Montana Beaverslide

A beaverslide sits in a field near Avon duA beaverslide sits in a field near Avon during a spring sunset.
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A beaverslide is a device for stacking hay that builds, up to 30 feet tall of loose, unbaled hay to be stored outdoors and used as feed for livestock. In 1908, the beaverslide was invented by two Montana ranchers, Herbert Armitage and David Stephens, in the Big Hole Valley.
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Today there are only a few ranches that still stack hay using this device, and it seems like every year, haystacks are being replaced by haybales from mechanical balers. However, there are some ranchers that are returning to this old-school method to save fuel costs. While others never abandoned it because of the large investment required to purchase modern mechanized balers.
ring a spring sunset.