Heath Ranch

I was ever so fortunate to have met a really wonderful man and his wife last year. Howard and Ruth belong to the ATV club in Montrose, which Sharon and I also joined when we bought our ATV's. Howard sponsors a club ride on his ranch each summer and we were invited along. Unfortunately we could not make it last year, but we were really looking forward to the one this summer.


On the way to his ranch we were lucky enough to catch sight of a hot air balloon prepping for take off on an early morning ride (or is that a float??).


The ranch is on Last Dollar Road (yes, the same extremely scenic road I have featured before). As we motored along the road we were held up by a sheep drive. This picture is after they got off the road, having left their special gifts along the roadway. Being fresh it got flung up on the trailer and ATV's, making for an aromatic start to the ride.


Here's Howard and his ever faithful co-pilot, Lucky, as we stopped for a bit of history at the entry to Big Pasture.


This is the view across Big Pasture toward the mountains.


This is Kim Lake, one of the three we rode by. Howard carries fish food with him and stops to feed the trout every time he rides on his ranch. Howard says the fish are his friends. You would certainly think so as the trout seemed to know he was coming.


This is the view from the driveway of Howard's cabin...


...and this is from the porch.


The ranch is Howard's good weather home. Can you imagine how hard it must be each morning to wake up to such terrible views????? Howard's winter home is closer to Montrose, very near the South entrance to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Poor guy doesn't have a view there either.

Many thanks to Howard and Ruth for a wonderful day (and the brownies and ice cream)!