Resource Guide
Gallatin National Forest www.fs.fed.us/r1/gallatin Hell’s A-Roarin’ Outfitters www.hellsaroarinoutfitters.com Montana Horses, Inc. www.montanahorses.com National Geographic Maps/Trails Illustrated Maps www.natgeomaps.com/trailsillustrated.html

Want to ride from a national park into a wilderness area? How about riding from one state into another? Would you like to have a “hellroaring” good time? Then join us as we ride and pack through Hellroaring country in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area.

Just north of Yellowstone National Park in Montana lies the vast Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. Containing almost one million acres, this wilderness is the largest single land block above 10,000 feet in the contiguous 48 states. This region also boasts the highest mountain in Montana, Granite Peak, which rises to 12,799 feet in elevation.

            With almost 1,000 lakes and nine major drainages, this wilderness is an angler’s paradise. Geologists also love the region: A band of igneous rock rich in rare minerals crosses the range. The uplifted granite contains some of the oldest rock on earth.

And nearly 1,000 miles of trails lie within the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, making the area a great place for horseback exploration.

Enjoy this bonus photo album from our trip! (For more on Montana’s Hellroaring Country, see The Trail Rider, July/August ’09.)

We first visited Hells A-Roarin Outfitters in Gardiner, Montana. We chatted with owners Warren and Sue Johnson (shown here with their son, Jeremiah). The Johnsons have been outfitting for three generations.

A stone barn and horses at Hells A-Roarin Outfitters country lodge.

The suspension bridge over the Yellowstone River. This bridge must be crossed to head into the Hellroaring country.

Aimee Johnson, daughter of Warren and Sue Johnson (owners of Hells A-Roarin Outfitters), and wrangler Wim Roach, ride out from Hells A-Roarin wilderness camp to the trailhead.

Kent Krone, aboard his Missouri Fox Trotter gelding, Buddy and leading the pack horse, Foxy, rides up the Hellroaring Valley.

An electric fence wards off grizzly bears at the Krones Beaver Creek camp.

Charlene Krone prepares dinner at Beaver Creek Camp.

Kent Krone relaxes by a backcountry fire.

Kent Krone crosses the bridge over Hellroaring Creek on way to the Hellroaring Cabin.

Hellroaring Cabin, which was built by United States Forest Service in 1925. The cabin is still in use by Forest Service employees who perform trail maintenance and patrol the backcountry.

Allan Balavage, head wrangler at Hells A-Roarin wilderness camp, crosses Beaver Creek.

Guests at Hells A-Roarin wilderness camp. These women (Sue, Carol, Becky, Amy, and Nancy) were lifelong riding buddies from the East.