Snow in May: A 406 Cruisers Run to the Upper Ruby River

Sep 16

Montana • Beaverhead National Forest • May 2021

Snow in May:The Ruby River Run

A 406 Cruisers spring run out of Dillon that turned into a snow run overnight, with frozen bumpers, off-camber ruts and camp under a fresh coat of white.

Snow in May — Frozen Mud — Off-Camber Ruts — 406 Cruisers — Never Lift — Snow in May — Frozen Mud — Off-Camber Ruts —

Montana Doesn’t Care What Month It Is

In late May 2021, the 406 Cruisers met up in southwest Montana for a weekend run out of Dillon. The forecast said spring. Southwest Montana had other plans. By the time the convoy hit the high sagebrush, it was snowing, and it kept snowing on and off all weekend.

Here’s how it went, and what a surprise snow run teaches you.

Drone view of a long line of Land Cruisers and other trucks parked along a dirt road through sagebrush hills on a 406 Cruisers run in the upper Ruby River country, Montana — The convoy, from above.

Drone view of a group of trucks and people gathered in a snowy clearing on a 406 Cruisers run in the upper Ruby River country, Montana — Same group, a few hours and a few inches later.

Ruts, Snow and Off-Camber

Fresh snow on top of spring mud is the worst of both. The two-tracks turned into slick ruts, and anywhere the road crossed a slope it went off-camber fast. Slow and steady, tires in the ruts, and nobody followed too close.

Line of trucks parked along a snowy two-track with a tan Tacoma in the foreground and hills behind on a 406 Cruisers run in the upper Ruby River country, Montana — Regrouping in the snow.

White Toyota 4Runner driving in deep, muddy ruts on a snowy hillside road with more trucks behind on a 406 Cruisers run in the upper Ruby River country, Montana — Ruts in charge.

White Toyota Land Cruiser with a snorkel tilted hard on an off-camber snowy slope on a 406 Cruisers run in the upper Ruby River country, Montana — Gravity is undefeated, but it didn’t win this one.

Everything Freezes

Drive through slush at 30 degrees and the mud on your truck freezes where it lands. By midday, bumpers had icicles, lights were packed with ice and the snorkels looked like they’d been dipped in frosting.

Front of a Toyota FJ Cruiser with icicles and frozen mud hanging from its bumper and lights on a 406 Cruisers run in the upper Ruby River country, Montana — Icicles, May edition.

Close view of a mirror and snorkel caked in frozen mud and snow on a 406 Cruisers run in the upper Ruby River country, Montana — The snorkel took a beating.

Toyota FJ Cruiser with orange and red graphics tilted on an off-camber snowy hillside road on a 406 Cruisers run in the upper Ruby River country, Montana — Off-camber, iced up and still going.

Then the sun came out for a while, and everything turned back into mud.

Mud-covered Toyota FJ Cruiser and another truck on a dirt road under a bright blue sky with wispy clouds on a 406 Cruisers run in the upper Ruby River country, Montana — Blue sky, brown truck.

Mud-splattered Toyota Land Cruiser 80 Series with a roof rack and swing-out carrier on a dirt road on a 406 Cruisers run in the upper Ruby River country, Montana — An 80 Series, wearing the road.

Camp

Camp was in the trees near Vigilante Station, an old Forest Service guard station on the upper Ruby River in the Beaverhead National Forest. The main house is now a rental cabin you can reserve. The Forest Service notes the last 20 miles of the road in are gravel and can be slippery when wet or snowy. We can confirm.

It snowed overnight. Rooftop tents woke up with a few inches on them.