Hello......I am Sandy Ott, and I live in Columbia Falls, Montana. I love most things to do with the outdoors. Winter is sled time, and it is a huge passion of mine. I've lived here all my life, and up until 2004, I never really did any true mountain riding. When I was little, my Dad would take me on the back of his sled. My first marriage.....well that guy didn't have any kind of patience, and so I basically stayed on trail while he'd head up some hills and leave me sit there. :face-icon-small-dis
When I remarried to Glenn in 1999, we both just had our old sleds, and not much money with raising my two teen sons.......so we didn't ride much. Go for a ride, have a sled break down, wait to save up to fix it. In 2003 I got a new AC 1M 600 Mtn Cat.. I didn't get out to ride until 2004 due to a back injury. That's when my journey began in the mountains.
The only real change to that sled is lots of bling, and putting a Challenger 153x2.25 under it (HUGE difference). I am sooooooo ready to move up, but watching the finances while we do the summer gig that pays about nil (make as much all summer as I did in one month at a *real* job). I just have to ride harder, but I am looking forward to getting a new kitty.
I am the mother of two sons, the oldest is 29 and is a computer programmer. The youngest is 28 and runs his own automotive shop. I am very proud of my *boys*. Thankfully they both live around here.
I have 2 beautiful Golden Retrievers. Cassidy Gail will be 2 on Dec. 7, and currently weighs in at 70 lbs (she is extremely lean and agile). Her brother (from the same parents, 12 1/2 months apart) is Drake Oliver, and 9 months and 95 pounds. He was putting on 14 pounds a month, now it's averaging 10.
They are field goldens, so they are very red. They are so dark I get asked quite often if they are Irish Setters.
For the past 4 summers, I have camphosted up the North Fork at an area that sits right on the river. The middle of the river is the border with Glacier National Park. It is a very busy place with having a boat launch as well (I deal with thousands of people over the course of my stay). It's along the North Fork of the Flathead River, so it's the Wild and Scenic River System. Great floating, and some of the best fly fishing anywhere.
There is no power, no internet, water is a hand pump, and I get limited cell service since I bought an external antenna system to hook up to my phone (it still only works in a few areas). :face-icon-small-sho It is absolutely gorgeous up there though, and a different kind of pace in life. I'm getting to make a difference in the place for many years to come. The Forest Service and Fish, Wildlife & Parks actually work with me on many things, and that relationship that has been built comes into play on other things besides the campground and river.
I love floating the river in my inflatable pontoon boat....some floats to fish, some for the whitewater, and some a combo of both. Shooting, cutting firewood, riding our AC 650 4x4 4wheeler (usually with my 2 dogs on back), camping, tying flies (and tying my own design in
hot pink that works extremely well), and of course sledding are just some of the things I like doing. I'm also active in our local snowmobile club, and am on the Board of Directors for our local avy center.
