The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
A side by side makes tracks along Marsh Creek Road as it heads for the scavenger hunt location near Granite Butte.
A jeep plows through a deep waterhole after stopping at the point near Keep Cool Lakes.
Aspen Lorenz and Lilly Wallis, both of Helena, laugh after getting doused in a deeper-than-expected puddle near Granite Butte.
An full OHV on Marsh Creek Road
OHVs head Along Sucker Creek Road toward Copper Creek Road
A four-wheeler leads a line of OHV's waiting to make a splash in the large puddles near Keep Cool Lakes.
The Lincoln High School Junior Class washes OHVs in the Lincoln School parking lot as a fundraiser as riders return from the scavenger hunt Sunday afternoon
A line of OHVs form an arc around the center of Hooper park following the scavenger Hunt.
Blackfoot Valley Optimist club President Shane Lindsey speaks to the gathered riders ahead of the prize drawings following the ride.
Lincoln was awash in off-highway vehicles last weekend as people took advantage of nice weather and back to back rides here during the long Memorial Day weekend.
The weekend kicked off with the annual Memorial Day Weekend ATV Fun Run, hosted this year by Bushwackers. The Fun Run, which traditionally has served as the first major event of the summer season, was complemented this year by a new event: the Blackfoot Valley Optimist's Scavenger Hunt.
The idea for the scavenger hunt came from club board member Chad Sutej, who was inspired by an annual ATV jamboree in Conconully Wash., in the mountains north of Grand Coulee.
"It's a little town, smaller than Lincoln. They've done a jamboree out there for four or five years," her said. "I've gone out the previous two years. They do a poker run on Friday and a scavenger hunt on Saturday."
Unlike a traditional fun run or poker run, riders on a scavenger don't follow a set route in one direction. Instead they are given a series of GPS coordinates for various points around the area. Once there, they pick up items – in this case numbered slips of paper - and return them for a chance to win prizes.
Sutej said the scavenger hunt in Conconully has 21 points and covers about 100 miles. Lincoln had just 12 points, but riders covered about 135 miles. Since riders weren't all headed in the same direction, Sutej said they stressed that there would be two-way traffic, and to respect private property.
"The best part about the whole thing is there are 12 stops, but you don't have to hit them all. We were trying to make it so that people weren't stacked on top of each other. That was our main goal," he said.
Sutej estimated the scavenger hunt drew about 175 riders, and sold a total of 400 hands. To qualify for most of the prizes, riders actually had to go on the hunt, but they added a 13th bucket so folks who couldn't go on the run but who wanted to support the club by buying a hand had a chance at a prize.
Taking another cue from Conconullly, the Optimist club added four pink metal flamingos, two ladybugs and two yellow flowers at random locations along the main routes to the points.
"They were within 15 yards of the edge of the road, no rhyme or reason where," he said.
Not only did they provide an incentive for riders to take it easy, they offered a chance at a prize.
The flamingoes earned a chance to win a four-foot-tall gnome carved by Lincoln Artist Michael Brown. Kelli Hargreaves of Helena won the whimsical chainsaw carving.
Lady bugs earned their discovers a pair of binoculars, while the prize for the flowers was a tire repair kit.
Overall, people responded positively to the new event. Aaron Nelson and his wife of Helena took a break at Keep Cool Lake. "This is kind of fun, just tooling around," Aaron said.
"This is my first time doing a scavenger hunt," Gaylen added. " I think it's going to be popular."
Though the route made for a long day - and included at least one encounter with a very large cinnamon black bear on Herrin Lakes Road - Sutej said they received great feedback, with people calling it well organized and a very nice, laidback drive.
Sutej explained they started planning the scavenger hunt two years ago, with an eye toward hosting it last year, but as with so many things, COVID-19 put the kibosh on it.
Still, they had a good start and began working on it this year in January, applying for the required Forest Service permits, then looking for sponsors and donations.
Sutej and club president Shane Lindsey started going out a month and a half ago to see where they could hit. Originally they couldn't get to some of the higher spots, like Reservoir Lake but a couple weeks ago they found areas had opened up, which let them stretch the furthest points out a bit.
"Next year all the spots will be different," Sutej said.
"We've got some improvements for next year, we've had some hiccups. Who doesn't; the first time? But nothing major." Sutej said. "We'll get it ironed out and next year will be even better."
Funds raised by the scavenger hunt will go into the club's general fund, which they use to fund requests to benefit kids in the community.
The Blackfoot Valley Optimists club has been actively raising money to help Lincoln-area kids in the community since it was established in April of 2019.
Sutej said anyone interested in learning more about the Optimist Club is invited to come to their meeting on the last Monday of every month in the back room of Lambkins restaurant.
"We can always use more people in the group, more ideas."
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