water into outhouse vault, placing rodent bait stations, return fire extinguisher to district for annual service, return lime container to district for refill, etc.
Encourage Forest Service personnel to accompany our members to familiarize FS with closure procedures.

Potluck Christmas Party and Monthly Meeting @5pm
2025-12-13 17:00 - 20:00 | Plains/Paradise Senior Citizen’s Center,, 205 W. Meany, Plains, MT
Annual Potluck Christmas Party and monthly meeting at the Plains Senior Center. Bring an exchange gift of $20 or less if you’d like to participate in the gift exchange. Chapter will provide a meat, members provide a side dish, desserts, etc.

RAC Trail Clearing - Falls Flat Trail - Completed 2/6/26 je, ce & am
2026-01-31 - 2026-03-15 | HWY 135 – Cascade Campground/Ferry Landing
Clear the 7.1 miles Falls Flat Trail of winter debris, fallen trees, etc. Clear the entire Falls Flat Trail, including from its junctions with the River Trail (#223) and the Iron Mountain Trail (#242) to each trailhead.
Track your time/mileage and report to John

Falls Flat Trail from Ferry Landing to Cascade Campground via the River Trail and Iron Mountain Trail. Approximately 7.1 miles.

RAC Road Clearing (Road 887)
2026-03-01 - 2026-03-09 | Forest Service Road 887, Mile Marker 68.5 Highway 200
Description: Clear road 887 (Weeksville) of winter debris (rocks, fallen and bent over trees and brush).
As a result of the rain/wind events in December 2025, expect moderate-to-heavy debris loads on roads. Clearing may need use of wheel/tracked equipment to remove large debris accumulations.

How to help/What to bring: Begin by clearing road 887 by yourself or with others, remove all material from roadway from the intersection of Highway 200/Forest Service Road #887 to the Big Hole Lookout Road #5587, approximately 3.1 miles.
Track your hours and mileage, report to John Errecart

Miles: Approximately 3.1 miles on road 887.

Poker Ride Planning Committee Meeting
2026-03-02 17:00 - 18:30 | Wild Horse Bar and Grill
Meet to discuss/work out the details of the poker ride. Who’s doing what and how things are progressing.

RAC Road Clearing (Road #5587)
2026-03-09 - 2026-04-26, 2026-03-22 - 2026-04-26 | Forest Service Road 887, Mile Marker 68.5 Highway 200
Description: Clear road 5587 (Big Hole Lookout) of winter debris (rocks, fallen and bent over trees and brush).
As a result of the rain/wind events in December 2025, expect moderate-to-heavy debris loads on roads. Clearing may need use of wheel/tracked equipment to remove large debris accumulations.

How to help/What to bring: Continue earlier clearing of roads 887 and 5587 by yourself or with others, remove all material from roadway from the 3-mile switchback on road 5587 to the switchback just above the 6-mile marker.
Track your hours and mileage, report to John Errecart

Miles: Approximately 3 miles on road 5587.
Trail Boss: All members

2026 Montana State Convention
2026-03-27 - 2026-03-29 | MT
2026 BCHMT State Convention: Historic Trails and Campfire Tales
Hosted by Gallatin Valley Back Country Horsemen
Online Registration and Convention Information: Convention – Gallatin Valley Back Country Horsemen
