MT6bt
Rock hound
HILLBILLY HAZING:
Now, this is one of my favorite spots in montana: free, quiet camping and a primitive hot spring right on the river.
I've been coming to this area for 10 years now, and to my surprise, today was the first time I got a taste of hillbilly hatred.
The first thing I found off putting was when I came to this area via the south route, there were several cattle guards I had to pass over. Each of these guards had some very misleading "NO TRESPASSING" signs, and of course the omnipresent orange paint on everything. This initially confused me, since my montana Atlas said this specific road was not private. (I've experienced this misleading and presumably illegal display of selfish landowners' intentions to thwart off the general public.)
Not hindered by this obfuscated situation, I carried on and eventually found the spring.
I did find it quite unusual when an older man in an 80s Toyota pickup passed me, waving kindly, but then doubling back and driving very slow past my vehicle until presumably seeing my license plate. After realizing I had bozeman plates, I saw him shake his head and drive off...weird...
After sitting in the springs for a good hour, several others joined, all from different parts of the state. One couple mentioned how an individual in a dark colored dodge ram inquired where they were from and after replying "helena", he said "we don't like out of towners coming to our hot springs".
I passed it off as typical small town, small mind hillbillies are that way sometimes, but only after witnessing this same individual drive back and forth past the springs multiple times, did my senses start to question what this person's intentions were.
After the second or third time of this person doubling back on us, he finally got out of his truck. Standing before us was a slender man, presumably a rancher, no more than 35 years old. I immediately noticed the glock on his hip. He stared us down for a good 10 seconds before I broke the silence:
"How's it going?"
"Where Y'all from?" He exclaimed, with an undertone of bitterness and resentment. "You, where are you from?" He said to the first of seven people, pointing down to him.
"Wolf creek"
"You?"
"Same, wolf creek."
He did this until we all told him where we were from.
"Well, we don't like anyone from around here using OUR hot springs. I suggest you leave."
I found myself starting to see red a bit, angry that this hick thinking he can Bogart a public place. But still, I kept my composure and was the only one talking.
"Why do you not like others coming around here? What, do you think we're the type of people who leave a bunch of trash in the area and disrespect it?"
For the first time since meeting this lovely individual, it looked like logic slapped him in the face, and he was temporarily dumbfounded that someone dare talk back to him...
After a few seconds, he turned around and started to get into his truck. Midstep, he stopped, turned around, and looked down once again.
"Ya know, I like you (pointing towards one of three people, including yours truly). But I wouldn't stay here any longer if I were Yall. I mean, you can if you want, but if anything happens....well, don't say I didn't warn you."
I was getting more on edge with this passive threat, and proclaimed, "I've been coming to this hot spring for 10 years, I've never told anyone about it, and I'm always respectful of the area."
And with that passive threat, he left us dumbfounded, and slightly threatened.
I am not easily scared, but I kept asking myself just what it was he was planning on doing. I decided to err on the side of caution and head back to my truck and arm myself with my 10mm, hoping to god I wouldn't ever have to use it. But, I refuse to be scared off by some hillbilly with a bad attitude.
We ended up staying for several hours without any trouble, and he didn't come back during this time. Aside from that, it was a great time. Everyone was friendly, and we exchanged past experiences, jokes, etc.
I ended up being the only one who ended up staying overnight, and half jokingly said to a friend (there was a friend I just so happened to meet up with in the hot springs this night....After months of not seeing each other, he told me on his way out the thought crossed his mind "I wonder what Darrin is up to tonight, I should call him" weird, huh?) That if I disappeared, look for the hillbilly in the maroon colored cummins.
After setting up camp of this windy and chilly night, finding myself very glad to not be in a tent or my previous overlanding setup, I made some tacos and started reading my book.
About an hour later, guess who decided to come down for a visit? Yep, hillbilly and his accomplice, wearing an incredibly large brimmed cowboy hat.
I found myself peeking through the blinds, wondering if they were going to do something. In hindsight, I wish I would've just gone out there and see if I could talk some sense into these ******************, hell, even have a beer with them....As over the years I've found myself capable of befriending just about anyone, and the linguistic abilities to calm down such tense situations with my rhetoric. ....Perhaps I was a
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Now, this is one of my favorite spots in montana: free, quiet camping and a primitive hot spring right on the river.
I've been coming to this area for 10 years now, and to my surprise, today was the first time I got a taste of hillbilly hatred.
The first thing I found off putting was when I came to this area via the south route, there were several cattle guards I had to pass over. Each of these guards had some very misleading "NO TRESPASSING" signs, and of course the omnipresent orange paint on everything. This initially confused me, since my montana Atlas said this specific road was not private. (I've experienced this misleading and presumably illegal display of selfish landowners' intentions to thwart off the general public.)
Not hindered by this obfuscated situation, I carried on and eventually found the spring.
I did find it quite unusual when an older man in an 80s Toyota pickup passed me, waving kindly, but then doubling back and driving very slow past my vehicle until presumably seeing my license plate. After realizing I had bozeman plates, I saw him shake his head and drive off...weird...
After sitting in the springs for a good hour, several others joined, all from different parts of the state. One couple mentioned how an individual in a dark colored dodge ram inquired where they were from and after replying "helena", he said "we don't like out of towners coming to our hot springs".
I passed it off as typical small town, small mind hillbillies are that way sometimes, but only after witnessing this same individual drive back and forth past the springs multiple times, did my senses start to question what this person's intentions were.
After the second or third time of this person doubling back on us, he finally got out of his truck. Standing before us was a slender man, presumably a rancher, no more than 35 years old. I immediately noticed the glock on his hip. He stared us down for a good 10 seconds before I broke the silence:
"How's it going?"
"Where Y'all from?" He exclaimed, with an undertone of bitterness and resentment. "You, where are you from?" He said to the first of seven people, pointing down to him.
"Wolf creek"
"You?"
"Same, wolf creek."
He did this until we all told him where we were from.
"Well, we don't like anyone from around here using OUR hot springs. I suggest you leave."
I found myself starting to see red a bit, angry that this hick thinking he can Bogart a public place. But still, I kept my composure and was the only one talking.
"Why do you not like others coming around here? What, do you think we're the type of people who leave a bunch of trash in the area and disrespect it?"
For the first time since meeting this lovely individual, it looked like logic slapped him in the face, and he was temporarily dumbfounded that someone dare talk back to him...
After a few seconds, he turned around and started to get into his truck. Midstep, he stopped, turned around, and looked down once again.
"Ya know, I like you (pointing towards one of three people, including yours truly). But I wouldn't stay here any longer if I were Yall. I mean, you can if you want, but if anything happens....well, don't say I didn't warn you."
I was getting more on edge with this passive threat, and proclaimed, "I've been coming to this hot spring for 10 years, I've never told anyone about it, and I'm always respectful of the area."
And with that passive threat, he left us dumbfounded, and slightly threatened.
I am not easily scared, but I kept asking myself just what it was he was planning on doing. I decided to err on the side of caution and head back to my truck and arm myself with my 10mm, hoping to god I wouldn't ever have to use it. But, I refuse to be scared off by some hillbilly with a bad attitude.
We ended up staying for several hours without any trouble, and he didn't come back during this time. Aside from that, it was a great time. Everyone was friendly, and we exchanged past experiences, jokes, etc.
I ended up being the only one who ended up staying overnight, and half jokingly said to a friend (there was a friend I just so happened to meet up with in the hot springs this night....After months of not seeing each other, he told me on his way out the thought crossed his mind "I wonder what Darrin is up to tonight, I should call him" weird, huh?) That if I disappeared, look for the hillbilly in the maroon colored cummins.
After setting up camp of this windy and chilly night, finding myself very glad to not be in a tent or my previous overlanding setup, I made some tacos and started reading my book.
About an hour later, guess who decided to come down for a visit? Yep, hillbilly and his accomplice, wearing an incredibly large brimmed cowboy hat.
I found myself peeking through the blinds, wondering if they were going to do something. In hindsight, I wish I would've just gone out there and see if I could talk some sense into these ******************, hell, even have a beer with them....As over the years I've found myself capable of befriending just about anyone, and the linguistic abilities to calm down such tense situations with my rhetoric. ....Perhaps I was a
Sent from my SM-S975L using Tapatalk
